10 Comments

Apple Updates iTunes to 7.4.1, Breaks Custom .M4R Ringtones (Not Shocking), Accidently Announces Movie Rentals (Shocking)

September 8, 2007 by in Apple with 10 Comments

Everyone at this site accuses me of being an Apple fanboi and I always respond saying I’m just as critical of them as I am of any company. So, Now its Apples turn to get dumped on.

Now Apple is the largest largest company that goes out of their way to make it difficult if not impossible to allow people to customize their legitimately purchased hardware and software and when somebody FINDS a way to customize the software Apple quickly releases a patch to break the hack.

Case and point with iTunes 7.4.1. iTunes forces a user to buy ringtones to use on their iPhone and there is NO FREE method to add your own custom ring tones. Yesterday somebody discovered you could simply change any AAC audio file to have a .m4r file extension and iTunes would sync it as a ring tone. The simplest hack by anybodies standards.

Now with iTunes 7.4.1 Apple BLOCKED the ability to use custom ringtones. WHAT GIVES?! Its a friggin RINGTONE, throw us a bone Apple! Its not like I am going online and stealing music. I’m using a legitimately purchased CD to do as I see fit with it for my own personal use – totally within fair use. Stop being so damn DRM crazy and let us make our own ringtones, Apple! There are rumors floating on the web that if you change the extension of your ringtone files BACK to ‘.m4a’ from ‘.m4r’ they will sync again and still show up as ringtones. BUT STILL!

I’m not even going to start venting about how iTunes broke the ability to Jailbreak your phone or how I hope Apple gets sued into oblivion for releasing the iTunes WiFi music store forcing you to only purchase music for Apple (Monopoly anyone?)

rental-movies-itunes-2.jpg

In non ranting news Apple via iTunes could be offering movie rentals. The new iTunes has options for requesting a refund due to non-delivery of rental movies or have accidental purchase, poor content quality, duplicate purchase, wrong version, bad metadata, and “other” problems relating to movie files. Hmmmm, anybody feel another special announcement coming soon?


  • Justin

    Well you are right, you are an Apple fanboi (and i admit you guys got me hooked as well).

    For one, the movie rentals would be easily manageable with their DRM obsessions. I bet the minute someone hacks it, they’ll get the henchmen to snipe ‘em.

    Ringers I can’t say anything yet, since my 8GB iPhone is coming this week. =)

  • ArtDecoDalek

    Gimme a break. Apple is so DRM CRAZY that they convinced at least ONE major label to START SELLING MUSIC WITHOUT DRM. Wow, that’s CRAZY. As FOR the ringtones, you can blame the major labels and AT&T for that NONsense. While you certainly SHOULD be able TO make your own RINGTONES, $1.99 for A song and ringtone IS still cheaper than what every other cellphone carrier charges JUST FOR THE RINGTONE. CAPS caps CaPS.

  • http://www.joe.to Nick

    Best fix? Do not buy an iphone, instead, get a Nokia N95. ;)

  • http://web.mac.com/barra_240t/ Nigel

    Best fix no.2, move to Australia where its not available, and sit back and listen to everyone complain about it.

    I don’t think I want anymore, but I want the email/web capabilities.

  • Mac_Tonight

    Well, I’m in Aus too, and I can’t wait to see someone try and show off their unlocked iPhone before anyone else sees it.

    “WHOA, IT MOVES UP AND DOWN IF YOU TOUCH IT!” *sigh*

    Anyhow, I’m sure people will manage to get the iPod Touch to do cool stuff. Who knows, maybe it runs OS X too? :D

  • phunlee

    dude. chill out. did you ever think that Apple is selling OTHER PEOPLE”s music and movies, etc. Apple has to do what they say if they want content to sell. Those guys want a percentage of that 99cents when you convert to a ringtone. Apple, imo, is about ability, they give you the ability to do these things you want, but are limited b/c you want this overproduced, big studio, overplayed on the radio garbage.

    You think their guys didn’t realize you can just change the file extension? or change it back? these guys make computer software…Apple has always done the minimum asked of them by content providers. I bet some people still have old napster mp3s loaded into their itunes. and illegal music dloads aren’t kicked out of itunes. I just think they know what you want, but their hands are tied on what they can offer. They didn’t write the songs, they just want to get them on your ipod/iphone.

  • andrew

    it does run osx, its the same setup they got on the iphone just the apps are different.

  • Joe

    The iPod touch runs OS X as well. It’s basically an iPhone without a phone, and with certain applications not loaded (probably just to make the iPhone seem more attractive).

  • http://arstechnica.com/apple.ars David Chartier

    Cuz locking down the iTunes Store and cutting off user-created ringtones couldn’t *possibly* be mandated by the content companies since they’re the ones who actually make all the money off selling content in the iTunes Store.

    Not at all. Nope. No way. :P

  • steve

    They don’t make that much money from the iTunes Store, though. The songs that you can turn into ringtones for the additional 99cents are only from selected record labels, because of their stronghold… even with the TV shows, NBC and other companies are trying to pressure Apple into blocking non-legally purchased content from being viewed on iPods.

Privacy Policy | About Us | Contact Us | Write for us