In case you’ve been living under a rock or really like Microsoft, Apple had a press conference today unveiling new iPods. The iPod touch got an upgrade, but the big makeovers were reserved for the iPod shuffle and the iPod nano. Check here for a full report on that.
Also announced was iTunes 10, with a feature called Ping. Ping is basically their version of a social network, where, as Engadget says, you’ll be able to “follow people (including artists), establish a “circle of friends,” post comments, check out custom song and album charts, and even find over 17,000 concert listings (which you can of course let folks know you’re attending).” Visitors to Apple’s Web site seeking info find Lady Gaga as an example on Ping’s home page. We already knew she liked to quote Saxon lyrics and go to KISS shows, but amid the Michael and Janet Jackson albums listed under “Music Lady Gaga Likes” are two decidedly metal albums: Iron Maiden’s Number of the Beast and Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All.
Whether these are really her picks or those of a bored graphic design dude at Apple is up for debate, but you really can’t argue with either of those albums. The Maiden album is them at their finest, and the Kill ‘Em All is probably the least commercially successful of Metallica’s albums. If one pre-teen or sexually confused club kid decides to pick up these albums and gets turned on to metal as a result, then that’s a victory for everyone! And on a larger scale, it’ll be interesting to find out moving forward what kind of music your friends are really listening to on their iPods and iPhones.
