I’m really digging the new iTunes screen saver that uses the iTunes music library album art to build a wall of visual goodness. Brilliant stuff. I know a ton of folks who bemoan the jump from analog to digital music. From time to time, I myself speak like an old curmudgeon about vinyl vs. CD or MP3. But the new visualization UI of iTunes is intensely gratifying and addictive for the simple fact that they’ve changed the way I browse for albums from spine to cover. My whole life I’ve optimized the storage of physical albums and CD’s by stacking them in horizontal rows (I’ve become real familiar with the intricacies of spine art, especially if things aren’t alphabetized right). So this is indeed a whole new way of seeing one’s collection–everyone facing forward, smiling, and competing for your attention. Long lost friends pop-up and you remember them all over again. The serendipity is wonderful.
I should also give huge props to iConcertCal 1.2 while I’m boasting about iTunes. More brilliance. It monitors your iTunes Library and makes a personalized Concert Calendar for your city. There’s a whole slew of bands I might have missed had this little app not entered my life.