iTunes: TV Shows and App Store.

[via Gizmodo]

Coinciding with the release of the iPhone 3G, Apple has finally debuted TV and movie downloads through the iTunes store in Australia. Makes you wonder: what have all those early-adopters with AppleTV been doing with it? Just kidding, I know it’s still a very cool box for streaming mp4s onto your TV even without iTunes coming along for the ride.

Anyway, the selection is currently pitifully small and overpriced — although the inclusion of Chris Lillie’s Summer Heights High and uber-hit The Hills should keep tweens punters happy.

Personally, I’m more psyched about the Apps store, which came online recently. While it’s obviously been timed for the iPhone 3G launch, it is a welcome reprieve for iPod Touch users who couldn’t stomach jailbreaking to get cool apps. An upgrade to iPhone V 2.0 is required though, and it costs $US9.99.

Apparently there’s already hundreds of apps online (ie. Beatmaker, below), with more to come. While many of the coolest cost money, it’s refreshing to see a lot of useful tools being offered for free.

Beatmaker for iPhone and iPod Touch.

Ok, so I know I said last post I wasn’t going to be around. But really, this couldn’t wait.

Intua has made a way-cool app for the iPhone/iPod Touch called Beatmaker which is basically an MPC1000 with a heap of insane functions. Oliver at Wire to the Ear is going nuts about the Man Parish kit it comes with, but I’m just blown away by the functionality and features.

Imagine what you could do on stage with one of these?

iband hype timed for SDK launch.

About 5 days ago I spotted this vid on Crunchgear featuring an ipod touch drum-kit — apparently I was totally behind the proverbial eight ball as an ‘iband’ pictured above had already garnered 2 million views for their awe-inspiring video with said drum-kit plus other instruments.

In ‘unrelated’ news, this week Apple finally released the SDK which allows developers to make their own software for the ipod touch and iPhone platforms.

Well-timed viral hype anybody?

Of course, cynics will point out that idrummer etc. were out before the SDK, and the video features artists playing on Jailbroken ipods, so of course Apple couldn’t be behind it. However, that still doesn’t explain why/how they went from two ipods and a Nintendo DS to three iPhones in the space of a week.

In any event, I’m pumped that the SDK is out and am seriously considering getting an iPod touch for PDA and Skype duties.

Read: ‘iPhone musicians tinkle the touch screen‘.