iCommune
This is how the story goes - a developer releases a beta application. The app is hardly noticed by anyone on the shareware software listing sites. A few days pass, the app moves up to beta 2. A couple more days pass. Then all of a sudden Apple screams in with a flurry of legal documents and "politely asks" the developer to remove said app, for it violates the terms of the developer agreement he signed on for. Next thing you know Slashdot.org features an article about the app (most likely because they're always looking for examples of how OS X isn't really open source and how Apple is just as evil as Microsoft) and the Mac-related forums light up with "does anyone have a mirror for this?"
The application in question is an innocuous little plug-in for iTunes named iCommune by James Speth. The plug-in allows iTunes to share music libraries over a network. Apple demonstrated a similar practice last MWNY where a PowerMac was able to "auto-discover" a nearby PowerBook over wifi and access the mp3 files on that machine through Rendezvous. The feature has yet to appear, but most watchers bet Apple is preparing it for iTunes 4.
But what iCommune lacks in "auto-discovery" it more than makes up for by offering iTunes libraries through the internet (thanks to OS X's built-in Apache web sharing). That theoretically means that any Mac user in the world could listen to mp3s on my Mac, through their own iTunes application window. Now that's cool.
I personally didn't believe the plug-in would work. But lo and behold, I was able to drum up a copy (the developer "temporarily" removed it from his site), and after a little tinkering to get it going, my friend Dan, who lives in Florida, was able to connect to my Mac (which is behind a router even), browse my entire library, search for particular artists, and stream the music to his machine.
After that I popped open my iBook, installed the plug-in, and presto - I was streaming mp3s from my PowerMac to my wireless iBook.
The implications of iCommune are rather astounding -- mainly because it is so well integrated into the already familiar iTunes interface, where you can browse a friend's library just as easily as your own, and because it goes way beyond what a typical Shoutcast server (for example) can provide. Instead of pushing content, the iCommune user is in complete control, can search entire libraries, and listen to whatever they please.
So what's going to happen? Nobody knows as of yet, but the developer is working with Apple to see if they can come to a mutual agreement and allow the plug-in to be available once again. All I know is that if Apple is planning something similar to this in iTunes 4, we will all be blown away.
Comments
so... um, mistah dominey... do you know where I could get a copy of this free music societal(is that a word?) plug in? not that I would download it or use it or anything like that...
Posted by: robert at January 17, 2003 11:30 AM
Dammit, I want a new Powerbook so bad I can taste it. Thanks to you and a few others, I'm seeing so much cool stuff come out for OSX that I want to play with, but can't. Hows that 12" PB working out for you?
Posted by: Bob at January 17, 2003 11:51 AM
Just for the record, Todd, /. featured a positive blurb about iCommune back on Jan 10th (give'em a little credit ;)
Posted by: evan at January 17, 2003 12:32 PM
My 12" PowerBook hasn't arrived yet. 2-4 week waiting period after the introduction, so I'm guessing it'll be here by February 7 or so.
Posted by: Todd Dominey at January 17, 2003 12:35 PM
This reminds me of Muse.net for the PC. Although it's more closed as far as who you can stream to, probably to avoid record industry hassles. Made by some ex-Winamp people.
(this comment thingy has a bug in IE 6 after form validation error, FYI)
Posted by: Ben at January 17, 2003 1:45 PM
Thanks for the heads up Todd, I'm off to the filesharing programs to try to find a copy.
By the way, the new WDIK logo is beautiful.
Posted by: beastmaster at January 17, 2003 4:40 PM
The question is, will RIAA be blown away?
Posted by: Boz at January 17, 2003 4:43 PM
Oh man, this exactly why I want a Mac ... ?
It's not the OS, or the fact that they look sweet (I'm lying my ass off...) ... it's all the little things like iCommune and Kung-Tunes that make it worthwhile!
Shiznit ...
Posted by: Thomas Mertz at January 17, 2003 4:51 PM
Yea, I hadn't heard of iCommune till today. If you got 5 minutes and limwire it shouldn't be a problem to find. (I would post a link to it here but I don't want O'l Diminey to get in trouble)
Posted by: Mason at January 17, 2003 5:44 PM
Yea, I hadn't heard of iCommune till today. If you got 5 minutes and limwire it shouldn't be a problem to find. (I would post a link to it here but I don't want O'l Diminey to get in trouble)
Posted by: Mason at January 17, 2003 5:44 PM
You can find 1.0b1 here. Its not the latest but it works. http://hyperarchive.lcs.mit.edu/HyperArchive/Abstracts/Recent-Summary.html
Posted by: Adam at January 17, 2003 6:39 PM
Yeah Todd, I didn't hear of iCommune until I saw it here on your site. Even if Apple did make them take down iCommune and they are going to include something very similar in iTunes 4, then who cares anyway. That feature sounds like it ROCKS!
Posted by: Tom at January 18, 2003 8:23 PM
With all these postings about great apps for the MAC makes me wonder when will I become one of those "switchers". Probably until the day I can afford to keep up with the latest Apple hardware I will be happy with my Windows iPod and a Start button.
Posted by: Paul at January 18, 2003 10:25 PM
There are two reasons Apple came down hard and fast on iCommune:
1. They *are* planning to do something *like* this later on. Not willy-nilly sharing your MP3s over the net, but sharing across LANs, WANs and probably VPNs.
2. Apple is mostly flying under the RIAA's radar and they like it that way. Kapish?
To those of you reading this who are thinking of switching: this is the tip of the Cool iceberg when it comes to OS X. Even if you're not gonna switch anytime soon, you need to go visit a nearby Apple store and ask one of the employees to give you a tour of what OS X can REALLY do. And this is only version 2.3 of OS X -- the future looks incredible.
Posted by: Chas at January 20, 2003 5:02 PM
iCommune developer Jim Speth posted a message today on his mailing list:
Hi everyone,After a bit of decompression from all the hubbub this created, I've decided to give iCommune a new future.
Here's what the next version will be:
- a stand-alone application that manages network accessible music
libraries
- able to generate and manage playlists for your favorite mp3
player
- able to communicate with and control your mp3 player using
AppleEvents
- Rendezvous-enabled
- built with a robust indexer and XML format that properly handles
non-ASCII characters
- completely free of any Apple proprietary code or interface use
- completely open source under the GPLI am working on it now, and hope to get it out to you all soon. I apologize again for not being able to respond to all the mail I've received. While I'm working on it, I won't be able to provide help with the original versions of iCommune. Also, please don't ask me for copies of the original version, I am going to honor Apple's request and not distribute it further.
I'm going to get the basics of the next version done, then get it out the door, with source. Hopefully from there, it will take on a life of its own, and get even better.
Thanks for all the encouragement I've received.
Jim
Posted by: Stephen Coles at January 21, 2003 3:02 PM
To followup on this post, I contacted the developer to see if the "real", soon to be released stand-alone version will in any way remove the functionality (sharing, streaming content) in the plug-in. He said it won't - that it will do the same things, just not in the iTunes application window or use propreitary Apple code. Goodie.
Posted by: Todd Dominey at January 21, 2003 8:04 PM
Limewire got me the latest version quick.. course the next question i have is... are there any brave souls out there posting server sites or there icommune library or will this only be useful for me if and when I finnally get the 12 in pb i've been drooling over so I can play my music from my desktop w/o copying it over?
Posted by: daniel at January 22, 2003 11:27 PM
It looks interesting are there any servers to try it on?
Posted by: bubba at January 24, 2003 6:38 PM
well, if you have an icommune adress, do not hesitate, contact me. only to see if it works of course
Posted by: zec at January 31, 2003 12:02 PM
hi there to try icommune just use the default server:
Name; Jim's Music
Address: http:://www.icommune.net/Music
cheers!
Posted by: askme at October 28, 2003 5:44 AM
