iRadio – ‘Radio Buy Buttons’ found in iOS 6.1
9to5mac is reporting that a new ‘radio buy buttons’ has been found in iOS 6.1. According to the report, the new functionality was discovered on a jailbroken iPads with iFunBox.
From the report:
[quote] The files are called some variation of “radio button” with an icon that looks similar to the radio icon that used to be in iTunes for Mac (it was traded for a more prominent top location in iTunes 11 without the antenna tower). The iPad music app currently doesn’t have any radio functionality, so our first thought was that Apple would be adding an iTunes-like ‘traditional’ streaming radio to the iPad. Notably, jailbroken iPhones don’t contain these files in the Music app.
More interestingly, the name of these button files and are labeled with “buy” in the filename. This could imply exciting new functionality. We heard no shortage of rumors that Apple planned to take on the Pandoras and Spotifys of the world with its own ‘Radio’ service…[/quote]
9to5mac rightly pointed that rumors of a radio service from Apple was reported by Bloomberg last year.
The Bloomberg report at the time noted that:
[quote] Apple Inc. and major music labels have intensified negotiations to start an advertising-supported Internet radio service by early next year, according to people with knowledge of the talks.
Discussions are centered in part around how to share ad revenue and a deal could be reached by mid-November, with Apple starting service in the first three months of 2013, said the people, who sought anonymity because talks are in progress.[/quote]