On the Merits of Genius...

One of the main reasons I started thinking about making better mixes is Apple's Genius feature in iTunes. After ignoring it for a few updates or so, I activated the Genius. After a long wait, with me sending Apple my info, Apple sending me info, etc., Genius was rolling smoothly. You select a song, and iTunes makes a mix based on the track. The first few times I tried it, the results were so-so. After another update, I tried it again and was pleasantly surprised. Apple seems to have developed an easy formula for making good Genius Mixes.

One of my favorite avenues for hearing new music has been Pandora. When I first visited the site I was really impressed with the whole idea of The Music Genome Project. I like the way you could start a station based on a song or an artist, and also the thumbs up/thumbs down way of training and focusing your station. I used Pandora long before I ever used Genius, and I will admit that Genius stole a bit of Pandora's thunder for me. It seemed Apple was able to achieve the same end result without all of the complicated, fussy, "Genome" business. Is it possible that a simple" if you buy this, you should buy that" system built on shopping history can be as good as a well thought out, complicated system like Pandora's?

Either way, both of these innovations made me a lazier music lover. I set out to prove the human element is always richer. There is no conversation with Genius or Pandora. There is just a click, and then a mix. We're better than our gadgets...