[dot] amaroK 1.4 Beta 1 Released

[Dot Stories]

URL: http://dot.kde.org/1139952529/

From: roKymotion <amarok-promo at lists.sourceforge.net>
Dept: we-always-fast-forward
Date: Tuesday14/Feb/2006, @13:28

amaroK 1.4 Beta 1 Released
==========================

   Fresh from the amaroK development squad, comes  the first beta
release of amaroK 1.4 [http://amarok.kde.org/content/view/69/66/], the
'Fast Forward' series. This generation has a lot of shiny new features
and eye-candy. amaroK development has literally been in fast forward
mode since November, the changelog
[http://websvn.kde.org/trunk/extragear/multimedia/amarok/ChangeLog?rev=508559&view=markup]
is actually one of the longest in project's history.  Read on for the
new features.


A. HOT NEW FEATURES

     Since work started on amaroK 1.4, several features have been
repeatedly requested, via the amaroK forum, IRC and mailing lists, as
being essential to amaroK users.

     That said, amaroK now includes the ability to tag (and add to the
collection) WMA, MP4/AAC and RealMedia (RA,RV,RM) files.

     Another long-standing item from the wishlist is gapless playback,
and this has finally been implemented, along with audio CD support (and
CDDB lookups) for the popular xine engine.

     By far the biggest change in amaroK 1.4 is the reworked media
device system. Apple iPod support has been greatly improved (thanks to
libgpod), and iRiver/ifp and generic media devices are now supported,
although the latter is still a little unstable.

     Along with these major changes, amaroK's user interface has been
cleaned up and simplified, and much work has been done under the hood to
improve performance and stability.

     The team now asks everybody to hunt and squash bugs, for your own
enjoyment as well as to make 1.4 even more stable than 1.3 already was.
A list of known issues
[http://amarok.kde.org/amarokwiki/index.php/1.4-Known_Issues] is
available.

     Packages are available for Kubuntu
[http://kubuntu.org/announcements/amarok-1.4beta1.php] or grab the
source [http://amarok.kde.org/amarokwiki/index.php/Download] to compile
it yourself.  For more information how to help and where to get amaroK
1.4 beta 1 see the amaroK website.
 [http://amarok.kde.org]