Frequently Asked Questions About iTunes U at NC State
What is iTunes U at NC State?
iTunes U is a partnership between Apple Computer and North Carolina State University. Apple provides us with storage space and a sophisticated framework for managing and delivering content. We (the University community) provide the content itself.
What kinds of content are available?
iTunes U uses a technology called podcasting, which supports audio and video content. It is akin to subscribing to a daily newspaper; selecting a "subscribe" link in iTunes will ensure that as new content is created in a channel that you interested in, that this content will automatically show up on your computer.
As far as content itself, it is content that is a mixture of faculty, staff and student created content. Some of it is for curriculum, some of it is informational, some of it is purely for entertainment.
What Does it Cost?
There is no cost for using this service as either a content creator or as a subscriber. Everything is free.
How do I use iTunes U at NC State?
- If you do not already have Apple's iTunes software installed, download the software and install it.
- After installing it, open a web browser and go to iTunes U at NC State.
- Click on the link "Launch iTunes", which will take you to our iTunes U storefront.
Are there other options to using iTunes software?
Currently, no. We are investigating other options, particularly for our visually impaired audience.
Will this content work with my Apple iPod?
Yes.
What if I have a non-Apple media player?
iTunes U supports both AAC and MP3 for audio content. All portable media players support mp3, but only a few support AAC. The advantages of AAC over MP3 center around smaller file sizes for a given level of audio quality (AAC is more efficient, which lets you store more content on your mobile player), but there are other benefits as well (bookmarking content, such as audiobooks). The only video format that is supported in iTunes U is a subset of mpeg-4 appropriate for mobile devices. Fortunately, many mobile players that support video also support mpeg-4.
You can convert AAC audio content to MP3 using Apple's iTunes software.
- Select Preferences
- Select Advanced
- Select Importing
- Select MP3 from the pulldown "Import Using"
- Close Preferences
- Either Control-Click (Mac) or Right-Click (Windows)
on the file you want to convert in your iTunes library. Select "Convert
to MP3".
Since iTunes copies content from our iTunes U site to your local computer, you have the ability to copy content onto your mobile player using the management software that came with your player.
On a Mac, control-clicking on a file in your iTunes podcast playlist will reveal a popup menu. Selecting "reveal in finder" will locate the file on your computer for you.
On a Windows computer, right-clicking on a file in your iTunes podcast list will reveal a popup menu. Selecting "reveal in explorer" will locate the file on your computer for you.
You can now copy this file onto your media player.
I am affiliated with North Carolina State University. How can I use iTunes U at NC State to publish my content?
We will have a solution for handling requests very shortly. Please check this page again on 7/1/07 or thereafter.
Is iTunes U content copyright protected?
We do not use digital rights management software (DRM) to lock down content in iTunes U, but whatever copyright ownership that attributed to the original media extends to the iTunes U delivered versions of that content. This means:
If you want to reuse content from iTunes U, you should ask for permission
from the content creator and/or the University.
If you are content creator, by using iTunes U you are not abdicating
intellectual property rights on your content (as far as is allowed by
the university).
We are not lawyers. We leave this stuff to people who do this for a living.
I want to know more about iTunes U!
We suggest going to Apple's own site on iTunes U.