Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with genius

I need these genius playlists back

starzero — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:57:01 -0800

iTunes experts present? Genius stopped working on iTunes 9, solutions I found aren't helping. Detailed information after the break. I upgraded iTunes to version 9 a few days ago, ever since the Genius function stopped working. I'm running Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit, Nod32 antivirus and the built-in Windows firewall, no other obscure "security" tools are present, the system hasn't been "improved" with any "optimizers" either. Desktop is a Intel Q6600 with 8GB ram connected to the network via wifi. There's about 33,000 files in my library and Genius was working fine on iTunes 8 when I last updated it a few weeks ago.

When I tried to update Genius to use the new mixes I got the "We Could Not Complete your iTunes Store Request. The Network Connection Timed Out" error. I disabled Genius and let it run again, step 1, collecting data on the library works fine, on step 2, when iTunes tries to transfer the collected data to Apple, I get the error after 10-15 seconds.

This problem seems to be quite widespread and has been around for a while, but none of the solutions I found are working. Things I already tried:

- Followed rule 1 and rebooted. Several times.
- Deleted the Apple Cookie folder in %appdata%
- Disabled Nod32, a few posts I found said eSet products can cause trouble with Genius, though this wasn't an issue before. Also disabled Nod32 entirely via msconfig, including self protection, rebooted, etc.
- Checked Windows internet settings in control panel, automatic configuration in LAN settings checked or unchecked doesn't make a difference, not using a proxy server
- Disabled Windows firewall, removed and readded iTunes to exceptions list, allowed all TCP and UDP connections
- Checked the integrity of the iTunes Library XML with several XML validators, no errors
- Tried the solution suggesting illegal characters in the XML might cause the error, searched the XML with TextWrangler on my Mac for illegal characters. All it found were German umlauts (ä, ö, ü) and ß, I have hundreds of tracks with these characters and they didn't cause any issues before.
- Uninstalled and reinstalled iTunes several times, nuked every iTunes related configuration files from %appdata% several times, after re-importing my files into a fresh iTunes the same error popped up again.
- Connected desktop with ethernet cable to rule out wireless issue
- Pruned all dead files with ! from the library, there where 5 or 6 links to deleted tracks, didn't help
- Changed iTunes language from English to German back to English, no difference
- Router related errors can be ruled out, I have absolutely no network issues on the Windows machine, neither on our 2 Mac notebooks (where Genius works)
- Tried running it at several times (Friday evening, night, all Saturday), so temporarily overloaded Apple servers can't be the issue either, really.
- Unlikely to be a DNS issue, Genius is working on 2 other machines, the iTunes store is working fine on Windows, updating my iPhone apps and downloading new apps is working, too. Also Genius was working in iTunes 9 for a bit, see next paragraph
- Tried nuking the library and re-adding files bit by bit, at one stage, after importing all artists starting with A, B and C genius worked, delivered results to Apple, got back genius results. It stopped working after I added artists starting with D. When I tried to narrow down the troublemaker files it crapped out with only artists starting with A and B present, before I even added more files. Also tried other letters, there doesn't seem to be any pattern.

I guess there is an issue with some files that are causing the XML file to corrupt, but as Apple in all its idiot-friendly glory decided to let iTunes pop out nothing but a generic network timeout issue I really ran out of ideas on how to troubleshoot this any further. Reverting to iTunes 8 would be a solution, then again I'd rather avoid that step as iTunes 9 is the first version in ages with a decent performance and has a few more nice features I kinda was looking forward to.

I could try to add single albums and run Genius after each, but then again I have a life and not an unlimited amount of time to deal with this stupidity. So, I'm kinda lost and frustrated now after spending most of the day on trying to fix this and I fail at googling any more possible solutions. Any ideas?

iAm so smrt

vernondalhart — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:51:04 -0800

Is there a way to use the Genius feature on my 80 GB Ipod Classic? From skimming around the internet, I get conflicting year-old rumours stating that the genius feature will/has been added to 80 GB ipods, but it doesn't seem to be an option on mine, updated as it is. So I assume that's not true.

Now, I've sen suggestions that you simply use the Genius feature on iTunes normally, then copy the playlist over to the ipod. Which would be fine, except for the fact that my iPod is my music library. Other than copying all 72 GB back onto my 80 GB laptop, running the genius update so that I can make a few playlists at my convenience, is there any reasonable way about this? Or am I pretty much out of luck until I end up buying a newer iPod?

How to not look foolish at the Apple genius bar?

amileighs — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 07:57:01 -0800

How to not look foolish at the Apple genius bar? So I have had my macbook air for about 18 months, and love it like a child. When I purchased it, I got the two year Apple Care warranty. Recently it has been having hinge issues. The right hinge makes a weird clicking noise when I close it a certain degree, and the even the right side of the bottom case makes noise if I hold my computer in one hand. On top of that I am getting intermittent screen flicker in the rightmost inch of my monitor.

My question is will Apple be able to do anything about a hinge? Is there anything I can do/say that will increase their desire to help me? Also what do I do about the intermittent screen flicker, which doesn't show up all the time? Should I take pictures? Any insight into getting help from Apple would be greatly appreciated.

I am located in NYC and am planning on going to the 14th street location.

Oh Dear.

Anonymous — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 07:47:05 -0800

My life is kinda fucked up and I'm at a complete loss at the steps I need to take in order to not be so fucked up. I am 25. I weigh nearly 300 pounds. I went to a very exclusive high school. Flunked out of one of the best small liberal arts colleges in the US. Went to a "college"(more like a high school in the UK) in the UK. Attended, for three years, one of the UK's best schools and flunked out. Attended a community college in San Francisco. Transferred to a UC. I failed to attend the last half of my classes and exams at said UC last quarter.

I drink very heavily. My doctor prescribed .5 mg of alprazolam for anxiety 3 times a day. I don't know what to do at my school in order to stay a student.

I want to quit drinking. I spend all of my time online. I am afraid that I have alienated myself from all of my friends except for drinking buddies. I don't know anyone in my UC town.

I am a genius, according to most non-specialized standardized tests. I am very good at math, coding and I love literature. I feel that if I can quit drinking I can do well in my classes. I may still be a student here for another quarter and can provide documentation about my mental problems if it comes to it.

I love and trust metafilter. What should I do with my life? I am scared.

Feel free to contact me kali.scot@gmail.com.

Steve Jobs, SUP-er GEN-ius...

Methylviolet — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 09:42:40 -0800

Is there a downside to iTunes' Genius feature? iTunes recently forced me to update it, and now there is this Genius business -- a feature that apparently compares your library and playlists with those of other users to find which songs are most often found together. With this information, it will suggest playlists of music you already own, and -- of course -- songs available for purchase on iTunes.

Is there a catch? What if, just say for example, a person had a truly vast collection of unlicensed music? Is there a downside to this that you can see?

Undeniable Examples of Women Geniuses?

DetonatedManiac — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 22:36:50 -0800

GeniusFilter: Help me win an argument and prove that there ARE undeniable examples of women geniuses throughout history or even today. My Aunt argues that there are no women geniuses and that only men can be geniuses. I know she is wrong and that the lack of notable women geniuses in history has been due to masculine hegemony, historical social norms, etc. However, she is not swayed by such arguments and I need some good counter examples to prove her wrong. I've looked in Google and no convincing examples immediately present themselves.

Please provide examples of women geniuses (in Arts, Sciences, Math, Philosophy, or any field).

In the unlikely event that she is correct, please provide scientific reasoning as to why this is?

Online pharmacy for Canada?

cascando — Thu, 15 May 2008 20:49:33 -0800

I am in Canada, looking to get provigil or modalert from an online pharmacy that delivers to Canada. Anyone know a reputable one?

Nietzsche said geniuses have developed a distortion

archae — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 01:07:53 -0800

Nietzsche once said something to the effect that all geniuses who excelled in one arena must also possess an equally great deficiency or underdeveloped faculty, either physically, morally or in personality and the like. But I can't find where he said this! Maybe it wasn't Nietzsche?

How to be a Mac Genius?

Anonymous — Thu, 10 May 2007 09:06:09 -0800

I scored an on-site Mac Genius interview. Now what? Can you help me figure out what to expect? How best to prepare? My biggest problem is that I have spent my entire life taking apart and troubleshooting Macs, and it's like a second language to me. But like a second language, I can't always explain what it is I'm trying to do: often I can just intuit the correct course of action and make things work. There's no luck to this, just an inability to express why certain ingrained "Mac grammar" is correct. Help!

Can genius be used as an adjective?

MiguelCardoso — Thu, 02 Sep 2004 00:28:30 -0800

Can genius be used as adjective, as in this example from the BBC: "Send Dave your genius idea."? If so, why? [More Inside.] Given the meanings of genial in English, is there a way of translating the meaning of genial in the Romance languages?

The standard application is to brilliant, genius-like creations by people who are anything but geniuses, often ironically, as in:

"Neil Diamond's I Am, I Said is (genial)".

Genius-like isn't really satisfactory and I would prefer a simple adjective to another noun, like masterpiece, much less sheer genius, pure genius, etc.

Many thanks for any help you might give me.