iTunes 10.1 Live Streaming References Found Prior to Apple’s Big iTunes Announcement

Apple has put a placeholder on its website saying that something big and revolutionary will be coming to iTunes tomorrow at 7 AM Pacific Time, and now just prior to the unveiling of the next generation of iTunes The Apple Lounge has discovered that there are references in iTunes 10.1 for live streaming. The code does imply some real-time streaming system, and Apple’s North Carolina data center is nearing completion. Real-time streaming for videos, music, and other purchased content on iTunes can help Apple rely less heavily on memory and storage as it is evolving its business deeper into mobile. By utilizing network connections, users can stream their purchased content that’s stored at the NC data center rather than having to store those files locally on their devices, overcoming the constraints of limited space and high costs of flash memory on devices such as the iPad and MacBook Air. It’s still unclear what Apple will announce tomorrow morning.