You may have heard a new iPod Shuffle landed today with some comical improvements but the (slightly) more important thing is the inevitable release of iTunes 8.1 which is required for the new Shuffle. Everyone else, you get to enjoy everything of a typical point upgrade plus what Apple has deemed worthy to put in the release notes.

  * Speed improvements: iTunes gets a speed boost. Now when it comes to loading large libraries, browsing the iTunes Store, and syncing your devices,  iTunes responds faster than before.
  * Genius sidebar for movies and TV shows: In addition to music, the Genius sidebar now introduces you to movies and TV shows you might also enjoy.
  * Import as iTunes Plus: Automatically import music from your CDs as higher quality, 256-Kbps iTunes Plus files.

Via: The iPhone Blog