Apple has launched its own social network as part of the iTunes suite. Branded 'Ping' (not to be confused with Microsoft's Bing) the network allows users of the iTunes service to share playlists and find out what friends are listening to. Steve Jobs has been putting the usual spin on it - claiming that potentially 160 million users will just 'turn it on'.

It's quite likely that musicians will migrate from using mySpace as a platform for showcasing their work to Ping, but will it be enough to attract people away from the more estabilshed social networking sites? We already have Facebook, Twitter, myspace, bebo, google buxx (ahem), ning, linkedIn, friendster, yahoo 360, hi5, tagged, friends reunited, classmates, flikr, faceparty, and lots of other social networking sites all fighting for markeyshare. Wikipedia currently lists over 150 social networking sites (at the time of writing). Then there are other media like online gaming and mobile games which have their own social networks.

Steve Jobs is hoping that Ping will take off much faster than it's failed Apple TV venture. In the presentation of Ping, he went on to announce an updated version of Apple TV which can be plugged in to a TV to stream rented content of TV and music from iTunes. The problem with Apple TV is that you can already get this content via a computer, and having an extra device on top of the freeview box, dvd player, DVR recorder, cable  box, satallite box and whatever else you have plugged in to the back of your set would mean having more remote controls and fiddly cables just for getting music. Having a monopoly on the content, distribution and platform has worked relatively well for its other products like the iPod and iPhone, but these were markets which has little mass-market competition. Trying to force the same business strategy in to a market like television content, when we already have established platforms and content providers will be much more of a challenge.