Amazinf if you ask me. Apple has changed as a company. Wth the success has brought corporate arrogance. ala Micorosoft.

I'm in the music business and listen and play music all day. With iTunes. This is a disgusting thing Apple has done. Apple is usually respectful of it's users, but nowthat it has so many PC users, I guess it figures why not be like the PC companies. Invade and monitor it's users.

This "phone home" should be SO CLEARLY STATED. And it should be a preference setting.

Jobs and Apple getting arrogant again. Is the downfall coming again?

How do you think it knows how to suggest other music? Dark magic? Of course it has to ping a database somewhere. See also: Amazon.com.

There is an option to disable it: "Hide MiniStore" under the Edit menu, or click the button in the bottom-right of the window.