Sony To Launch iTunes Competitor

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Sony confirmed yesterday that they plan to launch an online media store (BusinessWeek) in order to sell music, movies, and books for use on a variety of products. This new store will be called Sony Online Service, and it will be launched as part of Sony's push to reverse their recent losses with an increase in software content.

This new online store will be a direct competitor to iTunes. Anyone who sells media over the Internet is a competitor to iTunes. The question on everyone's mind is; what will Sony do to differentiate their Online Store from all of the others? How will they compete with iTunes?

Posted on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:22:20 CST | by Robert Evans

Apple To Provide TV Through iTunes?

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I don't have access to cable TV, but I do have the Internet and an iTunes account. If I could pay $30 to get access to a wide variety of TV shows through iTunes, I'd be sorely tempted. Apple is apparently betting that there are a lot of people like me. According to AllThingsDigital Apple is pitching that very idea to several TV networks. And no, before you ask, this service has nothing to do with Apple TV.

There are over 65 million people with iTunes accounts. A potential audience of that size must look very good to the networks. While none of them have bought into the plan yet, it seems likely that Apple will be able to convince at least a few that its service has a future. The All Things Digital article states that Disney is one of the companies being courted.

Posted on Mon, 2 Nov 2009 11:56:57 CST | by Robert Evans

iTunes 9.0.2 Update Is Available

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Apple unveiled the new Apple TV 3.0 Software and also a new version of iTunes with iTunes 9.0.2.
iTunes 9.0.2 adds support for Apple TV 3.0, improves accessibility, new iTunes Store look and iTunes U category. See the full iTunes 9.0.2 release notes below.
For you Palm Pre owners, according to PreCentral, Apple killed your iTunes sync again. Read more

Posted on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:41:56 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

iTunes LP Opening Up To Additional Labels

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Right now, the iTunes LP format has only been opened to a few major labels. That's why there is such a small selection of LPs available currently on iTunes. Due to a Gizmodo report, this was currently rumored to be due to a $10,000 production fee charged by Apple. With such a fee in place, the LP format would only be available to labels with major resources.

However, as MacRumors.com reports those rumors are incorrect. Apple has denied that there is any production fee. They've also stated their plans to open up the LP format to all labels. This will allow them to expand their LP offerings and bring greater success to the format as a whole.

Posted on Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:20:23 CDT | by Robert Evans

New Palm Pre webOS 1.2.1 Fixes Apple iTunes Sync Again

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Palm just released webOS 1.2.0 last week. Today Palm released webOS 1.2.1 that fixes both problems syncing your EAS email and media sync with the latest iTunes release (as already rumored over a week ago).
I did not expect Palm to continue this little war with Apple. Besides sync with iTunes 9.0.1 Palm also fixed photo album structure and added a new option to sync photos without full resolution originals. Read more

Posted on Sat, 3 Oct 2009 08:49:01 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Palm webOS 1.2.1 Will Fix iTunes Sync?

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Pre owners, we have some bad news and some good news. PreCentral.net is reporting that an anonymous tipster has informed them that webOS 1.2.1 could end up delayed until next week. They claim this delay is due to Sprint wanting to test the changes involving the App Catalog in more detail. A second delay for 1.2.1 is a bit of an annoyance, but it comes with a silver lining.

PreCentral's tipster has told them that 1.2.1 will re-enable iTunes syncing for the Palm Pre. This is sure to agitate the already touchy situation between Palm and Apple, who has disabled Pre syncing twice so far. As soon as this patch hits, Pre owners, you'd best sync your phones up with iTunes before Apple can disable them again.

Posted on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:52:50 CDT | by Robert Evans

iTunes 9 Kills Palm Pre Syncing

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When the Palm Pre first hit stores, it came with the ability to sync up with iTunes. The Pre identified itself as an iPod mass storage device, so iTunes recognized it and let it in. Apple was not happy about this, and they fired back in July by breaking the Pre's ability to sync in a patch. Palm didn't take this standing down, and fixed syncing in webOS 1.1. For the last few months, the Pre has remained able to sync and Apple has only been able to stew about it.

That all changed yesterday. Apple released iTunes version 9 and, according to AppleInsider, it broke the Pre's ability to sync once more. Palm fans needn't fret, though. The webOS 1.2 update, which should have been announced earlier this week, was delayed for some reason. More than likely so that Palm would be able to respond to any moves Apple made.

Posted on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 10:28:03 CDT | by Robert Evans

The iTunes 9 Release Round-Up

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Today at the Apple iTunes event Steve Jobs announced the coming of iTunes version 9. Now the press release is out, and we've got a full list of info on the new features for this version of iTunes. First up, iTunes 9 heralds the introduction of iTunes LP.

These "LPs" will be full-sized albums that also come loaded with special features. Additions brought by LPs include; "live performance videos, lyrics, artwork, liner notes, interviews, photos, album credits and more". New albums such as Bob Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited,", Norah Jones' "Come Away With Me", The Grateful Dead's "American Beauty" and Dave Matthews Band's "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King: iTunes Pass" are now available.

Posted on Wed, 9 Sep 2009 13:36:02 CDT | by Robert Evans

iTunes Extras Announced

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Right next to the announcement for iTunes LPs was the news that Apple will be offering a similar service for movie purchases. It's called iTunes Extras, and it is the equivalent of paying to download a special edition DVD. Each 'extras' will include a host of extra features, including exclusive information and Bot Files.

Posted on Wed, 9 Sep 2009 12:36:25 CDT | by Robert Evans

iTunes LPs Out Today

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Okay, so news of iTunes cocktails/LPs leaked out a little earlier today. At the iTunes Rock'n Roll Event in San Francisco, the launch of iTunes LP was just officially confirmed by Steve Jobs himself. These new "digital LPs" will contain lyrics, chronology info, liner notes, videos, and other things. Jobs also announced that the artists themselves will be welcome to contribute to the LP special features if they'd like.

We've had an idea about what these new iTunes LPs would be, but hearing details about them makes them sound seriously enticing. Apple might just succeed in bringing a resurgence to CD-length music sales with this new purchase option.

Posted on Wed, 9 Sep 2009 12:23:37 CDT | by Robert Evans

'Cocktail' Live in iTunes Store

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Hey, hey, hey, guess what's popped out onto iTunes a little ahead (about a half hour) of the big Apple music event? Cocktails are now live in the iTunes store. A Gizmodo reader sent in a link to Bob Dylan's Highway 61 that is currently available for purchase in the iTunes store.

This new Cocktail album features several songs that you can only get by buying the whole album. In addition, users who purchase the full album will get video content; basically, live concert recordings, interviews, and the like.

Posted on Wed, 9 Sep 2009 12:00:00 CDT | by Robert Evans

iTunes 9 To Be Released Today

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Apple releases iTunes 9 today. As rumored Apple is going to release a new iTunes version with iTunes 9 today.
The new iTunes 9 will do home computer sharing, improve syncing and management of iPhone apps and add Genius DJ playlists. iTunes 9 now also offers a thing called iTunes LP, which is the rumored Cocktail stuff.
More details to come. Read more

Posted on Wed, 9 Sep 2009 12:14:29 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

Spotify For The iPhone Now Available In Apple iTunes App Store

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The music streaming client Spotify is now available for download in the Apple App Store in selected markets.
As reported Apple approved the Spotify App last week. Spotify customers in the UK, Sweden, France, Spain, Norway and Finland can now stream music on their iPhone anywhere. Read more

Posted on Mon, 7 Sep 2009 03:55:30 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

New iTunes 9 Screenshots Leak

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We still have a few more weeks to wait before Apple reveals iTunes 9 during their big music event. This new version of iTunes is rumored to be chock full of integrated social networking applications that allow users to do things like share music playlists over Facebook. Thanks to Boy Genius we actually have several snapshots of the new version of iTunes in action.

First off, these snapshots show the Facebook integration very clearly. It looks like sharing a playlist to your wall puts an iTunes link there. This link presumably sends users either to a shared playlist or some sort of sample playlist. It also appears that purchasing new songs adds a link to the song on your Facebook wall, informing your friends that you've just upgraded your library. Hopefully there will be a way to turn this off for people who might not want every detail of their music playlist leaking out.

Posted on Wed, 19 Aug 2009 09:50:00 CDT | by Robert Evans

TomTom for iPhone Released on iTunes App Store

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The highly anticipated TomTom App for the iPhone has been released and is now on sale in the Apple App Store.
The TomTom navigation software for the iPhone is available for U.S. & Canada ($99.99), Weastern Europe ($139.99), New Zealand ($94.99) and Australia ($79.99).

The TomTom iPhone App offers many of the features known from the TomTom Car GPS devices. Additionally you easily navigate to your friends from the contact list. Read more

Posted on Mon, 17 Aug 2009 01:05:43 CDT | by Luigi Lugmayr

New iTunes 9 Details Emerge

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Yesterday we learned our first details about the latest version of iTunes to roll down the pipe. Now, thanks to Boy Genius we're learning a lot more about Apple's intentions for the future of iTunes.

First off, it appears that Apple is in the middle of a huge social networking push, and that iTunes 9 is a big part of that. Apple wants to integrate iTunes into a social application that they intend to release sometime in the near future. This new feature is supposedly similar to Yahoo's OneConnect, a social media service that merges your messenger, phone, and social network contacts together and allows you to contact each one through a variety of ways. OneConnect is a mobile application, but Apple's new program could be for the iPhone or desktop.

Posted on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 11:00:00 CDT | by Robert Evans

iTunes 9 Information Leaks

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iTunes version nine is going to hit soon, and thanks to the folks at Boy Genius we have some details on just what that might entail. First and most interesting on the list is Blu-ray support. Apple's working to integrate Blu-ray into their next generation of iMacs, so this fits perfectly.

Posted on Sat, 8 Aug 2009 13:10:00 CDT | by Robert Evans

GolfLogix makes iTunes top 10

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I am not a golfer at all. I have said before that I am not even good at mini golf. There are lots of golfers out there though and if you use the iPhone GolfLogix has one of the most popular golf apps for the iPhone.

The GolfLogix iPhone GPS app has information for over 24,000 golf courses around the world. The app also offers patented scoring and round tracking technology allowing players to analyze their games. Read more

Posted on Fri, 7 Aug 2009 07:00:00 CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Apple Takes iTunes South of the Border

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It's nice to see that, just like the rest of us, Apple needs an occasional trip down south to clear its head. The Cupertino-based gadget maker has just launched an iTunes store in Mexico. You can check it out here. This new store will feature an expanded selection of Mexican popular music from hundreds of different artists.

Posted on Tue, 4 Aug 2009 12:15:00 CDT | by Robert Evans

Music 'Cocktails' Coming to iTunes

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It's not been the best time ever for record companies. The Internet has completely shifted their business model, and now they are struggling to survive in a world that no longer needs them. Artists have always made more money from touring than record sales, which is why many of them are starting to turn away from the labels in droves. Apple's iTunes remains one of the few surviving islands of profitability for the labels, and now even that is turning against them.

Customers are ordering more and more single songs and less albums. That cuts down on profits for the labels, so they've been hard at work trying to find some way to increase whole album sales. One of their new ideas is to start offering music 'cocktails' on iTunes. Read more

Posted on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 10:00:00 CDT | by Robert Evans

AVG Update Attacks iTunes

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Reports have come out that the latest patch to the popular AVG Anti-Virus software is treating iTunes as a virus. If you use both AVG and iTunes, you might want to avoid downloading that patch until a fix comes out. Users on the Apple forums have found that the issue appears to have arisen from the mislabeling of iTunes.dll and iTunesRegistry.dll as harmful files.

A patch fix should be out very quickly. Until then, you can either turn off AVG or add "C:Program Files (x86)ipod" as an exception.

Posted on Sun, 26 Jul 2009 17:00:00 CDT | by Robert Evans