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898 'iTunes' stories September 2010 - August 2014
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App developers can now earn affiliate commissions via Store Kit in iOS 8

Avatar for Mark Gurman Aug 18 2014 - 9:17 am PT
2 Comments

Apple’s iTunes Affiliate program has notified users of the program that developers can now earn affiliate commission via the Store Kit feature in iOS 8. StoreKit Product Sheet, which has existed since 2012’s iOS 6, allows developers to put a page inside of their apps to download other items from the iTunes Store, App Store, and iBookstore. However, the feature was not compatible with affiliates until iOS 8. Here’s Apple’s email to affiliate users:

We are excited to announce that Store Kit Product Sheet is now affiliate commissionable on iOS 8.

Store Kit Product Sheet allows app developers to promote the purchase of music, apps, books and more directly from a sheet within your app and earn the standard affiliate commission on all sales within 24 hours.

We encourage you to use Store Kit Product Sheet to provide a superior user experience and keep users in your app longer. Learn how to integrate your affiliate token into the Store Kit Product Sheet in the Developer Documentation.

Apple briefly discussed this iOS 8 enhancement for developers during a WWDC 2014 session, but this email indicates Apple is pushing developers to utilize all of the resources available to increase their monthly revenues.


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Sony’s discounted ‘Album of the day’ app goes international, up to 70 percent off popular artists

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Aug 14 2014 - 3:50 am PT
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Sony’s Album of the Day app for iPhone and iPod Touch, which provides a daily discount of up to 70 percent on albums by popular artists, has gone international. Originally launched in Germany in March, it is now available in the U.S., Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

Every 24 hours, Album of the Day offers you one album from the artists you know and love at a special limited time promotional price. All deals live on your iPhone and are purchased safely through iTunes and saved to your iTunes library.

If you allow push notifications, you’ll receive a notification of each day’s deal, which is available for just 24 hours. You can download the free app from iTunes.

(via TNW)

Beats Music “Listen Now” feature starts rolling out to Shazam iOS app

Avatar for Mark Gurman Aug 13 2014 - 10:42 am PT
2 Comments
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Users of the Shazam iOS application have begun noticing that Shazam is testing a new “Listen Now” feature with the Apple-owned Beats Music streaming service. Like it does with iTunes Radio, Spotify, and Rdio, this feature allows a user to tag a song with Shazam and then instantly play it in Beats Music. We tested the feature this morning and it works as advertised. You’ll need a Beats Music subscription or a 14-day free trial in order to make use of the feature. With Beats now under Apple’s wing and Shazam a key partner for Siri in iOS 8, it makes sense that the trio would integrate in a fashion such as the new Listen Now button in the Shazam app. You’ll need the latest Shazam update to make use of the feature.


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As Siri gets more powers in iOS 8, we ask: Do you use it to its fullest or is it still a party trick?

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Aug 13 2014 - 8:18 am PT
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When Siri lost its beta tag almost a year ago, I suggested it might be a good time for those who’d been frustrated with its early performance to give it another chance. What I discovered through your comments was that Siri seems to be one of those things that polarizes views: people either loving it and using it every day, or dismissing it as a useless gimmick. Not too many people seem to fall between the two.

But Apple has continued to work hard on improving the service, adding new capabilities as well as refining its ability to handle existing ones. It might not yet be as sophisticated as its creators envisage for the future, but a year on seemed a good point to revisit the topic and find just how many of its capabilities people are using … 
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United Airlines adds passport scanning for international flights to mobile app

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Aug 7 2014 - 4:52 am PT
2 Comments

The immigration authorities of most countries require airlines to check the passports of their passengers before they are allowed to fly, so if you are making your first international flight with an airline, you have to queue up at check-in instead of downloading your own boarding pass at home. United Airlines is aiming to end this by adding the ability to scan and verify your passport using its mobile app, then head straight to Departures at the airport.

Once you’ve scanned your passport with your iPhone’s camera, the app sends the details to credentials management company Jumio Inc, who verify that your passport is valid which then allows you to download your boarding pass.

If your passport is already registered with United from a previous international flight, you don’t need to scan it again, it is verified automatically.

The bad news is that the system can’t yet verify visas, so if you need a visa for the country you’re visiting, you’ll still need to check-in the old-fashioned way.

You can download the free United Airlines app from iTunes.

Apple says it had record month in July for App Store revenue, customer transactions

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Aug 5 2014 - 10:05 am PT
3 Comments
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Apple has announced that July was a record setting month for App Store revenue following its earnings report last month where the company reported strong iTunes results for the three-month period that ended June (via CNBC).

The company also told CNBC today that it saw “a record number of customers making transactions” for the App Store during the month:


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Apple hires Angela Ahrendts’ confidant & former Nike exec to lead social media efforts

Avatar for Mark Gurman Aug 4 2014 - 9:49 am PT
1 Comment
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Apple is giving its social media department a significant shot in the arm this week. The Cupertino-based company has hired Musa Tariq, the former social media chief for both Nike and Burberry. At Nike, Tariq ran general social media marketing as well as social media partnerships with athletes across all Nike product platforms, and at Burberry he led “strategy and innovation” for social media…


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Beats Music CEO Ian Rogers to also lead iTunes Radio at Apple, according to report

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Aug 1 2014 - 12:20 pm PT
6 Comments
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The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Ian Rogers, the head of Beats Music, will now also lead iTunes Radio following the Apple acquisition. Apple wants to increase collaboration between both Beats Music and iTunes Radio by having both streaming services led by Rogers. Up to now, iTunes Radio has been headed by Jeff Robin’s team, best known for creating the software that became iTunes.

The Journal says that Rogers’ leadership will increase ‘cohesion’ between the services, which currently offer a lot of app in their end-user experiences. It is still unclear whether Apple has plans to consolidate the brands.


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Heads rolling at Beats as Apple eliminating redundant positions, Ian Rogers & Trent Reznor to stay on

Avatar for Mark Gurman Jul 30 2014 - 11:28 am PT
10 Comments
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As Apple’s acquisition of Beats Electronics and Beats Music nears completion this financial quarter, the Cupertino and Culver City, California-based companies have begun work on transitioning select employees and technology resources from Beats to Apple, according to sources briefed on the transition. Apple executives have visited Beats’ Southern California headquarters this week and last week to offer groups of employees positions at Apple and to notify some members of the Beats staff that they will not be included in the transition.

Many Beats employees in development and creative roles have been offered positions at Apple. Many of these employees will be offered space in Apple’s Cupertino offices, but Apple is said to plan to retain the Los Angeles-area offices, and select engineers on the Beats Music streaming service will continue working out of Southern California. An email from Apple CEO Tim Cook detailed earlier this year that Beats hardware employees would transition to Phil Schiller’s team in Cupertino, so it seems likely that the headphone and speaker makers will make up the majority of the new Cupertino staff…


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9to5Toys Last Call: NomadPlus 50% off, Design Mac bundle w/ Poser 10, Ember, Pixa, TotalFinder, etc: $40, more

Avatar for Jul 30 2014 - 9:00 am PT
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Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

 

Last Call updates:

You get the following for $39.99 ($900+ value)

  • Ember ($50) – Easily capture and organize screenshots – then sync across Apple devices
  • Pixa ($25) – Top image management & sharing app
  • Poser 10 ($130) – The fun way to learn 3D
  • Anime Studio Pro 10 ($200) – Complete animation for professionals & digital artists
  • Art Text 2 ($20) – Create professional logos & graphics without technicaldesign skills
  • TotalFinder ($18) – Bring tabs to your native finder window
  • Design hacker Bundle ($500) – 6 tools to improve your design workflow: 99
  • Designs, Swiftly, Divshot, and more!

Media: Vivitek Qumi Q5 projector (refurb) $289, iTunes Sci-Fi comedies $10 each, more

More Apple Deals:

Exclusive: Get an extra $20 to trade in your old iPad at Gazelle (up to $430)

Other new deals:

More deals still alive:

New products/ongoing promotions:

Apple to acquire Swell talk radio and podcast app for $30 million

Avatar for Mike Beasley Jul 27 2014 - 11:22 pm PT
2 Comments
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Apple appears to be looking to further improve the iTunes Radio service through the $30 million acquisition of a radio application called Swell, Re/code reported early Monday morning. Unlike the $3 billion Beats Electronics (and Beats Music) buyout, however, this purchase centers more on talk radio than music.

Swell currently carries news from sources such as NPR, ABC, ESPN, the BBC, and more, and uses a user’s listening history to create personalized content playlists. Apple, on the other hand, only recently jumped into the streaming news market through iTunes Radio with ESPN and NPR stations, including over 40 local stations.


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Modern Combat 5: Blackout released after earlier embarrassing leak by competition winners

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Jul 24 2014 - 5:22 am PT
0 Comments

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjz614QVyfQ]

‘Modern Combat 5: Blackout,’ the game embarrassingly leaked by competition winners given early access to it, is now available on iTunes.

First seen in a trailer in early June, Gameloft claims that the latest installment is the best yet.

Step into the action as the latest installment in the best FPS series raises the bar for shooters once more! Create a squad, add your friends and test your individual and team skills against other squads!

Is single player your thing? Then step into a world on the brink of anarchy and shoot your way out of one dire situation after another to expose a lunatic who’s trying to tear the world to shreds.

Designed for both iPhone and iPad, it will run on anything from the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 up, as well as the 5th generation iPod Touch. The game costs $6.99.

Apple reportedly discussing mobile wallet plans with credit card companies, may launch with iPhone 6

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Jul 23 2014 - 2:12 pm PT
2 Comments
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The Information has a new report out discussing Apple’s progress on a mobile wallet payments service. The post echoes reporting by 9to5Mac earlier in the year.

The report says the service may launch this fall, enabling iPhone users to pay for goods with their devices in retail outlets. Apple has apparently discussed the plans with credit card institutions, according to the report, as a user’s banking information “would essentially be uploaded to the wallet”. Apparently, Visa is already onboard with the project.


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9to5Toys Last Call: Marvel Unlimited $0.99, Fantastical 2 for iOS/Mac 50% off, Eric Clapton iTunes First Play free, more

Avatar for Justin Kahn Jul 23 2014 - 9:27 am PT
0 Comments

Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call updates:

Fantastical 2 calendar app for iPhone, iPad and Mac up to 50% off

Media: Man of Steel Blu-ray set w/ figurine $15, Eric Clapton free iTunes First Play, American Hustle $10, more

Roku 3 1080p streaming media player w/ HDMI cable (refurb) $65 shipped (Reg. $100 new)

Apple deals:

Other new deals:

  • New! Headphones: Sony BT over-ears (refurb) $105 (orig. $400), Scosche over ears $55, more
  • New! Daily Deals: Canon Pixma Inkjet Printer $50, Monster Portable Battery Pack $15, more
  • New! Games/Apps: Trine 2 $3 (Reg. $15), Ninja Turtles Rooftop FREE (Reg. $4), more
  • New! SanDisk Ultra Plus 256GB 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive $100 shipped (orig. $215)

More deals still alive:

New products/ongoing promotions:

Here’s what analysts expect Apple to announce today: revenue up 8.5 percent, earnings up 18 percent

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Jul 22 2014 - 5:09 am PT
8 Comments
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With Fortune having now filled in the blanks in its analyst roundup, above are the final numbers Wall Street expects Apple to announce at around 1.30pm PT/4.30pm ET this afternoon.

With all 34 analysts having revealed their predictions, the consensus view is for year-on-year revenue to have grown by 8.5 percent, with earnings up 18.1 percent … 
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Apple releases Yosemite Developer Preview 4 with redesigned iTunes 12

Avatar for Mark Gurman Jul 21 2014 - 10:02 am PT
24 Comments
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As expected, Apple has released OS X 10.10 Yosemite Developer Preview 4. It is available via the Mac App Store Software Update tab for developers running earlier versions of Yosemite. Apple has also released a revamped iTunes 12 to developers (full gallery here). Previous updates previously brought various design tweaks and feature enhancements, and Preview 4 is likely to do the same thing. Yosemite launches this fall with updated Mail, Messages, and Calendar apps, in addition to a system-wide redesign and improved integration with iOS Devices. We’ll be updating this post as new changes are discovered, and you can let us know what you find at tips@9to5mac.com.


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New iTunes Pass credit refill service now available in United States and several other countries

Avatar for Mike Beasley Jul 16 2014 - 8:49 pm PT
17 Comments
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Yesterday Apple rolled out its new iTunes Pass service to Japan, allowing users to use a Passbook card to add credit to an iTunes account from an Apple Retail Store. Starting today, the offer is also available in the United States and Australia. Users in Canada, Germany, and the UK are also reporting seeing the feature, though it’s not officially listed on Apple’s website for those countries just yet.

To take advantage of this new program, you need to use the iTunes Store app on an iOS device to obtain an iTunes Pass. You can get one of these by tapping the “Redeem” button at the bottom of the home page within the app. To use the card, you can visit an Apple Retail Store and ask a specialist to help you add credit to your account. The specialist can then scan the barcode on the Passbook card to immediately add credit to your account.


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Apple debuts iTunes Pass in Japan, allows Passbook-based iTunes credit refills at Apple Stores

Avatar for Mark Gurman Jul 14 2014 - 11:31 pm PT
2 Comments
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Apple today has launched an interesting new service for iTunes Store, App Store, and iBookstore users in Japan with iPhones and iPod touches. The new service, called iTunes Pass (no, not that iTunes Pass), allows users to go to an Apple Store in Japan, purchase credit in-store for the iTunes Store, App Store, and iBookstore, and have that money immediately applied to the Apple ID account instead of needing to receive a gift card and enter a redemption code…


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National Federation of the Blind says ‘Apple has done more for accessibility than any other company’

Avatar for Mark Gurman Jul 12 2014 - 12:54 pm PT
8 Comments
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Last week, inaccurate reporting emerged in regards to Apple’s work on making its products accessible to all consumers. As many Apple customers are aware, and as CEO Tim Cook takes extremely seriously, Apple works hard to ensure that Macs, iPhones, iPods, and iPads can be used to their full extent by people who are deaf or blind, for example. In response to the reporting (Philip Elmer-DeWitt has a good summary of the original reporting and takedowns at Fortune), Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind, has published a comprehensive blog post describing Apple’s work on accessibility, the technology industry as a whole, the resolution regarding iOS device accessibility, and what can be done to improve accessibility of third-party apps into the future.

The full blog post can be read here, but here is a key line that should further dispute last week’s inaccurate reports: “Apple has done more for accessibility than any other company to date, and we have duly recognized this by presenting the company with at least two awards (including our annual Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award) and publicly praising it whenever the opportunity arises.” The blog post goes on to explain that the Federation believes Apple could work further with App Store developers on making all of the more than one million App Store apps more accessible to all users. “We simply want Apple to continue to discuss with us what measures the company can put in place to ensure accessibility,” the blog post reads.

It is also worth watching Cook’s speech regarding human rights and accessibility, below:


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Apple China denies location tracking claims: we’re ‘deeply committed to protecting the privacy of all our customers’

Avatar for Mark Gurman Jul 12 2014 - 12:09 pm PT
2 Comments
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This past week, Chinese State TV called the iPhone a “national security concern” because of its location tracking capabilities. The iPhone’s operating system utilizes location for several applications, including Maps and Weather. iOS 7 also introduced a new feature that utilizes a customer’s location in order to provide improved traffic and route information. Now, Apple has quickly responded via a concrete and comprehensive message on its website for China. The message is advertised on the homepage, and is a direct response to the allegations from China State TV.

Apple denies the claims by stating that “privacy is built into [its] products and services from the earliest stages of design. We work tirelessly to deliver the most secure hardware and software in the world.” Apple also explains that it uses industry leading encryption to protect location data, and says that all location data is stored solely on the iPhone, not on Apple’s servers.

Apple goes on to, once again, explain that it does not work with government agencies to spy on its customers: “Apple has never worked with any government agency from any country to create a backdoor in any of our products or services. We have also never allowed access to our servers. And we never will. It’s something we feel very strongly about.” Apple goes on to list specific work it does for individual services in order to protect customer privacy.

On Maps:


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Many (most?) iTunes song previews have reverted back to 30 seconds – likely glitch

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Jul 11 2014 - 3:51 am PT
8 Comments

MacRumors notes that many iTunes song previews have reverted back to 30 seconds. Previews were increased to 90 seconds in the U.S. back in 2010 with the increased time rolled out internationally the following year.

It’s not immediately clear what is behind the change, nor what is determining which tracks are affected, but as we’re finding different people are seeing different length previews for the same tracks – even when both are in the same country – some kind of glitch may be the most likely explanation.

Apple apparently presented labels with a fait-accompli when it first extended previews to 90 seconds, writing to representatives to advise them of the change, rather than specifically seeking agreement.

Some labels objected to this, with extended previews delayed for some albums.

We’ve contacted Apple to ask for a statement, and will update if and when we get a response.

On the topic of iTunes, Germany is now seeing Rotten Tomatoes ratings with some movies, along with a new price button in the status window while previewing music or films.

Apple brings iTunes Extras to Apple TV, HD Extras to Macs today & iOS 8 in fall

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jul 10 2014 - 8:05 am PT
14 Comments
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Apple today released iTunes version 11.3 and with it is making its iTunes Extras feature available for HD movies on Macs.  Apple also announced today that the feature is now available for Apple TV with update 6.2 and will arrive on iOS 8 this fall.

While we’ll have to wait for iTunes Extras to arrive on iOS with the release of iOS 8 this fall, the Apple TV OS 6.2 update rolled out late last month to users alongside iOS 7.1.2.

iTunes Extras offers an interactive experience for some video content on iTunes that often includes behind-the-scenes videos, image galleries, commentary from the creators, cast interviews, exclusive clips, short films, and more. Content creators decide whether or not to offer the iTunes Extras feature and create the experience using templates provided by Apple. Apple also notes that “new iTunes Extras will be automatically added to your previously purchased HD movies as they become available- at no additional charge.”


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Capo touch brings music learning to iOS, Mac version adds iCloud Sync and more

Avatar for Zac Hall Jul 10 2014 - 7:00 am PT
3 Comments
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Earlier this year we showed you Capo, the software that turns your iTunes library into songs you can learn to play on guitar, when version 3.0 of the music learning software for Mac was released. Today SuperMegaUltraGroovy is releasing the first mobile version of that powerful software for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, and the developers are updating the Mac version with brand-new features as well.

Using Capo touch on iOS is as simple and easy as you would expect featuring super fast access to music stored locally on your device with cool features like the ability to speed up and slow down music as well as suppress the vocals of a song to focus on the music.
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9to5Toys Last Call: LifeProof nüüd for iPad mini $30, VIZIO/Sony sound bars from $175, Blek for iOS $1, more

Avatar for Jul 9 2014 - 9:34 am PT
3 Comments

Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.

Today’s can’t miss deals:

Last Call updates:


Daily Deals: LifeProof nüüd Cases for iPad mini: $30, 7800mAh Portable Charger: $35, more

Refurbished Bluetooth sound bars w/ subs: 42″ VIZIO $175 (Reg. $330 new), 46″ Sony $200 (Reg. $370 new)

Games/Apps: Cut the Rope Experiments $1 (Reg. $2), Blek $1 (Reg. $3), iOS freebies, more

Other new deals:


More deals still alive:

Apple deals:

Smart home deals:

New products/ongoing promotions:

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