Skip to main content

iTunes

See All Stories

Best Buy ratchets up the Apple sales with dedicated Apple ad against increased pricing competition [video]

Site default logo image

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEKer84625Q]

The above ad has entered heavy rotation this weekend, while Best Buy has new deals on Apple- and Apple-related products (including $25 off $250+ purchases):

Best Buy takes 15 percent off all iTunes Gift Cards, both physical and digital, with free shipping.

Best Buy also continues to have significant discounts on iPod Touches, Nanos and Shuffles, as well as the rest of Apple products (including refurbished Airports starting at $39).

The competition is also moving, as MacMall continues to have big savings with its Cyber Monday sale and impressive “Door busters”:

11.6″ MacBook Air dual-core Intel Core i5 1.7GHz, 4GB & 64GB Flash Storage $849.99 ($150 off)
13.3″ MacBook Air dual-core Intel Core i5 1.8GHz, 4GB & 128GB Flash Storage $1,019.99 ($180 off)
iPad 2 16GB Wifi: $329 ($70 off and the lowest price we’ve ever seen new)

…while Amazon continues to match many competitive prices.

Of note, MacConnection’s Tech Holiday sale has some pretty remarkable prices, including: MacBook Airs starting at $699Retina MacBook Pros starting at $1,559  ($140 off Apple’s Price), and Mac Minis starting at $549.

As always, check our Apple product pages for the latest best prices on iPadsiPad MinisiPod TouchNanoShuffleMacBook ProsAirsiMacsMac Minis, and Apple TVs. More of our holiday shopping coverage below:
Expand
Expanding
Close

Site default logo image

Black Friday week daily deal roundup – Thanksgiving Edition

From 9to5Toys.com:

All Black Friday week long, the 9to5 team is going to share with our readers our handpicked best deals of the day from 9to5toys.com. Many of these deals are temporary and go fast, so be sure to check 9to5toys early and often all week long.

Thanksgiving Day deal roundup:


Logitech Wireless Touch Keyboard K400 Touchpad Keyboard: $23

Apple iPad 4th Generation w/ Retina display starting at $439 & iPad 2 starting at $339

Apple iTunes $100 gift card for only $80

Free $50 Gift Card with Apple 32GB iPod touch (5th Generation)

Black Friday Apple iOS game & app deal fiesta (discounts up to 90%)

Beats by Dr. Dre headphones discounts up to $30 off at Walmart

At iHelicopters.net get $10USD off with coupon code “9TO5MAC”. Valid on all items, no strings attached. That’s 10-25% off!

Roku HD Streaming Player $40 (Reg. $60)

Griffin Powerjolt SE – Lightning cable car charger for iPhone 5, iPad mini, iPod $19 + free shipping

Black Friday Apple iOS game & app deal fiesta (discounts up to 90%)

Apple Magic Mouse (Refurbished) $35 + free shipping

Gamefly $12 off the purchase of 2 used games + free shipping

AyeGear clothing that holds your technology products: 10% off with promo code “9TO5Mac”

Thanksgiving week DVD & Blu-ray deal bonanza (Star Wars, Ocean’s Trilogy, Sons of Anarchy, Walking Dead, Prometheus, Breaking Bad) & a buy one get one free Blu-ray promo

Seller states this deal is “almost gone” Monster Beats by Dr. Dre iBeats Earbuds $45 + free shipping

Apple AirPort Extreme 802.11 Wireless N Router Base Station MD031LL/A $138

Valid until 11/30 MacX DVD Ripper Pro free download

More will be added all day at…

Site default logo image

Best Buy: $60 off all new iPads, $100 iTunes gift card, only $80, MacBook Air/Pros at all time lows

From 9to5Toys.com:

Best Buy is selling all current iPads for $60 off with free shipping, the lowest price cut we’ve seen for Apple’s just-released 4th generation models. With the discount, iPad 2s now start at $339 including 3G models while 4th Generation iPads now start at $439 for 16GB, $539 for 32GB and $639 for 64GB. At the time of writing, these are available in both Black and White but these go quick.

Also, hook yourself up with an iTunes gift card as well. The $100 variety is $80 which is of course good on all music, videos, apps, Mac apps, iBooks and more media from Apple.

.

13″ 1.8GHz MacBook Air – $1,024.99. ($175 savings).
13″ 2.5GHz Retina MacBook Pro – $1879.99 ($120 savings)

Also savings on new MacBook Pros  (up to$165 savings).

Free $50 Gift Card w/32GB 5th Generation iPod Touch – $294, Free $20 Gift Card when you purchase an iPod nano $145.

Check our Apple Product pages for the lowest prices across the board as well as 9to5Toys.com for the latest updates.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Site default logo image

Apple is now running exploding 3D iPod ads on various websites

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgfJn8FsSKg]

Apple is doing its trademark “explode out of the box” ads on various websites. This one is for iPods and was found on pitchfork.com. If you can find it, the 3D is pretty cool…but don’t have the volume too high.

This one captured by reader @ihkdesign
Expand
Expanding
Close

Russian iTunes Music begins showing up on the App Store at very low prices

Site default logo image

[tweet https://twitter.com/Ivan_Kir/status/270439163025838081]

Update, Nov 2o: RIA Novosti reported today, citing sources familiar with Apple’s product plans in Russia, that iTunes music in the country could be “delayed indefinitely” as Apple runs into issues getting necessary licensing from artists. Another report from Vedomosti claimed  iTunes senior executive Eddy Cue and iTunes Europe Director Ben King went to Russia for the launch originally scheduled for November 20. The newspaper also cited sources close to Apple as saying the launch is now scheduled for the first week of December, possibly to coincide with the launch of iPhone 5 in the country.

In September, a report from Russian language publication vedomosti.ru cited industry sources and noted Apple was preparing to launch iTunes music in Russia by the end of year. The report also noted that songs would be sold for less than their 99-cent U.S. counterparts, somewhere between 11- to 20 rubles each (roughly 35- to 65 cents USD). It appears Apple is getting ready to launch the service today, with several Russian readers reporting music is now searchable on the App Store in the country. The search provides users with a link to “Continue search in Store…”, and Twitter seems to confirm that many Russians can access music using this method.

Interestingly, as noted in previous reports, iPhones.ru confirmed songs are indeed listed for less than the U.S. store, with most songs currently selling for 15 rubbles (roughly 50 cents USD). We expect Apple to roll out full access the store in Russia shortly.

Site default logo image

AC/DC’s complete catalog now available on iTunes, iTunes Match down

Apple has finally reached a deal with Columbia Records to bring the entire AC/DC catalog to iTunes stores worldwide. As part of the catalog, there will now be 16 studio albums available from the band ranging from 1976 to 2008, four live albums, and three compilation albums. Apple will also make “The Collection” available that includes all 16 studio albums for $99. If you want absolutely everything (studio albums, live albums, etc.), you can also buy “The Complete Collection” for $149.

Unfortunately, just as Apple is rolling out some additions to the iTunes store, many users are experiencing some down time with iTunes Match. Apple’s system status page reported that all services are online, but we are still receiving tips from many readers unable to access content through the service.

Apple’s full press release is below:

AC/DC Now on iTunes

AC/DC’s Complete Catalog Available Digitally for the First Time; All Tracks Mastered for iTunes

NEW YORK & CUPERTINO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Columbia Records and Apple® today announced that AC/DC’s entire catalog is now available digitally for the first time exclusively on the iTunes Store® worldwide (www.itunes.com). From their 1976 debut High Voltage to seminal classic Back In Black and 2008 smash hit Black Ice, every one of AC/DC’s 16 studio albums, along with four live albums and three compilation albums, are available for the first time ever on the iTunes Store. All tracks are Mastered for iTunes®, and fans have the ability to download full albums or simply purchase their favorite individual songs. Fans can also choose from two specially packaged digital compilations: The Complete Collection, the complete iTunes-exclusive AC/DC catalog; and The Collection, which includes all 16 studio albums.

AC/DC’s thunderous and primal rock and roll has excited fans for generations with their raw and rebellious brand of music, which also resonates with millions of new fans discovering AC/DC everyday. Their growing legion of fans will now experience the intensity of AC/DC’s music in a way it has never been heard before. AC/DC’s music has been Mastered for iTunes, ensuring the music is delivered to listeners with increased audio fidelity, more closely replicating what the artists, recording engineers and producers intended.

The full catalog which has all been Mastered for iTunes includes:

Collections
The Collection (all studio albums for $99.99)
The Complete Collection (all studio albums, live albums and box sets for $149.99)

16 Studio Albums
High Voltage (1976)
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976)
Let There Be Rock (1977)
Powerage (1978)
Highway To Hell (1979)
Back In Black (1980)
For Those About To Rock We Salute You (1981)
Flick Of The Switch (1983)
74 Jailbreak (1984)
Fly On The Wall (1985)
Who Made Who (1986)
Blow Up Your Video (1988)
The Razors Edge (1990)
Ballbreaker (1995)
Stiff Upper Lip (2000)
Black Ice (2008)

4 Live Albums
If You Want Blood You’ve Got It (1978)
Live (1992)
Live (2 Volume Collector’s Edition) (1992)
Live At River Plate (2012)

3 Compilation Albums
Bonfire (1997)
Backtracks audio (2009)
Iron Man 2 soundtrack (2010)

The iTunes Store is the world’s most popular music store with a catalog of over 26 million songs and over 20 billion songs downloaded, and is available in 63 countries. The iTunes Store is the best way for iPhone®, iPad®, iPod®, Mac® and PC users to legally discover, purchase and download music online. All music on the iTunes Store comes in iTunes Plus®, Apple’s DRM-free format with high-quality 256 kbps AAC encoding for audio virtually indistinguishable from the original recordings. iTunes in the Cloud lets you download your previously purchased iTunes music to all your iOS devices at no additional cost, and new music purchases can be downloaded automatically to all your devices.

Columbia Records is one of the most respected and successful record labels in the world, and is home to established superstars and exciting new talent. Columbia Records is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment. Sony Music Entertainment is a global recorded music company with a roster of current artists that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars. The company boasts a vast catalog that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. Sony Music Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.

NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional information visit Apple’s PR website (www.apple.com/pr), or call Apple’s Media Helpline at (408) 974-2042.

© 2012 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac OS, Macintosh, iTunes Store, iTunes, iPhone, iPad, iPod and iTunes Plus are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

MacLegion Holiday Bundle puts 10 great apps including Fantastical, djay and TechTool on your Mac for $50

Site default logo image

The bundles, they don’t get better than this: MacLegion’s $50 holiday bundle (normally $540 – that’s over 90 percent off) includes 10 great apps, and the first 5,000 customers also recieve Alarm Clock Pro (normally $19.99) as a bonus.

As always, MacLegion ensures all the apps included are the latest versions each developer has to offer. MacLegion bundles entitle you to full after-sales support as well as valid upgrade paths for later software releases, just as if you had bought each application from the developers themselves.

Our faves include Flexbits’ Fantastical calendar application, Algoriddim’s djay music mixing system, and the timeless TechTool Pro system utility.

All of the apps and descriptions follow:

Site default logo image

Warner Bros. launches ‘Day After US’ iOS app for next-day streaming of TV shows

Update: Warner Bros. reached out to 9to5mac to clarify some of the confusion surrounding the app’s launch. The app is specifically for markets without access to iTunes TV shows, initially available in Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. This is likely why the app was pulled after accidentally making its way to the US App Store. Warner Bros. will officially be launching the app on Monday.

Warner Bros. just launched a new iOS app for both iPhone and iPad that allows users to watch the most current episodes of the network’s TV series the day after they aired in the U.S. The app, called “Day After US”, is available for free in the App Store and provides the ability to either stream shows over Wi-Fi or download episodes for offline playback. Warner Bros. will make the first episode of each series available for free and charges users per episode or season to unlock the rest of the content. The app’s iTunes page also said episodes would be available in multiple languages with “localized audio dubs and dynamic subtitles” available for some languages. Some of the available series mentioned on the app’s iTunes page include: The Big Bang Theory, The Vampire Diaries, and Gossip Girl.

App Features Include: • Offline playback: Download episodes directly to your device to playback at anytime • Steaming playback: Stream an episode instantly over Wi-Fi • Multiple languages: Watch the episodes in your language of choice • Real-time news: Live Twitter and Facebook updates • Explore WB catalog: Browse other app editions created by Warner Bros. • Localized audio dubs and dynamic subtitles are available in certain languages.

Site default logo image

iTunes Match celebrates one-year anniversary by billing you $25

Happy Birthday, iTunes Match!

Today marks the one-year anniversary of iTunes Match, the yearly-subscription service that allows folks to store their music libraries to the cloud for listening anywhere and anytime on any Apple device, and that means those who subscribed on launch day should begin seeing the annual $24.99 fee debited from their accounts.

iTunes Match launched Nov. 14, 2011 after being pushed back a month. Sound familiar? If for some reason you don’t want to enroll another year, better make sure to uncheck auto-renew.

[tweet https://twitter.com/isean90/status/268731328831311872]


Expand
Expanding
Close

Best Buy knocks 15% off of iTunes gift cards (Update: 20% off for Rewards members)

Site default logo image

From 9to5Toys.com:

.

Today only, Best Buy is knocking 15% off of iTunes gift cards in all denominations both in physical and online with free shipping. Update: Best Buy Reward Zone members can get 20% off (free to sign up). The discount applies to all of Apple’s media including music, videos, movies, books, iOS and Mac Apps and more.

Perhaps you can knock out your holiday shopping a little earlier this year?

Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple by the numbers: 5M iPhones sold, 3M iPods sold, 200M devices on iOS6, 160M Game Center accounts, and more

Site default logo image


Apple CEO Tim Cook is now live on stage beginning the company’s special media event in California, and information about updates and numbers are flying left and right.

Here is a quick rundown: 

  • 5 million iPhone 5s sold during first weekend (sold out). Most iPhones ever sold opening weekend, most phones sold ever opening weekend.
  • 3 million iPods sold ( new nano and touch)
  • In just 1 month — 200 million devices running iOS 6. Fastest upgrade rate in history.
  • 124 million docs in the cloud
  • 300 billion messages sent (28,000 per second)
  • 160 million game center accounts
  • Shared over 70 million photos with their friends of family
  • Uploaded over 700,000 apps in app store
  • Over 275,000 iPad apps
  • Now downloaded 35 billion apps from the store
  • Paid out $6.5 billion to developers
  • 2 weeks ago sold 100 millionth iPad, 100 million in just 2.5 years (sold more iPads in June than any PC manufacturer sold of their entire PC lineup)
  • iPad accounts for over 90 percent of web traffic of tablets


Expand
Expanding
Close

Site default logo image

Microsoft launching ‘unlimited’ Xbox Music tomorrow with an iOS app coming later

Microsoft announced this evening its new music service, called “Xbox Music”, that aims to compete with iTunes, Spotify and RDIO. The service is set to launch tomorrow for the Xbox 360 and Oct. 26 for Windows 8 (coming pre-installed) and Windows Phone 8 devices. The service will also launch as an iOS app shortly after, GigaOm noted:

But the biggest story to me is that Xbox Music will embrace Android and iOS. Jerry Johnson, general manager of Xbox Music, wasn’t able to tell me exactly when the apps for those two platforms are going to come out, but the sense that I took away from the briefing was that his team is working on making it happen sooner rather than later. Xbox Music on Android and iOS will look very much like Xbox Music on Windows Phone 8, which itself in many ways follows the style formerly known as Metro.

Microsoft’s service will be for limited hours of free streaming after six months, so Spotify might not need to worry just yet.

There is no word on what pricing iOS users will see, but Microsoft said it will offer a free ad-support version for Windows 8 device owners and a $10 ad-free plan for those wanting an ad-free experience.

More details are at TechCrunch.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple preparing to soon accept Apple Store payment cards via Passbook

Site default logo image
Baseball ticket in Passbook being scanned in (CNET)
Nearly a month after launching its virtual wallet iPhone app, Passbook, Apple is preparing to put the feature to good use in its physical retail stores.

Later this month, Apple will be seeding an updated version of its mobile point-of-sale (EasyPay) system software to Apple Store employees. This update, numbered version 12.3, will allow retail employees with EasyPays to capture Apple Store payment card codes from customer iPhones and iPod touches running Passbook.

While Apple’s EasyPay software should be ready for Passbook this month, some sources noted that the current EasyPay hardware, at least at some retail stores, may not be capable of scanning iOS device displays. Presumably, Apple has a solution for this in the works.

Also, Apple’s plans for rolling out the consumer-facing Apple Store app update to support Passbook-based Apple Store cards is currently unclear. But with Apple preparing to seed software to its stores that interacts with Passbook on customer iPhones and iPod touches, we believe that the feature is close to being a rolled out.


Expand
Expanding
Close

TweetDeck, Calendars by Readdle, Recall, Ustream, Yelp, more

Site default logo image

TweetDeck version 2.0.0: Popular Mac App Store Twitter client TweetDeck gets a big update today that brings a revamped UI with “Improved clarity of columns and Tweets”, the ability to change font sizes, and redesigned profile panels with images. The updated app, which includes a toggle to switch between the classic dark and a new light view (pictured above), also now allows unfollow, block, and report spam actions to function for tweets in all columns. Features of new app are highlighted in a blog post on the TweetDeck blog, and the full release notes from iTunes are below:

• Redesigned UI
• Improved clarity of columns and Tweets
• New option to choose the app colour – dark or light
• Ability to change font size under Settings > General
• Redesigned & improved profile panel, including profile header images
• Unfollow, Block & Report spam actions now remove tweets from all columns
• Popup windows can now be repositioned using drag handle in top-left corner
• Repeated retweets are no longer displayed in Timeline columns
• Reduced the volume of the notification sound
• Tweet actions now available on Tweets in the Add Column menu
• $Tags are now linkified
• Fixed some display issues with Growl notifications
• Plus lots of other fixes and smaller updates

Calendars by Readdle: Readdle is re-launching its Calendars app that it calls the “most elegant and easy to use Google Calendar client available on the AppStore.” In other words, the app is now fully iPhone 5, and iOS 6 compatibility, fixing a crash some of the app’s 400k users had been experiencing.

Snapseed version 1.4.2:

-Snapseed now supports iOS 6 and the iPhone 5

-Flickr Support has been temporarily disabled due to a violation of the Apple App Store Guidelines. We are working with Flickr and Apple to find a solution to bring Flickr support back to Snapseed. 

Recall: Launching today in the App Store, Recall is an interesting new app that allows you to store and get notifications for recommendations you have received for movies, music, apps, books etc. For example, you can search for and save movies to a “My Items” list, allowing you to receive notifications when a specific movie is released. The idea is to save items as people recommend them to you, so in the future the app will act as a quick way to recall those recommendations and get notified of availability. It will also allow you to share recommendations with other Recall users via email and social networks, as well as browse new releases and top charts. The app essentially works as a wish list for iTunes content and new movies with built-in reminders and sharing, features the App Store and iTunes on iOS are currently missing. A promo video for the app is below:


Expand
Expanding
Close

Site default logo image

Digits ‘the calculator for humans’ goes half off for 99 cents

From 9to5Toys.com:

Our favorite productivity app, Digits, called ‘the calculator for humans’ got updated for iOS 6, the iPhone 5 and Bluetooth keyboard support this weekend.  To celebrate, Shift Apps is cutting the price in half.  At 99 cents for the universal app (iPhone or iPad), it is a no brainer. (Promo codes are all gone)

Full description and 2.1.1 update notes follow:


Expand
Expanding
Close

‘Get a Mac’ ad creator leaves TBWA/Media Arts Lab, new clients include Samsung and Microsoft

Site default logo image

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5z0Ia5jDt4]

Creator of Apple’s “Get a Mac” ad campaign, Scott Trattner, is leaving his role as executive creative director at TBWA/Media Arts Lab. He was responsible for the creative development of many Apple product ads from the iPod, iPhone and iPad to Mac, iTunes and iCloud. According to Ad Age, after years of focusing mostly on Apple campaigns at TBWA/Media Arts Lab, Trattner will take a new role at 72andSunny to work as one of three creative directors with clients, including Samsung, Xbox 360, Hewlett-Packard, Activision and Nike.

“Scott’s track record for creating colossal impact on behalf of his clients is second to none,” said 72andSunny CEO John Boiler in a statement. “His work has not only shaped one of the biggest brands in the world, but redefined industries.”

Most notably, 72andSunny was responsible for Samsung’s “Next Big Thing” Galaxy S II campaign that “launches the Samsung Galaxy S II by challenging blind allegiance to Apple’s inferior products”. 72andSunny is also behind many Call of Duty ads and campaigns for other Activision games.

Apple’s most recent ads featuring Apple Genius Bar employees, which aired during the Olympic Games in London, were not well received due to their lack of focus on an actual product and the fact they assumed customers were not knowledgeable. Apple later removed the videos from both their website and YouTube channel.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Apps & updates: Angry Birds Space, ProCamera HD, Cut the Rope, TV Guide, more

Site default logo image

Angry Birds Space version 1.3.0: Continuing with a consistent line up of new content following the app’s initial release, today Rovio teamed up with NASA to release an updated Angry Birds Space with 20 new levels set on Mars. Also included is two antenna egg levels, a new astronaut pig, and “three hidden rovers and landers to open special bonus levels and discover more about the NASA missions!”

Cut the Rope version 1.9: All the versions of Cut the Rope have been updated today with the new “Spooky Box” bringing 25 new levels that feature “ghosts that morph into different gameplay elements.” Also included in the update is new superpowers allowing players to control candy within the game area and access a fourth star that unlocks additional levels.

ProCamera HD: The full-featured professional camera app previously only available for iPhone has finally made its way to the iPad with the release of ProCameraHD. The app is half off to celebrate its launch.

The iPad is an essential travel companion, especially when it comes to taking videos and photos. With the built-in iPad 5-megapixel camera you can take high-resolution photos and 1080p HD video (720p HD video on iPad 2). The new ProCamera HD app takes pictures and videos better and faster, and helps you get more out of your images with the expert mode and other tools! The SnapTrigger is perfectly adapted to the iPad: You decide where the control bar is located on the screen; this allows you to take photos and videos your way. The new internal library Lightbox allows you to delete, share, and export multiple photos and videos easily.

Doodle Jump version 3.0: A huge update to the popular Doodle Jump game from developers Lima Sky. In its biggest update yet, the game now includes a new Ninja theme with “all-new power-ups, monsters, obstacles (read: BEAR TRAPS), and COINS that you can collect.” The update also includes a ton of other new outfits, abilities, and upgrades.

Well version 1.1: This new social app —developed by former Digg, Blip.fm, and Rackspace engineers— essentially allows users to share their To-Do lists. A few key features include suggestions from friends, and the ability to re-list interesting To-Dos, as well as popular lists for discovering content and more. Visit http://well.io/ for more information.

TV Guide version 3.0: The official TV Guide iOS app received a complete redesign today with a bunch of new features for its over 7 million users. A full list of what’s new is below:
Expand
Expanding
Close

Site default logo image

Spotify expanding into Canada soon, with further plans for Asia and South America. Hulu gets a facelift

Spotify made a huge stride when it launched in the United States in July 2011, which opened a partnership with Facebook that has paid off. The music streaming company looks to be expanding even further, as the Wall Street Journal reported this morning that Spotify is expected to launch in Canada soon. Furthermore, Spotify may also expand into Asia and South America. Spotify’s latest annual accounts tipped WSJ off on the news:

Last year, Spotify established subsidiaries in Canada, Singapore and Hong Kong, all places where its service isn’t yet available. Spotify is currently available in 15 countries, including the U.S., the U.K. and Germany, and recently launched in Australia and New Zealand. Company spokeswoman Sofie Grant declined to elaborate on the details of the company’s expansion plans, but said Spotify “of course plans to launch in new countries.”

Many ditched Apple’s iTunes and services like Pandora for Spotify, including me, because the ease of building playlists and finding new music on Spotify is certainly impressive. The only downfall is that the premium plan costs $10 a month, which offers unlimited music without ads, but I find the money to be worth it. Spotify recently introduced a free unlimited radio — launched on its Android — in July.

In other media news, Hulu, which just recently came to Apple TV, got a bit of a facelift on the web.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Site default logo image

Apple bars German eBook purchases with discounted iTunes cards following pressure from German bookseller association

We are all familiar with various retailers offering discounted iTunes cards by now. We told you just yesterday that Walmart is offering downloadable $100 iTunes/App Store gift cards for just $80. The redeem code associated with these cards is usually good for the purchase of all content from the stores including songs, movies, TV shows, apps, games, books, etc. However, according to a report from German website ifun.de, Apple is no longer allowing discounted iTunes cards to be used toward the purchase of books in the country due to pressure from a German bookseller association:

Apple says, discounted iTunes gift cards are not valid for ebooks anymore in Germany…Background is a law, that forces retailers to offer books at same price in Germany. This is to protect small book shops. Booksellers association sent Apple a c&d letter last week, to end selling ebooks for discounted iTunes credit… Announcing an actual gift card discount, German supermarket REWE notices, that discounted iTunes cards can’t be used to buy books at the iTunes Store.

Apple has bigger things to worry about at home with a trial in the U.S. Department of Justice’s ongoing eBook antitrust suit currently scheduled for June 2013. Most recently, Apple claimed previous settlements with three book publishers involved in the case were unlawful and requested the settlements be rejected or delayed until after trial. It is possible Apple’s decision to stop allowing discounted iTunes cards to be used for book purchases will eventually extend to other markets.

Walmart offers $100 iTunes/App Store downloadable gift card for $80

Site default logo image

From 9to5Toys.com:

.

For a limited time, Walmart.com is offering a $100 downloadable Apple iTunes/App Store gift card for just $80. These popular gift cards can be used on iBooks, iTunes Movies, Videos, music, Mac and iOS Apps.  We’ve heard these do work internationally if paid for with a US source and used in the US iTunes/App Stores.

You are basically getting 20% off every Apple media purchase you make.  Also makes a great gift…we imagine.

Update:

[tweet https://twitter.com/9to5mac/status/237626616879128576]


Expand
Expanding
Close

Site default logo image

Apple really wants you to download its own Podcast App

[slideshow]

As noted by Twitter user @shahruz_, Apple does not seem to want to show any other Podcast apps besides its own when you search for “Podcasts”. Twelve hours after it was first reported, iTunes still appears to only show Apple’s Podcast app.

We are fairly certain that Apple is not doing this on purpose, but it does not seem to be jumping to fix the error either.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Site default logo image

Teens flock to YouTube for music consumption over iTunes and other mediums

The majority of American teens prefer YouTube to iTunes, radio, online radio, and CDs when it comes to finding and listening to music.

Approximately two-thirds of 18-and-younger U.S. teenagers, according to a “Music 360” survey from research firm Nielsen (via The Wall Street Journal), claimed they sidestepped other music-listening mediums for Google’s video-sharing platform.

YouTube snagged 64 percent of 13-to-17 year olds, while radio came in second at 56 percent. iTunes held 54 percent, with CDs and Pandora rounding the top five at 50- and- 35 percent respectively.

The Wall Street Journal noted young folks regard YouTube as a “de facto free music service,” but adults do not take full advantage of the site’s complimentary content.

Go to 9to5Google for more information on adults’ favorite mediums.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Site default logo image

iPhone TV ad for Canada spotlights iCloud…and pulled book

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGqqrrvctHo&feature=youtu.be]

A Canadian TV advertisement for iCloud on the iPhone, titled “Melody,” surfaced recently. The 30-second video starts with a shot of Jonah Lehrer’s “Imagine: How Creativity Works” front cover (Whoops!). Lehrer acknowledged last month that he fabricated quotes attributed to Bob Dylan, and publisher Houghton Mifflin immediately recalled and stopped sales of the popular book’s electronic and physical versions. The remainder of Apple’s ad highlights iCloud in conjunction with iTunes, iTunes U, Camera, SMS, and more.

Check it out: Melody

It is worth noting that readers have spotted the ad airing internationally over the past few weeks:


Expand
Expanding
Close

Site default logo image

Apptrace launches in beta, company claims 400K iOS apps get no downloads

App analytics firm Adeven is launching its new Apptrace tool today that provides statistics on iOS apps including the number of countries an app is available in, its global ranking, overall ratings, and daily rankings for specific markets. Also, the ability to compare apps to one another is coming in a future update to the free tool. Speaking with GigaOm, the company shared some pretty interesting stats about the App Store—approximately 400,000 apps have no downloads or rankings:

“The reality is there are only a couple of thousand apps that really make some kind of downloads,” Christian Henschel, Adeven CEO, told me. “This is based on Apple’s closed system — it’s tough to discover those kinds of apps. You don’t have proper search, so the only way to discover new apps is through the top listing.”

“If you’re not on those lists, it’s not sure that you’re being discovered by anyone else. The top 25 tend to be the same companies who spend millions of dollars to get to the top of those lists. If you’re an independent, small app publisher, then it’s really tough to be discovered.”

Manage push notifications

notification icon
We would like to show you notifications for the latest news and updates.
notification icon
You are subscribed to notifications
notification icon
We would like to show you notifications for the latest news and updates.
notification icon
You are subscribed to notifications