Apple Updates iTunes to Version 11.0.3 With New MiniPlayer and Improvements

Apple has released an update to its iTunes music and media application, bringing it to version 11.0.3.

The update updates the compact MiniPlayer, adding album artwork and a progress bar, as well as better support for multi-disc albums and large iTunes libraries. This version of iTunes comes with several new features and improvements, including:

- New MiniPlayer. MiniPlayer now includes a beautiful new view that showcases your album artwork. In addition, a progress bar is now built right into MiniPlayer. 

- Improved Songs View. You can now enjoy your album artwork while in Songs view.

- Multi-Disc Albums. Albums with multiple discs now appear as a single album.

This update also provides performance improvements when searching and sorting large iTunes libraries. It weighs in at 187.50MB on the Mac, and is available through the Mac App Store, Software Update, and direct from Apple's Software Download Page. The last update to iTunes was released back in February.

Source: Mac Rumours

Foxconn's Push Into Televisions Hints at Preparation for Possible Apple Television

The New York Times reports on Foxconn's efforts to diversify its business, recognizing that while Apple is and will remain an important customer currently responsible for about 40% of Foxconn's revenue, it needs to tap into other markets in order to improve its own stability. 

One major push for Foxconn has been the television market, where it has invested with Sharp in an LCD panel factory in Japan and begun releasing its own televisions in partnerships with RadioShack and Vizio...

Read the full story here. Source: Mac Rumours

Apple Begins Countdown to 50 Billion App Store Downloads

Apple has posted a new contest on the App Store offering a $10,000 gift card to whomever downloads the fifty billionth app from the App Store, similar to previous promotions. Apple said during its most recent earnings call that the company has surpassed 45 billion app downloads.

Apple's most recent contest was for 25 billion downloads back in February 2012. This time around, Apple is also giving $500 gift cards to the next fifty people to download apps after the fifty billionth.

The download count currently stands at just over 49.2 billion.

Source: Mac Rumours

Blockbuster releases On Demand video streaming app for iOS

Blockbuster announced its entrance back into the video streaming game in January after pledging to exit that market late last year. Today, Blockbuster's reincarnation as a video streaming service continues, as the company rolled out its On Demand app for iOS, bringing "thousands" of movies to iPads and iPhones running iOS 4.3 and up. By adding Apple devices to the fold, Blockbuster can now shoot movies to the majority of mobile devices -- previously it was only available for Android (plus Mac, PC, Roku and Samsung Smart TVs). So, if you're looking for 1080p video with 5.1 surround streaming to your Apple-fied mobile screen, your download awaits.

Source: Engadget

Apple Releases iOS 6.1.4 for iPhone 5 With New Speakerphone Audio Profile

Apple today released a minor iOS 6.1.4 update, bringing an updated audio profile for speakerphone. The new version, which arrives as Build 10B350, appears to only be for the iPhone 5. 

The update did not involve a beta testing period for developers and follows the release of iOS 6.1.3 in mid-March.

Source: Mac Rumours

Apple Risking iOS 7 Delays With Jony Ive's Design Overhaul

 Over the past several months, rumors of Jony Ive's influence on iOS 7 as part of his new role overseeing user interface design in addition to hardware have surfaced, indicating that Ive is pushing to adopt a "flatter" design that will modernize the look of iOS. 

In a lengthy report, Bloomberg now notes that this major effort to remake iOS puts Apple at risk of delaying the launch of iOS 7. While a public launch is said to currently remain on schedule for "as soon as September", Apple's internal deadlines have been pushed back as Apple's software teams race to complete their work and ready a preview for next month's Worldwide Developers Conference...

Read the full story here. Source: Mac Rumours

Apple's First Berlin Store to Open Friday, May 3

Last week, we noted that workers had begun removing barricades and scaffolding surrounding Apple's first store in Berlin, Germany amid rumors that the store would open during the first weekend of May.

In an unusually early reveal, Apple has already confirmed the opening with a new page for the store listing the public opening as taking place at 5:00 PM on Friday, May 3. The new page also includes a unique grand opening notice that slowly shifts colors. Signage on the construction barriers surrounding the store had briefly used a similar effect.

[Source: MacRumors]

WWDC Sells Out in 2 Minutes

Well that was fast. Last year tickets for Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC)sold out in 1 hour and 43 minutes. This year the tickets are already sold out, and it happened in just about two minutes. Unless there’s some sort of bug going on here, which we’ll keep you updated on.

WWDC kicks off on June 10 and will largely focus on software, including iOS 7 and OS X, although it’s possible we’ll see some hardware announcements like we did last year. Check out our recent article on what to expect for more information.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

Tim Cook: We should have waited until 2013 to release new iMacs

During Apple's earnings conference call on Tuesday, CEO Tim Cook fielded an analyst's question regarding Apple's product releases during the Fall 2012 quarter and delivered a surprisingly candid answer.

Addressing the shipping delays that plagued Apple's new iMacs, Cook articulated that Apple should had waited to release its new iMac models until this year.

"I don't spend a lot of time looking back except to learn from it," Cook explained. "If we could run it over, frankly, I would have announced the iMac after the turn of the year. We felt customers had to wait too long for that specific product."

Cook explained that despite supply constraints for the iPad mini, he would not have changed its release date, because they were still able to get the device out to millions of customers.

While supply problems for new Apple products are not uncommon -- the company tends to push its contract manufacturers and component suppliers to their limits in pursuit of "insanely great" devices -- the shipment delays associated with Apple's recent iMac refresh were atypically long. Since its release in November, Apple struggled to keep up with demand.

For quite some time, shipping delays for the all-in-one desktop computerstretched for as long as three to five weeks. It wasn't until early March that Apple seemed to get a grasp on production issues, resulting in a much more reasonable shipping time of just one to three business days.

Apple is always keen on pushing the envelope in terms of manufacturing processes, and it's suspected that Apple's iMac supply issues were rooted in a new lamination process used to keep the new iMac screen as thin as possible.

[Source: TUAW]

iOS 7 looms as Apple confirms 10 June WWDC conference

Apple's annual software bash is taking place in mid June, the fruit-flavoured company has confirmed -- signalling that we're less than two months away from getting a glimpse at iOS 7.

Apple traditionally uses its WWDC conference, which is aimed at developers, to showcase new software. Last year we got a first look at iOS 6, and at 2011's show we saw iOS 5 unveiled.

The event page also promises an 'in-depth look' at what's next for OS X, the desktop software that powers the firm's Mac computers.

Apple needs to show off some impressive apps, having just revealed its first profit drop in years. It still managed to scrape together $9.5bn in the first three months of this year though, selling a massive 37.4 million iPhones in that same stretch of time.

Even more pressure is piled onto Tim Cook and company for this year's WWDC, because last year's update to iOS 6 was marred by a truly disastrous Maps app.

The cartographical car crash was so naff that Tim Cook even issued a public apology. All eyes will be on Apple to see whether it can bring some inventive new software to the table, and improve its Siri voice assistant.

The conference will follow Google's I/O shindig in mid-May, where the search giant is expected to take Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie out of the oven.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

iCloud Boasts 300M Users and 20 Percent Growth in Q2 2013

During today's Q2 2013 quarterly earnings call, Apple revealed that iCloud now has more than 300 million users, a 20% increase from the 250 million that it reported during its Q1 earnings call in January. A year ago, iCloud had just over 100M users. 

Apple's iCloud originally launched in late 2011, as a replacementfor the company's MobileMe service. 

iCloud, which is designed to allow users to store data from games and music, among other things, lets users sync content between multiple Apple devices. Recently, iCloud has experienced a number of service outages, with the latest occurring this morning.

[Source: MacRumors]

iTunes Now Home to 850,000 iOS Apps, 350,000 iPad Apps

Apple just announced its fiscal second quarter 2013 earnings and, on the earnings call, revealed some information on its iTunes App Store. Apple said it now offers more than 850,000 iOS applications and that 350,000 of those applications are specifically designed for the iPad. The company also recognized $2.4 billion in revenue from iTunes, up 28 percent from the same quarter last year.

The growth is not necessarily a surprise considering Apple’s iTunes range. Apple offers 35 million songs in 119 countries, 50,000 movies in 109 countries and 1.7 million iBooks. The app store is also available in 155 countries, which Apple says covers more than 90 percent of the world’s population.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]