Limited time iTunes sale knocks a number of hit songs down to $0.69

Continuing its recent trend of offering media at a discount, Apple has launched a new iTunes promotion today that knocks a number of hit songs, of various genres, down to $0.69. That's nearly 50% off their normal prices.

The promo is simply titled 'Great 69¢ Songs,' and the carefully curated list of marked-down music is divided up into 10 categories including No. 1 Songs, Pop Hits, and '90s Hits. Each category contains between 30-40 songs...

WSJ: Apple testing larger iPhone displays of up to 6 inches

Apple is currently testing iPhone screens as large as six inches, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal. The news comes as many of the company's competitors are releasing handsets with 5 and 6 inch displays—the new Note 3 measures in at 5.7.

This isn't the first time we've heard that Apple is toying with the idea of making a larger iPhone. In fact, The Journal told a similar story in mid-July. So it seems that while the bigger displays are not expected to debut on this year's model, they are on the way...

DeskConnect review: how to share files between all of your devices

These days, it is fairly easy to share things with other devices through cloud storage. However, those services are usually limited in size. Plus, it takes a few steps to grab a file, save it to a cloud storage app, then go to another device, open the cloud storage app, find the file, and download it.

DeskConnect makes it possible to easily share all kinds of media across multiple devices without having to save it in the cloud first. There are no limits on number of devices, storage capacity, or file type. Just drag-and-drop and you’re ready to go…

China Telecom prematurely announces it will carry iPhone 5S/5C beginning September 20

Just as Reuters suggested the major Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo could finally start carrying Apple's iconic smartphone this Fall, numerous reports that are now coming out of Asia highlight a seemingly unusual slip-up on the part of China Telecom, the third-largest mobile telecommunication provider in the People's Republic of China and tenth-largest carrier in the world.

The telco officially posted on the popular Chinese micro-blogging service Sina Weibo it'll be offering both the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C at launch. Heck, China Telecom had apparently been accepting pre-orders for both devices before it realized its "mistake" and took the post down...

Japanese carrier DoCoMo to start carrying the iPhone this fall

After years of negotiations, it looks like Apple and DoCoMo have finally reached an iPhone deal. Reuters is reporting this afternoon that the company will join KDDI Corp and SoftBank Corp this fall as the last major Japanese carrier to offer the popular smartphone.

The news comes just a few weeks after Bloomberg ran a report claiming that DoCoMo was ready to consider carrying the iPhone, as long as Apple was willing to concede to a few demands, such as allowing it to preload custom apps. So the question is, who gave in?

IK Multimedia unveils compact audio interface for Macs and iOS devices

IK Multimedia is behind some of the best apps for musicians carried on Apple's App Store, like the excellent AmpliTube Slash which has a digital effects processor based on the former Guns ‘N Roses guitarist’s favorite amps.

The company is however primarily known for its nice gear that includes a whole bunch of different effects processors, amps, mics, controllers and other gadgets tailored to musicians and music studios.

The Modena, Italy-based firm today announced a new portable audio interface, the iRig Pro, appealing to aspiring musicians who want to connect microphones, guitars or MIDI devices to their Mac, iPhone, iPad or iPod touch devices...

Upcoming iPhone app ‘Ping’ fuses email and instant messaging

There's a war going on right now for email, and a major battleground is the mobile app space. On iOS alone, there are a number of applications that promise to change the way you use electronic mail like Mailbox and Dispatch.

And today we're adding another one to the list: Ping. Ping is an upcoming iPhone app that packs a number of useful features like snooze, push notifications and search, and it can replace email conversations with IM-like threads...

China Mobile ‘has all of the power’ in iPhone talks as Apple makes concessions

Apple usually is in the cat-bird seat when it comes to negotiations. The brand's allure, coupled with billions in cash and a handset responsible for rocketing smartphone sales has made the iPhone maker a brutal negotiator. Now comes word Apple may have made concessions in order to get the world's largest carrier on its team.

Just what Apple had to concede to gain support from China Mobile varies from a low-priced iPhone 5C to even a slice of some profits. While the latter possibility is rather far-fetched, observers agree: the Chinese carrier "has all the power" in these negotiations...

Last-ditch effort: Best Buy (again) offers 16GB iPhone 5 for $149.99

In another attempt to clear stock ahead of new iPhones thought to be hitting the Apple and carrier retail outlets come September 20, the U.S. consumer electronics retailer Best Buy has once again slashed $50 off Apple's iPhone 5. The offer only applies to the entry-level model with sixteen gigabytes of storage, which will now set you back $149.99 on a new two-year contract with AT&T, Verizon or Sprint...

Redesigned Google Drive app brings card-style thumbnail layout from Android

With just five days left until Apple's big iOS 7/iPhone 5S/5C big reveal next Tuesday, a bunch of iOS 7 focused updates have begun trickling in. Some of the most popular apps from both Apple and well-known brands like PayPal are now being refreshed with a matching flat iOS 7 look and feel, including major games such as Electronic Arts' Real Racing 3.

You can now add Google's Drive app for the iPhone and iPad to your iOS 7 compatibility list. You'll immediately notice a drastically redesigned interface that behaves much like its Android counterpart, without looking out of place on iOS 7.

Along with a few other enhancements, you're going to absolutely love the card-style thumbnail layout from Android as it makes it dead easy and fun to browse and preview your files - and it looks even more gorgeous on the iPad.

Jump past the fold for additional facts...

Major PayPal iOS update: new UI, pay at local shops, save offers and order ahead

It's been months since PayPal issued any significant update to its iPhone client. Today, the company took to the official blog to announce a brand new version of PayPal for iPhone, a major step up compared to the previous basic version.

In addition to the revamped interface, the refreshed software features front and center a new Shop section which makes it easy to find shops or restaurants nearby that accept PayPal payments. That's just scratching the surface: the new build finally lets you check out at your local stores, pay at table, order ahead and even browse for local offers.

As a bonus, the application now makes it possible to switch payment methods on the go to make sure you get reward points from a particular card. Another useful capability: the popular Bill Me Later payment option has been added. I've included additional information and PayPal's promotional video past the fold...

Konami’s Star Wars Force Collection fights its way into App Store

iOS gamers are having a field day today. First 2K Games released its iOS-exclusive 2K Drive. Next, Electronic Arts updated Real Racing 3 with seven generations of the legendary Porsche 911 and full iOS 7 compatibility. And finally rival Activision followed suit by unexpectedly unleashing a brand new Call of Duty game.

If none of the above is your cup of tea, then how about some Star Wars? Right on cue, publisher Konami today released Star Wars: Force Collection, the first Star Wars digital card battle game. If you're into the genre, Force Collection should keep you occupied with 230 character cards that include Episodes I-VI's famous heroes, villains and vehicles such as X-Wings, AT-ATs and Tie Fighters...