iTunes

iTunes 11.2.2 update arrives with podcast bug fix and stability improvements

Apple has just released a new version of iTunes. This is a third update to the company's desktop jukebox application in less than two weeks.

iTunes 11.2.2 is now available through your Mac's Software Update, offering several stability improvements and fixing a bug related to the software's handling of podcasts.

The update is recommended for all iTunes users and should be now available for Mac and Windows via the Mac App Store's Updates tab or as a standalone download via Apple's website...

iTunes Radio could expand to The Netherlands

Based on a pair of screenshots of the iOS 7 Music app shared on Twitter, it seems that The Netherlands has made it on Apple's list of upcoming iTunes Radio markets in Europe as one Dutch user reports the Radio tab randomly appearing and disappearing on his device.

Last we heard, Apple was gearing up to expand the service to the United Kingdom following a meeting its iAd director had with London-based ad agencies.

The Cupertino company even banned London-based iTunes Radio rival, a service called Bloom.fm, from its iAd advertising network...

Should Apple overhaul iTunes, it better resemble this minimalist concept

What is iTunes nowadays? Is it a jukebox application for Mac and Windows PCs, as it was conceived as such more than a decade ago? Is it the storefront software found on your iOS devices. A device management solution, perhaps?

Could it simply be a media player with a built-in music store? A video store, you say? Sure! A podcast store? That, too! A books store?

It's all of these things combined, and then some more.

This is precisely why folks have grown increasingly frustrated by iTunes. And herein lies the problem with iTunes, as we know it today: whatever the app is these days, there's no escaping the fact it's become hopelessly bloated, counterintuitive and just way too cluttered.

That's why UK-based designer Brye Kobayashi set out to lay out his vision for a total iTunes revamp, taking inspiration from iOS 7 while borrowing certain concepts from Apple's stock Music app for the iPhone and iPad. It's pure minimalism, looks gorgeous and I want it now!

Apple talking with ISPs as it prepares to launch its Content Distribution Network

According to a new report from CDN and Internet Services analyst Dan Rayburn, Apple is going ahead with plans to develop its own content delivery network. Rayburn says the company is working on interconnection deals with Internet Service Providers, as it prepares to take its CDN live.

Apple is said to have spent the last 5 years building its CDN, which would be responsible for carrying out iTunes and iCloud content to customers. Currently, the iPad-maker outsources this delivery to third-party companies like Akamai, which means it has no control over quality of service...

Apple releases iTunes 11.2.1 to fix hidden /Users folder in OS X 10.9.3

Apple tonight released a minor update for its iTunes desktop client, bringing the app to version 11.2.1. The update doesn't appear to offer up any new features, but it does seem to fix the hidden /Users folder bug.

Following yesterday's release of OS X 10.9.3, some users complained that their /Users folder had disappeared. We passed along a simple workaround for the bug earlier today, but now an official fix is available...

iTunes 11.2 hits: improves podcast browsing, fixes Genius unresponsiveness and more

To go along with the just-released OS X Mavericks 10.9.3 Software Update, Apple has also issued a second major update to iTunes 11. The new version 11.2 is now available for download and includes several improvements to the in-app podcast browsing experience.

For starters, there are now all-new Unplayed and Feed tabs which collate episodes you haven't listened to yet and new ones that have become available.

iTunes now lets you save a podcast episode to keep on your computer and resolves a few annoying issues, including one where Genius would hang when updating itself. Jump past the fold for the full breakdown...

Rumor: Apple will tap Beats to introduce high-res iTunes music, improve In-Ear Headphones

Apple's purported acquisition of Beats Electronics, LCC has set the tongues wagging as pundits race to offer their armchair analysis of the grand strategy behind Apple's alleged $3.2 billion deal.

The latest in the Apple-Beats saga comes via the rather reliable Japanese blog Macotakara which earlier this morning asserted that Apple will use Beats to introduce support for high-resolution audio files in iTunes and the iOS Music app and also improve sound quality of its pricey pricey $79 In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic...

How to sync an iPhone with multiple iTunes libraries

Apple does not allow an iPhone to be synced with multiple iTunes libraries, presumably because users would simply share songs with each other and lower already declining music sales on the iTunes Store. When you sync an iPhone with another Mac or PC, a warning pops up on iTunes that an iPhone can only be synced with one library at a time.

If you proceed to sync your iPhone with the secondary computer, the contents of that iTunes library will automatically replace whatever media you had on your device in the first place. On a side note, that doesn't include things like contacts, calendars or settings. Those are safe, but any songs or videos are not. Fortunately, there is a solution for how to use an iPhone with more than one iTunes library. The method is explained in detail ahead… 

WSJ: Apple playing ‘catch up’ with Beats acquisition

The disruptor has become the disrupted. Apple, the company that turned the music industry upside down with the launch of the iTunes Store in 2003, saw digital download sales drop for the first time ever last year. Why? Streaming music services.

The folks out in Cupertino failed to see the rise of the Rdios and the Spotifys, and thus have been forced to play catch-up. And according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, that's exactly what this rumored Apple-Beats acquisition is all about...

Apple highlights “Best of April” in new App Store section

Apple has highlighted its favorite new apps and games from last month in a new Best of April section on the App Store. The best overall app was given to NYT Now, while the award for best overall game went to Leo's Fortune. There are over a dozen other apps included in two categories for "amazing apps" and "great games," many of which were released or significantly updated in April. A complete rundown of the apps that made the Best of April list in the United States follows… 

iTunes Match now available in Japan

Apple continues its international expansion of iTunes services this afternoon, with the launch of iTunes Match in Japan. iOS users in the country can now access the service, which first launched in the United States back in 2011.

For those unfamiliar with the service, iTunes Match allows users to 'mirror' their music libraries to the cloud. This enables them to access their songs from any compatible device, without having to spend hours uploading them...

Apple expands iTunes in the Cloud support in Germany to movies and TV shows

Good news for iOS users in Germany today, as Apple has expanded iTunes in the Cloud in the country. The cloud-based sync-and-storage service now supports the streaming of movies and television shows.

What this means is that German users will now be able to access previously-purchased movie and television content on any Apple device, including the Apple TV, by accessing the 'Purchased' tab in iTunes...