Following the release of Mac OS X Lion earlier today, Apple pushed an update to iTunes as well by bringing it to version 10.4. iTunes 10.4 was designed to work well with Lion. Among a few bug fixes, iTunes 10.4 gets full-screen mode support with Lion.
I tested iTunes 10.4 with my jailbroken and unlocked iPhone and I can report that it is safe. So, if you have Lion and see an iTunes update, don't be scared, you won't lose your jailbreak...
Apple will no longer allow users to update or restore an iOS device to iOS 4.3.3. The signing window for 4.3.3 has been closed, meaning that you can no longer restore a device to 4.3.3 in iTunes without previously saved SHSH blobs from that firmware.
This news is important for jailbreakers that are either considering using JailbreakMe on iOS 4.3.3, or those that may have possibly upgraded to an iOS 5 beta without saving their blobs. The recently released iOS 4.3.4 kills the untethered jailbreak that was previously offered in iOS 4.3.x, so 4.3.3 is the most up to date firmware that offers an untethered jailbreak.
With Apple announcing that its App Store had reached the impressive 15 billion downloads mark, research company Asymco has crunched the numbers and, as it turns out, the App Store has now surpassed the iTunes music store in download rankings.
This conclusion comes after a bit of detective work based off Apple's announcement a month ago that it had served 15 billion songs. Asymco believes app sales have now overtaken song sales- an impressive feat...
One of the slight blotches on the iOS report card is the platform's less than inspiring iPod app. Yes it's functional, and yes its user interface won't make you want to poke your own eyes out with a cocktail stick, but it's just not very exciting.
Past the app's lack of excitement, it's lacking such simple features. If only there was an app that we could use to replace the boring iPod app on our iPhones. Something a little more interesting. As of July 14th, there will be, with PanAmp due to be released into the vast ocean that is the App Store, and we think it's going to be a bit of a hit...
Following the release of iOS 5 beta 3 earlier today, Apple also updated iTunes to version 10.5 beta 3. Needless to say that this update is for developers only, although it seems stable enough for anyone to use, assuming you know where to get it.
If you just downloaded iOS 5 beta 3, you will need to install iTunes 10.5 beta 3 in order to install the latest iOS version on your device. From what I see, iTunes 10.5 beta 3 is safe for jailbreakers so there is nothing to worry on that side...
Folks, are you excited? We surely are, because we just got our hands on iOS 5 beta 2, and we've been able to go hands on with Wi-Fi sync.
Let me tell you, it works gloriously. I know this is sort of an overused mantra, especially in the Apple space, but it just works.
Anyone who's familiar with the jailbreak implementations of wireless syncing will be right at home with Apple's iteration of Wi-Fi syncing, and unsurprisingly, it's even simpler with Apple at the helm.
Check inside for hands-on video coverage of iOS 5 beta 2's Wi-Fi syncing capabilities...
Apple's iOS software design strategy is interesting, to say the least. For example, many people wonder why it took the company nearly a year to implement the App Store after launching the iPhone. It took another year after that to add copy/paste and picture messaging features.
Apple excluded unnecessary items in early builds of iOS, demonstrating a quality-over-quantity sort of approach to adding new features. Luckily, iOS 5 seems to be finally bringing many of those omitted functions to the iPhone. Who's been dying to change the email tone?
One of Apple's big announcements at WWDC 2011's keynote was the iCloud music service. Offering cross-device syncing as well as iTunes Match for checking your non-iTunes bought music and adding it to the cloud, iTunes in the Cloud is just one aspect of the very exciting iCloud. While users in the United States can expect the service to go live in the Fall when iOS 5 ships, those living outside the US could be waiting until at least early 2012, according to business insiders.
A spokesman for the Performing Right Society, a group responsible for ensuring musicians and other creative types of the music world get paid, told The Telegraph that negotiations with Apple over the situation are at a very early stage on the international level...
An interesting tidbit has been uncovered in the iOS 5 beta relating to HD video playback. It appears that iDevices will finally be able to playback HD video at a full, 1080p resolution.
Specifically, the iPad 2 has been confirmed to have the ability to playback full, 1080p video in the Videos app. In the past, iTunes wouldn't even allow the syncing of 1080p video to an iDevice.
One feature that didn't make its way into iOS 5, but may soon appear in the App Store, is an Apple app for movie-goers. A newly discovered patent published by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office today illustrates an iOS application that could make it easier than ever to browse movie showtimes and buy tickets on your iPhone.
The app will also provide a link to Apple's iTunes Movie Trailers service, which will allow users to watch trailers and view additional information on movies they're interested in. However, that's not the most impressive feature...
Although the average consumer has to wait a month or more to get their paws on the new Mac operating system, and twice that long for iOS 5, there is one cool new feature Apple unveiled this week that users can take advantage of right away.
The iDevice community all let out a synchronous sigh of relief on Monday as Apple announced the new Automatic Download feature for iTunes and iDevices. While there are some limitations, the feature can help you cut the cord between your iPhone and your computer.
The built-in utility instantly recognizes when you download media on an iDevice or desktop, and automatically pushes that media out to your other devices. Once enabled, any app, song or iBook title you download on one device, will automatically push out to your other gadgets.
Essentially, any iDevice with iOS 4.3.3 or computer with the latest version of iTunes qualifies for the new feature, as long as they are all using a common iTunes account. It doesn't take much to turn on Automatic Downloads and it can be a real timesaver. Check out this quick tutorial:
The latest iTunes (version 10.3) just shipped a couple days ago but it appears some users were encountering the "unknown error (-50)" when trying to sync their device. Even though there seemed to be some workarounds around that, it was clear that iTunes itself was the cause of the problem.
Today, Apple shipped iTunes 10.3.1 which apparently fixes this issue. If you were having syncing issues with iTunes 10.3, make sure to hit the "Check for Updates" option in iTunes to download the latest version...