iTunes

Stream and Manage Podcasts On the iPhone With Instacast

Do you like to listen to podcasts? Do you subscribe to multiple podcasts in iTunes? If so, you realize how much of a pain it can be to manually transfer your podcasts from iTunes to your iPhone. Perhaps you don't even sync podcasts to your iPhone to conserve disk space.

Podcasts can take a considerable amount of memory on a device with limited storage, not to mention the time and hardrive space it takes to download each episode in iTunes. Wouldn't it be nice if there was a robust streaming solution for podcasts?

Instacast can best be described as Netflix for podcasts. As a cloud-based podcast streaming solution, Instacast is a fantastic stand-alone app for any podcast enthusiast...

iPhone 5 Will Probably Have NFC After All

At first we hoped the iPhone 5 would have NFC technology, then we were told Apple wasn't considering NFC yet. Now it appears that the next iPhone will in fact have NFC technology for mobile payments.

Multiple reports from sources like The New York Times and China Times reveal that Apple is working hard to implement NFC into the iPhone. Near Field Communication technology would allow consumers to use the iPhone as a mobile payment option, and the technology would most likely tie into the already-existing iTunes payment infrastructure.

Apple’s “If You Don’t Have an iPhone” Ads Highlight App Store, iTunes, and iBooks

Apple has released some new ads that focus on the three main e-commerce stores for the iPhone. These short, 30 second promos focus on the App Store, iTunes, and iBooks.

The main focus of these three ads is to show what people who don't have the iPhone are missing. The "If you don't have an iPhone" tag line plays throughout the ad as different features of each store are pointed out. Each ad ends with a little jab: "If you don’t have an iPhone, well, you don’t have an iPhone."

What do you think? The ads clearly get the intended message across. Perhaps a little too boldly? Apple sure knows how to make a poignant little commercial.

[MacStories]

Fix iPhone Error 1013

Yesterday Tina decided it was time to update her iPhone firmware. It was probably the first software update she did since she got her iPhone 4, months ago. Because she doesn't need or even care about a jailbreak, her iPhone is clean. No jailbreak.

I was watching South Park when I heard her voice from upstairs: "honey, I have a problem, it's saying something about error 1013". Damn you, iPhone, for disturbing me while watching disturbing TV shows!

I had had this error 1013 before so I was confident it would be a one-minute fix...

iOS 4.3 Brings iTunes Home Sharing

We announced earlier today that iOS 4.3 is now available to download. Among many of the new features highlighted by Steve Jobs and company during the iPad 2 announcement last week, was iTunes Home Sharing.

This will give you the ability to stream music from your iTunes library, to any iDevice in range of your WiFi. This is different than Remote, an iOS application by Apple, that lets you control iTunes playback on your computer with your iPhone. So what's the advantage of iTunes Home Sharing? That's easy....

Apple Releases iTunes 10.2.1 [Jailbreak Safe]

Just 6 days after releasing iTunes 10.2, another update is available today. iTunes 10.2.1 doesn't seem to bring anything new to the table. Just like for iTunes 10.2, the changelog only mentions this new version of iTunes is needed to sync your device with iOS 4.3.

Additionally, and like the previous version, iTunes 10.2.1 brings improvement to Home Sharing. In short, this release is probably about small bug fixes...

iOS 4.3 Will Not Be Compatible With All iDevices

We've gotten questions from readers asking if iOS 4.3 will be compatible with all iDevices. Sadly, the answer is no. The public release of iOS 4.3 that Apple announced at their iPad 2 event will only work on certain iDevice generations.

Most notably, 4.3 will not be installable on the Verizon iPhone. Because the Verizon iPhone runs on a different baseband and has different bugs to fix, Apple has to release a separate 4.3 build for that device. (Which they haven't announced yet.)

Hopefully your iDevice isn't on the 4.3 incompatibility list...

Apple Reportedly in Negotiations With Record Labels For Unlimited Music Downloads

If there's one feature that I really appreciate about the App Store, it's the ability to re-download previous purchases with ease.

Even if you're on another device, all you need is your iTunes login credentials and bam; it's downloading again, for free.

The iTunes music store doesn't exactly work like that. I rarely download music from iTunes, so I was shocked the first time that I realized I couldn't re-download an album that I had bought previously.

Fortunately, for those of you that rely on iTunes for all of your music needs, this might be about to change...

iTunes 10.2 Now Available for Download [Safe for Jailbreakers]

Apple just released iTunes 10.2 which will be required to install iOS 4.3 which will be released next week. Not much has been added to this new version. iTunes 10.2 is needed to allow you to sync your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 4.3.

iTunes 10.2 also brings improved Home Sharing. It will let you browse and play from your iTunes libraries with Home Sharing on any iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 4.3...

iOS 4.3 Will Be Released on March 11th for GSM iPhones Only

At today's iPad 2 media event, solid details were revealed about the upcoming iOS 4.3 release.

Unsurprisingly, iOS 4.3 will make its debut on the same day that the iPad 2 is officially available for sale; March 11th.

What's interesting is that one notable Apple product in particular was left out of the iOS 4.3 goodness -- the CDMA based Verizon iPhone 4...

Dev Team Working on iTunes Alternative for Jailbreakers?

Could it really be true? After years of complaints from disgruntled iTunes users, could the Dev Team be working on an iTunes replacement for the jailbreak community?

While it does seem too good to be true, there is a definite chance that jailbreakers will have their own iTunes-like app that works specifically for jailbroken iDevices. A famous jailbreak developer has raised speculation that the Dev Team is in fact working on an alternative for iTunes.

New Light Shed on Apple’s Upcoming Music Streaming Plans

I have to admit, I was quite upset when Apple bought Lala.com, bringing an abrupt end to what was an awesome music streaming service. But the prospect of Apple introducing their own streaming service using Lala's technology quickly put my pain at ease.

At least that's been the ongoing rumor since the Lala deal went down back in December of 2009. Ever since, the rumors have swirled regarding Apple's next move, climaxing with the purchase of a gargantuan 500,000 square foot server farm capable of handling all of that extra bandwidth.

Will Apple finally introduce a streaming service similar to Lala, or are they headed in a different direction?