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NPD: iTunes Leads The Race In Online Video On Demand [Report]

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Awhile back it was reported that the iTunes Store is one of the biggest media companies in the world. The iTunes Store generated $8.5 billion in revenue last year, which is more than many of America’s top media companies combined.

Apple has been the tech industry’s pioneer for abandoning physical media, and iTunes is a testament to the success of digital downloads. According to a new report from the NPD Group, iTunes dominates its competitors in terms of online video on demand.

Hells Bells! AC/DC Brings Its Entire Back Catalog To The iTunes Store

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Now on iTunes.
Now on iTunes.

AC/DC is one of the highest-grossing bands of all time, but until today, you would have struggled to find their music in digital form via any legal means. Why? They were one of the last great iTunes holdout bands, refusing to sell their music online in order to preserve the hallowed “album” format. Looks like they finally realized the battle’s lost, though. Now the Australian hard rockers have finally released their entire back catalog to the iTunes Store.

Apple Brings iTunes Match To Hungary And Poland

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iTunes Match expands its reach across Europe.
iTunes Match expands its reach across Europe.

iTunes Match has expanded its reach in Europe today as Apple brings the music matching service to Hungary and Poland more than 18 months after it made its debut in the United States. The Cupertino company is yet to add these countries to its iTunes Match availability page, but users report that the service is now appearing in iTunes.

FireCore Brings Trakt.tv Integration To aTV Flash (Black) For Apple TV [Jailbreak]

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Everyone should have aTV Flash on their Apple TV.
Everyone should have aTV Flash on their Apple TV.

One of the reasons most of us jailbreak our Apple TV is to install aTV Flash (black), a terrific piece of software from FireCore that adds a ton of incredible features to your set-top box. In its latest update, aTV Flash delivers a number of features, including trakt.tv integration for those who never know what to watch.

Why PayPal, Amazon, and Apple Are The Leaders In Mobile Payments

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Despite new technologies for mobile payments, customers trust familiar companies like Apple.
Despite new technologies for mobile payments, customers trust familiar companies like Apple.

PayPal, Amazon, and Apple are leading the mobile payment market according to IDC. The research company released the results of a business strategy study that focused on new and emerging payment technologies. The 2012 study is eighth year that IDC has conducted the survey, but it is the first year where mobile payments were a major focus.

While many efforts are underway to develop new payment technologies, many of them based around NFC, most new technologies have yet to catch on with consumers.

Overall mobile payments, however, are catching on with consumers. IDC reports that the number of individuals making mobile payments has doubled since last year’s report and that one-third (33%) of consumers have made some form of mobile payment. The data also shows that the mobile payments market is being led established players and existing technologies.

Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview Now Available To Rent From iTunes Store In U.S.

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The "lost" Steve Jobs interview has now been found in iTunes.

Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview has made its way to the iTunes Store and is now available to rent more than six months after a sample of the video was teased online. The one-hour, 15-minute video can be rented now for just $3.99, but it’s only available to those in the United States.

New York Post Quietly Scraps Its Paywall For iPad Users Using Mobile Safari

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You can now access the New York Post website on iPad for free.
You can now access the New York Post website on iPad for free.

The New York Post introduced a paywall last year that meant iPad users accessing its website with mobile Safari would be redirected to its official iPad app, and would then have to pay a monthly subscription fee to access its content. However, it has now performed a complete u-turn and scrapped that paywall completely.

Beginning With An iWallet, Apple Could Revolutionize Personal Banking

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Passbook could be a brilliant way for Apple to trump any other mobile payment option.
Passbook could be a brilliant way for Apple to trump any other mobile payment option.

There’s been a lot of talk over the past year or so about mobile payment systems and the concept of an iWallet. One of the challenges to any digital wallet concept is that it needs several components, most of which are provided by different companies and governed by different regulations. At a minimum, those components need to include on-device hardware, a mobile app or OS that can manage the transaction, a banking or credit card system that actually transfers money from your account to a retailer, support by major POS and cash register systems, and some mechanism for your phone to securely check-in with your selected account(s) to ensure money is available for purchases.

That’s a tall order and a lot of cooperation is needed when you have a different company providing each of those required functions. One way to simplify the process is to have one company deliver all or most of those functions on its own. There are few companies in the world that can pull all those capabilities together. One of them is Apple.

Apple HDTV Seen Doubling The Money Americans Spend On Apple Products

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The next version of Apple TV may allow you to take your viewing with you wherever you go. Photo: Apple
Apple's HDTV could be a huge windfall for the company

There’s no shortage to information out there about Apple’s HDTV plans, but most of it focuses on specs, designs, and user interface (including coverage from our source who has seen one). With the device being a near certainly, other questions are being raised. Will it be an instant hit? How different will the experience be compared to the existing Apple TV set-top box? How much revenue could it net for Apple?

According to calculations by Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty, an Apple HDTV would be a huge windfall for Apple. She sees it as likely to double the money that U.S. households spend annually on Apple products within three years.

Apple Starts Censoring The Word Jailbreak In iTunes (Even In Songs!)

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Is Apple taking its battle against jailbreaking a little too far?

I can imagine that the reaction you get from mentioning the word “jailbreak” within the Apple camp in Cupertino is almost identical to that you get when mentioning the word “bomb” on an airplane. In fact, Apple hates the word so much that it considers it an expletive, and it’s now filtering it from the iTunes Store.

Analyst: Nearly Half Of All iPhone Owners Would Buy An Apple HDTV

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But it won't have any more pixels than your existing set.
Apple will have no problem find a market for an Apple HDTV

While there’s been a lot of speculation about Apple’s plans to enter the HDTV market, most of the discussion – including information from our source who has seen the device – has focused on the device itself. The form factor, pricing, manufacturing options, interface, input and remote control mechanisms, which iOS and OS X technologies could be leveraged in a TV – all these are key elements to the story of an iTV or Apple HDTV or whatever the device might be called.

These areas of speculation, however, don’t ask the most critical question: Will people buy an Apple HDTV?

According to tech research firm Strategy Analytics, the answer is yes – and it’s a pretty emphatic yes for iPhone owners.

Former Microsoft Exec: Zune Failed Because The Music Industry Was “Hooked” On Apple

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Zune
Microsoft killed the Zune once and for all in October of 2011.
Photo: Microsoft

We all remember the Zune. Microsoft’s failed attempt at an iPod competitor gained about as much traction as Windows Phone 7 has during the last two years. Apple already had its hands around the music industry’s neck with the iPod and iTunes — there was no room for something like the Zune. It wasn’t that the Zune was a bad product, it was just too late to the game.

Former Microsoft executive Robbie Bach was in charge of the Zune division, and in a recent interview he acknowledges that Microsoft made a mistake releasing the Zune in the first place.

New iTunes Security Questions Are Confusing And Can Be Easy To Figure Out

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iTunes prompt for new account security questions
iTunes prompt for new account security questions

Apple recently began prompting users to select three security questions for their iTunes Store accounts. The move helps to ensure that you’re the authorized account holder if you have problems or forget your password.

The idea is well intentioned and a sensible protection for Apple and its customers. Unfortunately, Apple’s way of rolling out these security questions and the questions themselves highlight the old adage about the way to hell being paved with good intentions.

iTunes Movies From Universal Studios Now Available On iCloud

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Movies from Universal, like 'Repo Men', are now available to re-download from iCloud.
Movies from Universal, like 'Repo Men', are now available to re-download from iCloud.

When Apple announced that it was bringing movies and TV shows purchased in the iTunes Store to iCloud, every major production house was onboard except Universal and Fox. Due to licensing conflicts with HBO, Universal and Fox were not able to offer video content in iCloud initially. HBO later said that it would be loosening its grip on the studios to allow for licensing agreements with Apple.

It now appears that Universal Studios has been able to start offering its movies in the iTunes Store for re-download in iCloud.

Configurator Makes Big Improvements To Business/School iOS App Management

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Pre-loading apps using Configurator
Pre-loading apps using Apple Configurator

Virtually everyone who’s ever used an Apple product has an Apple ID. This user account for all things Apple is most commonly used with the iTunes Store and the iOS and Mac App Stores. It’s used to both authorize purchases and to allow you to access content or run apps after they’re downloaded. Apple’s philosophy is that every person should have their own Apple ID and that each of us should use our individual Apple ID (and only that Apple ID) on each of our devices – iPads, iPhones, iPods, Macs, even PC’s running iTunes or other Apple software.

That’s a great concept, but it creates a big challenge when iOS devices are used in business or school environments. When someone configures an iOS device for an employee or student with a selection of apps and other content (like iBooks 2 textbooks), they need to use an Apple ID. But once that device is deployed, the end user may need or want to purchase additional apps or other materials.

This is often a stumbling block for business-owned devices. And it’s something that Apple has finally begun to address with Apple Configurator.

Apple Hints At Free Trials In The App Store With New iTunes Terms And Conditions

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A recent update to the iTunes Terms and Conditions adds an interesting clause regarding free trials for in-app subscriptions in the iOS App Store. Ever since the launch of the App Store in 2007, users have been clamoring for some kind of demoing system for paid apps. It looks like Apple may be slowly making strides towards that reality.

Publishers “may offer a free trial period” via in-app subscriptions in an iOS app, according to Apple.

You Can Now Use iCloud To Re-Download Movies And TV Shows

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Apple has noted that iCloud can now be used to re-download movies and TV shows that have been purchased from the iTunes Store. During today’s keynote, it was revealed that the third-gen Apple TV would support 1080p HD video, and Apple gave its iTunes video catalog a 1080p facelift to match. On top of that, iCloud will now let you access your purchased video content on all of your devices as many times as you want.

The new feature is welcomed, but there are a couple major Hollywood studios that have not made their content available on iCloud. Universal and Fox haven’t been able to ink a deal with Apple yet.

Apple Planning To Launch TV Streaming Service By Christmas [Report]

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We’ve heard whispers of Apple launching a streaming video service in the iTunes Store before, and now a new report from The New York Post claims that the company is “pushing ahead” to get such a service off the ground by Christmas.

According to the report, Apple “point man” Eddy Cue has been in talks with leading content providers to negotiate distribution deals for what will presumably pave the way for the mystical iTV.

This Free App Can Crack Apple’s iBooks DRM

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The DRM restriction that prevents Apple’s iBooks from being opened on other devices can now be removed by the latest version of a free DRM removal tool. Requiem 3.3, a piece of software that is incredibly popular for removing the DRM from music and videos purchased from the iTunes Store, has been updated to crack e-books purchased from the iBookstore.

Adele Is The First Artist To Go Double Platinum On iTunes

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Good news for Adele: Colombia Records has announced that the singer/songwriter has become the first artist to go double platinum on the iTunes Store. She recently sold a staggering 730,000 copies of her album within a week after winning 6 Grammys Awards The album has been purchased on iTunes 2 million times in under a year.

As the first artist to achieve such a digital milestone, Adele can confidently say that her album includes 16 million singles sold in the United States alone.

“Complete My Season Pass” Feature Comes To iTunes Store

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One of the more useful features that Apple has introduced to the iTunes Store over the past couple years is the “Complete My Album” feature, which lets you take a single track of an album you like and easily upgrade to owning the full album. The only problem was it only worked for songs, when it seemed like a natural extension to take the functionality to TV shows.

Well, looks like Apple’s finally wised up. Now, if you have a couple of episodes of a show, you can “Complete My Season Pass,” which not only gets you the rest of the episodes of the season of that particular show at a substantial discount over buying the episodes individually. A welcome addition, I think.

[via MacRumors]