iPhone and iPod touch users: get your update on
Apple has unleashed incremental software updates to both iPhones and iPod touches running software version 2.0. The new 2.0.1 software offers a bunch of bug fixes - not specified by Apple, but anecdotal reports (including my own experience) suggest improvements in overall stability (hooray), as well as general speeding-up of contacts browsing, backing up to iTunes, and the keyboard, and possible improvement of accuracy in the meter displaying signal strength.
Get yours by connecting your iPhone or iPod touch to iTunes and hitting ‘check for update’ on the ‘Summary’ page.
iTunes 7.7.1 available now
Fans of having the latest, bugs-ironed-out* iterations of Apple-flavoured software on their Macs should fire up Software Update (Apple menu > Software Update) now to nab the latest version of iTunes.
Apple claims the update ”includes fixes to improve stability and performance.” What’s not to like?
*no guarantee offered that all bugs have been ironed out
Get your Sky on with iTunes
Apple continue to bolster the ‘TV Programmes’ section of the iTunes Store (already featuring content from major broadcasters BBC, ITV and Channel 4) with the announcement of new content from Sky and 20th Century Fox. Quoth the Apple website:
The smash-hit TV shows 24, Bones and My Name is Earl are now available for purchase and download from the iTunes store, along with more great family entertainment from Sky and 20th Century Fox. “Fox TV shows have been incredibly popular on the iTunes Store in the US”, said Jaime McCabe, Executive Vice President. “We’re excited today to bring these hit shows to fans in the UK via iTunes and look forward to adding more great programming soon”. Customers can purchase Seasons 1 and 6 of 24, Seasons 1 through 3 of Bones, and Seasons 1 through 3 of My Name is Earl for £1.89 an episode.
Go forth and consume! (iTunes link)
iTunes festival highlights on ITV
Missed out on bagging some free tickets to the rather excellent iTunes Festival 08, featuring performances from no less than N*E*R*D, Paul Weller, Hadouken!, The Feeling, Roots Manuva, Elliot Minor, Black Kids, The Ting Tings, Lightspeed Champion, Death Cab For Cutie and a bunch more? Fret not! For not only can you download exclusive EPs from many of the performances direct from the iTunes Store, but you can also catch up with highlights from the festival at ITV.com or on the regular old television, if you’re reading this today.
Tune in to ITV1 at 11:40pm for the latest highlights, hosted by music presenter types Peaches Geldof and Dave Berry, or if you’re more inclined to consume your media on the interweb, by following this very link (programmes available for a limited time only).
The videos are time-limited, and ITV.com’s performance with Macs has been the subject of some debate, but with some judicious settings-manipulation you should be well on your way to corporate festival nirvana in no time.
Paying the (UK) price for iPhone 3g (good) and iTunes (bad)
In the week where Mac News Network’s investigations back up an earlier speculative post right here on The Wee Apple that, amongst carriers offering unlimited data plans at least, the UK is one of the cheapest places in the world to own an iPhone 3G, a whole bunch of reports are picking up on Apple’s decision to reign us back in by backing out of an earlier plan to lower UK iTunes pricing to fall in line with pan-European price points.
Seems that, in the 6 months or so since Steve Jobs was leant on ever-so-slightly by the EU to announce parity of pricing across the European region, our old friend the exchange rate has bailed Apple out of a headache-inducing mass-price-point change by strengthening the euro to the point that a €0.99 download in Europe equates quite nicely to a £0.79 purchase here in the UK.
So, no cheaper downloads for now - it’s also not clear at present whether a world in which the euro continues to gain ground on the humble pound would lead to an increase in prices for UK customers, although one could easily read the EU ruling in that way.
iTunes 7.7 released ahead of iPhone 2.0 software launch
Hold on to your hats: if you fire up Software Update, or head to Apple’s iTunes page, you’ll see a shiny new 7.7 version of the veteran jukebox software.
What’s new? Well of course there’s the small matter of supporting a certain new phone product Apple has something to do with. Support for software version 2.0 for both iPhone and iPod touch plus the brand new App store (apparently hidden but up and running) round up the new features.
Anyone notice anything else new?
UPDATE 1:30pm: the App Store appears to be fully up-and-running if you follow the link from the iTunes Store page. The range of apps at launch is pretty dazzling and you can download them now in preparation for your 2.0-ised software!
Amazon bringing MP3 store to UK
Picking up on a report in the Telegraph a few days ago (sorry!), it seems Amazon are making preparations to launch their Amazon MP3 Store in the UK, after previously launching in the US to generally favourable reviews.
In the States, the Amazon store competes head-to-head with iTunes and others and received plaudits for its competitive pricing and DRM-free library - at a time when iTunes was just dipping its feet into DRM-free (but to my memory, after Steve Jobs’ infamous open letter to the music industry).
According to the report, which is a little speculative and should really be taken with a pinch of salt, we may see the Amazon MP3 Store by the end of the year. It will be interesting to see how iTunes stacks up against one of the first genuine competitors to enter the market in some time.