iTunes

It's no secret that Apple is not a fan of jailbreaking of its iPhones, but that distaste appears to be extending to the iTunes Store as well.

A search for the term "jailbreak" in the store yields dozens of instances where the titles of songs, apps, TV shows, and even podcasts have been asterisked out. While Apple believes the act of jailbreaking, or bypassing the restriction Apple places on standard iPhones that only allows the installation of applications only from approved sources, is a copyright violation. iBookstore is also affected.

A review of the App Store guidelines … Read more

My watch is an iPod Nano. It's not perfect. In fact, there are many ways I'd like it to be better. But, it works. It also looks cool.

Those are two seemingly small details that are in fact quite major when considering a smart watch these days. "Working" is a matter of opinion and design in some cases, but the point is that the iPod Nano-as-a-watch does exactly what you think it does, and it does it well. So far, that can't be said for Sony's SmartWatch, a confusing remote for Android phones that ends up doing less than you expect it to, yet somehow is hard to even work in that limited capacity. I had a chance to try one out here at CNET, and was surprised at how Sony's solution was good-looking, but a complete slave requiring Bluetooth and an Android phone to get anything done -- even tell the time. That's a problem. A good watch can't mess that part up.… Read more

A handful of iTunes users aren't too happy about the security questions being thrown at them to verify their accounts.

Apple recently ramped up stricter security measures for iTunes and iOS users in an attempt to prevent accounts from being abused or compromised. Beyond just entering a password, some users are now being asked to choose three security questions and a backup e-mail address when they try to download content.

But it's the selection of questions themselves that appear to be upsetting some of the Apple faithful, according to The Register.

Users are being asked to choose from … Read more

Apple made out well on a number of its pending patents today. The iPhone-maker was granted 25 new patents by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, according to Patently Apple.

Time Machine, iTunes Store, iMac, iPad Smart Covers, and Apple Store displays are just a few of the products that this round of patents cover. Many of the other patents are for items like connectors, security, and networking, according to Patently Apple.

Some of the patents are exclusively for different applications of Apple products, for example, the iTunes store patent, which is called "Content Rental System" and … Read more

Apple once again topped Wall Street's estimates with its second-quarter earnings, bringing in strong profits and selling more iPhones than expected.

This slightly overshadowed the first major sales numbers of the new iPad, which launched last month. Apple has sold fewer units of the device than analysts had estimated it would.

Apple reported revenue of $39.2 billion and earnings of $11.6 billion, or $12.30 per share, for the quarter ended March, 31, 2012. That was up from the $26.67 billion in revenue and $5.99 billion, or $6.40 per share, the company reported for … Read more

Apple has won a patent for the look and feel of its iTunes Store.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office today published patent 8,161,411 related to a "graphical user interface for browsing, searching, and presenting media items." Apple filed for the patent back in 2004, when the online retail venue was still known as the iTunes Music Store.

The patent appears to be quite broad, but focuses solely on the graphical user interface, and not the way in which people might buy songs on the platform or its general functionality. That said, the patent abstract … Read more

In 2010, Apple enabled some of the top book publishers to set their own prices for electronic books they made available on the iPad.

Since then, prices that consumers pay for e-books have risen and Amazon and other online book sellers that discount have been under pressure. The government said today in an antitrust complaint filed in New York, that the arrangement Apple struck with publishers Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin, and Simon & Schuster was an attempt to control prices and violated the law.

The case could hurt Apple's position in the e-book market, a sector that is growing … Read more

Apple is working on the next major upgrade of iTunes, including iOS 6 support and greater integration with iCloud, according to a 9to5Mac report.

The iTunes 11 build includes a dedicated iCloud settings panel, allowing users to control iCloud features and content from within iTunes, 9to5Mac reported. The site reports that the development it has seen so far has been focused on mechanics but that cosmetic updates are likely to come later.

Apple, which has been working on the upgrade for months, recently seeded an internal beta, according to the report.

The site also reports that we can expect a … Read more

Just how much are people spending on digital editions of newspapers and magazines on Apple's digital Newsstand app?

In a study of Apple's App Store for iPad during the month of February, market research firm Distimo says the top 100 publications brought in more than $70,000 a day. That metric -- which is just revenues from the United States -- is led by News Corp.'s The Daily, followed by The New York Times and The New Yorker magazine, the firm said.

Apple launched Newsstand as part of iOS 5 in October, providing a way for users … Read more