iTunes

Apple's Q2: By the numbers

Wall Street will have to make up its mind about Apple's downbeat forecast for the next quarter. But the company came in ahead of estimates during its first second quarter. Here's how Apple fared in the quarter compared:<>uct:

iPhones: 37.4 million iPhones compared to 35.1 million year-over-year iPads: 19.5 million compared to 11.8 million year-over-year Macs: 3.95 million, compared to 4 million year-over-year iPods: 5.7 million compared to 7.7 million year-over-year iTunes revenue up 28% App Store now in 155 countries and 350,000 apps 91 million visitors … Read more

Apple iTunes makes sweet music in online video market

iTunes tops the charts in online video sales, according to market research firm The NPD Group.

Apple claimed 66 percent of all TV shows sold and 65 percent of all movies sold online last year. In second place, Amazon took home 14 percent of all TV shows sold in cyberspace. Amazon and Xbox Video each grabbed a 10 percent chunk of all feature-length films sold over the Internet in 2012.

iTunes also scored the lead in the video-on-demand market, biting off a 45 percent share of all online movie rentals. Amazon Instant Video accounted for 18 percent, leaving Vudu with … Read more

Apple iOS users hit by online access glitches

Apple iOS users bumped into some trouble with several online services today.

Updates on Apple's status page this morning revealed that users might get an error when signing into their iCloud accounts or creating new accounts.

Users may incorrectly receive an authentication error when attempting to use iCloud. Setting up a new iCloud account from an eligible device may be temporarily unavailable.

Additionally, some people were unable to create new Apple IDs or sign into the Game Center app. Some iTunes users had been unable to access the iTunes store or make purchases, but Apple's status page indicates … Read more

Apple adds 'download later' option for iTunes purchases

iTunes users seeking a full TV season or box set of music can buy now and download later.

The new option is in place for an array of different items, including movies, music box sets, and full seasons of TV shows -- as well as individual shows.

Purchasing one of the above items now asks you if you want to download it immediately or later. Choosing the download later option adds the selected item to your iTunes account where you can stream it or download it in the future. The major benefit is that you can purchase a TV series … Read more

Apple patents method to let you buy iTunes content offline

Want to buy a new song or video from iTunes even though you're offline? A new Apple patent envisions a way, at least sometime down the road.

Granted to Apple today by the U.S. Patent and Trademark office, the patent appropriately named "On-device offline purchases using credits" describes a system of using credits to purchase iTunes content that's stored on your device but which you don't already own. The goal is to allow you to unlock and play iTunes songs, videos, and other items without having to be online.

You would first buy credits … Read more

For labels, Apple's iRadio deal could be sweeter than Pandora

Apple is close to striking a streaming deal with two of the major music labels that could end up far sweeter for the music industry than what the labels currently get from Pandora, according to two people familiar with the negotiations.

Much has been made in recent weeks of Apple trying to squeeze the labels on terms, and the deals do have Apple paying the labels a per-stream rate that's half of what Pandora pays. But CNET has learned that Apple's planned music service would offer new revenue streams as well.

That includes a quick way for consumers … Read more

Chinese animation studio sues Apple over iTunes Store sales

A Chinese animation film studio has sued Apple for allegedly selling its movies in its iTunes store without permission.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, citing a report from the South China Morning Post, Shanghai Animation Film Studio, which is backed by the Chinese government, has sued Apple for more than $500,000. The company argues that Apple sold over 110 of its movies, including "Calabash Brothers" and "Black Cat Detective," in the iTunes store without permission.

Apple has faced its fair share of troubles in China. The company last year was forced to pay $60 million to settle a lawsuit with Proview … Read more

Samsung fans like iTunes more than Apple fans do?

Ever since a New Jersey psychiatrist wrote to tell me he was a fan of my work, I've been feeling rather disturbed.

Usually there's only one thing that can lift my spirits from such a malaise: data.

It's always such an uplift when one can find numbers that make one question the validity of humanity. As well as, of course, the validity of numbers.

Thankfully, Business Insider galloped to my rescue with some data it had gleaned about those who claim to be fans of Apple and Samsung.

It seems that there may be psychological differences between … Read more

Best Buy selling $100 iTunes gift card for $80

Best Buy has kicked off another one of its iTunes gift card promotions.

The retailer is selling the $100 iTunes gift card for $80. As always, you can buy the card directly at one of Best Buy's outlets. Or you can order it online to pick it up at your local store or have it delivered directly to your home.

The sale applies only to the $100 gift card. All other iTunes gift cards from Best Buy remain at their usual price.

How long will the offer last? That seems to be a bit of a mystery.

The offer … Read more