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Apple polishes iTunes 11 with an all-new look and lots of new features

An all-new Apple iTunes? No need to tempt us: We'll bite! The look is pure Apple, but the new iTunes 11 is also lighter, sleeker, and faster than the old app. It also comes with many new features and refinements, such as improved iCloud integration that lets you play your iTunes purchases right away on all your devices or pause play on one device and pick it right up on another. New Library Views clean up media collection clutter. Expanded views display album notes in place so you don't have to click back and forth. The new MiniPlayer … Read more

Apple quietly pulls 'editors' choice' of Twitter's Vine

Following recent controversy over nudity found in Twitter's Vine service, Apple has recanted its promotion of the software in the App Store.

The software itself remains available, though it's unclear whether that will continue to be the case. Popular photo-sharing service 500px was recently removed by Apple from the App Store following issues over nudity, which is not allowed under Apple's App Store Guidelines.

An Apple spokesman declined to comment on the choice.

The change, which was noted earlier by Business Insider, follows controversy over Twitter's Vine app, which facilitates the creation and exploration of short-form … Read more

Shocker: B&N to cut a third of stores over next decade -- WSJ

Barnes & Noble plans to close as many as a third of its stores over the next decade as it continues to grapple with consumers' move to digital books, the Wall Street Journal reported today.

The Journal, citing Mitchell Klipper, chief executive of Barnes & Noble's retail group, said the company will have 450 to 500 stores in 10 years, down from 689 as of Jan. 23. It also currently has a separate chain of 674 college stores.

Barnes & Noble has shrunk its retail presence over the past several years as e-book readers and tablets have become more … Read more

Dish said to shutter 300 U.S. Blockbuster stores

As more Blockbuster video rental stores slip into the red, its parent company Dish Network has decided to shutter 300 stores across the U.S., according to Reuters. The closing of these stores could mean that as many as 3,000 employees would also be laid off.

After Dish bought Blockbuster in 2011, for $320 million, the company said it planned to keep 1,500 of the chain's rental stores open and maintain 15,000 employees. However, with profits dropping, and with video streaming and downloading popping up all over the place, Dish ended up keeping only about 850 locations open. … Read more

Apple and 500px app commingle in naked controversy

The naked body lobby is the most enthusiastic and powerful political movement in America.

It's clear that people in possession of naked bodies can harm society in a multitude of ways, warping the minds of children and adults and inciting acts of unspeakable cruelty.

Since the days of Steve Jobs, Apple has always been keen to ensure that naked bodies are strictly controlled, even though it's still quite hard to stop anyone for searching for them using, say, Safari.

Cupertino's latest step against naked bodies and the people who promote them is, purportedly, the removal of the 500px app, … Read more

Apple eyes retail revival in Indonesia

Apple will invest between $2 million and $3 million in opening a new retail store in Indonesia, according to one publication, after filing an application with the country's investment board.

According to NZWeek, Indonesia's Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) announced it approved the application earlier today, which will see Apple debut in the online space in the country first, with an eye toward opening its first Apple Store in Jakarta, the country's capital city. 

The move will push Apple further into Asia, while still keeping the spinning plates of China's retail stores ticking over, as the … Read more

This iPhone app will make your kid smile before every picture

It's always a bit frustrating when you're trying to get your child to pose for a photo and they won't even look at your iPhone, let alone smile for it. In the past I covered GroupShot, an iOS app that combines multiple photos to ensure everyone is looking at the camera in the final shot. A great app, but it doesn't solve the problem of actually getting your child to smile.

Instead of jumping around, making noises and embarrassing yourself, let the iPhone app Picasound make animal sounds for you.

Using the app is very easy:… Read more

Friday Poll: Should Apple pull the NRA shooting app?

The National Rifle Association's recent release of an App Store game called NRA: Practice Range has stirred up an impressive amount of controversy lately. Supporters and detractors alike are chiming in on the app and an online petition has been started demanding its removal from the App Store.

The reviews in the App Store range from complaints about the bad controls to users praising the gun safety tips.

I checked out the app for myself. As far as first-person shooters go, it's pretty innocuous. There's no blood spurting out from the vaguely humanoid indoor range targets. For … Read more

Hearst gives iPad owners early dibs on magazines

Publisher Hearst has a new initiative that gives iPad owners early access to digital versions of its magazines.

Apple today quietly launched a new section in its App Store called "Read them here first," with a listing of Hearst-owned magazines that can be had digitally before they arrive on newsstands or on competing digital platforms.

Hearst has 20 of its titles involved in the program, including Esquire, Car and Driver, and Popular Mechanics. A company spokeswoman said the lead time varies by publication.

The move gives Apple a leg up against competing digital newsstand products, particularly apps Zinio … Read more