Earlier on in the week, a source gave GigaOM information stating that Apple has purchased the domain name iCloud.com for $4.5 million. It was assumed that Apple is planning to roll out their new cloud-based music service under that particular name. The original owner of the name have renamed the site CloudMe and redirected visitors who try to navigate to the site using the iCloud domain name.

My source, who is familiar with the company, says that Xcerion has sold the domain to Apple for about $4.5 million. Xcerion hasn’t responded to my queries as yet. At the time of writing, the Whois database showed Xcerion as the owner of iCloud.

It seems as the Cupertino purchase is definitely legit as All Things Digital has been able to confirm that Apple has purchased the name from the group, though ATD wasn’t able to get the exact purchase price of the name.

Apple has indeed acquired the domain name iCloud.com from Sweden-based hybrid cloud computing outfit Xcerion. Sources in position to know confirm that Apple bought the domain as GigaOm first reported Thursday, though they declined to say whether its rumored $4.5 million price tag was accurate.

It’s already been reported that Apple and their cloud-based iTunes is “ready to go” at this very moment, however, some have pondered about the dealings that Apple was having with the music labels and the status on those deliberations. Now, CNET is reporting that Apple has recently made deal with the Warner Music Group, one of the four major music labels, to support the new cloud-based initiative.

Apple has an agreement with Warner Music Group to offer the record label’s tracks on iTunes’ upcoming cloud-music service, music industry sources said.

In the race to the cloud, Apple is apparently stepping on the gas. All Things Digital reported Thursday that Apple has signed two of the top four record companies. ATD reported that Apple content chief Eddy Cue was due to fly to New York on Friday to try and finalize agreements with the two labels that were still unsigned.

It is unclear whether Warner was one of those two that had previously licensed Apple or whether the label inked a new agreement on Friday.

WMG is the third largest music label with the other three being Sony, EMI, and Universal. These four groups set the tone in the music industry. This agreement seems to be a key one as Warner is the same group that has been giving Spotify and Google hassle into coming in agreement with their musical ventures.

There hasn’t been a set date for the launch of the new music service, but Apple seems to be racing to wrap things up to unveil the new initiative. WWDC is said to be the perfect ground for Apple to introduce this new service.

Cloud computing is definitely the way of the future, and more than being apart of the movement, everyone wants to do it right and make it unique on how their service uses the cloud. Amazon has launched their quietly talked about cloud storage service the “Amazon Cloud Drive”.

With the new service, Amazon is offering five gigabytes [5GB] of storage space for the users to have free of charge. Additional space on the service is one dollar per gig. A user can buy up to a whole terabyte [1TB], or 1000GB [$1000], of storage space and use at their discretion. In addition to that, any user who purchases music form the Amazon music store can store the content on their cloud service for no charge to wallet or storage space on the service.

The Amazon Cloud Player is the software mechanism by which content can be played from the cloud service. The player is web-based, making it compatible for Safari, Firefox, Chrome ,and IE, in turn making it compatible with Mac or PC. They also have an application where Android users can play their content form the cloud on the mobile Android device. The software is not available to iOS, BlackBerry, or WP7 nor does it work on the Safari browser on iOS, leaving iOS devices completely incompatible with the feature.

Cupertino is said to be in the works to create a cloud-computing experience that some have identified as a complete facelift to the MobileMe web service, which some describing it as a “digital locker”. Apple is said to reach a deal with the Warner Brothers movie house and is very close to striking an agreement with music labels for April launch of the revamped service. There hasn’t been a specific charge that has been solid among the rumor mill. Many have said that the service will be free-of-charge with some pay features, such as additional storage.

In record breaking time, the World Wide Developer’s Conference has sold out in just around 10 hours. Last year, the event sold out in eight days with swift sales. However, selling out in a single day has taken many devs by surprise. This marks the fourth consecutive time the event has had a full house.

Although one of the iPad 2′s killer features is it’s built-cameras and the ability to run a fully featured version of iMovie (version 1.2) with it’s faster processor, little do people know that iMovie for the iPhone has also been updated.  Here’s what the official App Store notes state (excluding iPad only features) :

• Multitrack audio editing with 8 themed soundtracks and over 50 bundled sound effects
• Audio recording directly into the timeline
• Three new themes – Neon, Simple, and CNN iReport
• AirPlay support for sharing to Apple TV (compatible only with second-generation AppleTV; requires iOS 4.3 or later)
• Project transfer to your computer and compatible iOS devices through iTunes
• Ability to add titles on photos
• Option to add fade-in from black and fade-out to black
• Numerous enhancements, including trimming in Video Browser, in-use markers, video rotation, and more

iMovie for iOS is available in the iTunes App Store for $4.99 USD for use on both the iPad and the iPhone.  To get this update version 1.2, either download it via iTunes on your Mac or on your iOS device.

The iPhone and iPod versions include the ability for the user to access music from your iPod or Music application and use it in the app, auto mixing, beat matching, syncing, warping, fading, and recoding capabilities. The iPhone and iPod version is on sale right now in the App Store for $9.99, the iPad version of the application is tagged at $19.99.

“What’s New in Version 1.2

- Universal app designed for iPad 2, iPhone 4, and iPod touch (4th generation).

- Multi-Touch Precision Editor (iPad only).

- Multitrack audio editing with 8 themed soundtracks and over 50 bundled sound effects.

- Audio recording directly into the timeline.

- Audio waveforms (iPad only).

- Three new themes – Neon, Simple, and CNN iReport.

- HD sharing directly to YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, and CNN iReport.

- AirPlay support for sharing to Apple TV (compatible only with second-generation Apple TV; requires iOS 4.3 or later).

- Project transfer to your computer and compatible iOS devices through iTunes.

- Ability to add titles on photos.

- Option to add fade-in from black and fade-out to black.

- Numerous enhancements, including trimming in Video Browser, in-use markers, video rotation, and more.”

GarageBand is compatible with both the first and second generation iPad

“GarageBand turns your iPad into a collection of Touch Instruments and a full-featured recording studio – so you can make music anywhere you go. Use Multi-Touch gestures to play pianos, organs, guitars, drums, and basses on your iPad. They sound and play like their counterparts, but let you do things you could never do on a real instrument. Enjoy a full range of Smart Instruments that make you sound like a pro – even if you’ve never played a note before. Plug an electric guitar into your iPad and play through classic amps and stompbox effects. Use the built-in microphone or a guitar to record, or capture any performance. Then mix up to eight tracks to create a song you can share.”

Apple is going begin sale of the iPad in the US on Friday, March 11 through it online store beginning at 1am. In-store availability will be at 5pm local time.

Pioneer today announced that it will be placing on the market a new receiver (one of eight) that can utilize Apple’s new AirPlay feature as an output option from iOS devices. The VSX-1021 can be configured to join a home network and play content from an iPhone, iPod, iPad, or Mac.

“Once the VSX-1021 is connected to a home network through Ethernet or Wi-Fi using Pioneer’s optional AS-WL300 wireless LAN adapter (sold separately), AirPlay lets consumers stream their favorite songs to the receiver from iTunes on Mac and PC, or their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. AirPlay requires iTunes 10.1 or later and iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 4.2.

To use Airplay, users can simply choose a song or playlist on their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch and then tap the AirPlay icon. The VSX-1021 will appear as an available device, and once selected, the receiver automatically turns on or switches to the Airplay source to start music playback.”

Several new application have also been developed by Pioneer to control the function of their new product. The functions of the applications are reminiscent of Apple’s Remote application for iTunes and Apple TV. Of course, there is no copyright infringement here as the company added their own pizazz on the app.

Pioneer’s Air Jam application allows for users to create play list from multiple iOS devices and send them in one playlist to be played through Bluetooth. All users will be able to see the playlist with the ability of accessing the iTunes Store or YouTube to acquire more information.

iControlAV2 for the iPad and iPhone/iPod is the remake of their initial app, iControlAV, adds functionality and full remote control support. iControlAV2 makes newer components, such as the VSX-1021.

“Pioneer’s iControlAV2 App enables VSX-1021 owners to put away the included remote control and utilize an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch as their main home theater controller, enabling direct control of the receivers volume, bass, balance and room settings.

The app is further enhanced when used on an iPad, with most major functions combined into a single, intuitive screen. Additional features include detailed graphic representations of before and after MCACC room calibration, and sound adjustments that enable users to create their own equalizer settings with a simple “touch and draw” on the screen. The iControlAV2 App also includes Blu-ray player control when connected to a compatible Pioneer Blu-ray player.”

The applications are available for free on the App Store. Video after the jump.

Apple this week unleashed iTunes 10.2.1 to the public via Software Update. The release of iTunes 10.2 was just last week to support iOS 4.3. iTunes 10.2.1 can be downloaded right from the iTunes download page on Apple’s website as well at apple.com/iTunes.

Not exactly clear on what changes have been made since the release of 10.2 last week as the description for the software remains the same. Presumably, it is probably some minor bugs fixes and stability tweaks made in the app.

iOS 4.3 was ready to go ahead of time, reportedly. However, The Loop chimed in and stated that the release date was still going to be before the March 13 date in which the iPad 2 launches, only that it was going to be at a later time. Apple already stated that the the software was going to be released alongside the iPad 2. However, apparently, there has been some evidence which has presented itself that has led some mediums to believe that the software will be released before that time

This week. Bloomberg chimes in that Apple is currently in discussion with a number of music labels into allowing the company to grant users the ability to download purchased music an unlimited amount of times on devices that are registered to a corresponding iTunes account. If Apple and the labels come to an agreement, Apple would be able to allow customers to use the remodeling of MobileMe as a “digital locker” where the user can stream his content to “x” number of devices that are registered to do so

Apple Inc. (AAPL) is in talks with record companies to give iTunes customers easier access to music they’ve purchased across multiple devices, said three people with knowledge of the plans.

Apple is negotiating with music companies including Vivendi SA (VIV)’s Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group Corp. (WMG) and EMI Group Ltd., said the people, who asked for anonymity because the talks are private. An agreement may be announced by midyear, two of the people said.

Users could also use the digital locker as a means to stream music on demand, which also would preserve their device’s local storage space. Also, to would allow users to use MobileMe as a means of backing up music files off-shore should something catastrophic happen to their data on their Apple device or computer

Aside from that, Bloomberg’s report seems to coincide with the Wall Street Journal’s claims that Apple is working on a cloud-based media storage that could potentially be apart of the MobileMe revamp and that could also make the service free of charge to use.

The new download policy is among several service changes Apple is exploring. The company has also weighed plans to overhaul its MobileMe service for storing pictures, videos and other content online this year, one of the people said.

Under one plan for MobileMe, the service that now costs at least $99 a year would become free. Users could store photos, contacts, e-mail and other content on Apple’s servers, one person said. The content would be accessible through any wireless connection.

Apple’s secret workings of some type of cloud-based storage has been swarming the wire for over a year now. Most of the discussing amplified when Apple purchased music streaming service Lala Media (website now down). Cnet has been keeping up with the discussion between Apple and the labels, stating that the music labels aren’t exactly the easiest people to work with, as they have proven that they can be very rigid. However, it seems like things are drawing toward an ultimate decision and we should hear something soon from Cupertino.

With the introduction of the new iPad and its very close release date, Apple has appropriately released iTunes 10.2 to allow users to manage content on the new device and software. It also helps apple devices with the iOS 4.3 software to be managed through iTunes as well. Home Sharing has been improved to allow users to browse through content from a machines iTunes with the iPad, iPod, iPhone, despite the fact the software doesn’t make its debut to a iTunes near you until March 11.

What’s new in iTunes 10.2

- Sync with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 4.3.

- Improved Home Sharing. Browse and play from your iTunes libraries with Home Sharing on any iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 4.3.

For information on the security content of this update, please visit: support.apple.com/kb/HT1222

iTunes 10.2 can be download through Apple.com or launch Software Update (if it hasn’t already notified you of the update) and download the software.

• Go to the Apple menu in the Menu Bar

• Select “Software Update”

• Allow for Software Update to search for new software and install.

With the introduction of the new iPad set to hit shelves March 11, Apple introduced some new software that will also be making a launch on iPad 2 day to complement the purchase of the new tablet computer. Cupertino has managed to bring GarageBand and iMovie to the iPad.

If you are familiar with iMovie on your Mac and iPhone, Apple has created an experience on the iPad that is quite possibly the most innovative and intuitive representation of the video editing software yet. Like iMovie on the iPhone, the app on the iPad allows users to edit videos shot right from the iPad 2’s rear and front-facing cameras. The application even comes equipped with still image support, new themes, and the Precision Editor. User’s can create more in-depth videos right on their iPads and the implementation of the Precision Editor, video management is simple and very intuitive. Audio waveforms, sound effects, voiceovers, and sharing video over the Web, device to device, or through AirPlay has also been included.

GarageBand for library has to be one of the most in-depth music application that we have seen on a iOS device yet. The app offers a variety of functionality that include simple touches to more complex and elaborate gestures that sound and visually react like the actual instrument would. Users can also mix tracks together to create studio quality music bundled with a variety of amps and effects to make individual sounds stand out. User’s can even use the application to turn their iPad into an actual amp and record material from real live instruments. Sharing material directly from the application is also including by allowing users to share content via email or iTunes. GarageBand for iPad is compatible with it Mac OS X counterpart, so transporting projects from machine to machine is hassle-free.

iMovie and GarageBand will be making their appearance on the App Store with the launch of the new iPad for a $4.99 price tag.

The iPad has been presented this week and alongside its introduction, iOS 4.3 made its appearance and will be shipped with the new iPad. Apple also announced that the iOS 4.3 software update will be available on the same day the new iPad will be on Apple Store tables and shelves: March 11. As you may know, iOS 4.3 will present a number of new features such as iTunes Home Sharing and possibly the most anticipated feature, the Personal Hotspot.

“With more than 160 million iOS devices worldwide, including over 100 million iPhones, the growth of the iOS platform has been unprecedented,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “iOS 4.3 adds even more features to the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, across three blockbuster devices–iPad, iPhone and iPod touch–providing an ecosystem that offers customers an incredibly rich experience and developers unlimited opportunities.”

Details in the features include…

Safari with Webkit2

WebKit2 gets implemented in the mobile version of the Safari web browser on iOS giving it substantial upgrades in speed and response through your web surfing experience. Pioneered by Apple on the desktop machine, the Nitro JavaScript is now embedded inside of the Safari on iOS giving it more than double the performance of it predecessor utilizing just-in-time compilation.

iTunes Home Sharing

Allows iOS 4.3 using to stream content from iTunes on their Mac or PC to their iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch over a Wi-Fi network.

Enhancements to AriPlay

With AirPlay in iOS 4.3, user can stream additional content, such as video, not only from their own personal content, but also from third party application and web sites to your TV. Videos from the Photos applications are also included with that function.

Personal Hotspot

Personal Hotspot allows you to share the iPhone’s cellular data connection with up to five devices as if it were a Wi-Fi base station, also known as a router. This includes a combination of three Wi-Fi devices, three Bluetooth® devices, and one USB device.

iOS 4.3 will be coming to an iTunes near you to download at no charge. iOS 4.3 is compatible with the iPhone 3GS, GSM iPhone 4, 3^rd generation iPod touch, 4^th generation iPod touch, the iPad, and iPad 2. The CDMA iPhone 4 is excluded from the update list.

Apple recently updated its media hub iTunes to version 10.2 for compatibility with its soon-to-be-released update to its iOS.  With this update, iOS 4.3 users will be able to sync their computers with their iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches.  The iOS 4.3 update is due Friday, March 11th.

The update brings enhancements to iTunes’s “Home Sharing” feature – making the updated iOS devices able to browse and play home shared libraries straight from the OS.  Note that this happens over a required WiFi network which both devices have to be connected to.

Head over to http://www.apple.com/itunes/ or the Apple menu > Software Update… to download this free update to either your Mac or PC.

Seems like Apple’s cloud is motioning to be used for stateless storage rather than a streaming subscription service. According to the Financial Times, the folks in Cupertino have “clarifed” its intent for the use of storing music files in the Cloud. Reportedly, Apple is planning to use the Cloud as a means to back up user’s music collections and sync music to Apple devices rather than a music streaming service.

Apple, which rocked digital music services such as Pandora, Rdio and MOG last week by announcing plans to keep 30 per cent of all revenues from subscriptions taken out through its App Store, has clarified its plans for using remote storage, known as the cloud, according to several music industry executives.

More than a year after buying Lala, a cloud-based digital music service, Apple is now looking to use the cloud mainly to allow users of its iTunes store to back up their collections and access them from any Apple device.

One person with knowledge of Apple’s plans said the company did not want to undermine the market that it dominates for paid downloads, likening its plans for the cloud to “insurance”.

The article doesn’t exactly go into depth on what “access” means. Experts on the matter state that Apple is planning to allow users to store music files and other media and content to the Cloud and stream to Internet-connected Apple devices on-demand. This, in turn, eliminates the need for tethering devices to add new content and preserves local storage space. Additionally, it also serves as a back up means as users don’t have to use the re-download or re-sync method to gain content back on a new or restored device.

One of the biggest topics of tech discussion on the Internet lately is Apple’s revamping of MobileMe. A slew of new features is said to be coming into the remodel that will completely extend the way the service is used. One of the many features that is being talked about is Apple allowing remote access to a user’s iTunes content. The Wall Street Journal has been profiling the news for some time now with continuing updates on the matter.

“The new service would give users access to their iTunes libraries from, say an iPhone or iPad, instead of requiring that the devices be synced by cable with a computer and use space to store the actual files, the people said. The new service likely would be compatible with the iPhone 4, one of the people said.”

WSJ states that users will now be able to access content on their iTunes without having to tether their devices to the computer. Files from the users database will be delivered wirelessly to the user’s device. At the “All Things D8” conference, Steve Jobs sat down with Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher and explained that Apple is looking towards moving towards the Cloud. In typical Apple fashion, SJ didn’t give an exact date or time period in which Apple will be introducing Cloud computing in their mobile platform. As far as music goes, Cupertino has seriously been looking into applying the Cloud to that content, however, its been said that some sticky licensing issues to the content has been the hold up for the feature making it to market. SJ said its coming eventually

You may find it hard to believe, but not all people who use a Mac use an iPhone as their choice of mobile phone. With that being said, Microsoft and RIM have released software that will allow users of their devices to sync content that is on their Mac.

Research in Motion released their Blackberry Desktop Software 2.0 for Mac OS X. The new version of the software brings several new updates for Blackberry users on the Mac OS platform. Probably the most notable and largest update would be the addition of wireless syncing, a feature that many iPhone, iPad, and iPod users have been waiting for in iTunes. Along with that, the new update also incorporates a “Device Switch Wizard” which eases the transition of content from an old Blackberry device to a new one, slightly similar to the seamless way iTunes preserve and transfer   content between new and old iOS devices. RIM also made it easier for content to be synced to iPhoto.

Microsoft also had some updates of their own. Redmond recently updated their Windows Phone 7 Connector syncing software for Mac users. The update addresses a number of issues within the software while adding some new features such as providing support for syncing purchased music on the device to their users Mac. Features also include new expansion of options for manual media management and perks to the new device setup wizard.

Apple has started enabling a 90 second preview limit for content in the iTunes Store this week. As of right now a significant amount of the content on iTunes has already been extended but there are still plenty of 30 second previews left. It won’t be long though and those will be modified to give everyone a more complete glimpse/listen before they buy.

You might recall that we recently let our readers know that Apple put all the music labels on notice of the extended previews and gave them the opportunity to pull their content if they chose to disagree with the new policy.

It will be interesting to monitor any impact that this change has both on sales as well as the amount of content. We suspect both will continue to grow and that other than some nice consumer PR, this change could have a minimal impact in the end.

When the iPad was introduced earlier in the year, many people expected on the music aspect that a fully fledge DJ application was bound to emerge. Surprisingly, there has been very few applications that have been birthed and the ones that do exist are limited. That might very possibly change with the release of iOS 4.2. Algoriddim, the group who develops the popular djay application for the Mac, has intention in taking full advantage of the new audio capabilities of the new software update. The group has ported their application for the Mac to iOS and is twaeking it to perfection for the iPad. Some of the features that will be included in the new djay app will be.

- Full access to iPod library

- Multi-tasking: you can run djay in Automix mode and listen to a continuous, seamless mix running in the background while you surf the web, play games, etc.

- AirPlay: you can wirelessly stream your mix to your Apple TV or AirPort Express station in real-time.

- Fully leverages accelerated CPU extensions (SSE-like) for high-quality audio processing and analysis

- Very low latency (< 3 msec)

- Background audio playback (multi-tasking support)

- Pre-Cueing (via mono/stereo adapter)

Users can expect BPM syncing, Speed/Pitch change, EQ/Gain settings and Automatic Transitions just as they are found in the Mac OS version of the software. The company is gearing up to release the software right after Apple releases the new update to the iOS platform. Speculated target date for the iOS 4.2 release is November 24. The Algoriddim has made a teaser of things to come. Check out the video.

Looks like second generation iPhone owners are going to take another hit. It seems as though in the latest build, Cupertino has decided to completely axe AirPlay from the iPhone 3G. The feature was functional in the previous builds on the device, but it didn’t make the final cut the Golden Master version.

“After speaking to multiple developers and users testing out the iOS 4.2 betas, we have determined that AirPlay did in fact work on the iPhone 3G at one point, meaning the AirPlay functionality was definitely removed from Apple’s two-year-old iPhone at its GM stage.”

Source: 9 to 5 Mac

What’s probably more interesting is that on Apple’s product page for the function, it lists that AirPlay will be available on all iOS 4 devices.

The situation mimics the same predicament that the iPhone 3G had with Game Center. In the early builds of iOS 4.1 Game Center was accessible from second generation device. However, in the last stretch to launch day, Apple cut the feature from the from the final product for iPhone 3G. The feature also got disabled on the second generation iPod touch, but was later restored on that device, leaving the iPhone 3G as the only iOS 4 device that didn’t have the feature.

Cupertino gave a new face to its homepage informing the world that the company has something exciting to tell all iTunes users tomorrow.

No solid information has been developed as their are sources probably looking through every aspect of the iTunes software as we speak. One thing that we here at MacApper as well as other Apple news reporting mediums have come to a common conclusion that Apple could very well be talking about their initiative to put iTunes into the cloud. Doing so would allow users of the software to stream content of their library to their iPad, iPhone, and iPod as well as other Internet connected machines. Some functionality of this exist within Apples iDisk where users can store and stream content from the online storage. iOS even recognizes the function and makes it controllable through the iPod controls.

Another theory that is being raised is that Apple could introduce a subscription service to the iTunes Store. Doing this would allow users to pay a recurring fee and have access to unlimited content. However, Cupertino wouldnt be axing the pay-per-download function which users can utilize if they want to purchase the rights to content and store it on other devices.

The completion of the data center in the Carolinas greatly supports both of these notions.

Update: Beatles Now On iTunes

As Apple has just revealed a couple of minutes ago, and the New York Times revealed last night, Apple has finally persuaded EMI to allow the Beatles to be featured on iTunes. The content of the legendary band is available now on the iTunes Store. MacApper, along with some other sources, made the assumption that Apple may be putting iTunes in the cloud or applying a subscription service to the software. However, sources did some careful reevaluation and came with the new conclusion that Apple launching a cloud based service or subscription service for iTunes did not seem likely to happen. Ruling those possibilities out help the emergence of the assumption that the Beatles would be coming to iTunes. The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal later confirmed that Apple did reach an agreement with the record label.

Apple had released iTunes 10.1 today, bringing support for iOS 4.2 and AirPlay compatibility.

“What’s new in iTunes 10.1

- Use AirPlay to instantly and wirelessly stream videos from iTunes to the all-new Apple TV.

- Sync with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 4.2.

- Provides a number of important stability and performance improvements.”

iTunes 10.1 is made available through Software Update on your Mac running Mac OS X Leopard or higher and on 32 and 64bit Windows machines via Software Update.

There still has yet to be a sign of iOS 4.2 to hit the servers. Many have stated that Apple would not release the software today because of a Wi-Fi connectivity issue with the iPad. Cupertino has also been speculated to be tweaking the software for other minor enhancements. iOS users may not see the software until at least next week the earliest and November 24 the latest.

Symphonic Distribution as gotten some information that Apple has informed music labels that they will be extending content previews to 90 seconds, a 300% increase from the original preview time. Technically, this increase will only be applied to the United States iTunes Store specifically for content that is at least two minutes and thirty seconds long. Anything that is under those standards will continue to be previewed for only thirty seconds.

We are pleased to let you know that we are preparing to increase the length of music previews from 30 seconds to 90 seconds on the iTunes Store in the United States. We believe that giving potential customers more time to listen to your music will lead to more purchases.

It seems as though the labels are okay with the new terms being that Apple precisely notes in the email that any record label who does not agree with the new conditions and terms must withdraw all of their content from the iTunes Store. iTunes has been one of the elite distributor of content in the world consecutively for some time now, selling more material than the “Big Three” music and movie retailers which consist of Target, Best Buy and Wal-Mart.

This week Apple rolled out iLife 11, the new upgrade to the user-friendly multimedia software suite. iLife 11 incorporates some new features that make the software more powerful than its predecessor set.

iPhoto brings home the new influence of full-screen apps on the Mac OS X front, incorporating the elements from iOS. The full-screen view goes more in-depth than the previous experience adding new functionalities and features. Along with that, Apple also expanded on some features, more precisely, iPhotos social network integration. Facebook integration now includes updates and comments made on the photos posted on the users account. The app also includes an more elegant, simplistic, integrated method for emailing photos to recipients. You can now set up an email message with the photos cropped according into a variety of templets. Custom letterpress options are also now available in iPhoto. Letterpress is the process of printing from a hard, raised image under pressure, using a thick and consistent ink. Being that the theme of the event was creating a cycle between the iPhone/iPod, iPad and Mac, the new iPhoto also introduces a new iBooks-like shelf to hold all of your album creations.

iMovie receive the same treatment getting a bunch if new nifty features that make the software just easy and fun to use. To accompany the precision video editing of iMovie ’09, iMovie ’11 bring audio editing. From sound effects to music, you can manipulate the audio clip with a variety of sound effects in the iMovie toolbox. To make it easier to alter sound, iMovie presents content as color coded wavelengths so its easy to distinguish how much effect is being added. It also allows you to fade sound with a fade edge thats similar to the one in GarageBand. One-Step Effects enables users to apply many visual effects, such as slow motion and freeze frame, to their creations within one single function. Apple has made it simple as picking where you want the effect to take place, dragging where you want to the content to stop and then clicking the corresponding One-Step Effect button. The results are…honestly…very professional (much like you would expect from Apple). Taking a move from the iPhoto playbook, iMovie now incorporates a People Finder. People Finder allows you to find content of a certain person that you would like to use and add them in to your project instead of manually combing through material. Not only can you use it for people, but Apple has extended it to certain aspects of a project such as spotlighting all the close ups, wide angle, medium shots and group content, making it quick and easy for you drop content into place, which is ideal for the new Movie Trailer feature. Movie Trailers allows users to create professional looking, ready-made movie trailers, as the name of the feature implies. The feature entails custom made soundtracks composed by a famous British orchestra. It also includes recognizable trailer logos that users can implement into their creations. Social integration for Facebook, CNN iReport and Vimeo has been added to the already present YouTube and MobileMe selections.

GarageBand has received updates to it’s renditioning as well. To improve rhythm and feel to your compositions, Apple has added two new features: Flex Time and Groove Matching. These fix the timing and the groove of the music a user creates and makes them precisely even, resulting in a great end product. Cupertino also added additional amps and stomp box effects for your creation tool kit. With now an arsenal of 12, you can mix these sounds with the various stomp boxes to create numerous ways to create music. Apple didn’t forget about the beginners either. They add a “How Did I Play?” feature along with new lessons for starting piano and guitar players, 22 genre based lessons bringing the total lessons to 40. How Did I Play tests your skills in the lessons you have studied and helps hone your skill by listening, recording and monitoring your performance with a performance meter, colored notes and a progress bar, perfecting  your skills.

The new iLife is definitely a step above from the one of yesteryear. Apple has went the mile and added tons of features that really put high-grade professionalism in anyone’s project. iLife is available now for $49.99, and if you have just bought a Mac, you can grab it up for seven bucks. Definitely a well polished software suite. One of the many reasons why people are attracted to the Mac.

Pass the salt, please. The Los Angeles Times has gotten word that Mark Zuckerberg, founder, chairman and CEO of Facebook, recently made a visit to the home of the founder, chairman and CEO of Apple Inc, Steve Jobs, in Palo Alto, California. The two had a conversation about Apple’s new music social network Ping and how the two companies can work together on developing it over dinner and while on a stroll.

They are two of Silicon Valley’s most famous founders: Jobs created the world’s must-have gadgets, Zuckerberg the world’s most popular social networking service. These days they are often mentioned in the same breath. Now apparently the two also recently broke bread.

Apparently Jobs invited Zuckerberg for dinner at his house to talk about Ping two weeks ago. That’s when a tipster spotted them on a stroll in Palo Alto.

At the debut of Ping in the iTunes 10 release, Facebook Connect was incorporated into the service for a very short period of time before Facebook disable the feature. As a result, Apple decked to pull the feature from the final cut of Ping altogether. Apparently, Facebook and Apple have been in discussion to bring Facebook integration to the Ping network for a year and a half. At some point in the deliberations, the two companies hit a stalemate. SJ said that the stall was due to some “onerous terms” and discussions are still commencing. Facebook Connect allows users to find people on the world’s most used social network that are involved in another service or community, such as Ping.

Even though an official agreement has been made yet, signs are pointing to a hearty handshake for both companies. One member of Facebook HQ said that they are “very confident” that Facebook and Apple will come to an agreement and Facebook Connect will make an appearance on Ping again.

This week, Apple released a new build to the Mac OS 10.6.5 development. Build 10H555 was release to a section of the their development community for testing, following the same two week release of the previous build.

Like the last build, there has been no mention of known issues with the software from Apple. Also, the build asks users to concentrate their testing on printing, QuickTime, Time Machine, graphics and USB devices. With Apple again not posting any known issues with the software, OS 10.6.5 seems to be on its way from earning the golden-master label and hit Apple servers for a public release.

Cupertino will more than likely get that out as soon as possible as they are ready to introduce the world to their next big cat: Mac OS 10.7, with the highly speculated codename Lion. The Back to the Mac event is scheduled for next week Wednesday at 10PM Pacific Standard Time. A public launch date for the software is expected to be announced at the event.

Apple Releases Logic Pro and Logic Express 9.1.2

With the release of the new Mac OS X software this week, Apple also released a coupled update to their lineup of multimedia creation software. Logic and Logic Express new update brings compatibility to Apple new line up of Mac Pros as well as several enhancements to the software including:

Issues addressed with 9.1.2 include:

- Improved compatibility with 6 and 12-core Mac Pro systems
- Support for iOS control surface apps that utilize the OSC protocol
- REX files now supported in 64-bit mode
- Improved compatibility with select Audio Unit plug-ins

Full details of the new additions and fixes of the software can be found on apple.com. The update requires Mac OS 10.5.8 or later.

Most Americans may not be aware of a free music subscription service that is gaining a lot of attention in Europe. Spotify, originated in Sweden, is that service. Stream music anywhere, anytime, all the time, for free. You can share music with your friends, create custom playlists, listen to new albums, stream to your mobile device from the cloud instantly, all for free. Makes sense that with the few people in the US who know of Spotifys existence cant wait for the service to hit the American part of the Internet. Apple, however, wouldnt exactly like it too much if Spotify came to the American sandbox to play, being that they totally dominate the digital content distribution industry through iTunes. In fact, Cupertino is in the process of explaining to labels why it would be rather difficult to sell something that people could get elsewhere for free legally.

In meetings in Los Angeles recently, Apple executives told their music industry counterparts that they had serious doubts about whether Spotify’s business model could ever generate significant revenues or profits, according to two sources with knowledge of the discussions.

But Apple executives worried about the effects of a free music service might have on the rest of the market. They noted that it’s tough to sell something that someone else is giving away, the sources said. One industry insider said it is only logical that if Spotify were allowed to launch a free-music service here, at a time when Nielsen recently reported that the growth of digital sales has flattened out, it could eat into the businesses of proven revenue-producers like Apple and Amazon.

The Scandinavians have already pushed back their US launch twice having failed to come to an agreement with record companies. Currently, they are pushing for a date at the end of the year to officially venture on the American landscape. Spotify is currently solely available in Europe and mostly used in the United Kingdom, France and Spain, three of the most major sections in the European market. They recently released an iOS application to use their services on iOS devices. However, the service isn’t here in the States, so the app would be frivolous.

Since the debut of the new AppleTV, many people have been stripping the software down to its roots to discover what Apple’s next moves are with their hobbyist project. Since then, it has been discovered that the baseline for the AppleTV software “LowTide” is the same one from the iOS software. Almost instantaneously, people began to assume that Apple is planning to put the App Store in the living room. However, with the footage released this week, the folks in Cupertino might be bringing the AppleTV software to the iPad and iPhone, at least, thats what folks are saying. TUAW reports that Apple has made compatibility with the iOS devices an Easter egg.

Because of this setting, Lowtide would probably be run as silent service, presenting its interface only when its features were requested. The iPad’s camera connection kit software works very much in this way, opening only when a DCIM camera is attached. The iPad would likely respond to streaming Airplay requests by opening Lowtide, if a future version of its OS included the application.

This basically means that one day you might be able to watch a film or some other footage in your library from your AppleTV, slide over to your office space and continue watching it on your Mac in iTunes, sit in the lounge at Starbucks and finish watching it on your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. Footage has made it’s way to YouTube showcasing “LowTide” running on an iPod touch. Earlier in the month, it was exposed that the new AppleTV software uses the same foundation as the iOS platform. With this coming to light, the AppleTV LowTide software can technically be ran on a iPod, iPad, or iPhone with the right tinkering. It’s been speculated that Apple plans to incorporate many of the features of the new AppleTV, such as streaming video via AirPlay, to the iOS device lineup. TUAW pointed to a YouTube video that demonstrates the software being ran on an iPod touch.

]]> http://macapper.com/2010/10/04/airplay-streaming-to-the-ipad/feed/ 5 http://macapper.com/2010/09/26/apple-tv-apps-apple-updates-iwork-for-ipad/ http://macapper.com/2010/09/26/apple-tv-apps-apple-updates-iwork-for-ipad/#comments Sun, 26 Sep 2010 18:21:47 +0000 Gizmoe http://macapper.com/?p=13203

There has, and still is, much debate on when Apple is planning to incorporate an Apple TV App Store on their new update hobbyist product. Information has already been publicized showcasing that the new Apple TV software has the same baseline as iOS, inviting the possibility for applications to make their way to an HDTV and living room near you. The iGod himself Steve Jobs even chimed in that Apple definitely can see apps being used from the living room couch and they will launch it “when the time is right.”

Read more on Apple TV Apps? Apple Updates iWork for iPad…

There has, and still is, much debate on when Apple is planning to incorporate an Apple TV App Store on their new update hobbyist product. Information has already been publicized showcasing that the new Apple TV software has the same baseline as iOS, inviting the possibility for applications to make their way to an HDTV and living room near you. The iGod himself Steve Jobs even chimed in that Apple definitely can see apps being used from the living room couch and they will launch it “when the time is right.”

Through the week, more information has presented itself that throws gas on the Apple TV App Store flame. Stumbling on some info on LinkedIn, a job profile of an intern depicts their position this summer at Apple as an AppleTV Apps Engineer. While this can range from a number of things such as R&D for an actual App Store on the AppleTV software to making some refinements and additions in the current built-in applications for the device’s new system software, it does spark some question on what Apple might be up to given previous finding and Steve Jobs two cents on the matter.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see the App Store on AppleTV as Google has announced that they will be enabling the Android Marketplace on Google TV for users to purchase applications. However, their approach to bringing apps to the living room seem more like a copy-&-paste from their mobile platform. Apple will more than likely take a dedicated approach and create applications specific for the AppleTV.

Apple Updates iWork for iPad

Apple has added some new bells and whistles and made some tweaks to their iPad version of the iWork suite. Cupertino has added fixes and the ability to…

Keynote

- Export presentations to Microsoft PowerPoint (.PPT) format.

- Copy presentations between Keynote and your MobileMe iDisk or a WebDAV service.

- Support for audio in builds when importing Keynote ’09 presentations.

- Ability to group and ungroup objects.

- Add animated builds to grouped objects.

- Lens Flare, Spin and Wipe build animations.

- Revolving Door, Swoosh and Wipe slide transition animations.

Numbers

- Export spreadsheets to Microsoft Excel (.XLS) format.

- Copy spreadsheets between Numbers and your MobileMe iDisk or a WebDAV service.

- Ability to group and ungroup objects.

- Open CSV files from Mail and other apps.

Pages

- Copy documents between Pages and your MobileMe iDisk or a WebDAV service.

- Option to display the word count for your document.

- Support for opening .txt files from Mail.

- Ability to group and ungroup objects.

- Import and export existing footnotes, endnotes, sections and tables of contents.

- Import and export Pages ’09 tables with image background fills in cells.

]]>

If you haven’t already notice browsing iTunes on your iPhone, iPod, iPad or Mac, Apple has updated that Terms of Service Agreement which indicated that new changes will be made to the iTunes and App Store software. Sure enough, shortly after the hints were provided, Cupertino released the iTunes 10.0.1 which includes the new addition of the Ping Sidebar and some bug fixes.

iTunes 10.0.1 makes it easier to share your favorite music with your friends on Ping. You can now Like or Post about music right from your iTunes library. You can also easily see the recent activity of a selected artist in your library, or of all artists and friends you follow on Ping using the new Ping Sidebar.

This release also provides a number of important bug fixes, including:

- Addresses an issue where the picture quality of a video changes depending on whether the on-screen controls are visible.

- Resolves an issue where iTunes may unexpectedly quit while interacting with album artwork viewed in a separate window.

- Fixes a problem that affects the performance of some third-party visualizers.

- Addresses an issue where the iTunes library and playlists appear empty.

- Resolves an issue that created an incompatibility with some third-party shared libraries.

In addition, the new update increases the integration of Apple’s social network even further, allowing users to utilize quick-peek functions to the content of the people they follow on Ping. Drop-down menus also make an appearance on content to allow users to quickly search for additional material from the artist and adds efficiency to liking and commenting on posts.

If you haven’t turned on your Mac today, you might want press the power button and let Software Update do it’s thing.

Well, Wednesday came here slowly, but surely. Im sure everyone is ready and waiting to see what will really be revealed at the keynote. As an extra bonus, Apple has made it known that they will be streaming the event live to people on Mac OS and iOS as soon as the event starts, which is at 10PM Pacific Coast time (thats 11PM for those of you in the mountains, noon for the folks of the midwest and 1PM for those in the east coast). We dont what to say about you folks on a Windows machine as you are not mentioned in the bulletin…so…yeah, thats where it ends for you. Hopefully, thought, you have an iDevice and you can watch it by those means. Check out the shot of the posting that we got from Apple. Or, you can check out the bulletin for yourself at the apple.com press page.

Update

arn over at MacRumors has shed a little light on those of you who really, really want to watch the live broadcast of Apple’s event and don’t have the specified requirement to do so. You can download the VLC player if you are on a Windows machine (or Mac that can’t meet the reqs) and use the HTTP Live Streaming through those means. We can’t guarantee, however, that you will truly receive a live experienced. Anyway, check out the info if you need the visual gratification of the event going on live.