iLounge

Apple this evening released iTunes 7.6.2, the latest version of their digital media management application. According to Apple, the release simply includes “bug fixes to improve stability and performance.” iTunes 7.6.2 is available now through Apple’s Software Update application, or as a free download from apple.com/itunes. [via TUAW]

Apple has announced that television programming from Germany’s top networks, including ProSieben, Sat.1, ZDF Enterprises, and Brainpool, and US broadcasters ABC Studios and MTV Networks is now available from the iTunes Store in Germany. Popular shows available for purchase include “Stromberg,” “Tramitz and Friends,” “Switch!,” “Shaolin Wuzang” and “Kaya Yanar-Made In Germany,” as well as US programs “Lost,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” and “South Park.” “iTunes is the world’s most popular online music and TV store with over four billion songs and 125 million TV episodes sold,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of iTunes. “We’re off to a great start with over 35 TV shows available on the iTunes Store in Germany.” TV shows are priced at €1.99 and €2.49 per episode. 

UK rock band Radiohead has launched a Make Your Own Remix initiative for its latest single, in cooperation with Apple’s iTunes and GarageBand. Fans can visit iTunes in a number of countries (full list here) to purchase the song “Nude” along with five different “stems” of the song, giving them access to the bass, voice, guitar, strings/fx and drum tracks from which they can create their own remixes. In addition, fans who purchase all five stems before April 8 will receive an access code to download a free GarageBand project file for use when remixing; however, users need not use GarageBand to create their remixes, as the stems sold on the iTunes Store are iTunes Plus tracks, and are compatible with a number of software programs. Users may then upload their remix to radioheadremix.com, where the public can listen to and vote for their favorite remix (voting ends May 1). For more information, visit radioheadremix.com. [via SetteB.it]

A series of recently published Apple patent filings suggest that the company has developed a considerable digital fitness program for iTunes and touchscreen digital media devices, offering fitness training exercises, performance metrics, and a single integrated control screen with workout information and audio navigation. Originally discovered by AppleInsider, the filings, titled ”Integrated sensors for tracking performance metrics,” ”Dynamically adaptive scheduling system,” ”Rewards systems,” and ”Systems and methods for facilitating group activities,” describe a software- and hardware-based fitness system that includes sensors for motion and biometrics, a rewards program, and a system for facilitating group activities in which users can challenge others to match their workout performance. Using iTunes as a starting point, Apple’s system would begin with a computer-based user interview, allowing users to enter current health statistics, list any current medical conditions and/or medications they may be taking, set health goals, and so forth. Following the completion of the interview, the user is presented with suggested exercises, which can be synced to an iPhone or iPod, guiding the user through each exercise. Rewards can also be distributed to users based on individual performance data relative to a larger group’s data.

The date of the filings—March 27, 2007—suggests that Apple has been working on iTunes and touchscreen-based iPod exercise interface expansions for well over a year, preceding the iPod touch’s announcement and release by roughly six months. As with all patent filings, however, these do not necessarily represent any future product releases from Apple, but offer evidence of the company’s research in this area.

According to the Financial Times, Apple is currently negotiating with major music labels to offer an optional unlimited music rental service for iPods and iPhones, as well as an alternative subscription-based monthly service for iPhone users. Under the “comes with music” plan, the Times reports, premium versions of the iPod and iPhone would be bundled with “free access to its entire iTunes music library,” likely for the lifetime of the device, and enable consumers to “keep up to 40 or 50 tracks a year, which they would retain even if they changed their device or their subscription lapses.” A separate subscription plan would offer iPhone users monthly access to the iTunes music catalog for a recurring fee.

While Apple has not commented on the topic, and has previously dismissed the value of music subscription plans, “executives familiar with the negotiations” claim that the offering depends on Apple’s willingness to pay more than an initially offered total of $20 or so per device. Nokia has already planned a similar offering for its cell phones with a total payout of nearly $80 per phone.

Early this morning, Apple sent out an e-mail to iTunes Store Season Pass purchasers, offering an apology and download credits to users whose series subscriptions were affected by the recent Writers Guild of America strike. As explained in the e-mail reprinted here, Apple is issuing two video credits good for the purchase of TV shows, music videos, or short films from the Store, and promising to deliver “all additional episodes which are broadcast during the 2007-08 season” as they are received by the Store, as well as a partial credit for any episodes not delivered as originally planned. Full details are found below.

Mirroring efforts by a number of other states, including New York, legislators in California hope to apply sales taxes to iTunes and other digital downloads, according to the Orange County Register. The tax would result in the price of a 99-cent song going up to $1.07 or more for California purchasers, while more expensive downloads would also increase by roughly 8 cents on the dollar. Digital downloads from Apple and other companies would all be subject to the tax requirement. However, the report notes that the legality of California’s proposed “iTax” has come into question, as Assemblyman Charles Calderon of Whittier is attempting to use an unconventional and likely illegal voting strategy to get it passed, circumventing the state’s requirement that two-thirds of the legislature approve of any new tax. Consequently, should Calderon’s bill be voted into law, it will likely face immediate enforcement and other legal challenges.

Apple and Lionsgate have announced plans to offer iTunes Digital Copy versions of films on select upcoming DVD and Blu-ray releases. iTunes Digital Copy, which first debuted via a partnership between Apple and Twentieth Century Fox, provides customers who purchase a DVD or Blu-ray disc with an additional, iTunes-compatible digital copy of the movie. The first Lionsgate DVDs to offer the iTunes Digital Copy will be the special edition DVD and Blu-ray releases of “Rambo” and “The Eye,” which will be released May 27 and later this summer, respectively. Lionsgate and Apple plan to ship numerous additional Lionsgate films on DVD with iTunes Digital Copy later this year. “Digital Copy for iTunes is a perfect example of how packaged media and new digital technology can work hand in hand for the benefit of our consumers,” said Steve Beeks, President and co-Chief Operating Officer of Lionsgate. “Building on our longstanding partnership with Apple, Digital Copy for iTunes is yet another innovation designed to provide the consumer with added value while continuing to expand our range of home entertainment choices.” “We’re excited that Lionsgate is delivering so many of their great films on DVD and Blu-ray with an iTunes Digital Copy,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of iTunes. “Now movie fans can easily transfer a copy of many Lionsgate films onto iTunes and bring it with them on their iPod or iPhone.”

Sir Paul McCartney has reportedly signed a deal worth an estimated £200 million to bring the Beatles’ back catalog to iTunes. Citing industry insiders, the Daily Mail reports that the deal will bring the much-anticipated release to the store by the end of the year. Due to various deals signed in the past, EMI, Sony and Michael Jackson will all receive a portion of the payout as well. McCartney said last November that he was “pretty sure” the Beatles’ music would be available digitally in 2008, adding, “The whole thing is primed, ready to go—there’s just maybe one little sticking point left, and I think it’s being cleared up as we speak, so it shouldn’t be too long. It’s down to fine-tuning.”

Update: Both Apple and Sony/ATV Music Publishing, a company jointly owned by Sony and Michael Jackson, have issued statements downplaying the report. A Sony/ATV spokesperson said the report was “untrue,” while an Apple spokesperson called it “unsubstantiated speculation,” adding that “This is not news nor is it a scoop.”

During the announcement of iTunes Movie Rentals in January, Apple said it hoped to offer 1,000 films by the end of February. According to a new report, it fell far short of that goal. AppleInsider reports that as of Monday, only 384 movies were available for rent through iTunes, less than 40% of Apple’s stated target. Only 91 films were available in HD, and out of those, 40 lacked Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. In addition, 21 titles came from the 1980’s and earlier, pre-dating modern filmmaking techniques which allow movies to see the greatest benefit from HD resolution and surround sound. This limited number of titles puts Apple at a disadvantage compared to competitors like Amazon’s Unbox and Netflix’s streaming service, which currently offer 10,440 and 5,000 titles, respectively.

Following its mid-2007 rollout of Digital Release cards, which first appeared in Starbucks to offer digital downloads of albums from individual artists, Apple has expanded the Digital Release program to include themed, 15- and 30-song iTunes compilations, and started to sell the cards in Best Buy locations. Branded under the iTunes Essentials name, the cards are available for collections such as “Classic Rock Hits,” “R&B Hits,” “Love Song Classics,” “Party Hits,” “70’s Super Hits,” and “80’s Super Hits,” with prices from $10 to $20. The $10 cards include 15 songs each, while $20 cards provide 30 tracks each, bringing the per-track price to only 67 cents per song. Tracks selected by Apple for these cards come from major artists, and the cards feature eye-catching metallic material rather than just plain plastic or cardboard.

Following a report earlier today that iTunes has become the second-largest music retailer in the US, a NPD executive has said that the store will likely knock Wal-Mart from the top spot later this year. “Digital sales were up close to 50 percent and CD sales were down 20 percent last year,” said Russ Crupnik, president of music for the NPD Group. “Even at half that growth rate in digital sales, Apple will in all likelihood catch Wal-Mart this year.” Crupnik went on to say that Apple has done a better of job of retailing than its competitors, especially in its efforts to attract teenagers. Since many teens lack credit cards, iTunes Gift Cards, which can be purchased at retail locations, allow them to purchase music online when their lack of a credit card might prevent them from buying from a competing store. “That’s the question that the music industry has to answer soon,” Crupnick said. “How do we get young people to start paying for music again? They’ve got to make it easier for teens to buy online. Apple CEO Steve Jobs has done a wonderful job of this. Teens have a way to do commerce with iTunes.”

Apple has announced that iTunes is now the second-largest music retailer in the US, trailing only Wal-Mart, according to the latest data from the NPD Group. The NPD Group’s MusicWatch survey captures consumer reported past week unit purchases and counts one CD as representing 12 tracks. Apple also announced that there are now over 50 million iTunes Store customers. “We’d like to thank the over 50 million music lovers who have helped the iTunes Store reach this incredible milestone,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of iTunes. “We continue to add great new features like iTunes Movie Rentals to give our customers even more reason to love iTunes.” iTunes has sold more than four billion songs, and offers the world’s largest music catalog of over six million songs.

Apple today released iTunes 7.6.1, and announced a new $0.99 Movie of the Week promotion in an email sent out to iTunes Movie Rental customers. According to Apple, iTunes 7.6.1 “includes several bug fixes and improves compatibility with Apple TV software version 2.0.” iTunes 7.6.1 is available now through Apple’s Software Update utility. Separate from the release of iTunes 7.6.1, Apple also officially introduced its new $0.99 Movie of the Week promotion, in which a different movie will be available to rent each week, from Thursday through Monday, for $0.99. Like other rentals, users still have 30 days to begin watching the film. This week’s movie is The Hours; last week, iLounge editor Jesse David Hollington noted a $0.99 rental price on the classic film Breakfast at Tiffany’s, suggesting that the promotion has been going on unannounced for at least a week.

Content from BBC Worldwide has now appeared on the UK iTunes Store following earlier reports suggesting its imminent arrival. Shows currently available from the store include “Torchwood,” “Life On Mars,” “Little Britain,” “The Catherine Tate Show,” “Spooks,” “Two Pints of Lager & A Packet of Crisps,” and “The Mighty Boosh.” Apple UK’s Hot News section also mentions “Robin Hood” and “Ashes to Ashes” as store offerings, and specifies that “Ashes,” “Torchwood,” and “Two Pints” will be available for purchase eight days after they are screened on TV. As with other TV shows on the UK iTunes Store, the episodes sell for £1.89 each; it is unclear whether the BBC plans to offer the programs internationally. 

How much of a difference is there between a video purchased or rented using iTunes, and the standard-definition version rentable on your Apple TV? After a week of comparison downloads, cross-checks, and cracking open an Apple TV, the answer is: “none.”

Discussed in detail in our just-published Complete Guide to iTunes Movie Rentals, Part 2, users will see no benefit from using the Apple TV to rent standard-definition movies already available in iTunes, as both files offer the same bit rates, file sizes, and sub-DVD-quality resolutions. In fact, using an Apple TV to rent a standard-definition movie places you at a disadvantage: you can’t transfer an Apple TV-rented movie to your iPod, iPhone, or iTunes library, even though the same movie rented through iTunes can be transferred to any of the other devices.

Notably, however, Apple has started to make interesting changes to standard-definition videos rented and sold through the iTunes Store. New releases, and some previously-released titles, are now anamorphically encoded to take better advantage of the 480 pixels of resolution supported by all of Apple’s portable video devices. As a result, though new videos are still not true DVD-quality, many offer superior vertical resolution to the 272- and 352-pixel movies sold by Apple last year. This change, discovered through comparisons between files downloaded last year and this past week, explains ambiguities that have existed since January 2008 as to whether iTunes Store movie rentals would be true DVD-quality, or still fall short.

Many additional details on Apple’s video formats and devices can be found in our Complete Guide to iTunes Movie Rentals, Part 1 and Complete Guide to iTunes Movie Rentals, Part 2. Enjoy!

New reports suggest that the BBC may soon offer its content through iTunes, and may also be working on a version of its iPlayer for the Apple TV. Citing a TV industry source, The Register is reporting that BBC Worldwide will soon announce plans to offer its programming on the iTunes Store. The source claims that BBC Worldwide digital media director Simon Danker has contacted third party production partners to let them know about the new distribution channel. It is unclear whether the BBC content would be available internationally, or exclusively through the UK store.

A separate posting by Ashley Highfield, Director of BBC Future Media and Technology, suggests that the BBC may be planning to offer a version of its iPlayer IP-based on-demand television service through the Apple TV. Speaking about Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ announcement of new Apple TV software, Highfield writes, “this, coupled with Apple’s (long anticipated) move to a rental model, means that we can look to getting BBC iPlayer onto this platform too, as we should be able to use the rental functionality to allow our programmes to be downloaded, free, but retained for a time window, and then erased, as our rightsholders currently insist.”

Fox, 19 Entertainment, FremantleMedia, and Apple have announced a partnership that will offer “American Idol” fans all of the contestant performances from the show’s seventh season on the iTunes Store. The performance offerings will begin with the top 24 semifinalists this week; customers will be able to purchase music performances for 99 cents per song, and full video of the top 12 finalist performances will be available starting March 11 for $1.99 each. In addition, beginning today, users can pre-order performances of their favorite contestants from the iTunes Store, which will be automatically downloaded the day after the show airs.

“We have some truly outstanding talent this year, and by working with Apple and iTunes, we’re giving viewers another great way to enjoy America’s brightest new stars from ‘Idol,’” said Simon Fuller, creator of “American Idol” and Founder of 19 Entertainment. “I’m sure there will be many memorable performances that viewers will want to relive from this 2008 season.”

“We’ve created a special section on the iTunes Store for ‘Idol’ fans with an incredible array of music and video performances from television’s most popular show,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s vice president of iTunes. “We think ‘American Idol’ viewers are going to love the ability to purchase and download ‘Idol’ performances from iTunes.”

Apple has announced iTunes Live: London Sessions, an 11-day musical event that will run from February 21 through March 2 and will feature more than 25 live performances from artists such as José González, KT Tunstall, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, and Ron Sexsmith. Tickets to the performances are available separately by date, and will be dispersed solely through an online competition, which requires applicants to be iTunes Store account holders. Performances will be held at London’s AIR Studios, and will be recorded and sold exclusively through iTunes. Apple held a similar event, the iTunes Festival London, last July.

According to data from Nielsen Online, iTunes has passed RealPlayer in unique users to become the second most popular streaming media player on the market, trailing only Microsoft’s Windows Media Player. The data shows that iTunes was the only player with a positive growth rate over the last year, growing nearly 27% from Dec. 2006 to Dec. 2007 to an estimated 35.7 million unique users. Windows Media Player grew only slightly over the same time period, to nearly 76 million estimated unique users. Usage of the standalone Quicktime Player fell slightly over the period, while RealPlayer usage fell 17.5%.