itunes

Apple to include HDMI on new Macs?

According to a report on AppleInsider, Apple may be planning to include HDMI connectivity on new Macs, most notably the Mac Mini. The report suggests the addition of HDMI to the Mac Mini, and eventually other Mac models, relates to Apple's continued interest in the "living room media server" area.… Read more

Hollywood's losing digital downloads battle

Digital downloads, despite seeing healthy growth through 2008, leveled off in 2009, coming in at $291 million instead of the $360 million projected by Screen Digest. While Hollywood searches for scapegoats, it need look no further than itself and the burdensome controls it puts on digital.

As Arash Amel, research director with Screen Digest, puts it:

Digital downloading is characterized by its restrictions--it's all about what viewers can't do, rather than what they can do.

When will Hollywood learn?

The movie studios are overlooking their real value, just as the record labels did before them. Hollywood is desperate … Read more

iPod battery life: A simple test

If your iPod battery is not performing up to snuff, you can perform a simple test before heading to your local Apple Store for a replacement. The results could save you plenty of time, better spent listening to all your killer tunes.… Read more

iTunes contest winner's surprise--a call from Jobs

It's not every day you get a personal call from Steve Jobs, so it stands to reason that when you pick up the phone and Jobs is on the other end, you'd think you're being pranked.

That's exactly what Louie Sulcer, winner of iTunes' 10 Billionth Song Contest, thought when Jobs dialed him up to tell him the good news, according to a report from Rolling Stone.

Apparently, when Sulcer heard Jobs say, "This is Steve Jobs from Apple," he replied, "Yeah right! Come on now, who is this?" But when he saw the caller ID, which was simply "Apple," Sulcer he realized he was actually the winner of a $10,000 iTunes gift card. He later told Rolling Stone he had a son who loves playing tricks and thought he was the one making the Jobs call.… Read more

Johnny Cash song iTunes' 10 billionth download

Yes, things really do happen that way. Only this time, somebody is going to like it very much.

Louie Sulcer of Woodstock, Ga., just won Apple's iTunes Countdown to 10 Billion Songs contest with the purchase of Johnny Cash's "Guess Things Happen That Way." This also means the song is the 10 billionth song downloaded from Apple's Store using iTunes.

With his purchase, Salcer got the best deal ever for an online music purchase, a gift certificate for music worth $10,000.

Apple announced the contest and started the countdown earlier this month as the … Read more

Poll: Are 99-cent TV shows a good idea?

Confession time: In the nearly five years since iTunes began selling TV shows, I've purchased exactly zero. Why? Because I think Apple's $1.99-per-episode price tag is too high.

Apple seems to think so, too, which is why the company is reportedly looking to drop show prices to 99 cents. Unfortunately, the networks aren't too keen on the idea, as indicated in last Sunday's New York Times story: "Networks Wary of Apple's Push to Cut Show Prices."

I'm not sure why Hollywood's number-crunchers fail to grasp basic economics, but I think … Read more

Time for Apple to get serious about video

Netflix is cruising. The cable guys are catching on. Wal-Mart just rumbled in.

The Web's video-on-demand sector is filling up fast with some serious heavyweights. If Apple wants to make a mark in digital video that even vaguely resembles the one it made in music, perhaps the company should start treating Apple TV as more than just a "hobby." That's Apple's attitude toward the streaming-media device, said Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook, who spoke at a conference in San Francisco on Tuesday.

This doesn't seem to be a good time to toy with online … Read more

Apple Byte: MacBook Pro line getting a refresh?

CNET TV's Brian Tong discusses evidence that Apple is about to update its line of MacBook Pros. Also discussed in this edition: the Mobile World Congress gives Steve Jobs the Person of the Year in Mobile; Microsoft introduces the Windows 7 Series Phone; and a how-to tip for syncing your iTunes Library with multiple computers.

Be sure to check us out on Twitter and the CNET Mac forums. Do you have questions, issues, or stories you would like to see on MacFixIt? E-mail Us.

iTunes App Store opens in 13 more countries

Last week, Apple announced that iPhone OS developers can distribute their apps to customers in 13 more countries than were previously allowed via the iTunes App Store. This is a boon for developers, increasing the App Store's reach from 77 countries up to 90.

The new countries are:

Armenia Botswana Bulgaria Jordan Kenya Macedonia Madagascar Mali Mauritius Niger Senegal Tunisia Uganda

Developers must manually log in to iTunes Connect to view and update the countries where their apps are available for sale.