We’re a little short-staffed on Qualcomm chipset engineers at the moment, so forgive us if we can’t immediately confirm this tale, but we’re hearing iPhone hacker Zibri has discovered proof of the Apple / Qualcomm collaboration in his very own build of iTunes. Zibri claims that by tearing apart the latest version, he found the chunk of code above, which contains files that are allegedly the exclusive “building blocks” of Qualcomm radio firmware. That doesn’t tell us anything about a supposed iPhone 5 or iPad 2, unfortunately, as it’s probably just referring to that CDMA chipset in the Verizon iPhone 4… but with the right building blocks, one can craft any number of wonders.
MacPhun is looking to drum up some notoriety along with the Apple contest that will see the 10 billionth download from the app store win the person who happens to download it some serious loot. Apple has already pledged to give the person who downloads that 10 billionth app a $10,000 gift card to iTunes.
That will buy a crap-ton of apps and music for sure. MacPhun has announced that if that 10 billionth app happens to be its own FX Photo Studio app it will give the person who downloaded the app another $5,000 gift card for iTunes.
The chances of the FX Photo Studio app being the 10 billionth are not that great though. The company says that even if the 10 billionth app is not its own app it will still pony up $1,000 if the 10 billionth app is any app from the photography category.
TiVo has released its TiVo Premiere for iPad remote control app, a free download [iTunes link] which turns your iOS slate into not only a remote but an EPG guide and recording management station. The app also packs integration with Facebook and Twitter, for easier commenting on broadcast shows.
Both one-off and season pass recording scheduling is possible, as is managing the to-do list. Users can also review their recorded content and remotely begin playback from the iPad, while keeping the currently-showing program full-screen on their TV.
If you’ve a Netflix or Amazon Video on Demand account, you can also browse those streaming services from the iPad as well. You’ll need a a TiVo Premiere or TiVo Premiere XL box, as well as an iPad obviously, in order to make use of the free app.
Eighth graders of the world: you’re not overachieving enough. Meet Robert Nay, the subject of today’s feel-good story. The 14-year old Utah native designed a simple-and-fun mobile game and managed to rack up a million downloads within two weeks of its December 29th launch. Which thrust his game to the top of the iTunes Free Apps list (and subsequently netted another 400,000 downloads, according to AllThingsD). Bubble Ball’s the game, also available in the Android Market. Give it a shot, and then do more with yourself, k?
If you’re on a Windows-based computer, and you happen to download Apple’s iTunes software, then you know that the company inherently suggests that you should download their Safari Web browser, too. Just to compliment you’re already on-going download. Whether or not you do, that’s your decision. But, many PC owners shy away from Apple’s Web browser of design. If a new rumor is to be believed, then it looks like Apple has found a way around this, and may be combining iTunes and Safari into one application.
The rumor is coming from Three Guys and a Podcast, who have received the information from a trusted, unnamed source. As far as the source suggests, implementing iTunes’ organizational side-bar into Safari wouldn’t be that hard. In turn, the usage of Safari would jump up, if not out-right skyrocket, due to the combination of the pieces of software. According to Three Guys and a Podcast: “Moving iTunes organizational side-bar into Safari isn’t a monumental task” claimed a source, adding “Safari would skyrocket in use as a result of integrating the software titles together.”
Obviously, if Apple were to combine the two, and make it necessary for someone to use Safari to get to their iTunes catalog, then the usage of Safari would climb. That is, unless people didn’t like that plan, and refused to download the newer version of iTunes or Safari, or both. Granted, a huge exodus from iTunes isn’t likely, no matter how Apple implements the software.
The rumor suggests that Apple could be ready to make this transition official as early as Fall.
Got iTunes? Got a Windows Phone 7 device? Then you’ll probably want to check out the new Remote app in the Marketplace. It promises to make the two sing in perfect harmony by making them talk over a WiFi connection. There’s a basic set of iTunes controls at your WP7 phone’s disposal, including volume, starting /stopping music, and searching by album, artist, and song, and a corresponding piece of desktop software you need to install to make the magic happen. It’s compatible with both Windows (XP and above) and Mac OS (10.5.8 and above), so all you really need now are $1.99 for the mobile app and the overwhelming desire to control your playlists remotely.
Around 50,000 stolen iTunes accounts are currently up for sale on Chinese auction site TaoBao, which refuses to pull the listing until it receives “a valid takedown request” from Apple. The accounts are apparently linked to stolen credit cards, and temporary 12hr access is being offered for just 1 yuan ($0.15) at a time. According to China’s Global Times, at least one seller has admitted that the accounts are stolen, saying that “of course these accounts are hacked, otherwise how could they be so cheap?”
“We take all reasonable and necessary measures to protect the rights of consumers who use Taobao, of our sellers and of third-parties,” the auction site has said, however “until we receive a valid takedown request, we cannot take action.” The sales follow Apple’s launch of the Mac App Store yesterday, which uses the same iTunes account as for iPad, iPhone, iPod and Apple TV sales. Apple is yet to comment on the news.
The Wall Street Journal has rounded up its cabal of sources today to present another delicious new battlefield in the struggle between Google and Apple for mobile supremacy. Specifically, it reports that the Mountain View team has approached Time Warner, Condé Nast and Hearst — three of the biggest publishers of periodicals in the US — with a view to offering their content through a Google-operated “digital newsstand” for Android devices. The appeal for media companies will be an easier route to monetizing their content, apparently, including the possibility that Google could take a smaller slice of revenues than the 30 percent charged by Apple and Amazon. There’s also word of developments behind the scenes at Cupertino, where “several changes in iTunes” are expected to improve the publisher’s experience of using the service, including making it easier to offer long-term subscriptions and related discounts. Apple’s had nothing to say on the matter, while Google’s responded by noting it’s always in discussions with publishers and has nothing to announce at this point.
iTunes’ rental business has already grown to 10-percent that of Netflix‘s, according to one analyst, and is likely to shift from being a hook for selling more Apple TV hardware and instead become a source of significant revenue in its own right. Gleacher & Co. analyst Brian Marshall suggested that cash-rich Apple’s most sensible option would be to acquire Netflix, pointing out that “Netflix has approximately 150,000 titles, while Apple has just 15,000. Apple has a tremendous opportunity.”
“Despite iTunes’ TV/movie availability being only half as old as Netflix’s service, it is our belief that iTunes’ rental business is already roughly one-tenth the size of Netflix” Brian Marshall, analyst, Gleacher & Co.
Such a deal, Marshall calculates, could well reach $12bn assuming Apple paid a healthy 20-percent premium over Netflix’s current market price. Still, the company is known to have cash reserves of around $51bn, which would make a Netflix acquisition at least possible, if still the most expensive in Apple’s history.
Netflix’s position is particularly strong, the analyst believes, because it is not only a rival to iTunes rentals but a partner on devices like the Apple TV. If Apple could bring that in-house, it would not only instantly boost its catalog of titles, but gain a significant bargaining chip in the growing streaming media market.
Brian Marshall, an analyst with Gleacher & Company, has come forward and put his two cents in as to how he believes Apple’s iTunes rental services compare to that of Netflix. Or, perhaps how they don’t compare. He published his note on Wednesday, pointing out sheer numbers in his comparison between the two services. Considering how popular Netflix is, and the fact that the company is now eyeing the possibility of an international roll-out of its services, perhaps the results aren’t too shocking.
Marshall says that, according to his research, Netflix serves up about 5 million downloads every day in rental form, while Apple is looking at 475,000 rentals through iTunes every day. Marshall notes that he believes that almost 90% of rentals through iTunes are of the .99 cent variety. While the rentals, which average about $2.99, make up about 75 percent of movie viewing.
Marshall also points out the pair of companies revenue based on the rental services. Netflix reported $553 million in revenue for the third quarter of 2010, while Apple rentals are estimated at $60 million per quarter.
