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Apple has rolled out iTunes 11.0.3.
So what’s new? According to Apple, the update brings “New library views.” It says, “iTunes now features simplified views of exactly what you want. Looking for an album? Click Music and that’s all you’ll see. Do the same for movies, TV shows, apps — and everything else. It’s browsing made more intuitive.”
Another is an “Expanded view.” Apple says, “Select one of your albums and now it will expand in place. That means you can see all the songs on the album, click Play, and keep right on browsing without having to click back to your library. You’ll also see In the Store recommendations for similar albums you’ll want to check out.”
The third is the “new MiniPlayer.” According to the Cupertino firm, “We squeezed more features into an even smaller MiniPlayer. Now you can click the Up Next button to see which songs are playing next. And if what you see isn’t what you’re in the mood for, you can search your collection and choose a different song — without having to open your library.”
There are also “bonus features.” Apple says, “Good recommendations are easy to come by, thanks to In the Store picks. Just select an album, artist, or genre you like, and iTunes will suggest similar music you might never have found on your own. Already know what you want to hear? The new Up Next feature in iTunes lets you select a song and easily queue it to play next. Or last.”
Aside from the new features, Apple boasts “a whole new look for the store.”
Speaking about its “all-new design,” Apple says, “The iTunes Store has been redesigned for your Mac, PC, iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, so it looks and works the same wherever you shop. Easy-to-browse shelves serve up popular music, movies, TV shows, and more. And all the features you know and love are even easier to get to. It’s the best kind of shopping — simple.”
You will now get to enjoy a “preview history.” Apple says, “Now when you preview a song or movie, it’s always easy to find again. Just click the Preview History button for a quick rundown of all the music, movies, and TV shows you’ve sampled. iCloud keeps your preview history up to date across all your devices. So if you preview a song on your iPhone when you’re out and about, it’ll be right there waiting for you when you want to hear it again — or buy it — on your computer at home.”
Apple says, “iCloud does even more.” It is now “easier to play.” According to Apple, “With iCloud, you can access your content on all your devices. And now, when you buy an album, song, movie, or TV show on any device, it’s instantly accessible in your iTunes library on your Mac or PC. Just double‑click to play. Or if you’re going offline — say, taking your notebook on a plane — click the new Download button and bring a copy with you.”
iCloud also “picks up where you left off.” Apple says, “Start a movie, TV show, podcast, iTunes U lesson, or audiobook on one device. Pause anytime, and you can pick it up later on another device. iCloud remembers right where you left off. It’s just smart that way.”
Are you now enjoying iTunes 11.0.3 on your iPhone or iPad? Let us know through a comment on our Facebook page.
It was previously reported that BBM would soon support Android and iOS. However, according to a Blackberry exec, it will not support the iPad, the iPad Mini, and Android tablets such as the Google Nexus 7. BBM will only support the iPhone and Android smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy S4.
Speaking to Trusted Reviews, Head of the BlackBerry Software Portfolio, Vivek Bhardwaj, said, “At this point it is iOS and Android, and that’s iOS phones running iOS 6 and higher.”
Bhardwaj added, “Smartphone is our real focus and again it comes back to what BBM is. If you look BBM and the engagement and the activity, it’s because it is mobile, because people are on the go.”
Talking about why the Blackberry Messenger will not support tablets, Bhardwaj said, “When you start looking at tablets, computers and other screens, the usage model changes and behaviour changes. For us right now the absolute focus is getting BBM onto smartphones.”
Although tablets will not be supported for now, Bhardwaj hinted that Smart TVs and desktops could support BBM. He said, “I think when you look at things like Smart TVs and desktops, those are definitely areas for exploration.”
Bummed BBM will not support tablets? Share what you feel through a comment on our Facebook page.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 is the first smartphone to win TCO’s environmental award.
TCO announced on its website, “Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S4 smartphone is the first to achieve internationally recognized requirements for environmental design and socially responsible manufacturing. As the largest manufacturer of smartphones worldwide, Samsung is the first major brand to achieve the TCO Certified Smartphones product certification.
“The new certification was launched by TCO Development, an independent organization with over twenty years experience of sustainability certifications for IT products. Criteria in TCO Certified Smartphones are developed from a life cycle perspective, including requirements for socially responsible manufacturing, health/safety and the reduction of hazardous materials. Product compliance is verified by an independent, accredited third party.”
TCO Development CEO, Sören Enholm, said, “We’re really pleased to see a smartphone available on the market that meets the requirements in TCO Certified Smartphones.”
TCO Development Director of Product Certifications, Niclas Rydell, said, “Samsung’s choosing TCO Certified Smartphones is one example of a leading worldwide brand paying close attention to what consumers want.”
Enholm adds, “While it’s great to see a leading brand like Samsung choose TCO Certified, it‘s vital that other responsible brands also certify their smartphones and do their part to advance mobile products towards a more sustainable future.”
Happy your Samsung Galaxy S4 is TCO-certified? Let us know through a comment on our Facebook page.
A man has won a $10,000 (£6,550) App Store Gift Card for downloading the 50 billionth app from the Apple App Store.
Apple announced in a press release, “Apple today announced that customers have downloaded over 50 billion apps from the revolutionary App Store. Customers are downloading more than 800 apps per second at a rate of over two billion apps per month on the App Store. The 50 billionth app was Say the Same Thing by Space Inch, LLC, which was downloaded by Brandon Ashmore from Mentor, Ohio who received a $10,000 App Store Gift Card to commemorate this historic milestone.”
Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services, said, “Apple would like to thank our incredible customers and developers for topping 50 billion apps downloaded. The App Store completely transformed how people use their mobile devices and created a thriving app ecosystem that has paid out over nine billion dollars to developers. We’re absolutely floored to cross this milestone in less than five years.”
Talking about the amount of apps in the App Store, Apple said, “The revolutionary App Store offers more than 850,000 apps to iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users in 155 countries around the world, with more than 350,000 native iPad apps available. App Store customers can choose from an incredible range of apps in 23 categories, including newspapers and magazines offered in Newsstand, games, business, news, sports, health & fitness and travel.”
How many apps have you downloaded for your iPhone or iPad? Let us know through a comment on our Facebook page.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 was investigated on BBC’s Watchdog, after users complained only half of the 16GB storage was available to use. Samsung says it is looking into the issue.
Speaking to CNET UK, a spokesperson of the Korean tech giant said, “We appreciate this issue being raised and we will improve our communications. Also, we are reviewing the possibility to secure more memory space through further software optimisation.
“Samsung is committed to listening to our customers and responding to their needs as part of our innovation process.”
Earlier, Samsung said that the lack of space was needed to make way for the smartphone’s “more powerful features.”
Unlike the HTC One and the Apple iPhone 5, the Samsung Galaxy S4 sports a microSD slot that allows users to make use of up to 64GB of expandable memory. However, the phone only allows owners to store things like photos, music, and videos. Apps would still need to be installed in the handset’s on board memory. So if you’re planning to install the top games that consume around 1GB, it’s easy to fill up the internal memory.
32 and 64GB versions are available, but are yet to be offered in the UK. Furthermore, these versions are more expensive that the 16GB version, which will set you back £550.
Are you having problems with the on board memory of the Samsung Galaxy S4? Let us know through a comment on our Facebook page.
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