Dave and Kelly recap the first day of WWDC including the (public) keynote address and the State of the Union, new hardware, and new software.
iTunes
macOS: New Details on the Music Player in 10.15
Cult of Mac reports:
Some sources previously stated that the [macOS 10.15 Music] app would be made using Marzipan, which lets developers easily port iPad apps to the desktop. But new information reveals that won’t be the case.
In fact,
The Mac’s next-generation Music app will be based on iTunes, not ported over from iOS.
This makes some sense. The legacy macOS iTunes has a lot of Mac-specific code, including iOS device syncing and encrypted backups. But it’s probably also just phase one in the evolution of iTunes/Music on the Mac.
iOS 12.3: How to Use Apple Pay in iTunes and the App Store
In iOS 12.3 Apple gave customers the ability to use Apple Pay in iTunes and the App Store for apps, movies, games, and more. Here’s where to find the setting.
Some Users Seeing App Store, iTunes Store Outages
Some Apple customers have been affected by App Store, Mac App Store, and iTunes Store outages. TestFlight and App Store Connect affected too.
Marzipan-Flavored iTunes, macOS Future Features – TMO Daily Observations 2019-04-11
Bryan Chaffin and John Martellaro join host Kelly Guimont to discuss the possiblity of Marzipan updates to iTunes, and the future of macOS.
Stronger Evidence for iTunes DRM Crack
More movies exclusive to iTunes have been leaked to pirate websites, providing stronger evidence for an iTunes DRM crack.
iTunes DRM Possibly Broken and tvOS Could Have a Vulnerability
A pirate copy of Aquaman circulating among torrent sites could suggest that iTunes DRM has been broken, and tvOS could be to blame.
Physical Music Purchases Surpass iTunes Downloads
Sales of physical music media, like CDs and vinyls, have surpassed the number of people downloading music from iTunes. Which makes sense because everyone else has moved on to streaming music, which accounted for 75% of revenue last year for the recording industry.
Downloads represented just 11 percent of US labels’ revenue last year, a music industry trade group said Thursday. Physical sales — the term for music formats you can actually hold, which are mostly CDs and vinyl at this point — booked 12 percent.
Email Scams Increasingly Involve iTunes Gift Cards
Email scams are increasingly involving iTunes gift cards, instead of the old wire transfers. Lily Hay Newman as the scoop.
This trend is on the rise among scammers, both for individual targets and organizations. The Federal Trade Commission reported in October that 26 percent of people who report being scammed in 2018 said they bought or reloaded a gift card to deliver the money, up from seven percent in 2015. The FTC says that gift card-related losses reported to the agency totaled $20 million in 2015, $27 million in 2016, $40 million in 2017, and $53 million in the first nine months of 2018 alone.
iTunes Having Oscars Movie Sale
Because the Academy Awards is in a couple days, iTunes is having an Oscars movie sale for past and present nominations.
Netflix Stopped New Users Paying via iTunes
Netflix stopped new users globally from paying for their subscription via iTunes, following an experiment in 33 countries last year.
Start 2019 With the Superman 80th Anniversary Collection
Apple is welcoming 2019 with some iTunes movie deals, including the Superman 80th Anniversary Collection.
Gift Card Spending Tips – TMO Daily Observations 2018-12-26
Today, Dave Hamilton and Andrew Orr join host Kelly Guimont to discuss ways to spend Apple store and iTunes store gift cards.
Apple Cloud Services, Password Management, Apple Leadership, with Peter Cohen - ACM 493
Bryan Chaffin is joined by guest-host Peter Cohen to discuss Apple’s cloud services, including the ones they do really well and the ones that suck. They also talk about password management and practices, and look at Apple’s leadership team 8 years after Steve Jobs’s passing.
This Week's iTunes Movie Deals Includes Harry Potter Bundle
This week’s iTunes movie deals include Disney Movies and a Harry Potter bundle featuring all eight films, as well as other movie deals.
Get These Halloween Movie Bundles on iTunes
There are also non-horror bundles on sale as well, like Lord of the Rings, a bunch of Dreamworks movies, Batman, Twilight, etc.
Mojave, Marzipan, and Splitting Up iTunes - TMO Daily Observations 2018-10-01
Dave Hamilton and Andrew Orr join Jeff Gamet to talk about how Apple could use macOS Mojave’s Marzipan to split iTunes apart, plus they look at some apps that make using your iPhone even better.
Apple Isn't Deleting Your iTunes Movies
One guy losing streaming movies from his iTunes purchases doesn’t mean Apple is taking away everyone’s movies.
Apple Releases iTunes 12.8 with AirPlay 2 and Multi-Room Audio
The update includes support for AirPlay 2 and multi-room audio.
You can Make Kerala Flood Relief Donations in iTunes
The devastating floods in Kerala left a million people at least temporarily homeless, and 445 dead with more bodies being discovered. Over 50,000 houses were destroyed, and more than 6,200 miles of roads have been lost. Apple donated US$1 million to the relief fund, and you can help out, too. Apple added Mercy Corps donation buttons to the iTunes Store ranging from US$5 to $200. Like other relief funds Apple has supported, 100% of the money goes to the charity—Apple doesn’t take its usual 30% cut.
Netflix is Testing a Way to Avoid iTunes Billing
App Store guidelines say that developers can’t “directly or indirectly target iOS users to use a purchasing method other than in-app purchase.”
iPad Refresh, Mac Sales, and App Store Affiliate Program - ACM 473
In this episode, Bryan Chaffin and Jeff Gamet take a look at the new iPad icons uncovered in iOS 12. They also discuss the 14% drop in Mac unit sales and wonder why Apple doesn’t use that one weird trick of making new Macs to goose Mac sales. They cap the show with a look at why Apple would cancel the App Store Affiliate Program.
Apple to Cut Apps from iTunes Affiliate Program Because Discovery Will Rock in iOS 12 and macOS Mojave
Concerned about it’s bottom line, Apple found a way to boost Services earnings by no longer thanking publishers for spreading the word about apps in the App Store.
$100 iTunes Card for $85 from Ebay
As deals on iTunes cards have become rarer, this is one of the best offers out there. [Update: Link to the deal added!]