Daily Bits

itunes

iTunes Is Safe. Are You?

by

If you have an iTunes account that you use to purchase apps, songs, etc. for, then you were probably one of those who have been anxious in the past day or so.  Reports that iTunes has been hacked spread like wildfire the other day.  Posts in mainstream sites such as TechCrunch probably served to make people more anxious and alleviate fears at the same time.  I say people probably got more anxious because TechCrunch showed proof that unauthorized (at least by the account owners) purchases had been made, but at the end of the post, there is a statement from Apple saying that they have not been hacked (which is still kind of a good thing).

So what is really happening?  What happened?  If iTunes has not bee hacked, then why have so many people lost money via “illegal” purchases?

John Paczkowski of Digital Daily offers an explanation:

…not much to their assertion that Apple (AAPL) is at fault here. There’s no security hole in iTunes, and if you’ve been unfortunate enough to have hundreds of dollars in unauthorized purchases charged to your iTunes account, it’s likely because you’ve fallen victim to a bot attack or phishing scam–a variation on the one that’s been around for years now. Sources close to Apple tell me iTunes has not been compromised and the company isn’t aware of any sudden increase in fraudulent transactions.

More likely than not, the PayPal accounts of the affected users are the ones that had been compromised.  Bottom line: iTunes is safe.

The question is: how secure are your PayPal accounts?  This is happening now, it has happened before, it will happen again.  Remember all those tips about passwords and phishing.  They just might save you a whole load of money.

Apple Starts Counting Down iTunes’ 1 Billionth Song Download

by

One billion downloaded songs, wow! This is definitely one big event that Apple needs to mark down.  True enough they are marking this, just like what they’ve been doing with the milestones achieved by the Apps Store.

Apple iTunes is holding a contest where you can win a whooping $10,000 iTunes Gift Card.  Of course you can only  use that card to purchase more songs from iTunes.  To qualify for the draw, all you need to do is to purchase a song from iTunes between now and hopefully before the 1 billionth song is downloaded and you will be automatically entered into contest.  The winner will be drawn right after the milestone is achieved.

And take note, the official rules and regulations say that:

“NO PURCHASE OR DOWNLOAD NECESSARY. A PURCHASE OR DOWNLOAD OF ANY KIND WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.”

But then again, to be entered in the final draw, you need to download a song from iTunes. Like as if you don’t have to pay for it, eh?

Anyway, another way by which you can join the contest is by filling up an online entry form. Well, there goes the part that you says you don’t need to download anything. Good enough then.

So, ready to take a crack at this $10,000 gig? Fill up this form or download a song from iTunes. Good luck and hurry up as the iTunes Music download counter is winding up to 1 billion.

Apple Reminisces with iTunes Rewind 2009

by

Screen shot 2009-12-09 at 4.59.52 AM‘Twas a successful year for one of Apple’s bread and butter – the iTunes store. And to reminisce on what has happened this year, here comes an early treat from Apple – iTunes Rewind 2009.

iTunes Rewind 2009 lists down the bestselling iTunes content – be it apps, music, movies, podcasts and other mobile content available at the iTunes store. Music and movies are ranked according to sales and downloads, while apps are categorized into games and apps.

So, if you’ve been an avid iTunes user the whole year, iTunes Rewind 2009 is definitely a list worth checking out for you.

On with the list – best games of 2009 at the iTunes Store include the likes of Spider, Real Racing, Zenonia and Ravensworld, while top selling games of 2009 include SIMS 3, Oregon Trail, Need for Speed Undercover, and Madden NFL 10. The last two games are definitely a must have for every iPhone gamer.

For Best Apps of 2009, Reel Director, Magellan Roadmate and I Am T-Pain are some of who made it into the list, while top selling apps include the likes of Mobile Navigator America, MLB.com and Textfree Unlimited.

Boom Boom Pow by Black Eyed Peas is the top selling single for 2009 at the iTunes Music Store while Michael Jackson of course was the Artist of the Year. Album of the Year goes out to Kings of Leon’s “Only by the Night.”

Top selling movies at the iTunes Store for 2009 include the likes of “Twilight”, “Star Trek” and “Up”.

Check out iTunes Rewind 2009 here.

Top 6 iPhone Apps To Increase Your Productivity

by

People might not always remember to bring along their tablets or laptops, but most will most likely be bringing around their smartphones with them wherever they go. The reason is simple: because it’s more convenient, handy, and light. It used to be that only businessmen were into smartphones, but when Apple’s iPhone arrived at the scene, it attracted and gathered millions of new users who use the device not only as a phone, but also as a gaming, academic, and business device.

Let’s take a look at some iPhone apps from the iTunes App Store that was created with the goal of increasing the productivity of its user. We only have twenty-four hours a day to do all of our stuff, so why not spend a little bit of time working on trying to make each second count?

1. Cozi Family Organizer

Cozi Family Organizer

If you need a hand managing your family, then the Cozi Family Organizer app is there to help you. It’s sort of like an all-in-one app to manage not your time, but also your family’s, while allowing you to create, save, and update to-do and shopping lists. [Read more…] about Top 6 iPhone Apps To Increase Your Productivity