iTunes

iTunes 11 just got a minor update, but the new software is worth installing thanks to a key feature that's now back. Apple has restored the missing Show Duplicate Items option under the View menu. The feature was previously labeled Display Duplicates and was located under the File menu in iTunes 10.

As you can imagine, the option shows all of the songs that are duplicated by artist and song name in your Music library. Besides just the duplicate search, Apple has also improved iTunes with AirPlay, iTunes Match and other stability improvements and bug fixes. Those who need to search a large library should also see faster response times.

Apple has removed the cover flow feature from iTunes 11. Cover flow made it possible to view album covers in a three-dimensional, animated user interface.

Cover Flow was first introduced in 2006 with the launch of iTunes 7. Apple has cited research in its decision, stating that there are not enough iTunes users who consider Cover Flow a useful feature. The company has no plans to bring Cover Flow back to iTunes in a future release.

Facebook is now getting a slice of the Apple iTunes gift card business. A new addition to Facebook Gifts is the ability to purchase digital gift cards good for purchasing music, movies, apps and more on the iTunes store. Buying one of these iTunes gifts simply involves logging into Facebook, charging the gift to your credit card and sending it to a Facebook friend.

How much easier could it be to shop for the holidays? Facebook now has over one billion users every month, and the site is looking for new ways to increase profits. Apple's iTunes gift card business clocks around $2 billion per year. Could Facebook Gifts and iTunes be a match made in heaven?

After a delay last month, Apple is likely to release iTunes 11 before the end of November. This is according to a report in MacRumors that confirms the software launch will take place within the next few days. Apparently labels have been asked by Apple to submit photos and galleries of their artists.

iTunes 11 will feature a redesigned music store layout, which is where Apple could feature the new artist images. Feiyr, a German music distribution service, sent an email to their artists requesting new art for the upcoming iTunes update. Their message stated that iTunes was coming within days and pointed artists to the Promotion section of their website to submit images.

Internet radio will have a new competitor early next year if Apple successfully negotiates a deal with record labels. Talks are in progress according to Bloomberg and could be concluded by the middle of November. Apple is seeking to take on Pandora, the current online radio leader.

Apple's radio service would differ somewhat from Pandora's model, with a customized app making it possible to purchase songs as streaming files and re-listen to music in automatically generated playlists on iOS devices. Access to both services will be free, with iAds providing revenue for Apple's service.

Development for iTunes 11 is well underway at Apple, and details of an internally seeded version of the upcoming software have been revealed by 9to5 Mac. Apple plans to further integrate iCloud controls into the interface of iTunes 11.

Other changes focus on the inner workings of the software, not necessarily cosmetic changes. One of the highlights includes modifications for iOS 6 compatibility. Sources at 9to5 Mac claim that Apple is likely to release another 10.x version to add iOS 6 compatibility for new devices (such as the next iPhone) before releasing iTunes 11.

Apple has launched the latest version of its mobile operating system, iOS 5.1. So what can iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users expect from the update? Although it may not be a huge step, there are many additions and improvements to the firmware, some of which Apple did not officially announce before the release.

As usual, those iPhone owners running a jailbroken device should avoid the stock iOS 5.1 update until further notice. One of the previously heralded changes in iOS 5.1 is the addition of Japanese support for the Siri personal assistant. So what else has Apple included in iOS 5.1?

iTunes gift cards can be redeemed and used to purchase any content Apple offers including music, videos, App Store software, and books from the iBookstore. To use credit from your iTunes gift card simply follow the directions below:

1. On your computer open iTunes and navigate to STORE -> iTunes Store on the left menu.
2. The right side of the iTunes Store lists QUICK LINKS. Click Redeem.
3. Scratch off the box on the back of your iTunes gift card to reveal the code.
4. Enter the code into the Redeem Code box and click the Redeem button.

Once again, Apple is offering one lucky winner a $10,000 iTunes gift card for simply downloading an iOS app. Of course timing will determine who wins, with the 25 billionth app marking the winner and another milestone in the 3.5 year history of the App Store.

Apple ran a similar contest when the App Store hit 10 billion downloads in January of last year. As of this writing there are less than 700 million apps remaining to be downloaded according to the Apple contest page.

Transferring files to and from an iOS device to the computer is simple with the right tools. iTunes has limitations on what files can be accessed and transferred, but these limitations can now be overcome with DiskAid 5 software for Mac OS X and Windows. The free version of DiskAid provides access to the iOS file system, photos and makes it possible to use the iPhone as external USB storage.

No jailbreak is required to use this functionality on your device, although for root access to the iOS file system you will need to be jailbroken. The full version of DiskAid can be purchased for $24.90, which includes a license for three computers. Registering the paid version will open up additional features including the ability to transfer music, videos, messages, contacts and other data.