iTunes

Several sources, including the Finacial Times and Bloomberg, have reported that Apple Inc. (AAPL) is in talks to purchase Beats Electronics LLC for $3.2 billion. If true, this would be the most money Apple has ever paid to acquire another company. But why is Apple considering paying so much for Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine’s music accessory company? While Apple hasn't officially announced its decision to buy Beats Electronics there are a few theories floating around as to why the iPhone-maker is making such a big move.

iTunes

Apple changed the music industry with the release of the iPod and iTunes, but services like Pandora and Spotify are causing an industry-wide drop in music downloads. According to various sources, Apple is reportedly looking to bolster its music-offerings by incorporating Shazam's song ID feature in iOS 8. The company's iTunes Radio has also also gotten off to a slow start, but adding Beats Music could help change all that.

Apple helped put digital music on the map with the iPod in 2001, but according to Nielsen SoundScan, iTunes music downloads have fallen for the first time since the device's release. This is most likely due to the rise in popularity of free music streaming services such as Pandora and Spotify. Apple released its own streaming service in 2013 to compete with its competitors, but iTunes Radio hasn't seem to put a dent in the now crowded music streaming market.

According to Bloomberg, Apple is now working with Shazam Entertainment Ltd. to create a "song-discovery feature" which will allow iOS users to identify a song and its artist while using their iPhone or iPad. Shazam is known for its popular free music recognition iOS app that also identifies music and TV.

As any Black Sabbath fan knows, some of the band's earliest releases have stood the test of time. Finally, the first eight Black Sabbath albums spanning from 1970-1978 are available on the iTunes store. The albums have been mastered for iTunes, with Apple getting an exclusive distribution agreement for a limited time.

The albums, which run $9.99 include the self-titled Black Sabbath, Paranoid, Master of Reality, Black Sabbath Vol. 4, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Sabotage, Technical Ecstasy, and Never Say Die! as well as related compilations. For those who already own the albums on LP or cassette, here's your chance to pay for them again on the latest recording medium.

Sending an app gift to friends and family who use iOS has never been easier. When it comes to the holiday season, sending someone an app is convenient and doesn't waste a lick of wrapping paper. Apps can be gifted using the App Store on an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, or directly from iTunes on a computer.

To gift an app from the App Store, find the app you wish to deliver as a gift using the browse or search functions. Once on the app details screen, tap the share box in the upper right corner. When the menu pops up at the bottom of the screen, touch the Gift button.