iTunes Movies Coming to the UK and Canada

Dan Sabbagh of the TimesOnline is citing “studio sources” as saying that Apple will soon announce the availability of feature films through the UK iTunes download service. Four major studios involved in this deal are said to be Disney, Paramount, Twentieth Century Fox, and Time Warner. The report says that films from these four studios will be available for both rent and outright purchase, though an exact launch date has yet to be finalized. Smaller studios, including independents MGM and Lions Gate are expected to soon sign similar deals.

Sabbagh writes that this will be the first time Hollywood films will be available to Britons. Canada is also expected to be covered by the new agreement.

Movie studio executives believe that it is possible to increase revenues through downloading because there is evidence from the United States that extra promotion and the availability of films on multiple platforms boost interest.

The exact date of the availability of this service is not yet finalised; the schedule is up to the studios themselves. As for pricing, it is assumed that similar to the U.S. costs, the studios will make films available for rental at costs compatible with movie rental for video on demand, and for sales, compatible with DVD sales prices. Sabbagh writes “Exact pricing details were not available last night, but studio sources said that they “would not want to undercut DVD prices”. That would imply prices ranging anywhere from £6 to £25.

A Perfect Time for Apple TV

With movies coming to iTunes UK, you can rent the videos through iTunes and download the movie to your computer, sync it to your iPod or iPhone, or you can rent through your Apple TV and watch it on your home TV screen.

If you don’t already have an Apple TV, it might be a perfect time to consider buying one. With the addition of movie rentals, the Apple TV becomes an even greater asset to your
home media center. It’s been possible to buy TV shows and music directly through Apple TV, as well as watch You Tube videos, screen your own photos or those of friends, or show your own video podcasts or family films. But now, with the click of the remote, you can browse movies, select, rent and enjoy films without leaving home. And you can do all this without the need of a PC.

The redesigned Apple TV interface is easy to navigate, allowing you to use your Apple TV remote to browse through the various offerings. Apple TV displays a “movie poster” of every rental; and when you find a movie that interests you, click on it to see a detail screen which provides a plot summary, a list of cast and crew. This click will also bring up a menu of similar movies that other viewers rented so that you can browse them as well.

Further details, such as the exact pricing, the rental period and viewing period of the movie rentals, will be reported here once they become available.

Mac OS X 10.5.3 Is Released

Apple has released Mac OS X 10.5.3, which Jonny Evans of MacWorld UK calls “…a major upgrade, weighing in at a rather bulky 420MB.” Some of the major areas addressed within the patch include Time Capsule, Mail, AirPort, iChat, iCal and more. Apple states: “It includes general operating system improvements that enhance the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac.” The upgrade is recommended for Mac OS X 10.5, 10.5.1, and 10.5.2 Leopard.
A selection of some of the general improvements are:

~Addresses an issue with stuttering video and audio playback in certain USB devices.
~Resolves stability issues with Word of the Day, iTunes Artwork, and Slideshow screen savers.
~Fixes an issue in which certain attached hard drives may not show up in the Finder.
~Addresses an issue with .Mac syncing of Dashboard widgets over multiple Macs that use different screen resolutions.
~Includes additional RAW image support for several cameras.
~Improves the accuracy of the Software Update progress bar indicator.
~Addresses an issue in which Finder may not be available if the computer name is blank in Sharing preferences.
~Improves Safari reliability when connecting to the Internet through a Microsoft ISA proxy.

Evans adds, “AirPort’s 802.1X and Time Capsule reliability are also improved, while iChat gains better screen sharing features.” Complete notes and details of the update can be found at http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1141, and the update is available
through Software Update.

York University Neuroimaging Moves To The Mac

Jonny Evans of MacWorld UK reports, “The University of York has deployed £300,000 worth of Apple equipment in its Neuroimaging Centre. The university’s science department declared Mac OS X to be faster and cheaper than Windows or Linux for scientific imaging.”

Independent researchers were hired by York University to test and assess a large selection of brain-imaging software on all three platforms, as well as testing more general applications for Firewals or email. Also evaluated were security, backup support and upgrade paths.

“Apple won hands down,’ said professor Gary Green, director of the Centre. ‘It was the fastest and easily the cheapest option in storage, back-up and computing. We’re looking to support a wider group of users including a Europe-wide database - we also want to introduce support for external users and to create links to external grids. Apple has been a good choice for us and won’t compromise our future development.”

Just for Fun: A Peek Inside Carrie Bradshaw’s MacBook Pro

The UK trumped the US by getting the much-anticipated Sex And The City movie two days earlier — it will be in theatres in the UK by May 28 and in the US by May 30 — and by having a London premiere in Leicester Square for the film rather than one in NYC, where the movie was shot.

The other buzz is about Carrie’s Mac. She has been a Mac user since the TV series began. But MacBlogz reports that the movie shows her with a new MacBook Pro.

“I’m rather surprised that she’s using a Macbook Pro and not a Macbook Air. It seems as though the Air would do everything she wants, like fit in her little fashion purse. I guess she heavily relies on the optical disc drive. Either way, we’re stoked she uses a Mac.”

In a brilliant piece of product placement and product promotion, there is now a campaign to explore the inner world of Carrie Bradshaw’s (for those who don’t know — she is the lead character of Sex And The City) MacBook Pro. Recreated in Flash, the curious can
Take a peek at her folders, applications, her Stickies, iCal and iChat…..Here is the link:
http://www.sexandthecitymovie.com/macbook/

iPhone 2.0 Offers Geo-Tagging Support

Jonny Evans of MacWorld UK writes about Apple’s move to implement location-based services on its iPhone. Evans writes, “The latest available version of the iPhone Software — 2.0 beta software — offers a batch of new features, including a 3G on/off switch and geo-tagging support .The latter support combines the iPhone’s built-in location-finding features as per Google Maps with the camera in such a way that when a user takes a picture they will be asked if they want to tag the image with their geographical location.”

The implementation of a new on/off feature for the future iPhone’s 3G support is perhaps to help preserve battery life. It is, of course, widely anticipated that the next-gen iPhone, expected to be released shortly after its introduction at the June 9 Worldwide Developers’ Conference in San Francisco, will support 3G. Reports are appearing everywhere from the U.S. to Australia that the phones are expected to ship immediately after CEO Steve Jobs gives his presentation at the WWDC.

Buy the Apple iPhone here:
Apple UK
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