From AppleInsider:

Apple briefly sat atop the list of US music retailers in January before surrendering that position back to Wal-Mart the following month, a new report reveals.

Citing a congratulatory email containing NPD market research data that was circulated amongst some Apple employees, ArsTechnica reports that the iTunes operator garnered a 19 percent share of all US-based retail music sales one week in January, good enough to temporarily push it past industry leader Wal-Mart, which captured a 15 percent share for the same period.

The sudden surge to the top was likely fueled by iTunes holiday gift card redemptions, because a few weeks later Apple would relinquish that lead back to Wal-Mart.

Still, landing firmly in the No. 2 position was a crowning achievement for the Cupertino-based company, as was duly noted in a February press release. That’s because prior to gift card run-up it had only managed to muster up enough sales to rank No. 3 behind both Wal-Mart and Best Buy.

What’s of particular interest from Ars’s report, however, is that it includes an NPD chart of the top 10 music retailers from that one week in January with their associated share of the market. NPD declined to release those specific share percentages back in February when Apple definitively claimed the No. 2 spot.

Not only does the chart reveal Amazon to be a distant fourth in the rankings behind Apple, Wal-mart, and Best Buy with its 6 percent share, it more importantly shows the approximate level of separation between the top three players.

written by Jose Castillo

From AppleInsider:

Preparing the Apple TV’s viewers for the weekend, Apple on Friday night patched its media hub to version 2.0.1.

The fix, available through the Apple TV’s own update utility, is not documented by the company and appears primarily to be a maintenance update.

However, a preliminary discovery reveals a Genres category under My Movies, letting owners browse by type.

The download represents the first minor upgrade to the Apple TV’s firmware since February’s Take 2 overhaul introduced a completely redesigned interface as well as support for iTunes movie rentals and streaming podcasts.

YaY for Apple TV owners, now you have another great update. Don’t miss it by running Software Update off your Apple TV ASAP.

written by Jose Castillo

 Break out the champagne, that Apple spec bump you’ve been waiting for is finally here: the 2GB iPod shuffle is shipping as of today. It’ll set you back a cool $69, but if you’ve decided to hold of on this round of lackluster MacBook updates, we’re guessing you’ve got the cash. Go ahead, you’ve earned it.

Read

written by Jose Castillo

Recognize this sound? “Blip da da blip da da blip da da blip da da bliiiiiiiip.” If you answered yes to any of the preceding questions, you may own an iPhone. The little bugger wreaks havoc on your average unsuspecting, unshielded desktop speaker — and most iPod docks, as it turns out — emitting audible blasts of interference from up to three or four feet away. Luckily, the DLO Portable Speakers for iPhone don’t have that problem, since they’re shielded from TDMA interference. You can power ‘em off of AAA batteries or an AC adapter, and since they plug into the iPhone’s headphone jack, you can use plenty of other audio sources. The speakers detach from the rotating base, and you can even use the setup as a speakerphone if you’d like. They’re out now for $50.

[Via iLounge]

written by Jose Castillo

Walt Disney Records has been quietly re-releasing long unavailable material from its vast archives on iTunes over the past year or so, and happily, a number of new selections have hit the iTunes store today. The titles are:

• Westward Ho the Wagons
• Italiannette
• Annette Sings Anka
• Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House

And quite significantly, the original soundtrack from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

According to Walt Disney Records producer Randy Thornton–

“This is HOPEFULLY the beginning of a new line (only time will tell). Also, when you purchase this title, you can download a Digital Booklet with behind-the-scenes photos, and illustrations. I’ve written a brief “Producer’s Note” outlining the background of the project, and there is (the highlight for me) liner notes from my new friend, composer John Debney . . . It’s taken me over 10 years to get this released, and it was definitely worth the wait! Thanks very much for all your patience, enthusiasm and support for this great, classic stuff.”

Thornton continues to be one of the true unsung heroes of Disney-related historical preservation. He has been tireless in his efforts to find and restore these vintage recordings and insure their availability to what is undeniably a very small audience of enthusiasts. Thornton is well known to Disney music fans as the person who produces the Official Disneyland and Walt Disney World music collections; he was notably responsible for the amazing and near-definitive Musical History of Disneyland collection, released during the park’s recent 50th Anniversary celebration.

In addition, five albums that were previously available at the Disneyland/Walt Disney World Wonderland music-on-demand kiosks have been added to the archive releases available on iTunes. Those titles are:

• Meet Me Down On Main Street
• A Musical Tour of France with Maurice Chevalier
• Songs from Lady and the Tramp
• The Disney Afternoon
• Country Bear Jamboree

One special note about today’s releases–a number of readers have contacted me recently concerning the song “The Ballad of John Colter.” Fess Parker performed the song in Westward Ho the Wagons and it is available on the collection released today. It is also included on the archive release Fess Parker - Cowboy and Indian Songs, also available on iTunes.

[Via 2719 HYPERION]

written by Luke Manning