CNet reports that RealNetworks will be launching a new download service with songs encoded in the MPEG4 Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) format.
However, the new service will pair RealNetworks' Helix Digital Rights Mangement (DRM) format with the open standard (AAC). As a result, these song files will be incompatible with Apple's iTunes and iPod (along with everything else). As the article explains, "For a song to play on a digital device, the gadget must both be able to play the underlying music format and to decode any proprietary content locks that protect against unauthorized copying."
Apple presently uses AAC + FairPlay Digital Rights Management (DRM) for their iTunes Music Store songs.
Thursday October 22, 2026 11:01 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple has temporarily removed Keynote, Pages, and Numbers from the App Store, just after releasing an update that added iPhone Duo support and a new Intelligent Assistant.
It is not clear if the apps were removed intentionally, or if it is a bug. Apple has not said when the apps will be reinstated, but if it was in error, they should return soon.
Update: The Mac versions are back without...
Friday October 23, 2026 7:11 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple Music has a 404 page easter egg on the web: a functional iPod that appears when you load a page that does not exist, such as music.apple.com/macrumors.
"Page Not Found," says Apple. "Give this a spin instead."
Apple is clever with this. If you navigate to music.apple.com/ipod instead, the page says "Looking for something?" instead of "Page Not Found."
The easter egg is only...
Friday October 23, 2026 11:05 am PDT by Juli Clover
Some iPhone Duos are already experiencing hinge issues that cause display cracks, based on photos shared on Reddit and the MacRumors forums. Almost all of the display faults are right along the hinge, and most result in a line of bright pixels across one side of the screen.
An iPhone Duo owner in Australia said his device cracked after being opened fewer than 20 times, and there was no...
