RealNetworks is set to kick off a high-profile digital music marketing campaign, highlighting the new iPod-compatible technology that has swung the company into conflict with Apple Computer. For a limited time, RealNetworks will offer song downloads from its music store for 49 cents, along with half-price albums. The campaign is the second wave of publicity around the company's Harmony technology, which effectively recreated a version of Apple's proprietary copy-protection technology without Apple's permission. That has allowed RealNetworks to be the first non-Apple store that can distribute songs directly compatible with the iPod music player, despite strong protests from Apple itself.
[Update] Following an overwhelming amount of negative comments about RealNetworks, the company has removed the link to the petition from its "Freedom of Music Choice" Web site.
[Update #2] RealNetworks has now posted a new, reworded petition that doesn't allow for comments.
Thursday August 13, 2026 4:20 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple will introduce at least five new devices at its iPhone-centric event next month, and it's also possible we'll get devices waiting on Siri AI like the Apple TV.
iPhone 18 Pro
The iPhone 18 Pro is going to look like the iPhone 17 Pro, but with a smaller Dynamic Island. It's getting some internal updates, including a new Wide camera with a variable aperture for more control over lighting ...
Friday August 14, 2026 12:15 pm PDT by Juli Clover
For the first time since Apple started selling standard and "Pro" iPhones, we're not going to get an entry-level iPhone model this fall. Apple doesn't plan to release an iPhone 18 in September, and will only launch the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and foldable iPhone Ultra. The lower-cost iPhone 18 won't come out until spring 2027.
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Friday August 14, 2026 6:24 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple will release iOS 27 in September, and despite the company's focus this year on refining its flagship operating system and nixing bugs, there are still many additional features on the way, not least of which is Apple's new context-aware Siri, re-tooled for the generative AI era.
This year's major iPhone software update isn't all about AI, though, as the following feature list...
Apple's first foldable iPhone, with a book-style design featuring a ~5.5-inch outer display and a ~7.8-inch inner display with a minimal crease down the middle.
