From Apple’s official release notes for the new version of iTunes:

iTunes in the Cloud. iTunes now stores your purchases in iCloud and makes them available on your devices anywhere, any time, at no additional cost.

• Automatic Downloads. Purchase music from any device or computer and automatically download a copy to your Mac and iOS devices.
• Download Previous Purchases. Download your past music, TV, app, and book purchases again, at no additional cost. Previous purchases may be unavailable if they are no longer on the iTunes Store.

Sync with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 5.

Wi-Fi Syncing. Automatically sync your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iTunes any time they’re both on the same Wi-Fi network.

I recommend grabbing the update as soon as possible, because trying to get it tomorrow when Apple’s servers are busy dealing with the demand for iOS 5 might not be nearly as easy. The latest version of iTunes requires OS X 10.5 (Leopard) or higher, as well as Safari 4.0.3 or later on a Mac, and Windows XP SP 2 or later.

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Before the latest update (the latest version is now 1.0.2.1966), the app wouldn’t even install on an iPad or iPod touch. However, while this version still isn’t Universal, so while iPad users will have to use pixel-doubling compatibility mode, it will install on all iOS devices running iOS 4 or later. The app is also much more stable, including on the developer preview of iOS 5, and removes a few bugs (like the inability to view Streams or Profiles) which cropped up in the previous version.

There are also some additional features in the Huddle section of the app. You can now hide or mute specific Huddles, so you won’t be notified of new messages in the conversation. Also added was the ability to rename a Huddle to make it easier to distinguish between conversations. Lastly, you can also decline an invitation to a Huddle from your device, and leave a Huddle you are participating in.

Anything we missed? Let us know in the comments.

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The lack of a proper native iPad client for Facebook has been a glaring absence ever since Apple launched the device last year. In the time between then and now, countless Facebook clients created by third-party developers have sprung up on the App Store, including current pack leader MyPad (which also provides access to Twitter, thanks to a recent update), but there is still nothing from Zuckerberg and co. at Facebook HQ, except for a response to a question that made it seem like the network’s website might be all iPad users could hope for.

I mentioned MyPad, and if you’re looking for an example of how the new app will work, that might be a good place to start (you can actually get the official version running on your device, but not without jailbreaking it first). Like MyPad, Facebook for iPad features a navigation column on the right with a dark background that provides you access to your messages, news feed, photos and more. But it also features a lot of elements borrowed from the site’s home page and a photos interface that looks like the native iPad Photos app. Other highlights include the frequent appearance of contextual pop-up menus, which should make interacting with your shared content and navigating your network quite iPad-friendly, and a Places section that displays a full Google map with visuals to go with your list of check-ins, all on one screen.

My own Facebook use dropped off considerably once I started using my iPad more and my MacBook less, which basically means I’ve used it sparingly for about a year and a half now. I’m not sure whether the delay of a native iPad app is because Facebook thought it could get by on its web presence alone or because it took the company this long to get it right. Whatever the reason for the lengthy oversight, the good news for users and Facebook alike is that iPad support is now likely only an update away.

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Analysts have begun their traditional pre-release Apple hardware predictions for the next generation of iPhone. It may have started a little later this year, but that only makes it all the more interesting, as we eagerly await Apple’s first iPhone refresh that will take substantially more than a year to arrive.

If Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Whitmore (via Fortune ) is right, the next iPhone(s) may well be worth the wait. Whitmore says the bank’s clients should expect two iPhones this fall, one a true next-generation iPhone 5 device, and the other an “iPhone 4S” that would basically resemble the iPhone 4 in most regards, but would be sold unlocked for use with pre-paid service for $349. Whitmore points out that this would be a smart move for Apple if the company wants to continue growing in emerging markets like Africa, Asia and Latin American, where pre-paid contracts make up the vast majority of all cellular service.

Whitmore doesn’t cite any specific sources for his prediction, and a lower-cost iPhone has long been a popular theme among Apple watchers and analysts, but this year is the first time Apple has given any indication it could have designs in that direction. Apple COO Tim Cook said in an interview with Bernstein analyst Toni Saccognaghi that Apple was indeed interested in producing cheaper hardware for customers who might have tighter budgets than the average current iPhone buyer. Apple also recently started selling the iPhone 4 unlocked in the U.S., indicating it’s at least interested in appealing more to the contract-wary customer.

Apple is already doing well in key emerging markets, like China, where it saw 250 percent growth during the company’s second quarter. That doesn’t mean it couldn’t stand to do better by embracing a sales model in keeping with what smartphone shoppers in international markets are more familiar with. Choice is still a primary driver of smartphone sales, which is why Android’s multi-vendor licensing model has proven so successful. Pre-paid is also on the rise as a service option even in the U.S., which means Apple could capitalize both at home and abroad with a device aimed at that growing category of users.

Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty made some predictions about the next iPhone over the weekend, reporting production of a new model should begin in the last half of August, with the intent to ship devices in late September. Such a timeline would make sense if Apple were revamping the annual iPod refresh, and instead making the iPhone the star of the show.

If Apple does have two iPhone hardware choices on offer come fall, one with more features but a higher price and tied to a contract, and one with older tech but a lower cost of entry and fewer strings attached, which would you opt for?

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Stock shortages and third-party retail inventory systems have traditionally been a fairly accurate barometer of Apple’s hardware refreshes, especially when an update is close at hand. Best Buy’s website revealed new MacBook Pro SKUs ahead of their official release, for example, in February, when the notebooks got updated with Intel’s new Sandy Bridge processors.

A MacBook Air refresh has been rumored for a while now, and part of the update is thought to be the inclusion of Sandy Bridge processor architecture. Intel recently unveiled new low-voltage Sandy Bridge chips, including a Core i5 1.7 GHz variety and two Core i7 versions, one at 1.7 GHz and the other at 1.8 GHz. Current MacBook Airs still use much older Intel Core 2 Duo processors, so the new Core series are a near-certainty for powering any new hardware.

Another change likely in store for the MacBook Air includes the addition of Thunderbolt, Apple and Intel’s new high-speed I/O port. Apple has been steadily replacing the Mini DisplayPort on its new Macs with Thunderbolt. This is because Thunderbolt can handle display output as well as data transfer functions and is compatible with Mini DisplayPort cables and adapters. Other possible additions include a FaceTime HD camera, something else that both the updated MacBook Pro and iMac got this year, and a switch to an AMD graphics processor, since Apple seems to be methodically cutting NVIDIA out of that part of its business.

An updated MacBook Air likely won’t arrive at this point before OS X Lion, which Apple has said will make its debut in July. People who purchase new Macs as of June 6 are eligible for a free upgrade to Lion, so Apple can save itself some money by just shipping new MacBook Airs with the new OS installed, instead of having to deal with the administrative costs of providing a refund. Both Lion and new Airs could ship as early as next week.

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No word on what specific changes have been made to the Mac App Store, but they’re probably designed to optimize the delivery of OS X Lion, which will be available exclusively through Apple’s official Mac software distribution channel as a 4 GB download. The fact that Apple mentions upgrade preparation specifically in the update notes for 10.6.8, combined with Lion’s announced July arrival time frame, indicates that this will likely be the last minor point update for Snow Leopard prior to 10.7′s release.

Other things the update offers include resolving a Preview problem that was causing unexpected applications quits, and a fix for importing some types of media into Final Cut Pro. Also, frustrated Lisbon-Portugal iCal users should no longer have a problem with timezones. Check out the full list of fixes and changes at Apple’s official support site.

Happy downloading, and as always, let us know if you encounter any problems with the update.

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Now any content available to be viewed in the Ustream iPhone application can also be viewed on the big screen or a connected projector, so long as you have an Apple TV to beam content to. That means the whole office can gather around the boardroom table to view a conference taking place halfway round the world, without the need for a more complicated computer setup. Users following online learning tutorials can also watch more comfortably from any display connected to their Apple TV, which could include a hotel room television, since the Apple media streaming box is only about the size of a deck of cards.

Ustream has also become a popular site for people to use for delivering entertainment content, like the bizarre Sheen’s Korner, from actor Charlie Sheen, or smaller productions from enterprising amateurs like Nat&Marie. AirPlay support adds another way for users who are looking for alternatives to traditional cable programming to get content to their living room, without the need for expensive HTPC equipment.

The app also boasts a lot of bug fixes, according to Ustream, so hopefully that will address some of the other issues people have been reporting about an inability to load many live streams. I’m looking forward to being able to tune in to conferences without having to either be glued to the computer or hunched over my iPhone or iPad. Do you think this will have any effect on your viewing habits, educational or otherwise?

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DigiTimes has found that primary suppliers for the MacBook Air will remain the same, and that both the 11.6- and 13.3-inch models will continue to be produced. The source of the info is said to be “makers in the supply chain,” although none would go on record since Apple never reveals info about future product releases early and wouldn’t be too pleased with its suppliers doing the same.

Rumors that Apple would be introducing a refresh of the new MacBook Air, which received a major overhaul in October of 2010, have been circulating for some time now. Some suspect a new Air could be unveiled at WWDC this year. Another possibility is that Apple is planning to launch it alongside the official public release of OS X Lion, the next iteration of its Mac operating system. Lion has a lot of features that make the Air the perfect platform for showing it off, like the ability to resume state on power on, and auto-save features that make the most sense in a mobile computer.

A new Air within the next couple of months also makes sense because it sets up Apple’s computer line-up for the third quarter of 2011, which is when computer-makers traditionally see their peak volume for the year. The MacBook Air has, by all accounts, been a success since its redesign last year, but it still uses an Intel Core 2 Duo processor. Upgrading to the Sandy Bridge platform will provide better power usage, better graphics and better performance, and make the Air much more attractive to back-to-school notebook buyers.

The MacBook Air is the most exciting product in Apple’s Mac line, in my opinion, and I think a well-timed update that coincides with the release of Apple’s most significant operating system update in many years is a recipe for success. An update like the one described in this new report is definitely in the pipeline, and this timeline does make a lot of sense. Anyone putting their money down if this does come to pass?

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As promised, the update changes the iOS location database file in the following ways, according to the update documentation:

• Reduces the size of the cache
• No longer backs the cache up to iTunes
• Deletes the cache entirely when Location Services is turned off

In addition to location fixes, BGR reported that an early build of iOS 4.3.3 also included battery life improvements and fixes for the iPod music player. Apple seems to have moved very quickly to get this update out in order to allay customer concerns regarding location tracking. Has the company done enough to satisfy any worries you may have had?

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I’m on record as being somewhat underwhelmed by the MacBook Pro update, because the changes didn’t address my needs in a mobile computer, which include better battery life, improved display quality and instant-on capability. Those same updates in a desktop machine are a different story altogether. As an inexpensive workhorse, the iMac stands to gain quite a bit from faster, stronger guts and new connectivity options.

According to the report, which stems from Cnet’s Brian Tong, who heard the news from a reliable source, the new iMacs will be shipping soon in advance of an early May launch. As I mentioned above, they include Intel’s Sandy Bridge chip processors and the new Thunderbolt port, which was developed by Intel working with Apple and provides high-speed dual-channel I/O communication in addition to DisplayPort connectivity for external monitors. The update will be the first since the iMacs got Core i3, i5 and i7 processors last July. Tong also reports that the iMac will get no major cosmetic changes with this update.

The improvements in iMac speed and processing power are in line with what we’ve seen from MacBook Pro benchmarks and will be a welcome upgrade. iMacs also have the benefit of being less concerned with power consumption, so in theory, they should beat their portable rivals on most measures. All that extra power will really come in handy for processor-intensive desktop computing tasks like long video-encoding sessions and outputting complicated animation.

Thunderbolt, which currently doesn’t really provide much to MacBook Pro owners (the accessory ecosystem, with a few exceptions, has yet to really embrace and make good use of the standard), should find a better and more useful home on the desktop, too. It’ll be easier to set up semi-permanent hard drive arrays for backup and additional storage, and as camera manufacturers adopt the tech (Canon at least has suggested that it will), the iMac will become an even more attractive option for professional and advanced amateur video editors. Overall, Thunderbolt is a tech that makes more sense on a stationary computer that can take advantage of its high-speed, high-fidelity transfers during long and complicated tasks.

Maybe it’s just me, but I never find myself being terribly concerned over the sluggishness of my laptop the way I do my desktop. That’s probably because I use my iMac to do all the heavy lifting, and keep the MacBook light and breezy. My iMac is about due for an upgrade, too, so I’ll likely make an investment when the update comes down. What about you?

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