It was nearly a week ago since Apple released iOS5 for the general masses to download and update. Sadly, things did not go as Apple planned, and their servers got hammered by the iOS5 IPSW download request. Due to this, many users got an error 3200 and/or 3002 while updating their iDevice to iOS5 using iTunes.

The only way to solve this issue is to download the required IPSW file for your iDevice, and manually restore that using iTunes. Users can download the required IPSW file from here.

To manually restore the IPSW file, users need to connect their iDevice to their PC/Mac, and fire up iTunes. Once their device is detected, they need to press the Command/Shift key and then click on the Restore option. After that a new window will open, and users need to select the IPSW file they downloaded above.

A step by step guide to manually update your iDevice to iOS5 can be found here.

Earlier this week, Apple announced that they will be holding an event for the next-generation iPhone on October 4. Today, CNet’s  Greg Sandoval reports that Apple is trying to obtain international cloud-music licenses from record companies and publishers. These licenses would be similar to the ones they acquired for iCloud. Nothing is confirmed yet, but word has it that  Apple is said to be close to reaching deals.

Sandoval believes that Apple will announce an international option at next Tuesday’s press event if the company is able to “wrap up negotiations in time.” Apple has invited members of the press to a “Let’s talk iPhone” event scheduled for 10 a.m. PST on Oct. 4.

Sources familiar with the discussions between Apple, record companies, and music publishers, say Apple is seeking international music licenses for its iCloud service. The licenses would be similar to those the company has already obtained for U.S. operations, the sources said.

Apple’s iCloud offers number of different backup and syncing services over the air. If the company is able to reach a deal, iCloud could be made available in  Germany, France and the UK.  Previous  estimates  had suggested the UK support to be delayed until 2012.

iCloud is a new feature in iOS 5, which is expected to be launched “this fall. iOS 5 will be available for free to iOS device users.

Today, MacRumors  has discovered that Apple is working on a way to merge multiple Apple IDs into a single login.

Currently, using multiple Apple IDs into a single login is inconvenient for users. Switching between multiple logins while using Apple’s Automatic Downloads is, particularly, inconvenient because users can’t easily switch between logins. In addition, MobileMe users especially have found that they now have at least two Apple IDs their original one and their MobileMe account.

At present, there is not a way currently for users to combine their accounts into one unifying Apple ID. A representative from Apple reportedly said that the company is working on a solution. The representative recommends that in the meantime, users should continue using a single account and make all future purchases through it.  Apple has provided no official guidance on the issue, except to let customers know  that Apple IDs can not be consolidated at this time.

Two users who reached out to Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, via e-mail received a phone call from the company explaining they are aware of the issue. Lately, Tim Cook has been responsive to customer emails and inquiries. Anyways, as usual, Apple’s evil and doesn’t care about its customers.

The iTunes Match beta was initially opened last month, but closed to new registrations within a few hours after the initial quota of developers was reached. Today, Apple has sent out an email to registered developers notifying them that iTunes Match beta has reopened to additional developers in the United States.

iTunes Match beta testing has now been expanded to additional developers in the United States.

iTunes Match stores your music library in iCloud and allows you to enjoy your collection from anywhere, any time, on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or computer. Any of your songs, including music you’ve imported from CDs, that matches with the 18 million songs in the iTunes Store will become available in iCloud and will play back at iTunes Plus quality (256 Kbps DRM-free AAC) — even if your original was of a lower quality.

Apple says that developers must upgrade to the new iTunes 10.5 beta 8 in order to use iTunes Match, and continues to warn that all iCloud libraries will be deleted at the end of the beta testing period. So users should be sure to retain copies of their music libraries.

iTunes Match is a new service that allows users to pay for an annual subscription that will make their  entire existing music collection (including songs not purchased through iTunes) available from Apple’s cloud servers. The service is priced at $24.99 per year, and is expected to launch alongside iOS 5 this fall.

In 2007, Apple unveiled iTunes U, a service encouraging schools to offer print, audio, and video downloads of their education programs almost entirely free to the public. Today, according to Apple’s figures obtained by The Loop, the service has hit a new milestone of 600 million downloads.  Last August, Apple noted the service hit a milestone of 300 million downloads.

Apple claims that there are now over 1,000 universities actively participating in iTunes U. Prolific universities like Stanford and Open University are part of the program. Both have shared more than 30 millon downloads with users. In addition,  Yale University, MIT, University of California Berkeley and the University of South Florida have all reached 20 million downloads each, while Emory University, Harrisburg Area Community College, Ludwig Maxmillians University of Germany and Oxford University have all surpassed the ten million download mark.

Nearly 30 percent of iTunes U traffic now originates from iOS devices.  The service is a available worldwide in 123 countries, also counts 60 percent of its users as being outside the US.

Participating organizations often make their content available free to the public, although some limit access to their own members.

Yesterday, it was discovered that the developer beta of iTunes Match showed options for both streaming and downloading content from the cloud to a user’s device. Today, a new report from AllThingsD reveals that an Apple spokesperson claims that the service is not actually a streaming one.

While a video making the rounds today makes it seem as if Apple’s upcoming iTunes Match service will stream music from Apple’s servers to a user’s device, that’s not the case. An Apple spokesperson confirms that any music you want to access from your cloud-based lockerwill still need to be stored on your iPad, or iPhone, or whatever device you’re using to listen to the song.

The service appears to be streaming because begins playback instantly, but instead of true streaming it is downloading and storing the file while beginning simultaneous playback. It’s unknown whether the files are stored locally are of full quality or reduced bitrate.  Apple has been “deliberately vague” about how the iTunes Match service works.  ”Apple’s system, as it’s currently constructed, still requires users to keep stuff on their machine in order to play with it,” the report said. Kafka suggested that  files that are not “downloaded” through iCloud but still played will sit in a “temporary cache” on the machine.  However, according to MacRumors  tracks appears to be downloaded to a local cache on the user’s device, allowing for fast access to any portion of the tracks.

Once the track has been fully played, it remains available in that cache and can be re-accessed without needing to re-stream, but it is not considered permanently downloaded and is  not counted  as being in the device’s music library.

According to the report, the lack of true steaming is not due to licensing hold-ups with record labels. The licenses were have said to been acquired in April.

The iTunes Match beta was made available to developers yesterday, and it allows users to “clone” their music library in the cloud by matching it with content available from iTunes. The service will cost $24.99 per year and is expected to launch this Fall.

Earlier today, Apple released a new iTunes 6.1 beta with iTunes match to developers. iTunes Match is a new service that allows users to pay for an annual subscription that will make their  entire existing music collection (including songs not purchased through iTunes) available from Apple’s cloud servers as well.

Insanely Great Mac  not only has a nice walkthrough for the service, but also has discovered that iTunes Match is both a  streaming  and downloading service. This feature on your iOS devices means your music library won’t need to take up space on the device itself, as long as you have some sort of internet connection.

For $25/year, iTunes Match will scan your existing iTunes music library and allow you to access it from any of your iTunes-linked Macs or iOS devices. Existing songs in the iTunes music store will streamed straight from Apple’s servers (at 256kbps bitrate) without a need to upload the songs yourself. In addition, songs that don’t exist in iTunes will be uploaded to iCloud. Either way, up to 25,000 songs  will be accessible from your various computers and iOS devices.

When Apple first annouced the service at WWDC 2011, it wasn’t clear  that music can be either  streamed  or downloaded locally to any of your computers or devices. The service works the same way on Mac and iOS devices allowing you to have instant access  your entire music library from all of your Macs, iPhones, iPads, or iPod touches for only $25/year.

iTunes Match is expected to launch this fall with iOS 5.

Today, Apple has released iTunes 6.1 beta to developers. iTunes 6.1 beta is the first release to support the    ”scan and match” cloud access feature that Apple announced at this year’s Worldwide Developer Conference.

iTunes Match is a new service that allows users to pay for an annual subscription that will make their  entire existing music collection (including songs not purchased through iTunes) available from Apple’s cloud servers as well.

The service will support music collections up to 25,000 and costs $24.99 per year. The song limit does not count any songs purchased from iTunes, which are already accessible through Apple’s iCloud. In addition, the service is limited to music, and does not support the uploading of apps, audiobooks, books, movies, TV shows, ringtones or interactive content such as iTunes LP liner notes or iTunes Extras for movies.

Unlike services like Amazon’s cloud player or Google Music (yes, they still exist), iTunes Match does not require users to upload many gigabytes of data  that thousands of songs would involve. iTunes makes it easy for users to store songs in the cloud by automatically scanning the user’s library and then make those same songs available through iTunes’ song catalog.

Currently, this service is available for developer testing only, and Apple warns that any content copied up to its cloud servers during the test period may be erased. Apple advises that users testing the device should back up their original songs, and not delete any songs uploaded into the service.

Since April 2008, Starbucks has partnered with Apple for the “Pick of the Week” program. The “Pick of the Week” program provides users with iTunes Music Store content via cards. Previously, the promotion only allowed  customers access to a free song each week, with tracks priced up to $1.29. Now, CNET reports that these cards are now also offering free downloads of paid iOS applications.

The first application made available for free is Shazam Encore, which usually sells for $5.99 in the App Store. Starbucks has not commented on whether the free applications offer will replace music tracks for good, or if both will be offered in the future. Judging by the first free app offering, it seems they’re serious about providing quality apps because Shazam Encore is a very popular music app costing $5.99.

Customers who visit Starbucks can pick up the free “Pick of the Week” cards at the register that contain codes  redeemable in the App Store towards the purchase of iOS apps.  Last year, Starbucks also did something similar by partnering with Apple and Yahoo to offer digital content to in-store customers.

Android owners, are you jealous yet? Anyways, Apple’s evil.

[image credit: CNET]