Before you get started, you have to know that in order to buy content from the US iTunes store, you will need to buy iTunes vouchers. Your non-US credit card will not work with the US store, but luckily it is easy enough to buy vouchers through sites like WildTwig. But first you need a US iTunes store account:

How to Open Your US iTunes Account:

1) First off, you obviously need iTunes, and an internet connection.

2) Open iTunes, then go to iTunes Store on the left.

3) Make sure you are signed out of any iTunes account. Make sure the top right of the iTunes store states “Sign In”. If it is signed into another account, click on the account name, and click Sign Out.

4) Scroll to the bottom of the iTunes Store page, and click on the country icon. This can be any country’s flag.

5) Choose United States to see the US iTunes Store.

6) Right now you have a better idea of what content is on the US iTunes store. It is very important to do the following exactly – go to AppStore, and select any FREE app. I will repeat. Any FREE app.

7) You will then be asked to enter your iTunes Account details. Remember, even if you have an existing iTunes account, you have  to recreate one with a different email address. If you do not have multiple email addresses, it might be best to go create one in gmail, or hotmail or whatever free email service you want.

Click on Create New Account.

9) You need to fill in some details. Type in your name, surname, date of birth, etc.

10) On the next screen you need to provide payment details. But in order to have a US account, you need to work with vouchers, because your credit card from another country will probably not work. So under payment type, select “None”. If “None” does not appear, it means you did something wrong, but most probably did not click a free app.

Do not fill in any redeem code (we will get to that later).

Under Billing Address you have to use an actual US address. Our best bet is to use a prominent US Hotel as your address. So maybe according to Apple you might be living in the Ritz New York, or the Beverly Hills Hotel. Just copy the address and phone number. Verbatim.

11) Once you click next, Apple will send you a verification email. (If you set up a new email address, you will of course have to check that new email account.)

12) Check your inbox, and open the email from Apple. From there, click on Verify Now.

13) Once you click that link, you will be taken to a Apple webpage, where you need to reenter your new iTunes username and password. You will then be verified.

14) Once the webpage tells you that you are verified, head on back to iTunes, and open the iTunes store again. If you are signed into your new iTunes account, you can start downloading US iTunes apps.

If you are not signed in, it is simple. Click on the top right on Sign In, and use your new iTunes account details.

15) Remember, this account works with vouchers, with which you need to credit your account in order to buy apps. Before you do that, you can only “buy” free apps. If you want to download movies, series or music, you will also need to purchase vouchers. But don’t worry. we will show you how.

Buying iTunes US Vouchers:

So there you have it, now you can access the US iTunes store without any problems. Next up – how to load credit on your iTunes account.

We here at Bandwidth Blog don’t like to beat around the bush, so we get our iTunes vouchers from WildTwig or iEverything. Simply buy it right through their site, and give them an email address to send the Redeem Code to. Once you have the Redeem Code in your inbox, you have to go Redeem it either from your computer or your iPhone / iPad / iPod Touch:

Computer:

1) In iTunes, make sure you are signed into your US account. If you are not, sign out and sign in with the right account.

2) Click On “Redeem”

3) Go and type the Redeem code exactly into iTunes. Click on Redeem.

4) Your Account should now be credited with the amount you purchased.

On your iPhone / iPad / iPod Touch:

1) Open the AppStore

2) Click on Featured, and then scroll all the way to the bottom. Under Account, make sure you are logged into your iTunes account. If not, click on the account, and sign out. Then sign in with your US account.

3) Click on Redeem.

4) Enter your Redeem account exactly form the email your received. Alternatively, copy and paste the code.

5) You should get a notification that your account has been credited.

Now go ahead, and buy whatever content you want – apps, movies, TV shows, and music!

9to5 Mac has received some information from a reliable source at Foxconn Technology Group in China that the next iPhone, known as the iPhone 5, is currently being geared for production.

The source revealed that there are various sample devices around but it is impossible to tell which of them is most likely to be the final product. However, there are a few features that are common among all the devices. They include:

• 4+ inch display (made by LG on at least one of them).
• Rather than a teardrop shape, samples are all symmetrical in thickness
• None of the samples have the iPhone 4/4s form factor

What is important to note here is that iPhone 4S production did not gear up until late spring of last year.  If a pattern is followed and an approximate five month lead time is given, it would appear that Apple is back on its new iPhone launch for summer/WWDC pattern that it maintained until last year.

The source that provided this information was the same source that indicated to 9to5 Mac late last summer in the U.S. that the iPhone 5 was not about to be launched, against the prevailing tide of information, and that Apple was building the iPhone 4S model instead.

Any thoughts on all the emerging iPhone 5 details?

Apple had $97.6 billion in the bank as of the end of its first quarter and that amount has almost certainly crossed the $100 billion mark by now. Apple sold 37 million iPhones in the quarter, more than Wall Street was expecting and the sales of iPads and Macs also beat estimates. Apple also posted twice as much revenue and profit as Microsoft did in its holiday quarter.

Apple CEO, Tim Cook announced that “We’re thrilled with our outstanding results and record-breaking sales of iPhones, iPads and Macs. Apple’s momentum is incredibly strong, and we have some amazing new products in the pipeline.”

However, Cook did emphasise that the company can do even better. He was quick to point out that Apple had been struggling with shortages all quarter. Tragic floods in Thailand have led to poor availability for components across its devices, the company was not able to make as many iPhone 4Ss as it would have liked and due to the rampage in Mainland China on launch day, was unable to sell any new iPhones.

When asked about Apple’s success during his first four months as CEO, Cook was adamant about praising the work of his colleagues and that he was lucky to be surrounded by them. When asked to elaborate, Cook simply pointed to the company’s monster earnings to make his point. During a conference call with analysts Cook said “I think the team is doing a fantastic job. We feel really good about where we are.”

Apple’s quarterly iPhone sales, at more than 37 million smartphones, are numbers that its competitors would strive to have for one year, let alone a quarter and while recent data for the U.S. shows Apple alone nearly even with the entire Android world in market share, Cook doesn’t believe that Android is its only competitor.

As for which direction Apple is heading in the future, Cook stuck to the company’s standard secretiveness, although he did offer a few geographical insights. He confirmed that China, remains the company’s largest focus as an emerging market, with Brazil a distant second in terms of focus and investment. India saw its sales increase threefold from a year earlier, but from a very small base.

While Cook revealed no details about the rumoured launch of an Apple television, he said the company sold 1.4 million Apple TV units in the December quarter, as compared to 2.8 million devices for the entire prior fiscal year.

Sources: All Things D, Mashable, Apple Press Info

Posted on Nielsen’s blog site, research results reveal that among those who acquired a smartphone within the last three months (recent acquirers),  44.5 percent of those surveyed in December said that they chose an iPhone, compared to the 25.1 percent in October. Furthermore, 57 percent of new iPhone owners surveyed in December said they chose to get an iPhone 4S. However, Android continues to take the lead among all smartphone users with 43.6 percent of all smartphone users that were surveyed in the fourth quarter of 2011.

The results also indicate that RIM occupies a significantly less percentage in comparison to Android and iOS and even less among recent acquirers.

also interesting is that as of the fourth quarter of 2011 46 percent of US mobile consumers had smartphones with that figure growing rapidly. In fact, 60 percent of those who said they got a new device within the last three months chose a smartphone over a feature phone.

On Thursday Apple will hold a small event to show off its latest efforts in the education market. Most sources seem to agree that the event will focus on ways in which textbooks can be brought into the digital age of tablets – but Apple might have a few other tricks up its sleeve. The event might also focus on the announcement of new tools that can be used to create these digital textbooks.

The case for digital textbook has been around for a while. Textbooks are expensive to buy, expensive to print and also heavy to carry around. Imagine a student a few years from now just carrying around a tablet, which has his/her textbooks stored. But the aim is not purely to replace existing textbooks – the value will lie in what type of interactivity can be built into a digital textbook. Instead of static images you find in normal textbooks, textbook publishers can now build in interactive features that enable the reader to better understand a particular issue – think videos, 3D models, sound clips etc.

Traditional textbook publishers will probably show off what textbook experiences they are planning for the iPad, while Apple might show some new content creation tools that will make it easier than ever to publish for the iPad. Right now the digital publishing market is also ripe for revolution with publishers being forced to code apps from scratch, or to use tools like Adobe’s Folio Builder. If Apple can build an easy to use, but powerful tool to build interactive textbooks, it will create another market in which Apple can dominate. The iPad is already doing very well, but if Apple can convince publishers to publish exclusively to the iPad, we can expect to see many students to switch to iPads.

But the idea of digital textbooks is not without problems – there are a few things that Apple will hopefully address:

1) Textbooks are expensive. Digital distribution should make it cheaper. Yet you cannot help but feel that publishers might think of iPad users as “well off”. If the digital textbooks are not a lot cheaper than the physical ones, don’t expect massive uptake.

2) Textbooks are boring. The digital versions need to be a LOT better than the physical ones. Think 3D models, social media integration, web links etc. Hell – let go of the “book” idea of flipping through pages.

3) Textbooks have second hand value. Many students get rid of their textbooks after a semester. Now Apple will probably not allow you to sell your “used” digital textbook. But there are a few ways this can be fixed. A subscription model based on a syllabus can work, provided the cost is lower than buying all the textbooks.

4) Textbooks have more perceived value in physical form than other media. Sure, we can easily describe the merits of digital music above physical CDs. But many people still prefer the heft and feel of a book. You know the type – they keep their university textbooks on the shelf until they are old and dusty. Again, the price and digital experience has to be better.

Naturally we should not expect these features to launch in SA – Apple does not really offer a lot of content (if any) to us Africans, but we can only hope. I am pretty sure the typical student would prefer carrying an iPad, than a stack of heavy books.

At CES 2012 in Las Vegas, Pocket-lint witnessed what was a regular iPhone being repeatedly dunked into a fish tank filled with water. This demonstration served to show off the capabilities of a new nano technology that will likely save your smartphone from getting water damage and may be included in the next wave of smartphones by Apple and Samsung.

Called HzO, the technology that has already been applied to a number of devices such as the iPhone and Samsung phones for testing, creates a nano-scale film barrier that has special water repelling properties once applied to the inside of electronic gadgets. The technology is already installed into the phone during its manufacturing process, rather than by the consumer once the phone has been purchased.

A company representative has said “We expect HzO to be in next season’s phones,” referring to Apple’s interest in the technology. Samsung is also reportedly “very excited about the technology.”

The company is hoping to sign big deals with all leading manufacturers. A spokesman mentioned that it is in the process of signing up a major smartphone partner  as well as a  headphones maker in the very near future. The idea for the headphone is that they wouldn’t be damaged by sweat when running or water when swimming.

The HzO technology will be included in upcoming products from Zagg, which markets its own “skins” and other protective gear. Zagg has announced that it will be offering limited-edition “WaterBlocked” versions of the iPod touch, iPod shuffle and iPod nano with the HzO sealing technology inside.

Watch an HzO water technology demo in the video below:

Yesterday the Apple iPhone 4S was supposed to launch in China, after it was finally approved by the Chinese government. But the number of people who showed up at the Apple retail stores proved to much to handle. Customers was waiting outside in -9 degrees celsius temperatures, and the stores did not open at the normal 7:00 AM time. At 7:15 AM people started chanting “Open the Door!” after an Apple representative announced to the crowd that the phone would not go on sale. The delay sales was not in all stores however, with Shangai getting their allotment on time.

Soon afterward the police had to be called in to calm down the crowd, who started pelting the stores with eggs. Customers were instead told to order their iPhones online, and Apple has decided to not continue sales of the iPhone in stores, in order to prevent unruly crowds forming again.

“The demand for iPhone 4S has been incredible, and our stores in China have already sold out,” an Apple spokesperson told AllThingsD. “Unfortunately we were unable to open our store at Sanlitun due to the large crowd, and to ensure the safety of our customers and employees, iPhone will not available in our retail stores in Beijing and Shanghai for the time being. Customers can still order iPhone through the Apple Online Store, or buy at China Unicom and other authorized resellers.”

See our review of the iPhone 4S here.

Source: AllThingsD

Among the 50 products in total that it unveiled at CES 2012, Behringer introduced the iNuke Boom. With a price tag of $30, 000 and 10, 000 watts of power, Behringer claims that it is the loudest iPhone, iPad and iPod docking station ever developed.

If you’re interested in owning the iNuke at 400kg and measuring 8ft by 4ft by 4ft, make sure that you have the space for it first. Running off two 15 amp residential circuits, users won’t have to worry about blowing a fuse and a large switch at the back of the device offers an extra 12 decibels. The base is as a result of dual 18 inch sub-woofers built inside the unit.

For more about the iNuke Boom, watch the video below:

After the recent launch of Apple’s iPhone 4s and as the excitement begins to die down, more rumours of the upcoming launch of the iPhone 5 begin to emerge. Up until now, many have gathered that the next generation iPhone will come with a new design, larger display and may even be 4G capable.

Now, in a BGR exclusive, the website has learned straight from an inside source that the iPhone 5 is expected in the American Autumn of 2012. In addition, other details reveal that not only will the new device have a different look but a different feel as well with a “rubber or plastic” material built into the case as a new take on the phone’s bezel that will accompany a new aluminium back plate and antenna system.

Originally, rumours suggested that the iPhone 5 was  scheduled to make its debut even before the launch of the iPhone4s but if the insider information is correct, Apple is likely to have an extremely busy 4th quarter in 2012 with the supposed launch of the Apple iTV in the second or third quarter of the year. Both launches are expected to be huge, media grabbing events that will keep consumers and news sites excited for weeks, however it is unlikely that Apple will launch both products simultaneously.

As far as design news goes, the iPhone 5’s form factor has been all over the place since day one. The tear-drop shape rumours persist and now we can add rubberized bezel and aluminum back plate to the list. This would be quite a significant change for the iPhone from the current design that Apple has been following.

Source: Digital Trends

The infographic below shows how the one we talk, email and chat from measures up against the one that we eat. The infographic includes the comparison between their distribution, composition, weight and history. Interesting stuff!

View the infographic after the jump:

Source: Discovery Channel