This week, after a “mysterious message appeared on Apple’s homepage,”:http://www.maclife.com/files/u220903/apple_tomorrow_is_just_another_day_380px.jpg Apple announced the availability of the entire Beatles catalog in the iTunes Music Store. After years of back and forth negotiations with label EMI, an agreement has finally been reached, ushering the Fab Four into the digital era. The announcement–which slipped almost thirty minutes early–has replaced yesterday’s teaser image on Apple’s “*homepage,*”:http://www.apple.com/ and taken over iTunes’ digital storefront.

The band’s entire discography is available in stereo and is being sold by individual song, album, or an all inclusive box set akin to last year’s remaster collection. Tracks retail for $1.29 a piece–the premium tier of iTunes pricing–and single “disc” albums are priced at $12.99. The eponymous “White Album,” Past Masters Vols 1 & 2, and other traditionally 2 LP albums are available for $19.99 each. The all encompassing box set sells for $149.99. All albums feature bonus iTunes LP content including photos, mini-documentaries, and more.

Though many fans likely already possess a fair portion of the group’s recordings, the catalog’s availability on iTunes marks a new era for the Beatles as well as digital music in general. Much like Led Zeppelin, the Beatles have been notoriously hard to license. Today’s news indicates that the recording industry (read EMI) may finally be adapting to the changing ways music is acquired and enjoyed. If you’ve been waiting to load up that iPhone 4 with the tunes of the Fab Four, then today is your day.

Apple released version 5.0.3 of Safari this week. Though a minor update, 5.0.3 does bring some key improvements to the browser. Perhaps the biggest gripe I’ve had to date with Safari 5 is the “Top Hit” auto-fill option in the URL bar.

While I understand the premise of this feature, the inability to disable it, as well as its common inaccuracy frequently annoyed me. Though Apple has still not provided an easy way to disable the feature, 5.0.3 does seem to improve search accuracy. In initial tests, Top Hit seemed to do a better job of pulling up more relevant pages. __(Amen! -Editor who always seems to autofill broken URLs)__

The update also provides more accurate results in Top Sites, corrects issues with Flash 10.1, provides better pop-up blocking and includes a series of bug fixes and performance enhancements. The update is available to all Safari users running the latest versions of either Mac OS X 10.6 or Mac OS X 10.5.

For Mac OS X 10.4 users, Apple has released Safari 4.1.3 which contains many of the aforementioned features. Both updates can be obtained via Software Update or downloaded from Apple’s site “*here.*”:http://www.apple.com/safari/download/

I am heading down to Manchester and Boston today. I’ll check in at our store, pick up Katie and Grace, then we will go cheer on the Boston Celtics as they battle Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The three of us are crazy Celtics fans with Katie swooning over Paul Pierce and Grace in love with Marquis Daniels; I’ll be sporting MVP candidate Rajon Rondo’s jersey.

Katie and I need a big business-to-business order because Hapy has challenged us with a reward of season’s tickets to the Celtics if we land some corporate accounts. It is great motivation and we will get it done!

Thanks for reading Kibbles & Bytes!
_Don, Kali, Ed and Ben_

With Thanksgiving right around the bend, it only seemed fitting to select a cornucopia of seasonal apps to share. Whether you’re planning the perfect dinner party or just looking forward to riding out a tryptophan-induced food coma on the couch, check out these five Thanksgiving themed apps.

*5. Madden NFL 11:*

Though the Bengals and Jets will take the field Thanksgiving evening, you can set up your own pre-game skirmish with this great app from EA. If you’re a fan of the Madden franchise on home consoles and have never experienced it on iOS, you owe it to yourself to give this app a try. With great graphics optimized around the iPhone 4’s Retina display, the game looks great. Even more fun, however, are the play mechanics. Taking full advantage of Apple’s multi-touch technology, players can manage both offense and defense with simple gestures. “*$4.99*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fmadden-nfl-11-by-ea-sports%2Fid365985808%3Fmt%3D8%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30

*4. In the Kitchen:*

This official app from Food Network places thousands of recipes from the network’s stars at your fingertips. Featuring chefs such as Guy Fieri, Paula Deen, Alton Brown, Bobby Flay, and several more, the app provides quick access to recipes in a well designed interface. Currently, the app includes a Thanksgiving 2010 section which is full of great recipes for the upcoming holiday. The app also includes a helpful shopping list and a handful of useful kitchen tools. “*$1.99*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fin-the-kitchen%2Fid399072152%3Fmt%3D8%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30

*3. Mixologist: Drink Recipes:*

Entertain your guests in style this Thanksgiving with this useful drink recipes app. With nearly 8,000 recipes, it sports one of the largest catalogs in the App Store. The interface is well organized, and it is fairly easy to find the drink you’re looking for. The Liquor Cabinet feature is especially useful. By entering all the liquor and mixer types you have on hand, the app will present you with a range of possible cocktails. “*$0.99*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fmixologist-drink-recipes%2Fid319305215%3Fmt%3D8%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30

*2. Big Buck Hunter Pro:*

The popular arcade/bar game rears its antlers on iOS. Though the game centers around deer, for an additional $1.99, users can download the “Moose Adventure” which includes a turkey hunting mini game. If you plan to acquire your own turkey this holiday, this game provides some great training… ok, not really. “*$0.99*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fbig-buck-hunter-pro%2Fid335374306%3Fmt%3D8%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30

*1. TV Guide Mobile:*

Whether it’s tuning into the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade or catching the big game, this app provides an accurate and up-to-date listing of your local cable channels. Upon launching the app for the first time simply input your zip code and select the appropriate service. You can your save favorite shows, and even set a customized channel list. “*FREE*”:http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=19XpSnZWhPI&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Ftv-guide-mobile%2Fid333647776%3Fmt%3D8%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30