Apple has just released iTunes 11.0.3 which comes with several new features and improvements, including a New MiniPlayer “MiniPlayer now includes a beautiful new view that showcases your album artwork In addition, a progress bar is now built right into MiniPlayer“, Improved Songs View “You can now enjoy your album artwork while in Songs view“, and Multi-Disc Albums “Albums with multiple discs now appear as a single album“. » Apple Releases iTunes 11.0.3: New MiniPlayer, Improved Songs View & Multi-Disc Album

Apple has just increased its promotion for the upcoming milestone of 50 billion downloads from the App Store, moving it to the front page of apple.com. The person who downloads the 50 billionth app will receives a $10,000 iTunes Store gift card and the next 50 downloaders will all receive a $500 gift cards. The promotion page now also shows a rotating series of iPad mini app photos with associated facts to put the “50 billion” number in perspective. » Apple Updates Promotion Page For 50 Billion App Milestone

Apple has launched a new contest on the App Store, offering a $10,000 gift to the person that downloads the fifty billionth app from the App Store. “As of today, nearly 50 billion apps have been downloaded worldwide. And we couldn’t have done it without you. So we want to say thanks. Download the 50 billionth app, and you could win a US$10,000 App Store Gift Card. Or download one of the first 50 apps after that, and you could win a US$500 App Store Gift Card.^* Browse the App Store and download your next favorite app.” » Apple Begins Countdown to 50 Billion App Store Downloads, Win a $10,000 App Store Gift Card

Macworld reports that Apple has added a new ‘download later‘ prompt to large media purchases “such as movies, TV shows, TV Season Passes, full TV seasons, movie bundles, and music box sets” made in iTunes or on the mobile iTunes Store. » Apple Adds “Download Later” Option To Large Purchases On Mobile iTunes Store

Five years after after Amazon launched the Music Store, Amazon has announced that it has optimized its MP3 music store specifically for Safari on iOS devices to challenge the iTunes Store. iPhone and iPod touch users can discover and buy digital music from Amazon’s 22-million song catalog using the Safari browser. » Amazon MP3 Store Now Optimized For iPhone & iPod touch

Earlier we already wrote that Apple had Launched the iTunes store in 56 new countries including Russia, Turkey and India. Now Appleinsider reported that Apple on Wednesday activated iTunes movie sales in 42 new countries. “AppleInsider readers have reported that movies are now available through iTunes in various countries, such as South Africa, but many stores are only showing films from Disney, Sony and their subsidiaries.” iTunes Store users now have access to movies in the following newly-added countries: » iTunes Movies Now Available In 42 Newly-Opened Stores

Apple currently offers music in its iTunes Store in over 60 countries. According to TechCrunch, Apple is holding a small media event in Moscow tomorrow “December 4″, presumably to announced the launch of the iTunes Music Store in Russia as well. » Small Apple Media Event Tomorrow In Moscow To Launch Russian iTunes Music Store?