Notes: Mac OS X 10.3.3 7F43, iTunes

Apple continued to fine-tune the third service update to Mac OS X 10.3 Panther this weekend, seeding developers with build 7F43 of the operating system.

Like the previous two seeds, the latest build addresses a number of last minute bugs associated with Panther's networking and authentication code. If sources are correct, Apple plans to release the Mac OS X Update over its software update application sometime this week.

Mac OS X 10.3.3 will deliver major changes and advancements to the Core OS, Carbon, Cocoa, Graphics and Imaging, High Level ToolBox, Printing and USB.

iTunes

Earlier today, Apple announced that music fans have purchased and downloaded over 50 million songs from Apple’s iTunes Music Store, not including songs redeemed from the currently-running Pepsi iTunes promotion.

According to the Apple press release, iTunes users are now downloading 2.5 million songs per week, which is an annual run rate of 130 million songs per year.

In related news, Apple lawyers have contacted the developers of the pPod software that mimics Apple's iPod digital music player for Pocket PCs. According to reports, the UK company, StarBrite, removed the application from its website after lawyers representing the computer maker phoned to warn the company of possible violations last week.

Meanwhile, sources close to the iTunes Music Store team claim that Apple may be planning to make a significant iTunes service announcement on or around the anniversary of Music store, which launched in the last week of April of 2003.