In a world where we can manage our iPhones and iPads from the cloud and need never plug them into a computer thanks to iCloud, it’s easy to forget that actually iTunes exists for the very same purpose. We know that we don’t all use it here at Redmond Pie, and at least one writer doesn’t even have an iTunes library to call his own. Music streaming services like Spotify and Rdio make iTunes even more redundant, so when Apple released iTunes 11.1.4 today it took some work to get excited about it.

Apple today has dropped two versions of iTunes, one is the final public version of iTunes 11.0.5, and the second is iTunes 11.1 beta 2 which is a dev-only seed. Check out the full change log after the jump.

While it’s true that not everyone is an iTunes fan, many will concede that iTunes 11’s MiniPlayer feature is actually rather nifty. Evoking memories of the good old days of Winamp, the miniature iTunes offers just the functionality required to get the job done, all whilst avoiding taking up the entire screen just so users can skip tracks.

Following a mammoth wait and numerous delays, iTunes 11 finally released to the public some two weeks ago. Today, the revamped iTunes software has been updated to version 11.0.1, and as well as bug fixes for iCloud and AirPlay, it also helps you find duplicate content within your library.

It wasn’t that long ago when Apple appeased users with the release of iTunes 11, bringing with itself tons of new changes under the hood, some good, and some, well, rather confusing.

After being unveiled last September, and subsequently delayed, the long-awaited overhaul of iTunes was finally released to the general public on Thursday. Over 10 years ago, Apple unveiled its jukebox software to the world: innovative at the time, it has become more bloated and complicated over the years.

iTunes 11 has just been seeded by Apple after a great deal of delay, and naturally, the tech world is busy trying to dissect all of the new features. Among them, arrives the ability to redeem iTunes Store gift / credit cards by simple means of using your computer’s camera. Typing in a long alphanumeric can be a pain in the rear, and unless maximum concentration is applied, mistakes are easy to make, rendering the whole process somewhat seamless. With this new camera snapping system working in much the same manner as your typical QR scanner, you can finally let the tech do the donkey work for you.

Today is a big day in Apple’s software calendar, and as well as the small matter of a new-look iTunes 11, update 5.1.1 has just been released for the Apple TV. The little black box doesn’t quite get the attention of some other iOS devices, but with continual rumors of a connected Apple TV on the horizon, it’s hardly surprising so few have picked up the $99 set-top. Unlike iTunes, which looks vastly different from the old versions, update 5.1.1 isn’t too much of a bump, offering mainly bug fixes, couples with support for iTunes Up Next with iTunes 11 or iTunes Match.

Apple just pushed out an improved version of its desktop media player / content hub, bringing the version number up to 11. It was originally presumed that iTunes 11 would drop alongside the iPhone 5, iPad mini or the 4th-gen iPad, but instead, it has been released after many delays which we’ve documented quite well here at Redmond Pie. As well as feeling a lot lighter than it has ever done, some work has gone into reshaping the look of the App Store, as well as iTunes itself.

iTunes 11, which, among other new features and implementations, is set for a major design overhaul of the store, was supposed to have arrived at some point last month, but thanks to numerous delays, has not yet seen the light of day. It’s scheduled to finally be shipping at the end of this month, and a post over at the MacRumors forums suggest Apple may have finally gotten iTunes sorted out. The post screenshots an email that was sent to artists by German music distribution service Feiyr, which says iTunes 11 is “about to be released within the next days.”

Apple has today announced that iTunes 11 will not release this month as previously expected, with November now the expected ship date. If you’re one of the millions who use iTunes as their media hub and central iOS device syncing station, then this news is going to sting somewhat. Having previously promised that the next version of iTunes, version 11, would be available for download some time in October, the company has now confirmed that is no longer the case.

As with the leaked info post regarding upcoming Apple accessories we brought you earlier, there’ll likely be quite a few general reports during the next couple of hours leading up to the beginning of the event, and in our latest roundup of intelligence regarding today’s special keynote gathering, it looks as though the iPhone 5 name seems a dead certainty.