iTunes isn’t telling you yet, but Firmware 1.1.2, which is coming out in the new iPhones in Europe and new iPod Touches, is now downloadable from the mothership, and yes, it locks and jails your phone.

Aside from putting on new international keyboards (and the locking and jailing) nothing else seems to be different. Engadget took a bullet for us and installed it on an unlocked and jailbroken unit and confirmed the bad news.

If you’re dying to try it yourself, you can get the 160MB 1.1.2 download here.

Knew it would be soon, but am still caught by surprise.

Apple’s released iTunes 7.5 and Quicktime 7.3, which are mainly for minor fixes, and addresses security issues, as well as introduces better iPhone support, and is good for Mac and Windows. (Although only the specific Tiger version of the new Quicktime has been available so far, according to some reports.)

The new iTunes has a new game for specific iPod models. Version 7.5

features the ability to activate iPhone wherever service is offered and support for Phase, a new interactive music game designed exclusively for iPod nano (third generation), iPod classic, and iPod (fifth generation). This release also includes bug fixes to improve stability and performance.”

Get iTunes here and Quicktime here, or alternately, just use Software Update. On Windows, just manually update the apps.

(No word yet if the new iTunes will mess up jailbroken and unlocked iPhones - anyone who tries, please chime in so we all know?)

Apple’s released a couple of updates:

MacBook Pro Software Update 1.2 is for the 2.2/2.4 GHz versions and improves graphic stability. It’s a 14.4MB download you can get via Software Update or directly here.

iMac Software Update 1.2 repairs the random freeze issue plaguing some 20- and 24-inch iMacs running on 2.0/2.4/2.8GHz processors. It also provides the usual “important bug fixes”. It comes for two species - Tiger is 13.3MB and can be had here, and for Leopards it’s 21.6MB and can be had here. Alternately, you can get SU to do it for you.

Wouldn’t it be great to walk into someone’s house or office and get his Mac to play the songs on your iPhone or iPod Touch remotely on his big speakers?

TUAW reports that it’s possible. All you need do is install an app called Firefly on your iPhone or iPod Touch, let it build your mobile music database and you’re good to go.

Here’s how it’s done:

Navigate to http://home.mike.tl/iphone using Safari on your device. This installs a new app source onto Installer.app. Alternately, run Installer and add the url to the Sources tab.

This makes Firefly appear on your list of installables. Install and run Firefly, and give it anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes to build your database (the length of time depends on how many songs you got).

That’s basically it.

Make sure the iTunes you intend to play from has enabled Library Sharing and has wifi, and that the firewall of the Mac allows communication. Your gadget’s playlist will appear on any iTunes you come within range of, and there you go - if it asks for a password, just say “dottie”, by the way.

You learn something new everyday.

From the Yeah-I-Knew-This-Was-Going-To-Happen Department:

Apple’s just dropped the cost of DRM-free, 256kbps AAC tracks from the iTunes Store from US$1.29 to the usual US$.99 per track, making the high-quality iTunes Plus tracks the same price as the regular stuff while “offering audio quality virtually indistinguishable from the original recordings” and free from oppressive digital rights management to boot. (They used to charge a thirty-cent upgrade fee to bump up previously-bought tracks to iTunes Plus level.)

In addition to the EMI catalog of these songs, Apple has added (among other labels) Sub Pop, Nettwerk, Beggars Group, IODA, The Orchard and more. Now at over 2 million tracks, this makes the iTunes Store the largest DRM-Free high-quality online music source thus far.

Hopefully someday soon, it’ll all be like this. And even cheaper.