Apple released iTunes 8.2.1 Wednesday, an update that fixes the annoying ability to sync with third-party devices, or as the patch notes said, "iTunes 8.2.1 provides a number of important bug fixes and addresses an issue with verification of Apple devices." It was that "issue with verification of Apple devices" that allowed Palm to sync its Palm Pré with iTunes.

PreCentral posted the first confirmation that the update disables this ability. Writing for the site, Dieter bohn wrote, "Plugging the Pre in does bring iTunes 8.2.1 to the front as though it wanted to work, but then iTunes simply doesn't show the Pre in the sidebar."

Apple has in the past made it clear that it would protect its IP, and the two companies traded barbs for months in advance of the release of the Palm Pré. When the Pré hit, one of its selling points for Palm has been the ability to sync through iTunes, at least until today.

Many have expected Apple to address this issue via an iTunes update, and those expectations have now been met.

We should also remind readers that Palm is headed by former Apple VP Jon Rubinstein, who has gathered a small army of other former Apple execs and engineers to work who have worked on the Pré and other Palm products.

In the meanwhile, iTunes 8.2.1 is a 79.3MB download for Mac OS X 10.5 "Leopard," and it can accessed through Software Update. Windows users can download it via the Apple Updater utility found in iTunes.