iPod iTunes Zone

Despite its features, the iPhone is not the most innovative development of 2007, according to PC World’s top 25 list for 2007. The magazine instead presents the top award to Google Gears, the search engine giant’s platform that allows Mac and Windows users to run web apps such as Google Reader and Zoho Writer without an active Internet connection. Though still in beta, Gears is more innovative for eliminating one of the last obstacles to abandoning at least some desktop-based software in favor of downloads.The iPhone occupies second place for its somewhat mixed capabilities, the magazine explains. The touchscreen interface is labeled “intuitive and fun,” particularly for its Safari browser, but is hampered by a few technical limitations such as its slower EDGE Internet access. Apple also occupies fourth place on the list for the Time Machine feature in Mac OS X Leopard, which is said to simplify the normally complex task of backing up and restoring files.

Other highlights of the list include the One Laptop Per Child project’s XO notebook at third place, the Amazon Kindle e-book reader (fifth), and HP’s TouchSmart all-in-one PC. Web-only services such as Facebook’s app platform or finance tracker Mint also dominate the bottom half of the 25-member chart.

source: macnn.com

Apple’s unconfirmed video rental service will debut with several companies onboard, not just one, according to the New York Times. The Financial Times recently uncovered a deal with 20th Century Fox, which should see new releases come straight to iTunes, and iPod-sized, FairPlay-encoded files carried on DVD titles. The New York Times now cites “several people familiar with the negotiations” as saying that when Fox appears on stage at Macworld January 14th, it will be joined by several other companies whose names are not being leaked.One strong possibility may be Disney, as Apple CEO Steve Jobs is on the company’s board of directors, and it is the only company currently selling new movie releases through iTunes — every other studio is selling older movies, or merely TV shows.

If and when a video rental service is confirmed, it will represent something of a backtrack for Jobs, who has criticized rentals in the past in favor of purchases. Rentals have, however, been one of the greatest public demands for iTunes, and Apple has found itself increasingly behind the times in face of rival services such as Movielink and Amazon’s Unbox. Should Apple adopt rentals it could also aid the struggling Apple TV, which has had to compete with the likes of cableco set-top boxes and TiVo.

source: electronista.com

Traffic to the websites for Apple’s iTunes and Microsoft’s Zune has made major strides on Christmas day, according to new information published by stats tracker Hitwise. The Zune in particular saw major gains, with traffic nearly tripling at 299 percent compared to the Christmas before; the increase was also a 392 percent spike versus the 24th. Most of the visits are connected to downloading the necessary Zune software and to sign up for the Zune Social service that lets users share their music tastes online, Hitwise says. The researchers have declined to publish the year-over-year gains for Apple but note that Apple’s overall site traffic for Christmas is still several times that of Microsoft’s, with 0.69 percent of all detected web traffic belonging to the iTunes site and just 0.09 percent attributed to official Zune pages. However, day-to-day traffic increased 339 percent for Apple versus Christmas Eve while the Apple Store itself climbed 169 percent. As with Microsoft’s site, most of the jump between the 24th and 25th for the iTunes website is connected to new owners downloading copies of iTunes. Boosts to store traffic are unaccounted for but may relate to gift cards or late gifts.

The Zune increase shows that Microsoft has “captured interest” in its devices with this year’s redesigned Zune lineup, Hitwise adds. The series includes both a revamped hard disk player (the Zune 80) as well as lower-cost Zune 4 and 8 flash-based models that have made the lineup more accessible to first-time or budget buyers. Apple’s continued success with new iPod designs has also helped its results this year.

source: electronista.com

Apple has placed multiple times in Amazon’s Best of 2007 rankings, the latter company has announced. While no Apple product was a bestseller, the MacBook Pro has been named the “Most Loved” — highest-rated — computer, while Mac OS X Leopard has been picked as the favorite piece of software. The 4GB, third-generation iPod nano, meanwhile, was the “Most Wished-For” product under Electronics, and was joined under the “Most Popular Gift” categories by the basic MacBook. Some of the bestsellers of the year included Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows under Books, Josh Groban’s Noel under Music, and Planet Earth: The Complete BBC Series under DVD. The top computer was actually an Internet tablet by Nokia, and the most popular piece of software was Microsoft’s Office Home and Student 2007. Under Electronics, the biggest mover was Canon’s PowerShot A570IS compact camera.

source: macnn.com

JAVOedge recently unveiled some new leather cases for the iPod nano 3G, Touch and Classic [80GB|160GB], while iSkin released a new incarnation of its eVo3 lineup for the iPod classic. The JAVOedge cases are made from hand-stitched, designer-grade leather that provides a soft, but durable case for the iPod. The cases feature a color-coordinated pull-out loop made from soft fabric, with a matching lanyard. Ports and most controls are accessible even when the player sits in the case, while other controls can be used by pulling slightly on the loop to sortie the iPod from its protected state. The cases are available directly from JAVOedge, with prices ranging from $25 to $30, and come in black, red and pink.

iSkin’s eVo3 for the iPod classic features the revolving, removable plastic clip, clear front face protection, and custom-molded silicone rubber enclosure that have made the eVo stand out from other soft iPod cases. The hold switch, headphone jack, and dock connector are covered by the silicone body, with the headphone and dock connector covers able to be removed for use. iSkin also has replacement parts – such as the belt clip and face plate – available for purchase on its website The eVo3 case for the iPod classic is available through retailers nationwide and through iSkin directly for $35.

source: macnn.com

Apple’s stock price repeatedly rose this week to finally break the $200 mark yesterday in afternoon trading, but one financial analyst expects the Cupertino-based company to reach $600 within 18 months. “There’s so much growth to look forward to for the iPhone,” said Stephen Coleman, chief investment officer at Daedalus Capital. Coleman said Apple gets roughly 30 percent of iPhone fees charged by carriers, according to Bloomberg, while Wall Street estimates place Apple’s slice of the revenues somewhere between 5 percent and 20 percent. Apple this year stands as the fifth-best performer on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, with monumental growth from its Mac computer sales helping the company to report another record quarter. Helped by steady iPhone sales both in the U.S. and overseas, Apple hopes to reach its goal of selling 10 million iPhones by the end of 2008. The company had sold nearly 1.4 million handsets in the U.S. alone by the end of September — prior to the busy holiday shopping season — and could announce as many as 5 million sales during the Macworld Expo in January.

source: macnn.com

A little girl in Maryland this Christmas opened a box that was supposed to contain an iPod classic, only to discover a book and a strange note in place of the portable player she thought she had received, according to myfoxdc. The box, which her father purchased at a local Wal-Mart store, contained “Awakening Loving-Kindness” by Pema Chodron accompanied by a strange letter, which reads: “Reclaim your mind from the media’s shackles. Read a book and resurrect yourself. To claim your capitalistic garbage go to your nearest Apple Store.”

The man who purchased the ‘iPod’ claims the box was completely sealed when he bought it, and learned that he was not the only customer to receive a surprise instead of the expected gadget. A Wal-Mart store manager said the store had already offered a refund to another customer who had a similar problem, and considers the entire ordeal to be Apple’s problem.

Wal-Mart offered the little girl’s father another iPod, but he declined, saying he would purchase his next iPod directly from an Apple Store.

source: ipodnn.com

Dell’s recently-launched XPS One computer may pose a serious threat to Apple’s iMac, says popular columnist Walt Mossberg. Like the iMac or the Gateway One, the XPS One combines the internals of a computer with an LCD monitor, making for an extremely compact system. Mossberg notes, however, that the XPS comes with features even the iMac does not, such as a TV tuner and a built-in card reader, as well as a wireless mouse and keyboard bundle which Mac users must pay extra for.The design is also more convenient in some ways, with USB and headphone ports mounted on the side instead of the rear, and a dedicated button for turning off the screen without shutting off the computer. Furthermore, where simplified media playback requires a remote and a new menu (Front Row) on an iMac, XPS users must only interact with a touch panel on the system’s right border.

Mossberg is ultimately recommending the iMac though, as he argues for the superiority of Mac OS X Leopard over Windows Vista, primarily because of the included iLife suite and less vulnerability to malware. He also notes that a comparable iMac is at least $100 cheaper, despite having a dedicated graphics card. [via Wall Street Journal]

source: electronista.com

No less than 10 Apple inventions surfaced today at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, with three new applications filed alongside seven documents that were officially granted to the Cupertino-based company. Apple’s latest inventions include ‘Pulldown correction for progressive display of audiovisual recordings,’ as well as two patents related to iPhoto that create computer generated mosaics and touch up photos to remove blemishes. Seven previously-filed patents detail technology for DVD Web system, MagSafe, speech synthesis, and more.Apple’s Pulldown correction for progressive display of audiovisual recordings specifically covers technology that would appeal to professional video markets, like Hollywood and television broadcasters.

The ‘Computer Generated Mosaics’ filing depicts technology designed to identify images for a presentation as a mosaic. The feature describes dividing an identified image into numerous tiles, scoring each and identifying a matching image from the rest of the photo using the score of each tile. Another new patent filing, titled ‘Method and Apparatus for Digital Image Manipulation to Remove Image Blemishes,’ describes an intuitive system for digital manipulation. Users could fix small blemishes in digital images simply by hovering the mouse over the affected area and activating the feature.

Seven patent wins for Apple

Apple also won seven patents related to a DVD Web system, its MagSafe portable power adapter, speech synthesis, color correction of digital video images, accelerated scrolling, a new computer enclosure, and a means of accelerating scrolling for buffered windows.

source: macnn.com

A new location has been suggested for Apple’s long-rumored retail store in Brooklyn, New York City. Added to the list of possible sites is 345 Adams Street, a formerly city-owned plot bought for the creation of upper-class shops and restaurants. Sources in the real estate industry claim that Apple is one of several retailers considering a portion of the 40,000 square feet being made available for retail, located inside a former court building.Competitors or possible neighbors are said to include Barney’s, The Gap and Banana Republic. The site is located next to a new Marriott Hotel, and approximately two and a half miles from Apple’s current SoHo store, a distance which might ordinarily deter an extra location but is more sensible in the dense landscape of New York City.

Apple already has four retail locations in the city, and is said to be building a fifth at the northwest corner of West 67th street. With six stores, New York City would easily have the most concentrated deployment of Apple retail offerings in the US, dwarfing even the offerings in Apple’s Bay Area home.

source: macnn.com