The next major upgrade to Mac OS X, Tiger, could be a big source of profits to Apple for the rest of fiscal 2005, according to a CNN editorial. Quoting several analysts, Paul R. La Monica wrote that the profits from Apple’s software sales could receive a big boost from Tiger, and that this was…
News
Arizona Fraterinity & Sorority Kicks Off iPod Modeling Contest
Recognizing that Apple’s iPod has already become an icon across universities everywhere, two Greek chapters at the University of Arizona have taken the music player to a new level with the iPose modeling contest and philanthropy effort. The Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity and the Alpha Phi sorority chapters have launched the contest this week with…
TMO Reports - DVForge Nixes Virus Prize Contest
Within 12 hours of announcing an open contest to successfully create and deploy an “in the wild” active virus for Mac OS X, Mac and iPod peripheral maker DVForge Inc. canceled the campaign saying it was ill advised and fraught with legal concerns. The contest — titled the Mac OS X Virus Prize 2005 –…
Seattle Times Asks "Who's Your Mac Daddy?"
T he question of who earned the name "father of the Macintosh" was recently energized by the death of one of its original creators, Jef Raskins. Mr. Raskins died February 26th, 2005, and that sparked a raft of news articles, including one at The Mac Observer, erroneously calling him the father of the Macintosh. Paul…
Apple Settles Lawsuit With One Tiger Leak Defendant
A pple has settled a lawsuit with one of three defendants it sued for distributing developer versions of Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, the company said Wednesday. Doug Steigerwald, a student and Apple Developer Connection member at the time, was sued in December 2004 after Apple determined that he was the source for pre-release copies…
Apple Buys File Translation Firm
< A href="https://www.apple.com">Apple Computer has acquired file translation firm SchemaSoft, a 40-person developer of software that allows applications to read and write file formats from other applications. Think Secret broke the story early on Tuesday, and CNet News confirmed it with Apple Tuesday afternoon. "Apple has acquired assets from SchemaSoft, a developer of software components…
NY Times Offers Historical Context for Apple's Rumor Lawsuits
< A href="https://www.apple.com">Apple CEO Steve Jobsi obsession with secrecy and controlling Appleis product announcements has roots that are decades old, according to New York Times reporter John Markoff. The veteran reporter has penned an article that offers in-depth historical context for Appleis current efforts to sue Mac rumor site Think Secret, and subpoena information from…
Computing with Bifocals - Four Cool Web Sites
Today’s column will focus on some cool Web sites that beginners might enjoy exploring. Readers are most welcome to recommend their own favorites for future review and inclusion. 20Q.net I know you remember the game 20 Questions from your (long ago) childhood wherein you chose an object and the players could ask up to twenty…
Bruce Springsteen on U2 iPod & "The Boss" iPod
B ruce Springsteen would like to see a red, white and blue iPod The Boss Special Edition, modeled after the black and red iPod U2 Special Edition. Apple may want to take note of that, because in edition to the millions of fans Mr. Springsteen commands around the world that might want to buy such…
Inside Pixar's Headquarters
W hile many Apple fans are familiar with One Infinite Loop, Appleis headquarters in Cupertino, CA, fewer are aware of what the insides of Pixar look like, where Apple and Pixar CEO Steve Jobs spends part of his time. For those interested, Ainit It Cool News serves up a collection of recent photos from inside…
Morgan Stanley Upgrades Apple to 'Overweight'
M organ Stanley became the fourth analyst this week to raise its estimates for Apple this quarter, upgrading Apple to “overweight” Friday. The firm said it believes the iPod halo effect — PC iPod owners switching to Macs — is roughly double what the market expects. Analyst Rebecca Runkle set a $60 price target for…
Google X: Google With a Touch of Apple Flair
While Mac users are no doubt accustomed to searching Google directly from their Web browser’s Toolbar, for those times when you absolutely have to load Google’s homepage, do so in style with the new Google X. “Today is an amazing day: A small idea – a fun late-night coding jaunt to help me learn Javascript…
The Back Page - Dvorak: Apple Lawsuits are Threat to Free Press
Apple’s lawsuit against Think Secret, and its attempts to subpoena information from AppleInsider and PowerPage, are threats to a free press, according to curmudgeonly pundit John C. Dvorak. Long noted for his criticisms of, and occasional praise for, Apple, Mr. Dvorak sees a ruling from a California judge declaring the Web sites as not being…
Apple Discloses 2004 Exec Stock Option Profits; Rubinstein Rakes in $26M
In its annual proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Apple said Jonathan Rubinstein, senior vice president of its iPod division, collected $26.3 million in value from exercising 3 million stock options last year. For 2004, Rubinsteinis compensation included a restricted stock grant valued at about $6.3 million and a salary totaling $485,216,…
Napster CEO Calls Steve Jobs "Frightened"
< A href="https://www.napster.com">Napster CEO Chris Gorog wasnit pulling punches in an interview with Engadget published Monday, saying that Apple CEO Steve Jobs must have been frightened to send out an e-mail to record execs pointing out holes in Napster security. In the interview, Mr. Gorog was asked about the iPod, which he called your grandfatheris…
TMO Reports - Analyst: Concerns About Sony & Napster Hurting Apple are "Overdone"
Concerns about Napster’s subscription service and Sony’s flash memory-based portable music players eating into Apple’s iTunes Music Store and iPod sales is overdone, according to a Wall Street analyst. In a research note obtained by The Mac Observer, JP Morgan’s Bill Shope raised his estimates for the March quarter to earnings per-share (EPS) of US$0.24…
Microsoft Discontinues MSN for Mac OS X Software
A fter May 31, 2005, MSN customers will no longer be able to access Microsoftis Internet service using its Mac OS X software, the company announced Friday. Mac customers who want to continue using the service will be able to tap into MSN and read their e-mail through any Web browser. “MSN for Mac OS…
Motorola Cancels iTunes Phone Launch; Rollout Possibly March 23 (UPDATE)
Motorola spokeswoman Monica Rohleder told the Chicago Tribune that the company decided not to unveil the phone Thursday at the CeBIT electronics convention in Hannover, Germany after discussions late Wednesday night with “our operators”, meaning carriers such as Cingular, Vodafone, Verizon and T-Mobile. “Motorola discussed the logistics of this product with our carriers across the…
Piper Jaffray: Sony, Yahoo No Quick Match for iPod, iTunes Dominance
Despite a 12% drop in its share price over the last week, Mr. Munster said he believes Appleis competitive position “is strong and in some segments may become even stronger.” Speaking of Sonyis Monday announcement of nine new flash-based portable audio devices, Mr. Munster said, “Sony will only be successful at chipping away at iPod…
Just a Thought - Blackberry and Bluetooth
On a recent Monday morning, as I plodded, zombie-like, to the break room at work to get a cup of joe, I passed Elizabeth in the hallway. Being the ever friendly guy that I am, I offered my traditional morning greeting, "mornin’." "Good morning," Elizabeth chimed; she is a diminutive, perennially upbeat person who can…
Reuters Examines Subscriptions vs. iTunes
T he effect of subscription music services being a threat to Appleis iTunes dominance in the music download business is the subject of an article by Reuters. The article postulates that iTunes is facing pressure from subscription services, which it says "may be on the verge of explosive growth." The article comes on the heels…
TMO Exclusive - Average iPod Owner Shelling Out $150 on Accessories, Study Finds (UPDATE)
The average U.S. iPod owner is spending about $150 on cases, cables, adapters and other accessories and there is little evidence that trend will subside any time soon, a consumer survey has found. A survey by the market research firm Envisioneering Group found that American consumers who own an iPod are spending on average half…
iPod Chip Maker Boosts Battery Life With New Processor
P ortalPlayer, the company behind the processing brains in Appleis iPod and iPod mini, announced its next-generation solution Thursday, the PP5022 System-on-Chip. Building off of the PP5020 featured in current iPods, the PP5022 has dramatically lower power requirements, which the company says could extend battery life by up to three times in devices that use…
Duke to Decide Fate of iPods in Two Weeks
D uke University will deliver the final decision on its iPod initiative in two weeks time, The Chronicle reports. The university, which outfitted 1,650 freshmen with 20GB iPods six months ago, has had mixed experiences incorporating the music players into the curriculum. While the number of teachers using the iPod has increased this semester from…
