shuffle

I think it's fair to say that the iPod is the most important product Apple ever made. It marked the tipping point between Apple's history as a computer manufacturer and its shift toward mobile consumer electronics. Without it, there would be no iTunes, no iPhone, no iPad -- none of the things people think of when they think of Apple today.

Which is not to say that the iPod is still an important part of Apple's bottom line. It could ax the iPod's whole division and still make more money from the iPhone and iPad than … Read more

commentary A few months into the gig, Research In Motion CEO Thorsten Heins has shown he's not afraid to pull the trigger.

On the heels of several high-profile departures, including that of former co-CEO Jim Balsillie, a number of other senior-level executives are also getting shown the door, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal (subscription required).

The continued shakeup is badly needed at RIM. As I previously wrote, RIM was mired in a top-heavy company that contributed to its inability to deftly respond to changing trends in the mobile-devices business. On the last quarterly conference call, … Read more

Apple has secured 17 new patents.

The patents, which were first discovered by Patently Apple, include a host of technologies, such as digital-camera calibration and the way in which a computing device boots under a single security model. Even Apple's iPod Shuffle design, boasting an ultrasmall footprint, control buttons at the top, and a clip underneath, has been cleared for the company to own.

One of the more notable patents Apple has been granted is one related to wireless synchronization. Dubbed "Wireless synchronization between media player and host device," the patent allows Apple to add content to … Read more

Bottom line: Version 10.6 of iTunes brings a handful of enhancements to Apple's ubiquitous media software, and adds support for 1080p video.

Review: As one of the most popular programs for managing music and video content on a personal computer, Apple's iTunes software has become an indispensable part of our digital life.

Interface The look and layout of iTunes 10 is essentially identical to that of iTunes 9, with just a couple of noticeable differences. The first is that Apple has updated its logo for iTunes. Rather than the old-school music note-over-CD icon, you'll see a … Read more

Shake to Shuffle is a handy feature for iPod Touch and iPhone users who want to quickly shuffle their current playlist. But, the same feature can be a nuisance for people who don't realize what it is, or if it's even turned on. … Read more

On October 23, a full 10 years will have transpired since the very first iPod was announced in 2001.

The original iPod earned mixed reactions after its debut, but it rapidly gained ground to steal popularity from other MP3 players. Some only saw the iPod as a me-too device, while others, such as CNET's Eliot Van Buskirk, foresaw it as the precursor to a new future of handheld computing. Ten years later, the iPod brand covers a whole family of products, each its own designs and functions. Click below for a look back at the iPod's biggest moments and its evolutionary transformations, some more successful than others. … Read more

OK, we've got a little bit of a special giveaway this week. T-Mobile is sponsoring the Crave giveaway in conjunction with its promotion for its "Truly Unlimited" $79.99 plan, which it's offering at that special price for a limited time.

In sponsoring the giveaway, T-Mobile challenged us to come up with a prize that costs less than $80 that people would be interested in winning (by "interested in winning," they challenged us to get at least 1500 entries for the prize).

Well, here we go then. For the T-Mobile Under $80 Challenge contest, … Read more

According to new research, Apple will sell between 3.5 million and 3.7 million Macs in the fiscal quarter ending in this month.

The data comes from market research firm NPD and was sent to clients by Piper Jaffray senior research analyst Gene Munster. Interpreting the data, Munster says he believes Apple will finish the quarter at the lower end of expectations.

For January and February, Apple is trending up 16 percent over the year-ago quarter. That would put Apple at about 3.6 million Macs for the quarter. The street consensus is for Macs to be up in … Read more

Microsoft is said to be on the brink of another shuffle among its senior management.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer plans to make changes to the company's senior management in order to improve the company's competitive edge in Web services, smartphones, and tablet computers, according to a Bloomberg report that cites unnamed sources.

Those changes, Bloomberg says, will be announced "this month."

What remains unclear is whether the changes will bump out any of the existing division heads, in place of talent from within or outside of the company, versus changing the number of business units and … Read more