Apple

Is Disney the apple of Jobs' eye?

When media giant the Walt Disney Co. acquired Steve Jobs' Pixar movie studio, the mega-deal made Jobs the largest individual investor in Disney.

That's a lot of mouse ears.

But as the largest individual shareholder in Disney, would Jobs be interested in having his Apple acquire Disney?

Financial publication Barron's reported Apple may be interested in making a bid for media giant, given Jobs' experience in leading companies familiar with technology and award winning movies using computer annimation, a story in MarketWatch noted.

And what do the folks at Apple have to say about these rumors? They're … Read more

Rumor: How to create an iPod hoax

The Mac rumor site Think Secret reported a couple weeks ago that Apple Computer was on the verge of releasing a "revamped video iPod that will shed the ubiquitous mechanical click wheel for a touch screen and will sport a 3.5-inch diagonal display."

And last week a photo purportedly of such a device caused a stir on several Apple-oriented sites. Well, according to a new video posted on YouTube, the iPod photo was a mere Photoshop creation.

Or maybe the video is a fake--we should know more following a press event scheduled for tomorrow at Apple's … Read more

iPod Mini makes a return to Apple's site

It's not quite the iPod Mini comeback that some were hoping for, but Apple has put a stash of the colorful players up for sale in the clearance section of its online store.

All are sold as "refurbished" products and are of the 4GB variety. Some of the Minis are of the original generation and selling for $149, while others are second-generation Minis with improved battery life and are listed at $159.

Apple discontinued the iPod Mini last September when it introduced the slimmer iPod Nano.

With this iPod I thee wed

JD Andrews sent us this blog entry in response to our call for stories about how Apple Computer's products have impacted lives. But we just couldn't wait for the planned Apple 30th birthday special report to share his iPod wedding proposal.

In what he called "true geek fashion," Andrews--who writes the blog "geek i 4 the tech guy (or girl)"--engraved the wedding proposal to his girlfriend (now fiancee) on the back of a new black 4GB iPod Nano.

"I was more worried that I would have to return the Nano than the … Read more

All tied up with an iPod

Here's an iPod accessory we've never seen before, and that makes great sense for those who have to wear a tie to work.

London-based Thomas Pink is selling the limited addition "Commuter Tie" (via iLounge) which features an inside pocket sized for the iPod Nano and an extra fabric loop to keep headphone wires out of site and close to the body. It's 100 percent silk and sells for $95. The color isn't specified on the site, but appears a reddish pink.

We want your Apple stories

Apple Computer's celebrating its 30th birthday, and you're invited. Tell us how the company's products have impacted you over the years. And be sure to include photos of you with your favorite Apple computers or gadgets. We'll include a sampling of your submissions in an upcoming CNET News.com report. E-mail your pictures and anecdotes to apple-birthday@cnet.com.

Woz: 'I hope Microsoft...becomes more like Apple'

While in New Zealand to play a little Segway polo, Apple Computer co-founder Steve Wozniak made some extensive and interesting comments to the local press about the company, the iPod, Intel and Microsoft.

Here are some highlights of Wozniak's interview with The Globe and Mail:

On the switch to Intel processors: "It's like consorting with the enemy. We've had this long history of saying the enemy is the big black-hatted guys, and they kind of represent evil. We are different, and by being different we're better. All of a sudden we're the same … Read more

Rumor: Deciphering Apple's 'fun' event

When Apple Computer this week sent out an invitation to a "fun" announcement at the company's headquarters, it may well have been handing out crack to rumor junkies. Here's a couple of the latest rocks people are pressing into their pipes:

After apparently using an Enigma machine to decipher the true meaning of the 8-word announcement, three analysts at Bear Stearns seized on the words "fun" and "new" to determine that "the most likely products are either a tablet-size iPod or larger HDTV-based iPod--both of which we discussed in our report '… Read more

Billionth iTunes song comes with a bonus

Apple Computer on Wednesday night served up its billionth song, resulting in a nice payday for the customer who bought the milestone track.

Alex Ostrovsky from West Bloomfield, Mich., bought Coldplay's "Speed of Sound," netting him 10 new iPods, a 20-inch iMac and a $10,000 iTunes gift card. Apple will also set up a scholarship in his name at the Juilliard School of Music.

In a statement, Apple CEO Steve Jobs lauded the milestone. "I hope that every customer, artist and music company executive takes a moment today to reflect on what we've achieved … Read more

Apple's music store: Over 1 billion served

Apple Computer has sold 1 billion songs via its online music store.

At about 9:40 p.m. PST Wednesday, the company's online counter reached the 1 billion mark. For several minutes before the online counter crossed the threshhold, about five songs per second were being tallied, but with about 50,000 to go, the counter suddenly jumped to 1 billion and stopped.

To the purchaser of the billionth song, the company promised a 20-inch iMac (whether it's the model with the Intel chip was not specified), 10 60GB iPods, a $10,000 iTunes Music Card and "… Read more