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 together during the past three years," Jobs said. "Over 1 billion songs have now been legally purchased and downloaded around the globe, representing a major force against music piracy and the future of music distribution as we move from CDs to the Internet."
During her years at CNET News, Ina Fried has changed beats several times, changed genders once, and covered both of the Pirates of Silicon Valley. These days, most of her attention is focused on Microsoft. E-mail Ina. 
