The iPod Nation

Check out this story from CNET about Apple University. Steve Jobs’ other company Pixar Studios has a university as well. They are set up like Mcdonalds’ Hamburger University and are largely for internal employees.

Apple has hired the dean of Yale’s School of Management to head up a new program called Apple University.

It’s not clear exactly what Joel Podolny will be working on at Apple, but a note from Yale President Richard Levin to students announcing Podolny’s departure said he would be leading “educational initiatives at Apple.” He’ll join the company in early 2009, but Apple representatives are not commenting on what he’ll have on his plate, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Apple University could encompass several things: increased marketing and distribution to college students and universities, already a bastion of Apple’s customers; an expansion of a current project known as iTunesU, or an internal training program for Apple employees similar to McDonalds’ famed Hamburger University. The WSJ notes that Pixar–founded by Apple CEO Steve Jobs–has a similar program in place for animators called Pixar University.

Podolny won’t need any introduction to the Apple world, telling Yale students in his farewell e-mail that he’s been a Mac user since the days of the Apple II. “These events are part of the fabric of my life, and I am excited to know that I will be joining an organization for which I have so much respect and enthusiasm, a company whose reputation for innovation and excellence is second to none,” he wrote.

There you have it, his final email to his students citing the reason he is leaving Yale. Of course he probably forgot to mention the boatload of money he will be getting from Apple…

-Derek

[Source:CNET]

Things have been looking good for Apple. They’ve sold millions of iPhones making them the third most popular cell phone maker in the world, now they can add another achievement to the list. The Apple App Store recently had over 200 million applications downloaded since its introduction only a few months ago. Just last month they had 100 million downloads, not too shabby Apple.

-Ray

[Source: macrumors]

Another lawsuit for Apple? Again? Yes folks. Apple is facing another lawsuit filed by a company called Luxpro Corp. Luxpro is suing Apple for “attempted monopolization” of the MP3 Player market. According to the lawsuit, Luxpro alleges that Apple has been trying to eliminate competition to the iPod by utilizing illegal marketing tactics as well as other practices. Luxpro stated that Apple sought an injunction against the company when Luxpro introduced their own MP3 player that was suppose to compete with the iPod shuffle. In addition, although the injunction was reversed, the damage was done as stores such as Best Buy, Radio Shack, Circuit City, and other electronics stores refused to carry their products. Apple also sent threatening letters to Luxpro demanding the company to remove their products from the market. With the iPod having a stranglehold on the MP3 market, it seems reasonable that other companies would sue Apple. But Apple has been known to pull some questionable marketing and business moves. So who knows.

- Geoff

[Source: TechSpot]

The good people at ifixit have already taken apart the new Apple MacBook and have some interesting features and details. Here is what they has to say, and we don’t recommend you try this at home.

• The optical drive is identical in the MB and MBP, and it’s SATA
• MBP RAM isn’t tough to replace, but hard drive requires a Torx screwdriver
• The keyboards can be user-serviced, but require removing 56 screws first
• “Unibody” construction is “elegant”
• “The new MacBook is really a 13″ MacBook Pro. It uses the same design, and same manufacturing quality”

-Ray

[Source: Gizmodo]

Apple’s new MacBook and MacBook Pros are here and have a lot of really cool new features. After its initial unboxing we were able to finally see all these new features first hand. A few of these new features and differences are:
- The MacBook is about half a pound lighter than the previous model.
- MacBook Pro is two-tenths of a pound heavier than the previous model.
- Trackpad slightly more resistive and you’re able to do right-clicking by either a two-finger or one finger.
- The mystery port from the leaked photos online is actually the battery indicator.
- The MacBook will not feature Firewire
- The MacBook Pro has Firewire 800.
- The $1299 MacBook does not have a backlit keyboard like the Pro.

-Ray

[Source: macrumors]

The new MacBook starts out at $1299, much lower than the MacBook Pro starting out at $1999. There will be two models of the new MacBook. The new MacBooks feature 13.3-inch LED backlit display, 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 3MB L2 Cache, 2GB 1066MHz DDR3 memory, 9400M GeForce, 160GB hard drive and SuperDrive. The second runs for $1599 and features a .4GHz processor, 250GB hard drive and a backlit keyboard.

-Ray

[Source: gizmodo]

The new MacBook Pro features a unibody enclosure built from a single piece of aluminum. The new MacBook pro will have a full multi-touch glass LED-backlit display and all its connectors on one side. The new MacBook pro is just plain sexy!

-Ray

[Source: gizmodo]

More images of the new MacBook Pro have been released just before its official debut later today. These images show the MacBook with that appears to be a removable battery and hard drive. Stay tuned for official pics and specifications from Apple after the new MacBooks official release.

-Ray

So the new MacBook pro will be debuted today but specs and images have already been leaked all over the internet. A few of the most obvious changes to the new MacBook Pro that we’ve seen are: A new iMac-style black border around the display, No more physical latch, MacBook Air-style black keyboard, A single-piece aluminum frame. No more chintzy plastic trim along the edges and seams. Another major change is the single-button trackpad is now gone. The new MacBook Pros prices should stay the same at $1999 and $2499 with the MacBook Air at $1799 and $2499. Stay tuned for more pics and info on the new MacBooks being debuting later today.

-Ray

[Source: engadget]

Not that we really care about celebrities, but check out this picture of Halle Barry.

Yes, it indeed looks like a first-generation iPod Touch. It looks like Halle Barry couldn’t leave, what looks like a Blackberry, for an iPhone. So it seems she settled for an iPod Touch. But what is more interesting is the book she is holding in her hand. Diagnosis and Treatment for Multiple Personality Disorder. Hmm I wonder what that is for?

- Geoff

[Source: Macenstein]