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Apple Inc

• THIS DAY IN APPLE HISTORY November 27, 1996: Jobs Calls Amelio - Apple was in a bad way and Gil Amelio was doing everything he could think of to right the ship. Remedies included layoffs, killing projects and axing the Performa line. (read more) Applematters
• Fortune: Steve Jobs the World's Most Powerful Businessman - The iCEO heads the list of global execs. Insanely Great Mac
• Goldman Sachs rates Apple a ‘buy’ on Mac, iPod, iPhone strength - etail checks from Black Friday give Goldman Sachs analyst David Bailey more reason... MacDailyNews
• Many indicators point toward Apple having blockbuster holiday sales success - On Black Friday, wifey and I took the kids to San Francisco's Union Square to see the tree-lighting ceremony... MacDailyNews
• MacMall sales surge 65% over last Thanksgiving driven by strong sales of Apple Macs, iPods - The holiday shopping season had a strong start at MacMall. Sales for the period from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday... MacDailyNews
• AAPL Creeps Up Over $176 Again - Apple's stock took another upswing in after hours trading to climb back up over the US$176 mark early Wednesday morning. The Mac and iPod maker's stock closed on Tuesday evening at $174.81, continuing the company's general upward trend. Mac Observer
• Apple retail stores revamp for holidays - Over the past year, Apple has revamped its 201 stores, changing the layout, adding services and increasing its staffing. The “concierge” service that Apple launched last week is only the latest initiative designed to draw more visitors and bolster already record-breaking sales, according to the Associated Press. MacimumNews
• Fortune favours Steve Jobs - Apple CEO Steve Jobs is declared the world's most powerful businessman by Fortune magazine, 'At this moment, no one has more influence over a broader swath of business than Jobs.' Macworld UK
  

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Mac Hardware

• MacBook wireless suffering after recent Mac OS X updates - Owners of Apple's 13-inch notebooks are reporting that their Wi-Fi access is much less reliable after installing Mac OS X Leopard or more recent updates to Mac OS X Tiger, especially when the systems switch to battery power. AppleInsider
• Matias Unveils iRizer Notebook Stand - Matias announced the immediate availability of its new iRizer notebook computer stand on Wednesday. The iRizer is a light weight, adjustable height stand that folds flat for travel. Mac Observer
•  Review: EX-S880 packed with features, though pic quality is varied - The Exilim EX-S880 is a solid follow-up to its predecessor, the S770 from Casio, though the location the zoom button is very inconvenient, being located on the back right side of the camera. Resolution has been increased to 8.1 megapixels (from 7.2), but the screen is the same (an impressive 2.8-inch LCD) and the case is still slim (2.4×3.7 x .7 inches and seven ounces) and reasonably durable. However, unlike the S770, the S880 touts a YouTube mode and a face detection/recognition system. MacimumNews
• Apple looking into MacBook hard drive issues - Apple follows up on Retrodata damaged hard drive warning for MacBooks, begins 'looking into it'. Macworld UK
• Lawsuit charges CRT makers with price-fixing - A class-action lawsuit alleges manufacturers of being a "global cartel" involved in price-fixing of CRT monitors. Macworld UK
• Greenpeace slams Nokia, Nintendo in electronics guide - Greenpeace released its latest ranking of electronics companies based on their environmental efforts. Macworld UK
• Apple Macs Top Five - Getting to the core of the line-up The Register
• Greenpeace slams Apple Nintendo over eco-credentials - Apple off the hook, a little The Register
• Five cool mice worth a click - USATODAY.com - Whether you use your Windows PC or Mac for work or play, or a bit of both, a few new and unusual mice do more than just move the cursor on your computer screen. Yahoo! NEWS

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OS X & Software

• Why Do I Use Apple's Apps? - What is it that makes Apple apps special enough that I use them even when I??’ve tried and failed with similar third party apps? Spaces is far from an original (read more) Applematters
• Intel upgrades OS X tools - Half-dozen development packages tweaked with spots. Java 6 for Leopard preview available Insanely Great Mac
• Inquisitor gets its spots - Results pop up as fast as you type... Insanely Great Mac
• Free downloads from TuneCore - Fresh tracks from a long list of people that you know Insanely Great Mac
• Apple thanks Boot Camp Beta participants; reminds users of Boot Camp Beta’s Dec. 31 expiration - Multiple MacDailyNews readers report receiving the following email from Apple thanking them... MacDailyNews
• Intel upgrades developer tools to support Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard - Intel Corporation today announced an upgrade of its popular software tools suite for Mac OS X Leopard, the sixth major version of Apple's advanced operating system... MacDailyNews
• Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock hits gold for Apple Mac - Aspyr Media, Inc. today announced the Mac version of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock has been declared Gold Master... MacDailyNews
• Applications inadvertently running as root - We've now seen a few reports of a phenomenon where normal applications inexplicably run with root privileges under Leopard (Mac OS X 10.5.x). This is a potentially serious security concern, as apps running with such priviliges can manipulate data beyond their intended bounds and potentially wreak system havoc. It's indicative of an inadvertent invocation of the setuid command. MacFixIt
• Classic Menu 2.8 Updated for Leopard - Sig Software announced on Wednesday that Classic Menu 2.8 adds full support for Leopard. Classic Menu brings back the classic Mac OS hierarchical menu with no systems hacks or patches, and the Mac OS X menu is an easy click away. Mac Observer
• Gadget Support Comes to Google Desktop for the Mac - Google announced on Wednesday that it is adding Google Gadget support to its Google Desktop application for the Mac. Google Gadgets are similar to Apple's Dashboard widgets, but are cross-platform and work in Dashboard, iGoogle pages, and the Google Desktop Sidebar. Mac Observer
  
• NetShred X 4.1 Gains Mac OS X 10.5 Compatibility - Mireth Technologies announced the immediate availability of NetShred X 4.1 on Wednesday. The updated version of the Internet activity privacy application added support for Mac OS X 10.5, Safari 3. Mac Observer
• message2net 1.2.4 Adds Leopard Support - nova media announced the immediate availability of message2net 1.2.4 on Wednesday. The updated version of the SMS and phonebook management application added support for Mac OS X 10.5 and fixed several bugs. Mac Observer
• Iconfactory and Panic Introduce CandyBar 3 for Leopard - The Iconfactory announced the immediate availability of CandyBar 3.0 on Wednesday. The new version of the icon customization utility supports Mac OS X 10.5 exclusively and combines features from CandyBar 2 and Pixadex 2 in a single application. Mac Observer
  
• Protecting Files with an Encrypted Disk Image - TMO Quick Tip - I recently showed how to keep Leopard's pre-built Smart Folders from snooping where you don't want them. A couple of readers pointed out encrypted disk images are really effective at keeping your private documents private, too, and they are absolutely right. If you don't know how to create an encrypted disk image, however, they won't do you much good at all Mac Observer
• Boot Camp Beta to expire Dec. 31 - With the introduction of Mac OS X 10.5 (“Leopard”), the Boot Camp Beta program has ended. The Boot Camp Beta software will expire on Dec. 31, and Apple won’t offer further updates of Boot Camp Beta for Mac OS X 10.4. If you’d like to continue using Boot Camp, Apple says you should upgrade to Leopard. MacimumNews
• Intel upgrades software tools for Leopard - Intel has announced an upgrade of its software tools suite for Mac OS X 10.5 (“Leopard”). The 10.1 version of the Intel C++ Compiler and Intel Fortran Compiler, as well as the Intel Threading Building Blocks, Intel Math Kernel Libraries and Intel Performance Primitives, have been optimized for Apple’s Leopard and Xcode 3.0 development environment launched last month. MacimumNews
• Google Desktop for Mac adds support for Google Gadgets - Google Desktop for the Mac now also includes support for Google Gadgets, mini applications with dynamic content. Mac users can now run Google Gadgets side by side with Apple Widgets in Dashboard and have the same gadgets on their Mac, iGoogle page and Google Desktop Sidebar. MacimumNews
• Chocolatier 2: Secret Ingredients released for Mac OS X - PlayFirst has released Chocolatier 2: Secret Ingredients for Mac OS X. The US$19.95 game has two play modes (story and freeplay), 20 cities, 72 recipes, six chocolate factories, four shops and one tasting lab. MacimumNews
  
• Java 6 for Mac OS X ‘weeks away’ - The project to port Java 6 to Mac OS X 10.4 and 10.5 has been quietly released as a second developer preview for a fresh round of testing, “after the first implementation was thrashed and debugged by a core of around 40 developers,” reports Reg Developer. MacimumNews
•  fmDataGuard update adds support for logging Viewed data, more - WorldSync has updated fmDataGuard—a product for FileMaker Pro solutions that provides the technological basis for regulatory compliance, logs all data changes and allows for instant data rollback or quick recovery from a crash or corruption—to version 1.1. The update adds support for logging Viewed data, and new SQL query and execution capabilities. MacimumNews
• UK workers misunderstand email privacy issues - UK workers must understand that work email isn't truly private, a recent survey reveals 45 per cent of workers are unaware that business email isn't private. Macworld UK
• Last dates for iPhoto prints confirmed - Want to send a calendar of a collection of photographs to a relative or friend? Then you have until 11 December to get your order in. Macworld UK
• Google's 'Gdrive' online storage soon - Google to deliver an online storage service in the coming months, according to The Wall Street Journal. Macworld UK
• Hacker defaces temples to OS X - Apple fanboys crawling with maggots The Register
• Java 6 for OS X 'weeks away' - Apple hole gets community stuffing The Register
• New tools from Intel drive Mac apps to Penryn - InfoWorld - San Francisco - Intel upgraded its software development tools on Wednesday to help Mac OS X Leopard applications perform better on Intel's Penryn processors, suggesting the power-efficient chips may be offered soon in Apple Macs. Yahoo! NEWS

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iPods & iTunes

• Poor Battery Life May Doom Zune - Zune 2.0 features impress, but battery longevity doesn't. Insanely Great Mac
• Universal Music CEO Doug Morris looks to break Apple’s iPod+iTunes dominance - These are tough times for the music business. In 2006, the number of CDs sold worldwide fell 10 percent... MacDailyNews
• Jermaine Dupri: We made iTunes, not Apple; no more singles, buy albums or we’ll take them away! - Some people find it hard to understand my man Jay-Z's decision not to let iTunes... MacDailyNews
• CNET: Microsoft’s Zune 80 can’t even achieve half the battery life of Apple’s iPod classic - CNET Labs has just published the results of their Zune 80 audio-only battery tests... MacDailyNews
• Universal Music Group's View of the Digital World - Wired has a revealing article on Universal Music Group's CEO Doug Morris and his views on the digital music industry. The article provides insight into how only an outsider like Apple could accomplish what the music industry was unwilling and unable to create -- a successful digital distribution system. MacRumors.com
•  XtremeMac unveils Verona leather case line for new iPods - XtremeMac has announced its Verona case line for the new iPod models: the 3G iPod nano, the iPod classic and the iPod touch. The Verona case line includes different types and styles of leather cases. All of the cases are hand-crafted leather and include a soft interior lining. MacimumNews
• Universal CEO calls iTunes "golden handcuffs" - Doug Morris rails against iTunes, but wants the money too. Insightful interview shows the logic driving one of music's biggest surviving moguls. Macworld UK
• Ixos' sparkly iPod nano cases - New case range from Ixos is available now from high street retailers, prices start at just £7.99, range includes silicone, diamante and aluminium cases Macworld UK
• iPod integration in Microsoft Office 2008 - iPod integration with Office 2008 will let users of Apple's portable media device deliver PowerPoint presentations, Apple Remote support also features, Microsoft reveals. Macworld UK
• Universal chief rues Apple's 'golden handcuffs' - We'd love to leave, but the money's too good The Register

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iPhone

• Apple prices unlocked iPhones at 749 euros in France [Updated] - Apple and wireless partner Orange will launch iPhone in France later today, offering customers three distinct pricing options for the handset, including a fully unlocked and carrier independent version for 749 euros ($1105). AppleInsider
• iPhone sans contract for €749 - France Telecom's pricing rude, but not quite so egregious as Germany's T-Mobile Insanely Great Mac
• Orange aims for 100k iPhones - While pundits claim O2 is falling short in UK Insanely Great Mac
• Orange iPhone unlock starts demise of exclusive carrier model - French mobile carrier Orange has made a mockery of the T-Mobile charge of €600 to unlock an iPhone, which was forced upon it by a Vodafone injunction. Orange has offered to unlock iPhones for much more reasonable prices which will give customers an incentive to choose their own carriers in France. itwire
• iPhone business model faces growing threat in Europe: analyst - Apple's iPhone business model, which ties the sale of the popular handsets to an exclusive carrier for each country in which they are sold faces a growing threat in Europe from a variety of sources, according to a leading European based telecommunications analyst. itwire
• Google Maps for Mobile adds ‘My Location’ GPS-like tech; triangulates your location via cell towers - Google is set on Wednesday to launch a new feature in its Google Maps for Mobile program... MacDailyNews
• Apple expected to clash with Nokia over touchscreen UI patents - Nokia Corp. could experience delays or holdups in its smartphone strategy if rival Apple Inc. goes... MacDailyNews
• Orange to launch Apple iPhone with special late-night openings; expects 400-500K sales by 2008 end - France Telecom's Orange will be holding late-night openings at 12 of its stores for the launch of Apple's revolutionary iPhone... MacDailyNews
• Computerworld’s iPhone naysayer turns iPhone lover - Back in July, not long after Apple Inc.'s iPhone was released, I told those plagued by iPhone lust 'to get over it.' Alas, I was unable to follow my own advice... MacDailyNews
• Apple's War on Customers - Cell phone carriers have created an impenetrable mess with a business model built on subsidizing mediocre handsets to lock in customers on long-term service contracts. I had no idea the situation could become so weird so fast. As I noted previously, the introduction of Apple's iPhone was a significant development. The iPhone is a major leap forward in the pizzazz department, and even if it didn't include a state-of-the-art HSDPA cellular data interface, consumers love glitz. MacNewsWorld
• Vive la iPhone! - Hot Forum Topic - Apple and Orange are launching the iPhone in France in only a few hours. Today TMO readers are discussing the impact that Apple's combination iPod and smart phone -- along with the French pricing scheme -- will have on the cell phone market.Mac Observer
• Orange Gears Up for France iPhone Launch - iPodObserver - Apple's iPhone is scheduled to hit store shelves in France on Thursday, November 29, but some some cities will get a taste of what Apple and Orange have to offer a little earlier. Orange, the exclusive iPhone carrier in France, will begin selling the combination iPod and smart phone at 6:30PM in select cities on Wednesday the 28th. Mac Observer
• iPhone Shines for Apple on Cyber Monday - iPodObserver - Cyber Monday, or the first Monday after the US Thanksgiving holiday, proved to be a winner for Apple and its popular iPod. Online demand for Apple's portable media players was so high that many retailers sold out. Mac Observer
  
• Orange Announces iPhone France and Unlocking Options - Orange announced pricing for the iPhone in France today. Orange will be selling the iPhone for 399 euro along with one of four plans with prices ranging from 49 euros to 119 euros per month. All plans include unlimited internet and visual voicemail. MacRumors.com
• Verizon to Open Wireless Network to Any App or Device - The big industry news today comes from Verizon when they announced that in 2008 that they would offer wireless service plans open to any application or device. MacRumors.com
• iPhone to go on sale in France today - France Telecom will launch the iPhone Wednesday night at 12 of its Orange stores, reports MarketWatch. Bordeaux, Lille, Lyons, Marseilles, Montpellier, Nancy, Nice, Nantes, Rennes, Strasbourg and Toulouse will be welcoming iPhone fans from 6:30 pm onwards. MacimumNews
•  ‘BBC’: Carphone Warehouse staff lying about iPhone insurance - Staff at the UK’s biggest mobile phone retailer, Carphone Warehouse, have been caught misleading customers about the iPhone. MacimumNews
• Orange France to unlock iPhones for €100 - Four special tariffs and purchased iPhones can be unlocked at any time within the first six months for an additional €100 charge (£71.57). Macworld UK
• Carphone Warehouse 'misleads iPhone customers' - BBC - BBC Watchdog show catches Carphone Warehouse staff out in the act of misleading iPhone customers in order to sell them the retailers own insurance package. Macworld UK
• Apple to battle Nokia over touch screen patents? - Nokia's attempts to introduce touch sensitive screens in its products may be slowed by Apple's significant patent holdings in the space, an analyst said this morning. Macworld UK
• iPhone: challenges ahead - Apple's iPhone is a major challenge to existing incumbents in the mobile industry, while analysts consider company may be forced to loosen-up its exclusive carrier plans. Macworld UK
• Orange to offer unlocked iPhones for €749 - Updated €250 less than T-Mobile wants The Register
• Apple's iPhone hits French stores - AP - PARIS - French fans of Apple Inc. finally have a chance to buy the much-hyped iPhone, with evening openings Wednesday at 12 select stores here, including mobile carrier Orange's new boutique on Paris' most famous avenue, the Champs-Elysees. Yahoo! NEWS
• Apple's iPhone goes on sale in France - PARIS (Reuters) - Apple Inc's iPhone went on sale in France on Wednesday with operator Orange predicting nearly half a million users in a year. Yahoo! NEWS
• iPhone is launched in France at 749 euros - PARIS (AFP) - The Apple iPhone handset, incorporating mobile phone, multimedia access and music functions, was to go on sale in France with a promotional blitz late on Wednesday, following European launches in Britain and Germany. Yahoo! NEWS
• Orange to offer unlocked iPhone in France - InfoWorld - San Francisco - French mobile phone operator Orange will sell unlocked iPhones for €649 ($964), far less than the €999 that T-Mobile charges in neighboring Germany. The price falls to €399 with a special iPhone airtime contract of at least one year, the same as in Germany. Yahoo! NEWS
• Gmail Works Fine on iPhone, Blanks on Windows Mobile - PC World - Windows Mobile Gmail fans are getting antsy about a known glitch in the mobile e-mail offering that hasn't been fixed by Google in about a month. Yahoo! NEWS

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