MacRumors

Alongside MacBook and MacBook Pro releases today, Apple announced that iTunes had become the number 2 music retailer in the U.S., behind only Wal-Mart.

"We'd like to thank the over 50 million music lovers who have helped the iTunes Store reach this incredible milestone," said Eddy Cue, Apple's vice president of iTunes. "We continue to add great new features like iTunes Movie Rentals to give our customers even more reason to love iTunes."

The rankings are based on NPD Group's MusicWatch data. iTunes has sold over four billion songs, with 20 million songs sold on Christmas Day 2007 alone. iTunes has overtaken Best Buy which previously occupied the #2 spot.

In a not entirely surprise release, Apple has updated the MacBooks based on Intel's Penryn processors. The update arrives alongside the long anticipated MacBook Pro updates.

Featuring a gorgeous 13-inch glossy widescreen display, and with prices still starting at just $1,099, the new MacBook lineup comes in three models and includes faster processors and larger hard drives across the line; sleek white 2.1 GHz and 2.4 GHz models with 120GB or 160GB 5400 rpm hard drives and a stunning black 2.4 GHz model with a massive 250GB 5400 rpm hard drive, previously only available as an option. The 2.4 GHz MacBook models ship with 2GB of memory standard, expandable up to 4GB across the line.

$1099. Macbook 13" 2.1GHz / 1GB / 120GB / Combo / White
$1299. Macbook 13" 2.4GHz / 2GB / 160GB / Super / White
$1499. Macbook 13" 2.4GHz / 2GB / 250GB / Super / Black

The new MacBooks are available on the Apple Store.

$75-$100 Rebate on new MacBooks at MacMall
UK: Free 2 year guarantee on new MacBooks at John Lewis

After weeks of anticipation, Apple has finally released new MacBook Pros based on the latest Intel Penryn mobile processors. The release arrives alongside new MacBook updates.

MacBook Pro includes the latest NVIDIA graphics processors, now with up to 512MB of video memory, and Apple's innovative Multi-Touch(TM) trackpad, first introduced in MacBook Air(TM).

The new MacBook Pro features the latest Intel Core 2 Duo technology with
up to a 2.6 GHz processor with 6MB of shared L2 cache; up to 4GB of 667 MHz
DDR2 SDRAM memory and up to a 300GB hard drive, plus NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT
graphics with up to 512MB of video memory.

$1999. Macbook Pro 15" 2.4GHz / 2GB / 200GB 5400RPM / 256MB Vram
$2499. Macbook Pro 15" 2.5GHz / 2GB / 250GB 5400RPM / 512MB Vram
$2799. Macbook Pro 17" 2.5GHz / 2GB / 250GB 5400RPM / 512MB Vram

The 17" model now offers an optional LED screen and a 2.6GHz model remains available as a built-to-order option at the Apple Store. The MacBook Pro also incorporates the advanced multitouch trackpad that was first introduced on the MacBook Air.

Rumors of the new MacBook Pros culminated over the weekend, with reports that new products had begun shipping to Apple Stores. The new MacBook Pros are at the Apple Store.

$75 rebate for new Macbook Pros at MacMall.

DailyTech provides screenshots from Intel slides detailing their upcoming Dunnington and Nehalem architectures.

First, the slides detail Dunnington, a 45nm six-core (three dual-cores) Xeon processor and successor to Tigerton. The Tigerton procesors were launched in September of 2007 and are aimed at very high end servers. Apple has not yet adopted these processors in either its Mac Pro or Xserve line.

More interesting are details of Intel's Nehalem processors which will be the successor to Penryn. While Nehalem is also a 45nm, SSE4, quad-core chip, it will introduce a number of other new technologies. In Nehalem, Intel will replace the front-side bus model with "QuickPath Interconnect" (similar to Hypertransport), add on-die memory controllers, and tri-channel DDR3. All these changes will reportedly increase the available bandwidth to the processor, allowing it to interact with the computer at faster speeds.

Based on early estimates, the Nehalem processor is expected to benchmark 144-203% faster than existing Harpertown Xeon processors (X5482).

The Nehalem processor more than doubles the floating point performance of its current Penryn-family processors. Ou adds, "Well most likely know by the end of this year what the actual scores are, but I doubt they will be more than 5% to 10% off from these estimated projections."

The first Nehalem processors are not expected to be launched until Q4 2008.

Adobe today announced the immediate availability of Adobe AIR, a new platform for building rich internet applications (RIAs) across different platforms, including Mac OS X.

Adobe AIR enables developers to create RIAs on the desktop using the skills and Web technologies such as HTML, Ajax, PDF, Adobe Flash and Adobe Flex they already employ. Applications deployed on Adobe AIR have the advantages of browser-based RIAs, such as speed of development, ease of use, and access from virtually anywhere. Yet they also have the benefits of desktop applications, such as the ability to read/write local files, work with other applications on a users computer and maintain local data storage on the desktop.

Adobe points out that AIR makes use of various open source technologies including WebKit, the Apple-sponsored rendering engine behind Safari.

Also released is Adobe Flex 3 software which provides a framework for developing applications based on Adobe's Flex and AIR frameworks.

Flex is a free, open source framework for building highly interactive, expressive RIAs. Adobe Flex Builder 3, an Eclipse based development tool, accelerates Flex application development and includes new capabilities for deploying RIAs on Adobe AIR. Adobe Flex Builder 3 integrates with Adobe Creative Suite 3 software making it easy for designers and developers to work together more efficiently. Powerful new testing tools, including memory and performance profilers and integrated support for automated functional testing, speed up development and lead to higher performing RIAs.

The Adobe AIR and Flex SDKs are available as free downloads from Adobe's website and is available for Mac OS X. Commercial versions of Adobe Flex Builder are also available.

We'd originally published a story suggesting that MacBook Pros would see updates this Tuesday. Since that time, we've received conflicting reports as to what exactly is being delivered to Apple stores this coming week. Based on product cycles, the safe bet is the MacBook Pro, with 264 days since the last update. That, however, has not stopped Apple from introducing a slew of other products over the past few weeks (iPod Shuffle updates, Aperture 2.0, 16GB iPhone, 32GB iPod Touch)

Sources reveal that shipments of new Apple products (not just Time Capsule) are planned for midweek. Historically, such information tends to reliably predict new product releases. But we can't be confident these necessarily represent new MacBook Pros, or another unexpected announcement (such as premature MacBook or iMac updates).

Previous tidbits of information surrounding the new MacBook Pros have indicated that they will incorporate Penryn processors, an LED screen in the 17" model, and the new-and-improved multi-touch trackpad found in the MacBook Air.

Updatex2: Best Buy part numbers reportedly show new model numbers for Mac Book Pros priced the same as current models, according to two posters. Appleinsider confirms new Best Buy part numbers.

Update 3: Page 2: MacBooks, Not MacBook Pros?

Update 4: Page 2: MacBooks AND MacBook Pros?

Today marks the eighth birthday of the MacRumors.com website. It also happens to be the 53rd birthday of Apple CEO Steve Jobs.

The MacRumors Forums, the discussion boards for the MacRumors family of sites, reached a milestone this week as well, passing five million forum posts.

It took MacRumors 3.3 years to reach one million posts, 1.3 years to reach two million posts, 10 months to reach three million posts, 9 months to reach four million posts, and only 6 months to reach five million posts. We attribute our continued rate of growth both to MacRumors' rank as the top Apple news site on the web, and to the increased interest in Apple and its products, especially since the introduction of the iPhone.

MacRumors is celebrating its latest forum milestone as it has in the past, with an Avatar Contest! Forum members are invited to create original avatars and enter them in the contest. The winners will be selected in polls and will receive extra forum privileges. For the full contest description and rules, see the Five Million Post Avatar Contest.

A few interesting reader stats from our recent survey:

- 52% own a MacBook Pro (or PowerBook)
- 41% own an iMac
- 40% own a MacBook (or iBook)
- 30% own a Mac Pro (or PowerMac)
- 17% own a Mac mini
- 2.6% own an Xserve

- 74% own an iPod
- 31% own an iPhone
- 13% own an iPod Touch
- 12% own an Apple TV

We thank our members, contributors, sponsors, and all those for whom MacRumors is an online home or a regular stop. We'd also like to thank our volunteers for their hard work and continued efforts in keeping MacRumors the popular site it is.

Editors: arn, longofest
Administrators: Doctor Q, Knox, Mudbug, WildCowboy
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In a brief blog post, BusinessWeek writer Arik Hesseldahl reports that the iPhone SDK may be delayed by 1-3 weeks. No reasons for the delay are known, and Apple's plans with respect to the announced late February timeframe remain murky:

However Im also hearing that the situation is fluid, and a lot of last-minute decisions are close to being made about what precisely will or will not be disclosed next week, if anything. There are, apparently, a lot of moving parts to something this complex.

Of note, Hesseldahl contributed to an October 2007 BusinessWeek report published one day before Steve Jobs made the official announcement regarding Apple's plans to release an SDK.

Apple released iTunes 7.6.1 today through the Mac OS X Software Update. This maintenance release includes several bug fixes and improves compatibility with Apple TV 2.0. The included description remains the same as the original 7.6 release:

Rent and download your favorite movies with iTunes on your computer or directly to your living room on Apple TV. Enjoy rented movies in sizes up to 720p HD with surround sound on your Apple TV and sizes up to DVD-quality on your computer. Transfer your rented movies from iTunes to your iPod or iPhone and enjoy them on the go.

Also, purchase and download your favorite TV shows, music, and more directly on your Apple TV. Effortlessly transfer purchases made on Apple TV back to your computer with iTunes.

Meanwhile, Apple has notified iTunes customers through its weekly email, that they will be offering a different $0.99 movie rental every Thursday. The special price is available from Thursday through Monday. Once rented, like all other movies, you have 30 days to watch it. This week's $0.99 rental is The Hours (iTunes Link)

More Apple patent applications were published today, though many rehash earlier patents applications that were revealed in November. Still, the technology behind the advanced multi-touch are impressive enough to bear repeating.

The patent, originally published in November 2007, describes methods for interpreting a remarkable amount of gestures that allow for a rich vocabulary -- such as interpreting the use of an imaginary stylus. The possibilities are best summarized by this description from PCJoint::

- Need to move a cursor across the screen? Just slide your finger and it goes.
- Want to enter text? Just start typing and the text is there. You even get the touch feedback as if really pressing the keys.
- Need to erase some text? Use the backspace or just slide the finger backwards
- Have to write or draw something? Just pretend you hold a stylus or pen in your hand and start writing/drawing.
- If that is still not good enough, pick up the real stylus and start writing with it.
- All these cool touch gestures that Apple has implemented in iPhone and is exploring further? You know, scrolling, zooming, rotating & moving objects, etc; They are here too
- 3D object manipulation? Select a few 3D objects on the screen and use all 5 fingers on both hands to play with them.
- Want to take a break to relax and afraid to put your hands on the touch surface? Dont worry Multi-touch 2.0 thingie knows that and does not pay attention to your resting palms or fingers

The surface used would be a larger curved surface, pictured above, resembling Fingerworks' TouchStream keyboard.

Linkin Park played at the Apple Soho store tonight, fulfilling the rumored "secret" Apple/Linkin Park show. The six song set was recorded for a future iTunes release.

As we approach the end of February, however, the absence of press invitations to a true Apple event makes the rumored Apple media event increasingly unlikely. Apple typically gives media at least one week warning for events. Indeed, the original rumor was spotty at best -- a non-traditional rumor site with "unconfirmed" information.

Regardless, Apple has been on a roll with weekly Tuesday announcements since Macworld. Apple's self-imposed February 2008 iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK) deadline is rapidly approaching, so we should expect a release or, at the least, an announcement of delay in the next week.

When Steve Jobs announced iTunes Movie Rentals at the Macworld San Francisco 2008 keynote, he said that the digital rentals would appear 30 days after their DVD release. This delay is typically mandated by the movie studios who hold back "on demand" products, such as rentals, for 30-45 days after DVD release to avoid sales cannibalization.

Readers have noticed, however, that several movies are appearing in iTunes Rentals only days after their DVD release. These movies have included The Invasion, No Reservations and Michael Clayton. The delay from DVD release has ranged from 1 day to about a week. It seems the 30 day delay may not be enforced with all releases.

Meanwhile, Apple also appears to have some pricing flexibility with the movies. Last weekend, they ran a "Weekend Movie Rental Special" and discounted Breakfast at Tiffany's rental to $0.99 from the usual $2.99 fee.

Guardian.co.uk reports on BBC announcements about their iPlayer streaming television service, including usage stats. Amongst the announcements, however, is also the tidbit that the BBC will be launching their iPlayer service to be available on Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch devices in "the next few weeks".

There are surprisingly few details about this iPhone version of the BBC's iPlayer. The BBC's iPlayer currently comes in two flavors: a web streaming version as well as a Windows-only downloadable version.

TheRegister.co.uk claims that this means that the BBC will be transcoding their shows from Flash into H.264 video just as Youtube has, and also claims the iPhone iPlayer will be Wi-Fi only and that the BBC has a deal with hotspot provider The Cloud to offer free access to bbc.co.uk and iPlayer. While the "next few week" timeframe corresponds to the scheduled release of the iPhone SDK, it's never explicitly stated that this version of the iPlayer will be a dedicated player. A DigitalSpy.co.uk article even notes that it is possible only "because of the devices' good web support", suggesting it may simply be a specially designed web portal.

Meanwhile, PocketGamer.co.uk posts photos from a Gameloft keynote speech in which an iPhone game is depicted. The image may simply be a mockup, however, rather than an actual peek at an upcoming iPhone game.

Apple has posted MacBook, MacBook Pro Keyboard Firmware Update 1.0, which aims to address some keyboard issues some users may have been experiencing.

This MacBook and MacBook Pro firmware update addresses an issue where the first key press may be ignored if the computer has been sitting idle. It also addresses some other issues.

The update package will install an updater application into the Applications/Utilities folder and will launch it automatically. Please follow the instructions in the updater application to complete the update process.

Apple issued a software update for its portables that experienced different keyboard issues under Mac OS 10.5 earlier this year.

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Jon Lech Johansen ("DVD Jon") launched DoubleTwist today, a venture that was originally reported back in October 2006. DVD Jon originally gained notoriety (and his nickname) for his involvement in releasing the DeCSS software that allowed the bypassing of DVD copy protection. Since then, he has made headlines with the release of QTFairUse which decoded Apple's FairPlay digital rights system for iTunes.

The early reports about DoubleTwist suggested that DVD Jon had reverse engineered Apple's FairPlay copy protection and planned on licensing it to other companies. Today's launch, however, is a much different product.

DoubleTwist states its mission is to "enable consumers to enjoy their digital media on the widest possible range of devices." To that end, DoubleTwist has introduced a free product called doubleTwist desktop which allows users to sync and share media between different devices, handling the necessary format conversions transparently.

With digital media such as video from a friends cell phone or your own iTunes playlists, its a jungle out there. It can be an hour-long exercise in futility to convert files to the correct format and transfer them to your Sony PSP or your phone
...
Our goal is to provide a simple and well integrated solution that the average consumer can use to eliminate the headaches associated with their expanding digital universe.

CNet describes how the software works:

When a device is plugged into a PC (Windows XP and Vista only right now, Mac OS X coming soon), DoubleTwist launches and recognizes all the media files on the device. Any file can be selected, dragged, and dropped into DoubleTwist to be synched up to a separate device, or shared with other users you've "friended" who also use DoubleTwist.

According to Cnet, DoubleTwist will also import and convert protected AACs (purchased iTunes songs) into MP3s so they will be playable by other devices. The official DoubleTwist site appears to downplay this functionality, only listing mp3, aac/m4a, wma, and wav amongst supported audio formats. Statements by DoubleTwist's founder, however, confirm that the software will do this, but is only capable of converting songs that you are authorized to play.

A Mac OS X client and iPhone web-app are expected in Q2 2008, and the software is free.