MacRumors

Microsoft announced that Office 2008 for the Mac will be delayed until January of 2008.

Despite its name, the newest version of Microsoft Office was due for the Mac in "the second half of 2007." Lingering bugs were cited as the reason for the delay:

"It really is just a quality issue across the board," Craig Eisler, general manager of Microsoft's Macintosh business unit, said in an interview Wednesday.

Other factors blamed for the delay included the switch to Intel combined with a change in Office file formats. "It was no one thing. "This release was harder than most just because of all those things happening at once."

As a result, the launch of Office 2008 is expected at Macworld Expo 2008 in San Francisco.

TechDigest.tv reports on hints that Apple is exploring advertising options on its iTunes store. During a recent UK Copyright Tribunal, iTunes CP Eddie Cue is quoted as describing the possibility of advertising in the iTunes store. A footnote in the discussion reveals:

In fact, the iTunes service is funded through retail sales revenue and not at present as a result of advertising. But, said Mr. Cue, Global Vice-President of iTunes, iTunes may well carry advertising in the future -- hence their interest in these Applications.

One system described is in-line advertising as described by "the placement of third party advertising at the start, end or during actual delivery of a Repertoire Work to a customer by way of a permanent download". Additional quotes suggest the ads would be delivered on content whose price has "been artificially depressed to reflect such revenue." (ie. discounted)

The discussion appears to be hypothetical and the original report "stresses" that these discussions were on the "potential of ad-funded downloads" rather than any specific plan. .

There had been rumors that Apple was exploring advertising options for iTunes with older claims that Apple was looking at a way to incorporate ads into Podcasts.

In wake of rumors that Apple would be releasing a Mac OS X 10.4.11 update, Apple has already seeded developers with 10.4.11 (8S2138/8S138).

A list of bug fixes has been publicly circulating, and include: AFP Server, CUPS and IPP, dyld and prebinding, CoreTextFont, ImageIO, dyld and threaded programs, SearchKit, enabling/disabling Bluetooth, CoreAudio and Safari, CoreAudio and decoding iTunes Plus files, File Manager and POSIX volumes, Daylight Savings and New Zealand time zones, Networking and Cisco VPN, Networking and UDP packets,HFS and non-existent blocks, Directory Services, AFP X Client and Kerberos, SearchKit and Zip disks, and Service Manager.

Apple last updated Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) on June 20th, 2007.

Apple has released Security Update 2007-007 for the following operating systems:

- 10.3.9 Client
- 10.3.9 Server
- 10.4.10 PPC Client
- 10.4.10 PPC Server
- 10.4.10 Universal Client
- 10.4.10 Universal Server

Apple has also updated the Safari 3 beta to version 3.0.3.

Changes in Safari 3.0.3 for Windows beta:
- Latest security updates
- Improved stability

Changes in Safari 3.0.3 for Mac OS X beta:
-Latest security updates

Update: This story has been split from the iPhone 1.0.1 story

Apple has released (via iTunes) is iPhone Software 1.0.1. Apple simply describes the update as containing "bug fixes", and does not indicate any additional functionality at this time.

Multiple sites (example) are reporting that Apple has called the media to its Cupertino headquarters next Tuesday, August 7th at 10am PDT. The reports indicate that the event will be strictly Mac-related.

Rumors have been indicating that the iMac is set for a dramatic refresh on that date, with iLife and iWork updates perhaps also in the wings.

ThinkSecret briefly claims that Apple will released another Tiger (10.4) update:

Apple is preparing to release another update to Tiger ahead of Leopard's release, Think Secret has learned, although details of the Mac OS X 10.4.11 update are otherwise scarce at the moment.

Appleinsider adds that Apple informed a select group of developers about the intended plans.

Apple released Mac OS X 10.4.10 in June 2007, and expects to release Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) in October 2007.

Microsoft has released version 2.0 (Beta) of their Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac.

Remote Desktop Connection Client lets you connect to a Microsoft Windows-based computer and work with programs and files on that computer from your Macintosh computer.

New features include:

- Universal Binary
- Provides better compatibility with Windows Vista, improved security features, and many other improvements.
- Multiple Sessions
- Improved User Experience
- Dynamic Screen Resizing
- Improved Printing Support

Apple has posted an update to Aiport Extreme. This update is recommended for all Intel-based MacBook, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini computers and improves the reliability of AirPort connections.

The 745KB download is available at Apple's site or through your Mac OS X Software Update.

Requirements include:

- Mac OS X 10.4.10
- MacBook Pro or MacBook or Intel-based Mac mini

9to5mac updates with claims that sort out some of the mixed signals arriving these past two weeks surrounding upcoming versions of the iPod.

9to5mac had earlier posted a mockup of what was felt to be a next generation iPod which showed a shorter proportioned iPod. While met with some skepticism, a later ThinkSecret report corroborated the dimensions ("in some ways more resemble a BlackBerry") and confirmed that the leaked iPod interface videos would be used.

This latest report now claims that the mockup of the shorter iPod is in fact a mockup for the iPod Nano, and not the "full size" iPod as suggested. They also claim the leaked interface videos are for this upcoming Nano.

It will be about two inches square and play video (so technically we were right about being the new video iPods). It is coming in 4GB and 8GB size and will likely keep the same pricing. These little square machines are also coming in a new set of colors for all of us sick of the five already out.

This leaves room on for a high end iPod config, which is said to be a "phoneless iPhone" that many have been waiting for.

The anticipated release date for the new iPod nanos is August 7th.