MacRumors

Apple has posted updates to the latest version of iWork:

Keynote 3.0.1:
This update to Keynote 3.0 addresses issues with three-dimensional charts and textures. It also addresses a number of other minor issues. This update should be installed on all computers that share your Keynote 3.0 files, so that textures display properly.

Keynote 3.0.1 download link and detailed description.

Pages 2.0.1:
Pages 2.0.1 addresses issues with charts and image adjust. It also addresses a number of other minor issues.

Pages 2.0.1 download link and detailed description.

Apple released iWork '06 in January 2006.

A previous report had claimed that Quanta had won an "iPod with Video" contract back in March. The details of this report were vague, however, making it unclear if the manufacturing contract was for the current 5G iPod or was, in fact, the rumored touch-screen video iPod.

Regardless, a new Commercial Times report claims today that the order has shifted to another manufacturer.

Most recent rumors on the touch-screen Video iPod (Mockups) indicated that it had been delayed due to technical difficulties.

Meanwhile,there have been a flurry of speculation on upcoming iPods in recent weeks:

- 8GB and 10GB Nanos this Summer?
- iPod video media on Blu-Ray?
- New Nanos in the Fall?
- Comments by Apple that the average price of iPods sold is expected to drop this summer.

Macworld.co.uk reports that the Universal version of Shake was discussed at the National Association of Broadcasters conference.

Kirk Paulsen, senior director of pro applications marketing, demonstrated Apples high-end digital compositing software running on an Intel Duo Core iMac. This, admitted Paulsen, is not something that could have been done with the PowerPC iMac.

According to Paulsen with these high end applications processors are no longer the bottleneck; instead, hard drives are the bottleneck. Shake 4.1 will natively support Intel Macs and will be shipping in May.

AdAge.com reports that Apple is planning on incorporating ads into iTunes -- at least in a limited way.

The information comes from content partners who have reportedly been briefed on the plan.

Apple's current plans call for the ads to appear only in the lower-left corner of the iTunes library while users listen to podcasts from their computers rather than from portable devices.

The area is typically reserved for album covers, but for Podcasts could be a location to display sponsored ads. The commercial viability of Podcasting has been questioned a number of times as its popularity has grown.

Apple Expo 2006 has been announced to take place in Paris, France from September 12-16th this year.

Last year's Apple Expo (photos) offered no keynote speech or significant announcements. The 2004 Expo, however, did launch a new G5 iMac while the 2003 Expo revealed new PowerBooks.

No announcement about the status of a Keynote for this year's Apple Expo 2006 has been made.

Readers will remember this year's WWDC Conference being pushed back to August. Several announcements have been expected at that time.

As rumored, Apple announced the 17" MacBook Pro today at the NAB conference.

The new 17-inch MacBook Pro features a stunning aluminum enclosure just one inch thin, weighs only 6.8 pounds, includes a built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing on-the-go, and the breakthrough Front Row media experience with Apple Remote. The new 17-inch MacBook Pro also features a MagSafe Power Adapter, invented by Apple especially for mobile users.

Specs include:

2.16 Intel Core Duo Processor
667 MHz front-side bus
Up to 2GB of RAM (667 MHz DDR@ SDRAM)
iSight Camera
MagSafe Power Adapter
ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 PCI Express graphics 256MB
Firewire 800, Firewire 400
Bluetooth, Airport Extreme
$2799

Available at the Apple Store and shipping next week.

The New York Post is reporting that the record industry may be on the verge of conceding to Apple's demands that iTunes song pricing model remains constant at $.99 per song.

But Jobs has dug in his heels on the issue, creating the potential for a showdown between the mercurial Apple boss and the record industry should the labels continue to push for variable pricing.

Apple's current contracts with the record labels expire in the next two months. The NY Post reports that some labels could go as far as to pull their songs from the iTunes Music Store -- however, a more likely scenario described is that the companies will continue to provide their songs but without a contract in place.

"That would be problematic for Apple because it allows labels on a whim to pull their stuff whenever they want," said one high-level music executive.

These discussions have been an ongoing point of contention between Apple and the record labels.

Apple announced that they had expanded their recycling program by now offering free computer take-back and recycling with any purchase of a new Mac starting in June.

U.S. customers purchasing through Apple's online store or retail store will receive free shipping and environmentally friendly disposal of their old computer.

"Apple is committed to supporting our customers and protecting the environment throughout the entire product life cycle, from purchase through to retirement," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "Now we are making it even easier for Apples customers to safely and affordably recycle their used computers and iPods."

Apple had previously announced an iPod recycling program in 2005.

SFGate publishes followup to the ongoing Apple lawsuit against leakers of an unreleased product codenamed Asteroid. Apple's lawyers argued that no one had the right to publish trade secrets:

Apple Computer Inc. argued Thursday that neither a journalist nor a blogger has the right to publish a company's trade secrets, in a case that could determine just how much protection publishers -- online or off -- have in the digital age.

The EFF's counter arguement claims that bloggers should protected by the same rights that shield journalists from disclosing a confidential source.

Apple reportedly faced tough questioning by the appellate court about their investigation.

"You don't really claim this is a new technology?" the presiding judge, Conrad Rushing, asked Apple's lawyer. "This [Asteroid] is plugging a guitar into a computer."

TG Daily claims that faced with increasing competitive pressure from AMD, Intel has accelerated the launch of its upcoming processors.

The upcoming processors include Woodcrest, Conroe and Merom. All three are now expected to be shipping "in volume" in Q3 2006. This could mean that processors would be available as early as June or July of this year.

Conroe processors are Intel's Desktop CPU from their Core microarchitecture. They come in a 65-nm process and are speculated/rumored to be used in Apple's upcoming Intel PowerMac revisions.

Meanwhile, Merom is Intel's 64-bit mobile processor which is said to have better performance than the current Core Duos with the same power consumption. The Merom processor is also said to be pin compatible with the current Core Duo processors. Merom processors would presumably be used in upcoming MacBook Pros.

Little has been said about Apple's plans (if any) for Woodcrest, which is Intel's server-targeted processor.

PortalPlayer chips has been at the heart of the iPod since the very beginning and the company has grown substantially because of it. 90% of PortalPlayer's sales are said to be directly due to iPod sales.

According to an announcement today, PortalPlayer revealed that their successor to their current PP5021 media processor chip will not be used by Apple in "its new mid-range and high-end flash-based iPods."

Meanwhile, PortalPlayer believes the current chip "will continue to be used in other members of the iPod family."

Apple's current Flash-based iPods include the iPod shuffle and iPod nano.

Apple reported on their Q2 2006 Financial Results and provided a webcast conference call. Here are relevant notes from that conference call:

Mac business 50% of quarterly revenue.

- Up 4% from the same quarter last year
- Pleased with Intel transition progress, and "solidly on track" to complete the Intel transition by the end of calendar 2006.
- "Pause" in sales due to transition anticipation. Reasons listed include: delays due to shipping delays on MacBook Pro, users awaiting Universal Apps and users awaiting upcoming Intel Macs.
- 1,112,000 Macs sold during March; $1.572 Billion in Revenue.
- 614,000 Desktop Macs ($833 million revenue)
- 498,000 Portable Macs ($739 million revenue)

Music business 50% of quarterly revenue

- Up 79% year over year
- Over 50 million iPods sold cumulatively
- 8,526,000 iPods sold
- Over 1 billion iTunes Songs sold. 87% marketshare.
- iTunes: 2.9 million songs, 60,000 podcasts, 9000 music videos, 70+ television programs
- iPod: 78% of MP3 player marketshare (up from 71% in December) in U.S.
- 2000+ iPod Accessories
- 40% of New Cars sold in U.S. will offer direct iPod integration

Retail
- $636 Million in revenue
- 50% of Macs sold were "new to Mac"
- 141 Stores Open by end of Quarter

Outlook
- Still expect a pause in demand in Mac business due to transition
- Happy with the Intel transition
- "Very excited about the products in our pipeline"

From Q&A
- Software sales better than expected (iLife and iWork, particularly).
- iPod: Plans to increase local advertising and point of sale locations in outside countries to boost marketshare.
- Question about Intel Mac mini price increase: Apple viewed Mac mini as still an "incredible" value, wouldn't comment on future pricing plans.
- Supply/Demand balance for Intel Macs.
- 40 New retails stores this year, primarily in the U.S.
- Boot Camp impact? A lot of customer requests for it. Many Windows users were considering switching to the Mac, and feel it makes it more appealing. Still gathering data. "High level of interest". Not releasing the download number for Boot Camp.
- Again, on target to transition the entire product line to Intel by end of the year.
- No plan to sell and support Windows.
- Music store "above break even"
- Don't feel the French DRM legislation is good for anyone
- Very excited about the product pipeline including Macs
- Nothing holding back the Intel transition

A Reuters story reports plans announced by Steve Jobs for a new 50-acre Apple campus a mile from its current headquarters in Cupertino, California. Jobs made the statements Tuesday at a Cupertino city council meeting. The buildings currently on the new property, which Apple acquired as nine separate contiguous parcels, will be razed and rebuilt to suit Apple.

Jobs said that Apple business has tripled in the last five or six years and that it will take three to four years to design and build the campus, designed for 3,000 to 3,500 employees. Apple employees are currently spread over 30 buildings in addition to its headquarters, where Apple has been for 29 of its 30 year history.

Last month it was reported that Apple would also build a new tech support facility in Bangalore, India.