MacRumors

Apple announced via a press release today that it has sold its 100 millionth iPod. The first iPod was sold five and a half years ago, in November 2001, and since then Apple has introduced more than 10 new iPod models, including five generations of iPod, two generations of iPod mini, two generations of iPod nano and two generations of iPod shuffle.

At this historic milestone, we want to thank music lovers everywhere for making iPod such an incredible success, said Steve Jobs, Apples CEO. iPod has helped millions of people around the world rekindle their passion for music, and were thrilled to be a part of that.

The iPod has also sparked an unprecedented ecosystem of over 4,000 accessories made specifically for the iPod that range from fashionable cases to speaker systems, and more than 70 percent of 2007-model US automobiles currently offer iPod connectivity.

I take my running shoes and my iPod with me everywhere, said Lance Armstrong, seven-time Tour de France champion. I listen to music when I run. Having my music with me is really motivating.

Update: sminman posts a photo of a full page advertisement that Apple took out in today's Wall Street Journal celebrating the 100,000,000 iPod sales.

With the release of the new Mac Pro, it appears that Apple UK Store is offering Mac OS X 10.4 Server (10-Client) for free with the purchase of a new Mac Pro.

The Mac OS X Server software typically costs 349 for the 10-Client version at the UK Store, while the Unlimited-Client typically costs 699. On the Mac Pro order form, however, the OS X Server 10-Client is a free upgrade, with the Unlimited Client discounted to 349.

In fact, this discounted option is reflected in all of the European stores, but U.S/Canada customers still have to pay full retail price.

Since there has been no official announcement of this "deal", it remains possible this may be an error on Apple's website... so readers should order at their own risk.

With the flurry of hacks surrounding the Apple TV, including the ability to run a full version of Mac OS X, there's been some concern and unfounded speculation that Apple may be specifically disabling these hacks.

The most official word available comes from Engadget with a report that Apple has let them know that they are not actively involved in shutting down hacked Apple TVs.

Apple's stance, it claims, is more along the lines of: it's your box, do with it what you please -- but be mindful of voiding that warranty.

MacNN reports that the 3GHz Xeon (Clovertown) processor that was introduced in the 8-core Mac Pro is a currently unannounced model.

According to comments by Intel's Bill Kircos: "We are indeed shipping a 3.0GHz Xeon version [and] expect to see faster gigahertz speeds for our high-end [Core 2] Extreme PCs very soon, too. For now, the product is in limited production and Apple has chosen to adopt it. We will introduce another 3.0GHz Xeon SKU later on as well."

Indeed, it appears Apple had waited for the 3GHz Quad-Core Xeon to become available before launching the 8-Core Mac Pro.

While rumors of an 8-core Mac Pro began back in October, the available chips at that time maxed out at 2.66Ghz. Only in March was it revealed by Intel that a 3GHz version would be coming "later this year".

It appears Apple is the first to use the as-yet unannounced 3GHz Xeon (Clovertown) chips.

Appleinsider points to a recent patent application published from Apple which explores the use of different sized icons within one window. The relative size differences in the interface are said to reflect the relative importance of each icon.

Right now, users can globally change icon sizes in Mac OS X in all windows, but with the newly described system icon sizes could be used to adjusted based on user preference.

"To this end," Apple wrote, "a user's arbitrary sizing of various icons in accordance with the present invention generates icon representations that can advantageously represent categorization of application or file importance, and/or the size of a file represented by an icon."

Apple's files patents for many ideas that are never actually implemented, but Apple's early multi-touch patents did first reveal technologies that made their way into the Apple iPhone.

Google has released a beta of Google Desktop for the Mac. Google's Mac Blog provides some details about the release from Mike Pinkerton.

Google Desktop is a software download that brings Google's search engine to your Mac.

You have lots of information on your computer, and you see a lot more on the web. With Google Desktop, you can quickly and easily find all this stuff right when you need it, including your files, emails, and web pages you've seen.

Pinkerton explains that they took time with the project to deeply integrate it into Mac OS X and to maintain a high standard of usability. Their other goals were to make the desktop search fast and easy to use.

Arstechnica posts a first look at the software and describes it as "somewhat slim" compared to the Windows version. However, they expect continuous updates:

The Google team says that it plans to eventually bring all Google Desktop features to the Mac, which they estimate to happen sometime within the next six months. "Now that we have a strong Mac team on Google Desktops, we have the scale to do updates on a much more regular basis," said Pichai. "From now on, there will not be such large gaps between revisions."

Ars describes Google Desktop as "significantly faster" than Apple's own Spotlight and also can integrate GMail and Google Search history content in your searches.

Alongside the released of the 8-core Mac Pro today, Apple quietly discounted their Apple Cinema Displays. The new prices are as follows:

$599 - 20" Cinema Display
$899 - 23" Cinema Display
$1799 - 30" Cinema Display

The new prices represent $100 discounts for the 20" and 23" and $200 discounts on the 30" Display. Apple last updated the Cinema Displays in August with price drops and improved specifications.

The new prices are reflected at the Apple Store

Update: The international stores have been updated to reflect the price drops, with some prices altered well in excess of the equivalent US dollar amount, e.g. the 20" Cinema Display on the UK Store has dropped 130 (~$250).

Apple has released the long-anticipated 8-core Mac Pro. The update keeps current configurations but adds a top of the line 8-core 3 GHz model for $1498 additional beyond the base 2.66 Quad-core model.

Interestingly, at the current time the model is only available in the US and Canada, although this may simply reflect a lag time in Apple updating localized versions of Apple's website.

The new model is available for shipping in 3-5 business days for basic configurations from the US Apple Store.

Update: The 8-core configuration has been added to the international stores. Pricing can be found on the online Apple Stores, e.g. United Kingdom, Germany, France, Australia, Japan.

Apple sent out teaser emails to individuals who signed up for more information from Apple about the iPhone:

Apple writes:

Talk to you soon.

Thanks for signing up. You'll be the first to hear the latest about iPhone-- coming this June. That gives you just enough time to think of ways to break the news to your current phone.

AP News reports on a possible probe into Apple's online music store:

The Financial Times said Apple and several major music companies had been sent a "statement of objections" alleging that the deals underpinning the sale of music through iTunes in Europe might violate competition rules.

The charges are centered around the fact that iTunes limits sales to country-specific borders, rather than one central European music store.

Apple, however, maintains that this is due to record label restrictions:

Apple spokesman Steve Dowling said the company wanted to operate a single store for all of Europe, but music labels and publishers said there were limits to the rights that could they could grant to Apple.

"We don't believe Apple did anything to violate EU law," he said. "We will continue to work with the EU to resolve this matter."

Yesterday's joint announcement from Apple and EMI remains the big news. To recap:

- EMI's Music will be sold without Digital Rights Management restrictions through iTunes
- These new songs will be higher quality (256kbps) and sell for $1.29/song individually
- DRM-Restricted songs at the lower quality settings (128kbps) will still be sold for $.99
- Albums will be in the new higher quality/DRM-less format but remain at the same price.

A full transcript of the Q&A session from the announcement is now available.

Microsoft-Watch notes that the deal greatly impacts Microsoft in that they bet big on Digital Rights Manangement.

With the release of Windows Media 9, Microsoft made a huge bet on DRM. No question, Windows Media 9 delivered highly flexible rights management that could be used for lots of interesting marketing purposes, such as a label releasing a new album with, say, three free plays. But Microsoft's bet hasn't paid off in the market, even with so many music stores using Windows Media DRM.

PC Mag cites the response from the Norwegian Consumer Council, who had previously declared Apple's DRM restrictions to be illegal and tried to pass legistation to force open standards:

"No matter how the digital music market develops, today will always stand out [as] a very important date, the day when two of the really big market players finally took responsibility that follows from the position and made an interoperable solution available to consumers," said Torgeir Waterhouse, senior advisor to the Norwegian Consumer Council, in an email. "I applaud their move, and encourage all the other contenders in the digital music business to make the same important move."

Gizmodo offers some additional details behind today's announcement that EMI would be selling their music without Digital Rights Management.

A few of the more interesting tidbits from Jeanne Meyer, EMI's Senior VP of Corporate Communications:

EMI approached Apple about DRM free tracks, not the other way around.
EMI is cool with any other music store doing DRM-free tracks. This is not an iTunes exclusive.
Those stores can put songs in any format they want. The iTunes premium price and AAC 256 kbps format are Apple's Marketing decision.
EMI made this move based on research that showed consumers want DRM-free tracks.
They're doing this to get a bigger stake in online music, believing that even though CDs are 90% of their sales, those figures will shrink or stay flat. They're projecting that online sales should rise to to 25% of their sales by 2010.
The DRM-free tracks should, they believe improve sales: Even as piracy gets easier, so does the ability to play songs on any MP3 player available. (That is, once some other music store releases EMI tracks on MP3.)

Apple and EMI will be holding a joint press conference at 1pm London time, 8am EDT, to discuss "an exciting new digital offering."

Late last week, a MacRumors source indicated that the event would revolve around the removal of Digital Rights Management (DRM) from EMI tracks in the iTunes store. Unverifiable at the time, we did not publish the information until yesterday, which has since been echoed from the Wall Street Journal.

We will update this story periodically throughout the event as new information becomes available.

Audio Webcast

Confirmed: DRM-free Music: MacRumors user stomer has found slides from further in the webcast that confirm that the announcement will revolve around "DRM-free tracks at twice the sound quality."

EMI Press Release
Apple Press Release

Updates (Time is EDT, Chronological Order)
- 7:53am Audio Feed has become available
- 8:02 Music playing over audio feed now
- 8:06 Greetings...
- 8:09 Going to have to be patient a bit longer... live performances first.
- 8:10 Performance by The Good, The Bad, and The Queen
- 8:23 We are focused on giving the consumers a truly compelling experience
- 8:24 Our research indicates that consumers are willing to pay a higher price in order to play their music on any player.
- 8:24 Announcing premium downloads. Free from DRM, and higher sound quality.
- 8:25 Upgrade ability as well.
- From press release: $1.29 for premium tracks (DRM-less), $.99 for standard (DRM), and $.30 for upgrade
- 8:28 Steve takes stage.
- 8:29 "Next stage in the digital music revolution"
- 8:31 Premium tracks will be 256 kbps AAC
- 8:32 Available next month (May)
- From press release: All EMI music videos will also be available on the iTunes Store DRM-free with no change in price.
- 8:35 End of formal conference, begin of Q/A

- Q: When are the Beatles coming?
- A: Don't know yet.

- Q: You mentioned 2.5 million tracks available by year end... obviously that isn't just EMI...
- A: (Steve) Yes... that is our projection for other labels coming on board as well.

- Q: Now that the link between iTunes/iPod is broken, do you expect a decline in iPod sales?
- A: (Steve) I don't see a link, because you have always been able to buy music from elsewhere (CD's) and put it on your iPod. We're going to keep working to do the best job at what we do, and we are going to hope that consumers agree.

- Q: What's the point on keeping DRM on standard tracks?
- A: (Steve) We don't want to force-raise the price on anyone.

ThinkSecret reports that Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) will ship in June 2007. This would bring it just within Apple's official "Spring 2007" release date.

The rumor site hints that Leopard will indeed include some surprises, but no details are available:

"Leopard is shaping up to be a more significant release than anyone expected, with much more to come than any of the developer builds have led on," one source said.

Updates to iLife and iWork are also expected alongside Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) but that they may be rebranded as "iLife Leopard" and "iWork Leopard", dropping the calendar-year naming convention of the previous versions.

Macworld.co.uk is reporting that Apple and EMI will be hosting a joint announcement on Monday, April 2nd.

The press invite reads:

Please join EMI Group CEO Eric Nicoli at EMIs headquarters on Monday 2 April at 1pm London/8am New York time to hear about an exciting new digital offering, with special guest, Apple CEO Steve Jobs."

A special live performance from an unannounced artist will also take place.

Late last week, MacRumors had heard rumblings that Steve Jobs and EMI would jointly announce the dropping of Digital Rights Management for EMI's music associated with iTunes. We were unable to confirm, so we were unable to publish, but this invitation certainly adds credence to this story.

EMI has previously been rumored to have been considering dropping Digital Rights Management from their music. Add to this, Steve Jobs plea to the industry to stop forcing Digital Rights Manangement.

Macworld.co.uk speculates that this may also relate to the rumored Beatles / iTunes distribution partnership, but no new rumors on this have emerged.

(Note: This story is not an April Fools joke.)

Update: Reuters.co.uk confirms that a Beatles announcement is not likely according to their source:

"There is no Beatles' announcement," the source said.

Update 2: The Wall Street Journal confirms that the announcement will relate to removing Digital Rights Manangement:

In a major reversal of the music industry's longstanding antipiracy strategy, EMI Group PLC is set to announce Monday that it plans to sell significant amounts of its catalog without anticopying software, according to people familiar with the matter.

The London-based music company is to make its announcement in a press conference that will feature Apple Inc. Chief Executive Steve Jobs. EMI is to sell songs without the software -- known as digital rights management, or DRM -- through Apple's iTunes Store and possibly through other online outlets, too.