MacRumors

MSN posts more confirmation that the iTunes Music Store is coming to Europe tomorrow (June 15th).

The announcement will be made on June 15, said sources familiar with the necessary licensing negotiations between Apple and music labels.

Apple has announced a music press event for tomorrow, and the European iTunes launch has been widely rumored.
Meanwhile, MacBidouille claims that Apple will host the iTunes Store in Luxemburg to minimize European taxes (3%) and that there will be 3 localized versions of the Music Store: UK, France, and Germany.

Apple-x.net (not presently available) posted some photos of the new PowerMac G5 liquid cooling system.

HardMac has mirrored one of the more detailed photographs.

According to the French site, "The liquid circulating inside the LCS [Liquid Cooling System] is made of 80% water supplemented with corrosion inhibitors, antifreeze, and bacterial growth preventatives".

With the release of Apple's newest device, AirPort Express, alongside AirTunes wireless audio broadcasting capabilities, MacWorld Editor Jason Snell speculates about potential directions Apple and other developers could take this technology.

Where does Apple go from here? The sky's the limit. And I'm sure that numerous developers are already scrambling to fill the needs that Apple doesn't address. A remote control for pausing, skipping tracks, and the like is a must. A display that shows what's currently playing and what's up next would be awfully nice.

Based on conversations with Greg Joswiak, Apple appears to be aware of the logical steps beyond this basic framework... but wants to first establish this product.

iTunes 4.6 is now available as a free update via Software Update, or available for download from Apple.com.

iTunes 4.6 includes support for playing your music wirelessly using AirPort Express with AirTunes. It also includes a number of other minor enhancements.

This update was previously announced by Steve Jobs at the D: All Things Digital Conference earlier this week.

With the release of 2.5GHz PowerMacs today (Apple Store), some continue to speculate about the 3GHz promise made last year. MacCentral quotes Apple's Directory of Power Mac Product Marketing, Tom Boger regarding the 3GHz prediction from Steve Jobs last year. According to Boger, Apple will not meet the 3GHz promise:

When we made that prediction, we just didn't realize the challenges moving to 90 nanometer would present. It turned out to be a much bigger challenge than anyone expected.

All-in-all, no we are not getting to 3GHz anytime soon, but what we are announcing today is a very significant upgrade in performance and its something that our customers will be very happy with.

Boger also states that users should not expect G5 PowerBooks this year.

Apple has released the new PowerMac G5 revisions. (Apple Store, Press Release)

Apple today unveiled its new Power Mac G5 desktop line with every model featuring dual 64-bit PowerPC G5 processors. The top model, featuring two 2.5 GHz processors, the industry's fastest front-side bus running at 1.25 GHz per processor, and advanced liquid cooling starts at $2,999. The entry model, featuring dual 1.8 GHz processors, starts at just $1,999.

The new machines are as follows:

Dual 1.8GHz, 256MB RAM, NVIDIA GeForceFX 5200 Ultra, 8x SuperDrive - $1999
Dual 2.0GHz, 512MB RAM, NVIDIA GeForceFX 5200 Ultra, 8x SuperDrive - $2499
Dual 2.5GHz, 512MB RAM, ATI RADEON 9600 XT, 8x SuperDrive - $2999

All Dual PowerMac's have been long rumored with initial plans for a June 8th release, which was pushed back at the last minute. Liquid cooling has also been rumored in the recent past as a technology Apple has been working on.
Of Interest
- Only Dual 2.5GHz is Liquid Cooled
- Motherboard does not appear to be the same as the leaked service manual pictures
- Uses the 90nm PowerPC

ThinkSecret provides details for the long rumored redesigned Apple displays.

According to the rumor site, the new displays will offer DVI connectors in lieu of Apple's proprietary ADC connector and also offer firewire connectors built in.

The new screens should come in at 20" (1680x1050), 23" (1920x1200) and 30" (2560x1600) sizes with dramatically new aluminum designs. ThinkSecret also offers an artist rendition of the new screens.

A 30" Apple LCD has long been rumored.

ThinkSecret provides some more details on PowerMac G5 Updates.

According to the rumor site, the new machines should arrive in dual 2.5GHz, 2GHz and 1.8GHz models as well as an entry level single processor 1.8GHz model. ATI 9600 XT and NVidia GeForce FX 5200 Ultra graphics cards are to be offered.

ThinkSecret had warned that the bumps could be pushed back later this week. Indeed, one MacRumors source has indicated that the update may have been pushed back just one day at the last minute.
The release day apparently remains a moving target.

One unverified source provided some interesting information prior to today's Airport Express release.

This source predicted "new airport base stations" with Audio/Video outputs. The new base station was said to be about the size of an iPod and cost around $99.

Except for video out, the description accurately describes Apple's new Airport Express. Of more interest is another prediction for new Apple "Interactive" displays from the same source. These new displays are compared to Wacom's Cintiq tablet which is described as follows:

Wacom's Cintiq 18SX and 15X interactive pen displays combine the advantages of an LCD monitor with the control, comfort, and productivity of Wacom's patented cordless, battery-free tablet technology. By working directly on the screen, you navigate much more quickly and naturally

Apple tablet rumors infiltrated the Mac Rumor scene in early 2003 but has since led to no actual product releases.

It's unclear if the recent whispers of hangable displays is related rumor or not.

Confirming some recent rumors, Thinksecret reports that Apple will be speed-bumping the PowerMac line tomorrow to a top speed of 2.6GHz.

The new machines are expected on June 8th, 2004 after a number of delays over the past few months.

There is no indication of the specs of the remaining models.

Update: Some Apple Stores reportedly already have boxes of new products labeled for the 8th.

Now available in Software Update:

Security Update 2004-06-07 delivers a number of security enhancements and is recommended for all Macintosh users. This update includes the following components:

DiskImages
LaunchServices
Safari
Terminal

Mac OS X will now present an approval alert when an application is to be run for the first time either by opening a document or clicking on a URL related to the application.

For detailed information on this Update, please visit this website: http://www.info.apple.com/kbnum/n61798

Steve Jobs spoke today at The Wall Street Journal's D: All Things Digital conference today.

Beyond the Airport Express already announced, a few other releases were revealed:

- New iTunes (4.6) later today, providing support for the Airport Express
- Security Patch for Mac OS X this week
- iTunes Europe appears to be confirmed for June 15th
- Appleinsider adds that Jobs states he is proud of the products they have shipped as well as the ones they have not shipped... specifically an Apple PDA.
More details as they become available.

Meanwhile, more independent reports indicate that PowerMacs should be released tomorrow.

Apple announced Airport Express today featuring AirTunes.

Enjoy your iTunes music library in virtually any room of your house. Share a single broadband Internet connection and USB printer without inconvenient and obtrusive cables. Create an instant wireless network on the go. Extend the range of your current wireless network. How many devices do you need to do all this? Just one.

The new $129 6.7ounce portable device provides a mobile base station for laptop users as well as wireless music network functionality for home users.

Wireless features had been rumored to be "big" coming from Apple.
A new version of iTunes (4.6) to support the new Airport Express basestation is expected this afternoon.

MacWorld.co.uk reports that Apple Europe will present "a special music-focused event" in London on June 15, 2004.

The event is described:

"The biggest story in music is about to get even bigger," and is inviting selected members of the press to the event in London. The show starts at 11am.

Apple is rumored to launch iTunes Europe on that day. Some expect that Canada will also be included in the launch.
Update: Image of the Invitation.

Update 2: Reuters provides confirmation.

New rumor reports have slowed to a trickle over the past few months... though this appears partly due to a lack of significant announcements from Apple over the same time period.

All signs, however, are pointing towards the next few weeks as a final release time for pending Apple releases -- including PowerMacs, iMacs as well as the worldwide iTunes Music Store launch.

iTunes

A European iTunes release in June has the most evidence available at this time. Apple had promised that the release of the Worldwide iTunes Music Store would come soon. Early sources reported that internal goals pegged an iTunes Europe launch in May 2004. Delays pushed the expected date to June 2004, according to our sources. Recent independent reports have placed the iTunes Europe launch specifically on June 15th, 2004.

A few other sources appear to confirm this date, and one suggests that iTunes Canada will also be part of the launch. Apple was previously known to be in negotiations with Canadian licensing agencies.

iMac G5

Apple last updated the iMac in November 2003 with the introduction of a 20" G4 iMac.

One reliable source had reported in May that the next iMac revision would sport a PowerPC G5 processor.

This ambitious report has seen some corroboration with a recent Appleinsider claim that resellers will no longer be receiving iMac G4 shipments, paving the way for an upcoming iMac G5.

PowerMac G5s

The most anticipated release is that of the updated PowerMac G5s. Last updated at WWDC in June of 2003, the PowerMacs were promised to hit 3.0 GHz by [end of [2004] summer or in 12 months (from June 2003)], but a lack of interim updates have spawned skepticism amongst the Mac faithful.

The introduction of 90nm PowerPC 970s in the January 2004 Xserves sparked some hope, but later reports indicated that cooling issues had delayed PowerMac updates.

The most consistent information available simply points to an all Dual PowerMac revision, recently Pictured in an unreleased service manual.

Wireless

By current whispers, Wireless is reported to be "big" coming from Apple. The only related new technology that has been recently reported is Wireless Firewire which has recently been approved and new products (in general) based on this technology are expected by year's end.

Something Else?

I remain hesitant to even suggest something else as the frequency of various Tablet/iBox rumors seems to overwhelm more traditional (ie. realistic) reports... but some scattered whispers have suggested "something else" altogether... related to a hangable display/appliance. More details will be posted if/when available...

CNet confirms previous reports that Sony and McDonald's are teaming up to offer free music downloads through Sony's new music service.

McDonald's was originally rumored to go with Apple's iTunes service in a similar deal, but reportedly switched plans at the last minute.