Smaller, Cheaper iPods in colour!
Think Secret has revealed that Apple is to bring out a few 'low-end' iPods for as little as £75. The digital music players will hold either 400 or 800 songs and be available in a variety of 'flavours' - even stripes! (could this be a Paul Smith design. When ever the fashion guru is asked to jazz up a product he always gives it his trademark deckchair look). The mini iPods will be available straight after Jobs' MacWorld Expo keynote on Jan the 6th. It is also rumoured that the current iPods will be made available in colours too and that iLife will get a total upgrade. What a nice start to the year! Alas, no news on the European iTunes Music Store. Yet.

Apple has recently started an iPod battery replacement plan in the States. Could it have anything to do with theiPod's Dirty Secret guerilla campaign by the Neistat Brothers? Probably.

If you're searching for somewhere that is still selling iPods this Christmas Eve, then you've left it a month too late. They're nowhere to be found. (BBC News Article.)

Panther Update!

"The 10.3.2 Update delivers enhanced functionality and improved reliability for Mac OS X v10.3 "Panther" and is recommended for all users.


Key enhancements include:

improved file sharing and directory services for mixed Mac and PC networks
more robust printing to PostScript printers
improved font management
updated Mail and Address Book applications
new ATI and NVIDIA graphics drivers
FileVault, FireWire 800, WebDAV and USB Printing improvements from Update 10.3.1
previous standalone security updates


For detailed information on this Update, please visit this website:http://www.info.apple.com/kbnum/n25652


Important Note:
Apple has identified an issue with external FireWire hard drives using the Oxford 922 bridge chip-set with firmware version 1.02 that can result in the loss of data stored on the disk drive. Even with the improvements available in this update, Apple recommends you update the firmware on your FireWire drive. Please contact your drive manufacturer for more information."

iTunes Update!
"iTunes 4.2 allows you to sign in and buy music from the iTunes Music Store using either your AOL or Apple Account, view the iTunes Music Store in a separate window, and includes a number of performance improvements.


Music sharing requires Mac OS X version 10.2.4 or later, and AAC encoding requires QuickTime 6.2 or later."

Will they ever release the iTMS in the UK?

There's even a Battery Update!
"About the Battery Update

The Battery Update enhances the performance of the battery to ensure that full capacity is available for your PowerBook or iBook.

System Requirements

Installation of the Battery Update requires Mac OS X 10.2 or later.

The Battery Update supports the following products:

iBook (Dual USB)
iBook (Late 2001)
iBook (Opaque 16 VRAM)
iBook (32 VRAM)
iBook G4 (12-inch)
PowerBook G4 (12-inch)
PowerBook G4 (12-inch DVI)
PowerBook G4 (15-inch FW 800)
PowerBook G4 (17-inch)
PowerBook G4 (17-inch 1.33GHz)
Note: Once the Battery Update software has been installed, each battery you install in your PowerBook or iBook will be updated automatically."

Pictures: ©Apple

Funny Game Geek Iain Lee is this week's Talk Time pundit in the Guardian Online. He began his computer life on a mighty Dragon 32 and BBC B and rambles on about the pros and cons of online gaming. His best gadget? An iPod of course! "I started a strict mission to get all my CDs on it, but I only managed half before getting too bored. Despite this, playing songs in alphabetical order provides the most bizarre mix of tunes and is guaranteed to lift your spirits." Well I guess you'll have more time on your hands to get back to rip your cds in the new year now R:ISE is being axed.

A Digitimes.com report has annouced that the next generation iMac will be built from magnesium-alloy and more plastic in an attempt to keep its cost down. The new iMac will sport a 20" display and be on sale early in 2004. Will it have a tablet display making use of Inkwell? Who knows.

Here's a petition to sign to get an iTunes for Europe.. Do it now! Pirate downloads aren't up to scratch. You know it makes sense.

Security Update 2003-12-05 for Panther (and Jaguar) stops monsters accessing your cookies.

Pictures: ©Apple

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