Daring Fireball
The iPod Photo is dead; long live the iPod. The “Photo” sub-brand has been eliminated from Apple’s iPod lineup; however, what really happened is the old monochrome-display iPods were eliminated, and taking their place as just-plain “iPods” are the color-display models formerly known as iPod Photos...

I think it was inevitable that the color screens and photo-synching features would eventually find their way into the standard iPod lineup, but nine months seems a little quick. My hunch is that if the iPod Photos were selling a bit better as a standalone sub-brand, Apple wouldn’t have merged them for a few more months.

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One melancholic note regarding the new lineup: there are no longer any iPods using Chicago 12 as their system font. The color-display iPods use Myriad, the Minis use Espy Sans, and the Shuffles use, well, nothing.

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ipodlounge
In addition to its bigger announcements of iTunes 4.9 and its new color screen iPod lineup, Apple today quietly dropped the price of the 1GB iPod shuffle to $129, from $149. The price cut is seen as a move to boost sales and distance the device away from the lower-end iPod mini model.

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Buy now from Amazon...

Hi. We're Odeo (pronounced like rodeo). Somewhere in an apartment in San Francisco, we're making it easy for you to discover, create, and subscribe to fresh, independent audio content for your iPod.

Looks like Odeo will help people create and distribute podcasts. Not a whole lot of other info there yet (despite their blog and a screenshot a iPodlounge), but visit the site if you're interested in joining their invitation-only beta test (and be entered to win an iPod mini).

Find out more...

Reuters
Apple Computer Inc. on Tuesday released its newest version of the popular iTunes digital music management software, which now includes the ability to download alternative audio shows called podcasts.

In a press release, Apple said version 4.9 of iTunes, the companion service to the popular iPod music player, will allow users to subscribe to over 3,000 free Podcasts and have each new episode automatically delivered over the Internet to their computer and iPod.

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O'Reilly
To me, one of the best things to come out of Hewlett-Packard and Apple's alliance to sell HP-branded iPods is the iPod tattoo. Because Hewlett-Packard makes some of its money selling printers, ink, and custom paper, it seemed a no-brainer for the company to develop a specialized paper that lets you wrap a printout around your iPod -- the HP Printable Tattoo.

I loved the idea when I first heard it: a cheap and easy way to give my iPod a touch of personalization, so I kept my eye out for an opportunity to buy the paper. [But] printing these things is more fraught with peril than you might think -- the problem is getting the size of the graphic right and getting your software to print the graphic at the top of the page. There are easy ways to get it done, however.

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Simpl(e)ly Done
The Apple iPod. We all know how wonderful it is and that it currently dominates the mp3 player marketshare. It’s elegantly designed and is just a cool product to have. It also happens to be extremely easy to use.

A simple, elegant design helps Apple dominate an industry in which they were a later starter. Would it have been possible to crush the market with an user interface that is clunky and difficult to navigate? Not a chance.

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Boston Herald
If you were to take your cues from Apple marketing campaigns, or a stroll around a college campus, you could understandably come away thinking the iPod is all about the tiny white earphones. They're the dead giveaway for the most popular portable music player on the market. But what about when it's clumsy to use earplugs -- in the office, for instance -- or even stupid, such as in a car? For the latter situation, there are several alternatives. One is far better than the rest.

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Strategiy.com
TBWA\Chiat\Day has been awarded the Grand EFFIE for its work with Apple at the 2005 EFFIE awards gala hosted by the New York American Marketing Association on June 7th. EFFIE is one of the most prestigious awards in the advertising industry because it honors the one truly significant achievement in advertising: Results.

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Ventura County Star
One glimpse of the sleek, snow-white digital music player and Dennis Lloyd got giddy."This needs a Web site," he said to himself while watching the Oct. 23, 2001, webcast of Apple founder Steve Jobs introducing the iPod. Two weeks later, the first iPod went on sale. And iPodLounge.com made its debut. Little did he know that the iPod would become a sensation, selling 15 million stylish portable music players in three years.

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Fortune
It's hard to recall any branded recreational product that ever carried the cultural oomph that the iPod now has. The Hula-Hoop was a fad. The PlayStation, the Prince tennis racket, and the Big Bertha golf club have all had significant competitors. As for the Walkman, the iPod's mobile-music ancestor, it generated massive sales. But it never impacted behavior or peripheral markets quite the way the iPod has.

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Reuters
With Apple Computer adding support for podcasting to the next version of its iTunes Music Store, as well as interest from such market leaders as Clear Channel Radio, Infinity Broadcasting and Microsoft, content and ease-of-use are expected to improve. With all of this interest, the music industry is eager to determine how -- or if -- it should support the nascent medium.

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Dr. Mac
There has never been a wider selection of speakers for iPods and Macs than there is today. If your loved one loves music, the perfect set makes the perfect gift. To that end, I've been testing and comparing speaker systems. Here are some of the standouts...

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Globetechnology.com
You have to hand it to Apple -- they really know cool. Like its cousins, the full-size iPod and the Mac Mini, the iPod Shuffle is the epitome of cool, with its shiny, snow-white exterior broken only by the circular navigation control on the front.

But is it as useful as it is cool? Not quite -- and that's why some people might (gasp!) prefer to look elsewhere for a suitable MP3 player.

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VNUNet.com
HP has added the iPod Mini to its assortment of HP branded iPods, selling a 6GB version for $249.99 and a 4GB version for $199. The HP branded iPods are identical to those sold by Apple, but offer a 12-month warranty compared to Apple's 90 days.

HP has also made a version of its Printable Tatoos available for the iPod Mini, allowing users to customise their media players. Designs are available for download from HP, and an extra 300 images will follow in the coming months. The stickers are already available for the regular iPod.

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Cheap Stingy Bastard
Target has low prices on iPods after 10% discount (expires 6/30):

Apple iPod mini 2nd Generation - 4GB $180 shipped
Apple iPod photo 2nd Generation - 30GB $315 shipped
Apple iPod - 20GB $270 shipped
Apple iPod +hp - 20GB $270 + shipping
Apple iPod U2 Special Edition - 20GB $315 shipped
Apple iPod photo 2nd Generation - 60GB $405 shipped

Get all the info...

SiliconValley.com
Shares of Apple Computer slid 4.5 percent, or $1.80, [last] Friday to close at $38.24, amid reports that sales of its previously hot-selling iPod digital music player may be cooling.

The Web site AppleInsider.com reported Thursday that iPod inventory was building for most models. Two mainstream analysts also issued reports this week predicting flat quarterly sales of the device that has grown sales at triple-digit percentages.

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ZDNet UK
Customers who return an iPod to one of the company's stores in the US will get 10 percent off the price of a new one. Apple pledged to dispose of all the iPods brought in for free. To be eligible for the offer, people must bring in a standard iPod, an iPod Mini or the photo version, and use the discount the same day.

The move should appease critics of Apple's environmental record, who protested outside its headquarters during an annual shareholder's meeting in April. Inside the meeting, a representative of an environmentally orientated mutual fund questioned Apple CEO Steve Jobs specifically about the Mac maker's recycling programme.

The company promised to process returned iPods in the United States and not to export the hazardous materials they contain, which include lead.

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TechNewsWorld
Dispensing free iPods may seem like a harmless and ultimately insignificant gesture. But when university administrators are the people openly encouraging their use, they are inadvertently discouraging dialog in open forums where it matters the most.

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osViews
The last time Apple and Sirius met up to discuss the possibilities of integrating satellite radio into the iPod, Steve Jobs turned down the offer. However, new reports show that the two companies are talking again. Kelly McNeill submitted the following editorial to osOpinion/osViews, which suggests the partnership is not to integrate satellite into the iPod but rather to make Sirius's original content for the future version of iTunes that will sport new podcasting capabilities.

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Chausse.org
Having gotten myself acquainted with Yahoo Music Engine, I think that Steve Jobs may need to re-evaluate his “people don’t like renting music” theory (much as he recanted on his “flash memory MP3 players suck” stance with the iPod Shuffle). However, should Apple offer unlimited streaming music via iTunes store? Probably not.

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AppleInsider
A new version of system software for Apple Computer's iPod photo line of digital music players is rumored to add a slew of new image transitions in addition to the popular arcade game Tetris.

Packaged with the release will be a series of new transition effects for inclusion in photo slideshows. Some of these transitions are rumored to include "mosaic," "cube," and "fade" effects. Users will reportedly be able to select and set transitions from a new transition menu.

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MobileMag
Samsung today announced that they have begun mass production of their high density 4 Gb NAND flash memory chips. This means larger sized flash memory devices that can read and write at faster speeds. Coincidentally, Apple is releasing a 2GB iPod Shuffle this June, and a 4GB version by August according to Xinhua. A big upgrade from the maxed out 512MB and 1GB models currently available.

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Reuters
Apple Computer Inc. has agreed to extend warranties and issue credits to consumers who had battery problems with older versions of the iPod digital music player under a proposed class-action settlement. The settlement potentially covers an estimated 2 million consumers who bought a first, second, or third generation iPod on or before May 31, 2004.

Under the settlement, iPod owners who show proof of purchase receive a one-year extension of their warranty. Consumers who experienced battery failure can make a claim for a new iPod, have their current player fixed or receive a $50 credit for Apple products.

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Six Apart
Our co-founder Mena Trott is attending the D: All Things Digital conference, where she just sent word that Steve Jobs did a demo of iTunes 4.9. The big news is, the new version of the popular music management app beloved by iPod owners will feature integrated support for podcasting.

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BBC
Healthy eating school pupils in Glasgow are to be rewarded with iPods and Xbox consoles for ditching junk food.

The pupils are given swipecards and can claim various prizes depending on the number of points they gain for eating "sensibly" on school premises. A council spokeswoman said youngsters "wouldn't turn up their noses at winning an iPod for eating nice food".

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Macworld UK
Predicting that subscription-style services will have a long battle ahead as they try and win market from Apple, Jupiter Research analyst David Card said: "There's only one device that matters, and you can't use it with Yahoo's music service."

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