Jobs Pulls Thin Laptop Out of Air

His heirs may struggle as technology moves forward

(NEWSER) - Steve Jobs wasn't the Thomas Edison or Henry Ford of his time, but some future American business visionary may be known as the Steve Jobs of his time, writes Michael Hiltzik. Jobs—a "master of bare-knuckled business strategies from the old school"—wasn't known as an inventor the way Edison was, and didn't develop a new manufacturing model the way Ford did. But he revolutionized consumer electronics design, upended old business models for entertainment and information, and showed that "high manufacturing standards don't cost money, but make money," Hiltzik writes in the Los Angeles Times . More»

Fab Four's iconic catalog was noted holdout

(NEWSER) - Fab Four fans, rejoice: Or at least hold your breath, because the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Steve Jobs' pending iTunes news is that Apple is nearing a deal to bring the Beatles' catalog at long last onboard. Apple is readying an announcement, anonymous insiders say, while also warning that plans could still change at the last minute. The Journal notes that an agreement would end decades of tension between the two giants; the Beatles originally sued Apple in 1978 for copyright infringement on their Apple Records and Apple Corp. Ltd. More»

Touch, Classic get capacity upgrades

(NEWSER) - Sure, Steve Jobs stole all the headlines at Apple's shindig today, but there was some product news, too: The new version of the iPod Nano adds a video camera, microphone, and FM tuner, CNET reports. The new Nano also has a slightly larger screen, which is now 2.2 inches instead of 2. At $179, the new 16GB Nano will be $20 cheaper than its predecessor. The 2GB iPod Shuffle is also getting a $20 price cut—to $59. More»

Will mystery party feature iPod video camera? iTunes upgrade? Or just Jobs talking?

(NEWSER) - With rumors swirling around next week's invite-only Apple event, PC World ventures five guesses about what the mystery bash has in store. It's too early for a debut of the much-anticipated Apple tablet, and September is the season of new iPods, making the best bet:

• An iPod touch with a video camera—supported by prototype photos seen floating around the web.

Swansong keynote labeled the dullest tech talk since Vista's rollout

(NEWSER) - Apple's keynote address at the MacWorld expo yesterday felt a lot like the end of an era to those who managed to keep their eyes open during it, Dan Lyon writes in Newsweek. Marketing chief Phil Schiller's "almost unbearable" rollout of various new software features instead of thrilling announcements from Steve Jobs left Lyon feeling like Apple is growing soft. More»