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< A href="http://www.synaptics.com/">Synaptics, the maker of the click wheel selector on Appleis iPods, announced Thursday record profits for its second fiscal quarter ended December 31st, 2004. The company reported profits of US$9.7 million on revenue of V.5 million. The company cited "robust growth" in demand for portable media players as a driving force for its…

< A href="http://www.ml.com">Merrill Lynch analyst Steven Milunovich believes there will be strong demand for Appleis new iPod shuffle, and that just like the iPod mini, demand will outstrip supply, a chronic issue for Apple. In a research note for clients obtained by The Mac Observer, Mr. Milunovich said that new-to-iPod users are attracted to both…

T he BBC has published a shootout between Appleis new Mac mini and similarly priced Windows PCs from competitors. The piece, published for a UK audience, focuses on British pricing and products, and includes PCs from Dell, Jal Constance (a UK manufacturer), and a generic, home-built PC. The article, written by Darren Waters and Mark…

T he New York Times has published an article by long-time Apple reporter John Markoff that asks if Apple is considering a "Mac TV," a device Apple would position as a set top media management box. Centered around a wrap up of Appleis announcement last week at Macworld Expo, Mr. Markoff speculates on Appleis possible…

ART VPS Accelerator ? We noticed our first gem as we walked by the ART VPS booth and noted a demo which was showing a nice looking sports car at various angles. As first we thought this was some sort of presentation software, but we learned that the car was in fact totally computer generated,…

G riffin Technology continues to roll out new products at Macworld Expo, announcing three more Thursday and Friday. First up, RocketFM is a USB bus-powered FM transmitter that allows a Mac to transmit its audio over any available FM frequency through a home, car, or office stereo system. The device is especially handy for travelers…

S AN FRANCISCO, CA — Those who have attended a Macworld Expo likely recall that pile of little booths way in the back with an odd assortment of exhibitors. These are the Special Interest Pavillions, and they make up the low-rent district of the Macworld show floor. We took some time out to speak with…

I n a research report sent to clients Wednesday, Merrill Lynch analyst Steven Milunovich weighed in on Appleis announcements yesterday and said he believes both the iPod shuffle and Mac mini will be successes for the company. Regarding the iPod shuffle, Milunovich wrote, “We continue to think Apple is building a sustainable consumer electronics franchise…

will help Apple solidify its music player position and gain back small fractions of its market share from Windows-based PCs. Steve Baker, an analyst with NPD feels the Mac mini will not displace inexpensive PCs like those from eMachines and HP, but will gain market share slowly as “an adjunct US$999 notebook.” “Itis not a…

S AN FRANCISCO, CA — Late on Monday night, Apple added a new feature to the iTunes Music Store called NFL Wild Card Highlights. NFL Wild Card Essentials offer short audio books for this weekis NFL games. Highlights are 2-3 minute audio books of information about recent NFL football games. Each Highlight is priced at…

L ove him or hate him, Apple fans can agree that President George W. Bush at least has good taste in digital music players. The gloved hands dialing in a track on the iPod in the photo below belong to the President, who prepared his “I-pod [sic] during a bicycle ride at a secure location…

S AN FRANCISCO, CA — Better Energy Systems announced Monday Solio, a solar power charging solution for iPods and other portable devices. Consisting of a collapsible array of three solar panels that fits in your pocket, the device connects to your iPod with a cable (see image below). The company said it will be introducing…

L AS VEGAS, NV — XM Satellite Radio has had discussions about a combination portable media device and XM receiver with a number of major manufacturers, including Apple, but no formal partnership has been formed and there are no plans for an imminent announcement, the company has told The Mac Observer. XM Director of Product…

L AS VEGAS, NV — Altec Lansing has introduced a new portable speaker system for non-iPod music players based on the companyis original inMotion iPod speaker system. The new unit is called the iM4, and was introduced at the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas, NV. The company said that it supports any player from…

L AS VEGAS, NV — Adobe announced Wednesday the release of Acrobat 7, the companyis PDF creation software family. Version 7 provides users the ability to assemble documents from multiple sources, create intelligent forms, and collaborate on projects inside and outside the firewall. Adobe has three versions of the software, Professional, Standard, and LE. Acrobat…

A pple has filed suit against Think Secret, the Mac rumor and news site, according to a report by CNet News. Apple sued the site for publishing what it calls trade secrets regarding unannounced products. ThinkSecret has recently published stories about a headless Mac and an Apple productivity suite, neither of which have been announced…

T he New York Times reported that record sales increased in 2004, the first increase in some three years. The newspaper reported that the recording industry reported sales of some 667 million albums, a 1.6% increase over 2003. The increase sales in music came during a time when the recording industry said that piracy was…

Chief Executive Officer and co-founder Steve Jobs the second most important design trendsetter for 2005. The industrial design magazine asked 800 experts to name their 40 most influential people in design. Mr. Jobs won out over such visionaries as “Gherkin” building architect Norman Foster (#11), renowned architect Frank Gehry (#12), and vacuum cleaner designer James…