This morning, the online Apple store went offline for a short time. When it came back, there were no signs of an Apple tablet, but it seems the Christmas elves had been speaking to Mr. Jobs about gift options. If you’ve thought about buying gifts from Apple this festive season, you’ll be happy to hear of the elegant gift wrapping options, Christmas-styled gift cards and, of course, the personalization options available for several Apple products.

So now you have all you need to get your Christmas shopping started nice and early. Apple makes it simple to send gifts to friends and family outside of the U.S., too. According to the online store, simply navigate to the store of that country (for example, for the U.K., head to store.apple.com/uk) and purchase the gifts using your U.S. credit card. If you decide against gift wrapping, you can write a small free gift message with the package, but rest assured Apple won’t send any pricing information with that product.

With the great range of iPods, the newly updated line of laptop and desktop computers, and more accessories than you could possibly want in one go, the online Apple Store is the place to shop this Christmas. You’ll be guaranteed to gain the “cool” status from your friends and family for buying them an Apple gift.

Stay tuned on Appletell over the coming weeks for tips and tricks on the best holiday gift ideas, the best festive software from the App Store, and the best collection of music to suit your holiday spirit from iTunes.

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You have a map for that, Verizon? Okay, well I see your map, and raise you an app. 100,000 apps, actually. Apple has announced that developers have created over 100,000 apps for the App Store, the largest applications store in the world. Apple did not comment on whether they’re including the myriad “fart” apps in that number.

From the release:

iPhone and iPod touch customers in 77 countries can choose from an incredible range of apps in 20 categories, including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel. App Store users have downloaded well over two billion apps, continuing to make it the world’s most popular applications store.

And it likely will be for quite some time. Apple has done two smart things, here, both of which their competitors haven’t figured out. First, they made the cell phone appeal to people who otherwise wouldn’t need one, and certainly not at the iPhone prices/rates. Before I bought my first iPhone, I was using a Virgin Mobile “pay as you go” plan on a $20 phone. It’s all I needed or wanted. But the 100,000 available apps on the iPhone has turned the device into something that never leaves my side. I’ve got books, music, games, health info, work schedules, hockey schedules, voice files, recipes, movies and much, much more at my fingertips at any given time. Some smart phones can handle some of that, but not at the volume the iPhone can, and not with Apple’s ease of use.

Second, via the iPod touch, Apple made all of these available to users who don’t have an iPhone. This creates much greater demand for iDevice applications, which leads to more developers, which makes the devices that much more appealing to consumers. Is there a non-cellular companion to the Pre? Will there be for the Droid? It’s unlikely, so even if those devices do start to rival iPhone sales, they simply won’t be able to withstand with the one-two punch of the iPhone + iPod touch. Therefore, I don’t see that they’ll have an app selection as robust as what we see in the iTunes App Store.

Of course, the other hidden benefit to the iPod touch is that when it comes time for owners to upgrade their cell phones, they may as well consider the iPhone if it’s available to them. They already have all those apps for their iPod touch, so why not move everything onto one device?

100,000 is an impressive number, but iPhone and iPod touch owners don’t need me to tell them that. They already know they’ve got “...an app for everything.”

Even farting.

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Ah, I remember not so long ago when we heard news of the App Store surpassing 2 billion downloads. However, the App Store has now reached another very important milestone: 100,000 available applications. In a marketplace where other companies are struggling to get 1,000 applications available for purchase and download, Apple and the developers with accounts have once again risen to the occasion. 100,000 certainly isn’t a small number, and it undoubtedly has brought much success for Apple and the iPhone OS platform.

In a statement, Apple SVP of Worldwide Product Marketing Phil Schiller said, “The App Store, now with over 100,000 applications available, is clearly a major differentiator for millions of iPhone and iPod touch customers around the world. The iPhone SDK created the first great platform for mobile applications and our customers are loving all of the amazing apps our developers are creating.”

While there may be 100,000 apps on the App Store, this isn’t all good. With so many applications available, it’s safe to assume some (if not the majority) of basically crap or useless. This makes it hard sometime to navigate through all the cruft to find the real winners among the crowd. Thankfully, Apple has done pretty well so far adding features to the App Store to help discover some of the best apps, such as the Top Selling (free and paid) and Top Grossing lists.

I’m sure it won’t be long until we see posts reading of 200,000 applications available.

Via [Ars Technica]

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A while back, we wrote about how Apple is transitioning from Windows based EasyPad checkout systems to iPod Touch based mobile checkout systems. While it’s still unclear as to what manufacturer has helped Apple create the product you see below, we do know this is what Apple will be using for their new point of sale solution.

As you can see, the device contains hardware to slide credit and debit cards in the back while still allowing the user to have access to the normal buttons and connecters (via a dongle). It also manages to have a barcode reader in the top of it to allow for easy scanning of products. Furthermore, the device has its own battery with a strength indicator on the back to tell employees when they should recharge. A pen that allows customers to sign their names to their purchases is also included with the unit.

Don’t worry, though; the unit will still be able to go through cash transactions via cash registers throughout the store that can be opened from the application. According to AppleInsider, this will be rolling out to select stores over the next six months.

These systems are great in that they allow Apple to get rid of the regular cash register stations and open up more room for both employees and customers to move about the store. Also, it means that nearly every employee will be able to conduct sales and transactions with customers, so they can hopefully have a more pleasant experience without lines. On top of that, it is also a first-hand experience as to how useful iPod Touches can be to potential customers. That said, there are also some downsides to becoming entirely dependent on systems like this. Since they use WiFi to communicate with the purchase servers, a loss in signal means no transactions can be processed.

It will be fun to watch these in action when (and if) they make it to my local Apple Store.

Via [AppleInsider]

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The current word is that most Apple retail stores have received and begun to sell the new Magic Mouse. Mel Martin of TUAW took a trip to his local Apple retail store in Tucson, Arizona to try out the new mouse, and reported positive results from his tests. Quoted below is some of what Martin noticed about the new mouse:

The top surface is smooth and comfortable. The mouse does sit lower than a standard rodent, but I wasn’t bothered by it. Clicking on the right side of the surface gives you the second mouse button with no pain or problem. You can switch the left and right ‘buttons’ if you are so inclined.

Scrolling was smooth, and you can adjust the momentum of the scroll. I especially like the 2 finger swipe for going backward and forward in web pages and iPhoto.

The only thing I think was missing is that I’d like the surface of the mouse to mimic the iPhone gesture of pinching and spreading for zoom in / zoom out. You have to use the control key to enable zooming, and I’d rather not have to go to the keyboard for that.

Otherwise, everything was good.

I also posted earlier that Apple had started giving out shipping notices to customers who bought the Magic Mouse online. I haven’t actually gone to my local Apple retail store, but have also heard from friends that the new mice were there. Have you seen the new Magic Mouse at your local Apple retail store? Leave a comment.

To read Mel’s full report, visit TUAW.

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One of the strangest things about the Apple Stores, in my opinion, is how they always used Windows based PDAs for customer checkouts not at the register. Sure, Apple didn’t want or really need to make their own system, but it was just a little strange to me. Now that Apple has the iPod Touch—a very mobile device capable of many features—it only seems fitting the company would transfer to this type of platform for checkouts. Instead of using the Windows based EasyPad systems, Apple will now be using iPod touches combined with barcode scanners and credit card readers.

According to a reader of AppleInsider, the Valley Fair Mall Store in Santa Clara is already using these devices and, “These things look really cool, much smaller than the Windows-based ones and faster too. They seem to be running a trial at that store, Palo [Alto] did not have them.”

This transition will certainly make checkouts easier for the Apple Store employees as the old EasyPad systems were large, clunky, and required a stylus to operate. They also have black and white screens and commonly lost wifi signals in the middle of a transaction. I’ll definitely be looking for these new systems next time I’m at my local Apple Store.

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In an agreement with the Chicago Transit Authority, Apple will be supplying $4 million to help fix up a run down triangle of land near their future Halsted Street store. While Apple has given money to areas where they had stores before, this will be the largest to date, as most of the previous ones were simply for fixing sidewalks and other minor tasks. This one will involve constructing a subway entrance building and bus turnaround driveway in order to help make the store more accessible and prominent. Part of the ordinance notes, “Apple will pay all costs of the exterior, interior, and platform refurbishment and desires that all work at these locations be completed not later than September 30, 2010.” This means that the Apple Store may open in late fall 2010.

The signing of this agreement took place on August 19th and entails some interesting details. Since Apple has agreed to pay for the improvements, the CTA will leave the bus turnaround to Apple for 10 years at no cost and will also give Apple the first rights of refusal for naming the station as the advertisements in that station. As you can see in the image, the area of land that Apple will be helping out with will be very important to their store (the red area). However, I’m sure this will also help the public in general, which will be nice for those who live there.

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People have started receiving shipping notices from Apple stating that their Magic Mouse orders have been shipped. When the Magic Mouse was introduced, Apple stated it would be bundled with the new iMac models and would not be available for standalone purchase until the end of October. These new shipping notices show that Apple is likely meeting this goal even though the Magic Mouse has yet to make its appearance in Apple retail stores.

Yesterday, Apple released two software updates that will allow Mac OS X Leopard and Snow Leopard users to access the full set of features built into the Magic Mouse. Rumor is that full support for the Magic Mouse is being built into the upcoming OS X 10.6.2 update, which will eliminate the need for a software update for Snow Leopard users.

Product [Magic Mouse]

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A couple weeks ago a story floated around the internet about the appearance of a job application from our favorite secretive company, Apple. This week, more unboxing photos from the company have surfaced. These show what it’s like to unbox an Apple Retail Store employee shirt instead of a formal Cupertino job offer. It appears Apple puts just as much attention into this part of their hiring process as they do in their products.

As you can see in the photo above, the shirt comes in a simple gray box with an Apple logo. The shirt is on the inside along with a letter thanking the employee for helping to make Apple shopping experiences better. Our favorite Apple stickers are also included. It certainly is interesting to see how much time and effort Apple puts into simple things such as this. I wouldn’t mind receiving a box like this sometime…

Via [MacRumors]

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Along with several other updates today, Apple gave some lovin’ to the all-in-one machine: the iMac.

The most obvious change would be the screen. There are two models available—a 21.5-inch and 27-inch—both in 16:9 aspect ratio. The glass goes right to the edge of the machine, so, as Jony Ive himself says, “It’s all display.” The 27-inch model has the option of being wall mounted using Apple’s VESA Mount Adapter Kit, and with a viewing angle of 178 degrees, you’re sure to be in full few of your projects.

A top-spec new iMac could see you with a 2.8GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, 4GB of RAM (with support for up to 16GB) and a 2TB Serial ATA hard drive. Now that’s sounding like quite a mean machine; you’re really not going to be too limited by what this computer will allow you to do any time soon. The base iMac comes with the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor, with the option to upgrade to the ATI Radeon HD 4850 graphics card for use with the quad-core processor. Since the 21.5” iMac display is 1920-by-1080 HD and the 27” display is a whopping 2560-by-1440 resolution (78 percent more pixels than the 21.5-inch iMac), you’re really going to see amazing quality imaging on the glossy 16:9 widescreen.

I think it’s also worth a mention that the new iMac comes equipped with an SD card slot. This is something that has been missing from Macintosh computers for some time, with many consumers wishing they had the ability to import photos form their digital cameras by simply inserting their SD card. It’s nice to see Apple addressing this request, and including four USB 2.0 ports for the rest of your peripherals.

Every iMac ships with a Bluetooth Apple Keyboard, the brand new Magic Mouse, Mac OS X Snow Leopard and iLife ‘09, so you will be enjoying your new purchase in no time. Unless you’re using any additional hardware, the only cable you’ll need is the power cord. I hate to bring it up, but have you looked behind a PC recently? You get the point.

I believe it’s safe to say that these updates have seriously improved the iMac. A few days ago, for serious computing, your best bet was probably the Mac Pro. Now, with up to 16GB of RAM and a 2TB hard drive, the iMac is not to be laughed at. And with a 27-inch widescreen beyond HD display, everything will look amazing. Shame there’s no ability to watch Blu-ray discs, but that won’t stop you from downloading high definition titles from the iTunes Store.

The new iMac. The ultimate all-in-one. Available now, either at Apple’s online store, or at your nearest Apple Retail store.

Product [iMac]

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It seems that John Gruber could, in fact, be correct with his ideas that Apple will release new iMacs, MacBooks (the white plastic model), Mac Minis, and of course a new Mighty Mouse. Almost as though he knew something, the Apple store has indeed gone down this morning, which leads to either maintenance (yeah, right) or the possibility of new toys from Apple.

While we have been waiting for sometime for an update for the Mac Mini, I am personally looking forward to the release of a new Mighty Mouse, or “Magic Mouse” as John Gruber believes. A multi-touch mouse would be a great addition to any computer set up, and without the tiny trackball to gather dust at an alarming speed, people’s issues with the Mighty Mouse may fall to the sideline.

Either way, check out the rumors that Jake Gaecke wrote up earlier today and stay tuned for the store to return back online. If anything does change, we’ll be sure to let you know.

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This week, Apple’s App Store reached two billion downloads, a little after a year since the store first launched for the iPhone and iPod touch. April saw the first billion apps downloaded, with just over half a billion downloaded in the last quarter. There are certainly no signs of things slowing down just yet.

As a recap, here are the basic stats.

• Two billion apps downloaded
• 85,000 apps available (paid & free)
• Over 50 million iPhone and iPod touch customers worldwide
• Over 125,000 developers in the iPhone Development Program

On any scale, that’s impressive for just over a year of being available. Steve Jobs had this to say:

“The rate of App Store downloads continues to accelerate with users downloading a staggering two billion apps in just over a year. The App Store has reinvented what you can do with a mobile handheld device, and our users are clearly loving it.”

Despite many other companies—such as Palm and Nokia—having their own application stores available on some of their devices, Apple is clearly far in the lead. Of course, Palm and Nokia’s stores have not been live for the same length of time, but it’s doubtful they will grow on the same scale as the App Store. As they say, on the App Store, there’s almost always, “an app for that”.

Read [Apple PR]

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It seems that once again the online Apple Store is down, on a Sunday too. Since it’s only a few weeks since Apple’s latest media event, it’s unlikely that any product updates will appear - it’s more plausible to simply be maintenance updates.

Still, the Apple TV has seen slight changes recently, with the removal of the 40GB system, and price drop for the 160GB model, there’s certainly a gap in the product line for an update. Whether today will see the release of that update, is anyone’s guess - if there is in fact an update in the pipeline.

We’ll keep you updated when the store comes back online later today.

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Whenever Apple has a press event, you have to expect the Apple Store to be down. It is now, leaving Apple fanboys everywhere desperately trying to peek beyond the newspaper covered windows to see what’s going on inside. New iPods? An Apple TV update? Counter harmonies and french horns? We’ll find out soon enough, so until the press event starts, freshen up on what today’s even may have in store by reading our rumor roundup.

I prefer to not speculate, since it largely sets me up for disappointment. I mean, just know we’re not going to see the return of the eMate. But if I were a wagering man, I’d place my money on the iPod refresh pretty much across the line, with the touch at least to receive a camera. My longshot is the announcement that the newly released remasters from the Beatles (which were already sitting on display in Starbucks at 6:30 a.m. this morning) will appear in the updated iTunes Store. All those kids pressing buttons to The Beatles: Rock Band are going to need somewhere to get the actual songs, right?

To follow along with the announcements as they happen, be sure to join us in our live blog of Apple’s press conference.

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While Apple’s iPod event isn’t until later today, that didn’t stop them from already updating their store without taking it down. That’s right, Apple has dropped the price of the existing iPod touch line drastically. For example, a 32GB iPod Touch—which would have set you back $399 yesterday—is now only $279. Furthermore, the 16GB model is now only $249 from $299, and the 8GB model is $189 from $229. Pretty nice price drops if you ask me. Also, the iPod classic has seen a $20 price cut.

This is just a slim part of what we will hopefully see later today, though. It’s nice to see Apple lowering some prices early. Perhaps it is simply to compete with the Zune, a product that Microsoft has continuously priced a little lower than the iPod equivalents.

Via [TechCrunch]

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When Apple announced its unibody MacBook Pro and the overall design of the computer was updated for the best, the matte display—which at one time was a free option for consumers—was left in the dust. Users, at that time, could no longer choose to have their MacBook Pro shipped with a matte screen. Graphic designers, photographers, and any other computer user who values color accuracy over colors that “pop” protested, and Apple eventually reinstated the matte option to their 17-inch MacBook Pro.

Starting this week, however, Apple has begun to once again offer a $50 matte display option to their 15-inch MacBook Pro, calling it the “Antiglare” widescreen display. It will join the 17-inch MacBook Pro as models that have matte displays, but the 13-inch MacBook “Pro” will not have this option available.

So, rejoice matte-lovers!  The time is nigh, if you were previously holding out, to order your matte MacBook Pro.

Order [Apple]

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It’s been a slow summer since the launch of iPhone OS 3.0, so this edition of the Appletellcast looks outside of Apple towards Google, where Bill explains why Google Chrome will not have as big an impact as we first thought. Also, Kirk laments the loss of the Genius Bar’s usefulness, both commentators discuss some helpful apps, and a Storyist 2 competition is announced. Winning is the easy part, figuring out how requires a listen.

But as always, it’s good to be prepared when entering a discussing with Kirk and Bill. Here are this week’s topics:

• Google Chrome
• The Genius Bar
• Tr.im
• iTalk
• Storyist 2

If you enjoy the Appletellcast, be sure to subscribe so you can have iTunes do all of the download work for you. Those you haven’t yet subscribed can download the podcast directly.

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An investigation into factories in China used by Apple has come up with some interesting facts and numbers about the quality of work that is going on across the sea. Some of these issues range from pay to hours to working conditions, and it appears as if more factories than one are affected. While many people see Apple as a company of high quality, this has left AppleInsider wondering whether this will affect that.

Here are some of the numbers:

• 45 of the 83 factories that built iPhones and iPods in 2008 weren’t paying valid overtime rates for those workers who qualified.
• 23 of these weren’t even paying some of their workers China’s minimum wage.
• 25 of the 83 also discriminated to some degree against people based on ethnicity, biological issues such as disabilities, or political leanings.
• 22 didn’t meet environmental standards.

As you can see, there are quite a few issues going on here. That said, Apple has stated that they audit their factories frequently and have tried to improve conditions for the workers at those areas. What do you think of this?

Via [AppleInsider]

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It’s hard to believe it, but it has already been one year since Apple released the App Store for the iPhone and iPod Touch. It’s been a long journey full of ups (hundreds of success stories from indie developers and companies) and downs (the stress of long wait times and random decline of applications), but there is no doubt that the App Store changed the mobile phone market. With over 56,000 applications now available in the store, the iPhone has become more functional by an unbelievable amount.

In Apple’s own words:

Light a candle and cue the music. Okay, forgive us for sounding like doting parents, be we’re just so proud - having watched the App Store go from promising newcomer to full-fledged revolutionary. To celebrate its first birthday we’ve gathered some of our favorite games and apps. Part fun. Part function. Entirely amazing.

It has been fun to watch the platform come so far, and I can’t wait to see what the next year of the App Store has to bring. There is no doubt Apple has once again changed the game with this product, and the continued innovation will surely be outstanding.

Product [iTunes App Store]

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Until now, there have been guesstimates of how many iPhone 3G Ss were sold on its launch day this year. Apple and AT&T have been keeping quite, and we do know that the devices are being sold out around the globe. However, after seeing a recent memo leaked to MacDailyNews, it appears as if the sales were of great quantities.

The following text was what was included in that memo:

1. Fact of the Week: On June 25, the day Michael Jackson died, text messages sent on our network spiked at 65,000 messages per second — the largest volume ever recorded — surpassing events like American Idol voting and New Year’s Eve, when millions of our customers wish their friends and family a happy new year via text.”

2. “iLaunch day 2009 was one for the record books, as AT&T customers scrambled to get their hands on the fastest, most powerful iPhone yet.

Here’s a look at some of the milestones we achieved:

* Best-ever sales day in our retail stores
* Second-largest traffic day in our retail stores
* Most transactions processed via our IT systems in a single day
* Most upgrade eligibility checks in a single day
* Largest order day in att.com history
* Largest features sales day in att.com history

On this year’s launch day, iPhone sales exceeded sales recorded on 2008’s iPhone launch day, Black Friday 2008 and Dec. 26, 2008 — all heavy-volume sales days. In fact, this year we surpassed 2008’s launch day sales at about noon Central time, and sustained our previous peak hour record, also set in 2008, for 11 straight hours.

As you can see, there are a few pieces of information in this memo, and it appears as if AT&T has been having a pretty great month in their company. It also appears as if the iPhone 3GS sold extremely well both online and in brick and mortar stores - so well that it may have outsold the original iPhone 3G from launch day.

Via [MacDailyNews]

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According to a new patent application from Apple, the company we all know and love wants to create a new type of packing for their iPhones and iPods.  As we have seen through the years, normal packaging is designed to put some sort of advertisement on the outside while also keeping the product inside safe and sound. With this new “active packaging,” Apple would be able to both power the device and send data to it in order to have it display some sort of media, such as a video, while sitting on shelves waiting to be purchased.  As Apple puts it:

The power may be provided by a direct power connection to an external power supply or by one or more wireless power techniques. A data signal may be provided by one or more direct data lines to the electronic media device within the packaging, or the electronic media device may enable an integrated wireless network interface to receive a data stream while housed in the packaging.

In theory, this sounds pretty awesome, why not put the device to use while it is on shelves? However, in my opinion it will take a lot of research and development to work correctly and efficiently, the way most Apple products do. For example, Apple may have to get retailers such as Best Buy to offer some way to charge these devices while they are on shelves, which could be expensive and unpractical. That said, I would love to see this sometime in the future.

Via [AppleInsider]

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The launch for the iPhone 3GS seemed a little quiet at first, but the numbers seemed to tell a different story. AT&T reported that they sold “hundreds of thousands” on the first day, with that number growing significantly over the weekend. That said, I’m sure there are still lots of you out there trying to get your hands on one, whether it’s because you need an upgrade, or just can’t resist the latest device to come from Infinite Loop.

To simplify the process of finding an Apple store with iPhone 3GS stock, Apple have made stock information available on the website again. Once you’ve chosen your nearby store, you can view which models, if any, they have in stock. A quick check before you leave to pick one up may save you some time and disappointment, so it’s certainly worth a look to ensure you get your new iPhone as soon as possible.

Read [iPhone 3GS Availability]

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Well, the iPhone 3G S we have all been eagerly waiting for has arrived today, and many people are very happy to have gotten their hands on one. As usual, there were plenty of lines of people watching the Apple employees set up and waiting for them to open the doors. Some places even opened up a little bit early. Then there were those people who pre-orderd their devices and were madly refreshing the FedEx/UPS tracking pages and staring out their windows for the delivery. No matter how you got it, the iPhone 3G S launch may have been just as successful as the original iPhone 3G, minus a lot of the coverage.

I, myself, didn’t wait in line this time around (I did last time, though), but there were plenty of people on the internet talking about it. There were pictures and videos from the new iPhones all over Twitter. However, one of the most interesting cases, in my opinion, was with Steve Wozniak. According to MacRumors, the Woz once again cut line, thanks to some Apple fanboys. He did manage to sign some iPhone boxes and take some pictures (photo courtesy of MacRumors with the crowd as well (I’ll admit it, I’m really jealous!).

That said, AppleInsider is reporting that AT&T informed them they “sold ‘hundreds of thousands’ of the new touch-screen handset during its online pre-order process.”  This number seems pretty outstanding, considering the relatively few new features in the device, as well as the AT&T fiasco with not offering subsidized prices at first. It is quite outstanding that Apple can keep being so successful with these phones. The video below shows how AT&T prepared for the launch.

And you may have guessed, the iPhone 3GS has already been torn apart. Perhaps the best run through of this can be found at iFixIt.  They have a very handy walkthrough of how to tear it apart, as well as photos along the way. One of the most interesting things that came out of this was evidence that the chip in the iPhone is capable of 720p videos. I wonder what that could be doing in there?  All in all, it appears as if this launch was very interesting and eventful for those involved.

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Here we are, the morning of the WWDC Keynote, and the Apple Store has been taken offline for a bit. What do you suppose will be in there when it comes back up? The iPhone Video? Snow Leopard? The fabled Apple Netbook? It won’t be long before we find out, and you can learn all about it right here at Appletell as it happens.

Appletell is running a live blog of the WWDC Keynote, during which we’ll be accepting entries into our Just Mobile giveaway. By simply commenting in our live blog to tell us which product you’d like to win—the Xtand for iPhone, Xtand for 2G iPod touch or Cooling Bar for Apple laptops, you’ll be entered into the random selection. Entries are only being accepted up until the end of the 2009 WWDC Keynote, so get that taken care of.

Products [Just Mobile]

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Apple is currently building their fourth Apple Store in the New York City, and new construction photos have emerged.  It is to be located on 67th and Broadway on Manhattan’s Upper West Side but still has quite a bit of construction to go. That said, I’m sure this store will be another goldmine for Apple, much like the Fifth Avenue store with the large glass cube. The construction photos of Apple’s brick and mortar stores are always interesting, as they show what the store looks like before the beauty that it is when Apple is done with it.

Silicon Alley Insider is also reporting that the Fifth Avenue Apple Store rakes in nearly $440 million a year in sales. It’s no wonder Apple is opening another store in New York City to take advantage of all of the revenue there. It is always fun to follow the crowd the days these stores open, as there is such passion and excitement around the area; extreme feelings that only an Apple Store can bring. There will be more news about this area when it opens, as I’m sure Apple will be giving away t-shirts to the fans that show up.

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It looks as though the Apple Store is down again, but the question, is what for?

It’s almost tradition that Apple release new products on a Tuesday - so why would they pick a Sunday for something this time? It seems unlikely to me. The industry seems to be getting better at predicting Apple’s next move too, and all the recent rumors have pointed towards WWDC, that’s only just over a month away.

My guess is that they’re conducting maintenance updates to the site. If they have to do it at some point, and it can’t wait until the store goes down at WWDC, then a Sunday afternoon seems like a good bet. Although Apple’s high profile means that nothing goes unnoticed. If the font on their home page changed from Myriad Pro, someone would notice pretty soon after.

I’m not expecting anything new when the store re-appears, but the fanboy inside me wouldn’t mind seeing some new Apple gadget make an appearance. If anything does happen, rest assured you’ll hear about it right here.

Update: The Apple Store went live again, with nothing new being found. Looks like it was only maintenance, unless you’d count adding a Mothers Day banner as a store update.

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It’s no surprise that Apple will soon sell their one billionth application through the iTunes App Store. However, the way they are celebrating it is sort of neat, and something we don’t often see from Apple. They are hosting a contest and giving away a $10,000 iTunes Gift Card, an iPod touch, a Time Capsule, and a MacBook Pro, while they’re at it. That’s right, all you have to do is purchase an app or fill out the online entry form to enter yourself and get a chance to win. Check out Apple’s contest page for the official rules.

To add to this contest, Apple has created a top 20 apps of all time chart on the iTunes App Store that shows the 20 best application from both the free and paid categories. On top of the paid list is Crash Bandicoot Racing, and on top of the free list is Facebook. A sort of funny app that made it is a simply flashlight application that comes at number 10 in the free applications.

Be sure to check the contest out and enter for a chance to win!

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Microsoft is at it again with another one of their new series of ads attacking Macs for their price, as well as other things. In their first ad with Lauren, she wandered into the “Mac Store” but didn’t end up buying anything because there was no computer for under $1,000. She then made her way to Best Buy where she happily purchased a PC. I can see where Microsoft was coming from with that ad, as I will admit that Macs are pricey. However, I will also say that it’s worth the extra cost. On the other hand, I have some issues with their new ad.

In this ad Giampaolo says, “Macs to me are more about aesthetics than they are about the computing power. I don’t wanna pay for the brand, I wanna pay for the computer.”  If you ask me, this statement is pretty absurd.  I agree with him in that Macs are very aesthetically pleasing, but not in the fact that they aren’t about computing power.  Most Macs these days not only have top of the line graphics cards and processors, they also have software that takes great advantage of them.  I doubt you could find an in-stock computer at Best Buy that is any more powerful than a Macbook or Mac Pro. Yes, they are expensive, but that’s because you get so much.

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Following rumors last week about AT&T offering contract-free iPhones to customers, Apple Retail Stores have now begun selling the devices without the need for a contract. You can now walk into an Apple store, purchase an 8GB or 16GB iPhone 3G, and take it home with you. What you do afterwards is up to you. You can also buy online, through the Apple website.

Apple are selling the 8GB models for $599 and the 16GB just a hundred dollars more, at $699, and also available in white. Not a bad deal eh? But why have Apple suddenly decided to offer this?

As I said yesterday, this year’s WWDC has been planned for the 8th - 12th June. We expect to see iPhone OS 3.0 emerge, along with more information on Snow Leopard. But turning back to the iPhone, with OS 3.0, rumors suggest a third version of the phone will appear, too. Software firmware 2.0 came out alongside the iPhone 3G, so it makes sense.

So, are Apple trying to lower their stock levels of the iPhone 3G to make way for a new device in the summer? The lengthy contracts offered turned many people away—people who may now be interested in buying the phone. They’re sure to sell, and if they’ve got their numbers right, they’d sell the last few iPhone 3Gs around, 7th June? Just a guess, but it’s a likely option, I’d say.

Via [TUAW]

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Earlier this week, rumors surfaced that AT&T would start selling the iPhone 3G without the standard two-year contract. The purchaser would pay more for the iPhone: $599 for the 8GB and $699 for the 16GB, but would not be required to activate the phone at the store.

The internal training documents in the article indicate that you’ll need an AT&T mobile account to buy the phone, and while AT&T is limiting the purchases to one iPhone per line, the company has no way of tracking this, so you could walk out the door and into another AT&T shop and buy another, if you liked. Though I think if they start seeing “$599, $599, $599” showing up on your account, they might get suspicious.

All this, of course, points to a new version of the iPhone coming out (perhaps to coincide with the 3.0 software release this summer), and that AT&T is trying to clear their stock. As we speculated earlier, Verizon also seems to be in a rush to get their existing customer base signed up, selling two-for-one Blackberries in an event that ends in March (about the time AT&T is starting this sale). I’m crossing my fingers for a Verizon iPhone, but think it’s far more likely that Big Red is more worried about the next generation of what Apple and AT&T are cooking up.

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This week, it’s all about the iPod shuffle. Well, not all about the shuffle, but hey, it’s the biggest news this week. We also have a suggestion for you on an old game to pick up. Then, there’s the free stuff. We’re giving away another Podium iPhone stand, an Xbox 360, and some iPhone 3G cases. If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to us in iTunes so that you can have the Appletellcast downloaded automatically every week.

Here are the links to relevant stories for this week’s Appletellcast.

• Apple grasps at gimmicky straws for the new iPod shuffle, improves little by Adam Fisher-Cox.
• iPod shuffle 3G: A suggestion for Apple by Aaron Kraus.
• New iPod Shuffle controls; bad for users, great for headphone manufacturers by Kirk Hiner.
• iTunes 8.1 released by Kirk Hiner.
• iPhone OS 3.0 on the way by Ed Parry.
• @JakeGaecke - Just in case you’d want to enter the Podium iPhone stand giveaway for a chance to win a Podium stand for free!

If you subscribe to the Podcast, the new episode will be automatically delivered to your iTunes account. If you’re not subscribed and can’t see it in iTunes, you can instead download Appletellcast directly.

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Well, there you go. Seems the Apple Store was down today for good reason after all, as Apple has announced the new iPod Shuffle, “The first music player that talks to you.” It comes in only a 4GB model, holding up to 1,000 songs, and will retail for $79.00. Don’t worry, though, you do have one option; you can get it in gray or a little bit darker gray. But hey, it talks!

The new shuffle still features a built-in belt clip, but comes in a bit smaller overall: 1.8” high, 0.7” wide and 0.3” deep. The rechargeable lithium polymer battery offers a playback time of up to 10 hours when fully charged.

“Whatever, Hiner, get to the point,” you say? Fine. The talking. It’s actually just voice over. With the push of a button, the iPod shuffle can tell you the name of the song you’re listening to, and the artist performing it. Yea! Because I have absolutely no idea what I’m ever listening to. “What’s the name of this song, again? Oh yeah. ‘Bohemian Rhapsody.’ By who? Oh yeah. Queen. Thank you, Apple!”

VoiceOver also tells you the name of the playlist, which Apple claims will make song navigation easier. I imagine this is true, as it’ll allow you to easily find the exact playlist you want. So, that’s cool. But real question amongst Apple fans is “What voice do they use? Fred? Victoria? You can hear a sample at Apple’s website. Know what would be cool? If you could download other voices. Impractical, yeah, but I think I’d enjoy having Jason Mraz tell me, “You’re listening to someone better than me.”

The new 3G iPod shuffle is available for order now, shipping in 3 to 5 business days. The 1GB 2G iPod shuffle is still available in five colors for $49.00.

Product [iPod shuffle]

See also New iPod Shuffle controls; bad for users, great for headphone manufacturers.

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I arrived at work this morning to discover that the online Apple Store is down again. That can only mean one thing…the Apple Netbook!

Actually, it can mean many things, most likely of which is that there’s some internal maintenance going on. It could also be that another price/spec change is in the works, but I can’t imagine it’s anything more than that. Apple just last week announced the new Mac mini, iMac and Mac Pro, and there’s really nothing else that’s begging for a refresh at this time.

Plus, it’s not Tuesday.

There’s also the possibility that it’s somehow related to the iTunes gift card hack we covered earlier this morning (although the iTunes Store is up and running as I’m writing this).

Regardless, we’ll keep on the situation and update you once we learn what’s going on.

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For those of you who have been anxiously awaiting the ability to get any type of application on your iPhone, Cydia lead Saurik/Jay Freeman has delivered. The Cydia App Store, which is now available through jailbroken iPhones, has been released and promises to provide all sorts of applications that Apple may not (such as tethering). The store is currently only accepting payments through Amazon Payments, but Freeman has said that PayPal is on its way. Freeman hopes that having less apps on his store will make it easier to find apps that people truly want, compared to the over 15,000 on the legitimate App Store.

Smoking Apples has a nice write-up on their site about their experience in the store (my phone is not jailbroken, so I don’t have any firsthand experience with it). According to them, the store, once you get acknowledge that it doesn’t look as professional as Apple’s, works quite nicely.  He goes on to add that there are price tags of “... $1 and not the tricky $0.99 pricetag policy that the App Store has.” The only minor issue (or major, depending on your personality) with the site that they discuss is not knowing whether your payments are going over a secure server.

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When Apple announced their smorgasbord of product refreshes last week, the first thing I did was order a Mac mini. Okay, that’s just a reflex, but after that was taken care of, I started to think; something is different, and I don’t like it. I’m fairly certain the source of my mild dissatisfaction with the recent announcements stemmed from the absence of that Steve Jobs touch.

Tuesday, March 2nd, just wasn’t as much fun as it could or should have been. I woke up to the Apple Store being down, and I saw a bunch of new products. I ordered a new machine, and called it a day. I know I’m not the only one who thought it was a little weird that Apple refreshed at least 7 products without having a special event. Steve Jobs would have made a day of it. Sure, I bought a Mac mini anyway, but that had been decided months ago. What happened to inviting the press? What happened to the anticipation? What happened to Apple making me feel as though I need all of their new products regardless of whether I actually do. I never got that feeling of “Oh I need that and I’m not sure why.”

No, instead, Apple decided to confuse us all. They quietly refreshed a ridiculous number of their products without any sort of announcement other than a typed-up press release. And then, to make matters worse, have you seen the store pages for the iMacs, Mac Minis or Mac Pros? They’re confusing. There are four base configurations of iMacs. What!? Four? Why? I thought Apple was all about simplicity. How about two? One for each screen size. Then, just have us build to order upgrades.

And the Mac mini. Apparently, for $200, the only upgrades you receive are an extra 200GB of HDD space and an extra GB of RAM. Well, that’s not completely true, but you really have to search to find out that the higher end model has an extra 128MB of graphics memory. I still think it’s a bit overpriced. Can’t you knock an extra $100 off of it, Apple?

I have to say though, it seems Steve had his hand in on this at least a little bit. Did you notice the new keyboard that comes default with new iMacs? Fewer buttons buttons, a sure sign of Jobs.

I’m certain these are all great products, but that’s because I trust Apple, not because they’ve done a great job of explaining what is so much better about all of this. Let this be a lesson, Apple. Stick with what works. Send out invitations to the press and tell us all why we need to empty our accounts at the Apple Store. We’d really appreciate that.

I can’t wait for Steve to come back…though my wallet probably can.

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In the midst of a recession, the worst in a while, Apple manages to update three of their most prominent product lines: new Mac Minis, new Mac Pros, and new iMacs.  If you ask me, this is a pretty risky endeavor on Apple’s part. Sure, it’s great to keep product lines fresh with the most up-to-date hardware, but during a recession such as this, not as many people are willing to throw down a couple thousand for a new computer. In my opinion, this is the time where the Mac Mini really gets to shine and show Apple what it is worth for their company. By being only $599 for the lowest end model, it is just as cheap as a desktop computer can come (given it has no keyboard, mouse, screen, etc., but many people already have those).

There are many people who are completely devoted to Apple’s lower end Mac Mini and who use it on a regular basis. These people always like to see updates in the line that bring it closer in performance to some of the all in one Macs that Apple offers. As an entry level Mac computer, the Mac Mini is a vital part of Apple’s computer line. With such a low price (especially compared to the other models), many people are willing to take the risk of buying this machine to make sure they like Mac OS X. After they try it out, there next purchase could very well be some of the more expensive machines. This product is almost like the stepping stone for other Apple products, and they better not get rid of it anytime soon—especially during this recession, so it was great to see it updated.

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As you likely know by now, Apple has quietly changed its wired keyboard so that it no longer includes a number pad. One with a number pad can be swapped out if you buy online. In store, though, is a different story. An Apple representative told me that in store purchases will come with the standard (no numbers) wired keyboard. This isn’t unexpected, as order customization has never been available at Apple Stores if you buy a computer “off the shelf.” The logic behind the change, though, is not really there.

I have to wonder if Apple is grasping at straws to make a change in a sea of incremental upgrades and no new designs. Logically, it makes very little sense to chop the number pad off of the wired keyboard. The Bluetooth version made sense, because no number pad creates a light, small, very portable keyboard: perfect for a wireless accessory. A wired keyboard will be staying on the desk its computer is on. It just won’t be moving around that much, so why take off the number pad? Does Apple really think you need that four square inches of desk space back?

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I woke up to quite a nice surprise this morning when I checked my Twitter account and saw the tweet, “Apple’s Store is down!” Now, the first thing I did was head on over to the Apple Store and make sure this was true, and sure enough it was. Let’s face it, everyone gets excited for new products when the Apple online store is down, but sometimes it is simply maintenance on Apple’s part. However, with recent rumors of new Mac Minis, you never know what could happen.

What do you think is going to happen? Is this simply just another maintenance run by Apple, or are there bigger things afoot here? I sure would like to see some new cinema displays or Mac Minis on the store. I guess only time will tell for this one. Stay tuned and keep refreshing that page until it’s back up!

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Apple is extending its European reach by confirming the opening of two retail stores in France. One of these we’ve known about for a while, and will be situated in Paris. The other is more of a surprise, as Apple has chosen Montepellier, found on the south coast, as its second store location according to ifoAppleStore.

The exact location of the Paris store has been confirmed as being inside the underground shopping mall, Carousel de Louvre. Apple have gained about 7,700 square feet of floor space from the two previous stores that occupied this space, Lalique and Résonance. Design and construction of this new site has already begun, according to local people around the area, and it’s quite possible they’ll be following the new plans for Apple’s retail stores.

The second location, in Montepellier, has not yet been confirmed. Montepellier has its own university, and we all know how much students like Apple products, whether their student loans can afford them or not. Place de la Comédie, the city-centre features many elegant buildings, that you could see with an backlit Apple logo above the flush glass front.

It is expected that both of these stores will be open at some point over the summer. Whichever is the first one with its doors open will be the first Apple store in France.

Full Story » | Written by Ed Parry for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Apple’s retail stores are known worldwide for their simplicity and hands-on approach to their computers. Many thousands of people go into an Apple store and just play on the new iMacs, or take pictures on the iPhones. With big events constantly been held at Apple stores—such as music, seminar’s/talks and many workshops—they are also meeting places for people who share an interest in Apple.

Back in 2006, the first Apple retail store was unveiled and wowed the public with its layout and design. There were no cluttered shelves with hundreds of boxes around, but instead a few wooden benches with their current computing lineup neatly laid out for users to try. Some of the setups included USB keyboards with Logic installed, while others featured a video camera with Final Cut Pro to be played with. If you had a question, there was always someone wearing an Apple badge willing to help.

Hardly anything has changed with the retail stores for Apple. But now, rumors are suggesting a step forward in their design. This would move the stores emphasis from the computers themselves to the reasons as to why you’d switch or upgrade to a Mac. An area just inside the door called “Why You’ll Love A Mac” would be geared towards the benefits of Apple, and, as with their TV adverts, would highlight the difference’s between a Mac and PC.

There’s nothing set in stone, as far as we are aware, but its possible that such changes could begin to happen as early as next week. This could, again, emphasize a fresh start for Apple, as they head to the next generation of Macintosh computers.

[Via TUAW]

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