Apple Hosting Mac-Themed Event Oct. 20 - eWeek

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By: Nicholas Kolakowski
2010-10-13
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Apple has sent media invites to a ?Back to the Mac? event at its Cupertino, Calif., headquarters Oct. 20, igniting the rampant speculation that accompanies most of the company?s announcements. According to the invite, attendees will get a glimpse of ?the next major version of Mac OS X.?

The invite also includes the partial image of a lion?s face, peeking through an apple-shaped cutout in a brushed-aluminum pane. Does that mean Apple?s chosen ?Lion? as the next code-name for Mac OS X 10.7? Considering the company?s affinity for pairing big-cat names to each successive version of its operating system?most recently Leopard and Snow Leopard?that would come as no surprise.

The blogosphere is already alight with suggestions that Apple could use the event to debut a refreshed line of Macs. The company has largely focused on its mobile products, including the iPhone and iPad, for much of 2010. In any case, Apple will most likely remain tight-lipped about its announcements until the event itself.

Apple?s last big event took place Sept. 1, when the company debuted new iPods and a revamped Apple TV along with a number of services, including a social network devoted to music. Around that time, the company also introduced iOS 4.1, with a number of bug fixes, and announced iOS 4.2 for the iPad. Those mobile operating-system updates included a Games Center and wireless printing. 

Apple sold 3.47 million Macs during the third fiscal quarter of 2010, a 33 percent increase from the year-ago quarter. However, its sales of desktops and laptops paled in comparison to the 8.4 million iPhones and 9.41 million iPads shipped during that same period. Much of the discussion during Apple?s July 20 earnings call focused on the iPhone 4, whose antenna problems attracted a fair bit of controversy over the summer.

Since last year, Apple has made a number of updates to Mac OS X 10.6, also known as ?Snow Leopard.? Those improvements have included security and application tweaks. Some pundits assumed Snow Leopard?s August 2009 ship date, and $29 sticker-price for Intel-based Macs already running Leopard, was Apple?s attempt to steal some thunder from Microsoft?s ramp-up to the release of Windows 7.

According to Net Applications, the various editions of Windows hold 91.08 percent of the operating-system market, followed by Mac with 5.03 percent. That represents a slight decline from November 2009, when Mac held 5.12 percent of the market. 

 



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First lady stumps for 'handsome' Giannoulias - Chicago Tribune

First Lady Michelle Obama offered a personal character reference Wednesday for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias, whose integrity is under attack from Republican opponents.

On her first day on the campaign trail since 2008, Obama told about 250 donors at the University Club that Giannoulias has maintained high ethical standards both as state treasurer and candidate.

Obama noted that the president had praised Giannoulias' character.

"I know that he will be a phenomenal U.S. senator. I am proud of him. We have seen him grow. He is always pushing to the next level, and he is doing it with grace and dignity," Obama said.

Giannoulias has faced questions about his role as a senior loan officer at his family's failed Broadway Bank when it made loans to convicted felons. In addition, the GOP has targeted him with campaign ads accusing him of misleading investors about the losses in a college savings program overseen by the treasurer's office. Giannoulias has said he did nothing wrong in either case.

Obama spent most of her speech touting health care reform, tax cuts, access to education and a laundry list of the president's achievements, rather than Giannoulias. But she described the Senate race as a key to ensuring the president's promise of change will become a reality.

"My husband can't do this alone," said Obama, who drew laughter when she referred to Giannoulias as a "handsome young man."

Obama did not mention Republicans, including Giannoulias' GOP opponent, U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk.

Giannoulias introduced the first lady as "someone I love dearly."

Obama was also in Chicago for a separate fundraiser for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which raised money for incumbent U.S. Reps. Bill Foster and Debbie Halvorson and for Dan Seals, who is seeking Kirk's North Shore congressional seat.

A Giannoulias spokesman did not immediately have figures on how much Wednesday's event raised.

oavila@tribune.com

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Mahmoud Ahmadinejad calls for 9/11 investigation - Telegraph.co.uk

Speaking at a late night rally, he said: “I announce that the formation of an independent and neutral team to examine the facts and discover the truth of the September 11 events is the demand of all the peoples of the region and the world.”

Earlier in the day, thousands held up flowers and Iranian flags as Mr Ahmedinejad waved through the open roof of an armoured car that carried him through the Shia Muslim strongholds of south Beirut, the Lebanese capital.

Hizbollah, Iran's local ally, mobilised its followers to throw rice and slaughter camels as the motorcade passed by.

It was, however, a welcome that ran just one street deep and normal life – bereft of Iranian flags – continued yards away from the old airport road used by the Iranian leader to reach a summit with his Lebanese counterpart, Michel Sleiman.

Maura Connelly, the US ambassador, expressed misgivings about the impact of the Iranian leader's visit and newspapers reported that America had unveiled a $22 million (£13.8 million) package of military aid to strengthen the Lebanese security forces.

"There is a concern we share with the countries in the region that Iran is not playing a helpful role in the region in terms of stability", she said.

Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, cautioned Mr Ahmadinejad to avoid statements that would inflame tensions in Lebanon.

Mr Ahmadinejad's trip comes amid tension over an international tribunal for those implicated in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005. Hizbollah has demanded the government withdraw from the tribunal, believing it will seek to prosecute its members.

The Iranian leader took the opportunity during his trip to lash out at Israel following talks with Mr Sleiman.

"We fully support the resistance of the Lebanese people against the Zionist regime," he said. "Lebanon is not only a source of pride for the Lebanese but for the region because Lebanon has changed the balance of power in favour of the people of the region."

More friction is expected today (Thurs) when Mr Ahmedinejad travels to Lebanese border towns targeted in the 2006 war that killed more than 1,000 people. Hizbollah has used hundred of millions of dollars donated by Iran for reconstruction of the south and residents expressed gratitude to the Iranian leader. Mahmoud Darwish, a 50-year old local who turned out for Mr Ahmadinejad said: "He helped us rebuild Lebanon. If he hadn't, our houses would still be destroyed and we would still be living in tents."

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