Music Ally

Media-syncing firm DoubleTwist is planning a new release of its software next week, and to promote it the company has debuted a remake of Apple’s famous ”1984” TV commercial.

This new version replaces the soulless drones from the original with… soulless drones wearing iPod earphones, while a barely-veiled Steve Jobs functions as Big Brother, intoning that “no other choices shall distract from our glory”. We’re more interested in what the new software will do than the advert, but it’s certainly cheeky.

Apple has unveiled its much-rumoured Project Cocktail – interactive albums sold through iTunes. Except its actual name is iTunes LP, with a strong thematic link to old vinyl albums.

CEO Steve Jobs (yes, he’s leading Apple’s press launch, which is taking place right now) showed some examples from Bob Dylan, Norah Jones, the Grateful Dead (natch) and the Dave Matthews Band. It’s as expected: liner notes, artwork, lyrics and other interactive stuff.

No news on pricing, but Jobs did say that artists and labels will be given the tools to create iTunes LP content themselves.

Apple’s next-gen iPod touch will likely be unveiled on Wednesday 9 September at an event in San Francisco, according to respected tech site All Things Digital.

Citing sources close to Apple, it suggests new iPods and the next version of the iTunes software will be unveiled – with the latter including the much-talked-about social features. We wonder if this will also see the unveiling of the rumoured Cocktail interactive digital album format.

However, the sources apparently emphatically deny that the rumoured Apple tablet will debut at the event. We still wouldn’t rule out a ”one more thing” moment though, especially if CEO Steve Jobs is in charge. Talking of whom, the Sunday Times ran a long profile of Jobs this weekend, which it claims Apple tried to spike. It’s worth a read.

There’s been no shortage of speculation about Apple boss Steve Jobs’ health in recent months – much of it gloomy. Now the Wall Street Journal has a more positive report, claiming that Jobs will return to work at Apple later this month following his medical leave.

It even suggests he may make an appearance at Apple’s WWDC event, which kicks off later today. It seems Jobs had a pretty bad time recently: “He was one real sick guy,” says the paper’s (anonymous) source. “Fundamentally he was starving to death over a nine-month period. He couldn’t digest protein. [But] he took corrective action.”

Tonight’s keynote speech is expected to see the unveiling of a new iPhone, possibly with video-calling. Our prediction: Jobs will be video-called from the stage. Maybe.

Apple boss Steve Jobs has announced plans to take a medical leave of absence until the end of June, due to his ongoing health problems.

“During the past week I have learned that my health-related issues are more complex than I originally thought,” he said yesterday in an email to employees. COO Tim Cook will handle day-to-day operations in Jobs’ absence.

In 14 minutes’ trading after the news was made public, Apple’s share price dropped nearly 10%, knocking $6.4 billion off the company’s market cap – reflecting investors’ concerns that Jobs is battling a reoccurrence of the pancreatic cancer he suffered in 2004.

Apple boss Steve Jobs has issued a statement clarifying the state of his health, after intensifying blogosphere chatter that his absence from this week’s MacWorld conference was due to serious health problems.

Not so, says Jobs, in a letter published on Apple’s website that addresses his noticeable weight loss throughout 2008.

“Fortunately, after further testing, my doctors think they have found the cause—a hormone imbalance that has been “robbing” me of the proteins my body needs to be healthy. Sophisticated blood tests have confirmed this diagnosis,” he writes.

The remedy for this nutritional problem is relatively simple and straightforward, and I’ve already begun treatment. But, just like I didn’t lose this much weight and body mass in a week or a month, my doctors expect it will take me until late this Spring to regain it. I will continue as Apple’s CEO during my recovery.”

The rumours were a serious business, given Apple’s status as a public company. Apple and Jobs will hope this letter will scotch them once and for all. We reckon Jobs will appear in some way during the keynote though, even if it’s via video-conference. The full text of his letter can be read by clicking below.

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European Commissioner for Competition, Neelie Kroes, yesterday threatened music and tech execs, including Mick Jagger and Apple CEO Steve Jobs that regulators may impose new rules for online music sales, unless companies, consumer groups and artists find a better way to distribute digital music throughout Europe. Why Mick Jagger? Because the CEO of rock attended the meeting (more…)