iLounge

According to data from the NPD Group, Apple sold more than twice as many second-generation iPod shuffles in November than it did of the two original models in the same month last year. Sales of the second-generation iPod nano, meanwhile, grew 37% during the same time period compared to sales of last year’s first-generation models. NPD said the new shuffle accounted for 21% of all iPod sales in November, while the new nano made up some 51% of iPods sold. Apple’s updated fifth-generation iPod accounted for 28% of players sold during the month. 

According to a recent job posting, Apple appears to be continuing development of its iPod Hi-Fi, possibly planning new models of the speaker system. “iPod Engineering is looking for an Acoustic Engineer who will be responsible for the design and development of many aspects of consumer loudspeaker systems such as Apple’s Hi Fi - including enclosure design, passive and active filter design, transducer design, and design validation,” the job posting reads. The NPD Group reported in September that the iPod Hi-Fi ranks fourth in iPod speaker system market share, behind products from Bose, Logitech and i-Fusion. The Hi-Fi is second only to Bose in revenue share, however.

Apple’s iTunes Store recently added a slew of programming from cable channels Lifetime, Style, The CW, and Court TV. Lifetime’s shows include Cheerleader Nation, Off The Leash, Lisa Williams: Life Among The Dead, and Lovespring International. The channel is also offering several original Lifetime movies. Style’s programming includes Clean House, Whose Wedding Is It Anyways?, and Split Ends. The CW’s available shows include Supernatural and Veronica Mars. Court TV’s programming consists of Murder by the Book, Beach Patrol: Miami Beach, Body of Evidence, Psychic Detectives, and The Investigators. 

BoxWave has introduced three new cases for the second-generation iPod nano—the Active Case, Designio Leather Case and Designio Leather Sleeve. The Active Case ($15) is a crystal-clear hard plastic case with access to all controls. The Designio Leather Case ($30) is made from premium grade black leather and has a padded front cover with strap closure. The Designio Leather Sleeve ($26) is a slim leather case with Click Wheel cut-out. It’s available in pink or black, with or without a belt clip.

Two new games—Sudoku and Royal Solitaire—have been released by Electronic Arts for the fifth-generation iPod. Based on the internationally successful Japanese grid number matching game, Sudoku is a 25.1MB download. Royal Solitaire features “10 of the most popular and well-known versions of Solitaire,” including Canfield, Klondike, Peaks, Pyramid, Beleaguered Castle, Aces Up, Yukon, FreeCell, Golf, and Scorpion. A 45.6MB download, it promises to allow you to track your own statistics, and those from “other players around the world.”

Both titles are available from the iTunes Store for United States, United Kingdom, and certain other European customers; at present, they do not appear to be universally available in international stores. As of press time, Japanese customers can see Royal Solitaire but not Sudoku, while other iTunes Stores such as Canada have neither title available.

iFrogz has introduced new clear and color silicone cases for the second-generation iPod nano. Each clear case features a colored iFrogz logo on the back in one of five colors (black, pink, green, blue, and clear) to match the new nanos. The color case comes in several colors, including hot pink, light pink, royal blue, light blue, green, purple, white, red, black, and gray. Both cases sell for $20 each and come with a lanyard. Check out iLounge’s First Look at the clear iFrogz nano cases for hands-on photos and details. 

Apple has teamed up with Juniper to offer the Juniper Visa Card with iTunes Rewards. The credit card lets you earn points with every purchase that can be cashed in for iTunes gift cards. “Now you can order the Mac system of your dreams, your favorite iPod, or anything else from the Apple Store today and pay no interest on your purchase for up to 90 days. Plus you’ll earn iTunes rewards points with every purchase,” says Apple. “You’ll earn two iTunes points for every dollar you spend at any Apple Store (online, retail, or by phone), one point for ever dollar you spend everywhere else—wherever Visa is accepted. When you reach 2,500 points, we’ll send you a $25 iTunes card good for music, videos, and more from the iTunes Store.” [via TUAW]

The iPhone was announced today—but not by Apple. In an apparent attempt to take advantage of the recent hype surrounding the “iPhone” name, Cisco’s Linksys division has introduced a new line of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones under the iPhone brand. The wireless phones are designed to work with online services such as Skype and Yahoo! Messenger. “The iPhone family of handheld devices harnesses the power of the Internet to enhance voice communications, integrate compelling information services, and deliver access to multimedia,” the company said. Everyone from consumers to industry analysts have referred to Apple’s long-rumored iPod-based cell phone as the “iPhone.” Cisco has owned the trademark on the iPhone brand since 2000 following the acquisition of Infogear.

Blendtec’s latest “Will It Blend?” viral video features a fourth-generation iPod getting blended by one the company’s powerful home blenders.

Apple has delayed filing its annual report with the Securities and Exchange Commission due to its ongoing investigation into stock option grants. Apple was unable to file its 10-K Form by the required filing date of Dec. 14 because it needs to restate historical financial statements.

HandStands has introduced The Core, a new cable management accessory that helps users keep headphone cables in check. It’s priced at $5.

JBox.com is selling iTunes Japan Gift Cards, which allow users from around the world to buy music from the store without needing a credit card with a Japanese billing address. A 1500 yen card, worth just under US$13, costs $18 at the site. A 3000 yen card, worth closer to $25, costs US$35. [via TUAW]

Portable Sound Laboratories has introduced the iMainGo, a new combination iPod case and portable speaker system. The iMainGo (iLounge Rating: C+) consists of a black, zippered case with iPod pocket and a “state-of-the-art digital amplifier” with “high output stereo speakers.” The $70 case offers built-in air cushions, inserts to fit several iPod models, and has a protective play-through window. The iMainGo requires four AAA batteries, which last up to 30 hours.

CBS Corp. today announced that it will revive its CBS Records music label. In unveiling the new entity, CBS said it will make songs, music videos and other content from CBS Records available for purchase and download at the iTunes Store. “The new CBS Records aims to tap unsigned musicians who write and perform their own songs that will be used and promoted on prime-time TV shows,” reports Reuters. “The strategy helps CBS reduce licensing fees for using music from other labels on its shows. Owning the music also makes negotiating Internet video deals for CBS shows less complicated and more profitable.” In addition to the iTunes Store, the music will be offered through CBSRecords.com. 

comScore Networks today reported that revenue from Apple’s iTunes Store rose by 84% during the first three quarters of 2006 versus the same period a year ago. “As Mark Twain might have said, the rumors of iTunes’ death have been greatly exaggerated,” said Gian Fulgoni, chairman of comScore. “In contrast to a recent research report indicating that iTunes sales have declined by 65 percent, comScore data show that iTunes sales actually grew 84 percent during the first three quarters of 2006 versus year ago.” The research firm also said that there was a 67% increase in the number of iTunes transactions and a 10% increase in the dollars spent per transaction in the same time period. Further, comScore analysis showed that the number of iTunes customers also increased. The iTunes Store attracted 20.8 million unique visitors in November 2006, up 85 percent from November 2005

Marware has announced the USB Travel Dock for Apple’s second-generation iPod shuffle. The device allows you to charge and sync the new shuffle while “causing no interference with adjacent ports, so you can prominently display your new 2G iPod shuffle right next to your laptop screen.” The lightweight dock provides up to 480 Mbps data transfer via USB and sports a blue “Power On” LED indicator. Marware’s USB Travel Dock costs $20 and will begin shipping in January.

Digital Lifestyle Outfitters today announced two new products for the second-generation iPod shuffle—the DLO Power Bug AC Power Adapter and Dock Cable ($23) and the DLO Action Jacket Workout Armband and Case ($20). The Power Bug allows you to charge the new shuffle from any AC wall outlet. It also comes with an extra dock cable for syncing a shuffle with iTunes. The Action Jacket for iPod shuffle is a protective armband with a cushioned case that provides access to the player’s controls while in the case/armband.

Pacific Design has announced the Mila Bikini Skin Collection for Apple’s fifth-generation iPod and first- and second-generation iPod nanos. The $20 cases, which offer a “fun bikini shape,” sport a built-in crystal-clear polyurethane screen protector, a connection point system that “allows you to attach your iPod to virtually anything,” and a bottom cover that can be flipped back to create a stand. The Mila Bikini cases offer full access to all controls and ports, and ship with a neck lanyard and removable earbud cord takeup reel.

The latest iPhone speculation comes from Morgan Stanley’s Rebecca Runkle. The analyst said yesterday she has “high conviction” that the rumored iPhone will launch in the first half of 2007. “We expect Steve Jobs to announce the iPhone at Macworld Expo or early next year,” she wrote. Citing unnamed sources, Runkle said the iPhone will cost $599 for a 4GB model and $649 for an 8GB model. The analyst said the phone will be wider than the iPod nano but thinner than the fifth-generation iPod, and will sport a 3.5 inch LCD screen. Runkle also said the phone will have a metal casing and will be available in multiple colors including at least black, white and silver.

UBS analyst John Hodulik believes Apple is going to start its own MVNO service, buying wholesale capacity from Cingular, for its rumored iPhone. “If followed, this strategy would appear to indicate Apple’s increasing desire for customer control, and potentially, store traffic. We believe if volume had been the most important variable, Apple would work with all the major vendors in the U.S. to support its new iPod phone (iPhone), enabling it to target the heart of the 225 million domestic wireless users.”

The Detroit Pistons are selling an iPod shuffle clone with the team’s logo on it. The $25 player has 128MB of storage and comes pre-loaded with a message from Lindsey Hunter and National City Bank. Proceeds from the sales of the player will go to the Detroit Medical Center to benefit Breast Cancer Prevention.

According to research firm Strategy Analytics, online videos will become a billion-dollar business in 2007. While video download sales made through the iTunes Store and other sources will total just $298 million this year, the firm predicts that by the end of 2007 the market will grow to $1.5 billion.

iPaperCraft.com is an online service that generates free papercraft iPod covers for every model on the market. “Upload an image and the script prints fold/cut lines over the image. Print out the resulting PDF and you’ve got yourself a custom iPod cover.”

According to CNBC’s latest Holiday Central survey, some 8% of those polled expect to buy an iPod this holiday shopping season. That means Apple could see sales of about 17 million units during its fourth quarter with revenue of $2.7 billion. The CNBC survey also found that 20% of those surveyed currently own an iPod, while 70% do not currently own an iPod and do not plan to buy one. In other gadgets, the survey shows 3% of those polled plan to buy a Nintendo Wii or Sony PlayStation 3 (6.3 million units each) and 2% have their eyes on Microsoft’s Xbox 360 (4.2 million units).

Update: Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster is expecting iPod sales of 15.5 million to 16 million units for the holiday quarter. “Our analysis of iPod unit data from NPD for the months of October and November leads us to expect iPod shipments in the range of 15.5m-16m for the Dec-06 quarter (our model calls for 14.7m iPods in the quarter and Street consensus is 15.0m),” Munster says in a research note today. “The 15.5m-16m unit range is based on various assumptions and is an extrapolation of two months of data, so we believe investors should supplement this data point with other information.”

PodsPlus has announced a new version of its TopSkin silicone case for the second-generation iPod shuffle. Precision molded to tightly fit the shuffle, the skin features play-through control and comes in four colors. The TopSkin is available immediately in a 3-pack of black, white, and blue cases or a 3-pack of black, white, and pink.

Apple has denied a report that iTunes Store sales fell by 65% in the first half of 2006. According to a recent survey by research group Forrester, the number of monthly iTunes transactions declined 58% from January to June of this year, while the average size per purchase declined by 17%, leading to a 65% overall drop in monthly iTunes revenue. Apple said the report is “simply incorrect,” but will not provide specific iTunes sales data. Forrester said it was too soon to say whether its findings showed that buyers were “reaching their saturation level for digital music.” The research firm got its figures by analyzing 2,791 U.S. iTunes debit and credit card purchases made by members of its consumer panel.