iLounge

Citing multiple AT&T sources, the Boy Genius Report claims that AT&T has put a block on employee vacations in June. According to the report, the “only” times AT&T has done a straight block such as this is for iPhone releases, suggesting the next-generation iPhone will launch that month.

Apple has jumped from 71st to 56th in the latest annual Fortune 500 rankings. Ahead of Apple on the list are competitors HP, which ranked 10th, and Dell, which ranked 38th. Notably, Fortune did not take into account Apple’s change in accounting practices, which would have left the company with $46.7 billion in revenues, instead of $36.5 billion as listed, a change large enough to have moved Apple into 43rd place. The list is based on the companies’ gross revenue after adjustments made to exclude the impact of excise taxes; if ranked by market value, Apple would be far ahead of both Dell and HP, with a market value of $209 billion, compared to values of $29 billion for Dell and $125 billion for HP.

Speaking in a congressional hearing, Lieutenant General Keith Alexander, head of the National Security Agency, revealed that he is an iPad user. “I am a technologist. I love computers. I have a new iPad,” Alexander said to the committee, calling the device “wonderful.”

NewPCgadgets has introduced its new Pedestal Base for the iPad. Made from glossy black acrylic, the Pedestal Base was designed to “match Apples own viewing preferences,” with the back raised two inches and the front one inch; other features include a slot for cable pass-through and management, non-skid pads, and the ability to hold an iPad in either horizontal or vertical position. The Pedestal Base for iPad is available now and sells for $30.