According to a Financial Times report, Apple has signed deals with T-Mobile of Germany, Orange of France, and O2 in the UK, to be the exclusive carriers of the iPhone in those European countries. The report claims that as part of the deal, Apple will receive 10 percent of revenue from calls and data usage of iPhone customers, and that the deal will be officially announced at the IFA trade fair in Berlin at the end of August.
U.S. retail giant Wal-Mart has begun selling DRM-free MP3 music from major record labels such as Universal and EMI for $0.94 per track. As Universal announced earlier in the month, its “test” of DRM-free music sales began today through retailers such as Wal-Mart and Gbox.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs has been selected for induction into the California Hall of Fame. Jobs, along with notable figures such as photographer Ansel Adams, Jackie Robinson, Elizabeth Taylor, and John Wayne, will be inducted during a Dec. 5 ceremony in Sacramento, CA.
A special edition gold and diamond covered iPod shuffle, dubbed the iDiamond, has been created by jewelry designer Thomas Heyerdahl. The not-for-sale shuffle features 430 hand-set diamonds, solid 18 karat white and pink gold, and has an estimated value of $41,000.
