Japan’s Softbank, which was once rumored to be working with Apple on an “iPhone,” has begun offering a 2GB second-generation iPod nano packaged with one of its own mobile phones. “The new promotion is designed to keep customers for at least two years as Softbank would require them to refund the cost for the handsets if they cancel their subscription within the period.”
Following yesterday’s special event, Apple CEO Steve Jobs told The Wall Street Journal that the transition from DVDs to online distribution “wouldn’t happen overnight.” “It takes years of investment,” he said.
The iTunes 7 and QuickTime updates released yesterday reportedly include an Apple Software Update utility similar to the one built into Mac OS X. The utility will automatically check for iTunes and QuickTime updates for Windows.
A number of iTunes users are having negative and mixed reactions to the new user interface elements of the newly released iTunes 7. “By and large, iTunes seems to have been beaten with the same ugly stick that did such a number on Mail.app,” writes one blogger. “What’s different this time is that the stick must have been dipped in some of the Pro apps, and maybe iWork, before swinging around to hit the iTunes piñata again.”