Xserve G5

Universal Music, the world's largest record company, said on Wednesday its European unit has converted its entire active catalogue into digital form so that some 300,000 songs can be sold in online music stores, according to Reuters.

In a followup to yesterday's report on further Power Mac G5 delays, sources have informed AppleInsider that shipping dates for Apple's newly announced Xserve G5's appear to have slipped once again.

In October, Microsoft fired an employee for his blog posting titled, Even Microsoft wants G5s, which includes photos of the delivery of three palettes of Dual 2.0Ghz Power Mac G5s to Microsoft's Redmond Campus. While many were shocked at Microsoft's retaliation to the innocuous web posting, employees reportedly signed a contract containing at least one clause prohibiting photography on the Microsoft campus.

Mac OS X 10.3.3 7F34

According to the Register, the soon to be spun off Motorola chip division has updated its G4-class PowerPC processor, the MPC7447, taking the part to 1.5GHz, paving the way for one more PowerBook G4 update before the line before its upgraded to IBM's 90nm G5 chip, the 970FX.

eMacs

"Apple Computer is planning to open a giant flagship store on London’s Regent Street after striking a deal with the Crown Estate, the holding company for the Queen’s property assets," according to the The Times Online .

"Apple, the US computer company behind the iTunes music service, has become the latest group to oppose the proposed deal between Sony Music and BMG, the recorded music arm of Germany's Bertelsmann media group", according to the Financial Time.

Development of the next revision to Apple's Power Mac G5 product-line, rumored to go by the code-name q38, was completed early last month, sources previously reported to AppleInsider. But the company has been awaiting shipments of the new 90-nanometer PowerPC 970FX before announcing the revised models to consumers.

"McDonald's Holdings Co (Japan) is set to name Apple Japan Inc. President Eiko Harada chief executive officer (CEO)," according to JapanToday

Apple today announced that Fred D. Anderson, Apple’s executive vice president and CFO, will retire on June 1, 2004 and Peter Oppenheimer, Apple’s senior vice president of Finance and corporate controller, will succeed Anderson as CFO at that time. The company intends to appoint Anderson to its Board of Directors upon his retirement.

A number of Apple retail locations may soon shed their use of traditional paper imagery in favor of dynamic video-display screens to promote products around the store. According to at least two accounts, select Apple locations have begun to receive shipments of pre-constructed wall-displays. One of these furnishings was said to measure approximately 12-feet by 4-feet and include two side-by-side 30-inch plasma screens. It's unlikely that these plasma displays have any relevance to the rumored Apple 30-inch HD Cinema display, which has yet to surface.

Rumors that Apple plans to enter the home-appliance market are some of the most recent whispers to come out of Cupertino, California, sources recently told AppleInsider.

Representatives of Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple are in serious talks to occupy space in Riata Crossing that's being vacated by Plano-based technology outsourcing company Electronic Data Systems Corp (EDS), according to the Austin Business Journal.

New details on Mac OS X 10.3.3 "Panther" are emerging following the first seed of the system update, which began making its way to developers earlier this morning.

Apple continued the further development of Mac OS X 10.3 Panther this week with the first seedings of Mac OS X 10.3.3 build 7F24 and Safari 1.2 build 125.

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Following last week's USA Today story detailing Pepsi's 'I Fought the Law' iTunes Super Bowl ad, Apple has decided to provide its own preview of the highly anticipated spot.

According to the Mail and Guardian Online, after Apple's applications and internet service vice-president Eddy Cue made an upbeat pitch about sales on his company's $0,99-per-track iTunes store, online competitor Napster warned music delegates to "stay-off the Apple platform".