Exclusive: Spy shot from behind closed doors at Canada’s newest Apple store.

Apple is normally very secretive about keeping the veil on Apple Stores until they are completed. Which makes this sneak peek a tasty tidbit. You may have already seen the floorplan, and you may have already seen the cloaked storefront but now… VistaSucks.WordPress.Com bring you the first spy shot of the interior of the new Apple Store Vancouver…

Apple now the most valuable computer maker in the world!

The Unofficial Apple Weblog reports: …with the recent gains Apple passed an important milestone. Apple has a larger market capitalization than IBM, meaning simply that Apple is now the most valuable computer hardware maker in the world. Let me say that again: Apple is, as of this writing, trading above $185 per share giving it a market cap of $161b, compared to IBM at $153b, HP at $133b and Dell at a measly $65b. Read the article on Tuaw.Com

Microsoft’s Latest Invention: The iPhone

Patent application from Microsoft. Words fail me. Read what Wired.Com had to say.

Apple’s Web User Market Share Increases

Apple’s successes with the iPod are finally translating into real momentum for its computer business, if statistics from Net Applications are any indication. The market research firm measured a 40 percent increase year over year in Mac usage on the Internet in September. As of the end of the month, 6.6 percent of Internet users were accessing the Web via Macs, up from 4.7 percent in September 2006. Read the full article on BetaNews.Com [found via SwitchingToMac.Com]

Product Sales and Expectations Lift Apple Stock

A nexus of events, iPhone current and projected sales and possible iPod announcements on Wednesday have listed Apple’s stock dramatically, according to MarketWatch on Tuesday. Analysts, including Gene Munster, are also expecting Apple to sell 2 million Macs this quarter. Mr. Munster has set an “outperform” rating for AAPL and a target price of US$211. Read the full article on macobserver.com

(The predicted 2 million Macs sold would equal a minimum of $2,398,000,000 for Apple based on the lowest end iMac, or $1,598,000,000 if they were all Mac minis. Either way, my money will be in there too somewhere.)

Microsoft: These are our Competitors…

Microsoft succinctly and clearly identifies many of its major competitors. Why should anyone outside of Microsoft or among shareholders care about this information? Partners can identify areas of Microsoft strength or weakness that could impact their businesses. For IT organizations, Microsoft loosely identifies alternatives to its own products through its list of competitors. Read more.

TIME Magazine: How Apple Does It

This is partly a story about a company called Apple Computer. It’s also partly a story about a fancy new iPod that plays videos as well as music and that could dramatically change the way people entertain themselves. But it’s mostly a story about new things and where they come from, about which there are a few popular misconceptions.

read more | digg story

Apple’s Sales Up 26.1% From Same Q. Last Year.

IDC released marketshare numbers for the top U.S. and worldwide computer brands. Apple’s 2nd Quarter 2007 U.S. marketshare was up to 5.6% of U.S. shipments. This tied Apple in 3rd place with Gateway for U.S. marketshare for this quarter. Dell and HP were well ahead at 28.4% and 23.6% respectively. Read more.

How Apple Can Win The PC Battle

Let’s step back and analyze why Apple’s market share is increasing. Apple’s endless passion for speed, elegance and simplicity runs through their entire product line. In the last few years, Apple has created a line of iMacs with gorgeous displays. They also basically made the hard drive fit into the display, released the Mac mini, ported to Intel - just to mention some of the Mac changes. Read more.

Anti-Theft: Hide your iPod or iPhone inside a gutted Zune!

We’ve all heard the stories about iPods being targets for theft. What if you could disguise your iPod as something people wouldn’t want to steal? Put it in a $30 Hide-a-pod, carefully constructed from a Microsoft Zune. Hide-a-pod is also available for your iPhone. Read more.

Apple Store coming to Vancouver, BC (FINALLY!)

Like Cinderella waiting in breathless anticipation to try on the glass slipper, Mac and iPod aficionados in Vancouver are hoping the signature glass staircase of an Apple Inc. flagship store will soon be coming to downtown. Their interest was piqued by recent comments by Apple’s senior VP for retailing Ron Johnson who, when asked at the company’s recent AGM when Vancouver would have its own Apple store, teased shareholders with the reply: “Patience is a virtue, and your patience will be rewarded soon.” His comments re-ignited an online guessing game that alternatively has a new Apple store opening at Holt Renfrew’s former location in Pacific Centre, in Gastown, or other potential spots.Registration required to read more.

[Nov 19th 2007 Update] The Vancouver Apple store is now confirmed by Apple to be opening in Pacific Center Mall. No word on date yet.

Apple up-to 7.6% at Home Computer Market-share

USA Today claims based on their research that Apple is now up-to 7.6% computer market-share based on home computers statistics. This is a drastic increase in at-home computer market-share from 3.2% only a few years ago! [via SwitchingToMac.Com] Read more.

The first iPhone theft

Remember the problems with game consoles being stolen at launch time? Remember armed holdups on people waiting in line with cash in pocket - to buy 360’s, PS3s, and Wiis?

Has anyone stopped to consider what may happen on the 29th with the iPhone?

iLoad copies DVDs straight to iPods, iPhone

MacNN reports: Silicon Valley’s Wingspan today announced that users can now directly copy a DVD to an iPhone or iPod — without using a computer. The company’s iLoad device can transfer either an entire DVD or CD or the tracks of the user’s choice as well as the album and track information directly to the iPod without using a computer, iTunes or Internet connection. Read more.

68 y/o Grandmother: I Forced a Mac on My Daughter

I’ve been a computer user and fan of the product since the 1980s with my first army-green Kaypro and WordStar software. I eventually graduated to Gateways and Word Perfect. Over the years, I accumulated and discarded several desktops and one laptop. “You’re not a Mac person?” friends with Macs would ask in surprise. “Too tricky to change,” I’d answer, “and besides, Macs are for graphics people.”

Read more.

Why you can’t buy Apple’s new phone [in Canada]

The most hyped consumer electronics device in years will make its debut on June 29, but Apple Inc.’s iPhone will be conspicuously absent from Canadian store shelves. Sold out? No - just not for sale. Read more.

A thought from the author: PC vs Mac

I came to a realization the other day while surfing around the net looking for things of interest. I happened to read a comment on a site from a PC user to a Mac guy. It was a very biased and ignorant comment that left me envisioning this PC user as a 5 year old kid with his index fingers in his ears yelling “Lalalalala. Macs suck. Lalalaa I can’t hear you!”

But then it hit me. I used to be one of those guys!

Apple finally offers complete iPod, Mac lineups to India.

Apple’s resurgence in recent years has seen a similar return to health for its Indian business. In March of last year, the company announced that it would begin selling some key iPod and Mac models through local resellers in the country, but until now had refrained from opening up its entire catalog to the country’s booming economy. Read more.

In other news Microsoft busts Indian retailers installing Windows on systems. (That SHOULD be a crime.)

Penny Arcade [Comic]

Wired: Kiss Boring Interfaces Goodbye With Apple’s New Animated OS

When Steve Jobs takes the stage Monday at Apple’s programmers conference, he’s likely to give the world a glimpse of an upgraded Mac operating system that could herald the biggest changes to the machine’s interface in 30 years.

read more | digg story

Criticisms of Windows Vista

Considering buying Windows Vista? Read this encyclopedia entry from Wikipedia.Com before you do. Windows Vista, the latest version of Microsoft’s desktop operating system, has been the target of a number of negative assessments by various groups. Criticisms of Windows Vista have included… Read more.

Apple now valued at over $100 billion

Apple Inc.’s market capitalization broke the $100 billion barrier for the first time on Wednesday, as shares of the company surged above $116 following a bullish research report from investment bank Morgan Stanley.

read more | digg story

A Day in the Life of an Apple Genius

Apple jealously guards its Apple Store “geniuses” — the tech-support people behind Apple’s Genius Bars. The editors of Mac|Life, however, got two of those geniuses to talk. Here are their unapproved-by-Apple comments on what it’s like to work for Apple.

read more | digg story

Microsoft offers Amnesty Bin for iPods

From the entry way at Microsoft’s Zune headquarters: the iPod Amnesty Bin. It’s like seeing adorable puppies in a pound. I instinctively wanted to grab those poor sweet neglected iPods into my arms and give them a proper home. Someone ought to notify the association for the prevention of iPod cruelty.

read more | digg story

Costco turned Zune boxes into tables to sell iPods

Costco found a use for Microsoft’s Zune.

read more | digg story

The Top 15 most colorful, controversial Microsoft statements ever

In the pantheon of controversial Microsoft comments CEO Steve Ballmer’s quote this week about the Apple iPod: “There’s no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance. It’s a $500 subsidized item,” ranks right up there. But Between Ballmer and Chairman Bill Gates that comment would be hard pressed to crack the Top 15 all-time most controversial or even colorful things the two of them have uttered in the past oh, 20 years or so.  Read more.

How to boot your Mac from your iPod

To get it going you’ll need to set your iPod to run in disk mode, and then install OS X on it using the original installation disks. If you’re willing to lay out some cash for extra bootable iPod features, pricey software Protogo ($135, yikes!) can boot several versions of OS X from your iPod, as well as add various utilities.

read more | digg story

How to convert a DVD to iPod (MP4) for free

There are a number of certain pay programs that claim to do it for free, but many are riddled with bugs and fail to take into account DVD encryption. However, by using just two free programs, you can easily convert a full DVD movie into an iPod-ready mp4 file. Read on for the full guide and links.

read more | digg story

iTunes 7.1.2 DRM cracked

This utility will scrub DRM from YOUR music files and make a backup copy of the originals for safe keeping. Great for iPod owners who now have another brand of music player - iTunes will convert your AAC files to MP3 when you’re ready to run away from Apple. I’m sure this story will be buried by DMCA lovers.

read more | digg story

Apple iPhone: more secrets revealed; Mini iPhone and 3rd Party Applications

…It also looks like the iPhone that’s set to launch stateside next month won’t be the only mobile from the company. Apple has made an application ( number 0070103454 ) to the US Patent & Trademark Office. It reveals a smaller iPhone, this time with a display on both sides of the device

read more | digg story

Apple hints at video rentals through iTunes

Apple Inc. did not make any material announcements during its shareholders meeting on Thursday, but did hint that it will offer video rentals through iTunes at some point in the future. “Timing of this is difficult to determine, but we would expect [iTunes video rentals] sometime in 2008,” said analyst Gene Munster, who attended the meeting.

read more | digg story

Apple Stock Tops $106

AAPL closed at a new high on Wednesday when it easily cleared US$106 to land at $106.88.

read more | digg story

The Secret of Apple Design

An informative article exploring Apple’s unique and impressive product design. About five pages long; some of the most insightful information comes in the last few paragraphs. Read this if you’ve ever wondered why people “just feel better” using a Mac.

read more | digg story

Microsoft finally issues iPod update for Windows Vista

Consider the following scenario. You have an Apple iPod that is connected to a Windows Vista-based computer through a USB connection. Then, you disconnect the iPod from the computer. In this scenario, the data on the iPod may become corrupted. These newly released files from Microsoft will resolve those problems with Windows Vista.

read more | digg story

Best iPod Mod Ever

I honestly don’t know how this guy did this, but it absolutely awesome, you guys need to check it out… THE best hack I’ve ever seen. Mod of Doom on an iPod using an NES controller.

read more | digg story