Business Week reported that Apple's brand value went up by 14% last year raising its position in the magazine's Best Global Brand Survey from No. 39th to 41.  According to Business Week, the company continues to be "the style master with its expanded family of iPods and Macs. Its latest hit: the MacBook line of laptops."  Apple's brand equity is currently valued at $9.13 billion.

The annual BusinessWeek/Interbrand rankings measure an elusive but crucial quality known as brand value. This year's list includes Coca-Cola (No.1), Microsoft (No.2) and IBM (No.3). Other brands that made the cut are Motorola, Hyundai, Google, and McDonald's.

Ever since the iPhone and iPod Messenger rumors started, iPod People have been digging their way to China trying to come with proof. According to the latest vine buzz, some people are sifting through iPod's software code like Tom Hanks, searching for clues about  the next-gen digital music players. Amazingly, they may have found what they were looking for.

AppleInsider member VL-Tone dissected the latest iPod firmware update like a frog and came upon the following  codes:
 

"t_feature_app_PHONE_APP" application and variables such as "kPhoneSignalStrength," "clPhoneCallHistoryModel," prPhoneSettingsMenu," "prPhoneSettingsMenuView," prPhoneEnableSetting" and "prPhoneMenuItem."

The iPod phone references, according to VL-Tone, are unlikely about Motorola's iTunes Music phones because the mobiles do not run iPod's OS, the member pointed out in his analysis. Furthermore, he thinks it's unrelated Apple's address book synching.  Now, if you connect this with Apple's European design filing we featured a while back, then he could be on to something.

The codebreaker isn't finished yet.

"t_feature_app_MESSENGER_APP," "clMessengerModel," and "clMessengerApplication."

His interpretation: Apple may also be working on an iPod-based instant messenger application. He also found clues to a possible iPod-based search application, an iPod keyboard, and what could be two new game applications.

Clipping on to the back and bottom of any iPod with a Dock connector, Motorola's new Music Duo lets you use any Bluetooth headphones or Bluetooth phone headset to listen to your tunes without need for wires. If you also have those working with your telephone, the Music Duo will pause your music whenever you get a call and restart it after you hang up.

The down side of course, is battery life. With the Music Duo connected, you can expect 10 hours play from your iPod at best, with battery life of the headphones or headset to think about as well.

Motorola expect to launch the Music Duo during the first quarter of 2006.

[Via Mac Rumors]

 iTunes v5.0 has been released, here are the changes in this new version:

New Look

Streamlined design makes iTunes even easier to use.

Search Bar

Find stuff fast and refine your search with the handy new Search Bar.

Smart Shuffle

Adjust random playback to hear what you want.

Sync from Outlook

iTunes now supports iPod syncing for Outlook and Outlook Express on Windows PCs.

Playlist Folders

Organize all your playlists into folders.

Parental Controls

Limit kidsÂ? access to the iTunes Music Store and sharing features.

Album Reviews

Browse over 1,000 album reviews.

The Complete Harry Potter

Download all six audiobooks or the Digital Box Set and add the collectorÂ?s iPod with Hogwarts crest.

iTunes for Your Mobile Phone

Sync music to the Motorola ROKR E1.