The internet is filled with interesting reads, and this new statement from Steve Jobs, Apple's head honcho is definitely deserving of some talk. On the agenda for his "Thoughts on Music" piece? Opening up DRM, the future of the music player industry, and... Did we just say opening up DRM?

Well, in a sense. In his article, he discusses the current state of digital rights management and music, noting that Apple doesn't have power over the music it sells:

The rub comes from the music Apple sells on its online iTunes Store. Since Apple does not own or control any music itself, it must license the rights to distribute music from others, primarily the "big four" music companies: Universal, Sony BMG, Warner and EMI.

Despite that, music players are big business, which is why he now discusses three possible scenarios for the future of digital music.

The three scenarios? First, there's staying the course and maintaining status quo, where music companies and Apple don't really make that great a profit from the less than 3% of purchased music on all iPods in existence. Second is Jobs' idea to sell their Fairplay DRM, attempting to make it the standard by which all DRM would work. Definitely unlikely, given the nature of business these days. Lastly, and probably the one we all like: the abolition of digital rights management.

You guys should definitely check out Jobs' article and then make your own decision. Which one of the options really piques your interest, eh?

This one's official guys: Apple (as in Steve Jobs Apple) and Apple Corps (The Beatles' Apple) has finally settled on an agreement regarding the use of the name "Apple" and apple logos.

According to Apple Insider, the new agreement states that Jobs' Apple will own all Apple-related trademarks and will license some of those trademarks back to Apple Corps for continued use. This puts the trademark lawsuit between the two Apples to end but not without legal consequences of course.

Both parties will have to pay certain legal costs, but Apple will be able to continue using its name and logos on iTunes. Steve Jobs says,

We love the Beatles, and it has been painful being at odds with them over these trademarks. It feels great to resolve this in a positive manner, and in a way that should remove the potential of further disagreements in the future.

Further terms of settlement weren't disclosed, but if the two Apples will continue to see each other eye to eye, there's a huge probability that Beatles songs will show up on iTunes. Man, this Apple vs. Apple case has been going on for way too long now, we heard Adam & Eve's apple are throwing hissy fits because the companies' apples are more popular now. Kidding aside, it's nice to know that they've finally settled this long-running matter. So, all together now, "..all you need is love...pamparam papam..."

Apple has just gotten a bit of breathing room in their impending court case with iPhone trademark">Cisco Systems over the iPhone trademark, with Cisco Systems giving the Cupertino-based company up to February 15 to respond to the lawsuit. Cisco sued Apple three weeks ago, the day after Steve Jobs introduced Apple's iPhone without Cisco's permission.

According to the Mercury News, Cisco claimed at the time that the two companies had been in discussions for weeks over the use of the moniker, but Apple never signed a final agreement. In a recent joint statement, both companies said that they hope to reach an agreement on both trademark rights and interoperability.

The iPhone trademark was obtained by Cisco in 2000 after buying InfoGear, who had been granted the trademark in 1996. Apple, meanwhile, registered the iPhone.org domain name in 1999. In case you've been living comatose under a rock and three pebbles, Apple currently has a whole stable of products with "i" in front of their names.

After just a few weeks since Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone, it seems like it already has a Chinese look a-like, and a beefy competition at that. Chinese company Meizu, who has found their niche in making mp3 players, has concocted a cellphone called M8, which has an uncanny resemblance to the iPhone.

It has a smaller 3.3 screen which has a 720 x 480 resolution. It also has touch screen functionality like the iPhone, is powered by a ARM11 processor and runs on Win CE 60 OS. Aside from that, it also has Bluetooth, a TV-out feature, and what appears to be two integrated cameras - a three megapixel cam at its back and a 0.3 megapixel at the front.

We still don't have any info about its price tag and availability. But we're betting that it would be cheaper than the iPhone. Anyhow, we'll update you about this as more info comes our way.

Apple owners may want to set their calendars for June, as Apple has scheduled this year's World Wide Developer's Conference (WWDC) from June 10 to 15, with Steve Jobs making his keynotes presentation on the 11th.

In conjunction with the WWDC 2007, it is noted that this event heralds the coming of Apple's Leopard OS, with further info on the system being released in the following months. Readers may also want to double up on the iLife and iWork software packs, with Apple possible releasing more info on these two as they will for OS X Leopard.

The event will be held at the Moscone West convention center in downtown San Francisco, with Apple releasing a formal events announcement early next month. Stay tuned for this official release.

Everybody knows that Apple rumors are a dime a dozen. The good thing about this, though, is that Apple consumers have built up a kind of early warning device that helps them sift through the unfounded and the quite possible.

Anyway, with that said, let's take a look at another rumored new product from Steve Jobs and company: a new Beatles edition iPod similar to the U2 iPod with a widescreen and touch features like the iPhone. According to Apple Gazette, that's the word currently on the lips of MacBreak Weekly hosts Merlin Mann and Leo Laporte.

It was earlier rumored that the "Beatles on iTunes" thing was going to be announced by Apple on Valentine's Day, but an announcement of the whole deal along with a new Video iPod on Super Sunday would definitely be one hell of a treat. There's also the possibility that the announcement may come during the rumored (how many times have I said that word now?) February 20 event, but that's all it is, really: a possibility.

Such a sweet, sweet possibility, though.

Now we're sure you gadget folks out there have been informed of the "supposed" teaming up of Microsoft with Apple for a pilot player sporting Microsoft's Windows Media software. But since the release of the Zune music player (not without some hiccups as we can recall), some of us had to find out the hard way that it just wasn't meant to be.

The folks from Redmond could have changed history by going down the path less traveled on, because it would have made all the difference - for once. Now that Apple and Microsoft are head-to-head once more, Apple is out for the early win. In fact, 21.1 million iPods (and that's just last quarter's sales) is pretty much a win already when compared to an unimpressive "hundreds of thousands" of Zune players, despite Zune's shove into the iPod market.

E-mail evidences, presented at a private anti-trust class action against Microsoft in Iowa, confirmed the idea of a team-up. According to the e-mails from Windows chief Jim Allchin, there are suggestions that he talk to Apple CEO Steve Jobs to get the iPod to work with Microsoft's media software for fear that the iPod would "drive people away from the Windows Media Player."

Also interesting to note is Jim Allchin's e-mail regarding the statement that he "would buy a Mac" if he "was not working at Microsoft." The funny part is that the e-mail was sent to two people, one being Bill Gates himself (ouch!). We remember another time that Microsoft employees felt kinder to Apple than usual.

But as noted earlier, Microsoft decided to go its own way. You can admire their courage, but up against the iPod? That's just suicide.

Apple, the leader of providing consumer-designed technology to the industry, might want to rethink their future should co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs decide to step down. The news about Steve Jobs could have been responsible for the recent faked backdated options, which forced a 5.8% percent drop in Apple's stock. Apple director and former U. S. Vice President Al Gore stepped up to clear Steve Jobs of the allegations and brought back a miraculous 4.9% rise in stock.

His creativity, his closeness to the prospects and directions of the company and stockholder confidence in his leadership strengthens Apple's progress. Charlie Wolf, an analyst at Needham & Company Inc. in New York, believes that Apple's value might fall as much as a third of its current value if Jobs were to just suddenly leave.

The creativity Jobs possesses is unquestionable, as he has turned himself into a fashionista icon of technology over the past five years with the iPod and further solidifying his position with a new Apple mobile phone (no, not an "iPhone", sorry) that plays movies and music. He is also able to transform a conservative product introductions into high-profile media events, with celebrities such as U2's Bono and Kanye West.

Piper Jaffray's Munster said, "The biggest risk to Apple is not competition or markets or products. It's probably the reality that at some point Steve Jobs is going to leave. That's just the wild card that investors have to deal with."

Apple will then have to make a selection among the jeans-wearing executives who also imitate Job's words "cool," "awesome" and "revolutionary." But in our opinion, because the void that would be left behind would be quite vast to fill, the only way Apple could survive is if the one filling it equals or exceeds Jobs' qualities.

Now where can you find someone like that?

When the iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs in the concluded Macworld Conference and Expo, you might recall that Mr. Jobs took a call on the iPhone during his Keynote. The ringtone was one unique sound - something that could make you forget about the iPhone's price tag and its inability to use iTunes songs as your ringtone. It was unique and angelic, and a lot of people are clamoring for it.

Gizmodo reports that New York City musician, Andy Neesley has transcribed the ringtone so musically inclined people could play it on a piano or could even come up with a symphonic version of it. Cool idea...for now. But this ringtone is just going to be ordinary once people begin sporting their iPhones come June.

So, how are we today? Still clutching your pitchforks, waiting for the next wave of attacks on your living room, eh? The Battle for the Living Room chronicles is still under full swing. Three set top boxes - Sony's PS3, Microsoft's 360, and Apple's Apple TV (iTV) - are vying for that oh-so comfortable spot in your living room. Digital download services have been around for quite some time now, but with these three new factions on the battle field, how can one survive through the media format wars?

Indeed there are a lot of interesting elements, features, and other factors involved when comparing these three set top boxes (again, we are stressing that we are viewing these as set top boxes with the "gaming console" aspect stripped out). Some might even say that, what with all the tech specs thrown into the equation, choosing your Living Room King can be a task left for the gods.

We here at QJ aren't gods (aaaw, sadness) but we can still enlighten you! When you're in a war, you'd definitely want to be on the winning side. And as of now, there isn't any clear-cut winner just yet. We can just assess the tipping scales as the battle changes every so often. Time to rip open the reports in the case file!

Cry: "Havoc!" And let click the "Full Article" link of war!