Sony may be the next big challenger to iTunes in the UK, but that didn't stop the two giants from striking a deal that will allow past and current Sony TV material to be made available through the mighty online media vendor.

You may never have thought you'd see the day when the old Spider-Man series with cheesy special effects plays on your iPod video. Now, he'll be swinging in with some of Sony's most popular franchises to add a dash of nostalgia to your viewing diet.

  

Immortals such as "Charlie's Angels," "Starsky and Hutch," "The Amazing Spider-Man" and "News Radio" can once again be enjoyed, for a price of course, by downloading them from iTunes. Also, current hits "Til Death" and "Rules of Engagement" will be included in the mix.

Never mind their upcoming London skirmish. In this team-up, the fans are the real winners. It's pleasant to see mature business relationships even among rival outfits. We'll stay tuned.

 

We're truly not sure what to make of this rumor. Hey, if you've seen it yourself, maybe you should go ahead and tell us. But our source says that recently, a UK Apple store came out with an ad for a Mac Pro Â?Now quad-core or 8-core processing power. Configure yours todayÂ?. By the way, we came up with a story of the possibility of an 8-core Mac Pro last year.

The source even has a screenshot. Although we can't really confirm if this could actually be true, if an 8-core processor is really going to be released (and advertised at retailer sites at that), the lesson of the story is that it's nice to dream. Apple allegedly removed the ad quickly from the website. We're left wondering why it ever happened in the first place...

Finally, all you graphically-inclined art buffs can rest easy (hey! that's me included!). The release date of not just Photoshop CS3, but the entire Creative Suite 3 has now been confirmed. A few weeks ago, it was mere speculation. Today though, AppleInsider fleshes out the details of the CS3 launch.

Adobe will have a global launch of their graphics package on March 27 at an event in New York, and it will be webcast live at 8:30 p.m., UK time. The software company has even mentioned that this special event will be "the largest software release in Adobe's 25-year history."

Upon release, Adobe will be offering a whole line of distinct bundles that will include various combinations of the specific software in their CS3 package. And, with Adobe's acquiring of Macromedia back in 2005, what we can expect in this third-gen CS is the replacement of GoLive and Image Ready by Dreamweaver CS3 and Fireworks CS3, respectively.

While Apple and iPhone trademark">Cisco may have already settled their differences, the iPhone could very well come under fire again. According to Tech2, Quantum Research has threatened to sue Apple if it finds that the company has infringed on its touch-screen patent.

Quantum, a UK based touch-sensor manufacturer, is currently checking the iPhone for any indications that Apple is using any of their patented touch-screen technologies. Duncan Bryan, licensing director at Quantum Research said that the iPhone's description suggests that it uses a rear-surface touch screen and has proximity sensing which can tell if it is held to the ear. Both are Quantum capabilities.

Tech2 notes that this is Quantum's second attempt to warn Apple about patent infringement. Quantum filed a patent-infringement lawsuit against the Cupertino-based company in December 2005 over Apple's use of Quantum's patented charge transfer technology in the iPod Nano's wheel control. The December 2005 suit is still under process.

Apple's decision to call their upcoming mobile device the "iPhone" has caused a whole case file's worth of trouble. Cisco has complained about Apple using the iPhone trademark, and already it has sparked debates far and wide, all speculating about Apple changing the name in time for its launch this June.

Global Equities Research analyst Trip Chowdhry says that this name change will be an eventual step for Apple to take. He bases this theory on conversations with "sources" that are "close" to the iPhone labs.

A lot of us could probably agree with this. As we've said, countless people have already expressed the same sentiments of Apple doing a name change for the iPhone. In fact, we've heard a couple of comments from our beloved QJ readers already, and all of them have valid points and are worth pointing out.

Bob: To be honest, the iPhone name will either be licensed from Cisco or Apple will change it to iMobile, iCell, AppleCell or something. Just look at iTV which is now Apple TV. They would not have got away with iTV in the UK as there is a company with the very same name.

xche78x: It's a mishap on Apple's side. Cisco really owns the iPhone name. So, the product should find a new name so it can be launched for the mass market.

neok182: Apple was very wrong for going ahead and calling it that before they finished negotiations with Cisco. And now they're paying for it. Cisco was nice enough to even talk about letting them use it... Now, they'll lose this case and have to rename the phone. After everyone now knows it as the iPhone. This is just the first thing to hurt it... As nice as the phone is and I'd love to have one myself, it has a very bumpy road ahead of it.

Fair exchange of ideas, guys. We all have our thoughts on the issue but the people have spoken. A name change would have to be inevitable.

If you think that North Americans are the only ones basking on their newly declared rights, the Brits are also treading the same happy road. Due to insistent public demand, UK's Office of Communications or Ofcom is legalizing the use of FM transmitters that allow mp3 players and iPods to play through car radios.

The use of accessories like Griffin's iTrip was banned in the United Kingdom as their transmissions can interfere with the broadcasts of legal radio stations. We have already mentioned in our earlier report that the ban was based on the Wireless Telegraph Act of 1949 which basically forbids the use of radio equipment without a license. In spite of the ban, these accessories have been widely available online.

Starting December 8, Brits could legally use certain FM transmitters, which can be tuned to spare frequencies. But many devices on the market will still be illegal, as they didn't meet the required technical specifications and could interfere with radio broadcasts. All approved devices will carry a CE mark which implies the approval for sale in the European Union. Ofcom will also lift the need for a license to use Citizens' Band radio.

Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl but she doesn't have a lot to say
Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl but she changes from day to day
I want to tell her that I love her a lot, but I gotta get a bellyful of wine
Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl, someday I'm gonna make her mine...

Now while our admiration for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth doesn't go as far as what John Lennon and Paul McCartney had in mind in their song, "Her Majesty," it's still might fancy (or should we say fon-sei *Brit accent*) to get noticed by the Queen for your creativity and achievement.

Such is the honor that Jonathan Ive received when the Queen honored him as a Commander of the British Empire during the Queen's New Year Honours. If you have no idea who Jonathan Ive is, he's the one responsible for that wheel scroll thing on your iPods and the sleek design of your iMacs.

A primer on Jonathan Ive for those who don't know him: born in the UK in February 1967, he studied industrial design at Newcastle Polytechnic and started working for Apple in 1992. However, it wasn't until way back in 1998 when Steve Jobs adopted his iMac design that he reached his famous status.

After this, he has taken on designing various products for Apple but his best known design yet is without a doubt, the iPod. This skyrocketed his career in Apple, with Jobs propelling his career even further to become Senior VP of Industrial Design at the company. Prior to the Queen's CBE, he was also hailed as Designer of the Year by the Design Museum London in 2003 and has been given the title of Royal Designer for Industry by The Royal Society of Arts.

A college in Dover, UK (South Kent College) has spent over $50,000 to outfit the student body with the iPod Nano. 250 very lucky students will receive the iPods, free of charge, with the expectation that they will use them for handling lectures from their professors- which will of course be in podcast format.

Digital music players are already in use at Georgia college and the State University in Milledgeville (in the US). At many colleges, the use of digital music players, and other similar digital devices that have the ability to record sound, has become an integral part of the coursework.

Surprisingly, some people in Dover have raised objections to the faculty's decision to spend taxpayer's money on what is seen by some as a "bribe" to get students to attend college. Some, like pressure group Campaign for Real Education Chairman Nick Seaton, have even gone so far as to call the program "a scandalous waste of taxpayers' money." Fortunately, others involved with the situation are more circumspect. Mr. Coleman, the principal of the Dover college involved with the case, asserts that the iPods would only be handed out to those teenagers who had completed all their assignments and had full attendance.

He further added legitimacy to the project by adding that the entire project was funded by money the government saved in a business venture and not from a general fund contributed to by taxpayers. Officials at the school maintain that the staff reaction to the plan has been positive.

Lectures surrounding IT, motor vehicle engineering, and childcare will be the first courses that offer podcast formatted lectures with the remainder of the course offerings scheduled to be available as podcasts next year. Although some people reacted negatively to the plan to give iPods to students, the course has already been set.

Technology is an inseparable part of the educational experience. Students who are not acclimated to technology by using it during their coursework each day will be sorely missing out on an important part of the learning experience.

The UK may soon legalize gadgets which convert MP3 audio output into an FM radio signal. These signals are then picked up by devices such as car radios. Though widely available (and popular), low-power transmitters, such as the iTrip, are banned in Europe as signals coming from the transmitter can interfere with legal stations.

The ban is based on the the Wireless Telegraphy Act of 1949, which forbids the use of radio equipment without a license. But with communications regulator Ofcom holding a public consultation over the issue, these low-power FM transmitters are expected to become legal to use without license by 2007.

Liberal Democrat culture, media and sport spokesman Don Foster welcomes the proposed legalization, "I am delighted Ofcom have ended this ludicrous ban, based on 1940s legislation... which threatened two years imprisonment to music lovers using iTrips."

Gadget magazine T3 deputy editor Jason Jenkins is also delighted with the proposition and said, "They are nifty little things and an easy way to listen to your iPod tunes in your car."

Imagine if you could conceptualize your own Apple product, and by that I don't mean simply customizing your iPod or MacBook, but actually conceptualizing the product from scratch. A nice but really challenging task. But since a lot of people are into taking challenges, it isn't surprising that people usually come up with concept products -- some are senseless, while some of them we wish could materialize in the shelves of Apple stores.

One of those concepts that I would pay good money for is the MacPod Pro which looks to me as a perfect mix of an iPod, UMPC, and a PDA. No, this is not a leaked Apple patent for some product or something of that sort. This one is from the UK Magazine called iCreate, an Apple magazine which has a "What if Apple made..." section.

Thus the birth of the MacPod concept which aims to be your one-stop portable device and a Mac for your pocket. Nifty contraption this one is, but I can't help but think of the Sony 's UX50 Handheld PC.

But still, this one will add to my long list of wishful thinkings. The concept MacPod can put 1000 songs in your pocket and has a built-in iSight and iLife. Perfect for anyone...who has the money to avail of such luxury. Too bad it's only an unofficial concept, but who knows, maybe Apple could get some ideas with this one.