As we all wait to see what Apple might have its sleeve for up-ending the education market on Thursday, the rumors are already swirling around the New York City media event — as if the world needs more evidence that anything related to Apple can really stir up the tech press! And that’s not all: A Japanese blog is predicting an iPad 3 media event just two or three weeks from now, if you believe that kind of stuff. So let’s put on our tinfoil hats and delve deep into what’s making news for this terrific Tuesday, January 17, 2012.
iTunes Match Ready to Scan and Match in 19 More Countries
It may have seen a delayed launch here in the U.S., but iTunes Match is making up for lost time, today launching in the Netherlands as well as 18 additional countries around the world. According to MacRumors, the full list of new iTunes Match territories includes Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Guatemala, Honduras, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela. These 19 countries bring the total count to 37, and the annual subscription service arrives in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the Netherlands alongside iTunes in the Cloud compatibility with music and music videos, a first for those countries (the Latin American countries already had this functionality, but added iTunes Match).
Forthcoming Book Calls iOS Boss Scott Fortsall Apple “CEO In-Waiting”
We all know that current Apple CEO Tim Cook was co-founder Steve Jobs’ personal pick for his replacement, but a forthcoming book reveals that the company may already have its next chief executive officer all lined up — and he won’t have far to report for duty. AppleInsider is reporting that Apple’s senior vice president of iOS Software, Scott Forstall, is considered the company’s next “CEO-in-waiting” — that is, whenever current CEO Cook decides he’s had enough. Calling Forstall “the total package,” Inside Apple author Adam Lashinsky claims that the iOS boss is someone “who most closely resembles late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, making him the most obvious candidate to eventually succeed him.” The Fortune scribe will release his book Inside Apple: How America’s Most Admired — And Secretive — Company Really Works on January 25, which is already available for preorder on Amazon in both hardcover and Kindle formats as well as an unabridged audiobook.
Yahoo: Co-Founder Jerry Yang Has Left The Building
This just in: Yahoo Inc. has hit the news wires with word that co-founder Jerry Yang (pictured above) has “resigned from its Board of Directors and all other positions with the company, effective today. In addition, Yang resigned from the Boards of Yahoo Japan Corporation and Alibaba Group Holding Limited, effective today.” Yang’s letter to the board reads as follows: “My time at Yahoo!, from its founding to the present, has encompassed some of the most exciting and rewarding experiences of my life. However, the time has come for me to pursue other interests outside of Yahoo! As I leave the company I co-founded nearly 17 years ago, I am enthusiastic about the appointment of Scott Thompson as Chief Executive Officer and his ability, along with the entire Yahoo! leadership team, to guide Yahoo! into an exciting and successful future.” The head Yahoo! — who founded the company in 1995 with David Filo — was hailed as a “visionary and a pioneer” by chairman of the board Ray Bostock.
Apple’s Educational Event to Feature Textbook Publishers, New Software
You might not find education to be a very exciting area for Apple to tackle, but that may all change come this Thursday. According to AppleInsider, the company’s media event in New York City this week will focus on new content creation tools for the educational market, which some have dubbed “GarageBand for e-books.” The concept is “a simple app that makes standards-compliant e-book publishing as easy as recording a song in GarageBand,” which would certainly be music to the ears of those in the industry, including authors described as “frustrated” by the current tools. The Wall Street Journal also chimed in with their own thoughts on Thursday’s event, claiming Apple “is expected to unveil textbooks optimized for the iPad and that feature ways to interact with the content, as well as partnerships with publishers.” Stay tuned to this channel to find out the details later this week!
Rumor: iPad 3, iOS 5.1 Event in Early February?
What news roundup would be complete without some iPad 3 rumors? According to MacRumors, Apple is planning an event in early February to introduce the next iPad and potentially launch iOS 5.1 at the same time, which is currently in beta testing with developers. “According to Asian supplier and a source in United States, Apple seems to prepare to hold Special Event in early February,” explains Japanese blog Macotakara, who broke the news earlier today. “Because Chinese factory will be in holiday of New Year, then new product is considered to be released in early March.” As MacRumors notes, one month is a “significantly longer” gap between announcement and release than the iPad 2, which was introduced on March 2 and in stores nine days later, on March 11, 2011. But we’d say one thing is for sure: There’s a new iPad coming in the next 60-90 days, so strap in and enjoy the ride until we get there…
Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter
Article source: http://www.maclife.com/article/news/tuesday_recap_itunes_match_adds_19_jerry_yang_exits_yahoo_education_rumors
