iTunes

The latest iPhone OS 3.0 beta version is live for developers, and requires installation of the iTunes 8.2 pre-release for activation. Questions and speculation have arisen over a reference to Blu-ray included in the "About iTunes" window of iTunes 8.2.

The text reads: CD, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, and music and video-related data from Gracenote, Inc. Could it be possible that Apple has decided to acquire licensing for Blu-ray technology after all?

Anticipating one billion iPhone app downloads, Apple has announced the best selling iPhone applications of all time. Two lists show the top 20 paid and top 20 free apps downloaded since the AppStore opened in July 2008.

According to Apple, over 953 million apps have already been downloaded. The company is holding a Billion App Countdown Promotion, offering the chance to win a $10,000 iTunes Gift Card, an iPod touch, a Time Capsule, and a MacBook Pro to those downloading apps before the total hits one billion.

Philip Schiller, senior vice president for worldwide marketing, gave Apple's keynote address at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco yesterday. Apple's stock (AAPL) gained $10 to peak at $97 in a wave of excitement over the affair, but has since lost roughly $6. This may reflect disappointment over the lack of groundbreaking announcements at the event.