News Roundup for November the 12th

Now that’s a bit more like it: a descent Apple product rumour. Apple Insider started the ball rolling, reporting that Apple was considering replacing the bottom portion of the MacBook Air — currently hewn by artisans from solid bricks of aluminium — with a section made of carbon fibre. This would likely yield a weight saving of a few crucial ounces. But trust someone who knows what they’re talking about to come along and spoil our speculation. Casey Hopkins at Mac Blogz knows a thing or two about carbon fibre, but still thinks Apple would be better off sticking to the metal. Well, that was fun while it lasted.

Elsewhere, another one of Apple’s clever two-part adverts has graced the front page of the New York Times’ website. The YouTubed version is embedded below. Because the NYT already gets enough page views without people visiting just to gawk at the ads.

Of course, the big question preoccupying the majority of Apple watchers right now is “where are my new in-ear headphones?” Despite being announced in September to be available before the end of October, they still haven’t put in an appearance. I don’t know about you, but this has been keeping me awake at nights. I think I’ll grab a sleeping bag and go camp outside an Apple Store until they come in.

The latest buzz suggests that version 2.2 of the iPhone OS will be released on the 21st of November. Apparently this makes it just in time for Thanksgiving. Whatever that is. Maybe if I got the Bento Holiday Pack it might tell me. But while we’re talking about creating cultural beachheads into foreign lands, the Philipines on-line Apple Store has just gone… on-line. Now they too can experience the quickening pulse and shortage of breath which comes from seeing the “We are busy updating the store for you and will be back shortly” message.

Anyway, for those of you distressed at the news that Al Shipp, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Enterprise Sales is leaving and won’t be replaced — naturally, because as anyone who’s ever met Al will testify, the guy is irreplaceable — page 11 of iTeam, our Apple-themed comic series is now up, so go check it out and cheer yourself up a little.