Bits & Pieces

This information was not really new. But Apple stock tends to move for unknown reasons.

Disclosure: I am long in AAPL. Nothing on this blog should be treated as investment advice.

Fortune Magazine has named Steve Jobs CEO of the decade.  And he certainly deserves the title.

How’s this for a gripping corporate story line: Youthful founder gets booted from his company in the 1980s, returns in the 1990s, and in the following decade survives two brushes with death, one securities-law scandal, an also-ran product lineup, and his own often unpleasant demeanor to become the dominant personality in four distinct industries, a billionaire many times over, and CEO of the most valuable company in Silicon Valley.

Sound too far-fetched to be true? Perhaps. Yet it happens to be the real-life story of Steve Jobs and his outsize impact on everything he touches.

Apple today reduced the prices on their existing iPod line by $20 to $120, depending on the model.

At 1 pm today, eastern, Apple has a music related event at which new iPods are expected to be announced. I assume that the new models will replace the current models and the pre-reduction price. So, the price cuts are likely to be aimed at moving out the old product to make room for the new. The new iPods are rumored to include new features, including cameras.

Update: Apple’s online retail store is now offline. This is typical in advance of new product announcements such as that happening this afternoon.