Dear Apple Community,

For the first time in a decade, I’m getting to spend the holiday season with my family, rather than intensely preparing for a Macworld keynote.

Unfortunately, my decision to have Phil deliver the Macworld keynote set off another flurry of rumors about my health, with some even publishing stories of me on my deathbed.

I’ve decided to share something very personal with the Apple community so that we can all relax and enjoy the show tomorrow.

As many of you know, I have been losing weight throughout 2008. The reason has been a mystery to me and my doctors. A few weeks ago, I decided that getting to the root cause of this and reversing it needed to become my #1 priority.

Fortunately, after further testing, my doctors think they have found the cause—a hormone imbalance that has been “robbing” me of the proteins my body needs to be healthy. Sophisticated blood tests have confirmed this diagnosis.

The remedy for this nutritional problem is relatively simple and straightforward, and I’ve already begun treatment. But, just like I didn’t lose this much weight and body mass in a week or a month, my doctors expect it will take me until late this Spring to regain it. I will continue as Apple’s CEO during my recovery.

I have given more than my all to Apple for the past 11 years now. I will be the first one to step up and tell our Board of Directors if I can no longer continue to fulfill my duties as Apple’s CEO. I hope the Apple community will support me in my recovery and know that I will always put what is best for Apple first.

So now I’ve said more than I wanted to say, and all that I am going to say, about this.

Steve

src

A good read i found today from Apple watch in eWeek

There is another shortcoming that hampers iPhone 3G as a phone: Battery life. Standby life is great. In my testing, the battery lasts for days if the phone isn’t used. But 3G calling drains the battery surprisingly fast. Worse: Mixing telephony and data or other features. Apple’s mobile delivers great GPS coordinated with Google Maps. But it’s a battery-life sucking app. Battery life wouldn’t an issue if the battery could be swapped like the T-Mobile G1. I know people that recharge iPhone 3G two or three times a day or keep in it car-docked whenever they drive. A trickle of charge comes here, there and everywhere.

Other shortcomings come where Apple strangely chose to digress from standard features found on most other mobiles. SMS/MMS sending is makeshift. Apple expects people to send pictures via e-mail. Video is lacking, too. Have you talked to teens lately? These are commonly used capabilities.

Read More

 Sales of Apple desktop computers fell 38 percent in November, according to retail research firm NPD.The figure compares to a 15 percent drop in U.S. sales of Windows desktop PCs and a 20 percent domestic cut for overall desktop sales during the past month.

Mac U.S. sales were flat in November, falling 1 percent as PC sales grew 2 percent, according to NPD. The numbers appear to reflect a consumer spending tightening and Apple’s reluctance to shift from premium prices.

While PC makers, such as HP and Dell, cut holiday prices by up to 50 percent, Apple introduced 5 percent to 10 percent discounts since December of 2007, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster told the Wall Street Journal Tuesday.

src 1, 2

I was navigating through the Apple india site ( apple.co.in ) for some support information . The main page of the site has JavaScript errors ( hello apple ! ) . That didn’t bother me much but i tried searching for info from the search field at the top right part of the homepage . The  Ajax enabledsearch result are not displayed as drop down box as i type which happens in Apple global site. And yes the most importantly anything you search will result into a blank page . How weird.

I got a new iPod touch and was playing around with it . Connected it to my Mac and accessed from iTunes . Damn why it cant be accessed like USB device why only with iTunes. I was trying to setup an iTunes stores account and what i got as Terms and condition while signing up . Weird it is . Seems after i have updated iTunes to latest version 8.0.1 . I am not able to reproduce it. This happened in iTunes 8.0.0. 

I sold my iPod touch today after using for some 2 weeks. I didn’t really like it ( lots of reasons to say ) except for its good UI and multitouch amazingness. 

Below is the proof ( Click on the image for clear and larger screenshot. )