Apple CEO Steve Jobs resigns

In a shocking, but really, not all that surprising move, longtime Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, has stepped down from his position, and will be the Chairman of the Board. Current COO Tim Cook has been appointed CEO in Jobs place.

In his resignation letter to the Apple Board of Directors, Jobs said that the time has come when he feels that he cannot meet his day to day duties as Apple CEO. Jobs strongly recommended Cook to take his place, which the Board readily accepted.

Jobs, one of the original founders of Apple along with Steve Wozniak, has been CEO of the computer company since 1998, and has turned it around from being on the brink of financial collapse into the most valuable computer company in the world. In recent years, Jobs health has caused a number of concerns among investors that he would not be able to fulfill his duties, but Jobs pressed on as CEO, and now Apple is more successful than it has ever been. Jobs was notorious for having his hand in every project at Apple, and nothing made it to market without his approval.



While Tim Cook is likely a suitable candidate for the CEO position, he certainly does not have the legacy that Jobs possessed. Many have speculated that Apple would not be the same once Jobs left, but only time will tell if that turns out to be the case. Either way, Cook certainly has to fill some big shoes. It should be very interesting to watch Apple's moves over the next few months.

Apple replacing MacBook bottom case

Apple has started replacing the bottom case of MacBooks sold over the last year and a half.

According to the company, some MacBooks have a problem in which the rubber surface on the bottom of MacBooks separates from the underside of the computer. The issue affects MacBooks shipped between October 2009 and April 2011.

Apple is offering three free ways to fix the problem.

Apple said that it will replaice the bottom case on affected MacBooks at the Genius Bar at any of its retail stores. In addition, consumers can choose to work with an Apple authorized service provider to get the new bottom case.

If those options aren't possible, consumers can opt to order a replacement bottom case kit on their own. According to Apple, MacBook owners can order the kit over the Web. The company will then send users a new bottom case, as well as a Phillips screwdriver, screws, and instructions on how to replace the part.

Apple is offering the free replacement for an indefinite amount of time. Those whose MacBooks might have been produced between October 2009 and April 2011 but aren't seeing the rubber surface separate from the case are not eligible to receive the new part.

Apple, Jobs to talk iCloud at WWDC

Apple is kicking off its Worldwide Developers Conference next week with the unveiling of its cloud-based service, iCloud.

Next Monday, Apple will hold its keynote address before a packed house at the Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco. In addition to iCloud, Apple said that it will detail its next-generation desktop operating system,Mac OS X Lion, as well as iOS 5, the next version of the mobile operating system running on its iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.

The company also indicated in its press release that CEO Steve Jobs, who is on an indefinite medical leave, will participate in WWDC.

Apple stopped short of providing specifics about Cloud in this morning's announcement. However, details and intimations surrounding the launch of such an offering have been cropping up for quite some time, at the very least since Apple acquired online music-streaming service Lala a year and a half ago.

In January, music industry sourced told that they were in talks with Apple for a cloud-based, streaming music service that would allow users to listen to their tracks over the Web on computers and Apple's mobile devices.

Apple had signed a cloud music licensing agreement with EMI music and was closing in on deals with Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment. The company had already reached a cloud deal with Warner Music.

In today's annoucement, Apple did not specifically say that its iCloud service will resolve around music, referring to it tersely as a 'cloud services offering," more than one function.