Apple offers free iPod to students who purchase Macs...

Educational customers who buy a Mac through September 24th will get a free iPod mini and a chance to save up to $480 when combined with their student discount. "Choose an iBook, PowerBook, iMac or Power Mac, then select your favorite 4GB iPod mini." Alternatively, stuents can apply the $180 savings toward the purchase of a higher priced iPod. With the student discount, iBooks are available starting at $950, PowerBooks at $1400, and iMacs at $1200. (Find this story and other iPod news every day on iPodNN -- the best resource for iPod news.)

New iPod lineup from Apple features photos, color...

Apple today announced new photo capabilities for its entire line of iPods, creating "a single line of white iPods that all feature color displays with the ability to view album artwork, photos and play slideshows in stunning color." The "simplified" white iPod photo lineup features a 20GB model, holding up to 5,000 songs priced at $300 and a 60GB model, holding up to 15,000 songs priced at $400 as well as a color iPod U2 Edition. Apple also said that, starting today a software update for Click Wheel iPods will deliver an easy-to-use Podcast menu to the new podcasting features in iTunes 4.9 (released early Tuesday morning). The menu will feature bookmarking within a Podcast and the ability to display Podcast artwork in color. Apple also reduced pricing by $20 on the iPod U2 Edition and the 1GB iPod shuffle.

Apple releases iTunes 4.9 with podcast support

Apple today released iTunes 4.9, a major update to its audio application for organizing/sharing music, purchasing songs, and managing iPod music. "With iTunes 4.9, you can now browse and subscribe to podcasts from within the iTunes Music Store. Podcasts are frequently updated radio-style shows downloadable over the Internet. You can also transfer podcasts to iPod, for listening on the go." It is available via the Mac OS X software update. Readers note that once iTunes 4.9 is installed, a new "Podcasts" heading appears under Source; however, there are not any Podcast Directories currently appearing.