iPod sales may beat Street expectations...

Analyst firm Bear Stearns today said it expects Apple iPod sales to exceed Wall Street expectations for the second quarter, and reiterated its outperform rating on Apple shares. Analyst Andrew Neff said that despite many recent estimate reductions, he has confidence that Apple will reach 10.5 million iPod units, well above Wall Street's expectations of 8.5-9.5 million. The analyst cited checks of suppliers for the higher number, as well as continuing strong end demand, according to BusinessWeek Online. Neff believes Apple is planning to eventually put Windows on its Macintosh computers, and despite uncertain timing, the analyst views Windows on Mac with full support as a natural progression in Apple's strategy. The analyst kept his post-option EPS estimates of $2.25 for fiscal year 2006 ending September, and $2.91 for fiscal year 2007. Neff holds a 2006 price target of $100 on Apple shares, according to the report.

Survey may help Apple fight labels...

A new survey may help Apple fight the pricing pressures applied by the music labels. The national telephone survey of enrolled college students commissioned by the Richmond Virginia-based Intellectual Property Institute (IPI) found that that 39 percent of college students claim to pay for downloads, while 34 percent illegally download music from peer-to-peer networks. With a signficant population of college students still focused on peer-to-peer networks, any increases in pricing could tip the scales toward piracy. The poll revealed that three-quarters of 18 to 24-year-old students see free downloading as illegal, and 60 percent believe it to be unethical. The survey also showed that more than one in three students who engage in illegal file-sharing think it is wrong, but do it anyway to save money. Apple CEO Steve Jobs has argued against demands by record labels for more flexible pricing, saying that cheap digital downloads will reduce piracy.

Zen cases for iPod video, Winks for Nano

Zofunk is shipping a variety of cases for Apple's iPod nano, and has unveiled a new case for fifth-generation iPod with video boasting sleek, colorful designs to protect the digital media players. The Zen series for iPod video (shown at right), which the company lists as "coming soon," comes in four colors with a white circular design over the clickwheel. Zofunk's Winks original cases for iPod nano feature a white body with colorful clickwheel designs, a thickness of 1mm with easy access to all ports, and a screen protector. The Winks noche and Winks chocolat provide protection for iPod nano owners with black and brown cover designs, respectively, along with colorful clickwheel decorations. Winks original, Winks noche, and Winks chocolat cases for iPod nano are all priced at $25 each, while the Zen series for iPod video are expected to ship in the near future.