Apple stores headed to casino resorts?...

Apple's stores are surfacing internationally, both as stand-alone stores, and as mall boutiques, but new reports suggest that casino resorts are also on the list for Apple store destinations. According to ifoAppleStore, two new locations are in progress, one in the Forum Shops at Ceaser's Palace in Nevada, and the other at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods, Connecticut. Las Vegas residents have spotted a large barricade, titled with the words "Apple, Coming Summer 2008" in large print in the far west side of the Strip.

Confirmed: BBC brings content to iTunes...

The BBC today confirmed earlier reports that it would distribute its televised content on the UK iTunes store, offering an initial selection of episodes from seven different series. The selection includes several episodes from the raunchy, but popular Doctor Who spinoff, Torchwood, and MI5 spy drama Spooks, as well as the offbeat crime series, Life On Mars. Most of the unveiled content goes for £1.89, with a few exceptions.

PTHPasteboard Pro 4.4 adds, refines filters, more...

PTH Consulting today announced PTHPasteboard Pro 4.4, a new version to its copy/paste management program, introducing a new filter and several other improvements. The new Match Lines filter brigs grep functionality to the app, allowing users to filter lines by plain or regular expression strings. PTH also improved the Line Unwrap filter, making it smarter and providing expected behavior. Existing users can upgrade for free, while new users can pay $25 for the full version.

Current State adds power monitoring to iPhone...

As part of Kaleidoscope's private eco-friendly venture, The Greener Grass, the Ohio-based organization has unveiled Current State, a system designed to help iPhone users monitor power usage in their house. The system consists of a series of pass-through plugs that sit between the power outlet and appliance plugs, taking readings of power usage, and sending them to a software front-end on the iPhone. Pricing and availability for the system were not mentioned.

Tiny Code not working with Apple, FW1.1.4, apologizes...

In response to a large influx of feedback regarding Tiny Code's announcement last week, developer for the app KellyTM revealed that the statement was false. Last week, Tiny Code announced that they were officially working with Apple on making legit iPhone and iPod touch apps, using a copy of the yet-to-be-released software developer's kit. KellyTM had also said that Tiny Code was waiting on the release of firmware version 1.1.4 before releasing any more updates, which he led others to believe was the first implementation of custom apps for the devices.

MacSpeech Dictate starts shipping rollout...

MacSpeech today announced that its three-stage rollout of MacSpeech Dictate has begun, saying that pre-orders have shipped to iListen Founding Customers. MacSpeech's next objective is to ship crossgrades from customers who pre-ordered the product at MacWorld Expo, and then finally to various retail stores and resellers. In addition, MacSpeech also said that the application is available for pre-order from MacMall for customers in the US. MacSpeech Dictate is available for $200, featuring a choice of headsets.

Orange offers iPod touch with business plans...

French cellular carrier Orange has devised a unique incentive to lure people into its business plans. Customers signing up for the 18-month Solo, Venture or Momentum plans during February will receive an 8GB iPod touch, so long as the player remains in stock. Plans must also be valued at €46 or higher though, and can only be accepted by single subscribers or leaders on sharer plans. Existing Orange customers must talk with an in-store representative about eligibility.

Quazal ships game networking code for Mac...

Quazal, a developer of network gaming code used in titles like Rock Band and Company of Heroes, has announced the shipping of Mac versions of some of its key software, in some cases enabling cross-platform play between Macs and PCs with "very little" extra programming. Net-Z provides a low-level multiplayer core, and handles authoring and integration; mechanics are defined through an object layer, saving developers from the need to define packets, sockets, and client-server messaging.

Conjure Bunny 2.3 improves Clusters, contacts, more...

Conjurebunny today unveiled Conjure 2.3, an update for its replacement desktop front-end, bringing a number of changes related to contacts, Clusters, and Clothesline. Contacts within Conjure are now considered desktop entities, just like applications, folders and files, allowing them to be viewed directly from the desktop level. The upgrade is free for existing v2.x users, while new users can purchase the full version of Conjure 2.3 for $25.

Dawn to Dusk ships QRecall 1.0 backup utility...

Dawn to Dusk Software has released the first version of QRecall, a backup and archival utility. The software records information incrementally, keeping previous versions of files intact; through a timeline, users can view the history of updates and retrieve older files as necessary. Archives can further be saved on any kind of non-optical media, including everything from USB flash drives to networked storage. This is partly because the program records data instead of merely files, allowing users to be extremely selective and avoid duplicating files in their entirety.

XPlay 3 brings Vista, WMP11 compatibility...

Mediafour has released XPlay 3, the latest edition of its iPod management software for Windows. The program lets users manage both Mac- and Windows-formatted iPods on a PC, bypassing iTunes through a simple drag-and-drop interface. The new program can also sync content with Windows Media Player 11, and through new Windows Vista compatibility, the Vista Media Center. A right-click option in Windows Explorer lets users send files to either WMP or their iTunes library, the latter of which becomes Mac-compatible.

Kenwood preps wing-shaped IP300 iPod dock...

Sound specialist Kenwood has developed a new iPod audio dock with an unusual shape. The speakers for the AS-IP300 are built into a special "wing," separate from the main body; though this is mostly an aesthetic choice, the spread of the satellites aids in the delivery of simulated 3D sound. Two channels are present, powered by a 1.9W amplifier. A remote controls major playback functions, and the dock should fit all full-sized iPods from the fourth generation onwards, as well as Minis and third-generation Nanos. Non-Apple players are supported through an auxiliary stereo input.

Fake iPhones, 'new models' pour from China...

Numerous illegal businessmen in Shenzhen, China are said to be producing counterfeit iPhones and other hot mobile devices alongside alleged 'new model' iPhones at ever increasing rates. Apple's iPhone swept onto the smartphone market after its launch in June of last year, surprising many analysts and rival phone makers alike. Chinese factories counterfeit famous and non-famous brands alike, according to the Epoch Times, and even suffer from software piracy.

Report: Over 400,000 iPhones on China Mobile...

As many as 400,000 or more iPhones are already operating in China, according to a report issued by In-Stat. The research firm cites figures from China Mobile, the country's largest cellular carrier, which claims that the 400,000 figure was reached by the end of 2007, representing a full tenth of all iPhone shipments confirmed by Apple. In-Stat notes that this is four times what it had expected to find.

American Idol to gain next-day iTunes sales

Apple has announced a new iTunes deal with Fox, permitting quick turnaround sales of American Idol content. The company says that starting with this week's top 24 semi-finalists on show, people will be able to buy individual music performances from the iTunes Store for 99 cents each, on the day immediately following each new episode. Additionally, March 11th will see the debut of a video covering the top 12 finalists, costing $1.99. American Idol will be given its own section in iTunes (iTunes link), to which links on americanidol.com will point from free streaming videos.

BBC TV shows on iTunes Store this week?...

TV shows from the BBC may soon appear on the iTunes Store, reports claim. Cited is an anonymous source in the TV industry, who claims that BBC Worldwide will announce its plans on Tuesday. The source further suggests that Worldwide's digital media director, Simon Danker, has already contacted a number of third-party production companies to let them know of the new sales market. It is unclear whether shows would be available solely in the UK, or also on iTunes sites in Canada and the US; BBC Worldwide is said to be under pressure, however, to send more income from selling shows to the core of the BBC, given a dwindling benefit from TV license fees.