In case you haven’t gone into a Starbucks [SBUX] store lately, there’s been a change to the look of the joint media offering card format.

First observed iOS app in the wild: Shazam Encore

Hi, intrepid Starbucks [SBUX] iTunes promotion fans:

It’s been a loooong time since we discussed the favorably fun Starbucks iTunes weekly offerings, that have morphed from a simple joint experimental item between Starbucks and Apple [AAPL] into a lucrative people-attracting feature in so many Starbucks outlets worldwide.

So, here’s a new, welcome twist on the campaign: offering iOS applications! So, it beefs up the possible weekly options, from single iTunes music tracks, to individual videos, to entire digital albums and compilations, to now… applications!

And it looks like, to kick it off, there’s the big brother to the popular free Shazam, known as Shazam Encore.

While Apple’s [AAPL] online store was offline for a few hours earlier today, as reported by various news outlets, and even some blogs, it seems that it has resumed online operations.

What Happened to the Quad-Core Mac Pro?

When I went to check on the online site myself, I certainly did see the new drop down lists allowing for Twitter and Facebook toss-ups, but when I visited the Mac Pro page, I noticed that the quad-core 2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon “Nehalem” based model was marked as unavailable.

Fortunately, several minutes later, with a page refresh, the model was available once again.

So… is this an example of super-real-time inventory control? Or just a fluke?

Steve Jobs of Apple [AAPL] fame has sent out an E-mail stating his intention to take another sick leave, and he is once again relying on Tim Cook to keep the company running along until his return.

Thus far, having Steve step away from active duty for a finite period of time seems to be reasonably acceptable to the company, the customers, and the stock market.

So, does this mean that Tim will be able to slip in some pricing improvements to various Apple products in the interim, like price drops on the MacBook Air models, or spinning out the next generation of the iPad, or a sneak preview of an iPhone 4G-LTE, or updates to the Mac Pro and iMac models, or even a multi-multi-version of the AirPort Extreme?

Hmm…

Maybe even fulfillment of that wish for the hybrid iPad-Mac computer…

It is anticipated that Verizon [VZ] will officially announce the availability of a CDMA-capable version of Apple’s [AAPL] iPhone device on their cellular network.

This is one of those stories that has been circulating for quite sometime, at this point. Various news outlets have reported that the network carrier issue has been the major obstacle for many consumers who otherwise would have purchased an iPhone years ago. Apparently, many consumers initially looking to acquire the iPhone in the US have gone elsewhere rather than deal with AT&T [T] as the wireless service provider.

It is expected that the launch date would be announced today, but it is not expected that the date would be today.

Later today, Apple [AAPL] will finally open its Mac App Store, which caters to electronic software distribution (ESD) for Mac software to the current install base of OS X updated Macs.

This is something that has been tantalizing software developers since the introduction of the “regular” App Store catering to the iOS devices. After all, since we’ve been treated to the little brother of OS X, why not just cut to the chase and offer the real deal?

And starting today, that’s what we’ll have.

Most likely, all of the usual suspects will appear initially, like several of Apple’s own applications that are highly amenable to ESD, like iLife and iWork apps, as well as the more pro-level apps like Aperture. But this also marks a milestone for independent studios that already leverage ESD as their primary means of delivery to their customers; the App Store is a unified way to manage licensing, updating, and re-delivery.

So, like you, we’re all waiting for the store to open… and the fun to begin!

Next stop: Windows apps to be delivered through a Windows versions of iTunes-like App Store.

It's the Fab Four (photo from Apple.com site's front page, 11/16/2010)

Whoa.

If you’ve been wondering what that cryptic banner on Apple.com has been. Well, now you know…

After so many years, and a lot of negotiations, Apple [AAPL] has finally secured the distribution rights to the Beatles’ music on the iTunes music store.

While there are still quite a few holdouts, getting the Beatles catalog on iTunes is a huge win for the company, especially as the winter holiday season gets revved up.

“What?!? An Xbox 360 for serious business use?”

Yep, that’s right, gentle readers: a Microsoft [MSFT] Xbox 360 with a properly configured Kinect sensor… for use by businesses.

While this may not be the disruptive change leader for 2010 (although, then again… maybe it is), this certainly is an attractive video conferencing option for business and at the least, it may be a disruptive game changer.

Problems for Home, Advantages for Business

While home use for Kinect may be problematic, especially for the hardcore gamers who have been wondering whether there will be any play (literally and figuratively) for them, some of those same issues seen by potential home users may be benefits to business users. Here are some reasons:

Space, Space, Space…

A big requirement for Kinect is the need for the sensor array to map out a sizable floor space grid. In many living rooms, this is a problem, particularly for potential users who live in apartments and small homes. This is not a matter of total floor space, but clear floor space.

But many businesses have meeting rooms that may be easily cleared to allow the Kinect sensors to properly calibrate itself.

What’s That Racket?

The audio requirements for Kinect may be problematic in noisy households. But, again, calibrating for businesses can easily be accomplished in a quiet conference room, or as is typical for many IT departments, performed overnight or after-hours when the majority of office workers are gone (and it makes additionally a convenient time to hop online to do some mega-multi-player deathmatches, since the Xbox 360 is sitting there anyway).

An early press image of the preliminary "Project Natal" form of the Kinect sensor. In the background is an earlier version of the Xbox 360 White console.

Motion Tracking and Presentations

This feature may or may not be as important for some businesses, but the ability for the Kinect sensor to pan somewhat may be quite favorable for many business purposes, especially for presentations and large gatherings. While privacy and convenience issues may arise for home/gaming uses (after all, who wants to see that naked roommate wandering around in the background as your buddy is chatting with you?), having the sensor track your business presenter and capture all of the nuances of his or her presentation skills and style may help your company successfully close a deal or effectively collaborate on team projects.

Cost: The BIG Deal

While it is up for debate whether $150 for a full motion tracking device accessory fits in a household’s affordability range, especially in these dire financial times, it is quite another matter for businesses, who have been confronted with expensive, videoconferencing “solutions” from various vendors. Contrast those multi-thousand-dollar options, sometimes requiring dealing with multiple vendors to get a “complete” solution, with a $400 USD package with a Xbox 360 console and a Kinect sensor from a well-known single manufacturer, with a simple do-it-yourself installation and configuration procedure. Taking these points into account, it is clear that provisioning several remote offices, or even allowing employees to video-commute from home or other locations, becomes several orders of magnitude more economical than other “strictly business” videoconferencing options.

Combining the use of Kinect technology for team-based videoconferencing with more personal or “quicky pickup” video conversations with Apple’s [AAPL] iChat AV and FaceTime technologies makes the potential for a fully distributed workplace even more realizable and cost-effective.

Well, while wandering around a local Best Buy [BBY] store, I found myself standing at the Apple [AAPL] kiosk, in front of:

1. an iPad;
2. a 11.6″ MacBook Air;
3. and a 13.3″ MacBook Air.

So, of course, I just had to start meanderingly playing with the three devices, each in turn.

Was very interesting to see that the 11.6″ MacBook Air is as wide as one side of the iPad.

Also comforting to know: the keyboard and trackpad handling of both of the MacBook Airs is virtually identical to the current generation of aluminum keyboards and trackpads shipping with Macs and other MacBooks and MacBook Pros.

The thinness of both the 11.6″ and 13.3″ MacBook Airs was also surprisingly nice; the TV commercial about the MacBook Air somehow gave me a distorted impression that the side profile was more abruptly wedge-like, but in person, it is a more graceful and gradual rounded taper.

The $1,221 Question

But, as I’ve been wondering for the past few years: Is this, finally, the suitable replacement for the venerable 12.1″ PowerBook?

This clearly bears more investigation… Another road trip, perhaps?

Apple’s [AAPL] lockstep dance with AT&T [T] as its exclusive 3G service provider may be ending, with Verizon [VZ] showing up to the dance hall seemingly first.

So what’s a mobile data services consumer going to do?

Rumors, Lies, and Damn Lies

Like many of you, we’re certainly curious about the outcome next year for the still-as-of-yet-not-finalized-and-publicized Verizon version of Apple’s  iPhone product, which has been heavily rumored to be shipping early 2011. Certainly, this indicates that this coming winter holiday season represents the last time that AT&T will be able to fully capitalize on its exclusivity deal with Apple for the iPhone product.

But, there’s another portable IT device that has really captured the hearts and imaginations of the computing public: Apple’s iPad. Initially seen as just a “toy” or a trivial curiosity by many of the so-called industry pundits as well as Apple’s perceived competitors, the iPad is now identified as a serious contender as both a mainstream consumer and business mobile device. Even in certain industry segments, like medical and legal specialties, the iPad has made significant inroads in adoption and acceptance, given its form factor and feature set.

But, like the iPhone before it, the iPad has been locked into a 3G wireless net by AT&T. However, unlike the iPhone, the iPad also has Wi-Fi versions that has proven wildly popular, and given a lot of people’s avoidance of the AT&T network and the increasing ubiquity of Wi-Fi coverage by various vendors and free coverage areas sponsored by various organizations, it is this variant of the iPad that may prove to be the best option for the majority of interested parties.

Verizon: Enter, Stage Left

So, many of you have heard about the recent Verizon offering for the iPad, and that the iPad would be sold starting on October 28, 2010. But you may be wondering why Apple bothered to squeeze CDMA-style 3G into the iPad but not the iPhone, at least not as its first device with Verizon.

Answer: Apple didn’t.

Instead, Verizon is offering one of its MiFi pocket routers with any of the different capacity Wi-Fi iPads (with a service plan to boot, ‘natch).

Of course, this means that if you are interested in adding a “take-it-with-you” Wi-Fi capability to your iPad, you probably can just get a MiFi router and service plan from Verizon. The question is, of course, whether it makes sense for Verizon to bother subsidizing the cost of the iPad in order to sell more plans and MiFi routers… Business-wise, to garner a significant mind- and user-share of current and future iPad users, the solution to be to merely give the iPads away for $0.00, once some sort of multi-year commitment for the MiFi data plan was established, or even bundle it with an existing smartphone plan.

AT&T: Enter, Stage Right

Not to be outdone, AT&T has announced that it will also start selling iPads in their stores on October 28, 2010. But since Apple has already been offering both the Wi-Fi only and the 3G+Wi-Fi versions of the iPad online and via its retail stores, there does not appear to be any significant improvements in service. So, unlike the Verizon offering, the AT&T offering does not offer the consumer any way to share a Wi-Fi connection with other devices, despite the cost of the service plans available.

Conclusion: The Management Perspective

This is one of those developing stories that may have an unexpected twist, in a matter of days or even weeks. Since the iPad is a Wi-Fi capable device, any service provider or alternative offering a compelling mobile Wi-Fi hotspot feature at an outrageously reasonable price point would easily become the darling of mobile digital consumers. Since the market, domestically and worldwide, is in such critical demand for a reasonable data service plan to match the iPad and the upcoming lineup of its potential competitors, this is an area where the service provider that re-scales data transfer pricing down to a realistic, affordable level and initiates the customer conversion to its network will be the winner.