Apple Shuts Down Lala: Will Its Replacement Come Next Week?

Last night, Apple shut down the Lala music streaming service that it acquired five months ago, just like the company said it would. Visitors to Lala.com now see a message that says, “The Lala service has been discontinued as of May 31st, 2010.”

If you’re a Lala user, your first concern is probably what will happen to the money you spent on songs and other products and services from the site.

It turns out you won’t be cutting your losses. All the money you’ve spent on Lala will be refunded to you in the form of an iTunes Store credit code sent to you via e-mail. Apple says that it will round refunds under $10 up to the nearest $1 and refunds of more than $10 to the nearest $5.

The second question that pops to mind more interesting, though: What will replace Lala?

Apple didn’t drop $80 million on the service just to close it down and be done with it. The Wall Street Journal was told by “people familiar with the matter” that Apple will launch its own version of Lala’s unique music library hosting service. If the WSJ’s sources are correct, you’ll be able to upload your iTunes library to Apple’s servers so you can listen to them on other computers or a mobile device like your iPad, iPhoneiPhone or iPod touch, as long as you have InternetInternet access. You might also be able to buy cheap, streaming-only versions of songs like you could on Lala.

The mobile aspect seems the most likely component of Apple’s post-Lala plan, given that the ability to combine streaming music from the Internet with other tasks is one of the major pillars of the recently-announced iPhone OS 4.0. Also note that the Lala shutdown took place exactly one week before next Monday’s WWDC event, where Apple will probably unveil the new iPhone. Will Lala’s replacement be featured prominently in Steve Jobs’s keynote next week? Stay tuned.

---

For more Apple coverage, follow Mashable Apple on TwitterTwitter or become a fan on FacebookFacebook

---

Source: Mashable | The Social Media Guide Apple Feed

Apple vs. Adobe Feud Gets Parodied on Woot T-Shirt

The ongoing battle between Adobe and Apple over Flash has spread across blogs, advertising campaigns and even “hidden” messages; now it’s also on T-shirts. Today’s Woot.com T-shirt shows the Scarlett Speedster himself as a fallen victim of a poisonous Apple.

It’s just fantastic. Sadly, the shirt is currently sold out and only one of us on staff managed to snag one. If you pay attention to Shirt.Woot.com’s The Reckoning section, it’s will likely be restocked in the next few weeks, however.

For an alternative take on the Apple vs. Flash war, check out Sebastiaan de With’s excellent Bricky shirt.

Have you seen any T-shirts or geek-themed accessories that make light of the Adobe-Apple battle? Let us know.

---

For more Apple coverage, follow Mashable Apple on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

---

Source: Mashable | The Social Media Guide Apple Feed

10 Adorable Apple-Themed Baby Accessories

Congratulations, it’s a Mac! If you want to ensure your offspring stay on the Apple side of the technology tracks, then start ‘em young while they are still highly impressionable.

We’ve scoured the web for Apple-themed baby bits and bobs that will keep your new bundle of joy — or someone else’s, if you’re a proud uncle/aunt/godparent — Cupertino-clad.

So, go for it while they can’t answer back, and grab all the cute fan-baby snaps you can. Remember, there’s plenty of time to have that talk (the one about alternative operating systems) once they hit their teens.

---

1. iPhone Onesie

---

iPopMyBaby has taken the iPhone’s now-classic home screen icons and replaced them with designs more relevant to the infant lifestyle — poop, crawl, burp, drool and pee, are among the new “apps.”

Cost: Varies

---

2. Mac Genius Bib

---

This bib projects a future of greatness for your little one, though as junior is spitting up pureed fruit on said garment and wiping it in his hair, the “genius” part might not be quite so apparent. Do grab the camera though.

Cost: $12

---

3. Daddy and Me Onesie

---

This onesie makes a knowing nod to how much tech changes from generation to generation. What’s next we wonder? Musical brain implants?

Cost: $24

---

4. Vinyl Mac Desktop

---

So cool we’re actually considering getting a set to use as grown-up place mats, this Mac-themed vinyl will sit on baby’s high chair and get the little guy or gal used to having a chiclet keyboard. Your baby won’t be the one at the nursery who can’t find the command key, that’s for sure.

Cost: 12 Euros (approx $15)

---

5. Mac and Cheese Twinset

---

Designed for maximum cute effect when worn by twins, this crafty two-piece set would be no less welcome in any Apple family home, although we can’t help thinking “cheese” might be left in a closet a little more often than the “mac.”

Cost: $38

---

6. iPod Seek and Find Bean Bag

---

This isn’t strictly a baby toy, owing to the potential choking hazard and other such parental concerns, but it would look super-cute on a nursery shelf until baby is old enough to get hands-on.

Cost: $12.99

---

7. iBaby Onesie

---

Perhaps the most subtle onesie we’ve selected, the word “iBaby” will still resonate with Apple fans and the tech-savvy public alike, leaving no doubt about your toddler’s allegiance to “the Steves.”

Cost: $20

---

8. Apple Bucket Hat

---

Want your little one to be spreading the word of Apple while keeping the sun off her face? Of course you do! This cotton-brushed twill headwear will do the trick — available in white, pink and blue.

Cost: $14.95

---

9. Loud and Proud Onesie

---

In our experience with “humans-in-training,” the volume level does have a tendency to reach “11″ from time to time. This “Loud and Proud” outfit’s depiction of the Mac volume icon on full blast is most appropriate.

Cost: $18

---

10. Wooden iPhone

---

Give baby his own iPhone before he starts looking admiringly at any AndroidAndroid products. This wooden replica is just the thing for the garbled baby-equivalent of “buy, buy, sell, sell” on the way out to the park.

Cost: $9.75

---

For more Apple coverage, follow Mashable Apple on TwitterTwitter or become a fan on FacebookFacebook

---

---

More Apple resources from Mashable:

---

- Mac Gift Guide: 10 Buying Ideas for Apple Fans
- 20 Fantastic Free iPhone Apps for Parents
- 10 Awesome Apple iPad Cases
- HOW TO: Get Started with the iPad
- 10 Great iPhone Apps for Growing a Garden

Image courtesy of iStockphotoiStockphoto, ZhuravlevaMaria

Source: Mashable | The Social Media Guide Apple Feed

iPhone 4 Frames Caught on Video

Although officially still unannounced, the next generation iPhone just can’t stop showing up in public. This time, metal frames that seem to be a perfect fit for the earlier iPhone 4 leak have appeared in two videos posted on the blog iPhone Portugal.

According to the blog owners, the two identical frames weren’t “stolen or found;” they were “purchased in China” and then “delivered” to them.

It’s hard to verify the frames as authentic, as there’s no Apple logo on them. However, judging by the detailed closeups and the quality of craftsmanship, they seem real.

In the videos below, you can see the frames compared to an iPhone 3GS and the iPad.

---

For more Apple coverage, follow Mashable Apple on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook

---

Source: Mashable | The Social Media Guide Apple Feed