Well, things are definitely back in swing here at the University of Minnesota. Students are back on campus, wandering around with doe-eyed faces, while the rest of us complain about how much easier it was to park last week.

In the rest of the world as well, things are heating up. August is traditionally a very slow news month in this industry, and this August was no exception. Hence the lack of posts here. There was literally nothing to talk about.

August is gone now, and September is here. And with it comes news!

First off, Apple released new iMacs and Mac Minis today. The iMac gets the upgraded Merom processor, with 64bit support. They’ve also added a monster 24″ iMac to the line, which even includes Firewire 800. The Mac Mini gets an all-dual lineup, at the same price points.

While this by itself would be good news, even better is what it foretells for next week’s Special Event. Obviously there’s something Hollywoodish going on with the “It’s Showtime” invitation. The fact that they released the new macs today instead of using them as filler for next Tuesday is a good sign that Apple is pretty excited about whatever they have to show off.

Even more interesting is a trademark filing Apple recently made about their iMovie trademark. They’ve added a few new classes to the trademark, indicating that they’re likely going to move the iMovie trademark into some new markets. The new classes deal with online transactions, electronic sales and other items. While this may be purely coincidental, it sure seems that the name iMovie is going to end up being associated with their new movie distribution push.

Exciting Times!

Furthermore, IBC starts this weekend. Anyone want to fly me to Amsterdam? We can expect more announcements from across the industry.