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Released in 2005, Apple gave users a way to provide a total network solution for data storage. This solution was called Xsan, it has been 3 years since its’ release and it has seen success which leads to Apple’s unveiling of Xsan 2.

There have been numerous improvements made over the original XSan. Probably the most obvious is their improvement to the user interface. Apple boasts about what functions have been improved, “complex tasks such as expanding a volume, optimally configuring volume settings, or managing file system permissions are now easier and less error prone. SAN components — computers, volumes, and LUNs — are logically presented as assets, and an overview of SAN health is prominently displayed.”

The other massive update for Xsan 2 is the introduction of MultiSan. With MultiSan, different computers will be able to access different XSan volumes simultaneously. Having volumes on different XSan controllers improves performance and reliability.

Another pretty cool feature with XSan is the Spotlight. Spotlight works like a more comprehensive search tool that iTunes uses. Instead of just searching for file names, you can search by actual content inside the files.

The XSan 2 retails for $999.00, but hey atleast the Apple store provides free shipping.

Apple announced today that the iPod Shuffle will be growing in size. The shuffle in the past came with just one standard capacity, 1GB. Apple will now be offering double that, with a 2 GB iPod will be on the market by the end of this month.

The physical size of the iPod Shuffle will not change. It will still be offered in the five standard colors of silver, blue, green, purple, and red. The 2 GB Shuffle will retail at $69 while the 1 GB Shuffle will be lowered to $49.

This week looks to be a big advancement for the iTunes Store. The store which offers downloads for music, movies, and TV shows are going to get a couple of big additions to its’ catalog.

First, it has been speculated that the BBC will begin allowing downloads of its’ shows in the iTunes Store. An anonymous source for the industry has said that the BBC could making its’ announcement as soon as Tuesday. What is unknown at this point, is whether the shows will only be available in the UK, or if the US and Canada will be privy to the downloads.

The second announcement, and probably the more grand for Americans, is that American Idol will be added to the store. The American Idol downloads will be performances from episodes that you will be able to listen to on iTunes. The performances will cost you $0.99 per song, and all top 24 semi-finalists will be available for download. Starting March 11th, you’ll be able to download the video performances of the top 12 performers, for $1.99.

These additions to the iTunes Store shows just how much media downloads are gaining ground. It’s going to be interesting to see what other forms of media will be for download in the store’s future.

The iPhone has been given mixed reviews since its release in June of 2007. Many iPhone users praise the phone for providing the best experience in terms of content and functionality. Others have found the touch screen a nuisance to use, and the price tag is alittle too steep for alot of buyers.

Through the mixed reviews the iPhone seems to be catching on, as many other phone manufacturers are releasing their own smart phones. The Mobile World Congress, the largest mobile phone conference in the world showcased many of these phones, and you couldn’t help but notice many iPhone inspired features showing up. The most frequent iPhone feature was definitely the touch screen, it looks as though it is going to be the standard for cell phone technology in the future. Another feature of the iPhone that looks set to be a standard in the mobile market is the full online browsing capabilities.

Some other big news for the iPhone at the Mobile World Congress came by the way of Google. It has been reported by Vic Gundotra, head of Google’s mobile operation that the iPhone has received 50 times more searches than any other handset on the market.

Gundotra speaks on the surprise of the of search engine phenomenon, “We thought it was a mistake and made our engineers check the logs again”.

Travel can be a very frustrating event, having to keep up with where you are and where you need to be. A new patent issued by Apple, could make road travel alittle easier, if the idea comes to be. The idea comes by the way of a “podmap”, which would mix the idea of a map and a podcast.

The podmap consists of a few steps to get your directions. First you would input your starting location and your destination. Then your directions would be returned to you in the form of a podcast file. The file would consist of an image of your directions, showing you what turns to make. Along side the visual aspect of your podmap, you would have have audio dialogue giving you directions. Probably the coolest potential of the podmap is it would compatible with portable media players.

Another cool feature of the podmap is the capability of media playback. You can rewind, fast forward to get the specific directions for the the particular place you are at on your trip.

While it hasn’t officially been reported to be in physical production, it’s exciting to see the idea of the podmap has come into fruition. I guess getting lost out on the road will just be a thing of the past.

Aperture 2 has been released, and photographers around the world rejoice. Aperture is a photo editing software that lets you import, and manage all of your photos seemlessly.

Aperture 2 is an upgrade from its’ predecessor, and hosts 100 new features. Aperture 2 has a more user-friendly interface, and makes organizing your photos alot easier than the original. Along with the more intuitive interface, Apple is also boasting that performance and speed have been improved with the upgrade.

Aperture 2 also integrates well with your other Mac programs and devices. Aperture 2 will link up with Mac Web Gallery, so you can create unique online portfolios. Probably the most impressive is it’s compatibility with the iPhone, and iTouch.

Aperture 2 will cost you $199, or if you have the original Aperture the upgrade will set you back $99.