Porn-friendly iPod cellphones

[Bishop]

Porn-friendly iPod cellphones on the way?

The runaway success of Apple's iPod music player seems to have given the company a renewed lust for life.

And, just like every other underground artist, Apple faces some tough decisions that will leave it open to accusations of selling out. Given that Apple has sold more than 1 billion songs, the potential for exponential growth was clear as television and film executives learned to stop worrying and love the Internet. In a Business Report column, Mark Gilbert says it is now obvious that adding an adult video section to the iTunes Web site would generate many new visitors and additional revenue for Apple. Stealing just a sliver of the multi-billion dollar porn market would help Apple's efforts to replicate the success of its music business, which helped generate a first-quarter profit of $565m on sales of $5.75bn.' Furthermore, Gilbert says Internet gossip sites have been awash with speculation that Apple will finally relent and introduce a device that lets users make phone calls as well. 'The more Apple, which celebrated its 30th birthday on April 1, sees itself as a grown-up, responsible company rather than a geeky teenager, the more likely it is to make hard, commercial decisions using its head rather than its heart. iPod porn, desirable or not, may prove an irresistible temptation to a profit-hungry Apple,' he says.

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