Jobs headlines iPod event

In today's podcast: Jobs headlines iPod event; Google to offer payment system for publishers; and Obama gives Facebook tips.

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Apple CEO Steve Jobs took the stage at an event on Wednesday to introduce new iPod products, his first public appearance after taking a long medical leave of absence. "I'm very happy to be here today with you all," Jobs said to a standing ovation. Jobs a survivor of pancreatic cancer, took a six-month leave of absence earlier this year. He received a liver transplant at the Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute in Memphis, Tennessee. He returned to work on schedule at the end of June. Apple cut the price on its 8GB iPod touch Wednesday while boosting the performance and capacity of the other models of its touchscreen music player. The 8GB iPod touch now costs $199, a $30 reduction from its old $229 price tag. According to figures unveiled by the company Wednesday, the company has sold 20 million iPod touch models, making it the fastest growing iPod model.

Google is promoting a payments system to the newspaper industry that would let Web surfers pay a small amount for individual news stories, an idea that could help publishers struggling with the impact of the Internet. The plans were revealed in a document Google submitted to the Newspaper Association of America, which had solicited ideas for how to monetize content online, something some publishers have had difficulty with. In the next year, Google plans to launch a "micropayments" feature as part of its Checkout online payments service, it said in the document. The system could allow consumers to buy a package subscription to several publications and then pay for other stories on an a la carte basis. But in a separate statement on Thursday, Google said it had no specific products to announce yet.

Chip giant Texas Instruments (TI) raised its revenue and profit estimates for the third-quarter on Wednesday on improved demand for a range of chips, including those used in smartphones.
Demand for the company's power chips used in notebook computers, consumer products and mobile phones has been one of the main contributors to growth in the third-quarter while strength in analog chips for hard disk drives, personal navigation devices and video game consoles has also helped, said Ron Slaymaker, a vice president at TI, during a conference call. The company increased its revenue forecast for the third-quarter by about US$150 million over its guidance given in July to a range of $2.73 billion to $2.87 billion.

When you're young you'll probably do some stupid things, but think twice before posting them online. That's the advice delivered Wednesday by U.S. President Barack Obama to a 9th grade school child who asked for advice on how to get the most powerful job in the world. "Well, let me give you some very practical tips," Obama said during the photo-op event at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. "First of all, I want everybody here to be careful about what you post on Facebook, because in the YouTube age, whatever you do, it will be pulled up again later somewhere in your life." Some recruiters and potential employers are using social networking tools like Facebook or search engines like Google to check online profiles and screen out candidates who they deem unsuitable.

And those are the top headlines from the IDG Global News Update brought to you by the IDG News Service. This is Marc Ferranti in the New York bureau. Join us again later for more news from the world of technology.