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Unless you were under a rock, this week belonged to Apple – for better or worse. We knew it would be but thought just this once Steve Jobs and co. would keep it a simple and just roll out a few fancy new iPods and let peace reign.

That wouldn’t be in keeping with Jobs tradition though. As expected, the new iPods were unveiled to instant critical acclaim, including one with WiFi access to iTunes and free wireless iTunes access at Starbucks.

But all that got overshadowed almost immediately after Apple dropped the bomb on an iPhone price cut by a whopping $200 just two months after launch. The move left investors and consumers in two camps: unhappy and confused and most folk seemed to be in both camps.

Apple’s stock took a hit as investors worried about the lower margins Apple will now face with the iPhone. Consumer watchers were concerned Apple had damaged its fawning fan base by cutting prices so soon after launch. Jobs’s quick decision to offer a $100 store credit to early buyers moderately mitigated the frustration.

Meanwhile, NBC Universal, which decided not to re-up with Apple’s iTunes last week, said their TV shows will be available on the soon-to-launch Amazon Unbox digital media store. The fact that it lost a deal with a partner who they claimed would force iTunes to charge $4.99 per show hasn’t affected Apple’s content strategy according to Hollywood trade magazine Variety. Quoting unnamed sources Variety said Apple has proposed to TV companies that they slash retail prices to 99 cents from a current $1.99 per episode. Still wonder why everyone in media was so angry?

If true it could have implications for the music industry. 99 cents for the new Kanye single or episode of “CSI: Miami”?

 Other media and tech news from this week:

• Sony is readying an online video service rive to Apple’s iTunes, seeing video — not music — as its best foot forward in playing a larger role in digital media, according to the Wall Street Journal, which quoted unnamed sources.
• Facebook is to open up the popular social network to public search via engines like Google and Yahoo. The network began notifying members this week they have a choice over whether to keep their listings private to outsiders searching the site.
• After months of rumors of a sale, Time Inc. confirmed it has decided to shutter its Business 2.0 magazine after suffering a decline in advertising revenue. The New York Times said Time turned down offers from the owner of rival magazine Fast Company and other prospective buyers.

(Photo: Reuters)