Seemingly stuck in a bit of a rut since the death of its visionary CEO Steve Jobs, technology behemoth Apple wowed the electronics world Monday with the unveiling of its new Mac Pro (pictured above). The machine, built for - as the name implies - professionals, is a sleek, cylindrical computer quite unlike anything many of us have seen. The price tag starts at $2,499 and it will be interesting to see how the industry responds. Whether the Pro fails or succeeds, though, Apple can sleep easily knowing it's still the largest company by market value at more than $413 billion (£264 billion).
American Idol has named Per Blankens its new executive producer. Blankens goes to the States after overseeing the Swedish version of "Idol," and looks to get the show back on its dominant footing. Having lost its two main producers and three judges before this season, "Idol" has a lot of work to do to get back to its heyday, when it was the best-rated show on U.S. television. Still, to this day, the franchise's artists have spawned a mind-blowing 386 No. 1 hits across various platform and genre rankings, the most by any one music talent show.
A close call in Australia has left Maria Steinmayr a very lucky woman. The base jumper experienced a parachute malfunction while soaring at the BASE Jump Extreme World Championship in Benidorm, Spain, having taken off from 525 feet (160 meters). Here's the breath-stealing video.
Thankfully, she suffered only a few minor bruises, but it reminds you of the love for the extreme that people like Steinmayr possess. People like Glenn Singleman and Heather Swan, who still hold the record for highest BASE jump exit point at 21,666 feet (6,604 meters) from Mt. Meru, Garwhal Himalaya, India, on 23 May 2006.
Lastly, have a spare $190 million (£121 million) lying around? Well, we know somebody who might. But, if so, you could place your bid for what is the most expensive house ever put on the market in the U.S. If sold, the price tag for the estate named Copper Beech Farm would eclipse the Victorian villa of Elena Franchuk for most expensive home ever sold. Franchuk paid $161 million (£102.9 million today) for her Kensington home in 2006. Other residences, like Hearst Castle or the Villa Leopolda, have been valued at higher rates but haven't actually been purchased on the market for a list price as high. Must be nice!
