So by now I'm sure all of you techies know that the new iPhone's release date was announced yesterday (accompanied by a hefty rise in Apple stock). iPhone 2.0 is slimmer and consists of a phone, mp3 player, camera, and internet, with the cheapest ringing in at $199 (meaning iPhone-spotting will increase 10fold in the coming months). Given the economy's flaccid state, the unveiling of new (or slightly improved) luxury items seems sillier than usual, and I can't help but wonder how Apple has escaped the mass corporate taint of Walmart or Microsoft.

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