Brand: MacNews

Apple is the subject of todays’s National Public Radio’s “Talk of the Nation” program, notes MacMinute reader Mark Palmberg. Host Neal Conan will explore how Ford and Apple have handled changes in their industries during the second hour of the show, which will be available online after 18:00 ET.

Universal Music Group has opened a new Web site dedicated solely to answering questions from its customers over the release of copy-protected CDs, which are designed to prevent the user from ripping tracks to the MP3 format, as noted by Slashdot. The CDs have come under fire from both users and industry analysts alike, as they’re unable to be played in many consumer devices, as well as Macs.

eBay, the world’s most popular online auction site, has announced a number of fee increases to its pricing structure. Fee increases, which go into effect January 31, include higher reserve fees for items US$200 and up, a fee for “Buy It Now” listings, and increased fees for eBay Motors.

Macromedia has announced the release of Director Shockwave Studio 8.5.1, a new version of its multimedia authoring application. The update adds new tutorials, anti-aliasing (available in software rendering only on the Mac), playback support for Mac OS X and several bug fixes. The company also announced that it plans to release the free Shockwave Player for Mac OS X later this month.

In a 1600-word email sent to employees, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates told employees that security and privacy need to be the at the forefront of the company’s future development projects, according to CNN. “When we face a choice between adding features and resolving security issues, we need to choose security,” Gates said. Microsoft has come under increasing fire as vulnerabilities in its software have aided hackers and crippling viruses have cost corporations billions.