Still sleuthing up as much info as possible on Apple's worst kept secret? We speak, of course, of the company's entirely unofficial and unannounced plans to open a slew of Apple retail stores across this great land-- plans that Apple still refuses to acknowledge, as the company never comments on "rumors." But the evidence continues to mount, and given the data that's been amassed so far, we put the odds of Apple not opening its own swanky Mac boutiques roughly on par with the odds that Steve Jobs will quit his dual CEO gigs with Apple and Pixar to become the new lead vocalist for Korn. (Go on, picture Steve with a goatee and cheesy dreads belting out "Got The Life"-- you know you want to.)

Let's recap: when last we checked the casebook, there was compelling evidence that Apple plans to open stores in Palo Alto; Chicago; Littleton, Colorado; and the "New York City area." Well, now we can add "western Pennsylvania" to that ever-lengthening list, courtesy of a Pittsburgh Business Times article pointed out to us by faithful viewer Kevin Poor. A jovial chap by the name of Herky Pollock claims to be representing Apple (at least until Steve learns he has a penchant for yapping to the press, anyway) in the company's search for "appropriate locations" to house "three or four stores" in the Pittsburgh area "by the end of the year."

And that "New York City area" location? Well, Go2Mac claims to have narrowed that admittedly vague description down a bit-- to the Palisades Center mall in West Nyack, New York. Palisades, roughly half an hour's drive north of the city, is reportedly one of the largest malls in America (boasting a "ThEATery," an ice rink, a 68-foot ferris wheel, and a restored antique carousel!) and Apple has already reserved (and is just a signature away from leasing) a 4,000 square foot chunk of primo retail real estate "on the fourth floor in the busy restaurant section... directly across from the Outback Steakhouse." Prime rib and a G4 Cube; what more could any red-blooded, credit-abusing American consumer want?

Meanwhile, we here at AtAT continue to twiddle our thumbs, awaiting word of a Boston location for Apple's grand plans for retail domination. Not that we don't love our local Micro Center, mind you, which does Macs up right and proper-- but if Apple passes over our little burg, we're going to take it as a personal affront. Snubbed by Steve? That's grounds for a tantrum, right there...