In other Apple retail store news, the Mac Observer claims to have secured further evidence to back up AppleInsider's recent claim that Minneapolis will be getting a brick-and-mortar Apple store of its own. Apparently Apple has an open listing at Monster.com for "technical support specialists" to work in Minneapolis, and we have to admit that the description of the position is certainly pretty cloak-and-dagger: "Technical support specialists needed for special project for Apple Computer." "Special project"? Gee, what sort of "special project" do you suppose would require "extensive Macintosh knowledge" and "customer service skills"? (Why didn't they just throw "cash register and checkout experience" in there, too?)

For further clues as to the nature of this mysterious "special project," consider that one anonymous Mac Observer source had applied for the position and was actually contacted by an Apple rep. The applicant asked what the "special project" was, and was told only that it was "a secret." The applicant pressed further: was it an Apple store? Once again: it's "a secret." That's not proof, of course, but a "no comment" always makes us more than a little suspicious.

Intrigued, we decided to wander over to Monster.com ourselves and see what we could find-- and whaddaya know? There's an identical job posting for this "special project" in Chicago. Now unless you have a really short memory (say, ten or twelve seconds), you probably recall that Chicago was just confirmed as a future Apple store location by the owner of the Michigan Avenue storefront that Apple leased. The fact that both job listings match word-for-word (other than the location) hints pretty strongly that, yes, this "special project" is indeed Apple's push to open its own boutiques. So, congratulations, Minneapolis; while it's still not official, we're convinced that you'll be welcoming your very own Apple store soon enough.

And isn't this interesting? We found more of those "special project" job listings-- in Dallas, TX, Columbus, OH, and Birmingham, AL. The more perspicacious among you may draw your own conclusions. And if the rest of you are wondering what this fact implies, well, we'd tell you... but it's a secret.