Apple may be looking to smarten up its Genius Bars

Apple could be changing how its brick-and-mortar stores are laid out, according to a new report.Apple Store tracker ifoAppleStore.com reported yesterday that Apple is currently testing out a new Genius Bar layout in its stores. Rather than have the table run parallel to the wall at the back of the store, the company is considering turning it 90 degrees to make it perpendicular to that wall.The blog claims to have obtained an image of the new layout, which shows a table stretched from the back wall, and flanked on two sides with stools. That effectively increases the number of stools for customers and would theoretically increase customer "throughput" at Genius Bars.It's not clear whether Apple has decided to make this change in a single store or if it's testing the new layout for use in all locations. One odd consequence is that the redesign also appears to nix the kids section in some stores, which is popular among children and parents alike.As Apple sells more products, the Genius Bar will play an increasingly important role in after-sale care. To maintain status quo and not increase capacity could be an issue for Apple and its crowded Genius Bars.CNET has contacted Apple for comment on the image. We will update this story when we have more information.

Apple marketing chief takes to the stand, briefly

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Testimony from Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, Phil Schiller, was cut short today, but not before the executive made claims that the company did not rely on market research."We don't use any customer surveys, focus groups, or typical things of that nature," Schiller said. "That plays no role in the creation of the products."The claims come on the heels of court filings unearthed earlier this month that show Apple's internal market research from May of last year. That study focused on iPhone owners, asking them specifically why they purchased an iPhone over competing products. Late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs famously denounced market research, saying "it's hard for customers to tell you what they want when they've never seen anything remotely like it." On the stand, Schiller took a similar line."We never go and ask the customer 'what features do you want in the next product?'" he said. "It's not the customer's job to know. We that accumulate ourselves." Schiller is the highest ranking Apple officer to testify in the trial against Samsung, which has both companies swinging patent-infringement claims at each other. The trial, which kicked off after jury selection yesterday, is slated to last four weeks. Schiller continues his testimony this Friday when court is back in session.