Report: Former iPod chief leaves Apple

From CNET News.com: Tony Fadell, one of the fathers of the iPod and iPhone, is formally severing ties with Apple after nine years at the company, according to a New York Times report.

Fadell had served as senior vice president of the iPod for seven years and was largely credited with playing a key role in Apple's resurgence. Fadell stepped down from his iPod post in November 2008 but remained at the company as an adviser to Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Fadell was reportedly expected to announce his departure from the company online Monday night.

Fadell became the inaugural member of the iPod engineering team in 2001, eventually being promoted to head of the division in 2006, succeeding Jon Rubenstein, who is now Palm's chief executive officer. Fadell was credited by Fortune as the man behind the idea of a handheld music player combined with a digital music store. He reportedly shopped the idea around Silicon Valley, including a six-week stint at Seattle-based RealNetworks, before landing at Apple.

During Fadell's tenure, the iPod grew from a curiosity into the profit engine that paved the way for Apple's renaissance in personal computers and its entry into mobile computing.

Apple representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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