Think Secret settles with Apple, shuts down

Apple was handed a minor victory on Thursday as the rumor site agreed to shut down, however the company will not get the identities of Think Secret's sources.

Think Secret was run by Nick Ciarelli, who started the site at the age of 13 in 1999. When Apple sued him, he was still in college attending Harvard, and the revelation that he was actually a kid for all intents and purposes shocked the media.

Ciarelli's writings have been cited frequently in the mainstream press -- including this site -- and Think Secret was regarded as one of the more reputable sources for advance news on Apple products.

Apple and Think Secret said that the agreement resulted in a "positive solution for both sides," according to a statement. "I'm pleased to have reached this amicable settlement, and will now be able to move forward with my college studies and broader journalistic pursuits," Ciarelli said.

Think Secret was sued for misappropriating trade secrets after it disclosed details of the Mac mini prior to its release at Macworld 2005. Initially, the case was quite heated for the first year but seemed to fall off the radar not soon after.

As of press time, Apple had not yet publicly commented on the settlement.