05/13, 11:18am
Friends and rivals discussed family, history, future
An unaired portion of a 60 Minutes interview with Bill Gates saw the founder of Microsoft in an unusually reflective state when questioned by interviewer Charlie Rose on the topic of the late Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs, his friend and rival. Jobs met with Gates for an extended period very near the end of his life, an unusual concession to a colleague he had had a tumultuous relationship with over the decades. Gates said the two men had "grown up together," each building the computer industry in their own image.
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05/11, 1:20am
BlackBerry likely to suffer due to loss of monopoly on secure devices
A spokesperson for the Pentagon has told Bloomberg that mobile devices using Apple's iOS 6 as well as Samsung devices supplemented with the company's Knox security lockdown as well as BlackBerry devices running BB10 are expected to be allowed onto the Defense Department's high-security data networks early next week, barring final approvals. The news comes on the heels of iOS's FIPS 140-2 certification for the CoreCrypto kernel module, which was added in the iOS 6 release.
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05/10, 8:30pm
More repairs for damaged iPhones, phone support extended, more
According to leaked reports from an Apple "town hall" meeting, some significant changes are coming to AppleCare and AppleCare+ policies starting this fall -- however, unlike most news of this nature, the changes should benefit consumers while still cutting some costs. Among the bigger changes will be a new policy to repair, rather than replace, damaged iPhones when possible; an extension of telephone support; more remote hardware fault diagnosis, and a change to tie an AppleCare policy to a customer rather than a specific device.
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05/10, 4:48pm
Could affect outcome of Apple v. Samsung battles
The US Patent and Trademark Office has issued a preliminary rejection of some claims in an Apple patent, Method and apparatus for providing translucent images on a computer display, says FOSS Patents. Claims 29-30 and 33-35 have been rejected. The USPTO says that aspects of the patent were obvious or anticipated in light of another patent, Method and apparatus for displaying simulated keyboards on touch-sensitive displays, as well as prior art.
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05/10, 2:26pm
Bluetooth keyboard typing issues with iPad and more
Earlier this week in the MacNN forums, Mac Elite "abbaZaba" was trying to figure out why the Apple Bluetooth keyboard that they have paired with an iPad 4 will stutter the first letter when typing. After making a digital copy of a 20-year-old VHS home movie, one Fresh-Faced Recruit turned to the forums looking for any advice on ways to make the imported footage look a little less faded.
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05/10, 2:25pm
Five refurbished iMacs for $1,699 or less
This week at Apple's online store, save on refurbished iMacs starting as low as $1,099 for the 21.5-inch iMac with a 2.7GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive. For $1,269, after a $230 price drop, is the refurbished 21.5-inch iMac with a 2.9GHz Intel quad-core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive.
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05/10, 2:23pm
Discounts on iPad mini, Lightning cables, TB drives, more
Currently, Walmart.com has the 16GB iPad mini with Wi-Fi for the rollback price of $299. That's $30 less than the MSRP and the lowest price available on this iPad brand new anywhere. In fact, it costs the same as a refurbished model from Apple's online store. The iPad mini features 16GB of storage space, Wi-Fi, an A5 chip, FaceTime camera with 1080p HD video recording, and it comes with iOS 6 pre-installed. A one-year warranty on parts and labor is included from Apple.
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05/10, 1:55pm
Agencies stymied by locked-down operating system
Apple is receiving so many requests from police agencies looking to decrypt seized iPhones that the company has started a waiting list, CNET reports. In an example exposed by court documents, the ATF is said to have wanted to break through the encryption of an iPhone 4S owned by a Kentucky man accused of distributing crack cocaine. The agency "contacted Apple to obtain assistance in unlocking the device," according to US District Judge Karen Caldwell, but was "placed on a waiting list by the company."
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05/10, 12:22pm
Apple apparently reticent to add Metro support
"You shouldn't expect an iTunes [Metro] app on Windows 8 any time soon," Microsoft CFO Tami Reller tells CNN Money. "iTunes is in high demand. The welcome mat has been laid out. It's not for lack of trying." The quote may suggest that Microsoft has been talking with Apple about adding Metro support for iTunes, but without any progress.
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05/10, 10:51am
Option will appear automatically in account details
Apple is extending its two-step verification option for Apple IDs to a wider range of countries, users say. When the feature first launched in late March, it was restricted to the US, UK, Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand. Now though people in Canada, Argentina, and Pakistan are reporting getting the feature, and other countries may be following suit.
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05/09, 11:30pm
Survey includes notebooks, tablets, phones, excludes actual sales
In its latest report, industry research firm Canalys is reporting on what it calls "worldwide smart mobile device shipments" for the first quarter of the year -- a term that includes smartphones, notebooks and tablets. Of the 308.7 million devices that fall under one of those categories that shipping in Q1, around 60 percent were said to be Android devices, reflecting the platform's strength in smartphones -- the fastest-growing area of mobile electronics. Apple's iOS placed second again, despite a dominant presence in tablets.
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05/09, 9:00pm
Small press had use 'ibooks' for imprint, never registered trademark
Of the many contentious and complex legal battles Apple has had to fight, some are easier to sort out than others. In a New York courtroom on Wednesday, Judge Denise Cote -- who is also handling the complicated battle between Apple and the Department of Justice over e-book pricing -- made short work of a trademark dispute between Apple and a small-press publisher of sci-fi and horror novels. At issue was Black Towers' line of "ibooks" it obtained in the purchase of a smaller rival, and Apple's "iBooks" trademark.
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05/09, 7:04pm
Sony allegedly holding out for higher fee for streaming music
Apple may have hit another snag in its alleged plan to launch an "iRadio" service in the near future, according to an unconfirmed report from London's Financial Times. The forthcoming service, should negotiations get completed, would allegedly see iTunes offering a streaming music service that leveraged its enormous statistical and purchasing information from users to serve curated songs they would be likely to enjoy from artists they have bought before or would probably like. Sony, according to sources, is still holding out.
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05/09, 5:26pm
Google called itself a neutral third party, judge questions impartiality
Magistrage Judge Paul S. Grewal, the judge in charge of pre-trial discovery issues in the second Apple vs. Samsung patent trial, has ruled that Google must provide Apple search terms used in the unearthing of documents related to the case. Google is now compelled to "produce search terms and a list of custodians that Google used in response to requests for production Apple served on it." The seven-page ruling makes a point clear -- Apple wasn't seeking further discovery, it just expressed concern on the information Google pulled for discovery.
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05/09, 4:36pm
Apple issues minor patch
Apple has posted a new support download for Macs, Thunderbolt Firmware Update 1.2. The patch appears to deal solely with stability problems related to Target Disk Mode. The file is 1.22MB, and requires OS X 10.8.3 or later.
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05/08, 7:00pm
No noted changes or known issues reported once again
The weekly release of new builds of the forthcoming OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.4 are continuing apace, with build 12E47 now available for testers -- again with no new changes or known issues, and again asking developers to focus testing efforts on the same areas as before: graphics, Safari and Wi-Fi performance. Earlier builds of 10.8.4 are known to be slightly improving battery life, addressing bugs with Wi-Fi stability and reconnection after waking from sleep, as well as fixing some remaining Nvidia card graphic glitches.
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05/08, 2:35pm
Incident may be linked to 'drainage problem' caused by 2011 construction
Apple's flagship Fifth Avenue store in New York City was flooded earlier today, according to the New York Post. The store was reportedly hit by heavy rain, which initially resulted only in a slow leak. The leak turned into a pour however, forcing workers to hurriedly move tables out of the way. By 8AM, the outlet was flooded.
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05/08, 11:50am
Files statement opposing Google amicus curiae in first case
As a part of one of its lawsuits against Samsung, Apple is asking US Magistrate Judge Paul Grewal for access to Google's Android source code records, Bloomberg reports. The documents are being demanded as part of pretrial information sharing; Apple argues in a court filing that Android is used in all of the Samsung devices accused of infringing Apple patents, and "provides much of the accused functionality."
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05/08, 10:49am
Company shells out to retain key executives
Apple's Peter Oppenheimer was the highest-paid chief financial officer during 2012, according to Bloomberg. The executive received compensation worth a theoretical $68.6 million, roughly 16 times what Apple CEO Tim Cook received for the year. By comparison, Oppenheimer's closest competition -- Oracle CFO Safra Catz -- was given $51.7 million, while Google CFO Patrick Pichette was granted $38.7 million.
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05/08, 2:00am
Report conflicts with other rumors, reflects late-summer release
As talk of the next iPhone model -- which will arrive in June, July, or August depending on which supplier report one wants to believe -- heats up, rumors and reports from component suppliers and other sources often contradict each other on timetables. This confusion reinforces Apple CEO Tim Cook's statements that any one bit of information -- even if true -- was unlikely to provide the proper context given Apple's complex supply chain. That said, a source in Japan has reported that Sharp will be ramping up display units for the iPhone 5S next month.
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05/07, 9:53pm
Lets devs bypass Safari and use Chrome as default in-app browser
Shortly after updating its GMail iOS app to allow it to link directly to Chrome and other Google apps as needed, the search and ad giant is now offering Chrome for iOS integration tools to developers that allow them to specify Chrome as the browser to use for in-app web interaction, bypassing Safari unless Chrome is not already installed. The tools can give developers the option of using Chrome or asking the user if they would like to open a link in Chrome rather than Safari. It's not yet clear if the changes represent any breach of Apple's iOS guidelines.
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05/07, 6:18pm
CEO filed suit against apple in February for 'iPref' stock
In Greenlight Capital Investor's quarterly earnings conference call, Chairman David Einhorn revealed that he has grown his stake in the company. The move was made in reaction to Apple's announcement of the $100 billion share repurchase, and record-breaking dividend program which he called "a major step forward" for the Cupertino manufacturer.
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05/07, 3:25pm
Dead pixels, blown usb ports and more
Yesterday in the MacNN forums, members tried to help one concerned Fresh-Faced Recruit figure out reasons why white and black lines might show up across the screen of their iPhone 3GS. Also yesterday, one Forum Regular was having some trouble with a flickering external monitor attached to their 15-inch rMBP with a mini-display port cable, and they turned to the forums for some advice.
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05/07, 3:24pm
Mac mini and Mac Pro at low prices
This week, Apple's online store has lowered prices on a range of Mac mini and Mac Pro models. The refurb'd Mac mini with OS X Server, a 2.0GHz Intel quad-core i7 processor, 4GB of RAM and dual 500GB hard drives has been reduced by $240, bringing the cost down to $759. For $1,099 is the refurbished Mac mini with OS X Server, a 2.0GHz Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of solid state storage.
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05/07, 3:22pm
Retina MBP cut to $1,599
At MacMall.com this week, save 27 percent on the 13.3-inch Retina MacBook Pro which has been reduced by $600 -- from $2,200 down to $1,600. This MacBook Pro features a 2.9GHz Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of flash storage along with a Retina display, Intel HD graphics, and built-in FaceTime Camera. A one-year warranty on parts and labor is included from Apple.
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05/07, 12:07pm
Apple can't ask for 'global consent' for data use, court finds
A Berlin court has struck down eight provisions in Apple's terms of use for data because they violate German law, Bloomberg reports, citing local consumer group Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband (VZBV). The ruling states that Apple can't ask for "global consent" to use personal data, including location information. Previous to the decision, Apple had already signed a binding agreement that it wouldn't use seven of the 15 provisions VZBV objected to prior to the lawsuit. Today's judgment invalidates the remaining eight, although Apple can appeal if it chooses.
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05/07, 2:00am
Samsung fighting back with staggering advertising budget
A parts supplier with a good track record of providing advance information on smartphones is now saying that it has heard that Apple is planning more than just a single model of the so-called "low-cost" iPhone. The rumored phone, which has been speculated on for over a year, is said to be aimed at developing markets where pre-paid phones and plans dominate and is thought to be largely plastic-based, but have most of the same functionality as current iPhone models -- but cost around $330-$400, as much as 50 percent less than the off-contract price of a current iPhone.
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05/07, 12:04am
Trojan horse points to non-functional webpage, part of sound file
A bit of malware -- a Trojan horse file that tries to redirect to a website -- has been found inside an iOS app, but the code has turned out to be harmless. The app in question is called Simply Find It ($2) and comes from a legitimate developer that has produced a number of legitimate games -- suggesting that the malware was probably inserted into the app accidentally. The bigger issue (since there is no direct threat posed by the bad code) is how Apple's testing procedure missed it -- and how two well-known anti-malware scanners couldn't pick up on it either.
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05/06, 6:30pm
Giants take 100 percent of all smartphone profits between them
Samsung is steadily improving its profitability in the smartphone area, but Apple continues to be the dominant player when it comes to making money on smartphones sales according to the latest report from Canaccord Genuity. Apple's lower profit margin on smartphones in the first calendar quarter of the year led to a significant drop in its share of smartphone profits but was enough to allow the iPhone maker to claim 57 percent of the entire industry's profits, with Samsung taking the remaining 43 percent.
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05/06, 12:52pm
Moves past AppGratis
Apple is becoming more strict about enforcing an App Store guideline against titles with app recommendation functions, says PocketGamer. One developer in particular comments that his app was rejected despite being tailored to conform to the guideline. "We thought that basing our recommendations on sharing was suitable for Apple, as it had previously stated that if you bake in social or local into your app discovery, you would be fine," the person says. "I think they aim to be the only provider of recommendations for apps, along with being the distributor."
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05/06, 11:34am
Facebook makes first appearance on list
Business magazine Fortune has released the 2013 edition of its list of the 500 biggest corporations in the US. One of the most significant shifts in the list is the ascendancy of Apple, which has jumped from 17th place to sixth, breaking into the top 10 for the first time. Fortune comments that while the company has "maintained more than disrupted" its product line, and even had to apologize for iOS 6 Maps and its Chinese warranty services, it "remains an innovation icon."
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05/06, 8:40am
Motorola suffers major setback in FRAND patent case against Apple
Motorola has been issued a formal warning by the European Commission for potential FRAND patent abuse against Apple in a case underway in Germany. The EU Commission has formed a preliminary view that Google-owned company’s case against Apple violates the EU’s antitrust rules and that its misuse ‘could ultimately harm consumers.’ The development is a major blow to Google, which purchased Motorola for $12 billion in large part to use Motorola’s patents as a defense against Apple’s legal attacks on its Android partners.
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05/03, 11:00pm
JP Morgan analysts think Apple will hit 'sweet spot' in prepaid market
Two analysts from Wall Street investment bankers JP Morgan have produced an analysis of possible scenarios for the rumored (but not announced) "low cost" iPhone model expected to debut later this year, aimed at the large worldwide "prepaid" market. Based both on research of existing entries in that market space as well as Apple traditions, Gokul Hariharan and Mark Moskowitz believe that when Apple does bring out the device, it will not be a cheap "bargain" iPhone but instead a "mid-range" entry that should cost between $350 and $400.
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05/03, 9:00pm
Motorola blocked from having appeal dismissed outright
In the ever-more-complicated legal wrangles between Apple and Google (through its subsidiary Motorola), Apple has won the right to proceed with an attempt to appeal a case between Apple and Motorola in which the iPhone maker was suing Motorola for failing to adhere to FRAND guidelines, while Motorola was suing Apple for alleged infringement of standards-essential patents (SEPs) it holds. Rather than rule on the merits of each company's argument, US District Court Judge Barbara Crabb surprisingly dismissed both complaints outright.
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05/03, 7:00pm
Android, BlackBerry losing share months after iPhone 5 debut
Though the combined sales of Android smartphones continues to best Apple as a platform, Google's mobile OS continued to lose marketshare in the US in the latest quarterly comScore survey, as Apple solidified its position as market leader despite the lack of any new iPhone model in since before the holidays. Apple's share of the US smartphone market is now 39 percent, up 2.7 percent since December. Though Samsung was able to increase its US share slightly, the other three major Android vendors all lost ground in the most recent quarter.
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05/03, 3:16pm
Intel's new graphics with eDRAM finally gets a name
Yesterday in the MacNN forums, Moderator "P" started a discussion about Intel's new graphics processors, focusing on the specs of the various models as well as the newly-announced naming scheme. Also yesterday, Professional Poster "shifuimam" was looking for a way to speed up a recently-purchased 20-inch (first-generation) iMac G5.
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05/03, 3:15pm
MacBook Air and MacBook Pro
This week at Apple's online store, take advantage of a vast array of refurbished MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models. The 11.6-inch MacBook Air with a 1.7GHz Intel dual-core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and 128GB of flash storage has been reduced by $190 to $909. A $240 price break is offered on the 13.3-inch MacBook Air with a 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and 256GB of flash storage, now $1,159.
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05/03, 3:14pm
iMacs, printers and more
This weeks deals from DealNN include bargain prices on iMacs, printers, monitors and more. Currently MacConnection.com has the 21.5-inch iMac for $1,279, which is $220 off the MSRP and the lowest price we have seen on this iMac by about $90. Free shipping is included, but sales tax applies for residents of New York state. The 21.5-inch iMac features a 2.7GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive. Included are an Apple Bluetooth wireless keyboard, Magic Mouse, and one-year warranty on parts and labor from Apple.
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05/03, 10:17am
Apple dodges taxes it would owe on repatriating cash
Apple's $17 billion bond sale -- meant to help finance a $55 billion stock buyback, part of a plan to return $100 billion to shareholders by 2015 -- is saving the company about $9.2 billion in taxes, according to an estimate from Moody’s Investment Services. Had Apple decided to use repatriated foreign cash, it would have paid a 35 percent tax rate, and hence owed the US about $9.2 billion.
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05/03, 12:00am
Expanded, multi-floor layout gives Mac maker showcase space
[Updated with video of grand opening] Europe's latest "showcase" Apple Store, the Kurfürstendamm outlet in Berlin that is set to open on Friday at 5pm local time, looks to take its place as one of the most beautiful on the continent -- comparing favorably to premiere stores in Paris and London among others. The large facility, with some 48,000 square feet, has room for luxuries like an expanded theater space and classically-appointed conference room, while still retaining a sleek and modern main sales floor at the ground level following extensive renovations to the century-old building.
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05/02, 7:00pm
No details on changes, version now set to 2.3
On Thursday, Apple released updated printer drivers for its supported Xerox printers for users of OS X Snow Leopard (10.6), Lion (10.7) and Mountain Lion (10.8). Unusually for such a release, there is not yet a list of the specific changed or added models supported by the built-in software. All three versions of OS X support a wide and expanding list of Xerox products, including standalone, all-in-one and wireless printer models, as well as some standalone scanners.
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05/02, 1:31pm
Continues trend of targeted iOS updates
In an unexpected move, Apple has released a new version of iOS exclusively for iPhone 5 owners. iOS 6.1.4 upgrades the audio profile for the device's speakerphone, and so far doesn't appear to make any other changes. The update applies to both GSM- and CDMA- equipped iPhones.
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05/02, 10:46am
Offers alternative to Fusion Drive, larger SSDs
Apple has added 256GB and 512GB SSD options for build-to-order iMac customers at its online store. Picking 256GB adds $300 to the cost of a system, while choosing 512GB adds $600. Stock iMac configurations are priced between $1,299 and $1,999.
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05/01, 10:00pm
Ambitious update said to make over look, add features to mobile OS
Following on the heels of rumors that Apple reassigned engineers from other projects (including the next OS X release, 10.9) in order to help ensure completion, a new report from unnamed sources has said that iOS 7, the forthcoming major update to the company's mobile platform, will ship on time despite pressures. Anonymous informers told AllThingsD that while the extra help was needed, the update "will ship on time" and debut as scheduled at this year's Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC).
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05/01, 6:00pm
CEO says Metro iPhone 'not imminent,' but is discussing options
The now-official merger of T-Mobile and MetroPCS into T-Mobile US will not immediately change options for no-contract MetroPCS customers in the way of being able to upgrade to an iPhone under their present arrangements, CEO John Legere said in an interview. While not closing the door on either changes to MetroPCS policies or a no-contract iPhone option in the future, Legere said that MetroPCS' nine million customers will not see iPhones offered anytime soon. He also mentioned that the company is discussing the matter with Apple.
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05/01, 12:14pm
Report scores tech companies on protecting user data from the government
An annual report by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has declared that Twitter and Sonic.net are the best tech companies for protecting its users from government snooping and requests from courts and law enforcement. Out of the 18 companies examined in the report, MySpace and Verizon were judged the worst, failing to score a single star in any category, while Apple, AT&T, and Yahoo managed to attain at least one star out of a possible six.
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05/01, 2:00am
S4 did not even beat predecessor Galaxy S III in slide, dunk, drop tests
In addition to news from Consumer Reports that Apple's iPhone provided the best after-sale support, insurance firm SquareTrade has reported that the hardware is pretty solid as well. Tested against both the new flagship Samsung smartphone the Galaxy S4 and its predecessor the Galaxy S III, the S4 score very poorly on a "torture test." Though all three smartphones were considered "medium risk" on a scale of 1 (hardy) to 10 (fragile), the iPhone 5 scored a 5, the S III scored a 6.5 and the new S4 rated a 7.
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05/01, 12:00am
Stolen credit card used to hike price even higher, retracted
A "coffee" with Apple CEO Tim Cook, an offer being bid on for charity fundraising, has been hit with credit card fraud. A previous high bid of $605,000 was retracted after it was discovered to have been placed using a credit card that turned out to be stolen. The site, Charitybuzz, said the issue came to their attention immediately was swiftly retracted, dropping the high bid back to $600,000. The Cook meeting is by far the highest-bid item in the auction.
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04/30, 10:11pm
Second major tech conference interview since becoming CEO
For the second year in a row, Apple CEO Tim Cook will be the featured interviewee on the opening night of the AllThingsD D11 conference, being held in San Francisco on May 28-30. Last year's interview with Cook, at the D10 conference, was his first formal interview at a third-party event not closed to investors. The opening-night spot is highly coveted and usually reserved for an extensive conversation. In his previous one-hour talk, Cook answered pointed questions on the patent system, Apple's legal fights and his relationship with former CEO Steve Jobs.
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04/30, 9:07pm
Long-term exclusive deal with Apple nixed by new deal
Hewlett Packard announced today that it was awarded a four-year hardware and services contract by the Maine Department of Education. The Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) award effectively ends the state's long-running exclusive contract with Apple, which was in place since 2002. The program will ensure each student in the school system is equipped with a computing device, an underpinning of the initiative since it was founded by then-Governor Angus King in 2001.
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