Apple Buzz

Apple Takes the Maps Fight Inside
March 27, 2013

Apple has slammed the door on WiFiSLAM after acquiring the Android indoor location positioning developer. However, even though it has closed the startup's shop, Apple will likely use its technology to get mapping again. After last fall's humiliation over its bungled outdoor maps app, Apple's acquisition of WiFiSLAM could be an important step in the right direction.

Beyond the Grave, Onto the Smartphone
March 25, 2013

A cemetery in Shenyang, the capital of China's Liaoning Province, will become, for lack of a better term, interactive. With mobile devices, people will be able to scan a quick response code on graves of people whose relatives have requested the feature. Scanning this code will allow visitors to learn about the person's life; they can also access a Web page where relatives and friends can upload photos or video.

A Slightly Improved iPhone May Not Mute Apple's Critics
March 22, 2013

Although the iPhone 5 is less than a year old, speculation is already rampant about the next version of Apple's iconic handset. That guessing game was fueled Thursday by a report that suggested the next iPhone won't break any new ground in features or design.

iOS Update Locks the Gate on Evasi0n Jailbreak
March 21, 2013

Apple on Wednesday rolled out another update to its iOS operating system: 6.1.3, which clamps down on Evasi0n, one of the most popular iOS jailbreaks. "The widespread use of this latest jailbreak hack seems to have energized Apple to deliver a fix in relatively short order," said Charles King, principal at Pund-IT.

Apple's Painful Cry in the Wilderness
March 21, 2013

When I first heard about Apple's new "Why iPhone" marketing page that went live shortly after Samsung's big Galaxy S4 smartphone launch, I thought, "Uh oh, Apple's really playing defense." The page makes it clear that Apple is either worried about the rising power of Samsung, or misguided in how it can best do battle with the Korean superstar.

THX Blasts Apple With Lawsuit
March 20, 2013

THX filed a lawsuit against Apple last week, claiming that the company's consumer electronics are infringing on one of its sound patents. The sound technology company, founded by George Lucas, alleges that some models of the iPhone, iPad and iMac devices violate a THX patent regarding a "narrow profile speaker."

China's State-Run Anti-Apple Campaign Backfires
March 18, 2013

March 15 marks Consumer Rights Day in China. To honor the day, state-run CCTV runs a special program to out scams, malpractice and defective products. This year, CCTV set its crosshairs on Apple, declaring that the company downgraded post-sale customer service to Chinese consumers.

iPad May Run Away From Home a Lot Longer
March 15, 2013

Wireless charging may be in the works for iPad owners if Apple follows through on a patent awarded to it by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Thursday. The tablet cover described in the patent would include "an inductive power transmitter arranged to wirelessly pass power to a corresponding inductive power receiver unit disposed within the tablet device by inductively coupling."

E-Book Trial Requires Tim Cook's Presence on the Stand
March 14, 2013

Apple CEO Tim Cook has been ordered to testify in the antitrust case that accuses his company of e-book price fixing. Apple has tried to keep Cook from having to appear, claiming it was unnecessary considering 11 other top company executives have given depositions in the case.

Canonical: The Next Apple
March 14, 2013

Given all the legends surrounding Apple's widely mourned Steve Jobs, it's not entirely surprising that comparisons should be made any time another tech leader begins to resemble him in any way. Case in point: Mark Shuttleworth. The billionaire Canonical founder has actually been compared to Jobs on numerous occasions before, but lately the discussion was renewed afresh by a recent post on Linux Advocates.

Why Haven't the Android Hordes Routed the iPad?
March 14, 2013

The fact that IDC revised its 2013 tablet market forecast to give Android-based tablets the edge in shipping over the market-leading Apple iPad wasn't surprising. What was surprising? That it has taken Android so long to get anywhere near this point, a projected 48.8 percent of the market to Apple's 46 percent by year's end.

Supply Chain Snags Weigh Down Apple's Stock
March 13, 2013

Jefferies on Tuesday became the latest Wall Street firm to downgrade its Apple price target as it blamed a delay with an iPhone product launch and slower smartphone sales. Analyst Peter Misek trimmed his target price from $500 to $420. Several other analysts also have downgraded the stock since it fell from its $705 peak last September.

Intel Inside iPhones, iPads Would Let Apple Kick Samsung Out
March 08, 2013

Intel's reported plans to provide more contract manufacturing of processors are renewing speculation that it will seek a deal with Apple to make chips for its iPads and iPhones, according to published reports. That could leave Samsung, which makes chips for iOS devices, out of the picture.

Apple Widens US Lead but Rivals' New Phones Are Coming
March 07, 2013

Apple's iPhone grabbed the first place spot in U.S. smartphone sales during the holiday quarter, increasing its lead over rival handsets before Samsung, BlackBerry and other competitors launch new devices this spring. The company took a 37.8 percent share of the domestic smartphone market during the three months ending in January,

Does Apple Need a Bigger Stick - or Charm School?
March 07, 2013

Apple, in so many ways, is now king of the hill. As such, behind every rock on the Web there seems to be a new charge to knock Apple down. If a competitor isn't charging the hill, Apple seems to be the target for stone-throwing. It's not that this is unexpected; the rise and fall of companies -- and Hollywood starlets -- is commonplace.

Apple May Put The Squeeze on iPhone
March 06, 2013

Apple wants to make a future iPhone your main squeeze. The company received approval Tuesday from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a patent that would allow you to control a device by squeezing its housing. According to Patent No. 8,390,481, Apple has invented a way to measure a user's interaction with the housing of a device independent of the user's electrical characteristics.

Sinking Stock May Signal End to Apple's Glory Days
March 06, 2013

Apple's stock price is having another queasy week, falling to a 52-week low on Monday. The drop raised questions as to whether the consumer electronics company is either undervalued -- or if its sky-high earnings days are over. The stock price dipped as low as $419 on Monday, the weakest it had been since January of last year.

What Makes Apple's iWatch Tick?
March 05, 2013

The long-held belief that Apple is working on an iWatch gained more steam Monday, thanks to new rumors focusing on a launch later this year, along with what the watch might actually do for users. Apple may have filed scores of patent applications that include the word "wrist," but the number and detailed nature of the leaks about its plans raise the question of whether the company has loosened its famously tight grip on security.

A Few Quirks Keep Mellel Lite From Being a Heavyweight
March 05, 2013

Word processors can be a matter of taste. Some writers feel that the more the word processor departs from the original word processor -- the typewriter -- the more it interferes with the actual act of writing. For those writers, there are bare bones word processors like Byword and iA Writer.

Cook Cheers Investors While Saying Very Little
February 28, 2013

CEO Tim Cook presided over Apple's annual shareholder meeting on Wednesday, where he fielded questions about a lawsuit filed by activist investor David Einhorn. In his complaint, Einhorn demanded that Apple unbundle scheduled votes that he claimed would require shareholders to consider separate matters in one ballot. Cook called the lawsuit "silly," but the judge ruled in favor of Einhorn.