Ed Sutherland

Apple gets federal babysitter to watch over iBooks sales

Apple's federal e-book babysitter was named Wednesday. New York Judge Denise Cote assigned former Department of Just Inspector General Michael Bromwich to monitor Apple's compliance with antitrust laws concerning e-book sales. In July, Apple agreed to an independent monitor after being found guilt of conspiring with five publishers to fix prices.

Although Apple has called such a monitor unnecessary, DoJ prosecutors demanded the step as part of the final court remedy. Judge Cote, however, threw Apple a bone, reducing Bromwich's monitoring duty to just two years, less than half of the five years the Justice Department had originally wanted...

JD Power: Apple leads in satisfaction on AT&T/Verizon, Samsung on Sprint/T-Mobile

When it comes to smartphone satisfaction, carriers are key. That's the central finding of J.D. Power, which Thursday released its latest study indicating Apple and Samsung lead in satisfaction across all four major U.S. providers.

When it comes to the iPhone, customers of long-time Apple partners Verizon and AT&T love the Cupertino, Cupertino, company's smartphone lineup, more than any other smartphone brand.

As for South Korean Samsung, Sprint customers report are most satisfied by the Galaxy family of smartphones. Which U.S. carriers do the best job supporting smartphones? According to the study, AT&T and Sprint report the greatest satisfaction, followed by T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless...

Pandora: we do streaming radio better than anyone – including Apple

When iTunes Radio was only a rumor, the idea of Apple offering streaming music was instantly dubbed a Pandora-killer. Now that iTunes Radio has launched alongside iOS 7 last month, Pandora's finance chief is speaking out, saying their service outperforms even a giant-killer, no matter how fat the bank account.

In an interview, Pandora CFO Mike Herring describes Apple's service as a "credible" threat, but the Internet radio startup continues to feel it still is "better than anybody else"...

Ireland to alter tax laws in wake of Apple uproar

Ireland's Finance Minister announced plans to close a loop-hole in the country's corporate tax laws, eliminating the ability for companies such as Apple to operate as virtually 'stateless' firms ungoverned by any nation's taxing authority. The change in the Irish laws means the iPhone maker cannot avoid declaring tax residency in either the U.S. or Ireland.

Earlier this year, Apple's ability to funnel payments through a unit in Ireland to avoid paying taxes brought U.S. scrutiny by the Senate and testimony by Apple CEO Tim Cook...

How rapid adoption of iPhone 5s/5c is preventing Android-like fragmentation

We've all heard the Android propaganda: vast numbers of cheap smartphones based on Google's mobile software will overcome the quality of Apple handsets. Not so fast, say new web traffic numbers. In less than a month, 40.6 percent of iPhones online are the new iPhone 5s or iPhone 5c models.

Indeed, if this upward curve continues, the majority of iPhones will be using Apple's latest technology at most one year old. By comparison, Android continues suffering from fragmentation marked by apps developed for a time when Apple's iOS 3 was just launched...

Apple’s iOS 7 hits 71% adoption in under a month

Apple's iOS 7 continues to break records when it comes to how quickly the mobile software is being adopted. In less than a month, nearly 75 percent of iPhone, iPad and iPod touch owners have upgraded, topping the pace of iOS 6.

New numbers show in only 27 days 71 percent of iDevice owners had adopted iOS 7 by Monday. By comparison, Apple's previous version of iOS needed 30 days to reach 61 percent adoption, the Cupertino, California company's previous record...

Foxconn: yes, interns worked overtime and even nights

Foxconn, the Tiawanese electronics assembler closely linked to Apple and other electronics firms, admits student interns who helped build Sony Playstation 4 consoles worked both overtime and at night in its China factories. Foxconn is the world's leading contract manufacturer whose fortunes are closely tied to Apple's.

In a statement last week, Foxconn said there were "a few instances" where interns worked shifts which violated company policies. However, the company which also assembles iPhones and iPads for Apple, said "immediate actions" will be put in place to prevent further incidents...

Apple slapped with class-action lawsuit on uncompensated employee security checks

It seems Apple Stores are becoming the retail version of airport security lines for employees. At least that's the allegation of a San Francisco Apple Store worker who has filed a class action lawsuit against the iPhone maker. The lawsuit claims employees are not being compensated for security checks lasting as long as 30 minutes per day.

Each day, employees must wait in line for these security checks before leaving for meal breaks and when they end their shifts after they've clocked out of work, according to the lawsuit which is also filed on behalf of all nonexempt hourly workers. The lawsuit by Apple employee Taylor Kalin asks for lost wages for all employees, as well as penalties for violating labor laws...

Apple serves blog with takedown notice over posting iTunes Radio contract

Most of Apple's legal actions happen with other multi-billion tech firms. But sometime, the Cupertino, California company likes to scare to scare the pants off small fry. Take for example Digital Music News (DMN), which Sunday yielded to demands by Apple, removing a copy of an iTunes Radio contract.

The contract, first published by DMN in June, showed how Apple "forced sub-standard terms" on independent music publishers. Apple claimed publication of the contract violated copyright laws, a claim one law professor described as "a jerk move."

Was Apple protecting copyrights or again using legal muscle to manage its corporate image?

iPhone 5s outselling iPhone 5c more than two-to-one

More sales estimates released today indicate the iPhone 5s continues to outsell the iPhone 5c, Apple's other smartphone released in September. Indeed, the iPhone 5s - decked out in fingerprint sensor, new A7 processor and all - accounts for 64 percent of Apple handset sales, flying off shelves more than twice as fast as the more colorful iPhone 5c at 27 percent.

However, will that sales lead last beyond the early demand fueled by first-adopters and other Apple fanatics? Plus, can the two new iPhones perform as well as their iPhone 5 and iPhone 4s counterparts did?

Some U.S. retailers put iPhone 5c on fire sale

Call it the electronics retailer version of limbo, but U.S. stores are racing each other to see which can offer the iPhone 5c for close to nothing.

From electronic giant Best Buy to mid-range Target, the price on Apple's colorful handset is being slashed to the bone. How low can they go? How's free?

As the iPhone 5s continues to be the handset Apple fans prefer, reports filter in suggesting the tech giant plans to cut production on the iPhone 5c. Smelling a potential door-buster on their hands, a number of U.S. retailers are announcing steep discounts on the already affordable handset...

Apps on iPhone 5s twice as likely to crash than iPhone 5/5c, study finds

Along with the iPhone 5s being a big seller, the new Apple handset has another not so welcome feature: its apps crash twice as much those on the iPhone 5c or iPhone 5.

The likely culprit: the iPhone 5s's 64-bit A7 processor coupled with the 64-bit iOS 7 operating software and existing 32-bit apps. Apps running on the 64-bit iPhone 5s have a two percent crash rate.

That's compared to just one percent for apps running on the iPhone 5c or iPhone 5, which use the previous-generation A6 chip and a 32-bit version of iOS 7...