Apple

Qualcomm exec’s career suffers from ‘A7 is a marketing gimmick’ comment

Qualcomm's marketing chief has been reassigned after dismissing Apple's new 64-bit A7 processor as a 'marketing gimmick.' The chipmaker's former Chief Marketing Officer has also been removed from Qualcomm's leadership page. Instead, Anand Chandrasekher was put in charge of a broadly-worded "exploration of certain enterprise related initiatives."

Earlier this month, Chandrasekher called the 64-bit A7 processor "a marketing gimmick" with zero consumer benefit. The A7 now powers Apple's new iPhone 5s and iPad Air. The comment forced Qualcomm to publicly rebuke its marketing head for essentially denying reality...

Analyst calls for Apple to release larger iPhone 6 next summer

Gene Munster is out this weekend with an earnings preview for Apple, which is slated to announce its Q4 financials on Monday. The Piper Jaffary analyst sees the company reporting big numbers, and has them at a $640 price target.

But perhaps more interesting in Munster's note is that he says he expects the iPhone 6 to be out next summer—months before the now-usual September refresh. He thinks it'll feature a larger display, and is going to be a “blockbuster.”

US Cellular to begin carrying iPad Air on November 8

Following news yesterday that the iPad Air will be heading to regional US providers like Bluegrass Cellular and C Spire Wireless, US Cellular announced that it too would be landing the new tablet.

The carrier, which is the fifth-largest in the United States, says it plans to launch the Air alongside the iPhone 5s and 5c in November. So subscribers may want to start getting their wallets out now...

Apple, Google, Intel and others face trial over anti-poaching deals

Bloomberg is reporting that Apple, Google, Intel and several other tech companies are set to go to court next year over 'no solicitation' agreements. The outlet says that U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh made the call earlier this week.

Koh determined that there is sufficient evidence to push a 2011 lawsuit to trial as a class-action civil suit. The suit alleges that over 64,000 technical employees were harmed by the anti-competitive actions of the defendant companies...

Is iCloud Keychain available in my country?

With Tuesday's free release of OS X Mavericks, Apple users can now opt to have their Safari web passwords securely synchronized across their iOS devices and Macs through the power of iCloud. The useful feature dubbed iCloud Keychain made a brief appearance in iOS 7 betas before being pulled from iOS 7 Gold Master, only to re-surface in iOS 7.0.3. What you probably don't know is that iCloud Keychain isn't necessarily supported everywhere so Apple's published a handy list detailing iCloud Keychain availability by country...

Boxie Dropbox client gets passcode protection, per-folder sorting and more

A new Dropbox client, Boxie by Gianluca Divisi and Matteo Lallone, has quickly earned our attention with its gorgeous user interface and a comprehensive set of effective features that make navigating and managing Dropbox files and folders a breeze.

Following on its mid-October release, the app which "prettifies your whole Dropbox experience" has received its first point update bringing a couple new features such as passcode protection, folder-by-folder sorting options, smart text auto selection and "tons of under-the-hood improvements and optimizations"...

iPad Air coming to regional telcos GCI, Bluegrass Cellular and C Spire Wireless

As Apple is prepping to unleash its newly-announced iPad Air in a massive 42 markets come next Friday, some regional United States wireless carriers are now modestly confirming their vague plans for Apple's new device. GCI, Bluegrass Cellular and C Spire Wireless - which already carry the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c in their stable - confirmed Friday that the 9.7-inch iPad Air is coming to their respective networks when it debuts "in the coming weeks".

Bluegrass Cellular and C Spire Wireless combined cover much of the southern United States, including Mississippi, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Kentucky areas...

Moga’s upcoming MFi ‘Ace Power’ iPhone controller gets shown off in leaked photos

With iOS 7, Apple is for the first time allowing for 'Made for iPhone' (MFi) physical game controllers in a bid to solidify its mobile gaming lead. We've already seen Logitech's upcoming iOS 7 gaming controller (ClamCase is also working on one) and now a photo has surfaced depicting Moga's upcoming MFi controller which will come with a massive built-in 1800mAh battery, have a look at it below the fold...

Apple’s Russia push slowed by pricey iPhones

Although Apple today launched the iPhone in an additional 35 global markets (with more to come next Friday), including Russia, its flagship iPhone 5s remains too expensive for all but the most wealthiest. The iPhone 5c, costing just $99 in subsidized markets such as the U.S., can cost nearly $800 in Russia, unsubsidized.

Apple's goal of competing globally is being hampered by pricing centered on carrier subsidies. In countries such as Russia, India and elsewhere where subsidies are not allowed, the cost of an iPhone can equal a month's salary - or more. As a result, Samsung's cheaper Android phones control most smartphone sales...

Online Apple Store now offering $20 OS X Lion and Mountain Lion redemption codes

Following the free OS X Mavericks release, Apple has removed the $19.99 Mountain Lion purchase from the Mac App Store. This has brought headache to owners of older Macs who were looking to upgrade their operating system to OS X Lion or Mountain Lion.

Apple typically keeps only the most current version of OS X on the Mac App Store. As a result, folks who want to purchase a copy of Lion, for example, are required to give Apple a phone call to get either a DVD or a content code via email which lets them download the installer through the Mac App Store.

The company has now made the process easier by selling the redemption codes through its online store...

New Remote icon in iTunes may hint at impending iOS 7 update

Although Apple posted a number of iOS 7-flavored app updates this week, there's still one that I'm anxiously awaiting: the Remote app. I use it every day to control my Apple TV, and it's very much in need of a UI overhaul.

Fortunately, it looks like I won't have to wait much longer. A redesigned icon for the Remote app has been discovered in iTunes, suggesting that Apple may be putting the finishing touches on an iOS 7 update for the utility...

Research shows second generation iPad still selling extremely well

During our iPad event roundtable on this week's Let's Talk Jailbreak, we noted how surprised we were to see that Apple is going to continue selling the iPad 2. Why does the company insist on keeping the two year-old tablet around?

The answer, according to marketing research firm Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, is because the device is still selling extremely well. Their data shows that the second-gen iPad made up 22% of Apple's tablet sales this quarter...