Apple

Apple drops from top 20 privacy ranking

Ed Sutherland ∙ January 30, 2013

Are consumers loosing trust that Apple will keep personal information private? That's the implication from new rankings showing the iPhone maker fell out of the top 20 most-trusted firms in 2012.

The firm fell to number 21 after being among the top 20 companies viewed as protecting customer data. Mozilla, the maker of open-source web browser Firefox claimed the number 20 spot, according to privacy watcher Ponemon Institute.

Consumer credit firm American Express again took the number one position in the 2012 privacy rankings. Computer maker Hewlett-Packard and Amazon, creator of the Kindle, ranked number two and three. Amazon improved its ranking, rising to third place in 2012, up from the fifth spot in 2011. Although Apple had ranked as high as number 8 in 2009, confidence in the firm's privacy stance has been shaken over the past year...

New Apple TV found to have A5X processor

Cody Lee ∙ January 30, 2013

There's been a lot of talk this week regarding the next-generation Apple TV. First, an unknown AppleTV 3,2 device popped up in Monday's iOS 6.1 release. And then yesterday, a slightly smaller ATV surfaced in some FCC documents.

So now that we know that Apple is readying a new set top box for release, the next question is: what improvements has it made? Well for starters, it looks like the device is going to get a performance bump with an A5X processor...

Judge rules that Samsung did not ‘willfully’ infringe on Apple’s patents

Cody Lee ∙ January 29, 2013

Last August, a California jury found Samsung guilty of infringing on several Apple patents in a high-profile trial. The initial damages awarded to Apple totaled $1.05 billion, but since Samsung was found to have 'willfully' infringed, that amount was expected to multiply.

Not so fast. The two companies have been attending post-trial hearings with Judge Lucy Koh over the past few months to plead their cases for appeals and other motions. And tonight, Judge Koh has issued a ruling overturning the jury's willful infringement finding...

Apple confirms 128GB iPad 4, coming February 5

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 29, 2013

Just days after a new 'Ultimate' iPad SKU was discovered in iOS code strings, Apple on Tuesday launched the rumored 128GB fourth-generation iPad with Retina display. Corroborating retail sources, Apple said that the new storage option carries a $100 premium over the 64GB full-size iPad, which starts at $699 for the Wi-Fi-only version. In other words, a 128GB Wi-Fi-only iPad 4 will set you back $799, or $929 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model. Both are available in black or white starting Tuesday, February 5, via Apple's online and brick-and-mortar stores as well as through select Apple Authorized Resellers...

Why Apple rallying so much against plastic foreshadows a low-end iPhone

Ed Sutherland ∙ January 29, 2013

In the ongoing speculation surrounding Apple's intention to sell a low-cost iPhone, the word of the day is 'plastic'. Yes, the rumor is that the company will wrap iPhone 5 components and iPod design features in a plastic body. The report by iLounge is the second in two weeks suggesting an inexpensive iPhone may use plastic to keep costs down.

The blog cites only "reliable sources" to claim a low-cost iPhone would offer a four-inch Retina Display protected by the latest Gorilla Glass (see how strong it really is), among other features borrowed from the Apple smartphone, the fifth-gen iPod touch and the iPod classic.

Along with including the firm's new Lightning connector, the remainder of the device's features would follow the iPod touch design. The device's outer shape would appear like an iPod classic, the body composed of plastic...

Carriers watching closely as T-Mobile preps to offer iPhone on monthly installments

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 29, 2013

T-Mobile will officially sell the iconic iPhone in three to four months and when it does, the Deutsche Telekom-owned wireless carrier, the fourth-largest in the United States, will be offering Apple's handset on monthly installments. The struggling telco won't have to bet the farm by spending billions in upfront iPhone subsidy to Apple and would-be customers will get more bang for their buck in terms of voice and data.

It should be a win-win. Matter of fact, T-Mobile USA's strategy is "very intriguing" to Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam and AT&T boss Randall Stephenson applauds the idea and says that's something his company is "going to be watching" going forward.

Should the T-Mobile experiment pays off, it's entirely conceivable that the US market could finally catch up with the rest of the world by offering non-subsidized hardware and instead focus on more affordable wireless services...

Meanwhile, 128GB Surface Pro has only 83GB free storage (23GB on 64GB model)

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 29, 2013

So roughly two out of each three respondents in our poll say the new 128GB iPad 4 is going to be a tough sell when it arrives on February 5.

Some folks say there's no point in shelling out $929 for a top-of-the-line 128GB cellular iPad when a $70 more buys you an 11-inch MacBook Air.

And even though the entry-level Air has only half as much storage as the new 128GB iPad, it's a real computer, critics argue.

Comparing apples to oranges doesn't make sense, but what does is how Microsoft admitted - and on the day Apple announced the new 128GB iPad 4 offering, of all days - that the 128GB Surface Pro has only 83 gigabytes of free storage out of the box.

It ain't just a serious rounding error: a whopping 45GB is consumed by the Surface OS and bundled apps, Microsoft confirms...

Microsoft’s cloud-based Office 365 hits Mac and Windows without iOS/Android support

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Microsoft is at last getting into game, offering its well-known Office suite of products for consumers increasingly turning to the cloud. Office 365 Home Premium provides all the familiar Office applications - including Word, Excel and PowerPoint - along with online storage and a free hour of Skype each month. At $99 per year ($80 for students and educators) the cloud-based application suite will work on up to 5 Macs, PCs and Windows tablets. Five years after Google launched rival Google Docs (now Google Drive), Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer proclaims Office 365 a key component in a "fundamental shift" for the company.

After making billions as a software company, Ballmer is rebranding Microsoft as a devices and services firm, a move some may view as too little and too late for Redmond...

Sprint, AT&T and Verizon confirm they will carry 128GB LTE iPad 4

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 23, 2018

Sprint, the nation's third-largest wireless carrier, wasted no time following Apple's quiet announcement of the 128GB iPad 4 earlier this morning, with multiple blogs confirming the telco will be carrying the newly announced gizmo.

Sprint's been selling iPhones and iPads since last year and today its SVP confirmed plans to sell the fourth-generation iPad with LTE, Retina display and 128 gigabytes of storage - likely beginning February 5, when it's scheduled to hit the Apple online and retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers...

Meet Nooly, the most localized weather app

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 5, 2018

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrN-SV_ZLoM

To say that I'm a big weather buff is an understatement. I think I need help because virtually every new weather app finds its way to my home screen, from free offerings like Solar and Sun to paid ones like WTHR. Weather.com, The Weather Channel and AccuWeather? So last century. It goes without saying I'd check out this latest entrant to the the crowded weather app category on the App Store.

Nooly sets itself apart from the crops of other weather apps by trying to predict the minute rain starts, the time light rain turns into thunderstorm, exactly when snow starts and at what time light rain turns to heavy rain - all tailored to your current geographical location and with each prediction accurate down to an area of 0.4 square miles, or approximately one square kilometer...

Foursquare for Business goes live on the App Store

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

If you own a business and spend time and money promoting it on the web, you should definitelly check out Foursquare's brand new iOS app. Released Tuesday morning, Foursquare for Business is a handy sidekick that promises to help you get more customers walking through the door. The app can be used to post photo updates as your business, activate and deactivate specials, view customer tips, access analytics and more...

Rumor: retooled Nexus 7 with 1080p display and iPad mini style bezels due in May

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 29, 2013

More tablet news for you this morning. After Apple officially announced via a press release that the new 128GB iPad 4 option is launching on February 5 (is it too pricey? You tell us!), we're hearing now that Google and its manufacturing partner Asus are working on a 2nd gen Nexus. The re-tooled version of the popular low-cost tablet is said to sport a display with 1080p resolution (1,920-by-1,080 pixels) and the skinnier side bezels akin to Apple's iPad mini.

It should cost the same as the first-generation model (between $199-249, depending on networking and storage options) and will run Google's upgraded Jelly Bean-based Android operating system...