Apple

Department of Justice defends Apple e-book lawsuit

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 25, 2016

The US Department of Justice says it has received nearly 1000 public comments since it lodged its lawsuit against Apple and a number of major book publishers earlier this year. The suit claims that Apple worked in concert with the publishers in an effort to raise e-book prices.

The DoJ has responded to the comments today, and has strong words for both Apple and the accused publishers. Despite the pushback, the Department says that it has every intention to move forward with its e-book lawsuits and settlement talks as planned...

Apple to provide 30-pin dock adapter for new iPhone

Cody Lee ∙ July 23, 2012

With a number of recent rumors pointing to the next-generation iPhone utilizing a smaller, 19-pin dock connector, some folks have started wondering what they'll do with their collection of 30-pin accessories.

Well don't throw them away just yet. A new report is out today claiming that Apple plans to provide an adapter for the new iPhone's dock connector that will make it compatible with many current add-ons...

Russian hacker admits defeat in IAP breach

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 29, 2016

Alexey V. Borodin, the Russian hacker who made headlines with a tool which lets anyone steal extra content in apps, no jailbreak required, is admitting defeat following Apple's announcement that the in-app purchasing (IAP) exploit will be fixed in the shipping version of iOS 6 this fall.

In an unprecedented move, Apple gave developers access to a pair of private APIs in iOS, a temporary solution that effectively bypasses the hack. Borodin just publicly acknowledged that currently there is no way to circumvent Apple's band-aid fix in apps updated to take advantage of the private APIs...

iOS 6 Beta 3 finally lets you download free apps without Apple ID

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 23, 2012

We received several tips this past weekend that the latest iOS 6 Beta 3 which was released to Apple's registered developers last week finally does away with Apple ID requirement for free apps. Normally, when you download a free app from the App Store, Apple requires you to enter your existing Apple ID or create a new account.

This never made any sense to ordinary users: I can't tell you how many times my friends (some of whom only download free stuff) asked me if there was a way to drop that pesky requirement. It also doesn't support Apple's 'cut the cord' initiative that lets one set up and use an iOS device without a computer and iTunes...

Samsung to launch Gorilla-sized 5.5-inch Galaxy Note II phablet on August 15

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 10, 2018

Samsung is about to give the phablet a new meaning with the rumored introduction of the Galaxy Note II at a presser scheduled for August 15. A follow up to the last year's Galaxy Note with a 5.3-inch display, the Note II is apparently thinner and a bit taller. As a result, the display is also said to have grown in size a tad, now measuring a whopping 5.5 inches diagonally.

Just how exactly an average human being is supposed to operate this device is anyone's guess, though clearly there are people out there who prefer mobile devices that fall somewhere in between a large smartphone and a small tablet.

Apple, of course, is rumored to be addressing the trend of large smartphone displays with the next iPhone, said to be of the same width as existing iPhones, albeit a bit taller, making room for a four-inch display...

iPhone 5 demand is off the charts, data says

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 18, 2016

As the next iPhone looms with a rumored (read: likely inaccurate) September 21 release date, a new ChangeWave survey reveals that interest in buying the device is off the charts as demand "easily dwarfs the advance demand of any previous iPhone". Perhaps analyst Gene Munster was right to call the iPhone 5 "the mother of all upgrades".

The stats for planned smartphone purchases also show a much higher pre-release iPhone 5 demand compared to the nine-month-old iPhone 4S. Data confirms what we've suspected all along, that people want Apple's next iPhone badly.

Let's not forget the iPhone 5 will be the first iPhone model to be released following Steve Jobs' passing on October 5 of last year, so it's understandable that people attach emotional value to what will probably go down in Apple's history as the last iPhone model developed with Steve's input...

Another rumor says iPhone 5 will be released on Friday, September 21

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 23, 2012

A new rumor published by a French site claims that Apple will release the next iPhone on Friday, September 21, 2012.

If you believe this story whose veracity couldn't be verified at press time, this date pertains to the U.S. launch, as well as parts of Europe and China.

With October approaching fast, no wonder folks are making all kinds of prediction. The consensus out there is that Apple will release the next iPhone by October, approximately a year after it had brought the iPhone 4S to market...

The Wall Street Journal takes a look at Apple’s cash flow

Cody Lee ∙ July 23, 2012

Apple's unprecedented success over the past 10 years goes far beyond its ability to churn out hit products. It also has a knack for supply chain deals and is extremely efficient with its cash, and how it manages its balance sheet.

The Wall Street Journal takes a look at this in a new report entitled "Heard on the Street." The piece explains, among other things, how Apple has streamlined its business to get paid for products faster than it makes them...

Reuters: new iPhone to feature smaller, 19-pin dock connector

Cody Lee ∙ July 23, 2012

If you've been keeping up with the latest in next-generation iPhone rumors, you know that the handset is expected to feature a new, smaller dock connector.

The speculation started with a report back in February of this year, and the revamped port has since been seen in a number of leaked next-gen iPhone parts...

New report reaffirms next iPhone is already in production

Cody Lee ∙ July 23, 2012

A new report is out tonight, claiming that Pegatron, one of Apple's manufacturing partners in eastern China, has started production on the next-generation iPhone.

The timing makes sense, considering Apple is widely expected to unveil the smartphone sometime in the next few months — late September, early October...

Simple chart makes the case for mini iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 22, 2012

Really, why should Apple make the iPad mini other than what Bloomberg, WSJ and NYT heard? Per conventional wisdom, Cupertino needs to move fast now Google's Nexus 7 is picking up steam (the $249 16GB model is sold out). Some people reckon Apple must launch a smaller iPad in order to keep folks locked inside its ecosystem and away from Google's.

Others reason the shrunken iPad that fits inside women's purses could easily become a new fashion statement (and they're probably right). And we can fairly safe assume that Santa would bring $199 mini iPads to lots of kids this Christmas (naughty ones will get a Kindle Fire).

But as with all consumer electronics, including Apple's shiny gadgets, the case for iPad mini boils down to sales projections, spreadsheets and charts. It just so happens that I've stumbled upon an awesome chart which illustrates unambiguously why the iPad mini is a missing link in Apple's iOS portfolio...

On Wired cover: how Steve Jobs’ management style affects industry leaders

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 22, 2012

Wired in its August issue runs an interesting (albeit premature?) cover story about Apple's late co-founder titled Am I Steve Jobs which seeks to explore how the mercurial CEO's unconventional management style has affected and continues to inspire industry executives. The feature mostly draws from the authorized bio book by Walter Isaacson, but is also spiced up with interviews from today's business and tech leaders...