Apple

Android grabs 90 percent of China’s smartphone market

Ed Sutherland ∙ November 16, 2012

The world is full of ironies. The latest comes from China, whose government frequently blocks most of Google's properties. Yet, inside the country, more than 90 percent of smartphones run Android. Not laughing is Apple, with just a single-digit share of this enormous market. Specifically, Android's share hit 90.1 percent mark in Q3 2012.

At the same time, iOS recorded just a 4.2 share, new research finds. Seemingly at the heart of problem for Apple: price. While the average price of an Android-powered handset is $179, the iPhone carries a $726 average price tag. The iPhone 5 can't hit Chinese shelves too soon...

Apple hit with $29 million Aussie tax bill

Ed Sutherland ∙ November 16, 2012

Not even Apple can avoid taxes - although it tries. According to a Friday report, the Cupertino, California company owes the Australian Tax Office a nice 28.5 million Australian dollars in back taxes, or approximately $29 million in US currency. Apple's tax bill for the entire fiscal year 2012, which ended September 24, sits at $94.7 million on $4.9 billion in revenue in local currency. Earlier this week, the French government demanded Amazon pay $252 million in back taxes. The government charged the online retail giant operated a network of smaller units, including a Luxembourgh-based tax haven...

Talk of Apple getting into TV space is premature

Ed Sutherland ∙ November 16, 2012

The holidays are a season when people believe in the impossible. But just as a fat man and a string of reindeer criss-crossing the globe overnight is a stretch of the imagination, so is the belief that Apple is about to get into the TV business. Like children wanting to believe, analysts have renewed speculation that the Cupertino firm is set to enter the fractious TV sector.

Not so fast, says one season observer. What some on Wall Street interpret as the "imminent launch" of an HD TV bearing the Apple logo likely is the iPhone maker simply exploring the cable television terrain ahead of a new product...

Warner’s new iOS app streams paid TV shows the day after airing in the US

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

Aptly named Day After US, a new mobile application for iPhones and iPads by Warner Bros. brings you the goodness of the studio's prime television shows, provided you can wait 24 hours after the episodes aired on television. A free download from the App Store, it works natively on any iPhone, iPod touch and iPad with iOS 4.3 or later. You can download individual episodes directly to your device over Wi-Fi for offline viewing. Warner Bros. is throwing in the first episode of each show free of charge. Want more? Have your credit card handy...

AT&T’s LTE coverage doubles in 2012

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 16, 2012

Just in time for latest LTE iPads that Friday morning hit online and brick-and-mortar stores of AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and Best Buy, the nation's #1 carrier AT&T announced its 4G LTE is now available in 24 new markets in the United States. More importantly, the company claims to have doubled its LTE coverage in 2012 versus the end of 2011.

Specifically its LTE now covers more than 150 million people in a total of 103 markets. As part of its ambitious $14 billion LTE network expansion project, AT&T's LTE will expand to 250 million people by year-end 2013 and to 300 million by year-end 2014...

Judge rules Apple and Samsung may add Jelly Bean and iPhone 5 to patent suit

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 16, 2012

Bloomberg reports that a federal judge has ruled that Apple may add Jelly Bean, the latest and greatest version of the Android operating system powering smartphones and tablets, to its patent infringement claims asserted against Samsung. At the same time, the South Korean conglomerate was allowed to add the iPhone 5 to its suit as the company looks to retaliate for losing $1.05 billion in damages by targeting Apple's latest handset. Though U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Grewal allowed Apple to target the Jelly Bean software, the scope is limited to Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus devices...

New LTE iPads hit AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and Best Buy

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

Cody told you earlier this morning that U.S. carrier Sprint started selling Apple's iPad mini and fourth-generation iPad with Retina display in its retail stores. Not to be outdone by the nation's #3 telco, carriers AT&T and Verizon announced that both Wi-Fi and cellular versions of the two tablets are now available across their retail and online stores in the United States. Additionally, we are hearing that Best Buy has the tablets and will begin selling them later today. Both carriers are offering the iPad mini and the fourth-gen full-size iPad with or without shared data service, with Sprint of course having the upper hand with its unlimited data offering (and limited 4G coverage).

The devices have also arrived in Apple's retail outlets. Some customers who pre-ordered their units saw their shipment delivered as early as yesterday or are seeing their packages out for delivery...

Woz worries Microsoft is now more innovative than Apple

Cody Lee ∙ November 16, 2012

When he's not co-starring in video games, Steve Wozniak is known for being an outspoken gadget-lover. Of course, one of his favorite subjects is Apple. And despite his affiliation with the company, he never seems to hold back his criticisms.

This proved true once again during a recent interview with the Woz at a TED event in Belgium. The Apple co-founder told TechCrunch that he's worried that Microsoft has surpassed the fruit company in innovation over the past few years...

Apple acquires over 1,000 patents from Nortel auction

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 10, 2018

Last summer, Apple teamed up with Microsoft, RIM, Sony and others to participate in an auction involving a large amount of wireless and LTE patents. The 'Rockstar consortium' outbid Google, and scored more than 6,000 patents for a cool $4.5 billion.

Of course, since Apple put up a huge chunk of the bid (something like $2.6B), it's always had access to the Nortel IP. But according to a new report, the tech giant has been outright purchasing select patents from the consortium over the past 6 months...

Analyst says Apple TV product is ‘imminent’

Cody Lee ∙ November 15, 2012

Apple TV talk has really died down over the past few months, but the rumors of the device have been pretty persistent over the past few years. Analysts and tech pundits continue to believe that we'll see something in the not-so-distant future.

The latest testimony comes from Jefferies & Co. analyst James Kisner. In a note to investors this morning, Kisner said that after speaking with his industry contacts, he believes the launch of an Apple television product is "imminent..."

Steve Jobs biopic to focus on products and friction between execs

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

Lights! Action! Steve! Well, sort of. A biopic focusing on late Apple CEO Steve Jobs won't be a cradle-to-grave review of the man who pulled Apple out of the ditch. Instead, the film will feature three behind-the-scenes glimpses into Jobs' most famous products. According to screenwriter Aaron Sorkin who was hired to develop Walter Isaacson's biography of Jobs for Sony Pictures, the upcoming flick will be comprised of just three 30-minutes scenes backstage before the introduction of the original Mac, NeXT and the iPod. Sorkin is known for his screenplays featuring character studies, such as his acclaimed look at Facebook, The Social Network...

Someone do this iPhone Smart Cover and take my money

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 15, 2012

Wish someone made this. Apple makes the Smart Cover for the full-size iPad and the iPad mini so why not for the iPhone 5? Designer Adrien Olczak, the brains behind this intriguing concept, rightfully points out that someone should "do this and take my money". His idea is unlikely to become a reality in this form, even if it cries for Kickstarter.

Oh wait, an iPhone Smart Cover already exists!

Now, I don't know about you but I really dislike screen protectors because they're bad for multitouch performance more often than not. And as head-turning as designs of regular covers are, they're tough to remove and hide the handset's beautiful design, which is actually my main gripe with the sleeve industry in general...