Continuing coverage of Apple's iPhone 

Office Mobile for the iPhone enters an already-crowded field
Microsoft released its first iOS version of Office on Friday, but a wide range of alternative iOS apps and suites already exist. Ryan Faas details some of the competition.

Microsoft shows revenue hand with Office for iPhone
Last week's release of Office Mobile for the iPhone nailed down one of the mysteries pundits had pondered -- how Microsoft planned to generate Office revenue from Apple's iPhone and iPad.

A detailed look at Apple's iOS 7
The star of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference last week was clearly iOS 7, which gets a new look and a raft of new features. Columnist Michael deAgonia takes a look at what's coming this fall.

Apple plays defense, Microsoft goes on offense in battle for iPhone customers
Rivals Apple and Microsoft bookended the week by revealing productivity tools aimed at the same pool of customers: the millions who own Apple's iPhone.

Microsoft sticks it to the iPad with Windows-first Office strategy
Microsoft's surprise launch of Office Mobile for the iPhone today shows that the software giant continues to favor Windows' future over Office's fortune, analysts said today.

IT will have a love-hate relationship with iOS 7, OS X Mavericks and iCloud
Consumers and business users alike will find things to love about OS X Mavericks and iOS 7, says columnist Ryan Faas. But for enterprise IT pros, this week's announcements are a mixed bag.

5-year-old Macs not too old for OS X Mavericks
The new OS X Mavericks will run on the same set of Mac desktops and notebooks as OS X Mountain Lion, but iOS 7 will drop support for iPhone 3GS, the 2009 smartphone supported by the current iOS 6.

Apple sees chance to compete with Office on the Web
Almost as an afterthought, Apple on Monday announced it was working on browser-based versions of its iWork productivity applications, a move one analyst said challenged Microsoft's Office behemoth.

What Apple's new AirDrop data sharing says about NFC
Apple's mobile development chief Craig Federighi poked fun at Android when he announced AirDrop data sharing technology for iOS on Monday.

Apple dumps big cat OS X nicknames, zips lips on price and release timetable
Apple on Monday trumpeted OS X 10.9, or Mavericks, but made a U-turn from past practice and declined to name a price for the upgrade or tap a ship date as anything more specific than the fall.

10 stars of 'cross-platformity'
At work or play, these 10 applications can be used across a variety of platforms.

The world is not flat: Apple unveils 'fresh, light' iOS 7
Apple CEO Tim Cook and several of his top executives took the stage today at the company's annual developers conference to unveil a spruced-up, new-look iOS 7, introduce iTunes Radio and talk up this fall's "Mavericks" upgrade for OS X.

Apple hosts live webcast of WWDC keynote today at 10 a.m. PT/ 1 p.m. ET
Apple will webcast the keynote of its developers conference live starting at 10 a.m. PT, but the webcast will be available only on the company's own hardware, or via an OS X-powered virtual machine.

Usability, not 'flat' design, key to Monday's iOS refresh
Apple is expected to debut a revamped iOS on Monday, featuring a "flatter" design that, if not done properly, could be a step backward in usability, a pair of user interface (UI) experts said.

Forget the keynote. WWDC is still about the developers
As usual, the Apple rumor mill has been on overdrive as WWDC nears. But all the hype about anything CEO Tim Cook might reveal misses the point, says columnist Ryan Faas. WWDC is still about developers.

Apple blinks, inks deals with labels in time to intro 'iRadio' on Monday
With just days to spare, and as one analyst had expected, Apple blinked in negotiations with Sony Music, giving the Cupertino, Calif. firm the green light to announce an Internet radio service on Monday.

Apple to spell out timetable, price of OS X 10.9 on Monday
Apple will probably spill the timetable and pricing of the next version of OS X on Monday at WWDC.

Apple to kick off in-store iPhone trade-in deals to spur sales
Apple will launch its own iPhone trade-in program this month, exchanging older iPhones for in-store credit, according to Bloomberg and other sources.

Why iOS is the future of Apple (and how we got here)
At Apple's World Wide Developer Conference, which kicks off Monday, everyone's expecting updates for both iOS and OS X. But one of those operating systems is more important than the other.

More than half of Americans own a smartphone. Now what?
A majority of Americans -- about 56% -- now own a smartphone, according to Pew Research Center's latest survey.

Tablet owners spend a lot more on apps
Smartphone owners who also have a tablet spend three times as much on apps as those who only own smartphones, according to a survey by research and consulting firm Analysys Mason.

Apple will blink to strike deals in time to unveil 'iRadio' at WWDC
Apple has made progress in cutting deals with music labels for an Internet radio service but time is running out, several reports said today.

Android finally gets Twitter's video app, Vine
A little more than four months after Twitter unveiled its video service, Vine, the company has launched a version for Android.

More of Sprint's customers are using iPhones, but that's not true for AT&T and Verizon
Sprint recently saw growth in the percentage of its customers owning iPhones, while both Verizon Wireless and AT&T saw declines, an analyst firm said today.

The iPhone's big lead in customer satisfaction is gone
Apple's dominance in smartphone customer satisfaction faded last year, with rivals like Samsung and Motorola dramatically closing the gap, a national survey said today.

Google steals march on Apple in music subscription
Google beat Apple to the music subscription service punch this week, perhaps the doing of record labels who wanted to put Apple in its place, an analyst said

Google issues YouTube ultimatum to Microsoft as Hatfield-McCoy feud heats up
Google yesterday sent a cease-and-desist letter to Microsoft, demanding that its rival remove the YouTube app built for the Windows Phone platform.

Mobile management morphs
Customers are pushing the limits of the software -- asking it to manage and do many more things than it was originally created to do -- and vendors are happy to oblige.

Windows 8 app store fails Top 10 test
Microsoft's Windows 8 app store failed a test touted by a former Microsoft manager and distinguished engineer as a way to determine an ecosystem's relevance.

Microsoft sends gamblin' Pete Rose to the plate in swing at Google Docs
Microsoft today took another shot at rival Google, calling its rival's online application suite, Google Docs, "too big a gamble."

AT&T offers iPhone 5 through pre-paid Aio Wireless
AT&T launched a new wireless subsidiary called Aio Wireless on Thursday that offers phones like the iPhone 5 with no annual contract.

Security pros cheer hint of hands-off updates in Windows Blue
Microsoft's apparent plan to automatically update its own Windows Store apps in the next version of Windows 8 is drawing praise from security experts.

Yes Siri, no Siri, for the Mac
Apple's next version of OS X will probably not include Siri, the digital, voice-activated assistant embedded in the iPhone and iPad, an analyst predicted.

Apple to challenge $368M patent infringement verdict
Apple will challenge a November 2012 jury verdict that awarded $368 million in damages to Nevada patent-holding company VirnetX, a filing with U.S. regulators showed.

Apple CEO defends Mac line; analysts foresee iPad hybrids
Apple CEO Tim Cook on Tuesday defended the company's iconic Mac line, which saw a second consecutive decline in sales last quarter, and promised that Apple would continue to crank out personal computers.

Apple's WWDC set for June 10-14, hints at fall launch of next iPhone
Apple today said that its annual developers conference will take place June 10-14, when it will provide developers with preview builds of the next versions of both iOS and OS X.

Mac sales growth stalls -- here's why Apple doesn't care
Apple's Mac has been punished by shifting consumer tastes just as has the overall PC industry, data from the company's earnings statements show.

Apple's lead over Samsung in future-purchase plan survey cut in half
From December to March, Apple's iPhone lost ground to smartphones from rival Samsung in a survey to assess consumers' future purchase plans, a market research firm said last week.

Apple sold 35-38M iPhones last quarter, analysts say
Apple sold approximately 38 million iPhones in the first quarter, an 8% increase over what it sold in the same quarter a year ago, an ISI Group analyst said today. Other analysts pegged the sales number at 35 million.

Facebook Home on iPhone? Not a chance, say experts
There is absolutely no way that Apple will surrender its iPhone interface to Facebook Home, analysts said today.

Netflix to dump Silverlight, Microsoft's stalled technology
Netflix plans to abandon Microsoft's Silverlight media player plug-in for Windows and OS X in-browser video streaming, and replace it with a trio of HTML5 extensions.

Apple's silence cedes market narrative to rivals, says expert
Apple's noted silence has hurt its mystique and caused it to cede the "cool" factor to competitors, a communications expert said.

Samsung sees value in bigger Galaxy Mega smartphones
Samsung struck again Thursday, announcing two even bigger Galaxy Mega smartphones with 5.8-in. and 6.3-in. LCD HD screens.

SkyDrive decision reveals Microsoft's Office on iOS strategy
Microsoft's update Wednesday to its SkyDrive iOS app shows that the software giant has no intention of sharing revenue with rival Apple, and is further evidence it will tie Office on the iPad to its subscription plans, an analyst said today.

Miami hospital turns to Wi-Fi triangulation for smartphone mapping app
Miami Children's Hospital recently launched a free iPhone app that uses Wi-Fi triangulation to help patients and their families navigate through the center.

Google puts pressure on Microsoft, launches Quickoffice for iPhone and Android
Google launched its Microsoft Office substitute, Quickoffice, for Apple's iPhone, Android smartphones and Android tablets, fulfilling a promise made in December.

Microsoft could rake in $1.25B first year from Office on iOS, Android, asserts analyst
Microsoft could rake in more than $1 billion in revenue in the first year after launching Office for Apple's iOS and Google's Android platforms, an analyst said today.

Enterprise apps get social
Combining the ad-hoc nature of social media with the more structured world of enterprise apps such as CRM is often the best of both worlds, implementers say.

Google+ updates mobile apps for iPhone, Android
Google has released updates for its Google+ apps for iPhone and Android.

T-Mobile to sell iPhone 5 amid new no-contract plans
Amid an array of industry innovations announced today, T-Mobile USA said it will sell the iPhone 5 starting April 12 for $579, with the option of paying $99 down and $20 a month for 24 months.

Security experts applaud Apple's new two-factor authentication
Apple this week followed the lead of rivals like Facebook, Google and Microsoft, offering two-step authentication to help customers secure their Apple IDs against hacking.

8 myths about the smartwatch revolution
By the time Apple ships its rumored 'iWatch' smartwatch, it will be entering an already crowded market. That's a good thing, says columnist Mike Elgan.

iPhone snares eighth straight top satisfaction ranking
Apple's iPhone has again taken the top ranking in J.D. Power and Associates' smartphone customer satisfaction survey, the company said.

Apple's hire of Adobe CTO foretells move toward iOS-OS X hybrids
Apple's hiring of Adobe's former CTO Kevin Lynch opens some intriguing possibilities for the company's future moves, analysts said today.

Defense spokesman says DoD not dumping BlackBerry
A U.S. Department of Defense spokesman on Thursday said a report suggesting the defense agency is dumping BlackBerry devices was inaccurate, and that BlackBerry is still part of ongoing DoD mobile device deployment plans.

iPhone U.S. dominance due to carriers' pricing strategies
Apple's iPhone dominance in the U.S. is largely due to carriers suppressing market economics, an analyst said today.

The iWatch conundrum
For the past month or so, the hot topic among Apple users has been the iWatch. Columnist Michael deAgonia weighs on whether there's really a market for the device.

Z10 sales start Friday in U.S., but Blackberry's future still far from certain
BlackBerry Z10 sales kick off this Friday in the U.S., but it is still unclear how popular the smartphone and its Q10 cousin running BlackBerry 10 will be, amid a number of contradictory predictions and indicators.

Galaxy S4 would be the ultimate iPhone, says analyst
Samsung's new Galaxy S4 would be the "ultimate smartphone" if it ran Apple's iOS and accessed the Cupertino, Calif. company's app ecosystem, a clearly-impressed analyst said today. Others, however, dismissed the idea.

Physicians may be marginalized as mobile tech engages us in healthcare
Dr. Eric Topol, a cardiologist and professor of genomics, took aim at the medical community, calling for the end to paternal medicine and annual checks and the beginning a consumer-centered healthcare, where patients own their own data, including their genomes for drug treatment.

Hot technologies to watch: Augmented reality and 3D printing
Augmented reality and 3D printing are the hottest emerging technologies to watch, according to Tom Soderstrom, chief technology officer for NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Google squashes 10 Chrome bugs as $100K Pwn2Own hacking prize looms
Google today patched 10 vulnerabilities in Chrome, just two days before the start of Pwn2Own, a hacking contest that has $100,000 in prize money waiting for the first researcher to crack the browser

Apple, Samsung and Google under fire at Mobile World Congress
Mobile World Congress showed that Apple, Samsung and Google are still the smartphone industry leaders, but upstart and would-be has-been companies are fighting back.

Microsoft exec refuses to be drawn out on Office for iPad
Microsoft's top Office executive, Kurt DelBene, yesterday dodged questions about plans to bring its lucrative suite to Apple's iPad.

Industrial sapphire might be your next smartphone display
Sapphire could someday be used in some smartphone displays instead of the toughened Gorilla Glass popular today

Google ports Office-substitute app to Chrome OS, Chrome browser
Google confirmed today that it has ported part of QuickOffice, a popular iOS and Android app substitute for Microsoft Office, to a technology baked into Chrome OS and the company's Chrome browser.

In Google+ hangout, astronauts talk tech, Isaac Newton and Twitter
In the their first Google+ hangout, astronauts onboard the International Space Station said they didn't panic when their communication link to the ground was cut off for three hours this week.

Which way Apple ticks on the iWatch will show how gutsy the firm remains
If Apple ever makes some kind of "iWatch" wearable device, how the company positions the device will tell a lot about where it's going.

Translating enterprise apps to mobile: Three companies' journeys
Some companies are going whole-hog with mobile apps, including for some core line-of-business functions.

Google may be considering retail stores
Google may be taking a page from Apple as it considers opening brick-and-mortar retail stores, according to reports.

Will Apple envy wreck Samsung?
Samsung is tired of watching Apple run away with most of the money in mobile and is making a big play to become like Apple -- a company that makes not only the hardware, but also the software and the store where you buy stuff.

Opera's WebKit move gives it shot at iOS market
Opera's announcement yesterday that it would ditch its own browser and JavaScript engines in favor of the open-source WebKit and V8 engines will let it compete in the lucrative iOS market.

Apple takes blame for iOS 6.1-Exchange battery-draining bug, promises patch
Apple yesterday confirmed that a bug in iOS 6.1 causes devices to aggressively ping Microsoft Exchange email servers, shortening iPhone and iPad battery life.

Can a 'nifty' iWatch from Apple catch on?
A watch that doubles as a computer and two-way radio has been a technology vision since at least the 1950s. But if recent reports that Apple's interested in an 'iWatch' are true, would such a device sell?

State of the Union expected to heat up social nets
Social networks are expected to light up tonight as users react to the president's State of the Union address.

You can get a Z10 in the U.S. now -- but it'll cost you $999
BlackBerry's Z10 went on sale today at the unsubsidized price of $999 through wireless service provider Solavei and its retail partner GSM Nation

Apple sticks with jailbreaking-is-evil warning
iOS jailbreaks may come and go, but Apple continues to warn that hacking an iPhone to install unapproved software, while not illegal, may void the device's service warranty.

Apple makes good on CEO's promise to expand iPhone 5's 4G carriers
Apple today released iOS 6.1, the first major update for the mobile operating system since its September 2012 launch, patching 27 security vulnerabilities and adding 36 LTE carriers to the iPhone 5's support list.

Will Apple, Google and Samsung lose the smartphone market?
Mobile phone competition intensifies. Linux-based platforms are gunning for iOS and Android, and Chinese companies want to price the iPhone and the Galaxy S line out of the market.

Can new smartphones rekindle the BlackBerry fire?
'Not dead yet' could well be the new BlackBerry marketing theme, as the world prepares to hear about two new BlackBerry 10 smartphones to be announced Wednesday.

Twitter's Vine serves users' inner movie maker
Twitter announced the launch of Vine, a service that lets mobile users capture and share short, looping videos of six seconds or less.

Mac sales tank in Q4 from iMac shortages, cannibalization
Mac sales plummeted in the fourth quarter of 2012, falling 22% from the same period the year before, with computer sales accounting for a record low percentage of Apple's total revenue of $54.5 billion.

Review: Apple's new 21.5-in. iMac
Apple's new iMac features a redesigned case that tapers at the edges, an optional Fusion Drive for storage and an updated system architecture, making it a stylish all-in-one desktop computer. But there are some caveats, says Michael DeAgonia.

Analyst pegs 'iPhone Mini' price at between $299 and $349
Apple may be able to build a cut-rate iPhone for $144, which would let it price the device between $299 and $349, hundreds less than the unsubsidized price tag of its flagship smartphone, an analyst said today.

Reports: Apple slashes iPhone component orders
Apple has slashed orders for iPhone screens in the first quarter by half, according to Monday reports out of both Japan and the U.S.

Gesture computing is here! (And it's out of control!)
As the dust settles over Las Vegas, it's becoming clear that this year's International CES ushered in a new era of in-the-air gesture control, says Mike Elgan.

City living: There's an app for that
Inspired by the release of ever larger and more detailed sets of municipal data, citizen-developers are writing apps to ease every aspect of city living, from preschools to parking meters.

Cook, not Nixon, goes to China to strike deal
Apple CEO Tim Cook met today with Xi Guohua, head of China Mobile, the world's largest wireless carrier, triggering speculation that the two firms will strike a deal this year.

Apple faces tough choice on cheaper iPhone
Renewed talk of a cheaper iPhone shuffled into view this week, with sources as varied as the spotty DigiTimes to the more mainstream Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg claiming Apple will enter the low-price fray this year.

Ford drives apps for navigation, social, fun
Ford Motor Co. is looking to integrate drivers' favorite apps into their cars, giving them someone to read them the morning newspaper, along with an app to find them the site of their next great date.

iOS App Store went on record-setting tear in 2012
Apple today boasted that its iOS App Store has passed the 40-billion-download mark, and posted a record two billion downloads last month alone.

IE shocker: Microsoft's browser gains share in 2012
Microsoft's Internet Explorer posted an annual usage share gain in 2012 for the first time in eight years, according to data by a Web analytics firm Net Applications.

Apple crafting bigger iPhone in multiple colors for June, says analyst
Apple will launch the next iPhone in May or June 2013, offering multiple colors and screen sizes in a move that would depart from a six-year practice, a Wall Street analyst said today.

NORAD's Santa Cam tracking St. Nick's trip
St. Nick and his reindeer have begun their Christmas Eve work delivering presents to children around the world and NORAD is tracking their progress today.

NORAD switches from Google to Bing to track Santa
Google isn't getting coal in its stocking this year, but Santa's helpers have decided to ditch the popular Google Maps for Microsoft's Bing service.

iPhone 5 owners report mixed results from iOS Wi-Fi bug fix
Apple today released an update for iOS that fixes an unspecified Wi-Fi bug in the iPhone 5 and iPad Mini.

Apple trumpets 2M iPhone 5 sales in China
Apple today said it has sold 2 million iPhone 5 smartphones in China since Friday, setting an opening weekend sales record for the country.

Finally: Real virtual assistants
A new generation of free virtual assistant apps that are more powerful than Siri and Google Voice Search represent the future of human-machine interaction, and they are here now, writes columnist Mike Elgan.

Google Maps' return to iOS may not be permanent, says analyst
Google Maps' return to the iPhone and iPad this week may not be permanent, an analyst said today.

Report: Apple, Microsoft lock horns over iOS Office revenue split
Apple and Microsoft are arguing over the iOS App Store's submission and payment requirements, and Microsoft has already made concessions as it tries to get its SkyDrive app approved, support discussions show.

Richi Jennings: Pros and cons for business use

Computerworld Blogs 

Apple is planning a liquid-cooled iPhone (and so are Samsung and HTC)

The race to take the title of "World's Most Advanced Smartphone" is driving Apple, Samsung and HTC to explore increasingly advanced technologies, with a Digitimes report claiming all three firms are working to develop liquid cooled smartphones in order to boost power efficiency.

Woz says no to PRISM in the free world

With free men now gazing through PRISM, darkly, Apple has moved to quell fears concerning its customer's online privacy by revealing those details it is aware of regarding the US NSA's legitimately filed requests for that data -- but have we got the big picture, or just a partial account of what's been going on? Meanwhile Apple co-founder, Woz, is angry at the implications of the NSA's snooping system.

Office for the iPhone means a half-victory for Microsoft's freethinkers

Microsoft's sudden, surprise release of Office for the iPhone is a victory for those in the company who recognize the company's future doesn't lie in turf wars and in-fighting, but instead in releasing the best products for the widest audience. But the victory is only a partial one.

WWDC: Now it looks like Apple's going to take out the console market

WWDC 2013: With the dust settling on the recent Xbox and PS4 launches, Apple appears to have its own plan for the console gaming market -- though it's keeping pretty quiet about it, particularly since these plans could reflect its intentions for an Apple television.

Acer passes on Windows Phone, complains "no one knows about it"

Some estimates show Windows Phone gradually gaining market share, but don't tell that to Acer, one of whose top executives says that the company won't be releasing a Windows Phone any time soon because "no one knows about it."

Why is Apple upgrading its entire ecosystem this Fall?

Apple seems set for a major Fall upgrade across its ecosystem with Reuters adding speculation the company also plans a Fall launch of a $99 iPhone available in multiple colors -- iTunes Radio, the Mac Pro,  iOS 7 and OS X are also set for release then. Why?

iPhone, smartphones and the PRISM planet

Your mobile devices are central to both real and digital life, but the recent revelation that Verizon hands over huge amounts of customer data to the PRISM-wielding NSA has serious implications for the evolution of a Post-PC mobile future. If you use a connected device, you need to know about Policy Control.

WWDC: Apple's iOS 7 moves even closer to the enterprise

The focus at WWDC may appear to be on consumer markets, but Apple has also made major improvements to its offering to enterprise users with a range of iOS 7 features that should maintain the maker's place at the crest of the BYOD wave -- and  few hints of where it is going...

WWDC Opinion: Fall will be Apple's Harvest Festival

WWDC 2013: Apple delivered its message loud and clear today as a confident Tim Cook took the stage to conduct fellow executives as they put forth the proposition that this Fall, Apple will be coming out with all guns blazing.

WWDC keynote address, live coverage

Join us for live coverage of the keynote address from WWDC, Monday, June 10, 6 PM UK / 1 PM Eastern / 10 AM Pacific.

WWDC: Hey, Samsung: Apple's been studying on killing you

Hang onto your seats. The smartphone wars are about to intensify, and this time Apple won't attack Samsung in the courts, but in the marketplace as it raises the stakes on innovation all over again.

Windows Phone sales are booming...no, they're falling. Which analyst is right?

Depending on the current research you read, Windows Phone sales are either growing by leaps and bounds, or else stagnant and falling. Which analyst should you believe?

ITC kills smartphone innovation with Apple decision

The US ITC yesterday declared against Apple in a FRAND-related case bought by Samsung -- and while I'm certain there's a few Phandroids laughing, they shouldn't be, because the decision will stifle innovation in the smartphone space far more than "rounded corners" ever have, or ever will.

BANNED: Some U.S. Apple iPhone and iPad models

Apple iToys banned in U.S. The International Trade Commission (ITC) bans imports of certain models of Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone and iPad. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers are shocked. SHOCKED!

Windows Phone to overtake the iPhone? It will happen.

The iPhone is the schoolyard bully and Windows Phone the 99-pound weakling, right? Wrong. By 2017 Windows Phone will nearly overtake the iPhone, says a new report. And after that, it's anyone's guess.