Continuing coverage of Apple's iPad  Steve Jobs' draft email plays pivotal role in antitrust case
An email composed, but never sent, by former Apple CEO Steve Jobs may prove instrumental in the Justice Department's case that Apple, along with the five largest book publishers, colluded to fix prices for electronic books. Tablet downsizing trend to quicken in second half of 2013
The shift toward smaller tablets will accelerate in the second half of the year when a slew of tablet makers, including Apple, introduce new models with screens 8-in. or smaller, said Richard Shim, an analyst with DisplaySearch. 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. Apple's Eddy Cue offers short answers in e-book antitrust trial
Apple Senior Vice President Eddy Cue offered only short answers in federal court when questioned by federal prosecutors trying to solidify their case that Apple, along with five of the largest book publishers, worked together to illegally set the prices of electronic books for the market. New MacBook Air still stymies repairs, upgrades
Apple's newest MacBook Air, nearly identical to its predecessor, is not any easier to repair, iFixit said this week after tearing apart one of the just-released ultra-light notebooks. Best-guess $349 price for smaller Surface RT pits Microsoft against Apple for high-end Mini market
Microsoft will probably price its own 8-in. Surface tablet running Windows RT at $349, just 6% higher than Apple's iPad Mini but nowhere near the basement $199 of Android rivals, an analyst said this week. 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. Hands-free tech still poses high risk for drivers
A study from AAA finds that even hands-free technology, like Apple's iOS in-car displays, still poses a relatively high level of driver distraction. 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. 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. 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. Microsoft marks down Windows, kicks in free Office to spark tablet sales
Microsoft today confirmed what many analysts suspected, that it has cut prices of Windows 8 and Windows RT licenses to hardware partners building smaller-sized tablets as a way to drop device prices and juice sales. ITC orders import ban on some iPhones, iPads in Samsung patent dispute
Apple infringed a Samsung Electronics patent, the U.S. International Trade Commission said in a final judgment released Tuesday that bans import into the U.S. of certain AT&T iPhone and iPad models. 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. Dutch Supreme Court: Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 does not infringe on iPad design
Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Tab 10.1 does not infringe on Apple's iPad design right, the Supreme Court of the Netherlands ruled on Friday. 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. Windows 8 is an enterprise 'non-starter' because IT sees no value in changes
Windows 8 faces a number of hurdles in the enterprise, but the biggest reason it won't replace the current corporate champion, Windows 7, is simple: IT shops don't think it's worth the upgrade hassle. Tech Titans Talk: The IDG Enterprise Interview Series
In the IDG Enterprise Interview Series, you'll hear from technology CIOs and CEOs on today's burgeoning trends, ongoing headaches and upcoming product plans. Check out this informative series from IDG Enterprise Chief Content Officer John Gallant and his team of editors. 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 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. No Chrome-Android merger, at least in the next year or two
Android's new boss hinted of an eventual merger of Chrome and Android but said the two will remain separate "for the short term," in an interview posted prior to Google I/O's opening keynote on Wednesday. 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." Analysts challenge Microsoft's commitment to Windows RT
One of Microsoft's top Windows executives this week said the company remains bullish about Windows RT, but analysts remain suspicious of RT's chances unless Microsoft makes changes. 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. Gates sticks to company line on tablets, knocks iPad
Microsoft co-founder and chairman Bill Gates today stuck to the company line on tablets, and disparaged rival Apple's iPad for its lack of a keyboard and its inability to run Office. Amazon leaks evidence of first smaller, cheaper Windows 8 tablet
Details of what could be the first smaller Windows 8 tablet leaked Friday when Amazon briefly published a listing for an 8.1-in. Acer Iconia tablet. What I learned living abroad as a digital nomad
Digital nomad Mike Elgan returns to the U.S. after 10 months of travel and shares these tips for working and living abroad. Time to say goodbye to Windows RT tablets?
Windows RT tablets grabbed just 0.4% of the tablet market in the first quarter, a dismal result that led some tech experts to urge Microsoft to scrap the platform that's in its six-month infancy. 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. Google Fiber divides users into 'the fast' and 'the furious'
Google's Fiber project in in Kanas City, Austin and Provo shows that very high Internet speeds are possible in the U.S., but nobody except Google is working to make it happen. 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. 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. Microsoft to drive Windows tablet strategy with smaller devices, OS rebates
Microsoft's chief financial officer yesterday confirmed that the company and its hardware partners would ship smaller, lower-priced Windows tablets in the next months. 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. Don't blame Windows 8 for PC slowdown; Apple hit, too
Don't blame Windows 8 for plummeting PC sales, a retail analyst at NPD Group said today. 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. Emergency! EN systems alert employees when disaster strikes
Today's emergency notification technology allows enterprises to send out, and employees to receive, real-time situational advisories. Inside Siri's brain: The challenges of extending Apple's virtual assistant
Plenty of developers would love to be able to take advantage of Siri in their own apps. Alas, that's a significant technical challenge. Here's why. U.S. patent office retracts rejection of Apple's iPad Mini trademark
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) last week reversed itself, withdrawing a rejection of Apple's trademark application for "iPad Mini," according to a document published by the agency. 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. 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. Leaked BlackBerry road map reveals two phablets, widescreen tablet in coming year
BlackBerry plans to release a larger tablet and two phone-tablet combos, or phablets, over the next year, according to a leaked road map presentation slide. Microsoft signals push to smaller, lower-priced Windows tablets
Microsoft has relaxed a Windows 8 certification requirement to allow devices with lower resolutions, a move analysts said means Microsoft could soon join the shift to smaller, less expensive tablets. 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. Microsoft collects 13 design patents for Surface, keyboard covers
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office yesterday awarded Microsoft 13 design patents for its Surface line of tablets, including their innovative Touch keyboards-slash-covers, according to published documents. 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. Back up, wipe and restore your iPad
If you're planning to sell or give away your iPad, then it is essential that your personal information and data be erased from it. If it's running sluggish after a few years, sometimes backing up your data, erasing it from the tablet and restoring it might improve performance. 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. 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. EC pressed to charge Google in antitrust case
Eleven complainants sent an open letter to European Union's Competition Commissioner JoaquAn Almunia urging him to formally charge Google with breaching competition law. Bally's CIO Pumps Up Customer Experience With iPads, QR Codes and Video
The health club chain deploys customer-friendly technologies to change an intimidating culture and save a failing business model. 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. Judge ignores leniency plea, hands AT&T hacker a 41-month-sentence
A federal judge today sentenced hacker Andrew Auernheimer's to 41 months in prison for illegally accessing email addresses and other data belonging to more than 120,000 iPad subscribers from AT&T's networks. More innovation means less control. Is that bad?
Innovation in mobile computing, search and social media increasingly means taking control away from users, says Mike Elgan, but at what cost? IDC joins 'ditch Windows RT' bandwagon
Microsoft's two-pronged OS push into tablets -- Windows RT and Windows 8 -- confuses customers, and the company should focus on the more robust Windows 8, an IDC analyst said today. Vatican shuts down smartphones, Twitter as conclave begins
As 115 Roman Catholic cardinals are isolated behind closed doors in the Sistine Chapel to choose a new pope, the historic tradition has focused a lot of attention on modern technology. iOS will surrender top tablet spot to Android in 2013, says IDC
Aggressive sales of smaller tablets triggered a revised tablet sales forecast today by IDC, which upped its projections for 2013 and said Android would supplant Apple's iOS as the dominant operating system this year. Microsoft pulls last lever, discounts Windows 8 to OEMs to spark sales
Microsoft has done something it's historically been loath to do: discount prices for the copies of Windows it sells to computer makers, online reports said today. 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 Update: Benedict sends farewell tweet before Vatican wipes account
Before Pope Benedict XVI left the Vatican for retirement today, he offered a farewell tweet. Shortly after he stepped down, all of his tweets were deleted. 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. 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. To Surface or not to Surface
Microsoft needs to make up its mind whether it wants to stay a software company or if it's really serious about being a hardware power as well. Logitech's Ultrathin mini keyboard cover makes the wrong tradeoffs
In his review of the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for full-size iPads (rated 4 out of 5), my friend and colleague Dan Frakes described that accessory as making the right compromises for an iPad keyboard case. Which, since the debut of the iPad mini, has had many people anxiously awaiting a smaller version. Unfortunately, the iPad mini's size presents additional challenges when it comes to physical keyboards, and Logitech's sequel for the iPad mini, the $80 Ultrathin Keyboard mini, makes some of the wrong tradeoffs. The result is a keyboard cover that offers different frustrations than typing with the mini's onscreen keyboard, but not necessarily less Surface Pro again out of stock; Microsoft underestimated demand, argues analyst
Less than a week after Microsoft began taking reservation orders for its 128GB Surface Pro tablet, the company has again slapped a sold-out sign on its website. 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. Microsoft enlists Dell to push Office 365 on new PCs
Some major computer makers are pushing Office 365 with their new PCs, but others have stuck with a more traditional bundling tactic of including a factory-installed, single-license trial. 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. Microsoft's Surface RT shipments for China tiny compared to rival tablets
While first day sales for Microsoft's Surface RT tablet attracted a long line in Beijing back in October, demand for the device in China has been low, as shipments reached only 30,000 units during the fourth quarter, according to research firm IDC. Microsoft reopens 128GB Surface Pro online orders
Microsoft on Friday reopened online sales for the 128GB Surface Pro after nearly a week of stock outages, telling buyers that the tablets would ship in two to three weeks. 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. Should you risk jailbreaking your iPhone?
Chances are, if you don't know the dangers involved, you shouldn't jailbreak. Surface Pro flops in repairability test, says iFixit
Popular do-it-yourself website iFixit today gave Microsoft's Surface Pro tablet the lowest-possible repair score, just 1 out of a possible 10, after spending hours getting the device open. 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. Microsoft sells out of 128GB Surface Pro
Microsoft started selling its Surface Pro tablet on Saturday, and quickly exhausted its supply of the 128GB configuration. Microsoft pitches Surface Pro with Mac-iPad price comparison
Microsoft made the clearest case yet for its Surface Pro tablet when a top Windows executive said it should be compared with not one, but two Apple devices. Review: Surface goes from amateur to Pro
Microsoft delivers an ultrabook in the sleek guise of a tablet. 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. Bring Your Own ... and Roll With It, Baby!
Over the last couple of years a huge buzz has been building around the consumerization of IT, workers using their own PCs, smartphones, tablets and phablets at work, a movement that also goes by the name Bring Your Own Device (BYOD). How BYOD Saved VMware $2 Million
As more companies adopt a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) approach to mobile, many are getting caught by hidden costs. But virtualization titan VMware has bucked that trend. VMware CIO Mark Egan explains how his company accomplished its feat. Microsoft sold 900K Surface RT tablets in face of muted demand
Microsoft shipped an estimated 900,000 Surface RT tablets last quarter, barely missing the top five device makers, but illustrating that demand was "muted at best," IDC said today.
| Our bloggers on iPad Apple's unreleased iOS 7 usage already on the rise
When it comes to iOS upgrades, Apple [AAPL] runs a slick operation -- so slick that developers are already experiencing more traffic from users of the as yet unreleased iOS 7 than they do the two year-old iOS 5.
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.
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.
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 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.
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!
WWDC: Jony Ive gives iOS its 'Now' moment
It's all about the now. This moment. Your next moment may or may not arrive while your previous iota of time has already disappeared. There's only the immediacy of your present bundle of sensation. Apple in its next-generation mobile operating system seems to be getting a handle on what 'now' means to its users. Maybe.
Black Hat: It only takes a minute to hack an iPhone
Black Hat: Security researchers claim to have figured out how to hack an iPhone within one minute using a modified USB charger.
Here's why Office for the iPad is a long way off...if ever
Some analysts believe that Microsoft could reap billions by releasing Office for the iPad, but there's increasing evidence that such a release is likely a very long way off, if it ever happens.
OMG: Apple has shipped something new!!!
Silence the bells and stop the presses Apple has introduced a new product! At last! Unfortunately it's nothing more than a slight upgrade of the entry-level iPod touch, which is now available with an A5 chip and a $30 price hike.
Don't expect an iPhone at WWDC: It's all about the software, stupid
Apple's boss may have promised some "game changing" products when he spoke at D11 last night -- but don't expect much hardware at WWDC, where the focus will be on the next generations of OS X and iOS, where you may even see a few ideas perhaps inspired by Android begin to appear.
Europe probes Apple's iPhone tactics as carriers seek to regain OTT control
Apple finds itself in trouble once again as European anti-trust investigators begin peering at its deals with carriers in order to find out if the company is using anti-competitive iPhone sales tactics to force competitors out of the market -- but with the company not now dominant in the smartphone space, who benefits from the investigation?
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