Continuing coverage of Apple's iPad  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. Surface Pro storage space in short supply
Microsoft's low-end Surface Pro tablet, slated to start shipping Feb. 9, sports just 23GB of free storage space out of the box, Microsoft confirmed today. iPad App Helps Forest Service Distribute Maps for Firefighters
The U.S. Forest Service deploys a mobile map application for firefighters and emergency responders to use in the field and for tactical planning BaaS: It's a crowded (and young) market
Back-end as a service offers standard features to drop into your apps, so your developers can spend their time on the most strategic pieces. Speed up mobile app-dev with back-end as a service
Vendors offer code drop-ins that standardize common mobile features, including messaging and payment, so your in-house developers can focus on the functions that are most important to your business. Apple doubles down on iPad by doubling max storage to 128GB
Apple today doubled the maximum storage space of its fourth-generation iPad to 128GB, and announced it would start selling the new tablet next week. 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. Microsoft can 'start printing money' as soon as it launches Office for iOS
Microsoft will reap a windfall of revenue as soon as it introduces versions of its Office productivity suite for iOS and Android, but that window of opportunity is quickly closing, an analyst said today. iPad ASP slides in Q4 after Mini intro
As expected, the average selling price (ASP) of Apple's iPad line fell sharply in the fourth quarter of 2012 as the lower-priced iPad Mini reached customers. 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. LTE subscribers will more than double in '13, IHS iSuppli says
For every person using 4G LTE now, there will be at least one more subscriber by the end of this year, IHS iSuppli says. 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. A restaurant firm turns to iPads, automation -- and more hiring
OTG Management, which runs restaurants and other concessions in airports, has found that using iPads and self-service tech can be good for business. And it doesn't cost jobs. iPhone, iPad lead the way as mobile BI matures, says Ovum
Apple and Google's Android have the widest adoption among mobile BI (business intelligence) applications, as the products are becoming more mature, according to a report from market research company Ovum. Cellular iPad, iPad mini to go on sale Friday in China
Apple on Friday will bring its 3G enabled fourth-generation iPad and iPad mini to China, a market where the vendor's tablets continue to dominate. 1 million Surface RT tablets sold in last quarter, UBS says
Microsoft's Surface RT tablet sold 1 million units in the fourth quarter, fewer than expected, according to a UBS analyst. 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. Intel promises $599 touchscreen ultrabooks by year's end
Intel has released a new, low-power Core processor for ultrabooks and pledged that touchscreen ultrabooks will be available for as low as $599 by the end of the year. 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. Windows 8, Surface Tablets to Lead Microsoft's Fight for Relevance in 2013
Microsoft made big bets on Windows 8, Windows Phone and Surface tablets in 2012, and now it needs to make those bets to pay off. As more consumers and businesses go mobile, 2013 will be Microsoft's most challenging year yet. 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. Update: Windows 8's early uptake lags behind Vista's
Final online usage numbers for 2012 released Tuesday confirmed that Windows 8 failed to match Windows Vista's uptake pace during its first two months. Review: Drafts for iPhone and iPad
It's easy enough to cut and paste text between apps, but these days, much of my iOS-composed text starts out in the aptly named Drafts, a stellar app from Agile Tortoise. Available for both the iPad ($3) and the iPhone ($2), Drafts is a catch-all bucket for typing messages, jotting down ideas, storing templates, and--just as useful--doing things with that text when it and you are ready. Windows 8's uptake falls behind Vista's pace
With just a week left in the month, Windows 8's usage uptake has slipped behind Vista's at the same point in its release, according to data from Net Applications. 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. 1Password for iOS keeps your digital life safe
For a security mechanism that has existed since mankind traded places with apes to raise to the top of the food chain, passwords have shown a surprising longevity. Passwords act as gatekeepers to our email, banking, social media accounts, and just about anything else that we do, regardless of whether we are online or not. 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.
| Our bloggers on iPad Apple iWatch hits pre-production as product tests begin
Apple's iWatch is perhaps the world's worst kept secret, so it's becoming increasingly clear the new device will be one of the most advanced gadgets around, bringing new materials and production processes to the mass market.
Google threatens Apple's brand leadership as Samsung's Galaxy shines
Apple remains the world's most valuable brand, but Tim Cook's people will likely be infuriated at the rise of arch-nemesis, Samsung, which has gained 51 percent in brand value across the last year while Google continues to threaten Cupertino's leadership.
Now even iPads seem delayed as Apple targets fall
Apple appears likely to maintain its slow product release schedule as it seems set not to introduce its thinner and lighter fifth-generation iPad and iPad mini 2 until late summer as partners prepare to begin trial production of the new devices. Volume production begins in July.
Apple: 205 days since a big reveal and the wait continues
Does anyone still remember the olden days when doomed Apple shipped products? Those days appear gone, giving Foxconn a headache and turning all our predictions upside down: 205 days have passed since Apple gave us a significant product release.
DoJ summons spirit of Steve Jobs in Apple iBooks case
Apple seems set to take the stand to argue DoJ charges it conspired to introduce an agency price model for eBooks, raising online book prices by up to $3 for a period subsequent to launch of the iBookstore.
Why did Steve Jobs cancel dinner with Bill Gates? A) 'I'm sick', B) 'I'm an asshole'
The death of Apple co-founder, Steve Jobs, still visibly moves close rival and later friend, Microsoft's Bill Gates, who talked about the two men's final meeting at the home of the ailing tech Svengali on CBS last night, revealing the depth of respect that grew between the two.
Google should think before it unloads its Wallet
Google has a bad habit -- a terrible one: it leaps before it thinks. That's precisely what's happened in the company's adventures in NFC-based payment systems within Google Wallet. While this gave the company a short-lived PR advantage against Apple and the iPhone, that advantage failed to translate into anything of any significance whatsoever for most human beings on the planet.
Go on Microsoft: Give Office for iOS, take iTunes for Windows 8
Microsoft is doomed in its attempt to slow Apple'siPad sales by denying iOS users a mobile version of Office as the iPad maker controls the most searched for app on the Windows 8 store -- iTunes. Surely there's a deal in that?
Pegatron, Foxconn recruit thousands as Apple's major product release cycle spells iPhone
Climb aboard the Apple rumor train as manufacturers Pegatron and Foxconn begin major recruitment in preparation to produce millions of new and low cost iPhones as part of Cupertino's major new product introduction cycle.
EU, Motorola, Apple: How long will Google's 'Don't be evil' fiction last?
Apple has won yet another argument against its Android nemesis as EU officials declare Google's Motorola Mobility abused its market position when it filed an injunction against Apple. It's a decision that strongly suggests Android is not truly about open competition and choice, so how long can the "don't be evil" fiction be believed?
Bill Gates swats the iPad, says Office will help Windows 8 tablets rule
The iPad may rule the roost today, but eventually Windows 8 tablets will succeed, in large part because they're built to run Office. So says Bill Gates, while also taking a backhand swipe at the iPad.
Will Apple's flat iOS society please shut up?
Apple is working hard to redesign iOS 7. This important project is demanding resources from elsewhere in the company as it abandons some skeumorphic elements to create a cleaner, more user-focused interface. That's all we think we know. But it's time to shut up about it.
Adobe's Lightroom app for iOS is yet another step to Post-PC
We're at the dawn of a Post-PC age, at least according to Adobe which is developing a powerful iOS app for Photoshop Lightroom, putting the Mac and PC another few steps further into the background as it does.
Apple's $17b debt product launch: Is it ethical?
It's legal of course, don't get me wrong, but is it really ethical? That's the question I just cannot resolve as I consider Apple and its record $17 billion bond sale. But is it a sale or an attempt to limit tax liability? I'll allow someone cleverer at this sort of financial stuff than I to explain.
Google Now for iPhone, a symphony of Android fragmentation
So many people don't seem to understand the fragmentation divide between Apple and Android, but the introduction of Google Now for the iPhone is one of the better examples I've come across of the big difference between the two platforms.
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