Apple Buzz

AirPlay to the HDTV Is More Hot Air Than Play
April 18, 2013

While screen mirroring solutions -- like Apple's AirPlay -- have reached a relatively high level of awareness, not a lot of people are actually using them, according to a new study by the NPD Group's Connected Intelligence team. What is screen mirroring? It's wirelessly projecting what you see on your smartphone or tablet to show it on a TV screen.

Can Apple's 'Genius' Sprout Far From the Tree?
April 17, 2013

Messianic tendencies are seldom healthy, but they can be doubly destructive in business, where a misstep, missed trend or messy product launch can turn last year's wunderkind into this year's washout. So it's interesting to consider why Silicon Valley -- along with much of the rest of IT -- is so fixated on "rock star" executives. If you think an industry that prides itself on innovation would be immune to self-indulgent behavioral clichés, you'd be wrong.

Facebook Gives iOS a Homey Touch
April 17, 2013

Facebook on Tuesday released an update to its Apple iOS app that includes just a few of the features in its Home suite of mobile social networking apps recently unveiled for Android users. iOS users can now refresh their Facebook app to include Chat Heads, the network's new messaging feature that makes short texts more personal by planting a tiny bubble with the picture of the person who is messaging next to the text.

Analyst: Slack Demand Sours Apple's Outlook
April 12, 2013

Wall Street continues to take a jaundiced view of Apple's fortunes for the year, as shown in the latest research note on the company from Morgan Stanley, which revised its estimates Thursday for Apple shipments of iPhones and iPads. Shipments of the iPhone for the quarter ending in March will be around 33 million, down from its original estimate of 37 million.

My Alarm Is iRinging
April 11, 2013

Let's get this straight right now: Using an "iRing" to control an Apple iTV is dumb. Mind-numbingly dumb. However, there's a seemingly realistic rumor about it, stemming from analyst Brian White at Topeka Capital Markets who apparently learned of the potential motion-based controller after a tour of Apple's supply chain in China.

Apple Lags in Apps Sold, Leads in App Gold
April 10, 2013

Apple's App Store may not sell more apps than its top competitor in the space, Google Play, but it is gaining more revenue off its sales, according to research from Canalys. App downloads across the four major stores -- Apple App Store, Google Play, the Windows Phone Store and BlackBerry World -- are up 11 percent worldwide during the first quarter of 2013.

Doo Doesn't Quite Do the Trick
April 09, 2013

We have entered the Golden Age of storage. At no time in the past have we had more freedom over where we can stash our digital stuff. We've got internal hard drives with a terabyte or more of storage space. We've got solid state drives that give us quick access to our data. We've got thumb drives with a gigabyte or more space, and we've got free cloud storage from multiple vendors.

Apple's iRadio Could Blast Competitors Off the Air
April 08, 2013

Apple may be moving closer to launching a streaming music offering, or "iRadio," as it's known in the rumor mill. The company is reportedly on the verge of striking a deal with two major music labels and has introduced a new sweetener to the negotiations to address a sticking point: the per-stream rate Apple would pay the labels. It's been bandied about that Apple wants to pay just half of what rival service Pandora is paying.

One Ring to Rule iTV?
April 04, 2013

The long-awaited Apple TV set will finally hit shelves this year, accompanied by a controlling ring and a smaller portable screen, according to analyst Brian White at Topeka Capital Markets. After a tour of some of Apple's supply chain stops in China, White wrote in a note to investors that the launch of the "iTV," as he calls it, will happen later this year.

A Tale of Two iPhone Launches
April 04, 2013

Back in the days of Steve Jobs, Apple enthusiasts could count on one more thing: While we weren't sure what sort of product Jobs was going to unveil, we knew it was going to be wicked cool. Now, after we've had the benefit of seeing Apple's rhythmic release of new products over the years, ferreting out patterns and likely time frames, we know more about new products than ever before.

Taiwan Semiconductor May Win iPhone Chip Biz
April 03, 2013

Apple might be ditching Samsung as a chip partner in favor of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, according to a published report. Samsung has been making all of Apple's mobile chips since 2010, but the company's contract is set to expire in 2014. When that happens, Apple is reportedly going to rely on TSMC to make a so-called "A7" processor.

Cook's Apology Part of China Brand Rehab
April 02, 2013

Apple CEO Tim Cook issued a public apology to customers in China this week following nationwide criticism over the way the company handles warranty and return policies in the country. For the past two weeks, several media outlets in China have run stories claiming that Apple's customer service policies, particularly in regards to the iPhone, leave much to be desired.

Apple Apologizes to Chinese Customers Following Media Beatdown
April 02, 2013

Apple CEO Tim Cook apologized Monday to Chinese customers over the company's warranty policy, adding that he would improve customer service in China, which is now Apple's second-biggest market. The apology may be linked to a mid-March television special that aired on "Consumer Rights Day," claiming Apple's Chinese customers were treated worse than their Western counterparts.

What the iWatch Could Be if Apple Still Had Guts
April 01, 2013

Steve Jobs was a guy who took big risks. The iPod was a big risk. The iPhone was even bigger, given that the market was dominated by companies like Nokia and BlackBerry, which had locked up the carriers in many regions. The iPad was riskier still, given what a failure the Windows tablet had been. Now that Steve isn't at Apple anymore, the company's investors and folks like Steve Wozniak are losing hope for the firm.

Apple Has Designs on a Curvy, All-Screen iPhone
March 29, 2013

Curves, flexibility and an all-glass case may be in the design cards for a future iPhone. Apple was awarded a patent Thursday from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a consumer electronic product with a flexible display and transparent housing. The patent also notes that visual content can be displayed anywhere on the wraparound housing.

T-Mobile's No-Contract Revolution
March 28, 2013

When new T-Mobile CEO John Legere was trash-talking the cellular service competition by characterizing their contract plans as "bullsh*t," it took me a couple of days to realize there was far more to his new no-contract iPhone plan than gleeful profanity. T-Mobile is the last of the big four U.S. cellular service companies to offer the iPhone.

Acquisition Could Chart a New Course for Apple Maps
March 27, 2013

Apple's purchase this week of GPS startup WiFiSLAM is the latest attempt by the company to put some distance between it and the 2012 debacle that was the launch of its own high quality maps feature. The tech giant paid about $20 million for WiFISLAM, according to published reports.

Apple Takes the Maps Fight Inside
March 27, 2013

Apple has slammed the door on WiFiSLAM after acquiring the Android indoor location positioning developer. However, even though it has closed the startup's shop, Apple will likely use its technology to get mapping again. After last fall's humiliation over its bungled outdoor maps app, Apple's acquisition of WiFiSLAM could be an important step in the right direction.

Beyond the Grave, Onto the Smartphone
March 25, 2013

A cemetery in Shenyang, the capital of China's Liaoning Province, will become, for lack of a better term, interactive. With mobile devices, people will be able to scan a quick response code on graves of people whose relatives have requested the feature. Scanning this code will allow visitors to learn about the person's life; they can also access a Web page where relatives and friends can upload photos or video.

A Slightly Improved iPhone May Not Mute Apple's Critics
March 22, 2013

Although the iPhone 5 is less than a year old, speculation is already rampant about the next version of Apple's iconic handset. That guessing game was fueled Thursday by a report that suggested the next iPhone won't break any new ground in features or design.