Three interesting topics were kicked around in Apple-minded blogs this week. Entirely unsurprisingly, survey results show that Apple tech support kicks butt in the PC industry at large. Also, AT&T is forbidding vacation time to hapless iPhone salespeople, and it appears Macs have gotten a foot in the door at work. Consumer Reports is one of the most respected product and service reviewing publications in the U.S. The magazine recently surveyed its readers and ranked the best tech support in the PC industry.[More...]
Verizon announced the latest addition to its line of touch-screen mobile phones Thursday. The Glyde from Samsung, available Friday, offers many features that have gained popularity following the introduction of Apple's iPhone. The Glyde joins the LG Voyager and Venus and the Samsung Instinct in a growing list of handsets with more user-friendly touch-screen interfaces.[More...]
Microsoft's Zune and NBC's downloadable television shows stand at the center of the latest digital rights management dustup. On Wednesday, New York Times blogger Saul Hansell reported that Microsoft might build a copyright manager into every Zune player, ostensibly in response to an NBC demand for copyright protections of its downloadable content.[More...]
In another step in the worldwide march of Apple's iPhone, the top mobile phone operator in Latin America said Wednesday that it has inked a deal to bring the multimedia gadget to more than a dozen countries starting later this year. America Movil said it plans to bring the iPhone to all of its Latin American operations but didn't offer more details about the arrangement.[More...]
Until now, having Google chief executive Eric Schmidt sit on Apple's board of directors has made a lot of sense. Google, the world's largest Web-search engine, is one of the most influential companies in technology. Google has been incredibly supportive of Apple's flagship computer, the Mac, and has developed a lot of software for Apple's music-playing iPhone.[More...]
Sprint will merge its broadband wireless operations with WiMax firm Clearwire in a multifaceted deal that will create a US$14.5 billion venture to expand high-speed wireless connectivity across the U.S. The joint venture will seek to bring WiMax-based high-speed Internet access to 140 million people across the United States by the end of 2010.[More...]
Shares of Synchronoss Technologies plummeted Wednesday morning after the company offered worrying guidance on its revenue related to Apple's iPhone. The stock fell $9.84, or 43 percent, to $13.06 in morning trading. The stock earlier hit a 52-week low of $12.72, far below a previous bottom of $15.15 set in early March.[More...]
Microsoft has signed a worldwide deal with automakers Hyundai and Kia to use its in-car software that allows people to use voice commands to control personal music players and telephones. Microsoft's exclusive, one-year agreement with Ford Motor for offering Microsoft Auto in the U.S. expires in November.[More...]
Microsoft's challenger in the digital media player market, the Zune, received a major update Tuesday. New features will bring a host of TV shows and other changes to the Zune online store and its music-sharing community, Zune Social, according to Microsoft. The update will give depth to the Zune's video offerings and also deepen the social components of its music sharing community.[More...]
SAP and Research In Motion announced last week that they were partnering to develop a native BlackBerry client to link to SAP CRM, and then, eventually, to the firm's other business applications. The move is a no brainer for SAP, writes Vinnie Mirchandani, an ex-Gartner analyst and founder of the advisory firm Deal Architect.[More...]
Loopt has taken friend connections to a new level. The startup's mobile social mapping application not only allows users to see where their friends are on a map, but also lets them text each other within the app and share photos. Since Loopt's beginnings, the company has been proactive in setting high standards for user privacy.[More...]