CRM News: Apple Juice

The MacBook Pro's Mystery Mix
May 16, 2012

With the expected unveiling of new MacBook Pros just weeks away, rumor mongers have begun to solidify their predictions about the new notebooks. Most Apple prognosticators seem to agree that the MacBook Pros will be thinner, run Intel's new Ivy Bridge chip, and sport an eye-popping Retina Display.

iTV: Not If but What
May 11, 2012

Terry Gou, chief of Foxconn, has confirmed that Apple has an iTV in the works. The news, which instantly sent the consumer electronics industry into a tizzy, came in an article focused on the company's plans to expand into e-commerce and distribution. Yes, an iTV is coming, according to Gou, who dropped a few details about the product, even though neither development nor manufacturing has begun.

iPad: Desperately Seeking Guest Mode
May 10, 2012

After you get over the worry that kids or grandmothers are going to drop your iPad and then accidentally trod on it or stab it with the leg of a walker, other problems quickly arise: For instance, what sort of iMessage or Reminder is going to pop up from your crass buddy and mortify your grandma? Which email from the friend who won't stop sending the joke emails is going show up in front of a kid?

The MacPad Will Come - but Software Convergence Will Come First
April 26, 2012

Despite all the fantastic numbers delivered by Apple when it revealed its latest fiscal quarterly profits this week -- such as an eye-popping 94 percent net profit year-to-year increase -- one question and one rambling answer from Apple CEO Tim Cook made me sit up in my chair. The question: Will Apple create a converged iPad/MacBook with a built-in keyboard?

Next-Gen iPhone May Be Baptized in Liquidmetal
April 19, 2012

Apple will use so-called Liquidmetal for the casing of the iPhone 5, which will be launched in June, according to a report. Liquidmetal is the commercial name of an amorphous metal alloy developed by researchers at the California Institute of Technology and marketed by a company they set up called Liquidmetal Technologies.

2 Countries, 2 Companies, 1 Big Headache
April 12, 2012

This one is a little muddy: A judge in Seattle has ruled that Motorola Mobility Holdings can't seek to ban Microsoft's Xbox or Windows products in Germany. BusinessWeek unpacks some of the details: "Motorola Mobility, which owns patents related to industry standards for video compression and WiFi, petitioned a German court to ban Microsoft products that comply with those standards."

Feds Slam Apple and Publishers With E-Book Price-Fixing Charges
April 11, 2012

The United States Department of Justice filed suit on Wednesday against Apple and several book publishers over what it claims is a conspiracy to raise retail e-book prices and limit competition in e-book sales. The defendants changed the business model governing the relationship between publishers from the wholesale model to an agency model, the DoJ alleged.

Australian Court Hangs Blame for Deceptive Ads on Google
April 03, 2012

In Australia, a federal court ruled Tuesday that Google was guilty of breaching trade laws by hosting misleading advertisements. At issue: advertisers generating the appearance of their own ads by using the names of competitors as keywords. The court ruled that this was likely to mislead those searching for information about competing companies.

Foxconn Agrees to Clean Up Its Act
March 30, 2012

Apple supplier Foxconn agreed to make significant changes to its working conditions and compensation practices after a Fair Labor Association report found instances of labor violations in the Chinese factories. Foxconn employees are overworked and undercompensated, the FLA found. Over the past year, employees at all three factories the FLA visited reported working more than 60 hours per week -- above the Chinese legal limit of 49 hours per week.

Meg Whitman vs. Tim Cook by the Numbers
March 26, 2012

Last week was an interesting week. Apple announced what appears to be a penis iron in the new iPad, and folks are burning through their monthly 4G data plans in a few hours. Tim's having his first Antennagate moment, and Steve Jobs he isn't. On the other hand, Meg Whitman announced her first major restructuring since taking over HP. Whitman appears to have Carly Fiorina's vision and can execute, which bodes well.

The New iPad Is a Sizzler in More Ways Than One
March 21, 2012

During the new iPad's first weekend out of the gate, the tablets sold like peanuts at a baseball game, but it didn't take long for a potential problem to crop up with the device. Concerns raised in online Apple forums about heat produced by the tablet set off a string of stories that culminated Tuesday with the company denying that the new iPad is suffering mass malfunctions.

AT&T Flails in the Quicksand
March 17, 2012

The name of AT&T's pain, for this month anyway, is Matthew Spaccarelli. He's a customer that gave the carrier a small thumping in court, and that would have left AT&T with a very minor scab. But it seems the company just couldn't resist picking at it. It all started when Spaccarelli took AT&T to small-claims court over his smartphone data rate being throttled.

Tiny iPads: Big Potential or Fat Chance?
March 14, 2012

The persistent rumor that Apple will produce a 7-inch iPad garnered some buzz Tuesday when a loose-lipped Samsung "official" revealed that the mini tablets would start shipping later this year. The unnamed official with Samsung Electronics made the disclosure about the so-called iPad mini in a recent news report.

Apple Ready to Go Off the Google Map?
March 08, 2012

Apple's newest version of iPhoto, as shown yesterday during its announcement about the latest iPad, is using maps from OpenStreetMaps instead of Google Maps for its journals and slideshow features. Google Maps is still the default source of data for other areas of iOS, but iPhoto maps are now using information that the company generated by using OpenStreetMaps.

What's Apple Hiding in B82?
March 01, 2012

It's no secret that Apple will unveil the new iPad 3 at its March 7 event for journalists next week. The coy and vague invitations to the event featured an iPad-looking image, with the words, "We have something you really have to see. And touch." Beyond the hope for a wicked-sharp new iPad 3 screen and speculation about a beefier processor, a whole different set of rumors has been gaining momentum.

Apple Goes Sunny Side Up
February 22, 2012

Apple is hard at work building the "largest end-user-owned onsite solar array" in the U.S., according to a brief environmental report it released this week. Its Maiden, N.C., data center, the central nervous system for services like iCloud and Siri, will be a LEED-certified data center running completely on renewable energy.

Apple Cross-Breeds Desktop With Mobile in OS X Mountain Lion
February 16, 2012

Apple revealed on Thursday a developers' preview of the next version of its OS X operating system, and it's loaded with some of the features found in the company's popular iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Parts of the OS X refresh, called "Mountain Lion" and expected to be released in late summer, will be deja vu for users of Apple's mobile products. A new messaging app will replace iChat.

Apple May Begin Following Its Own Privacy Rules
February 16, 2012

Apple has been caught up in the same privacy storm that has overtaken Path, Twitter, Yelp and Foursquare in the past several days, as news surfaced that developers for iOS have been able to access users' address book information without their permission or knowledge. Apple imposes rigid requirements on developers and has touted its "walled garden" approach to the mobile Web as safe and secure.