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Apple to Microsoft: Stop with the ads Posted by Sharon Pian Chan Seattle Times Microsoft said it received a call from Apple saying Microsoft needs to stop running the laptop-hunter TV ads that harp on Apple for expensive computers. Why? Because Apple has lowered its prices. That's according to Microsoft Chief Operating Officer Kevin Turner, who said he took a call from an Apple attorney. two weeks ago. He initially thought it was a practical joke, then said he found out Apple had cut prices on its computers. "It was the greatest single phone call that I’ve ever taken in...

A bizarre lawsuit filed by Gregory McKenna in a U.S. District Court in Missouri accuses Apple, the St. Louis Police Department, the FBI, and an auto mechanic, of conspiring to stalk, extort and torture the plaintiff. McKenna, representing himself, explains the conspiracy and Italian Mafia connections throughout a 124-page document. After purchasing an iPod shuffle on eBay, McKenna claims he quickly discovered that the device was manufactured "with an illegal receiver as the Mafia proceeded to transmit extortion threats and audible harassment to it." The plaintiff became even more convinced of Apple's involvement after allegedly purchasing a new iPod mini...

Oh dear. We can't say this was a complete surprise, but it looks like Apple made good on its earlier warning and put an end to the Palm Pre-iTunes synchronization with the release of iTunes 8.2.1. In the release notes, Apple states that "iTunes 8.2.1 provides a number of important bug fixes and addresses an issue with verification of Apple devices." Not wanting to believe the news, we bit the bullet and downloaded the latest version of Apple's music software to our PC and sure enough, the romance is dead. Just as before, we connected the smartphone to our laptop...

In the last few weeks numerous technology and mass media web-sites published hundreds of stories about Apple, its products, their availability or their issues. But does that enthusiasm towards the company have any correlation with Apple’s actual market share? It seems that not really. Apple is a company that has been extensively covered by media, especially in the USA, for many years now without an obvious reason: apart from the iPod, all the products from Apple are hardly used by a lot of people around the globe. But the latest load of rush coverage about Apple on the Internet more...

One of the features that iPod Touch users have been requesting from Apple is a camera. According to reports, they may be getting their wish. While attributing its information only to a "sources in Asia," TechCrunch claims that Apple has placed an order for camera modules destined for the next version of the iPod Touch. The size of the order, according to TechCrunch, is "massive." MacRumors is taking the camera information a step further, claiming that both the iPod Touch and iPod Nano will receive cameras when they are updated. New case designs, purportedly for the iPods, show a hole...

Start Mobile has managed to get 18 separate iPhone applications approved by Apple. So you’ll imagine their surprise when one of them was recently rejected. But you may be even more surprised to find out why.Apparently, Apple doesn’t like the way one piece of art in the app depicts President Obama. Is it out of line or tasteless? Well, you can determine for yourself, because you’ve undoubtedly seen the art in question before: It’s Shepard Fairey’s famous “HOPE” image of Obama that was everywhere during his Presidential campaign.So why on Earth would this be rejected? Well, here’s the wording in...

'Store iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS in a place where the temperature is between -20º and 45º C (-4º to 113º F). Don’t leave the device in your car, because temperatures in parked cars can exceed this range.' If the iPhone gets too hot, according to the firm, a warning will appear on the screen advising the user to switch it off. The warning continues: 'If this message appears, you should turn the device off, move it to a cooler environment, and allow it to cool before resuming use. 'Some conditions and activities that may activate the temperature warning message:...

We're kicking off our series exploring memorable gadgets from memorable people with one of the most influential tech giants: Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple. – JCOK...meaningful...here goes...For that definition, it was probably an electronics learning kit I got for Christmas at about age 8 or 9. As I recall, it didn't teach electronics formulas or resistor codes, but was full of projects to hook up input devices like switches and output devices like buzzers and lights. It was like learning how to connect all the devices to your hi-fi, or connecting all your peripherals to a computer. It also...

Out with Treos, in with iPhones Monday, June 29th, 2009 by Scott Lowe Over the weekend, my family and I visited Louisville, Kentucky for TechRepublic’s tenth birthday and had a blast! The TechRepublic crew, as always, was a fun and friendly bunch.  While I was there, I mentioned to Jason Hiner that Westminster College was moving away from Windows Mobile-based Treos in favor of iPhones for mobile devices.  He tweeted this to the world (the guy has like 8 billion followers), so I thought I’d follow up on that conversation with a little bit of the background information. ———————————————————————————————– Obviously,...

Jobs Is Back, Apple's Still Standing, Life Goes On By Richard Adhikari at MacNewsWorld 07/01/09 4:00 AM PT Apple stock did not explode on news that Steve Jobs has indeed returned to the company following his medical leave. Indeed, shares grew at a fairly steady clip during the CEO's absence, and now they're nearly 100 percent above what they were when Jobs announced his leave. Meanwhile, the iPhone 3GS enjoyed a solid debut, but reports of excessive heat generation may spell trouble. After all the excitement about Steve Jobs' health, the market reaction to news that the Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL)...

It seems like every time I venture into an Apple thread here on FR, it's similar to venturing over into Democratic Underground territory. Personal attacks abound especially if you start criticizing Apple products or other Apple users for being naive into thinking Apple is everything their clever marketing department represents it to be.It seems like the Mac ping list alerts the faithful flock to defend Apple to the death and that is when the claws come out and it starts to get ugly.

The new MacBook Pro family has a breakthrough battery that runs for up to 7 hours on a single charge (8 hours on the 17-inch MacBook Pro).1 And thanks to advanced chemistry and an innovative new charging method, it can be recharged up to 1000 times — nearly three times the lifespan of typical notebook batteries.2 All in a notebook that’s as thin and light as ever....

My daughter wants an Apple laptop for college in late August. Is there any reason to wait to buy one? Is anything new due out from Apple? Any suggestions on what to buy?

A Memphis hospital said Saturday Jobs had never been a patient. Then they changed the story. BURLINGAME, CALIF. -- Looks like Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs' reality distortion field is portable, because it now appears to have made a trip with Jobs to Memphis, Tenn. After the Wall Street Journal broke the news Friday that Jobs had received a liver transplant in Tennessee, Forbes contacted the spokeswoman for the Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute, Ruth Ann Hale. Forbes had been tracking a nearby property locals believed may have been purchased by Jobs for months. The nearby Methodist University Hospital Transplant...

Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute today confirmed that Apple CEO Steve Jobs received a liver transplant. Here is the statement from Methodist Healthcare, verbatim: James D. Eason, M.D., program director at Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute and chief of transplantation confirmed today, with the patient's permission, that Steve Jobs received a liver transplant at Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute in partnership with the University of Tennessee in Memphis. Mr. Jobs underwent a complete transplant evaluation and was listed for transplantation for an approved indication in accordance with the Transplant Institute policies and United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) policies. He...

Apple Sells Over One Million iPhone 3GS Models Press Release Source: Apple On Monday June 22, 2009, 8:30 am EDT iPhone 3.0 Software Downloads Reach Six Million CUPERTINO, Calif., June 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Apple® today announced that it has sold over one million iPhone(TM) 3GS models through Sunday, June 21, the third day after its launch. In addition, six million customers have downloaded the new iPhone 3.0 software in the first five days since its release. "Customers are voting and the iPhone is winning," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "With over 50,000 applications available from Apple's revolutionary App Store, iPhone...

Got It In Tennessee Two Months Ago, WSJ Says Apple CEO Steve Jobs announces a GPS feature on the new iPhone 3G as he delivers the keynote address at the Apple Worldwide Web Developers Conference June 9, 2008, in San Francisco. Steve Jobs, who has been on medical leave from Apple for the past six months, received a liver transplant in Tennessee two months ago, according to a report Friday in the Wall Street Journal. Earlier this year, Apple's CEO was reported to be relocating from California to Tennessee, which has a shorter waiting list for patients seeking organs, the...

San Francisco, CA (AHN) - Apple CEO Steve Jobs had a liver transplant, according to multiple media reports. The Wall Street Journal was first to report that Jobs had the operation two months ago and is preparing to come back to work part time. Jobs did not return requests for comment from the newspaper. Jobs has been on medical leave for months because of an undisclosed illness. Since then, Apple has released several new products, including a new iPhone. Jobs successfully battled pancreatic cancer in 2004. He looked pale and thin at a conference in January, raising concerns that the...

My contract will be up soon for my current phone. I have decided between 2 models - the Blackberry Storm or the iphone. I know the Storm had some initial problems, but from what I have read the lastest software release corrected them. I also like the iphone, but I would have to switch carriers for it. Does anyone currently own the Storm, and if so do they like it? How reliable is the iphone? From what I have read, the Storm screen has better resolution.

Just breaking on BNO News. No story to link too at this time.

Let’s say you’re one of millions of Americans with a Verizon contract. Let’s say you really want an iPhone. And let’s say you don’t have hundreds of dollars necessary to break your contract, ditch your BlackBerry, and hop on board with AT&T. Right now, the whole furor over the 3G S is probably pretty frustrating, right? Well, now you’ve got someone on your side. Yesterday, Sen. John Kerry and three others on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation fired off a note to Michael J. Copps, the acting chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, asking Copps to look...

The good: The iPhone 3G S finally adds common cell phone features like multimedia messaging, video recording, and voice dialing. It runs faster; its promised battery life is longer; and the multimedia quality continues to shine. The bad: The iPhone 3G S' call quality shows no improvements and the 3G signal reception remains uneven. We still don't get Flash Lite, USB transfer and storage, or multitasking. The bottom line: The iPhone 3G S doesn't make the same grand leap that the iPhone 3G made from the first-generation model, but the latest Apple handset is still a compelling upgrade for some...

Macs are often criticized for the high price of their hardware. This so-called Apple tax is the premium that Apple computers usually cost over comparably equipped PCs. But since the company dropped prices on its laptop line Monday, that difference is now smaller than ever. Of course, Mac enthusiasts might even say the Apple tax never existed, since no MacBook Pro competitor has the aluminum unibody construction or multi-touch track pad that the MacBook Pro does. In any case, I’ve been playing with the numbers, and I’ve noticed something interesting: When the newest 13-inch MacBook Pro is configured with similar...

Apple may be known for its advertising prowess, but this little marketing coup is going to go down as one of the most hilarious ad placements in recent history. doubleTwist, the company co-founded by renowned software reverse engineer DVD Jon, has managed to place a banner for its product directly next to the main entrance to Apple’s flagship San Francisco store. The ad invites passersby to try “The Cure for iPhone Envy”, which they can use to access their “iTunes Library on any device. In Seconds”. It’s clearly a message that Apple doesn’t want anything to do with. We’re hearing...

Two new pieces of malware for Apple computers have been found in the wild according to security firm Sophos. The first, Tored-Fam, is a worm that spreads via email attachments and is simply a variant on the well known Tored family of malware that has been in circulation since last year. [NEW? Not by a long shot!—Swordmaler] The worm collects email addresses and attempts to forward itself on. Analysis if the worm’s source code by Sophos suggests it is being used to build a Mac botnet dubbed Raedbot. This is being assembled by a malware writer dubbed Ag_Raed, who is...

Robert A. Mark, the Judge overseeing Psystar's bankruptcy in Florida, ordered a hearing on Apple's Motion For Relief From Stay for June 17. Apple filed the motion in hopes of quickly resuming its case against Psystar for selling PCs with Mac OS X pre-installed. Apple's legal battle was temporarily stalled when Psystar filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection because of mounting legal expenses. Judge Mark would likely lift the stay eventually, but Apple is hoping to expedite the process with its motion and avoid losing more time while waiting for the bankruptcy proceedings to complete. Psystar is still selling PCs...

Well, here's hoping you waited on that $99 refurbished iPhone 3G, because as of Monday you can get a new one for the same price. Apple just announced at WWDC 2009 that the 8GB iPhone 3G will stay on the market for $99. Forget refurbs--now you can get a new iPhone 3G for just $99.(Credit: James Martin/CNET) So what do you think? Now that you can finally get a shiny new iPhone with a full warranty (one year) for less than a hundred bucks, will you pull the trigger? Based on the comments in last week's aforementioned refurb post, I'm...

TomTom for iPhoneTomTom for iPhone has been a long time coming, but it looks fantastic. Check out these official photos and video to see how it’ll change the way you drive with your mobile for ever! TomTom’s car kit for iPhone lets the phone work in landscape or portrait mode, boosts the volume of the iPhone’s loudspeaker and even enhances its GPS signal. Not enough for you? It also charges the iPhone, and offers an audio output. All that on top of slick TomTom software that spurts spoken directions and offers all the usual satnav skills you’d expect. Check it...

Rise of the machines: Arnold Schwarzenegger terminates school books and tells pupils to go digital Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger: California is facing a $24billion budget deficit ...Arnold Schwarzenegger has a plan to save his state's failing economy - by terminating text books. The governor is telling children to give up the schoolbooks and turn to digital lessons to help the state avoid bankruptcy... ... he said: 'Textbooks are outdated, in my opinion.' He continued: 'For so many years, we've been trying to teach the kids exactly the same way. 'Our kids get their information from the internet, downloaded onto their iPods,...

Apple filed a motion with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Miami on Friday requesting a modification of the stay that is preventing it from moving forward with its case against Psystar in the Northern District Court in California. Apple's case against Psystar for selling PCs with Mac OS X preinstalled has been on hold ever since the PC maker filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection at the end of May. Psystar's bankruptcy filing put Apple's case in northern California temporarily on hold because all legal actions involving the PC maker are automatically stalled while the bankruptcy court begins its proceedings....

Apple today released Life Support 9.0.3 (55.1MB) which provides system software resources that are shared by iLife and other applications, iMovie 8.0.3 (35.56MB) which addresses general compatibility issues, improved overall stability and fixes a number of other minor issues, iDVD 7.0.4 (27.5MB) which addresses general compatibility issues and fixes an issue where iDVD is unable to add title/comment to an image in the image details list, and iPhoto 8.0.3 Update (96MB) which addresses general compatibility, improves overall stability and fixes a number of issues. All of the above app updates are available via Software Update and also as standalone installers....

Has Microsoft, after more than 20 years of work, finally come up with an operating system that rivals the Mac OS? Are the two just different flavors of the same GUI?Hadley Stern, writing for Apple Matters, thinks this might be the case. It may have taken Microsoft 20 odd years to figure this one out but there is some pretty big news on the horizon. Of course the market-share battle is lost for Apple, although it continues to chip away here and there. But the innovation-share battle continues. And the big big big news:Windows 7 Doesn’t Really Suck …Unless Apple...

"With roughly five days to go before Apple kicks off its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, signage spotted around the Moscone Center can already be seen paying homage to all things App Store," AppleInsider reports. "AppleInsider reader Alan Jackson burnt the midnight oil on Wednesday to deliver this Flickr album of 22 photos he snapped outside the Moscone West Tuesday evening, the conference hall where Apple will deliver its inaugural keynote early next week and proceed into individual training sessions," AppleInsider reports. "Nothing related to Mac OS X or Snow Leopard can be seen from the photos, suggesting...

OK - so - I do 90% of my work using my Macs - a 12" iBook (last generation) and a PowerMac Dual G5 desktop. The other 10% I spend with an HP Pavilion Laptop (Vista). So - Working with Powerpoint on both platforms - I have found that there is a huge difference in functionality - with the Mac version generally being for more tolerant of media files (both audio and video) With Powerpoint 2008 (Mac), I can throw pretty much any popular format audio file or video file and it just works. Take that same presentation (saved on...

Apple, along with more than a dozen other firms conducting e-commerce, have been hit with a lawsuit from a patent trolling claiming first rights to technology that simplifies the re-billing process for repeat customers making purchases through online stores. The 28-page formal complaint was filed late last month by little-known Actus, LCC in its home town of Marshall, Texas, the undisputed patent lawsuit capital of the United States. It alleges that 15 companies, including Apple, Best Buy, and Amazon, are infringing on one or more of several similarly structured patents -- No. 7,328,189, No. 7,249,099, No. 7,376,621 and No. 7,177,838...

June 02, 2009 Apple's Nehalem Xserve serves the need for speed Sleek, new Mac OS X rack server sets a far higher bar for performance and power efficiency Apple's Nehalem Xserve packs more into one rack unit than any other server. For one price, you get a best-in-class server and a commercial Unix OS with unlimited client licenses, plus a foolproof management GUI. The 2.26GHz eight-core model outguns and out-greens the original 3GHz, eight-core Harpertown Xserve if you fill it with RAM.From the start, Apple's Xserve has ranked best-in-class in build quality, engineering, durability, and serviceability among 1U x86 rack...

Apple today released GarageBand 5.0.2 which addresses general compatibility issues, improves overall stability, and fixes a number of other minor issues. The issues addressed include: • Improved purchasing experience for Artist Lessons in the GarageBand Lesson Store • Accessing installed Jam Packs in the loop browser The update is recommended for all users of GarageBand '09 and required to use the Lesson Store. GarageBand 5.0.2 is available via Software Update and also as a standalone installer. More info and download link (108MB) here.

Apple today released QuickTime 7.6.2 for Mac and QuickTime 7.6.2 for Windows, both of which include changes that increase reliability, improve compatibility and enhance security.This release is recommended for all QuickTime 7 users. QuickTime 7.6.2 is available via Software Update and also via standalone installers. More info and download links: • QuickTime 7.6.2 for Mac • QuickTime 7.6.2 for Windows

Apple today released iTunes 8.2 for Mac and iTunes 8.2 for Windows, both of which now support iPhone or iPod touch with the iPhone 3.0 Software Update. iTunes 8.2 also includes many accessibility improvements and bug fixes. iTunes 8.2 is available via Software Update and also via standalone installers. More info and download links: • iTunes 8.2 for Mac • iTunes 8.2 for Windows (64 bit)

Dell has seen its latest quarterly profits decline by almost two-thirds as the worldwide recession continues to hit sales of computers. The world's second-largest maker of personal computers made a net profit of $290m (£182m) in the three months to 1 May, down 63% from $784m a year ago. Revenues at the firm fell 23% to $12.3bn. However the results were better than analysts had feared. Dell said the global trading environment remained "challenging". 'Cutting costs' Dell has already moved to cut costs in the face of falling sales, reducing its global workforce by more than 9,000 positions over the...

The University of Virgina collects and compiles information about students' computer use. The information has been collected over the past decade by student employees of ITC, known as Student Consultants (SCs) and formerly, Computing Advisors (CAs), a group of first-year students hired to advise and assist their peers with computing. The data is based on SC and CA surveys of first-year residence halls each fall.

"WASHINGTON (AP) - Law enforcement computers were struck by a Mystery computer virus Thursday, forcing the FBI and the U.S. Marshals to shut down part of their networks as a precaution. The U.S. Marshals confirmed it disconnected from the Justice Department's computers as a protective measure after being hit by the virus; an FBI official said only that that agency was experiencing similar issues and was working on the problem."

RussianMac is the latest company to release a Mac clone and test Apple's resolve to stop companies from selling its operating system. RussianMac Pro, Entertainment Center, Russian MiniMac RussianMac Standard, RussianMac Book, RussianMac MiniBook On its Web site, RussianMac says that a full version of Mac OS X Leopard comes pre-installed on its computers. The company also confirms that the operating system is able to receive automatic system updates from Apple once installed. This is where Apple seems to have the clone-makers over a barrel. Apple's Mac OS X End User License Agreement (EULA) clearly forbids anyone from installing the...

Several Mac security companies, Intego and SecureMac, have issued warnings related to an unpatched Java vulnerability that affects OS X. The flaw could be exploited to allow local code to be executed remotely, leaving the computer open to "drive-by-attacks" which can install malicious software just by loading a website containing a specially crafted Java applet. Hackers could also access or delete files on a system. Intego and security researcher Landon Fuller both claim Apple has been aware of the issue for over five months. The vulnerability poses particularly high risk because of the potential for hackers to use privilege escalation...

<p>ASBURY (AP) — Mary LaMour can't understand why her computer works at other people's homes, and outside, but not inside her house.</p> <p>Neither can a computer technician.</p> <p>"It's uncanny," said Chuck Freisinger, of Phoenix Computer Services in Dubuque. "My other technician and I looked at that situation. When it's in their house, it doesn't work. When it's outside, it works fine. She took it to a friend's house and it worked fine."</p>

Are Macs more Safe than Secure? No May 16th, 2009 Daniel Eran Dilger Everyone seems to get lost in their own words when talking about security and Apple. The Daring Fireball recently cited security blogger Dennis Fisher, who insisted it was “demonstrably false” to say there were not “any virus attacks on Macs.” However, rather than pointing out what a horrible pile of trash Fisher’s article was, John Gruber praised it (apparently to be nice) and then got lost in his own semantics on the subject. Sometimes you need to say “he’s wrong, here’s why.”Instead, Gruber wrote, “That [blogger's...

For those seeking the smallest, sexiest notebooks on the market, there are no closer two choices than Apple’s trend-setting MacBook Air and its late-coming competitor, the Dell Adamo. Though strikingly similar in many ways, they differ enough that true fashionistas will want to take a good hard look before plunking down $2,000 for either one. We’ve poked, prodded and broken out the calipers on both units to figure out which belongs in your chic Italian leather notebook bag. Read on to see which emerges victorious. DimensionsWe never thought we would see the day when laptops would duke it out over...

Earlier this week, a company called Tune Hunter accused music-finding service Shazam as well as a host of consumer electronics makers, wireless service operators, and digital music retailers of infringing on its patent on a music identification system. Shazam is named along with Samsung, Apple, Amazon.com, Napster, Motorola, Gracenote, Verizon Wireless, LG Electronics, AT&T Mobility and Pantech Wireless in a suit filed Tuesday over U.S. Patent No. 6,941,275, which was issued to Remi Swierczek/Tune Hunter in September 2005. The suit accuses Shazam's music discovery and identification service of violating the patent and the other companies of benefiting directly from Shazam's...

Mac OS X 10.5.7 is available via Software Update and also via standalone installers. OS X.5 Leopard users may update by selecting "Software Update..." under the Black Apple Menu in the upper left corner of your screen and following the prompts.

A few days ago, Apple filed a motion with the court seeking to compel Psystar to hand over financial documents pertaining to revenues, profits, purchase receipts, and invoices. Psystar responded by saying that it wasn’t in possession of the documents sought by Apple, and that some of mentioned financial records didn’t even exist. In a somewhat dubious series of claims, Psystar asserted that a) it lost pertinent documents in a move and b) it doesn’t keep basic financial records such as profit/loss statements because they’re a relatively new and small company. Not surprisingly, the court didn’t buy what in my...