There are a variety of factors that have caused the stock to dip and rise since September, but Wednesday was particularly odd because there wasn’t any obvious thing that should be spooking Wall Street. Here are some financial analysts’ best guesses as to what’s afoot. Read more »
The modern era of mobile apps is just over four years old, but their usage continues to grow, according to new survey data released Wednesday. Time spent in apps grew 35 percent in the last year, while TV watching remained steady and web usage dropped. Read more »
Instagram has disabled its Twitter cards, according to Twitter. That means images are no longer displaying properly in Twitter feeds. The move is yet another example of the ongoing tensions between the two social networks. Read more »
Apple dropped the YouTube app from default inclusion in iOS 6, and Google had only issued a replacement native app for the iPhone and iPod touch. But Google is finally giving the iPad some love too. The app has also been fine-tuned for the iPhone 5. Read more »
Keynote, Numbers and Pages, Apple’s house-made apps for presentations, spreadsheet work and word processing, should share documents better with the update thanks to increased compatibility included in a new update released Tuesday. Read more »
Other improvements to the app include sending and receiving attachments within the app, the ability to archive, label, star, delete and report spam, read email as threaded conversations, see profile pictures in those conversations, and respond to Google Calendar invites and Google+ posts. Read more »
Vizibility turns its mobile business cards into Passbook cards for iPhone owners running iOS 6, a new take on Apple’s digital wallet service that we haven’t seen before. The first company to be using them will be Re/Max realtors. Read more »
Apple, for its part, isn’t likely to sweat this news too much: CEO Tim Cook has been open about the fact that cannibalization among his products is a real thing, and that some customers are in fact buying an iPad instead of a MacBook. Read more »
The company announced several other updates to the Google Maps for Android API on Monday, including vector-based maps, better 2D and 3D maps, as well as indoor mapping. Read more »
Apple is loading up inventory of the iPhone 5 to meet the expected outsize demand of the holiday cycle and hitting big, important markets like China, South Korea and Brazil before the end of the year. Read more »
Before he was 25, he’d invented what is now one of the most ubiquitous iOS app features around. At 28, Loren Brichter is continuing to push the boundaries of what an app can do. We sat down and talked about his future and that of iOS. Read more »
The iPad and iPad mini that will be for sale in China are strictly Wi-Fi only — no cellular option yet. They hit the shelves on Dec. 7. The iPhone 5 will be in stores in the country a week after that. Read more »
The latest version of iTunes gets a bit of a makeover on its surface and under the covers to make it look more like the mobile version of iTunes that sits on your iPhone and allow tighter integration with iCloud. Read more »
In the last six months, revenues from Android apps in Japan have grown by a factor of 4.5, putting Japanese revenues from Android higher than the U.S., the first time the U.S. has not been in the lead. Revenues outside those two countries are growing too. Read more »
China’s Telecommunications Equipment Certification Center says licenses to carry the device have now been approved for two carriers, China Telecom and China Unicom. That’s a good indication that Apple’s most important product is about to go on sale in one of its most critical markets. Read more »
The only thing preventing this from happening sooner is the upcoming gift-giving frenzy of iPad minis, Nexus 7 and Kindle Fires in the U.S. China still doesn’t have the iPhone 5 or new iPad mini, but some carriers will start carrying the new iPhone next month. Read more »
iPhones and their smartphone brethren are hugely popular among thieves, especially in major cities. Popular gadget trade-in site Gazelle will now be checking all devices it receives against a database of stolen consumer electronics before handing over cash to customers. Read more »
Eddy Cue took over responsibility for Maps last month when Apple announced SVP of iOS Software Scott Forstall would be leaving the company. Cue has been known as Apple’s “fixer” and has been charged with getting the Maps program into working shape after a disastrous debut. Read more »
The automaker isn’t adding Apple’s service to any high-end models just yet, but two smaller cars aimed at buyers on a budget. To use it, owners will need an iPhone 4S or iPhone 5 running iOS 6 that can connect to the car’s infotainment system. Read more »
In the last few days, both companies have added more products to their dispute, which they each claim violate mobile patents they own. Apple has included the flagship Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II, while Samsung has named the iPad mini as an infringer. Read more »
Thanks to Apple not including transit directions in its Maps app, third-party apps like Embark have seen a sudden influx of users. Along with those users has come more opportunities for SF-based Embark: a new investment from BMW and the chance to expand even wider. Read more »
Some AT&T iPhone customers with older unlimited data plans report that they have access to FaceTime over cellular. This would be yet another step in the evolution of its stance, since the service was supposed to be available only to shared and tiered plan customers. Read more »
As the holiday gift-giving season is upon us, a good reminder to read reviews of products before buying online: Dozens of complaints on Amazon show that many of the “Apple Smart Covers” and ” Apple Smart Cases” for sale on the site are not the real thing. Read more »
Apple’s own Maps app has been heavily criticized, and Google does not yet have a Maps app for iOS ready, so Nokia’s timing in offering an alternative on the iOS platform is good as it tries to build up its user base. Read more »
More details on the sale leak out via a lawsuit filed against Color on Monday. Most attention in the document is going to be rightly focused on the jarring accusations being leveled against CEO and founder Bill Nguyen by the petitioner, Adam Witherspoon, a cofounder of Color Read more »
AC/DC had famously resisted Apple’s siren call for a long time, but is now selling all of its albums on iTunes. The band joins a list of other acts who only recently started selling digital tracks on iTunes, including Metallica, Kid Rock and the Beatles. Read more »
One of the hallmarks of 2011′s OS X upgrade was how many iOS features showed up: iMessage, Notes, Reminders, Notifications, Game Center, Twitter integration, AirPlay mirroring. In that light, why wouldn’t Siri and Maps be next on the list? Read more »
Less than a week after Apple settled out of court with HTC, a court filing unearthed on Friday shows that Apple wants to resolve its ongoing dispute over standards-essential patents with Google-owned Motorola. It’s not clear if Motorola agrees. Read more »
The tax bill is notable because of how profitable Apple is and how at the same time it has managed to out-maneuver many tax laws in the U.S. and Europe by building a complex web of subsidiaries in lower-tax countries. Read more »
Verizon, AT&T and Sprint are all advertising the new iPad and iPad mini with LTE for sale starting Friday, but it appears the quantities they have on hand may be limited for now. Some are selling them online only, others in stores only. Read more »
Apple has said it’s working on improving its own Maps app, but there are many longtime iPhone users who’ve been anxiously awaiting the return of Google Maps to the platform. A new report indicates Google is testing a new Maps for iOS app now. Read more »
Developers are frustrated by changes caused by the update to App Store with iOS 6. That release, which incorporated changes from Apple’s acquisition of Chomp, was supposed to help users find apps they’d like, and surface higher-quality apps. In many cases, it’s simply causing confusion. Read more »
Samsung has already experienced the worst case scenario in going head-to-head with Apple and has been tagged with a billion-dollar verdict. The company has so little to lose now that it’s not at all surprising Samsung says it has no plans to settle like HTC. Read more »
Apple and Samsung’s businesses are deeply intertwined, and since the epic patent trial win by Apple this summer, things have gotten more tense and negotiations between the two partner competitors continue to play out in public. Read more »
Though the free app isn’t released just yet, Nokia’s mapping app called Here could make Apple’s own Maps look behind the times. Here will be available online and offline. And more importantly for urban dwellers or those without cars, it will have public transit directions. Read more »
The company has been fined almost a million euros for selling paid warranties to Italian customers who should have had free coverage. Apple seemed to get away with ignoring the law for a while, even as Italy got more aggressive in its enforcement. Read more »
CEO Tim Cook is adding more employee perks, including personal time for projects. If these “perks” sounds rather run-of-the-mill to you, it’s because they are — for many modern companies. It’s yet another move by Cook to turn Apple into a more “normal” company. Read more »
Routehappy is attempting to do something that no other flight search aggregator does: assign an experience score to every single flight and every aircraft and airline in one place. Even if you’re an airline in Burma without a website. Read more »
iPhones with 5- and 8-megapixel cameras are turning a lot of people into better and more prolific photographers. The Swedish company behind Foap, which lets anyone sell iPhone pictures through their app, has changed its quality standards and is offering a better incentive for users. Read more »
Price changes on components in and of themselves aren’t necessarily controversial. There could be plenty of reasons Samsung had to charge Apple more. But in the context of the last few months which saw Apple win a verdict of $1 billion against Samsung, it naturally raises eyebrows. Read more »
