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A recent Sears advertising mix-up has left many customers fuming with the company. In an online ad, the retail firm marketed a 16GB WiFi-only iPad 2 for just $69 -- one heck of a deal at approximately 86% off the retail price. Unfortunately, it was ... all just one heck of a mistake. Typically, this version of Apple's popular iPad 2 sells for about $499 through the parent company, meaning that the $69 deal represented an approximate savings of $490. Unfortunately, the many customers who thought they'd stumbled across a major bargain were informed that Sears would not honor the deal, with the ... (view more)

A few weeks back Microsoft announced an enticing plan whereby students purchasing a Windows 7 PC valued at $699 or more would also walk home with a free Xbox 360 (valued at $199). Now, Apple is trying to lure consumers in a different direction, ... offering a $100 iTunes gift card to anyone buying a MacBook. The promotion, which runs until September 20, 2011 gives students, parents, teachers and staff members a $100 gift card when they purchase any of the following: an iMac, a MacBook Pro, a regular MacBook, or a MacBook Air. Unfortunately, those buying refurbished MacBooks or the Mac Mini won't ... (view more)

Apple has once again lashed out against Amazon in the midst of their ongoing litigation battle, this time calling Amazon's idea for an appstore "inferior" by comparison to the established Apple offering. Issues arose back in mid-March when Apple ... filed for a lawsuit against Amazon over trademark infringement concerning the term "appstore". Amazon says the label was generic and that Apple had only sought litigation to hurt their competition. In January of this year, Microsoft filed a petition for similar reasons. Apple Looks to Monopolize "App Store" Label Apple has since countered these claims ... (view more)

With its iPads, iPhones and iPods selling off store shelves at a record pace, Cupertino-based Apple is getting bigger and bigger. It's the main reason company CEO Steve Jobs has proposed the building of a new headquarters, one that looks a lot like ... a docked space ship. "Apple is growing like a weed," Jobs told Cupertino City Council in a recent meeting held last week. Elaborating on that point, Jobs specifically mentioned space restrictions at the company's current home base, forcing it to rent additional buildings throughout the surrounding city. Of course, that's not a particularly ... (view more)

Apple has filed for a patent that would enable it to stop people from illegally recording a live concert or a movie playing in a theater. The patent was filed in late 2009 by Apple inventors Victor Tiscareno, Kevin Johnson and Cindy Lawrence. In the ... document, the three outline plans for an invisible infrared sensor that would be integrated into mobile iOS devices that house a built-in camera (including popular iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch models). The infrared sensor would work in conjunction with the signals emitted from these real-time venues, telling the camera-laden device that it is not O ... (view more)

Apple iPad and iPhone owners are being targeted by a new scareware-like scheme this week, which uses a unique phishing strategy to frighten them into giving up their personal data. Fake Email Spoofs Apple App Users The scam is being reported by ... security company F-Secure, who say that hackers are using carefully designed emails to fool Apple fans. An email appears in a target's inbox from the "Apple AppStore," telling the recipient that their recent app order "has been successfully cancelled." Those users who don't want that to happen are asked to click on the link "order information" to find ... (view more)

Both Republican and Democratic politicians are questioning major tech companies about location data tracking features on mobile devices, such as cell phones. Five Republican congressmen who hold key positions on the House of Representatives Energy ... and Commerce committee have recently written joint letters to six companies: Apple, Google, Hewlett-Packard (HP), Microsoft, Nokia and Research in Motion (RIM). User Awareness Comes Into Question The letters demand information about the location data tracking features on the devices that the companies either manufacture or supply with an operating ... (view more)

Canadian firm Research in Motion (RIM) has finally released its much-hyped PlayBook tablet , a new rival to Apple's iPad. Critics, however, are unsure of Playbook's offerings. The PlayBook boasts a number of features that are meant to set it apart ... from the pack. These include a proprietary operating system (OS) designed to maximize multitasking, and a touch screen navigation system. Tethering Options a Double-Edged Sword It's the PlayBook's many tethering options -- which connect the device seamlessly to RIM's BlackBerry -- that really distinguishes the tablet from those offered by ... (view more)

A Microsoft executive has jumped ship to the company's bitter rival, Apple. Kevin Timmons, general manager of Microsoft's Datacenter Services unit, has reportedly announced plans to leave the Redmond-based firm with rumors suggesting he'll soon take ... a similar position at the Cupertino, California competitor. "Kevin Timmons, general manager of Datacenter Services, has decided to pursue other career opportunities and is no longer working at Microsoft," a Microsoft representative noted in an April 15 email to tech blog, eWEEK. "We appreciate the contributions he made to Microsoft during his time ... (view more)

A new report predicts Apple will surpass both IBM and Hewlett-Packard (HP) in revenue and sales by mid-2013. In fact, the man responsible for the report -- Forrester Research founder, George Colony -- says that Apple is "going to be a $200 billion ... revenue company." Colony made the bold prediction in a recent interview with Bloomberg. He went on to suggest that Apple's mobile sector (which is known for the ludicrously popular iPad and iPhone) could propel the company to 50 per cent growth per year over the next 24 months. Apple Growth Already Underway When it comes to market capitalization, ... (view more)