apple

Apple has told a court that it's impossible to access data in most iPhones and iPads without a password. It could lead to a legal standoff in the 'security versus privacy' debate. The comments came in a case involving a recently-seized iPhone. The ... United States Justice Department is unable to access the contents of the phone and has therefore asked the court to order Apple to help them gain access. In this specific case however, Apple is physically able to access the device's data because the phone itself is running a susceptible operating system (iOS version 7). Nonetheless, Apple has ... (view more)

The audience at an Apple launch event was shocked to see a Microsoft executive on stage this week. It marks a closer collaboration between the former bitter rivals, centered on people using Microsoft Office on the move. The appearance came from Kirk ... Koenigsbauer, one of Microsoft's many corporate vice presidents. He's responsible for the various versions of Office 365, which allows users to have an ongoing subscription (plus all relevant updates) to Microsoft Office, rather than buy a particular edition outright. Koenigsbauer attended the event to show off how Office 365 will work on ... (view more)

Apple has lost a federal appeal against a ruling that it conspired to keep e-book prices artificially high. The verdict means it will have to pay $450 million in penalties and compensation. It marks the ending of a case dating back to 2012 based ... around two different models of pricing for electronic books. Amazon, which dominated the market before Apple started selling ebooks, uses the same model as with print books: the publisher sets a wholesale price and then the retailer decides how much to charge customers. Apple instead pushed for the "agency model" in which the publisher ... (view more)

Apple is making its technology available to medical researchers to conduct mass studies. Participation is entirely voluntary, and the company insists user privacy will be protected. The technology is called ResearchKit, and it's a set of tools ... available to researchers to make use of data gathered by smartphones that could relate to health and medicine. As well as collecting data from Apple products such as the iPhone, ResearchKit will be able to use data from fitness gadgets from other firms such as Fitbit. Using ResearchKit, researchers will be able to develop iPhone apps, even if they don ... (view more)

The Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) director believes encrypting information on smartphones makes Americans less safe from violent criminals. In fact, James Comey suggests that smartphone companies may be marketing the feature in a way that ... actually encourages criminal behavior. Largely in response to the scandal involving the National Security Agency (NSA) and Edward Snowden , the world's largest mobile phone technology companies have introduced encryption systems designed to help users protect their data against government snooping. Last week Google announced it would enable ... (view more)

One of Apple's most fascinating new products is the recent release of iOS 8, the mobile operating system (OS) that is at the heart of its many devices, including: the iPhone, iPod, iPad, and Apple TV. Unfortunately, new reports suggest that iOS 8 is ... far less stable than its predecessor, iOS 7. Apple unveiled iOS 8 back in June, with the new mobile operating system finally being released on September 17, 2014. There's no doubt that iOS 8 has many exciting new features, including: an updated version of the Siri hands-free system , interactive notifications that let users respond to ... (view more)

To some, Apple's new high-tech watch could be the device that helps bring electronic wireless charging technology to the masses. But to others, Apple's latest offering may not be enough of a breakthrough to overcome years of stalemate between rival ... technologies. As expected, Apple unveiled a smartwatch this week. As with several similar devices, the watch connects wirelessly to a nearby smartphone (in this case, an iPhone). The smartwatch then allows users to quickly check phone alerts and details, including text messages and emails without the need to pull the phone from their ... (view more)

It still hasn't been officially announced, but already people are lining up to get their hands on the iPhone 6, which Apple is expected to unveil in a press event on Tuesday, September 9. The question is, will the new iPhone 6 have a significant ... impact on Apple's market share? In the fourth quarter of 2013, Apple's share of the mobile phone market sat at 12.9%, with Android-based systems at a record high 81%. While its share has declined substantially over the years, it's reported that Apple rakes in 56% of all the profit, which is more money than all of its competitors combined. (Source ... (view more)

Apple has denied any responsibility for the recent theft and publication of compromising photographs of celebrities. But some analysts say the pictures were vulnerable thanks to a combination of Apple's technical setups, plus the easy availability ... of password cracking software designed specifically for law enforcement authorities. Pictures and videos of famous females such as Jennifer Lawrence, Kirsten Dunst and Kate Upton began circulating earlier this week after being posted at controversial website 4chan. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is said to be investigating, but it ... (view more)

It's expected Apple will unveil the iPhone 6 this September, with the device going on sale shortly thereafter. As anticipation ramps up, several analysts have publicly stated that they believe sales for the new device will be enormous. Although ... photos and hardware specifications of the iPhone 6 have yet to be unveiled, industry insiders believe it will come in two flavors: one with a 4.7-inch screen, while the other with a much larger 5.5-inch display. For the record, last year's iPhone 5S features a 4-inch display, which was up from the 3.5-inch iPhone 5. (Source: forbes.com ) Demand ... (view more)