Apple

Apple plans to debut an iPhone platform development track at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference next month, as the computer company seeks to become the Johnny Appleseed of iPhone features.

The iPhone platform will be one of two development platforms set to take center stage at Apple's developers conference next month. Mac OS X Leopard will be the other showcase platform.

The event will run June 9-13 in San Francisco.

Under the iPhone track, developers can work with Apple engineers to design applications that focus on the device's multitouch user screen, animation technology, and APIs.

iPhone sessions will … Read more

It's official: as reported yesterday, Apple has inked a deal with HBO to sell episodes of the premium-cable network's original programming in its iTunes Store. You can now use Apple's digital-retail hub to purchase episodes of The Sopranos, Sex and the City, Deadwood, The Wire, Rome, and Flight of the Conchords.

Right now, all six seasons of Sex and the City are available for purchase, as a promotion for the spin-off movie opening at the end of May. But iTunes currently offers only the first seasons of the other shows, as well as The Sopranos' final season. (… Read more

I'm not a big fan of surveys, so I don't quote them often. But a recent Consumer Reports survey about PC manufacturers listed Apple as No. 1 in tech support, with Lenovo second, Dell third, and HP dead last. I should also say that Dell came in second in desktops.

I thought the headline should be "Survey says leading PC maker HP dead last in tech support." But that's not what happened. The media hailed Apple, trashed Dell, and gave HP a pass.

Horror stories about Dell's support are all over the blogosphere. Why is that? I mean, why does the media give Dell such a hard time?

Because perception is reality. But aside from being a pithy statement, what does that really mean?… Read more

While Apple's market share gains are cause for consternation for many in Redmond, one unit is clearly benefiting.

Microsoft's Mac unit is set to disclose on Tuesday that copies of the new Office for Mac 2008 are flying off the shelves at three times the rate of its predecessor. The company wouldn't disclose sales numbers, but said the sales are the highest in the 19-year history of the unit. That continues a trend that has been going on for some time.

Senior marketing manager Amanda Lefebvre declined to give all of the credit to Apple, but said … Read more

What's one of the most hated electronics on the planet? The universal remote.

While companies like Logitech have made great advances in making these electronics devices easier to set up and use, for the average individual, anything with an LCD screen and more than 10 buttons can be daunting.

Apple, which has a history of making complicated devices a simpler affair, could be the next company to take a stab at dominating the third-party remote control market. The company has a good track record of venturing into fields where others have gone for more, and succeeded in offering less. … Read more

Note: We are making a change to our podcast feed system on Friday, May 16. However, you do not need to subscribe to a new feed. One important thing to know: If you have your podcast … Read more

Over the past few weeks, rumors have swirled about the possibility of Apple's iPhone being available on more cell phone carriers' services. Of course, this has already been announced overseas in a number of countries, including Italy, Australia and India, but so far, there has been no indication that it'll happen in the US. But if you look at the writing on the wall, it becomes abundantly clear that it will.

Although I believe it will happen this year, there's no doubt that there are a number of hurdles in Apple's path if it truly wants to open the iPhone up to different carriers. First off, the company will lose its revenue sharing deal with AT&T and ostensibly back out of a five-year exclusivity agreement with the carrier. And while these two issues are important to consider, I have no reason to believe Apple can't come out on top by backing out of both agreements.

When the deal was signed with AT&T, one important element that's missing now was true back then -- Apple was an unproven entrant into the cell phone market and the company was trying to establish a foothold. Because of that, it entered into an exclusive agreement with AT&T and used that deal to build up considerable demand. But now, the iPhone is a known quantity and Apple carries all the leverage. Beyond that, it's being faced with a major contender in Google Android-based phones that will be available on almost every carrier, and thus, must act before it's too late.

Suffice it to say that Apple will back out of this deal and make the iPhone available on all carriers. Here's why:… Read more

Apple may be getting ready to announce a content deal that would put old episodes of The Sopranos on iTunes.

Citing HBO insiders, Portfolio reported on Monday that Apple and HBO are getting ready to announce a partnership deal within the next two weeks (coinciding with the release of the Sex in the City movie?) that would supposedly involve Apple breaking its pledge to have the same pricing structure for all content sold on iTunes.

The report doesn't specify exactly how much Apple would charge for old episodes of HBO shows, but it notes that HBO insiders think that … Read more

Widespread iPhone shortages, combined with an explosion in carrier deals, point to the launch of the next-generation iPhone as right around the corner, according to Piper Jaffray.

I know, I know: this isn't the first time you've heard that theory. But you have to admit that signs are piling up that a 3G iPhone is in Apple's short-term plans. Let's recap the evidence so far.

The iPhone is currently unavailable at half the Apple retail stores surveyed by Piper Jaffray over the weekend. Both the 8GB and 16GB models are unavailable from Apple's online store. … Read more