conference

Apple yesterday widened the reach of its popular online App Store to an additional 32 markets.

Citing an e-mail sent to registered iOS and Mac developers last night, 9to5Mac said that the new markets are mostly in Africa, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region.

The App Store expansion follows an announcement by Apple CEO Tim Cook at last week's Worldwide Developers Conference that the online store would branch out to the 32 new markets, adding up to 155 regions across the world.

The 32 new areas: Albania, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Chad, Congo, Fiji, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Kyrgyzstan, … Read more

Microsoft's press conference earlier this week reminded us a lot of what Apple has perfected -- the dramatic press conference. However, after the lights went off, we still had plenty of questions about what the new Microsoft Surface tablets were going to cost and when we could buy them. If Microsoft is using the Apple Playbook, they may have skipped a page or two.

Love it or hate it, Apple has all but mastered the art of the press conference. It's not that they use fancy graphics or a laser-light show, it's mostly because they answer a lot of questions and perhaps most importantly, begin selling the product right away. Cashing in on the excitement of a new product and then allowing the public to buy it immediately is something no other company really does, so it'll be interesting to see if the Surface hype is still churning once it's finally ready to be sold. … Read more

We'll wait until tomorrow to go over all the Apple announcements from WWDC, so today's show is all about Jeff's return to the East Coast and his E3 wrap-up. Jeff and Scott Stein agree that the show lacked the hardware announcements everyone expected, with Nintendo playing serious catch-up with the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Jeff and I then envision a potential future without E3 or maybe even a move to New York, where my co-host wouldn't be forced to play next-gen hockey games as the LA Kings.

Moving on, we'll talk about Microsoft registering … Read more

Some things are too idiosyncratic to make up. Others, well, you just wouldn't want to make them up.

So this morning I find myself trying to get inside the gray matter of those who created an extraordinary singing and dancing number for last week's Microsoft Developers Conference in Norway.

Microsoft is quite renowned for enjoying the act of stirring its employees and customers to great emotional heights. And this number most certainly had its heights.

I think I am grateful to Geekwire for awakening me to this one-of-a-kind piece. For, as the so-called Azure Girls cavorted on stage, … Read more

iPad buyers can now buy as many tablets as they want in one shot.

Apple has lifted its long-standing restriction of limiting iPad buyers to only two tablets at a time. Citing an internal Apple memo, 9to5Mac says the change has already gone into effect at Apple's global retail stores (with the exception of those in Hong Kong).

But online buyers will have to wait a few more days. Apple's online store will reportedly drop the limit of two iPads per order starting Monday, June 11, the same day the company's Worldwide Developers Conference gets off the … Read more

LOS ANGELES--If you thought Microsoft's motion-sensing controllerless technology Kinect was going to take a back seat this year, you were wrong. In the minutes leading up to the press conference's start, I first noticed a trio of Kinect sensors slyly facing the stage. It would be a telling premonition of what was in store for the world's fastest-selling electronic gadget.

But while Kinect has garnered more groans than praise in recent months, Microsoft's press conference demonstrated somewhat of a maturation for the motion-control initiative. Whereas Kinect functionality initially seemed forced upon software that didn't necessarily need it, a few interesting implementations may have skeptics turning into believers.… Read more

Apple will likely unveil a new lineup of Macs at its upcoming WWDC, but one analyst thinks the bigger news will be in the software arena.

The iPhone maker is expected to announce iOS 6 at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, which kicks off June 11, says Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu. Apple announced iOS 5 at last year's WWDC, though the OS didn't reach the market until October.

A new Maps app also has the analyst and other Apple watchers buzzing. Based on industry checks, Wu sees a new in-house Maps app replacing the current Google Maps … Read more

Coming off what many think was the "winning" press conference at E3 2011, Sony will take the stage Monday night to tell the world what the future holds for the company behind the PlayStation 3.

What's up with the Vita? Without a doubt, last year's shining moment had to be the official debut of the PlayStation Vita, which impressed us on numerous levels, from its performance to its launch lineup. But now that the dust has settled, the Vita hasn't seen much action in terms of high-profile releases and feature additions. … Read more

Nokia World is getting a makeover.

The mobile company announced on its blog today that Nokia World will no longer be "a single, large-scale event." Instead, the company has decided that it might be a better idea to hold several "smaller, more intimate events" designed around topics catering to specific audiences.

"Think less CES, more SXSW," Nokia's Heidi Lemmetyinen wrote in the blog post, comparing her company's events to competing shows.

Nokia World has historically been home to the company's major announcements. Last year, CEO Stephen Elop took to the stage … Read more