iPad

Apple quietly pulls apology-hiding code from U.K. site

Less than a week after Apple was rumbled by Reddit users for including code to hide a court-ordered apology to Samsung on its U.K. Web site, the code has now been removed.

The code forced visitors to scroll down the page in order to see an apology that Apple was ordered to display on its U.K. Web site for one month, by resizing the central image of the new iPad mini and "sticking" four separate product advertisements at the bottom of the browser window.

This meant that no matter how tall their browser window is or … Read more

iPad 4 now in stock at Apple Store

Consumers eyeing the fourth-generation iPad can now buy one through Apple's online store without any wait time.

The Apple Store shows all three flavors of the Wi-Fi-only edition now in stock. The 16GB version goes for $499, the 32GB version for $599, and the 64GB version for $699.

The new iPad's immediate availability is a change from the earlier shipping estimate of three to five business days. The status also is the same for Apple's online stores in the U.S. and abroad, a sign that the supply of the tablet seems to have caught up with … Read more

Battery life battle royale: Nexus vs. iPad

With all the hoopla about the relative graphics performance of the fourth-generation iPad and the Nexus 10, it's easy to forget another important performance metric: battery life.

Battery life dictates how long you can actually use the unit before it requires a recharge, so I'd say it's pretty darn important. So important in fact that it gets its own blog post. Here I pit the last two generations of iPad, the iPad Mini, the Nexus 7, and the Nexus 10 against each other in a take-no-prisoners battery blood bath! Or acid bath I guess.

The results The results speak for themselves, but if you need further explanation, continue reading after the chart. … Read more

Apple granted 29 patents, including for first iPad design

Apple has been granted 29 patents, including one crediting the late Steve Jobs and other Apple employees for the original iPad design and another related to crack-resistant glass.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially published notice of the newly granted patents today, according to Patently Apple, with most related to components and techniques.

Notably, Apple received a patent related to the design of the original iPad, which was released in 2010. The patent, No. D670,286, covers the "ornamental design for a portable display device." It credits Jobs; Jony Ive, Apple's senior vice president of … Read more

Apple, publishers cut e-book deal with EU regulators -- report

Apple has reportedly negotiated a deal with European regulators that will help the company avoid litigation for potential antitrust violations while also enabling Amazon to offer lower prices than offered at Apple's iBookstore.

Reuters reports that EU regulators are preparing to accept the offer presented by Apple and four top book publishers: News Corp unit HarperCollins, Lagardere SCA's Hachette Livre, Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck, the owner of German company Macmillan, and Simon & Schuster, owned by CBS, parent company of CNET.

Apple's antitrust issues involving e-books began in the United States last spring. The U.S. government … Read more

Our favorite free apps for Election Day 2012

Weathered by debates and endless political advertisements? We're in the home stretch of the 2012 U.S. election season now. Whether you've already voted or are still mulling politicians and propositions, there are plenty of apps to tap for an up-to-the minute perspective on the various battles.

Scan our brief list of mobile apps that can help you vote and stay in tune with the rapid-fire developments sure to occur tomorrow. Got a favorite app you're leaning on for election information? Let us know in the comments section. … Read more

Belkin to ship first third-party Lightning accessories

A third-party accessories maker has finally been given the green light by Apple to make products for the Lightning connector.

Belkin said today that it will introduce an all-in-one car charger and a charge-and-sync dock for Apple's newest connector within the next couple weeks.

Apple in September unveiled the iPhone 5's new cable, dubbed Lightning, that replaces the 30-pin connector Apple has used since 2003. The iPad Mini and the newest version of the iPad use Lightning, and it's likely Apple will continue updating its gadgets to include the new connector. Since introducing the connector, Apple has … Read more

Torture-testing the Nexus 7, iPad, and iPad Mini

I think I might need a support group -- I seem to be hooked on gadget snuff films.

The latest one from my hookup, the device warranty outfit SquareTrade, sees a third-generation iPad, the iPad Mini, and the Google Nexus 7 being methodically abused to see which holds up best.

The real development in this latest in a long series of face-off videos is the use of a new "drop-bot" that helps ensure a more fair drop of each device. In the past, the fate of each tortured device seemed to depend on a randomly determined point of … Read more

iPad Mini eating into iPad sales?

Apple isn't saying how many iPad Minis it has sold, but at least one analyst estimates the bulk of first-weekend sales were for the smaller device.

That means the iPad Mini may be taking away from some potential larger iPad sales, which could be negative for Apple if iPad Mini volumes aren't high enough to offset the lower selling prices. Apple is counting on the iPad Mini to address consumer demand for smaller tablets that have largely been dominated by Amazon, Samsung, and more recently, Google and Asus.

Apple earlier today said it had sold 3 million iPads … Read more

Android gains in tablets, Apple slows in third quarter, IDC says

Apple's tablet market share took a hit as consumers "sat out" the third quarter in anticipation of the iPad Mini, analyst firm IDC said. Android tablets made gains as a result.

After a strong second quarter, Apple's unit shipment growth slowed in both consumer and commercial (including education) markets, according to an IDC report published Monday.

"We believe a sizeable percentage of consumers interested in buying an Apple tablet sat out the third quarter in anticipation of an announcement about the new iPad Mini," said IDC analyst Tom Mainelli in a statement.

Apple's … Read more