google. apple

The weeks-long hunt for software pioneer turned fugitive John McAfee ended this week with his arrest in Guatemala.

McAfee, who was sought by police in connection with a shooting in Belize, was arrested by Guatemalan police for allegedly entering the country illegally. The 67-year-old founder of the company that bears his name apparently entered Guatemala to seek asylum from officials in Belize, who have been pursuing him for the past few weeks in connection with the shooting death of his neighbor.

The Guatemalan government denied the asylum request of the tech-entrepreneur-turned-fugitive yesterday, opening the door for the eccentric millionaire's … Read more

The tech blogosphere (CNET included) went into a mild panic today over a report in the Guardian saying that a native Google Maps app for iOS would "struggle for Apple approval."

"Sources at Google familiar with its mapping plans say they are 'not optimistic' that Apple will ever approve a dedicated Google Maps iOS app," says the story by Michael Grothaus, a former Apple consultant. "Though the app is reportedly in development and should be ready to ship by the end of the year, the sources say their plans are only proceeding in 'the unlikely … Read more

Apple's introduction of the iPad Mini this week generated two lines of thinking about competition in the tablet space.

The first, articulated by some analysts, holds that lower-cost tablets have nothing to worry about. Reuters collected their comments in an article giving shape to their general lack of concern. The reason? The entry-level Mini's $329 price, enough to give it distance from cheaper tablets on the market. A note from Nomura Equity Research indicated that "demand for Google's Nexus 7 and Amazon's Kindle Fire is unlikely to be much affected by the launch of the … Read more

Could it be the next front in Apple's "thermonuclear war" against Android? Just days before an event at which Google is expected to announce new Nexus tablets, Apple laid into its competitor, mocking the devices at its iPad Mini unveiling today in San Jose, Calif.

Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president for marketing, devoted several minutes of the event to making unflattering comparisons between the Nexus 7 tablet and the new iPad Mini. He started by criticizing the Nexus' build quality, saying its plastic back … Read more

The familiar whistle of a smartphone notification told me that Paco was hungry. The dog's face had appeared on my screen, as it did eight or so times a day, to remind me to fill out a form. And I had an interest in feeding the beast -- my answers would help set the course for Google's evolution as a mobile search company.

Paco isn't a real dog, of course. The name is short for Personal Analytics Companion. It's an app that Google's user experience researchers rely on for their many studies about the search … Read more

For developers, getting noticed is more than half the battle.

At a time when the big operating systems have more than half a million apps available for sale, developers have an increasingly hard time breaking through. A whole industry has sprung up around "app discovery," offering developers ways to promote their work to an audience that likely wouldn't find them otherwise.

In such an environment, recommendations are essential. And it's hard to imagine a more valuable recommendation than a personal endorsement from the CEO of the world's most valuable technology company.

But less than a … Read more

Everyone knows that Apple is dealing with a firestorm of criticism over problems with its new iOS 6 Maps feature, but a new ad for Google-owned Motorola Mobility's Droid Razr may have crossed the line.

The ad, which appeared on September 21 on Motorola's Google+ site, shows a Razr alongside an iPhone 5, and reads, "Looking for 315 E 15th in Manhattan? Google Maps on Droid Razr M will get you there & not #iLost in Brooklyn."

The post shows the Razr displaying the proper address in the middle of a grid of Manhattan streets, while … Read more

Apple is seemingly taking more ownership over criticism that its new mapping software in iOS 6 is less accurate than its predecessor.

"We own this; we manage the vendors. This is no one's issue but ours," an unnamed Apple executive tells The New York Times today, which adds that the company has promises to "pour as much time and manpower into repairing Maps as it takes."

In a column about the feature's accuracy, The Times adds that "well over 99 percent" of the feature's data set is accurate.

The admissions come … Read more

Google will build a maps app for iOS. They can't afford not to.

New rumors this afternoon suggested that Google was trying to ship an app by Christmas (credible) or had already submitted one to the App Store (less credible). Google itself has all but said it is building for iOS: "Our goal is to make Google Maps available to everyone who wants to use it, regardless of device, browser, or operating system," a spokesman told CNET in an e-mail.

Some Android fans are wondering why. Here's a key advantage Google has over Apple, they argue. … Read more