Ahead of iPhone 7 event, Apple's Twitter account shows signs of life
Believe it or not, Twitter launched over 10 years ago. The social network, which is now publicly traded, is no longer a young tech rebel. Instead, it is a mature platform that is leveraged by celebrities, companies, and regular folks like yours truly.
Since non-tech companies like Arby's and Fruit of the Loom have Twitter accounts, surely tech giants like Microsoft and Apple have accounts too, right? Actually, while the former is on Twitter, the latter has long been absent from the platform. True, the @Apple account has existed since 2011, but it has long been inactive. With that said, Tim Cook is active on the network, as are accounts for some of its services like Apple Music and News. Today, ahead of the upcoming September 7 iPhone event, the @Apple profile shows signs of life. Better late than never, eh?
Three quarters of SMEs feel the UK tax system unfairly benefits big business
The tax paying habits of big businesses are back in the headlines now that Apple is facing a $14.5 billion bill in Ireland -- although Tim Cook vehemently disagrees. In the wake of the Irish Apple tax ruling, 71 percent of SMEs say that the UK tax system benefits big businesses and makes thing harder for the little guy.
The figures apply to the UK's micro-businesses (those with under 10 employees) and self-employed individuals, only 1 percent of whom feel the system is working for their benefit.
Tim Cook hits back at 'maddening' European ruling on Apple tax
Apple CEO Tim Cook, talking to Ireland's RTÉ News, says that allegations put forward by the European Commission that his company owes $14.5 billion in back tax are 'maddening'. He is also very confident that the Commission's ruling will be overturned on appeal.
Echoing an open letter published earlier in the week, Cook said that the claims that Apple was given preferential treatment and special tax arrangements in Ireland have "no basis in fact or in law". The Irish cabinet has already met to discuss how to tackle the appeal that Apple is expected to launch, but has yet to reach a decision. The appeal will see Apple restating Tim Cook's claim that the tax figure put forward by Europe is "false".
This is how the iPhone 7 looks, according to Spigen
The launch of the new iPhones is just around the corner. Apple has revealed that it will unveil its next flagships on September 7, and with around a week to go before the big event it already feels like we know everything there is to know about the iPhone 7 line.
Much of that information can be filed under rumors though. However, Spigen's unveil of its new cases for the iPhone 7 line is different, as it also shows the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in its new products' presentation photos.
Ahead of iPhone 7 launch, Apple faces $14.5 billion bill for 'illegal tax benefits' in Ireland
Apple is facing a bill of €13 billion (around $14.5 billion) after the European Commission ruled that Ireland granted the company illegal tax benefits. Ireland permitted Apple to pay "substantially less tax than other businesses", and the Commission has decided that not only is this illegal, but the money must be recovered.
A three-year investigation concluded that Apple was paying corporation tax of just 1 percent in Ireland. The tax arrangement meant that Apple's tax bill was "artificially lowered" -- down to as low as 0.005 percent in 2014. Ireland is used by many technology companies for its favorable tax rates, but the European Commission's ruling could have implications not just for Apple, but for its rivals and contemporaries.
Serious security vulnerability that left iPhones open to hackers is patched in iOS 9.3.5
Security researchers have unearthed three serious security flaws in iOS that made it possible to install spyware and other malware on iPhones. Software exploiting the vulnerabilities (described as "one of the most sophisticated pieces of cyberespionage software we've ever seen") can be installed with a single click, opening up victims' devices to full-scale surveillance.
The security holes have already been abused by NSO Group -- linked with selling hacking and surveillance software to governments -- but Apple has now issued a fix in the form of iOS 9.3.5. The update fixed two kernel vulnerabilities and one in WebKit, all discovered by Citizen Lab and Lookout.
iOS device failures overtake Android for the first time
In the ongoing smartphone performance and reliability battle, Apple has lost its leading position to Android for the first time in the second quarter of 2016.
Plagued by crashing apps, WiFi connectivity and other performance issues, the iOS failure rate more than doubled to 58 percent, compared to a 25 percent failure rate in the previous quarter, according to the research by mobile device diagnostics company Blancco Technology Group.
'Touch Disease' breaking Apple iPhone 6 and 6 Plus screens -- millions of devices at risk
The iPhone is a great device, but a growing number of users are reporting a problem that affects the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
Nicknamed "Touch Disease" by repair specialists iFixit, the problem starts with a flickering gray bar at the top of the screen and reduced touch functionality. Over time the bar spreads and eventually the whole screen stops responding to touch.
Privacy-flouting, Apple-only social app Lifestage is Facebook's desperate attempt to stay relevant to teens
Facebook has become so ubiquitous that even your mum is using it. This is just one of the many reasons the social networking giant has lost any vestiges of coolness, but the company is keen to try to claw some back.
The latest attempt to get down with the kids is a new social app called Lifestage. Aimed at 'high schoolers' the app is available for iPhone and iPad and for those with a profile it "makes it easy and fun to share a visual profile of who you are with your school network". It looks and sounds godawful, and comes across as a privacy nightmare.
Samsung is planning an Apple-style refurbished phone program
If you want to get your hands on cheaper Apple products, you can opt for the secondhand market on eBay, or you could go for an official refurbished device from the company itself. Not wanting to miss out on a trick, Samsung looks set to launch its own refurbished smartphone program.
Citing "a person with direct knowledge of the matter", Reuters says the program could launch as early as next year. With Samsung hardware selling for something of a premium -- particularly flagships like the Galaxy Note7 -- consumers are as keen to seek out a saving as Samsung is to ensure ongoing profit in an ever-competitive market.
Slightly confusingly, Apple stores are now just called Apple
Apple's latest branding move messes with syntax and established convention as it changes the way it refers to its physical stores. While Apple Store, Fifth Avenue made perfect sense to just about anyone with common sense, Apple has now decided that Apple Fifth Avenue is better.
The change to retail labelling is a little, well, odd frankly, but it's sure to gain Apple some more of the attention it so craves. After all, Apple World Trade Center sounds rather more grand than Apple Store, World Trade Center doesn't it?
Microsoft helps Apple macOS users switch from Evernote to OneNote with import tool
Evernote is a very popular organization and note-taking solution. Not only is it easy to use, but it is cross-platform. In other words, users can sync their content between multiple devices running different operating systems. Unfortunately, earlier this year, Evernote did something shocking. It limited its free "Basic" option to two devices. This was not popular.
This abrupt change was a deal-breaker for users that leveraged more than just a pair of devices. While some folks were willing to pay for a tier that met their needs, other people decided to switch to other solutions, such as Microsoft's free (and wonderful) OneNote. In fact, Microsoft created an import tool to help Windows users make the switch. Today, that tool comes to Apple's macOS (OS X 10.11 or higher).
Windows falls to 0.6 percent share in the smartphone market
Windows continues to lose ground to Android and iOS in the smartphone market, according to a new report from Gartner. Driven by the poor performance of the Lumia line, its share dropped to just 0.6 percent in Q2 2016, down from 2.5 percent a year ago.
Microsoft is the largest platform vendor, selling over 90 percent of the smartphones that run Windows Phone and Windows 10 Mobile, so its performance has a direct impact on Windows' share in this market. And, since in Q2 2016 it only sold 1.2 million Lumia devices, it dealt the platform yet another blow.
Save hundreds on Apple products and more in Best Buy's 50-hour, 50th anniversary sale
Best Buy is turning 50 and what better way to celebrate than by encouraging people to throw some of their hard-earned cash in its direction? That is precisely what's happening in a 50-hour 50th anniversary sale which is including 50 Black Friday-like deals.
The company points out that the sale comes just in time for those essential 'back to school' purchases, but with a bundle of money to be saved off the likes of MacBook Pros, and iPhone 6s Plusses, there's something for everyone.
Microsoft Surface Pro 4 ad implies iPad Pro is not a 'computer'
Apple and Microsoft target the same crowd with the iPad Pro and Surface Pro 4, but they go about it from totally different directions. The former has repurposed a consumer-oriented platform to handle the heavier loads required by prosumers while the latter has tweaked its full-fledged PC operating system to work on a tablet touted to be a laptop replacement.
It is this difference in approach which has proven controversial and, to stir the pot once more, Microsoft has released a new Surface Pro 4 ad to suggest that it is a real "computer" while the iPad Pro is basically nothing more than a glorified iPad with keyboard support. Surprised?
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