apple

If you run over your computer with a monster truck, stick dynamite in the USB slot or attach it to a Slinky and roll it down the stairway, you can reasonably expect to lose any warranty or cover care you have on it. But now there's another rash ... activity that can leave you out of pocket if a fault develops: smoking. The Consumerist website, run by the same group behind Consumer Reports magazine, says two readers have found Apple refused to fix computers because they were smokers. Both had purchased the extended warranty Applecare package. In one case, the problems with the machine were blamed ... (view more)

With Microsoft grabbing all the headlines of late with its brand-spanking new Windows 7 operating system (OS), Apple has made its bid to turn consumer attention away from their Redmond-based competitor by employing the help of search titan Google. ... According to reports, search terms for "Windows 7 download" and even "Windows 7 upgrade" have triggered Google-sponsored links for Apple products. While some may think that an advertising campaign such as this is 'just business', others say that such a tactic is dirty. (Source: thenextweb.com ) Apple: Make the Switch to Mac Apple ... (view more)

Microsoft's chief software architect Ray Ozzie believes the company's upcoming operating system (OS) Windows 7 can and will make PCs just as slick and cool as their counterparts at Apple. Unfortunately, some early reviews of the OS suggest it might ... not be 'cool' enough to justify a $120 upgrade. In an interview with the New York Times late last week, Ozzie bristled at the idea that Windows 7 might change the way people think about PCs and using Microsoft operating systems -- something that in recent years, thanks to an effective Apple campaign making PC users out to be bumbling fools, has ... (view more)

Apple has been criticized over its refusal to refund users who buy iPhone applications ("app") that don't work properly. In most cases, the firm only gives refunds if the app fails to download correctly, but not if the app itself is faulty. The ... issue gained attention when it was raised by New York Times blog writer Eric Taub. He complained that the refund policy means users don't have any opportunity to try an app and get their money back if it is of poor quality. (Source: nytimes.com ) Apple Refusing Refunds for Broken Apps However, David Coursey of PC World notes that in some ... (view more)

Think Apple's iPod is the quintessential tech product for the modern age? Arguably, the iPod is the tech world's most in-demand product -- and has been virtually uncontested in North America for the last ten years -- but not in Japan, where the Sony ... Walkman currently holds top spot as the highest-selling MP3 player. The Apple iPod is a ubiquitous device. It's recognized in places where many Western products, like a laptop or PlayStation, are not. It's also very popular in the land of the rising sun, where for the last four years it has been the most powerful force in MP3 playback technology. ... (view more)

Microsoft wants more iPhone applications to use Bing as their default search tools. While not developing apps itself, Microsoft has released a toolkit to allow independent firms to power their apps' searching with Bing. At the moment, Google is the ... default search engine on the iPhone, with Yahoo the alternative option. Anyone wanting to use Bing must use the web browser to type in the site's address rather than using search bars. That's not easy with smartphones such as the iPhone where small and fiddly keyboards make manual searches inconvenient. Many users prefer to use dedicated ... (view more)

Google CEO Eric Schmidt has quit the Apple board. His resignation came after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) began investigating why Apple refused to carry a Google program in its app store. Schmidt's departure comes four months after ... another government agency, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), began probing his role on the board . A 1914 antitrust law bans people from sitting on the boards of rival companies if they compete with one another. That was becoming more and more problematic as Google moved into its own browser and being heavily involved in the open source operating ... (view more)

A British newspaper claims Apple ordered a customer whose iPod exploded to keep quiet about it. The Times says the company refused to refund the customer unless they signed a confidentiality agreement. Ken Stanborough one day found his daughter's ... iPod overheating to the point when he could no longer hold it. He threw it from his back door and within 30 seconds it exploded and flew "10 feet in the air." He contacted both the retailer where he bought the device, Argos, and Apple itself. Eventually he received a letter from Apple offering him a full refund but denying any liability. The letter ... (view more)

A Texas company is suing at least 20 major consumer goods firms for allegedly violating a touchpad technology patent. The case has been filed in Texas' Eastern District Court, which has become notorious for patent lawsuits. Tsera LLC was granted a ... patent in 2003 (following a 1999 application) for a system by which a "touchpad is mounted on the housing of the device, and a user enters commands by tracing patterns with his finger on a surface of the touchpad. No immediate visual feedback is provided as a command pattern is traced, and the user does not need to view the device to enter ... (view more)

A senior Microsoft executive says it will build some of its forthcoming retail stores near those of rival Apple. He also says Apple complained about the recent "Laptop Hunters" campaign, which he feels validates the ads' success. Microsoft announced ... plans to open retail stores back in February, hiring former Wal-Mart executive David Porter to oversee the project. At the time it appeared the firm wanted to take advantage of cheap retail unit rentals thanks to the recession. However, Microsoft's decision to build these stores, and to build them near rival Apple's outlets, might be ... (view more)