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From November of 2010 to January of 2011, Android devices usurped both Apple’s iPhone and RIM’s BlackBerry platform to take 29% of the smartphone market in the U.S. Apple is now tied with RIM for #2, each with 27% of the market. In a report, Nielsen wrote, “But an analysis by manufacturer shows RIM and…

Random House switched to an agency model for selling ebooks a day ahead of the media event, and the publishers titles began appearing on Apple’s iBookstore this morning ahead of the media event.Apple’s media event is still underway. Be sure to check in with The Mac Observer for additional information about the company’s announcements.

OK, we have to stop ourselves right there, because even had Mr. Jobs been granted a knighthood, he could not have called himself Sir Steve – a technicality reserved for subjects of the Queen. He could, however, include the initials OBE after his name, signifying that he is an honorary member of the Order of…

The iPhone App “You Gotta See This!” stitches together a montage of multiple iPhone 4 or iPod touch 4G camera images right after you shoot. Just press the start button and wave the camera over the area of interest. You can use either of the two cameras. When you’re done, the app creates a beautiful,…

The approach that Apple is taking with publishers has been discussed just about everywhere, at length. In a recent Hidden Dimensions column, I argued that the criticism of Apple, in many cases, is not well grounded. There is a component of the publishing industry that doesn’t want to change, blames Apple, and some news sites…

The Kensington PowerLift Battery and Dock is a compact 8 x 3 x 6-inches when folded and it will easily fit into a pocket, case, or bag. However it quickly opens to provide a docking station for iPhones and iPod touches. There is a kickstand that fold out to hold the iPhone/iPod in place while…

In a tweet, Dino Dai Zovi, co-author with Charlie Miller of The Mac Hacker’s Handbook (2009), said, “Apple has invited me to look at the Lion developer preview. I won’t be able to comment on it until its release, but hooray for free access!” In an e-mail interview with CNet, Charlie Miller said, “As far…

Source: Yahoo! Finance On Friday, the stock closed at $348.16, up $5.28 (+1.54%), on light volume of 13.5 million shares trading hands. The gains occurred amidst a broad rally, with all three major U.S. indices ending the day higher. The DOW ended the day at 12130.45, up 61.95 (+0.51%); the NASDAQ closed at 2781.05, up…

In part, these are fluff pieces, but they’re important because they give us a feel for how people are reacting to tablets and the imaginative things they’re doing with them. Once you read about how hotel concierges are using them to greet guests or how school children are using them to watch, live, the revolutions…

Well, I watched it again. My opinion hasn’t changed. My Little Pony is not for me. The problem is that while My Little Pony is not anime, it’s close enough in style that it turns me off. In general, I’m not a fan of Asian anime. I can’t take the big shimmery eyes, the cutesy…

The QuickSale app from IntelliXense is available for both iPad and iPhone. I am reviewing the iPad version. QuickSale app iconThis app keeps track of your sales invoices, balances and payments for both items and services. It allows you to apply discounts per item or globally per invoice in currency or percentage, add notes to…

The Board Under the rules in place when the votes were cast (see below), shareholders were given the chance to vote for a board member or abstain, a system that all but insures that the company’s slate of candidates are insured, especially with the requirement that they receives only a plurality of the vote, not…

The company also removed MobileMe from its online store, raising questions about Apple’s plans for the service going forward. So far, speculation has been focusing on the possibility that Apple may be planning to offer MobileMe as a free service.Apple is dropping its boxed MobileMe offeringRumors claim Apple is working on a major redesign of…

Apple’s management officially resisted both proposals, and the fact that one of them was passed marks a rare defeat — though a minor one — for the company. Officially listed as proposal #6, the proposal voted in amended Apple’s corporate bylaws to require a majority vote for members of the board of directors. The existing…

The question came from an Apple shareholder late in the question and answer section of the meeting from a shareholder asking the three execs on stage for the event — COO Tim Cook, Marketing VP Phil Schiller, and CFO Peter Oppenheimer — about rumors that the next iterations of the iPad and iPhone were delayed,…

“The Readability iOS app has been re-submitted. Coming soon: our open love letter to Apple,” the company said on Twitter.Readability loves Apple againThe company’s app was previously rejected from the App Store for violating a new Apple policy that requires subscription services to pay the company 30 percent of the money it collects from in-app…

Apple’s iAd bill goes on a dietAccording to AllThingsD, Apple isn’t having any trouble keeping iAd clients, making the price cut appear to be more about increasing the pool of companies jumping on board instead of retaining those that have already signed up.“Lowering the minimum buy to $500,000 from $1 million will certainly make the…

Still, the details regarding computer books are worth a closer look. The industry survives. But it’s struggling against forces largely beyond its control. The assault on the computer book industry comes from three directions: 1. Vanishing target audience Before the rise of the Internet, if you wanted to learn more about your computer (let’s say…

There has been much ado made over iOS subscriptions in the two weeks since Apple introduced its plan earlier in February. Publishers aren’t happy because Apple won’t give them customer data, and music and book services, as well as SaaS app developers (Box.net, Dropbox, Readability, and others) were concerned that their business model couldn’t accommodate…

Back then, as I suppose it is today, the cartoons were specifically made to sell toys, and like the good little consumers we were, my kids had them all. In fact, I’m sure I can still find a Joe or a Pony in the attic if I bothered to crack open one of those dusty…

President Obama dines with tech industry leadersThe photo captured the President, along with Mr. Jobs, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Google CEO Eric Schmidt, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, Yahoo! CEO Carol Bartz, and more.According to White House representatives speaking ahead of the dinner, “The president and the business leaders will discuss our shared goal of promoting…

DOJ, FTC are looking into Apple’s new in-app sales rulesThe rules Apple is imposing on developers require them to include an in-app purchase option whenever they offer a system for purchases and rentals outside of the application. Sticking with its standard App Store policy, Apple will take a 30 percent cut from sales and rentals…

According to DigiTimes (thanks to LoopInsight for the heads up) Research In Motion, Motorola, HP, and other large corporations are busily scrapping amongst themselves over the remaining 40% of supply, leaving smaller, second tier companies (like many of the companies we saw showing Android tablets at CES), out of the running for this high end…

Steve Jobs to talk tech with President ObamaA White House official commented “The president and the business leaders will discuss our shared goal of promoting American innovation, and discuss his commitment to new investments in research and development, education and clean energy.”Mr. Jobs has been on medical leave for several weeks, but is still involved…