Apple

Apple is denying reports that the company is searching for a new chief financial officer.

According to a report published today by Bloomberg, Apple approached Blackstone Chief Financial Officer Laurence Tosi to take over the role from Peter Oppenheimer. Apple says that's not the case.

"Peter is not leaving Apple. We are not conducting a CFO search," Apple spokesman Steve Dowling told CNET.

Bloomberg cited sources "who asked not to be identified because the talks were private."

Oppenheimer replaced Fred Anderson as Apple's CFO in 2004, when Anderson retired from the company. Anderson was … Read more

The Mac App Store is officially open.

According to Apple, the marketplace is launching with over 1,000 paid and free apps in categories ranging from games to productivity. As with the company's mobile store available on the iPad and iPhone, users can search for apps, find out "what's hot," check out staff favorites, and see the most-downloaded programs in different categories.

Apple itself is selling iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand for $14.99 each. Its Pages, Keynote, and Numbers apps are available for $19.99 in the store. It's also selling Aperture 3, its photo-editing … Read more

Starting tomorrow, you can get your hands on the iPhone 3GS for $49 both at AT&T stores and on the carrier's Web site.

The iPhone 3GS, which was first made available in 2009, had its price slashed to $99 last year. Apple, which hasn't made any announcement about changing its price for the iPhone 3GS, is still selling the device on its Web site for $99. However, considering that AT&T is reducing the price of the smartphone, it would only make sense for Apple to do the same.

Apple did not immediately respond to … Read more

Could Apple announce a Verizon iPhone as early as next week? According to an anonymous tipster who contacted me directly, yes indeedy.

During this weekend's 2011 CES, he says, Apple will steal some thunder by announcing a product-launch event on Tuesday, January 11. (That's 1/11/11, if you're into numerology.) At that event, the company will finally announce the long-awaited Verizon iPhone. (Cue "Hallelujah" chorus.)

Alas, this is all just hearsay, and while a lot of it seems reasonable--likely, even--there's still no official word from either Apple or Verizon.

My tipster, citing a … Read more

Comcast will allow for in-home streaming of its live and On Demand content to the iPad and Android tablets later this year, the company announced today.

So far, details on the streaming option are slim. Comcast only revealed that users "will be able to watch live news, TV shows, and movies in their homes whenever they want." The company didn't say how it will stream content to those devices nor if it will charge an additional fee for the service. It plans to unveil a few more details at the Citigroup Investor Conference later today.

In addition … Read more

Joby, maker of a distinctive line of knobby-legged flexible tripods for cameras and other devices, has entered the iPad market with two products that serve both as cases and props.

First is a flexi-legged iPod holder called the GorillaMobile Yogi. It attaches with a protective polycarbonate case and can used to simply prop up an iPad in portrait or landscape orientation or, for the more adventurous, attach it to something with the legs. Joby suggests glomming it onto kitchen fixtures to show recipes, but I'd watch out for the flour and flecks of olive oil.

Second is a folding … Read more

Forrester Research has more than doubled its long-term sales forecast for tablets to reflect consumer demand.

About 10.3 million tablets were sold in the U.S. last year, the market researcherestimates. It expects sales to more than double this year to 24.1 million units. From there, sales growth will gradually start to plateau with 35.1 million units, 39.8 million units, and 42.3 million units sold in 2012, 2013, and 2014, respectively. Tablet makers will sell 44 million units in 2015, the researcher predicts.

As recently as June, Forrester was predicting tablet sales to reach … Read more

Google's Android mobile operating system may be surging, but it hasn't overtaken Apple's iOS in the U.S., according to a Nielsen report released today.

Using November data, market research firm Nielsen on Monday ranked Apple's iOS as the No. 1 mobile operating with 28.6 percent of the smartphone operating system market share in the U.S. Coming in at No. 3 is Google's Android with 25.8 percent share of the U.S. market.

What's really interesting is that RIM's BlackBerry operating system, which is the No. 2 ranked mobile operating … Read more

Apple may have some big plans for 2011, but one analyst believes the company may be saving one of its biggest announcements for 2012--a television.

Gene Munster, a Piper Jaffray senior research analyst, said in a research note today that he believes Apple will enter the TV set market by the end of next year. If Munster is right, that gives Apple two years to design and manufacture the television.

"While Apple's commitment to the living room remains a 'hobby,' we continue to believe the company will enter the TV market with a full focus, as an all-in-one … Read more