Apple

Apple engineers working on ARM-based CPUs for iPhone

The magic of social networking has confirmed that Apple plans to make its own ARM-based processors for future versions of the iPhone.

The New York Times spotted the LinkedIn profile of Wei-han Lien, Apple's senior manager of CPU development, over the weekend. Lien's job description, according to his profile, involves managing the ARM CPU design team for Apple, an extension of his previous work at P.A. Semi.

It's been pretty clear for a while that Apple bought P.A. Semi earlier this year to work on developing its own chips for the iPhone, but as the … Read more

Apple to Podcaster: No App Store for you

Apple's App Store policies are really starting to frustrate application developers.

Over the weekend, a good old-fashioned Internet-style kerfuffle arose over Apple's decision to reject Podcaster--an iPhone application that lets people download podcasts directly to their devices without going through iTunes--from the App Store. The developer of the application said that Apple told him the application "duplicates the functionality of the Podcast section of iTunes," apparently making it unfit for the App Store.

This has been a persistent question hanging over Apple's decision to vet every single iPhone and iPod Touch application sold through the … Read more

Apple stomps bugs with iPhone 2.1 software release

Apple has released version 2.1 of its iPhone software, promising a wealth of bug fixes for a pioneering device that suffered a number of problems.

Chief Executive Steve Jobs had promised the iPhone update in a speech Tuesday during a launch event for next-generation iPod music players, saying, "This is a big update, and it fixes lots of bugs."

The company's software update page shows just how big:

Decrease in call setup failures and dropped calls Significantly better battery life for most users Dramatically reduced time to back up to iTunes Improved e-mail reliability, notably fetching … Read more

New MacBooks could arrive in October

With new iPods out of the way, the next priority for Apple is the Mac.

John Gruber at Daring Fireball is reporting that Apple will roll out new MacBooks on October 14, which fits the usual Apple profile of launching new products on a Tuesday. We've expected that new Apple notebooks are coming for some time, with reports of a redesigned exterior for the MacBook to go along with Intel's latest mobile chips.

If that date comes to pass, Apple will have officially missed the back-to-school shopping season, which is generally one of the best-selling quarters for the … Read more

Apple settles backdating lawsuit for $14 million

Apple executives have settled a shareholder lawsuit filed over its stock-option backdating practices for $14 million.

The executives themselves, including CEO Steve Jobs, won't actually have to cough up the cash: that's why they have insurance, according to the Associated Press. And the money actually goes to the corporation, not the shareholders themselves, because this was a "derivative" lawsuit that sought compensation on behalf of the company. Attempts by shareholders to sue on their own behalf have been stymied by the fact that Apple's stock has actually risen since the backdating was revealed in late … Read more

iPod Touch 2.1 software update is live

iPod Touch owners are getting an early look at the OS X 2.1 software update promised by Apple CEO Steve Jobs during Tuesday's music event.

Several blogs noted that the software update went live yesterday, but that appears to have been a premature release that was finalized this morning. The new software is supposed to fix a slew of bugs in the 2.0 software, such as frequent application crashes and backups that keep going, and going, and going.

iPhone owners will get their relief on Friday, with the additional fixes specific to that product such as a … Read more

Apple's iPod event: 800-lb gorillas don't need buzz

Apple appears to be taking that old adage to heart as it concerns its iconic iPod lineup: if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Tuesday's iPod event provided few surprises but reiterated Apple's commitment to making the kinds of incremental changes to its iPod lineup needed to stay on top of the competition and to keep customers coming back for more. New colorful iPod Nanos and a cheaper iPod Touch introduced by CEO Steve Jobs will be the centerpiece of the company's lineup for the holidays, which account for up to 40 percent of annual … Read more

Steve Jobs' speech in videos

Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled updated iPods and a new version of iTunes at the company's fall music event Tuesday at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Here, we've rounded up short video clips from his speech featuring some of the highlights. Check out the live blog from the speech here, and see our complete coverage, with all the latest news, analysis, and photos here.

Apple's iTunes 8 with Genius Jobs sings the praises of the latest version of iTunes and announces the return of NBC shows, now in HD.

Apple's newest iPod … Read more

Live blog: Steve Jobs hosts Apple's music event

This is a record of our live coverage of Steve Jobs' speech at Apple's music-related event, which kicked off at 10 a.m. PDT Tuesday at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Performing Arts. Click here for the latest news, analysis, and photos of the event.

9:53 a.m. PDT: We're in place inside the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, awaiting the start of Apple's media event. "Let's rock," indeed, as we're again being treated to a trip down classic rock lane. Trend spotting? Apple has … Read more