Rumors

Pandora has already run into trouble as investors digest reports that Apple may launch a rival music service.

As of 9:45 a.m. PT, Pandora shares had fallen more than $2, a 17 percent drop.

The freefall follows a story in yesterday's Wall Street Journal that Apple is aiming to kick off its own online music service. Sources told the Journal that Apple is speaking with record labels to license music for a service that would let users create their own custom music stations based on their favorite songs and artists.

The service would reportedly be targeted for … Read more

The introduction of the iPhone 5 is expected to shake up the overall iPhone lineup.

Apple will hold a launch event on Wednesday, September 12, at which it will probably unveil the next-generation iPhone. Several reports say that the iPhone 5 will go on sale the following Friday, September 21.

The new model means that Apple could curtail the aging iPhone 3GS, leaving the 8GB version of the iPhone 4 as the entry-level edition, says the Telegraph. If so, that model iPhone 4 would probably be offered for free by Apple and other vendors when paired with the usual $30-per-month … Read more

Amazon shook up the tablet scene with the release of the Kindle Fire tablet in 2011. With one of the most popular tablets on the market, rumors are already swirling about Amazon's next move. The release of Google's Nexus 7 tablet at the same price point of the first-generation Kindle Fire has increased the competitive climate; not to mention the seemingly never-ending reign of the Apple iPad as the king of tablets. Will Amazon make another relevant and successful tablet? Will there be three different versions of the Kindle Fire? What about 4G? In anticipation of the expected … Read more

A pair of images surfaced over the Labor Day weekend that could prove to be the first glimpse of HTC's rumored 5-inch Android smartphone. The Chinese forum on which these shots made their debut has since removed the pics, but not before The Verge caught wind. … Read more

The search for evidence of an upcoming iPad Mini has become worthy of a plot line for one of those forensic investigation shows that make forensic investigation seem a lot more sexy than it surely is.

The latest lead in the case of an Apple slate with a smaller form factor comes in the form of some interesting entries in Instapaper's logs that show devices calling themselves "iPad2,5" and "iPad2,6" accessed the app recently. The most recent 16GB iPad2 now on the market identifies as iPad2,4 when the device interacts with an app.

Marco Arment, developer of the text reader and bookmarking app, speculates that the previously unseen device identifiers could be new GSM or CDMA versions of iPad2,4, but more likely they're the rumored smaller iPad that could be based on the second-generation iPad.… Read more

Apple's AirPlay streaming feature could soon work even if your devices are not on the same Wi-Fi network, according to a new report.

In a brief post, The Telegraph says that Apple is at work on a new version of the streaming technology, dubbed "AirPlay Direct," that eschews the need to be on the same local area network.

"The new version will require just speakers or a hi-fi and an iDevice; the iPhone, iPod or iPad would form its own network to allow a direct connection and music playback," The Telegraph says.

The feature is … Read more

Will the iPhone 5 support mobile payments via NFC? A report out yesterday from the folks at AnandTech says no.

Alleged photos of the iPhone 5's assembly posted by Taiwan-based blog Apple.pro pointed to a part that not seen in previous photos. The dimensions of the part reportedly matched those of certain NFC chips, leading to speculation that the mystery component could be an NFC chip.

The addition of electronic ticket organizer Passbook to iOS 6 also fueled rumors that the new iPhone would let users make mobile payments using near-field communications.

But AnandTech has discounted both of … Read more

The Apple Store has been touted as the model for retailers. But a new report says the chain's ongoing budget cuts are not going down well with employees.

Citing information from a variety of inside sources, blog site ifoAppleStore claims that the stores are changing "employee performance standards" to focus more on sales and profits over customer satisfaction.

Apple's retail vice president, John Browett, reportedly admitted that the company "messed up" when it implemented a new system that cut hours for some employees and left certain Apple stores understaffed. Trying to reassure concerned employees, … Read more

Nearly every detail for Motorola's next big Android handset has surfaced a week ahead of the company's official announcement. Engadget has obtained the specs and images for the Droid Razr (Maxx) successor, yanking the proverbial cat out of the bag. … Read more