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L.A. schools give iPads, cars for perfect attendance

Our children constantly need to be rewarded.

Poor things, they're growing up in a world in which they don't know what will happen tomorrow and whether the things they want to do in life will suddenly be automated by a couple of fluff-chinned hipsters sitting in a hotel foyer.

It makes them wonder whether going to school is worth it all. Instead, go to work, get your Series A funding by the time you're 19 and hope that you can take it easy by the time you're 25.

One L.A. schools district is conscious of … Read more

A brief primer on Microsoft Office for iOS rumors

We can now safely say that rumors that Microsoft was working on a version of Office for Apple's iOS platform weren't false. They were just early.

But boy has it been a long road to Friday, when Microsoft made it official by releasing its Office Mobile for iPhone app -- which is officially dubbed "Office Mobile for Office 365 subscribers" in the iTunes Store.

Reports that Microsoft was aiming to bring a version of its productivity software to Apple's mobile platform date all the way back to February 2010, just a few weeks after the … Read more

Microsoft brings Office to iPhones but limits its use

Microsoft inched a bit closer today to bringing the one app to the iPhone that's long been missing: Office.

The software giant on Friday released Office Mobile for iPhone in the iTunes Store. But don't get too excited, Office fans. While it's a free download, Office Mobile for iPhone will only work for subscribers to Microsoft's Office 365 Home Premium and ProPlus service. And it's optimized for the iPhone, not Apple's larger iPads.

"We don't view this as a standalone app," said Chris Schneider, a marketing manager in Microsoft's Office … Read more

iOS 7 said to let users zoom while recording video

As users wait for Apple's new iOS 7 to come out of beta, developers are learning all of the ins-and-outs that the upcoming operating system will have to offer. The use of camera zoom controls while recording video is the latest feature said to be discovered.

According to iDownloadBlog, users will reportedly be able to zoom in and out by using the pinch gesture while shooting video. Most likely, there will also be a zoom slider at the bottom of the screen -- like when using the camera in iOS 6. Apparently, users will also supposedly be able to … Read more

Steve Jobs initially didn't want an iBookstore, Eddy Cue says

NEW YORK -- Apple is in hot water over its digital bookstore, but late-CEO Steve Jobs initially didn't even want to enter that market, a high-level Apple executive said Thursday.

Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Internet software and services, on Thursday testified in district court in lower Manhattan that he had to convince Jobs to let him pursue an e-bookstore. Even before the iPad launched, Cue was certain Apple should have a bookstore for its iPhone and Macs, but Jobs believed those products weren't ideal for reading.

"What happened was when I got my … Read more

Apple, Samsung urged to do more to protect customers

Apple and Samsung have taken some steps in the right direction when it comes to curbing smartphone theft, but they -- and the industry -- can do much more.

That's according to San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who issued a statement after Thursday's smartphone summit.

The law enforcement officials earlier kicked off the day with a press conference, when they announced their intent to push the handset industry to install a "kill switch" in their products that would render the device useless if stolen. Executives from Apple, Samsung, … Read more

Samsung said to be supplying next-gen iPad screens

Despite Apple and Samsung's intense rivalry and legal spats, the South Korean tech giant is now said to be one of the key suppliers for the next iterations of Apple's iPad and iPad Mini.

That's according to ETNews, which is citing industry sources and saying that Samsung is readying both 7.9- and 9.7-inch displays for the two devices, both with 2,048x1,536 pixel, or "Retina Display," resolution.

The report adds that the displays are headed first to the iPad Mini in the third quarter, followed by the full-size iPad in the fourth … Read more

'Kill switch' sought as answer to phone theft epidemic

NEW YORK -- Megan Boken was on her phone checking in with her family as she got into her car when the line went silent.

The 23-year-old former volleyball star was back at her alma mater, St. Louis University, as part of an alumni-student game. A popular and likeable person, her parents assumed she ran into an old friend and got distracted.

Boken, however, had been shot twice and killed in a robbery. The only item missing: her phone.

Boken's father, Paul, and sister, Annie Palazzolo, shared the details of Megan's death, which occurred in August last year, … Read more

Yes, iTunes Radio could crush Pandora. But that's just for starters

iTunes chief Eddy Cue unveiled Apple's iTunes Radio at the company's big developer conference in San Francisco this week, and it didn't take long before a chorus of rivals and pundits dismissed the product as, well, no big deal, especially considering that so many streaming-music services already exist.

The current king of Internet radio, Pandora, made sure the press was aware of how large it was, with 200 million registered users, 70 million of whom are regular listeners, and 5 billion stations created. Even Nokia -- that's right, Nokia -- trotted out a VP who suggested … Read more