AppleInsider

Apple drops opposition to PCalc iOS calculator widget Posted: 30 Oct 2014 11:12 AM PDT Users who want a calculator in their iOS Notification Center can breathe easy after Apple dropped its request to a developer asking it to remove its widget feature.

President Bill Clinton, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella & others praise Apple CEO Tim Cook for publicly announcing he is gay Posted: 30 Oct 2014 10:42 AM PDT Following the publication of a heartfelt personal letter in which the Apple CEO revealed his sexual orientation publicly for the first time, Tim Cook has been showered with praise from coworkers, competitors, celebrities and more.

Spotify brings its new look to iPad, Skype update lets users save and delete chat photos Posted: 30 Oct 2014 09:19 AM PDT Popular music subscription service Spotify updated its official iPad app on Thursday with a new look in line with its iPhone client, while also giving users access to the "Your Music" feature. In addition, Microsoft's Skype for iPhone was also updated with the ability to save and delete photo, as well as a faster chat load time.

NXP hopes Apple's adoption of NFC will encourage automakers to use its chips to replace car keys Posted: 30 Oct 2014 07:51 AM PDT Chipmaker NXP, which is believed to supply the near-field communications chips found in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, hopes automakers will adopt its technology, potentially enabling future car owners to unlock and even start their car with their smartphone.

'I'm proud to be gay,' Apple CEO Tim Cook says in open letter supporting equality Posted: 30 Oct 2014 05:20 AM PDT Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook published a letter on Thursday revealing that while it wasn't an "easy choice," he's decided to publicly announce that he is "proud to be gay," and that it has given him perspective on what it means to be a minority.

Samsung, Apple retain global smartphone lead in Q3 as Xiaomi rockets into third Posted: 29 Oct 2014 09:19 PM PDT The global smartphone market grew 25 percent year-over-year during the third quarter of 2014, according to research firm IDC, with Apple seeing moderate gains and Samsung posting the only loss in shipment volume out of the top five manufacturers.

Samsung suffered a 73.9% drop in Q3 mobile profits while Apple's rose 11.3 percent Posted: 29 Oct 2014 07:12 PM PDT Samsung Electronics reported overall Q3 operating profits of 4.06 trillion won ($3.8 billion)--a 60 percent year-over-year drop--while its Mobile division suffered a 73.9 percent drop in profits.

Microsoft inadvertently leaks 'Band' fitness wearable in new app, reveals 'Microsoft Health' [update: confirmed] Posted: 29 Oct 2014 06:22 PM PDT Microsoft's rumored wearable fitness tracker was inadvertently leaked online Wednesday when the company's first-party syncing app was posted to Apple's Mac App Store, disclosing a few key features of the unannounced device.

Apple in early talks to sell iPhone in Iran, report says Posted: 29 Oct 2014 05:09 PM PDT Almost one year after the U.S. began to loosen sanctions on exports to Iran, Apple is reportedly in early stage talks with distributors to start official sales of its products in the country.

Developers of PCalc, Nomi run afoul of Apple's evolving iOS 8 App Store policies Posted: 29 Oct 2014 03:23 PM PDT Apple's platform policies for iOS, OS X and their respective App Stores have occasionally irked developers or even wildly disrupted their businesses. The latest collision involves a retroactive ban on widget calculators and tightened WiFi privacy rules for iOS, as Apple issues new rules for apps using Apple Pay and TestFlight.

BlackBerry hopes to rekindle sales by reintroducing classic keyboard & form factor Posted: 29 Oct 2014 03:07 PM PDT Hoping to strike a chord with old school BlackBerry users, the not quite dead company on Wednesday teased a new device called BlackBerry Classic, which appears to be a modern take on the seminal BlackBerry Bold.

MCX CEO calls CurrentC exclusivity fines 'untrue,' responds to recent hack Posted: 29 Oct 2014 02:27 PM PDT During a press conference on Wednesday, MCX CEO Dekkers Davidson responded to criticism of the retail consortium's CurrentC system, saying merchant fines for using other payment solutions are untrue.

GT Advanced blames Apple for one-sided sapphire contract that resulted in $461M loss Posted: 29 Oct 2014 11:56 AM PDT Testimony from chief operating officer of GT Advanced Technologies reveals that the company lost $461 million before it filed for bankruptcy -- a course that the company asserts was the result of "unsustainable" contracts in which it assumed all of the risk, while Apple took none.