Apple

While rumours of the precise date on which Apple is to unveil the next iPhone have been swirling for some time, we're inclined to believe All Things Digital's claim that new Apple CEO Tim Cook will reveal the device to the world on October 4. More >

Cook was COO of Apple until Steve Jobs' resignation on Wednesday, and in an email to staff, leaked to Ars Technica, he says it is very much business as usual despite the loss of its talismanic CEO. "I am looking forward to the amazing opportunity of serving as CEO of the most innovative company in the world," he said. "I share Steve's optimism for Apple's bright future. I want you to be confident that Apple is not going to change. I cherish and celebrate Apple's unique principles and values. Steve built a company and culture that is unlike any other in the world and we are going to stay true to that - it is in our DNA. We are going to continue to make the best products in the world that delight our customers and make our employees incredibly proud of what they do."

While Apple's intention to release a third iteration of its tablet next year is hardly news, the claim that iPad 3's screen will have a 2048x1536 display most certainly is: the current model's resolution is 1024x768. It should be noted, however, that iPad 2 was also rumoured to come with a high-resolution display. The report comes from the Wall Street Journal, which is behind a paywall these days, but Gizmodo has all the details.

iPhone maker Apple briefly leapfrogged oil and gas corporation Exxon Mobil to become the world’s most valuable company yesterday. The firm’s shares jumped as much as 6.1 per cent to $374.61 on the Nasdaq Stock Market, taking its market value to $347.3 billion, Bloomberg reports. Having switched places several times during the day, Exxon held the crown at the end of the trading session. Apple made a staggering $7.31 billion profit in the three months to June 25, on quarterly sales of $28.57 billion. Earlier this month the company said it has cash reserves of $76 billion.

As part of a larger interview with the EA and Digital Chocolate founder, Hawkins claimed that Apple wants "you to be in the App Store rather than the browser, so they cripple the browser". "They’re like, ‘Oh it’s nothing against Flash; we just prefer HTML5’. Well, Flash can actually make a really good game, and with HTML5 you can’t do that." He also attacked the App Store's closed nature: "For Apple to decide that they’re going to be the censors ... it just doesn’t really work that well, because they still end up with a thousand farting applications." For more on why Hawkins left Apple and why he's on Steve Jobs' "shit list for life", read the full interview at the source link below.

Apple's continuing expansion means the App Store is now available in a total of 123 countries, the latest additions including Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Nigeria and Yemen. Mobile Entertainment reports that this is part of a general expansion of Apple's services that also includes the launch of the Mac App Store and the forthcoming iCloud service.

In a press release, Apple has confirmed that 15 billion apps have now been downloaded from the iOS App Store since its launch in July 2008 - and it only passed 10 billion downloads in January. With Apple claiming there are more than 200 million iOS users, that works out at around 75 apps per device. Philip Schiller, senior VP of worldwide product marketing, said: "In just three years, the revolutionary App Store has grown to become the most exciting and successful software marketplace the world has ever seen. Thank you to all of our amazing developers."

Rumours of the next iPhone have been circulating for some time, but the Wall Street Journal has now weighed in, with "people familiar with the situation" claiming the iPhone 5 will be similar to iPhone 4, but thinner and lighter and with an eight-megapixel camera. The paper claims Apple intended to unveil iPhone 5 at its Worldwide Developer Conference in early June, but the device was not ready in time, and it will now launch in September. A supplier claims Apple will ship 25 million units of its new phone before the end of the year. The Wall Street Journal's parent company, News Corp, has enjoyed a cosy relationship with Apple since the release in February of The Daily, the first subscription-funded app on the App Store.

Taiwan App Store customers can now benefit from a seven-day return policy. Apple changed its rules in response to pressure from the Taiwanese government, which claimed the Cupertino company was in violation of the consumer protection law. The government accused Google of the same violation and ordered it to change its Android Market rules, too. Google has so far refused to comply. There is no word as to whether Apple will expand this policy to other territories, but it is unlikely that the option would be explored.

California district judge Phyllis Hamilton says she is "probably" going to deny Apple's attempt to block Amazon from its use of the phrase "app store" in branding for its Android download marketplace, Amazon Appstore. The retailer argues that it is a generic phrase it should be free to use, but Hamilton said a more likely reason for her denial will be Apple's failure to demonstrate "real evidence of actual confusion" among customers.