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Apple's getting hammered by analysts and investors as I write this, and I've been trying to resist the urge to say "told ya so."

Sorry, no will power today.

Back in September, after the much-awaited and meh-filled unveiling of the iPhone 5, I made a declaration that's being borne out further in this week's headlines -- the iPhone jumped the shark some time ago. At the time, I was reacting to the lack of any groundbreaking innovation in the latest Apple smartphone iteration. But this week, word came that iPhone demand was slumping and Apple had reportedly cut component orders.

Is that really such a big deal, you say? No, not necessarily. It could just be the normal drop in sales after the holidays. Or it could be that, plus the six reasons below that lead me to continue to believe that the iPhone will join Adam Lambert, Sarah Palin, and many others on the list of pop culture icons that peaked around 2010. … Read more

Apple's attempt at creating its own mapping app didn't start out on the right foot and could certainly use a bit more tweaking, but, thankfully, Google has stepped in to provide frustrated users with an iPhone version of its popular mapping service.

Google Maps for iOS first asks you to sign in to save your favorite places and to access past searches. You can opt to skip that step, however. The main screen is stripped down so that you can get a full view of the map. A search bar resides at the top, and you can tap … Read more

LAS VEGAS--The Stream Wireless Home Audio System from Voxx International lets you play music and audio anywhere in your home and is relatively low priced to make it more accessible.

Once set up with included software, you'll be able to control your music library from any iOS device or your computer over Wi-Fi and Apple's AirPlay. The software lets you choose zones for your music, and you can select playlists to play in each room.

The single-room configuration for the system costs $199 and looks like a smart way to control your music wirelessly.

The next iPhone and its accompanying iOS 7 software have apparently turned up in developer logs, indicating that the next-generation phone is already in the testing stages.

The log, shown off to The Next Web, highlights the code "iPhone 6,1". The iPhone 5 -- Apple's current flagship -- bears the moniker iPhone5,1 or 5,2 in the logs, suggesting that this is indeed the next generation of phone.

Without any further details however, it's impossible to judge whether the phone is a complete overhaul in the form of an iPhone 6, or whether it … Read more

At the risk of dating myself (again), I have extremely fond memories of playing the classic action game Karateka on my -- wait for it -- Apple IIe.

That was 28 years ago, heaven help me. The game's creator, Jordan Mechner, went on to develop the better-known Prince of Persia, but I remember being totally entranced by Karateka's then-amazing graphics and compelling damsel-in-distress storyline.

But would I want to play that same game today, even if it were perfectly emulated like that other '80s classic, Karate Champ? Frankly, no. I've never been a fan of arcade or … Read more

Apple today released another minor update to iOS 6 that promises to fix a Wi-Fi issue affecting its newest devices.

The software, which went out this morning to the iPhone 5 and iPad Mini, says simply that it "fixes a bug that could impact Wi-Fi." No additional features or security fixes are part of the update, according to the company's release notes.

The update comes just a day after Apple gave developers a fourth beta of iOS 6.1. That software, which is expected by the end of the year, or shortly thereafter, brings new boarding pass … Read more

Microsoft is investigating a possible flaw in its Internet Explorer Web browser that allegedly enables attackers to track users' mouse cursor anywhere on the screen, even if the browser window isn't in use.

The alleged flaw, which security firm Spider.io says it discovered a few months ago, compromises the security of virtual keyboards and virtual keypads in all supported versions of the browser since IE6, the security firm reports.

"As long as the page with the exploitative advertiser's ad stays open -- even if you push the page to a background tab or, indeed, even if … Read more

An unidentified hacker behind a hack called Dream Jailbreak pulled a fast one on countless iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch owners today with the announcement and heavy teasing of an untethered iOS 6 jailbreak, or software that lets users gain deep access to their device without fear of losing it all after rebooting.

In a proof-of-concept video posted earlier, the unidentified hacker connects his iPhone 5 to a computer via USB; accesses a Web site through Safari (the identity of the site is blurred in the vid); and then runs an application called Dream (coming to Windows and Mac) on his computer. After a few flashes of code, the iPhone 5 reboots with popular third-party app and code installer Cydia in place and a world of third-party software just a tap away.… Read more

CES is coming in early January, but contrary to popular belief, it isn't just about gadgets. A lot of software vendors make the trek to Las Vegas to show new and updated versions of software for just about every platform.

With the app stores for Apple, Google, and Windows exploding with new offerings over the course of 2012, we think this year's CES will have more new and updated software on hand than ever before.

As the in-house software editors at CNET, we have put together a list of predictions for this year's CES, from the probable … Read more