What the future holds for iTunes Store

Over the course of its ten-year existence, the iTunes Store has evolved even as it has stood stock-still. Starting out as an online store that sold protected digital audio files, it expanded to include sales (and, in some cases, rentals) of movies, TV shows, apps, and books (both audio and electronic). Where it remains unbudged, though, is in its central mission: Sell, sell, and sell some more. Whether the purpose of its selling is to feed the hardware that Apple makes or to turn a profit on the media itself, the iTunes Store differs very little at its heart from the large “music, movies, books ’n’ things” emporiums of old.

EU parliament committee votes against air passenger data sharing bill

European Union politicians are at loggerheads following a vote in the European Parliament on Wednesday that rejected proposals to store and share information on airline passengers.

Smart glass market could hit 9.4M shipments by 2016

Worldwide shipments of computerized smart glasses are expected to hit nearly 10 million units by 2016, largely driven Google’s Glass project, a research firm said.

Wireless networks may learn to live together

Researchers at the University of Michigan have invented a way for different wireless networks crammed into the same space to say “excuse me” to one another.

Why the iTunes Store succeeded

The traditional tenth anniversary gifts of tin and aluminum are appropriate for the iTunes Store. Both durable and somewhat flexible, the iTunes Store has become the preeminent place to purchase music. 

iPhone disgruntled as Android goes to space

NASA has launched three smartphones into space in what scientists hope will be the lowest-cost satellites ever tested.

The iTunes Store at 10: Apple's reinvention of the music business

It was only ten years ago—on April 28, 2003—that Apple opened the iTunes Store (then called the iTunes Music Store) and changed the way we buy music. The store arrived with just 200,000 tracks; in the ensuing decade, that library has grown to more than 35 million songs, from the Beatles to Jay-Z. You can even download those tracks over your phone if you want—no computer needed. 

Mobile game downloads to triple within five years

Game downloads for smartphones and tablets should triple in the next five years, a trend that will have a significant impact on console gaming.

Apple confident about iPad Mini despite low margins

Six months after its launch, the iPad mini is a drain on Apple’s profits, but the company is willing to endure the financial strain as long as it can sell more iPads, analysts said.

How to set up two-factor authentication

Two-factor authentication may not be as sexy as the iPhone 5, but the technology is capturing news headlines, and deservedly so. Last week, Microsoft began rolling out this security tool for its some 700 million Microsoft Account users. Tuesday Wired reported Twitter is working on two-factor authentication as well.

Adobe's first CSO prioritises security of hosted services

Adobe Systems has appointed Brad Arkin, the company’s senior director of security for products and services, to become its first CSO. With a mature product security program already in place, the top priorities for Adobe’s new security chief are to strengthen the security of the company’s hosted services and its internal infrastructure.

Nine (theoretically) inevitable improvements to OS X

As part of last year’s surprise release of Mountain Lion, Apple promised that it would begin delivering yearly updates to Mac OS X, much as it has to iOS in recent years.

Yahoo's chairman steps down after a year

The chairman of Yahoo’s board of directors has stepped down from that position and will leave the board entirely later this year, Yahoo said Thursday.

Twitter updates native OS X client

In a sign that perhaps, on occasion, pigs do fly, Twitter has announced an updatemto its official OS X client, Twitter for Mac, bringing it to version 2.2.

Find your Mac using 'Find My Mac'

If your computer is stolen or otherwise liberated from your possession, don’t despair: If you’ve remembered to enable Find My Mac, you can track it, remotely lock it, and even send messages to your Mac’s screen.

Next-gen USB SuperSpeed to eliminate power cords

Intel has announced that the Thunderbolt and USB SuperSpeed (USB 3.0) specifications will soon double data transfer speeds, opening up peripheral pipes to greater throughput.

CISPA protesters rally, but this Internet blackout may fizzle

If opponents of the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) expect an encore Monday of the now legendary Internet blackout that brought down the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) last year, they should scale back those expectations.

The most reliable Windows laptop is a Mac

Soluto's PC troubleshooting Web service has saved many a forehead from banging against a desk. By scanning computers for installed software and crowdsourcing problems, Soluto's consumer service helps with everything from boot times and app crashes to remote configuration. Soluto used the wealth of data it collected in this way to compile a list of the ten most reliable Windows laptops currently on the market, dominated by a surprising star…and it's not a PC.

WWDC 2013, tickets on sale April 25

After months of anxious developer anticipation, Apple on Wednesday announced the dates for  its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, which the company says will run from June 10 to June 14 at the Moscone West convention center in San Francisco. Tickets will go on sale on April 25 at 10 a.m. PT, 1 p.m. ET.

Cook talks quarterly earnings, new products

Apple’s fiscal second quarter earnings announced Tuesday proved to be a mixed bag for the company—record sales for the March quarter, offset by a drop in income. But Apple CEO Tim Cook is optimistic about the company’s future, as he made clear during a conference call with analysts.

iTunes Store adds 'buy now, download later' option for video and music

Many of us thought, time and time again, that Apple should change the way iTunes Store purchases worked. Namely, that there should be a way to buy content now, but download it later—especially in the case of large video files such as movies or TV show seasons.

Apple keeps patching Java on OS X Snow Leopard after proposed drop-dead date

Apple has patched Java for the aged OS X Snow Leopard and tweaked Safari to give users more control over what websites they let run the vulnerability plagued Oracle software.

Earnings preview: Pent-up demand

Wall Street’s eyes are on Apple, which announces its latest quarterly earnings this Tuesday, April 23, at 2 p.m. Pacific, 5 p.m. Eastern. 

Apple replacing some third-gen Apple TV units with Wi-Fi issues

The third-generation Apple TV wasn’t a huge update from the generation prior: Its major addition was support for 1080p video. But reports suggest the one other significant add-on included in that third-gen Apple TV is the introduction of Wi-Fi networking issues—at least for a small subset of the set-top boxes sold.

Popular home routers contain critical security vulnerabilities

Thirteen popular home and small office routers contain security problems that could allow a hacker to snoop or modify network traffic, according to new research.

Microsoft adds two-factor authentication to keep accounts secure

If you’re an active user of Outlook, SkyDrive, Office Web Apps, or other Microsoft services, you may want to add two-step verification for an extra layer of security.

Apple: Unfortunately, no longer the underdog

Remember when Mac users were the fringe? The holdouts, the misfits, the ADB plugs in the USB holes? Don’t look now, but everyone’s found our party. That’s awesome—but I’m still not totally comfortable with it.

Apple keeps patching Java on OS X Snow Leopard after proposed drop-dead date

Apple has patched Java for the aged OS X Snow Leopard and tweaked Safari to give users more control over what websites they let run the vulnerability plagued Oracle software.

Just how much malware is on free porn sites?

Did you know the Internet has pornography on it? We were just as shocked to discover that as you. In fact, much of this pornographic material is available for free—but that doesn’t mean there’s not a huge potential cost. Specifically when it comes to malware. One researcher found that among some of world’s most highly trafficked free pornography sites, the probability of coming into contact with malware can exceed 50 percent in some cases.

ARM-based chips to boost networks

Chipmaker LSI is hoping to improve networking performance and flexibility with its ARM-based Axxia 4500 processor family, announced Monday.

Chinese iPhone dealers dupe Apple with fake components

A group of Chinese iPhone distributors have been arrested for duping Apple with fake components in order to obtain replacement parts worth about 400,000 yuan (US$64,117).

Adoption of DDR4 memory faces delays

The memory market is feeling the effects of a fall in PC shipments with the subsequent stabilization of DRAM prices, which industry observers say will delay the wide adoption of the upcoming DRAM called DDR4.

Shylock Trojan aims for global targets, Symantec warns

The prodigious Shylock man-in-the-browser (MitB) banking Trojan is still being upgraded as part of a campaign to migrate from its traditional targets in UK financial services to foreign ones, Symantec has reported.

Thunderbolt storage drives to strike later in 2013

Intel’s high speed Thunderbolt interconnect technology, found primarily on Apple’s side of the computing fence, enjoyed a big week at the National Association of Broadcasters Show in Las Vegas. As the push for higher-resolution video continues to grow, so do the file sizes, making the need for faster sustainable throughput ever greater.

Dealing with junk mail

Technology is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it allows for wonderful means of communication—free voice and video calls, no-cost text messaging, and the ability to share your life with thousands of strangers you can call friends.

Mind over matter: Researchers turning thoughts into passwords

In the not-crazy-distant future, instead of using a password to navigate our digital lives, we may be able to think our way into our various online services and ever-growing array of digital whatnots.

The seven best OS X tricks you're not using

It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it: find overlooked OS X tricks. Sometimes I hunt for them; sometimes I just run across them. Here’s a collection that I bet includes items you’ve missed, too.

Much faster USB transfer speeds in the works

PCs and mobile devices connected to peripherals via USB ports will in the future be able to transfer data at twice the speed possible today.

Want Microsoft Office on iOS or Android? You may be waiting until 2014

Microsoft is making a big mistake. Assuming the leaked Office 'Gemini' roadmap is both legitimate and accurate, it appears that neither Outlook RT nor Office for iOS and Android will arrive any time soon. By the time they do, it’s possible nobody will care.

6 killer Mac features we'd love to see in Windows PCs

Even if the grass isn't greener on the other side of the fence, there's nothing wrong with tossing the occasional glance at your neighbor's fetching petunia patch. What, weak metaphorical analogies aren't your thing? Let's start again then.

Intel doubles speed of Thunderbolt interconnect

Intel has doubled the speed of the Thunderbolt data transfer technology, which will soon shuttle data between host computers like Macs and peripherals at a rate of 20 gbps (gigabits per second).

Mobile browsing focus gives Apple an edge over Mozilla

The trend toward browsing from phones and tablets has helped some browser makers, dramatically in one case, but hurt others in the battle for usage share, data from a metrics firm showed.

Chinese authorities vow to watch Apple despite apology

Apple may have apologized to Chinese consumers over its warranty policies, but regulators in the country signaled they would keep a close eye on the U.S. tech giant and its approach to customer service.

Sneaky malware hides behind mouse movement

Researchers from security vendor FireEye have uncovered a new advanced persistent threat (APT) that uses multiple detection evasion techniques, including the monitoring of mouse clicks, to determine active human interaction with the infected computer.

Microsoft: No more support for 'Office for Mac 2008'

Microsoft has reminded customers running Office for Mac 2008 that support for the suite ends next Tuesday.

New tech to keep your photos safe in (and from) the cloud

A modern connected life means balancing privacy with convenience.

ITC judge says Samsung infringed Apple patent on text selection

A handful of Samsung smartphones infringe an Apple patent on text selection, according to the initial determination of a U.S. International Trade Commission judge.

Adobe Flash Pro 'CS7' - codename: 'Hellcat'

Adobe's next version of Flash Pro features a redesigned interface and should run much faster too.

Google puts pressure on Microsoft, launches Quickoffice for iPhone

Google launched its Microsoft Office substitute, Quickoffice, for Apple’s iPhone, Android smartphones and Android tablets, fulfilling a promise made in December.

Cloud-based backup: Is it right for long-term storage?

Cloud-based backup services, such as Mozy, Carbonite, and IDrive, upload your files to their servers as protection against your losing the originals. This has some big advantages over a local backup. Once set up they're completely automatic. And it's extremely unlikely that the same fire or flood will destroy your computer and your backup.

Google search dominance may not last in mobile age

For more than a decade, Google has become synonymous with search. Despite Microsoft’s well-funded efforts to get users to “Bing It,” people are still “googling” with wild abandon. However, there are some signs that the company’s dominance may not extend into the mobile age.

Apple second quarter 2013 results set for Apr. 23

Fans of money, hold on to your hats. Apple has announced that its next quarterly financial conference call will be held on Tuesday, April 23, 2013 at 2 p.m. Pacific, 5 p.m. Eastern. In all likelihood, CEO Tim Cook will be joined by CFO Peter Oppenheimer, and the inscrutably terse company treasurer, Gary Wipfler, to discuss Apple’s performance in its second fiscal quarter of 2013.

Apple apologizes to China over warranty policies

Apple CEO Tim Cook apologized to Chinese consumers over concerns about its warranty policies after government-run media attacked the company for its customer service.

Patent officials reinstate three Apple patent claims

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has reinstated three claims in an Apple patent it had earlier said it was minded to reject—but not the claim involved in Apple’s $1.05 billion dollar lawsuit against Samsung, according to documents filed by Samsung with a Californian court on Monday.

U.S. patent office rebuffs Apple's iPad Mini trademark request

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has provisionally denied Apple’s trademark application for “iPad Mini” because the term is “merely descriptive” of the tablet’s size.

Storage wars heat up, as Amazon syncs Cloud Drive

Amazon is making a serious play for Dropbox and Google Drive users with a new file-syncing feature in its Cloud Drive storage service.

Trade groups look for uses for recycled CRT glass

An electronics and a recycling trade group are looking for ways to reuse recycled cathode ray tube (CRT) glass from computer monitors and television sets, with a $10,000 prize for the best proposal.

Eerie streets of abandoned Fukushima town revealed in Google Maps

The earthquake and tsunami that demolished northeastern Japan in 2011 left many thousands of its survivors cut off from their homes. But displaced residents of Namie-machi, a small town on the eastern coast of the Pacific that’s still in an exclusion zone, can now at least get a present-day glimpse of their neighborhood, thanks to Google.

Tablets may eclipse laptops in 2014, but there's no post-PC future on the horizon

After Apple launched the iPad in 2010, it didn’t take critics long to start asking if this new breed of one-panel touch tablets would kill the PC market as people opted for slates over clamshells. Now, more than three years, four iPads, and a gazillion Android tablets later, the answer to that question is finally taking shape.