∞ Mac App Store launching in January 2011

Despite published reports to the contrary, Apple’s Mac App Store will launch in January 2011. (more…)

∞ RIM offering devs a free PlayBook for approved apps

The PlayBook hasn’t even been released and RIM is already giving it away. (more…)

∞ Steve Jobs named CEO of the decade

Apple CEO Steve Jobs on Tuesday was named MarketWatch’s CEO of the Decade for bringing Apple out of the technology doldrums and sparking a strong of hits that have made it one of the most successful companies in the world. (more…)

∞ Carriers want Apple to help pay for network upgrade

Judging from the advertisements we see, you would think wireless phone carriers are happy to have all the customers they can get. However, as new services become popular and wireless networks age, carriers are beginning to feel the strain. (more…)

∞ FiOS TV coming to the Mac and iPad

Verizon FiOS customers will soon join the ranks of Dish TV subscribers in having their service available for the Mac and iPad. Mac OS X and iOS support is on the horizon for Verizon, which will give Mac users the same functionality Windows users currently enjoy.

Bob Munge, Verizon’s FiOS top executive, added that along with its new service bundles and Apple support, the company plans to start offering live TV broadcasts to tablet devices such as the iPad, too. He warned, however, that live streaming probably wouldn’t happen before the middle of 2011 since broadcasters still have to work out licensing deals.

Verizon: FiOS TV Coming to the Mac and iPad [The Mac Observer]

∞ Report: RIM may add Android app compatibility to PlayBook

If true, a new report on Tuesday could shake-up the mobile app wars a little bit as one analyst suggests RIM may allow Android apps to run on its PlayBook tablet. (more…)

∞ World of Warcraft: Cataclysm expansion hits stores

Blizzard Entertainment has announced the release of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, a major new expansion for its popular online role playing game. It’s available now in North America, Europe, Argentina, Chile, Russia, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand, and costs $39.99. (more…)

∞ Foxconn readies iPad 2 for February delivery

Apple’s Chinese manufacturer, Foxconn Electronics, has reportedly been told to ready the iPad 2 for delivery within 100 days. (more…)

∞ Has Android stopped growing?

The mobile fight between Apple and Google has been contentious at times, but recent numbers may show that Android’s meteoric rise may be over. (more…)

∞ Consumer Reports blasts AT&T in its latest review

Those customer that have had problems with AT&T over the years may take some pleasure in Consumer Reports latest survey of wireless carriers. To say that AT&T didn’t do well would be a huge understatement. In fact, AT&T scored at the very bottom of the charts for every category but one, where it scored the second worse. (more…)

∞ iPad pummeling everything but beer sales

It’s really amazing that the iPad still has a few detractors, considering everything it’s accomplished in the short time it’s been around. (more…)

∞ New Apple signs say white iPhone 4 coming this spring

New Apple signs put up at its retail locations say the company’s long lost white iPhone 4 will be “available spring 2011.” (more…)

∞ Steve Jobs hires Norman Foster to build 'City of Apple'

After purchasing about 100 acres of land in Cupertino from HP recently, Apple has reportedly hired one of the world’s most famous architects to build the “City of Apple.” (more…)

∞ Photography for Beginners: Christmas lights and two free Olympus cameras

Far too much food, not enough time, too much traffic, too many relatives, crowded malls, dry turkey, Lumpy gravy, lousy weather. BAH! HUMBUG! (more…)

∞ Apple, publishers still at odds over magazine subscription details

Apple and magazine publishers still can’t agree on terms to get magazine subscriptions in the App Store. (more…)

∞ Apple attempts to move 12 patents in lawsuit against Motorola

It’s been widely reported, including here, that Apple has added 12 more patents to its lawsuit against Motorola, but that’s not quite the case. (more…)

∞ The case of the missing .Mac widgets

I guess you can mark this case as solved. Remember back to a time when Apple promised .Mac members additional widgets? They never came. TUAW found out why and it’s a pretty funny story. At least I had a little chuckle on a Friday afternoon. I won’t ruin the entire story, but here’s something to get you started.

At the time of the Tiger launch there was an Apple intern working with the .Mac team. The intern said he could whip up some exclusive .Mac widgets to help capitalize on the Dashboard craze and hopefully spur sales of .Mac

Solved: The case of the missing .Mac widgets [TUAW]

∞ Avoiding holiday tech scams

The holiday shopping season has arrived and while it’s good to look for the best deals available, it’s also a good time to be wary. Unfortunately during these tough times, scam artists are looking for every possible way to take your money. If you’re not familiar with some of the more popular scams, take a look at this Macworld article to refresh yourself.

The FBI, McAfee, the Better Business Bureau and F-Secure are all warning about cybercriminals who will try to take you for a ride this holiday season. Here are their most pertinent warnings and tips for staying safe.

How to avoid holiday tech scams [Macworld]

∞ FlickrExport 4 released for iPhoto, Aperture

Connected Flow on Thursday released the latest version of its iPhoto and Aperture plug-in, FlickrExport 4. (more…)

∞ 85 percent of consumers prefer iPad over Galaxy Tab

There is no doubt competition in the tablet market is going to explode, but right now, consumers overwhelmingly chose the iPad over Samsung’s Galaxy Tab in a consumer survey. (more…)

∞ Organizers of 'anti-gay' iPhone app want it back on App Store

The people behind the Manhattan Declaration iPhone app — recently called anti-gay by critics — faxed a letter to Apple CEO Steve Jobs urging him to reinstate the app to the App Store. (more…)

∞ iPad, Apple products among top gifts for top tech CEOs

Tech CEOs can have pretty much anything they want on their Christmas list, but this year one of the top items is an iPad. (more…)

∞ Universal Audio adds SSL, Studer A800, 64-bit Mac support

Universal Audio on Wednesday released a significant update to its audio software adding plug-ins for the SSL 4000 Console, the SSL G Bus Compressor, and the Studer A800 tape recorder. UA’s Mac software is also now 64-bit compatible, the company said. (more…)

∞ iMovie makes anyone a filmmaker

I am not a filmmaker. I never want to be filmmaker. I do, however, like to share videos with family and friends. You see the problem here, right? (more…)

∞ Aperture 3 workflow four times faster than Lightroom 3

Thomas Boyd has posted results of his head-to-head comparison of two pro photo cataloging applications: Apple’s Aperture 3 and Adobe’s Lightroom 3. Seeing a bias in news and blog postings trumpeting Lightroom’s supposedly superior speed, Boyd has done his own tests, and found that Aperture 3 is much, much faster, using a MacBook Pro with 8GB RAM running an SSD – a fairly representative system for a serious Mac-based professional photographer.

“The rendering performance of Lightroom was dramatically slower than Aperture. Not only was rendering slow, there was a one or two second lag between the time of pushing the right arrow button and the time it took for the next image to appear…unrendered. It was excruciatingly slow. I wasn’t prepared for that.”

Aperture 3 workflow four times faster than Adobe Lightroom 3 [MacCreate.com]

∞ Apple Global Data Center Director dies at 41

Olivier Sanche, Apple Global Data Center Director, died of a heart attack on Thanksgiving. Sanche was responsible for Apple’s $1 billion North Carolina data center, which is thought to be the backbone of the company’s future cloud business.

Sanche joined Apple in August of last year, when he began overseeing preparations for the company’s $1 billion new North Carolina data center. He has previously worked for eBay, where he managed the development and construction of that company’s Topaz center in Utah, which was recently awarded a LEED Gold certification for its environmentally sustainable design.

Apple Global Data Center Director Olivier Sanche dies at 41 [AppleInsider]

∞ iPhone, iOS 'most desired' among consumers

Apple’s iPhone and its mobile operating system iOS are the most desired smartphone and operating system among smartphone buyers, according to a new study by market research firm, Nielsen. (more…)

∞ Video: Richard Branson on iPad, Murdoch, Steve Jobs

Sir Richard Branson is one of the brightest entrepreneurs of our time and he is excited about the iPad. (more…)

∞ PC World shows desperation in anti-Apple article

There are quite a few silly articles written about Apple. Most, I leave alone, but some are so bad, they deserve a response. PC World has one of those articles today. (more…)

∞ 82 sites shutdown for copyright infringement

The U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement have been given seizure orders for 82 websites. The sites are accused of selling products that infringe copyright law. Websites include Torrent-finder.com, DVDscollection.com, Sunglasses-mall.com, and NFLjerseysupply.com.

Sites targeted by the two agencies displayed a notice on their home pages saying that ICE had seized the domain names. “Willful copyright infringement is a federal crime that carries penalties for first time offenders of up to five years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, forfeiture and restitution,” the notices read. “Intentionally and knowingly trafficking in counterfeit goods is a federal crime that carries penalties for first time offenders of up to ten years in federal prison, a $2,000,000 fine, forfeiture and restitution.”

Courts shut down 82 sites for alleged copyright violations [Macworld UK]