Kelly Hodgkins

Apple announced CarPlay earlier this week at the Geneva Auto Show, bringing Siri-powered messaging, voice calling and streaming music to the car dashboard. Brian Lakamp, president of Digital for Clear Channel Media and Entertainment, talked with Michael Grothaus of Fast Company about iHeartRadio's experience as an early adopter of Apple's new in-car technology. iHeartRadio is an internet...

Apple may be rushing to make changes to its App Store in order to comply with an earlier FTC agreement that requires it to modify its in-app billing system, reports ZDNet. Apple has until March 31 to make the changes required by the FTC and may be trying to roll them out in the company's forthcoming iOS 7.1 update. As part of this FTC settlement, Apple must modify its billing practices to...

Shares of video and pixel processing company Pixelworks have climbed over 40 percent after the company revealed a strategic relationship with Apple that contributed significantly to the company's revenue in 2013 (Via SeekingAlpha). Pixelworks confirmed in a recent Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that Apple, along with Hitachi and NEC, each accounted for more ...

Earlier this week, Apple announced its new CarPlay technology, which opens the door for easier hands-free calling, text messaging and navigation while driving. Consumers may be enthusiastic about this in-car technology, but auto safety experts are concerned about its contribution to distracted driving, reports CNN Money. "The idea that people want to be on their phones, and therefore let's give...

CloudyTabs is a new utility for Mac owners who prefer to use Chrome or Firefox for their browser, but don't want to give up one of iCloud's useful features -- iCloud Tabs. Created by developer Josh Parnham, the open source app resides in your menu bar and lets you open your iCloud tabs in any web browser you choose. (Via MacStories) iCloud Tabs was rolled out in OS X Mountain Lion and works ...

Corning Glass senior vice president Tony Tripeny spoke critically of sapphire as a material for displays during a question and answer session at the recent Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference (Via Seeking Alpha and CNET). His responses reiterate the company's earlier opposition to sapphire crystal. Corning Gorilla Glass 2 Morgan Stanley's James Fawcett asked Tripeny about...

A Brussels judge may block access to all Apple websites in response to a complaint filed by Federal Public Service (FPS) Economy, reports Belgian newspapers (Via Tech.eu). Apple is accused of misleading consumers about warranty protections available for products purchased from Apple's retail and online stores. The complaint, filed last year, claims Apple advertises its one-year warranty...

Apple today announced the retirement of Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer will leave Apple in September of this year and will be succeeded by Luca Maestri, Apple’s vice president of Finance and corporate controller. This change in executive leadership comes one day after Goldman Sachs announced that Oppenheimer would be joining the banking firm's board of directors. “Peter...

Goldman Sachs Group today announced that Apple Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer will join the banking firm's board of directors, effective immediately. Oppenheimer will become the board's 13th director and will serve on the firm’s Audit, Risk, Compensation and Corporate Governance, Nominating and Public Responsibilities committees. “Peter’s 25 years of broad experience across...

Starting today, Apple is expanding its iPhone trade-in program to French retail stores, making France the third country to offer Apple's in-store recycling initiative. Though not publicly announced, an Apple spokesperson in France confirmed the launch to iPhoneAddicts. The program allows customers to trade-in an older iPhone at a retail store and immediately receive up to €215 ($296) in...

Apple is hiring engineers and supply chain managers for its operations in Asia as its seeks to expand and quicken the production of new and existing products, reports the Wall Street Journal. These new teams will work out of the company's main Asian campus in Shanghai, China and its office in Taipei, Taiwan. The report states that the company is hiring engineers away from HTC, Inventec and...

Apple is making it easier for developers to find the resources they need when designing their iOS apps. The company added a new "Designing Great Apps" hub to its developer website that includes both videos and documentation on iOS user interface design, transitioning to iOS 7 and more. Exceptional user experience is a hallmark of Apple, and a distinguishing feature of apps built for iOS and OS X. ...

Apple is preparing an update that will improve performance of the Touch ID sensor on its iPhone 5s handset, claims AppleInsider. Apple has tapped its AuthenTec team to eliminate "fade", a term coined to describe the increasingly erratic performance of the fingerprint sensor that is experienced by some iPhone 5s owners. After launching iPhone 5s last fall, Apple has continued to work with the...

German patent licensing company IPCom was handed a setback today when both of its patent infringement lawsuits against Apple were dismissed in a German court, reports FOSS Patents. The decisions were handed down by two different chambers within the Mannheim Regional Court. Two lawsuits against Apple, including one involving a €1.57 billion ($2.2 billion) "partial" damages claim, and one against ...

A Bitcoin-stealing trojan has been detected in downloads claiming to be cracked versions of popular Mac applications, reports security firm ESET through its We Live Security blog. The OSX/CoinThief.A malware was discovered in popular Bitcoin software earlier this month by SecureMac, but is now being used to target users of more mainstream apps. The trojan initially surfaced on open source...

Apple and Google are meeting with the European Commission to discuss concerns over in-app purchases. The two technology leaders will be asked to provide solutions that protect customers, particularly children, from errant and costly in-app purchases. Commissioner Neven Mimica, responsible for Consumer Policy said: "Consumers and in particular children need better protection against unexpected...

Apple again topped Fortune's annual list of the "World's Most Admired Companies", claiming the title for the seventh year in a row. Apple's ranking on the list was followed by Amazon, Google, Berkshire Hathaway, and Starbucks. The ranking was based on a survey taken by corporate peers including executives, directors, and industry analysts who graded each company based on key attributes...

Apple's iWatch has been rumored to include a glucose monitoring feature, but how that feature would be implemented is still unknown. One report from earlier this month indicated that a "Healthbook" app under development for iOS 8 will be able "to read glucose-related data," while another report has warned not to expect glucose sensing built directly into the initial iWatch. The two reports are...

Apple, Samsung and 19 other technology companies sent a letter to the European Union asking for limits on injunctions in patent infringement cases, reports Bloomberg. These limits would be incorporated into the future European Unitary Patent system and Unified Patent Court. The letter requests that judges in the new EU patent court be given guidance on when to issue an injunction in cases...

Walt Disney Studios launched Disney Movies Anywhere, a new online service and companion iOS app that allows you to buy Disney, Pixar, and Marvel movies and watch them across multiple devices. The service has a catalog of over 420 films, with individual movies costing $19.99 each. Powered by Disney's Keychest video-on-demand service, the Disney Movies Anywhere app lets customers browse or...