HTC chief executive Peter Chou said his company ‘disagrees with Apple’s actions’, without providing any specific information. “HTC disagrees with Apple’s actions and will fully defend itself. HTC strongly advocates intellectual property protection and will continue to respect other innovators and their technologies as we have always done, but we will continue to embrace competition through our own innovation as a healthy way for consumers to get the best mobile experience possible,” said Peter Chou, chief executive officer, HTC Corporation. Apple sued HTC for infringing 20 of its patents, including the iPhone‘s two-finger screen recognition. HTC is a close Google ally as several of its phones uses the software giant’s Android mobile OS. The suit against HTC is thought to be a warning to competitors that the company is ready to vigorously defend itself in the smartphone market. Some also see it as an indirect attack on Google.

Amazon has released Kindle for Mac beta, an application allowing users to read over 450,000 Kindle books on Mac OS X. “Kindle for Mac is the perfect companion application for customers who own a Kindle or Kindle DX,” said Jay Marine, director, Amazon Kindle. “For those customers around the world who don’t yet have a Kindle, Kindle for Mac is a great way to instantly access and read the most popular new releases as well as their old favorites.” Kindle for Mac is a free application that lets Mac users read Kindle-formatted eBooks without using the Kindle device. For existing Kindle users, this application will sync the last page read and annotations.

The music industry has unequivocally shifted in recent years from physical retail outlets to digital stores such as iTunes. CD sellers have witnessed a sharp decline in revenue as customers increasingly opt for a single-song purchases (if they pay for music at all) as opposed to buying full albums. Universal Music Group announced today that it will attempt to revive the languishing market for music hardware in the U.S. by offering CDs for between $6 and $10. According to Billboard.biz, CD sales were down 19.7% in 2008, 18.2% in 2009, and are down 15.4% so far this year. 706.3 million CDs were sold in 2000, compared to 360.6 million in 2008. Called the Velocity program, Universal’s new strategy would rely on volume to offset the lower price points. This new format could result in physical albums becoming less expensive than the digital ones offered by online music stores like iTunes. “We are happy to see that a major music vendor has made a decision to lower his price substantially,...

Patently Apple points to a patent application from Apple published today addressing technology to allow users at large events such as concerts, tradeshows, and rallies to utilize their mobile devices to automatically create social networking groups b...

As Rumors has previously reported, a new generation of 32-nanometer Intel chips (Arrandale for mobile, Gulftown/Westmere-EP on the desktop) are ready for Apple to build several new Macs around. Several factors have kept Apple from being the first to adopt these chips, but sources now report that the time for their announcement is approaching.

Apple today released iPhone SDK 3.2 Beta 5 via the Phone Dev Center. The update comes only eight days after the previous release, a departure from Apple's trend of biweekly revisions. We have yet to hear about any significant ...

Apple is banning the sale of film-based screen protectors for the iPhone, iPod, and Mac lines in its retail and online stores, according to iLounge. In communications with vendors that have been ongoing for “some time now,” according to one company, Apple has said that it will remove both film-only solutions from its stores, as well as any case or other accessory that includes film protection as part of its package, such as cases that include film screen protectors. According to sources, the ban will impact all forms of screen film, including completely clear film, anti-glare film, and mirrored film, regardless of whether the purpose of the film is protective, decorative, or both. It will also prevent sales of film for iPods, iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers. The reason for this move is unknown at this time, although some speculate the ban will serve to reduce the impression that these products are necessary due to the devices’ screens poor durability. Another conjecture is that the...

Dr. Daniel Low of the Royal United Hospital in Bath, England has developed a free iPhone application that provides step-by-step intructions for resuscitating people experiencing cardiac arrest. The app, iResus has been available through the App Store for three weeks and has been downloaded more than 5,000 times. The application provides medical professionals and the general public with on-screen guidance for emergency procedures like chest compressions and the “kiss of life” for a person having a heart attack. “Even though doctors and nurses are trained to deal with someone having a cardiac arrest, it’s not a situation they face every day,” says Dr. Low, according to The Mirror. “I thought both medics and patients would benefit from an application such as this.”

Apple today sent an e-mail to users of its iWork.com beta announcing several enhancements involving document sharing and access to the service from the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. - Share documents on websites and social net...

Intel today announced the launch of its new Xeon 5600 series processors, bringing to market a number of new four-core and six-core processors that Apple could choose to utilize in an update to its Mac Pro...

MediaMemo reports that National Public Radio and The Wall Street Journal are preparing to roll out iPad-optimized versions of their websites as the device launches in the U.S. on April 3rd. Similar to si...

9 to 5 Mac noticed yesterday that shipping windows for several of Apple's forthcoming iPad accessories have begun to slip well past the device's own April 3rd launch date. First we noticed the iPad case making a slight shift f...

The Wall Street Journal over the weekend profiled iPhone usage among employees of Apple's longtime rival Microsoft, noting that approximately 10,000 Microsoft employees, representing about 10% of the comp...

Apple today filed a Form 8-K submission with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission disclosing a bonus of $5 million and 75,000 shares of Apple stock paid to Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook in recog...

MacDailyNews notes that multiple iPad customers who placed pre-orders for Wi-Fi iPad models and are looking to change those orders to in-store pickup reservations have been told by Apple representatives that customer response to the iPad has ...

Cupertino’s latest creation, which will be in stores April 3rd, can be pre-ordered from Apple.com as of 8:30 EST this morning. Pre orders of the iPad, Apple’s most recent category of devices, are limited to two per customer and include the WiFi and 3G models. To win a free iPad, follow the LOOPRumors twitter feed and enter the contest at http://www.twitter.com/looprumors.

As information on the iPad continues to spill out from Apple in the wake of the launch of pre-orders in the U.S., more screenshots and feature information on iWork applications for the iPad have surfaced on Apple's site. Announced alongside the iPad...

iBooks Application in Landscape Orientation Apple has augmented its iPad "Features" section with a new page devoted to its iBooks application. Initially available only in the U.S., the iBooks application will be available in the App S...

With today's launch of iPad pre-orders in the U.S., Apple has also released additional information about the device and associated services. While 3G-capable models of the iPad will not be available until late April, Apple has provided an overview o...

Apple today released Safari 4.0.5 for Mac and Windows, bringing a number of enhancements to Apple's Internet browser application. This update is recommended for all Safari users and includ...

Consumer Reports yesterday announced the release of new ratings of computer tech support ratings for both laptops and desktop, and while the full details are restricted to subscribers, CNET reveals that A...

Wealth accumulated largeley through investments in Pixar and Apple has made Apple co-founder and CEO Steven P. Jobs the 136th richest human being on the planet, according to Forbes. At 55, the American entrepreneur has a net worth estimated at 5.5 billion dollars. Bill Gates is currently ranked second on Forbes’ list of wealthiest billionaires, having been recently dispelled from his top spot by Mexican wireless mogul Carlos Slim. Jobs is credited with revolutionizing the music industry with the iPod and iTunes Store and was also named “CEO of the Decade” by Fortune magazine. AP Photo

Data from marketing research company ComScore indicates that Apple has remained in second place for smartphone subscriber share in the U.S. with 25.1% of the market as of January 2010. Apple’s iPhone has more subscribers than devices on platforms from Microsoft, Google, and Palm. Blackberry maker Research in Motion holds the top spot with 43% of the market.

BBC News reports that Pink Floyd has won a legal battle with its record label EMI over whether the label should be allowed to distribute digital versions of the band's material on a track-by-track basis a...

Apple, AT&T, Research in Motion and several other firms are being sued by a Texas-based SmartPhone Technologies. The company accuses Apple’s iPhone of violating six of its patents, particularly ones related to Bluetooth connectivity, e-mail syncing and bandwidth conservation, AppleInsider reports. The suit asks the court to find all of the named parties in violation of their respective patents, and seeks damages, costs and expenses from all of them. SmartPhone did not specify damages, but requested a jury trial in the Eastern District of Texas, where patent lawsuits are often filed in hopes of a favorable outcome. LG, Motorola, Samsung and Sanyo were also among the corporations listed in the suit.

ZDNet reports that it has received information from tipsters claiming that Apple will release new Mac Pro models next Tuesday, adding a hexacore Core i7-based model to its lineup. I'm gett...

A spokesman for the British division of O2 tells MacNN that the ”video calls” reference in the features list for iPhone plans seen on the company’s website recently was a mistake. “The iPhone section of our website states video calling is charged at the same price as voice calls,” says the spokesman. “We can confirm that this was listed in error. We will be amending our website shortly to clarify this and would like to apologise for any confusion caused.”

Fortune reports on a new research note from Oppenhiemer & Co.'s Yair Reiner claiming that Apple in January began high-level talks with major phone manufacturers expressing its displeasure with what it con...

Apple today released iPhone SDK 3.2 Beta 4 via the iPhone Dev Center, offering developers updated tools for building applications for the iPad. The last update to the SDK was issued two weeks ago, continuing a trend of biweekly revisions.

A few times a year, MacRumors partners with MacHeist to promote their Mac application bundle deal. Their latest bundle delivers at least eight Mac applications for $19.95 (over $280 value if all purchased separately) including: ...

The annual Game Developers Conference is taking place this week with heavy importance given to the iPhone OS platform. GCD traditionally invited thousands of game developers to a two to four day summit consisting of panels and sessions, including GDC Mobile, which dealt with all mobile and handheld devices. Realizing the iPhone OS platform’s meteoric rise, the GDC board has now decided to conduct the iPhone Games summit on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week in San Francisco. Sessions will include: - How to keep your game on top of the charts - Fastest path from concept to Top Paid - A big dash of success: how to capture the female iPhone gamer The release of the long-awaited iPad tablet device on April 3 will surely provide further spark to gaming on the iPhone OS.

For the first time ever iPhone users can enjoy the NCAA tournament live through AT&T’s 3G network. The latest version of the CBS March Madness application, expected to be released today through iTunes for $9.99, will stream games live anywhere with AT&T 3G coverage. The application will provide live radio broadcasts, overtime and potential upset alerts, and an interactive tournament bracket with real-time scores. The 2009 version of the March Madness app offered live streaming video and audio of all 63 games in the tournament but only in areas with WiFi. “Last year, we were the first to do a live sporting event with the March Madness app, and since then the appetite for video and live video has grown massively for us…We one-upped ourselves,” said GM of CBS Mobile Rob Gelick, according to paidContent.org. “Now people can stay connected regardless of where they are.” While CBS plans to offer a free, limited version of the app for the Blackberry, the iPhone will offer complete...

The “key features” list for the iPhone plan offered by O2’s British division seems to provide evidence that video conferencing will be a feature of the next-generation iPhone. The list of features indicates that “UK video calls” will cost iPhone users on O2’s British network the “same as voice calls” or “20p/min.” Redmond Pie reports that in addition to a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash and a faster processor, the iPhone 4G could likely support video calling. The latest version of Apple’s iconic smartphone is expected to be announced at the World Wide Developer’s Conference this June.

Apple today announced that its magical and revolutionary iPad will be available in the US on Saturday, April 3, for Wi-Fi models and in late April for Wi-Fi + 3G models. In addition, all models of iPad will be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK in late April. Beginning a week from today, on March 12, US customers can pre-order both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models from Apple’s online store (http://www.apple.com) or reserve a Wi-Fi model to pick up on Saturday, April 3, at an Apple retail store. “iPad is something completely new,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We’re excited for customers to get their hands on this magical and revolutionary product and connect with their apps and content in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before.” Starting at just $499, iPad lets users browse the web, read and send email, enjoy and share photos, watch videos, listen to music, play games, read ebooks and much more. iPad is just 0.5...