Apple is well known for the simple, no-frills product photos that highlight its lineup of mobile devices and as it turns out, a lot of work goes into capturing those images. The Verge interviewed Peter Belanger, a photographer who has worked with Apple for years, to shed some light on Apple's creative process.

In the interview, Belanger reveals that Apple exercises extreme attention to detail when it comes to product photos, providing him with both sketches and a comprehensive shot list.

The team at Apple always has a really well developed shot list and sketches of what they need. I work with their talented art directors to translate those sketches into photos. We start by getting the position of the product and then move forward on lighting. Because Apple products have such carefully...

A German court has ruled that eight provisions in Apple's privacy policy are inapplicable because they run afoul of German consumer protection laws, reports Bloomberg.

The lawsuit, between Apple and consumer protection group Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband (VZBV), related to Apple's request of its users for 'global consent' to use customers' data.

The German court appears to have struck down blanket policies that allow Apple to share personal information with other companies or use it for advertising, regardless of what the ultimate purpose is. Instead, to comply with German law, Apple will need to be more explicit about exactly what information is being shared, and what it will be used for.
A Berlin court struck down eight of 15 provisions in Apple’s general data-use terms because they deviate too much from German laws, a...

A new milestone for Apple was reported on today. Apple has made its first foray into the top 10 of the Fortune 500 list, replacing Silicon Valley's previous top-10 tech entry, Hewlett-Packard, which fell steeply while recording the biggest loss of any company to make the list in 2013.  ...

The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 34 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In this particular report we single out a patent that generally relates to input devices and device display systems, and more particularly to invisible input systems and device display systems. The input devices and display systems may become visible when illuminated from behind through microperforated holes that are invisible to the naked eye. ...

Following a somewhat confusing report earlier this week in which NPD DisplaySearch analysts first indicated that a Retina iPad mini would not appear until the first quarter of 2014 before quickly issuing a correction stating that a third quarter refresh would bring the Retina display to the line, the firm has now told CNET that production on those Retina display panels should begin in June or July.

The timing would not be a tremendous surprise given that the firm just said that the device should begin shipping in the July-September quarter, although other sources have indicated that it may not appear until...

The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 34 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In this particular report we cover Apple's granted patent relating to iTunes for iOS based devices and specifically the upgraded "Movie" section of iTunes. The second granted patent that we highlight is Apple's iDevice magnetometer that relates to their iOS "Maps" application. To top off our report we provide with a full listing of the remaining patents that were granted to Apple today.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Adobe Systems has officially decided to pull the plug on most of their packaged-software business and double down on delivering its popular design tools through the online service ...

Earlier today, Intel announced a number of new systems coming to market later this year.

Apple is missing the opportunity to reach 2.8 billion wireless customers because of their stringent requirements around minimum purchases of iPhones and price subsidies, according to a report from Bloomberg.

In order to carry the iPhone, Apple has strict requirements for carriers. One such requirement relates to minimum purchase agreements, which regional U.S. postpaid carrier Cricket has had some trouble meeting this year.

Some smaller carriers, especially those in emerging markets, have difficulties paying the pricey subsidies that Apple's $600 iPhones require. The rumors about a cheaper, plastic iPhone could address some of...

Although Patently Apple was one of the first to report on an iPhone for emerging markets, a new report out today provides us with an understanding as to why an economical iPhone makes a lot of business sense.  ...

Fortune today released its annual "Fortune 500" list, a high-profile ranking of the largest companies in the United States ranked by revenue. In the new rankings, Apple has risen to #6 from its #17 spot in last year's rankings.Apple is bigger than ever -- the company cracked the Fortune 10 this year. But it’s a high-pressure job, being king of the hill. At Apple's press event this past October, it maintained more than disrupted with its software upgrades and iPad mini announcement. Also, this past year has seen a lot of CEO Tim Cook having to apologize -- once in September for the failure of Apple’s maps app, and then to Chinese consumers this April for slow repair services -- this in a market that Cook said this past January would be Apple'...

According to a new Chinese report this morning, Apple's noisy supply chain is at it again. The new report claims that supply chain manufacturers have begun to receive component parts for the new iPhone, supposedly named the 5S. The supply chain sources claim that it usually takes two months for the production process to reach the assembly stage for Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS) which would translate to assembling the next iPhone beginning in early July. ...

The New York Times reports that Google and its Motorola Mobility unit have been found to be abusing their patent dominance in 3G wireless networking technology by the European Commission. The ruling, which comes in the form of a preliminary finding that could lead to formal antitrust charges but has yet to do so, addresses Motorola's efforts to bar European sales of Apple's 3G mobile devices over infringement of "standards essential" patents that Motorola is required to license under reasonable terms.

Apple did briefly pull a number of devices from its German online store in February 2012, but they quickly returned...

The National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan sued Apple in 2012 claiming that Siri used on iDevices allegedly infringed on their patents. The University has now filed a second patent infringement lawsuit against Apple claiming ...

Boy, Business Insider's Jay Yarow doesn't mince his words; he really doesn't like Google Glass and goes out of his way to slap it around. In short, Yarow points out that Google Glass has terrible battery life, it's disorienting, it doesn't work in a brightly lit environments, you can't tweak any settings, the voice controls are buggy, it doesn't fold like normal glasses so storing it is awkward and the list goes on and on.

Considering that most of today's computer and mobile device parts are made in China, it comes as no surprise that Apple is quick to file design patents for their computer parts in Hong Kong and Mainland China. Today we learn that China's Hong Kong IP Office has granted Apple ten design patents covering components such as the Retina iPad display, the MacBook Pro's cooling fan and much more.

According to a new report from media research firm TDG (via GigaOM) 14% of households with broadband internet owned an Apple TV, Roku box, or similar streaming platform during a study in 2012.

While that sounds like an impressive number, Smart TVs have been slowly taking over the connected TV market. 25% of households owned a smart TV that comes equipped with apps, such as those offered by manufacturers like Samsung and LG.

Smart TV adoption grew from 12% in 2011 to 25% in 2012, while connected set top box adoption grew just two percentage points year over year. While not all Smart TV owners use the "smart" capabilities, 69% of users surveyed connected their Smart TVs to the Internet, indicating that roughly two thirds of Smart TV owners take advantage of the TV's...

Attention to all U.S. iPhone owners: HTC wants your business. If you switch and buy their new HTC One smartphone by Sunday May fifth, HTC will reimburse you ...

As part of its quarterly earnings release today, U.S. Cellular announced that it will begin carrying Apple products later this year, although the carrier offered no additional details on its plans."We have a number of strategies in progress to increase loyalty and attract more customers, including our announcement today that we will begin offering Apple products later this year. By further strengthening our device portfolio, we'll give consumers another great reason to switch to U.S. Cellular, and enable our existing customers to choose from an even wider variety of iconic smartphones, and enjoy the outstanding U.S. Cellular customer experiences they deserve. Our smartphone penetration is currently 43 percent of core market customers and growing quickly. We believe there will be strong, ongoing demand for smartphones and data products and services from our customers, and we have...

According to a new DigiTimes report this morning, new rumors have surfaced that Apple is on tap to test market a new low-cost iPhone later this year. The report states that "Apple plans to launch an inexpensive model targeting emerging markets with initial quarterly shipments of only 2.5-3.0 million units to test market response." Although this rumor sounds interesting, it doesn't sound like it's a move that Apple would ever make.

After Google Now was added to the Google Search app last week, many users began complaining that the app was draining battery by constantly accessing the iPhone’s Location Services.

According to a Google employee who posted on the Macworld forum (via The Next Web), Google Now does not excessively drain battery, despite the fact that the app often causes the Location Services icon to remain active.Hi there,
I’m with Google and wanted to address this issue:
Reports that Google Now on iOS drains battery life are incorrect. We understand people’s concern about seeing the Location Services icon...

Apple today released a minor iOS 6.1.4 update, bringing an updated audio profile for speakerphone. The new version, which arrives as Build 10B350, appears to only be for the iPhone 5.

The update did not involve a beta testing period for developers and follows the release of iOS 6.1.3 in mid-March.

Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
• Blockbuster Launches On Demand App for iOS
• Acorn 4 Image Editor Adds Improved Speed, Enhanced User Interface and More
• Kindle App for iOS Updated with New Accessibility...

On May 2, 2013, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that may be revealing an update to iPhoto for iDevices. Apple states that their invention relates to performing on-screen image adjustments, for example, to adjust colors of photos by using color control tools overlaid on the digital images to be adjusted. It's difficult to assess if today's patent revelations cover the current version of iPhoto for iDevices or a possible upgrade. The patent graphics don't reflect the current tools. If you're a camera buff who uses an iDevice for your snapshots, then you may want to check this patent filing out to see if Apple is going to add any new tools that you've been hoping for. ...

CNET reports on a sneak peek from Adobe product manager Tom Hogarty showing off the company's concept for Lightroom-style photo editing on the iPad. The app would rely on cloud-based connections to serve as a companion app to the full Lightroom software, but offer a number of higher-end features for on-the-go photo editing.

He wouldn't promise when the app would ship or what exactly it would do, but he did demonstrate some features of the prototype software running on an iPad 2. He also offered several details about its features:

- The ability to edit photos taken in raw photo formats, including Lightroom develop-module parameters like exposure, clarity, shadows, highlights, and white balance.

- Cloud-synchronized editing so that changes made on a tablet arrive on the same photo on the PC.

- The ability to zoom all the way to 100...

Apple has added new storage options to its iMac lineup, allowing users to choose either a 256 GB or 512 GB flash storage drive as part of the order customization process. The new options are available as $300 and $600 surcharges respectively to replace the 1 TB traditional hard drive that is standard across all iMac models.

Previously, the 21.5-inch iMac had not been available with dedicated flash storage options, only offering the standard 1 TB traditional hard drive and a $250 Fusion Drive option. Apple's Fusion Drive marries a 128 GB flash drive with a 1 TB traditional hard drive to seamlessly provide fast access to most-used files while also offering relatively cheap mass storage for the remainder of the user's storage needs. Those options remain available, but for those looking for an all-flash storage solution, Apple is now offering that in 256 and 512 GB capacities.

For the 27-inch iMac, Apple did previously offer an all-flash storage solution, but only as...

Renowned Apple journalist Jim Dalrymple has confirmed earlier reports that Apple has pulled engineers off OS X 10.9 to in order finish iOS 7 on time with a one word post:
Yep.Jim Dalrymple (right) with rock guitarist Slash
A report from AllThingsD earlier today said that Apple was in a repeat of the scenario from 2007 wherein the company pulled engineers off the development of OS X Leopard to work on the first iPhone.

Apple sources told ATD that it's "not as much of a fire drill" and that iOS 7 "will ship on time". Apple hasn't actually announced a...

In March we reported that US Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Laporte has ordered Apple and Amazon to convene on March 21 with their respective legal teams to settle the former's trademark infringement suit against the latter over its use of the term "app store." If not, the trial will begin in August. Well it's May and so off to court they go as there's been no news of a settlement. At one point Nokia and Microsoft were opposing the same trademark as well. Back in 2011 RIM made it known that they were opposed to Apple's WebKit Trademark and lost. And over the years the Android crowd have screamed bloody murder over various trademarks that Apple has tried to trademark, ranting that Apple had no right to trademark simple English words. Well, what will these very same Androiders now say when they discover that their beloved Google is doing the very same thing?...

Under the direction of Jony Ive, who took charge of Apple's user interface teams last October, iOS 7's redesign is said to be "flatter" with fewer skeuomorphic design cues and an interface that focuses on simplicity.

Skeuomorphism, a real-world design concept that was favored by former Apple senior vice president of iOS software Scott Forstall, is found in many of Apple's default iOS apps. For example, apps like Notes and Find My Friends both feature leather design accents and Game Center offers up a felt pool table texture. These are all elements that are expected to be removed in iOS...

Research firm IDC today announced its preliminary estimates of worldwide tablet shipments for the first quarter of 2013, finding that Apple's share of the market continues to slide as competitors begin to gain footholds in the market, although the firm notes that Apple did exceed expectations. Apple held a 39.6% share of the market for quarter, compared to 43.6% in the previous quarter and a 58.2% share in the year-ago quarter.

Worldwide Tablet Shipments in 1Q13 in Millions of Units (Source: IDC)Apple outperformed IDC's most recent projections for the quarter, shipping 19.5 million units compared to a forecast of 18.7 million units. The company, which historically has experienced a steep drop off in first quarter shipments (following strong holiday sales in the fourth quarter), saw some...

As highlighted by The Next Web, security firm Trend Micro yesterday outlined a new phishing scam that has seen the perpetrators compromise over 100 sites in their attempts to gain access to users' Apple ID accounts. While Apple IDs are relatively popular targets for phishing scams, Trend Micro's analysis offers some interesting detail on the approaches used by the criminals.We’ve identified a total of 110 compromised sites, all of hosted at the IP address 70.86.13.17, which is registered to an ISP in the Houston area. Almost all of these sites have not been cleaned. [...]

We’ve seen attacks targeting not only American users, but also British and French users. Some versions of this...

The International Financial Review reports that Apple wowed the debt markets on Tuesday with the largest non-bank bond deal in history, offering a whopping US$17bn for sale as the US computer giant switches strategy to placate restless shareholders.  ...

Three brothers living in Texas who own a 2002 patent titled "Communication and proximity Authorization Systems," are suing Apple ...   ...

Following up on yesterday's initial filing from Apple addressing the company's efforts to issue a bond offering to raise cash in support of its stock buyback program, the company today filed a prospectus with the Securities and Exchange Commission outlining its general plans, which include six different chunks of debt with staggered maturities. The Wall Street Journal has more on Apple's prospectus and other details being revealed in one-on-one meetings with potential investors:The Apple deal comprises six chunks of debt, according to a regulatory filing from the company...

The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 43 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In this particular report we briefly cover two granted patents. The first relates to a multitouch display while the second relates to automatically installing software for transferring and sharing photos. The later appears to be one the first patents that Apple acquired from Kodak. ...

In a new patent filing from Samsung we learn that they're trying to patent a shadow effect for turning an eBook page. Androiders love to complain and rant about what they perceive to be Apple's frivolous patent filings. I say to them,  ...

Echoing recent reports about a redesigned 'flatter' user interface in iOS 7, 9to5Mac says the next version of the operating system will lose "all signs of gloss, shine and skeuomorphism".

Jony Ive took charge of all Apple's user interface teams last October following a management shakeup.
While the look of the updated system may be surprising to some, iOS 7 is reportedly not more difficult to use than earlier versions of software platform. There is apparently no new learning curve in the same way there was no learning curve when the iPods went color. While iOS 7 does look different, its core apps and system fundamentals (like the Lock and Home screens) mostly operate in a...

Ahead of last week's earnings release, Apple announced that it would more than double its capital return program from $45 billion to $100 billion, with a 15 percent increase in dividend payments and a massive stock buyback initiative.

To facilitate the expanded capital return program, which will amount to a share repurchase of $60 billion, Apple must take on debt, a process that the company initiated today. According to Reuters, Apple has begun investor calls, led by both Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs, and it has filed the necessary...

As tablet players are turning their focuses from the 10-inch segment to 7-inch for the second half of 2013, sources from the upstream supply chain believe the competition between Apple iPad mini and 7-inch Android tablets will become fiercer than before.  ...

9to5Mac shares some details on Apple's upcoming OS X 10.9 operating system, noting that the update will focus in large part on "power-user" features while also incorporating a few more concepts from the company's iOS operating system. Among the enhancements said to be included in OS X 10.9, codenamed "Cabaret":

- New tabbed browsing and tags in Finder
- Redesigned backend for Safari to bring "improved page loading, speed, and efficiency"
- Ability to keep a dedicated Space or full-screen app open on a single monitor within a multiple monitor setup

On the user interface side, the report suggests that there will be some changes, but that they "will not be drastic ones". As part of a ...

Tech columnist David Pogue shares ten simple, clever tips for computer, web, smartphone and camera users in a brief six minute video. While you may know some of these tricks, there's probably one or two you don't.   ...