Apple Number One Smartphone Vendor Again, Say Research Firms

Apple has emerged as the number one smartphone vendor worldwide in the fourth quarter of 2011, by a small margin, after losing ground to Samsung in the previous quarter, research firms Strategy Analytics and IHS iSuppli said. But the Korean giant has emerged as the market leader for the first time in 2011, the research firms said Thursday. Samsung shipped nearly 100 million smartphones during the year. Samsung had a close to 20 percent share for the year, in comparison to Apple's 19 percent share, according to Strategy Analytic.

My First Few Questions About Apple's Education News

Judging from the turnout for our live coverage of Apple’s education event–which was much sparser than for something like the iPad 2 announcement–a lot of tech enthusiasts lost interest in today’s news when they figured out that it didn’t involve any new hardware. That’s a shame. The news–a new textbook-friendly version of iBooks, a free book-creation tool called iBooks Author, and a spiffier version of the iTunes U courseware app–has as much or more potential to make its mark on the world as any new iPad or iPhone could. Everything looks really, really cool.

Analyst: Apple's e-Textbook Gambit 'Just a 70% Solution'

Apple today announced iBooks Author and iBooks 2, free applications that let educational publishers and teachers create and market K-12 textbooks and course materials for the iPad. Apple's move had been expected, what with rumors circulating earlier this month that Apple would debut an e-textbook initiative at the New York City event it hosted Thursday morning. One analyst called the announcements "a 70% solution" that could change education, if ever, only in the long run.In an hour-long presentation, Apple executives demonstrated iBooks 2 and iBooks Author, announced partnerships

Can Anyone Beat Apple at Its Own Game?

Apple's devoted customers love the company's ecosystem, which weaves the company's devices and software together with users' content almost seamlessly. That ecosystem has become the envy of some rival businesses that actually have better sales and a bigger market share than Apple does.

iPad 3 Production Begins, Report Says

Apple's manufacturing partners have begun production of the iPad 3, which will have a faster processor and work with LTE networks, a report has claimed.Bloomberg reports that production of the device began this month and will reach full volumes some time in February, according to a source.

The report, which focuses on claims made by three separate anonymous sources said to be "familiar with the product" also claims that the third-generation iPad will use a quad-core processor and support LTE (long-term evolution) networks.

Slimmer iPhone Due this Year, Analyst Says

The iPhone 5 will launch in the third quarter of 2012 and will be slimmer than current generation models, according to an analyst.Apple Insider reports that Morgan Stanley's Katy Huberty believes the next-generation iPhone will be slimmer than its predecessors due to new touch panel technology.

iPhone 4S Review: It's a Sure Thing

The initial reaction to theannouncement of the iPhone 4Swas muted.First there’s that name: It’s the old phone’s name with an S attached to it. As the iPhone 3GS taught us, adding an S to an iPhone’s name can represent numerous under-the-hood improvements, but it doesn’t send shivers down your spine like incrementing a number by one and unveiling a redesigned exterior with mind-blowing features that may or may not include anti-gravity.Apple’s never going to win a competition with the wildest imaginations of tech bloggers. But the company seems to be doing OK in the business of building phones. The iPhone 4, which remained more or less