If you close your eyes and believe there will one day be a Microsoft Office for iOS, you might find yourself looking at any number of leaks that appear to already confirm its existence. Say, there's one right here in today's overnight recap, along with a report on how Apple and Microsoft appear to be tangling over SkyDrive in-app subscriptions. Ready to find out more? Then let's get started...
An iOS version of Microsoft Office appears to be more a matter of when rather than if it actually exists, and the gang in Redmond can't seem to keep a lid on it no matter what they do. MacRumors reported Monday that yet another bit of evidence has surfaced, with references to "Office Mobile for iPhone," "Excel for iPad" and "PowerPoint for iPad" turning up on a French support site. Of course, given the separate bit of news to follow about Microsoft tangling with Apple over SkyDrive subscription fees, we may have a long wait ahead of us before Office for iOS becomes a reality...
The Guardian is reporting that Apple has moved quickly to address the incorrect map data we reported about on Monday which caused Australian drivers heading to the Victorian town of Mildura to become "hopelessly lost in the bush in scorching temperatures" instead. Although the goof made headlines worldwide on Monday, authorities have confessed that there are only four documented cases of Apple's iOS 6-based Maps app sending drivers off the beaten path -- not exactly an epidemic, but good to see that Apple was able to quickly address the situation, even though the PR damage has been done.
The Next Web is reporting that Microsoft and Apple have locked horns over the SkyDrive for iOS app, and specifically Cupertino's requirement that storage subscriptions purchased in-app. Like with any app that offers an in-app subscription, Apple collects 30 percent of the take from SkyDrive users who choose to pay for additional storage, but Microsoft appears to be balking at the fact that the 30 percent fee applies for the life of that customer -- even if they stop using an iOS device. This tangle is holding up not only critical bug fixes to the SkyDrive app, but also affecting third-party apps that tie into its API, causing them to be rejected by the App Store because a sign-up page appears during Windows Live login. Curiously, Microsoft is said to have offered a compromise other developers have successfully used -- removing the paid subscription options entirely -- which Apple reportedly refused.
Now that T-Mobile USA has announced it's getting the iPhone next year, it should come as a surprise to no one that the company is ramping up its spectrum refarming efforts, which will bring 4G service to Apple handset owners. The latest blog post has announced enhanced coverage for Atlanta, Seattle, Minneapolis and surrounding areas, as well as additional cities in the Bay Area, including Monterey, Napa, Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa. T-Mobile has announced plans to ditch subsidies on smartphones next year and will instead offer steep price drops in an effort to lure customers away from the typical "cheap phone, expensive data" they've become accustomed to from AT&T, Verizon and Sprint all these years.
Apple has released Mac mini EFI Firmware Update 1.7 for the latest and greatest model of the tiniest Mac computer. The 4.53MB download updates the EFI firmware to address "HDMI video flicker issues on Mac mini (Late 2012) computers and is recommended for all users," according to the brief Apple support note.
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