If you're a die-hard Apple fan -- and who reading MacLife.com isn't? -- you'll want to read an opinion piece published on The Guardian this week, which puts forth the theory that Apple may have hit its peak this year and it could all be downhill from here. Did that pique your interest? Then read on to find out more about it in our overnight recap.
The Verge filed an exclusive report Wednesday to confirm that yes, Virginia, there really is a Microsoft Office app for both iOS and Android, and it's coming in early 2013. Apparently the apps will be free for viewing Office documents on the go, with a Microsoft account required to gain entry to them. In order to unlock editing features, users will need an Office 365 subscription, but the report notes that only "basic editing" will be included. The iOS version is expected first around late February or early March, with the Android version bringing up the rear in May. Oh, and they've got the screenshots to pretty much prove it, too...
As Apple die-hards, we'd be lying if we didn't admit to wondering when this crazy jet-fueled trajectory the company has been on the last few years is going to finally sputter out. After all, what goes up must come down, right? Former Apple engineer Dan Crow apparently wonders the same thing, and has published an op/ed in The Guardian on Wednesday that details why he thinks Cupertino may be headed for an eventual fall. Crow points to the iOS 6 Maps debacle and the recent ousting of VPs Scott Forstall and John Browett as evidence, with "Apple's peak of creativity, innovation and leadership" having ended earlier this year. While Crow claims it's all downhill from here, he stresses that he doesn't see the company falling from grace quite as dramatically as Nokia or RIM have. What do you think, dear reader? Has Apple hit its peak?
First noted by TechCrunch on Wednesday, DC Comics has announced a new digital initiative, bringing its monthly comics onto iBookstore, Kindle and NOOK storefronts for the first time. The move essentially sidesteps comic-only e-tailers such as the ComiXology app, as well as DC's own offering based on it. The publisher notes that digital comic sales are up 197 percent year-over-year, not particularly surprising given the company's shift last year to day and date digital releases in step with the print editions. Ironically, the print editions are actually up 12 percent during the same period -- so much for the idea that digital is killing the dead tree model.
Apple has once again updated its Apple Store app on Wednesday and while there's still no native iPad support (seriously, Apple… what gives?), the version 2.4 release does offer a few compelling new treats. First up is Siri, who can now help users find prices or shop for Apple products on compatible devices. The app also enables customers to buy new gift cards and email them to loved ones, who can then add them to their own iOS 6 Passbook app, making it easier to flash them on their next retail store visit.
Research in Motion is still a few months away from shipping its BlackBerry 10 smartphones, but a report from BGR reveals it may already be too late. Pacific Crest Securities analyst James Faucette issued a note to investors on Wednesday touting Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 as a more appealing platform than BlackBerry, essentially predicting RIM's new entry will be dead on arrival. “We believe BB10 is likely to be DOA,” Faucette said. “We expect the new OS to be met with a lukewarm response at best and ultimately likely to fail.” RIM's last stand is expected sometime in the first quarter of 2013.
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(Image courtesy of The Verge)
