Could the shareholders who slashed Apple's stock price by more than 10 percent following its quarterly earnings report actually be on to something? The Register seems to think so, even if the company's profit and bottom line appear perfectly healthy from where we sit. Before you wrap up for the weekend, kick back and indulge in some other stories you might have missed on Thursday, won't you?
Twitter is taking a big step from microblogging with the introduction of Vine on Thursday. The free app helps iPhone 3GS or higher users create short, looping videos which can be instantly posted on either Twitter (duh) or Facebook, with more services promised soon. Uploads are free and unlimited, and the app helps users explore trending posts, featured hashtags and editor's picks as well as the ability to find, follow and interact with people close to you. Vine 1.0.1 is a 5.7MB download from the App Store, compatible with devices running iOS 5.0 or later.
MacRumors is reporting that unauthorized mobile phone unlocking will again become illegal in the United States on Saturday, January 26. That's when a Library of Congress Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) exemption ends, which essentially makes it illegal for anyone to unlock phones sold from that date forward. Existing devices purchased prior to January 26 will continue to be exempt, but the move is likely to put a damper on services offering unlocks for iPhone and other handsets, unless the user is eligible for a SIM unlock from their carrier.
While Apple's quarterly profits again impressed most anyone with a brain, stockholders chose to punish the company anyway. According to The Register, they may have had good reason: The report reveals that the iPhone, while popular in the U.S. and Japan, is being dwarfed by Android almost everywhere else in the world, including China, where Google's baby holds 72.5 percent of the market. Meanwhile in Europe, Microsoft actually has a fighting chance, with Windows Phone holding 13.9 percent of all smartphone sales in Italy and 5.9 percent in the U.K. just ahead of the Christmas holiday. About the only smartphone maker doing poorly is BlackBerry maker Research in Motion, who's flailing just about everywhere ahead of its next-generation platform which launches next week.
Sonic the Hedgehog lovers will soon have another hero to love with the imminent debut of Major Magnet from PagodaWest Games. Inspired by the Sonic 2 HD fan project, Major Magnet is an iOS-based 2D platformed game where the player takes direct control of the title character as they guide him from point A to point B. ts up to you to swing, toss, and boost Major Magnet through an adventure unlike any the world has seen before! To get gamers keyed up for the debut, PagodaWest has posted a coming soon teaser video to YouTube, part of the company's dedicated website to promote the upcoming launch. Check it out embedded below!
MacRumors is reporting that Stanford University is once again making its iPhone and iPad development course available via iTunes U. The class, which is free of charge, now focuses on iOS 6 development, and interested parties can actually get in on the class through Stanford's Piazza collaboration platform. Students are required to sign up by February 1, and the "Developing Apps for iPhone and iPad" class is already in progress through March 28. Classroom videos will also be made available on iTunes U.
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