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Apple yesterday widened the reach of its popular online App Store to an additional 32 markets.

Citing an e-mail sent to registered iOS and Mac developers last night, 9to5Mac said that the new markets are mostly in Africa, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region.

The App Store expansion follows an announcement by Apple CEO Tim Cook at last week's Worldwide Developers Conference that the online store would branch out to the 32 new markets, adding up to 155 regions across the world.

The 32 new areas: Albania, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Chad, Congo, Fiji, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Kyrgyzstan, … Read more

Apple's iOS 6 software development kit comes with a new Auto Layout feature. And now, some are wondering whether that indicates Apple will be launching a new iPhone this year with a larger screen.

Auto Layout essentially allows developers to establish parameters for how user interface elements show up on a screen. Depending on a device's resolution, those elements will move to their correct place, based on the parameters established by the developer.

TechCrunch yesterday asked whether that feature indicates an iPhone with a larger display will launch soon. The blog said that it spoke with one developer … Read more

We knew new MacBooks were on their way sooner or later, and anyone who held back to buy a new model (myself included) found themselves rewarded with an across-the-board set of updates.

I had my own wish list for what I wanted to see in the next MacBook, and surprisingly, many of my requests were met...in the Retina Display MacBook Pro.

Aside from that exciting and extremely expensive $2,199 machine, however, Apple's new lineup of MacBooks doesn't differ all that much from last year's lineup. Unless you want to spend north of $2,000, your Apple upgrade path for laptops involves choosing either an Air or a thicker Pro.

The future of Apple's MacBook Pros looks to reside in that newly designed Retina Display model, whether you like it or not. If that's the case -- and in the future these redesigned Pros become the core of Apple's product line -- here's what I'd want to see.… Read more

The upgradable computer is under attack.

In case you haven't noticed, Apple and every other first-tier PC maker on the planet are pushing thin laptops, not to mention even thinner tablets. Problem is, really thin computers are, by design, "sealed." That means, fewer and fewer upgradable computers.

In fact, these days the only chance you'll have to upgrade most ultrabooks and MacBooks is when you order them online. After that, you're stuck with the configuration.

As is the case with the Retina MacBook Pro. "Unlike previous generations of MacBook Pros, the MacBook Pro with … Read more

Among the deluge of new features Apple talked up in the keynote for WWDC, integrating Siri with cars, in conjunction with automakers such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Honda, and GM, generated a lot of buzz. Siri has proved a popular voice command feature in the latest iOS, and so naturally users would want that functionality integrated into their cars.

But, knowing how the auto industry works, I was skeptical about a number of aspects of this announcement. I could not believe automakers would actually put dedicated buttons just for Siri in their cars. They would also not necessarily want to … Read more

Another year, another WWDC keynote in the bag.

In case you missed it, Apple this week refreshed its notebook lineup, priced OS X Mountain Lion, and took the wraps off iOS 6, which will be released in the fall. There were other things, of course, but those three were the biggies.

Now that the dust has cleared, it's a good time to look back at the top rumors that made the rounds ahead of the event, and see how they panned out.

Rumor: MacBooks with "Retina" displays The so-called Retina Display is a marketing term for … Read more

Amid much back-and-forth this week on the future of Apple's Mac Pro, iMac, and Mac Mini desktops, it seems worth recapping what we know for sure, as well as what we don't.

Fact: Apple updated the Mac Pro on Monday, albeit with a minor CPU tweak.

Shortly after the end of Apple's World Wide Developer's Conference keynote speech, Apple added its new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops to its online store. Above each laptop's picture, you will still find a little "new" icon, indicating the updated systems. Surprisingly, the Mac Pro also … Read more

Following the release and immediate availability of the next-generation Retina MacBook Pro at the WWDC 2012 keynote address, the folks over at iFixIt jumped on the opportunity to take it apart and see exactly what makes this new computer tick. While the MacBook Pro contains some new and convenient features, Apple's approach for it has left out many user serviceable options and made it the least fixable MacBook Pro that Apple has ever made.

A welcome feature of the new MacBook Pro is, of course, its high-quality display, but in addition Apple has included some other neat features. The … Read more

That new Retina MacBook Pro is a radical design. Apple's new TV ad doesn't want you to forget that.

The commercial, with a voiceover by Peter Coyote, seems effective in getting across the idea that Apple has fused the eye-popping Retina Display with an "impossibly thin" chassis.

And -- if the ad is indeed an accurate representation -- shows that the 15.4-inch IPS display has pretty decent viewing angles, which is IPS tech's calling card.

It will be interesting to see how many of the $2,200-and-up laptops Apple sells. Will it be just … Read more