Friday Recap: Palm CEO Leaves HP, Apple Beats Samsung, T-Mobile Embraces iPhone

What a week! Apple is swimming in more cash than they know what to do with, the Macworld/iWorld show is winding down in San Francisco and the EFF is working overtime to keep jailbreaking legal. What’s that? You didn’t hear about that? Why, you’ve come to the right place, then… step right up and have a heaping handful of the best and brightest news for this Friday, January 27, 2012.

Former Palm CEO Jon Rubinstein Exits HP

The strange, twisted saga of webOS took another interesting turn today with the announcement that former Palm CEO Jon Rubinstein (pictured above) has officially left the building at HP. According to The Verge, an HP spokesperson confirmed the departure with a simple "Jon has fulfilled his commitment and we wish him well,” apparently in reference to a commitment he was tied to when HP purchased Palm in 2010. Of course, it doesn’t help that the baby he has been nurturing since its introduction in 2008 -- that being webOS and its associated Pre, Pixi and TouchPad hardware -- has been put out to pasture by HP, with webOS kicked downstairs as a curious open source project whose future is still uncertain. Rubinstein granted Verge boss Joshua Topolsky an exclusive exit interview which is worth a read for any Palm fans still lurking about.

Apple Again Ranked as World’s Largest Smartphone Vendor for Q4 2011

We can’t say we’re too shocked after seeing Cupertino’s record financial results earlier this week, but research firm Strategy Analytics today confirmed that Apple has narrowly passed Samsung as the world’s largest smartphone vendor for the last three months of 2011, with 37 million sold compared to Sammy’s 36.5 million. It’s a bit of a hollow victory, since Samsung still takes home the gold ribbon for the entire year, with 97.4 million smartphones versus Apple’s 93 million, but the better news for the industry is that global shipments are up 54 percent and a record 155 million smartphones were sold in the fourth quarter. Samsung’s market share for the year is 19.9 percent compared to Apple’s 19 percent, with Nokia in third place with 15.8 percent, having shipped 77.3 million devices during 2011.

Like Jailbreaking? Help the EFF Keep It Legal

Many of us take jailbreaking our iOS devices quite seriously, but did you know that an exception to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act that made the practice legal is about to run out? According to AppleInsider, the exception granted by the DMCA in 2010 will lapse this year, and could potentially make it a crime for users to jailbreak and unlock their devices. Crazy, right? Thankfully, The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) wants to come to the rescue and is lobbying for users to speak out and make their voices heard by the DMCA with a new “Jailbreaking Is Not A Crime” website. "The DMCA is supposed to block copyright infringement, but it's been misused to threaten tinkerers and users who just want to make their devices more secure and more functional," explains EFF Senior Staff Attorney Marcia Hofmann. "The U.S. Copyright Office should hear from concerned Americans who want to run software of their choice on the gadgets of their choice." The EFF also seeks to expand the current exception to “specifically cover tablets and videogame systems,” so hit the website and throw your hat into the ring while you still can.

Apple CEO Tim Cook Sets the Record Straight on Factory Workers

Yesterday, The New York Times published an exposé on factory conditions where Apple’s manufacturing is done in China -- and to say it didn’t paint a pretty picture is an understatement. Today, Apple CEO Tim Cook is firing back, with an email sent to Apple employees to set the record straight. According to 9to5Mac, who managed to get their hands on a copy of the email, Cook went on the offensive: “For the many hundreds of you who are based at our suppliers’ manufacturing sites around the world, or spend long stretches working there away from your families, I know you are as outraged by this as I am. For the people who aren’t as close to the supply chain, you have a right to know the facts.” Cook has good reason to be defensive about the accusations, since his former role as COO made him directly responsible for the manufacturing of Apple’s products for quite some time prior to being enlisted as Steve Jobs’ heir to the CEO throne last year.

Beginning Sunday, T-Mobile Will Heart iPhone Customers Even More

It’s no secret that there are around a million iPhone users who have chosen to unlock their handsets and hang their shingle at fourth-place carrier T-Mobile, despite the fact that their device is incapable of using the company’s 3G and faux 4G radio bands. T-Mo has quietly supported such customers, but according to TmoNews, that support will be coming out of the closet this weekend. On January 30, T-Mobile “will begin offering additional support to customers using an Apple iPhone on our network.” Such support will include “common procedures, information about feature and specifications and other basic device questions.” T-Mobile has frequently been a safe haven for customers who prefer buying an unlocked device and paying month-to-month or even prepaid, and the carrier seems quite happy to embrace those lost souls into their own bosom.

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

(Image courtesy of The Verge)

Thursday Recap: Nokia Down, AT&T Up, AJA Ships Pro Video Thunderbolt Interface

You’ve almost gotta feel bad for the tech companies who have to announce quarterly financial results in the wake of Apple’s gangbuster $46.33 billion fiscal first quarter. Case in point: Nokia, the onetime giant of the cell phone business, whose fortunes have gone the other way in the last quarter, with a $1.3 billion loss. Hang in there, Nokia… it’s almost Friday, and the weekend is sure to be kinder on you than the last three months. Meanwhile, let’s have a peek at what else is making news on this Thursday, January 26, 2012.

Nokia Q4 2011: Profits Down, More Than a Million Lumia Handsets

Just a couple of years ago, it would have been hard to imagine that cell phone giant Nokia would be playing the role of underdog. Flash forward to today, and the company is draining profit like a sieve and doesn’t have much to show for its new Windows Phone-packing Lumia line thus far. According to Engadget, Nokia racked up a mere $13.1 billion in net sales for last quarter, which is an improvement from the third quarter, but down 21 percent from the same period in 2010. All in all, the Finnish company had an operating loss of $1.3 billion for the fourth quarter -- very unfortunate, considering Apple’s gangbuster revenue announced this week. On a better news front, Nokia has now sold “well over” a million Lumia devices, those being the budget-conscious Lumia 710 and its more attractive big sister the Lumia 800, which are the first fruits of Nokia’s partnership with Microsoft to produce Windows Phone devices. Nokia also plans to break even in the first quarter of this year, which has been rumored to see the launch of its new Lumia 900 here in the U.S.

Rumor: Apple Employees To Enjoy Steep Discounts on Products

Apple CEO Tim Cook held an “all hands on deck” Town Hall meeting for employees on the company’s Cupertino campus Wednesday, a day after reporting their biggest quarter ever. While no one knows for sure what was discussed there, 9to5Mac is reporting that Apple employees may soon benefit from the company’s mountain of wealth, thanks to some new corporate discounts that will kick in this June. According to an unnamed source, Apple employees “will soon be given $500 discounts on purchases of new Macs and $250 discounts on purchases of a new iPad.” The generous discount comes with a few caveats, of course: Employees have to work for Apple for at least 90 days, and the low-priced Mac mini is excluded from the deal. Hey, you can’t expect them to just give that stuff away, can you…?

AT&T Q4: 7.6 Million iPhones Activated, Best Smartphone Quarter Ever

Apple isn’t the only company enjoying record income during the last three months of last year. According to AT&T, the telco wrapped up 2011 with their best quarter ever for mobile broadband sales, with 9.4 million smartphones sold -- and as you can imagine, most of them were iPhones. The carrier confirmed in a press release that it activated 7.6 million iPhones last quarter, a number that absolutely smokes the 4.3 million activated by competitor Verizon Wireless for the same period. AT&T also isn’t afraid to boast that it bested Verizon in iPhone activations for the entire year, with 17.5 million compared to Big Red’s mere 10.8 million. Remember all the pundits who predicted gloom and doom for Ma Bell when they finally lost iPhone exclusivity? Yeah, those were good times...

PSA: $4.99 Cydia Battery Fix for iOS 5 Does Nothing

Still having battery drain issues with your iPhone 4S or other iOS 5 device? Apple’s iOS 5.0.1 update fixed the problem for some users, and hopefully the forthcoming iOS 5.1 will take care of the rest. In the meantime, a new jailbreak-only tweak in Cydia called iOS 5 Battery Fix promises to squash the problem for good -- except it doesn’t actually do anything. According to Cult of Mac, the $4.99 app is “just a complete scam to steal your cash,” as iOS hackers Dustin Howett and Sam Binger discovered after examining the app’s code. “DHowett found that all it does is replace /System/Library/CoreServes/powerd.bundle/com.apple.SystemPowerProfileDefaults.plist,” Binger writes. “I looked for any possible impact of this. While this sounds good… we’re changing the power settings right? The reality is that it does absolutely nothing.” The report notes that the tweak isn’t malicious -- unless you consider being duped out of a $5 bill for absolutely nothing malicious, that is.

AJA’s Io XT with Thunderbolt Now Available

It’s been nearly a year since Apple introduced Thunderbolt I/O ports to the Mac, and the promised flood of new peripherals to attach to them has been slow to arrive on the market. This week, AJA has announced the availability of one such product, the company’s new Io XT. This $1495 pro video box hooks into a Thunderbolt-equipped Mac and allows complete video/audio capture and playback, supporting all of the latest codecs including Apple’s ProRes, CineForm, DVCProHD, Avid DNxHD and more. The peripheral is noteworthy as the first such solution to include dual Thunderbolt ports, which allows one for connection to the computer while the second can be used to daisy chain additional devices, including high-speed storage or even another display. AJA Io XT is now available from the company’s global network of resellers.

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

Macworld 2012: Studio Neat's Glif+ Makes Your iPhone Tripod Compatible

The Glif+ from Studio Neat is a deluxe trifecta of contraptions that keep your iPhone securely mounted to a tripod. The pack contains the original Glif, the Serif, and the Ligature. You can use the kit with a Joby Gorilla Pod or a regular tripod meant for your DSLR, or you can turn the Glif+ into its own little tripod. It's $30 for the whole package and available now on the Studio Neat site.

Hands-on with Steam's New Mobile App for iPhone

Sure, Steam's new iPhone app is still a closed beta product, but you didn't think that'd stop us from giving you a taste, did you? After using the app to spend a few quality hours chatting, reading, surfing Steam's extensive catalog for bargains, and (of course) buying a few new games, we took a break for just long enough to put together this comprehensive gallery showcasing the application's key features.

After you've taken a closer look at what the app has to offer, we're almost certain that you'll agree that for gamers, the arrival of the Steam app is long overdue and has been well worth the wait.

Wednesday Recap: PaperPort Notes, iPhone 5 Manufacturing, iOS Beats Android

Still reeling from yesterday’s blowout fiscal first quarter financial results from Apple? Then you’ll want to keep reading as we detail a few tidbits of other data culled from the company’s conference call with investors, not to mention a handful of other news that’s making the rounds in the middle of this final week of January. Ready to proceed? Then let’s get started with the latest news from Wednesday, January 25, 2012.

Notes from Apple’s Fiscal First Quarter Results

As we reported Tuesday, Apple had another of those “best quarters ever,” with $46.33 billion in revenue and a net profit of $13.06 billion. But those numbers were only the headlines, with plenty of details revealed in a conference call with investors after the news broke. Among them: Apple has 85 million iCloud customers currently signed up for the free service. The App Store continues its ascent, with 550,000 apps in total (170k specific to the iPad). The company’s “hobby” product, the Apple TV, sold another 2.8 million units during the last quarter, which puts the total for the second-generation streaming box at around 4.2 million thus far. Most curiously, Apple CEO Tim Cook claims that the iPad saw no positive or negative effect from the release of Amazon’s Kindle Fire back in November, with a record 15.4 million iPads sold during the quarter. Cook was quick to note: “People who want an iPad won't settle for a limited function tablet.”

Nuance Wants You To Talk to Its PaperPort Notes App

Siri has introduced voice-activated services to a new audience thanks to the iPhone 4S, but let’s not forget that other companies were pioneering the technology first. One of them, Nuance Communications, today announced the availability of a new free iPad app called PaperPort Notes, which takes advantage of the company’s Dragon voice recognition which allows users to take notes using only their voice. Of course, you’ll still have the option to write notes by hand or with the iPad keyboard, and you can access saved notes from cloud services including Google Docs, Box.net, Dropbox or PaperPort Anywhere. The same software is also capable of annotating and highlighting documents, combining pages from both the web or the cloud and even capturing documents with the iPad 2’s built-in camera. Files are saved in standard PDF format so they can be easily shared with others. PaperPort Notes is a free 3.5MB download available now from the App Store and requires an iPad running iOS 4.2 or later.

Rumor: iPhone 5 Ready to Manufacture, Summer Breeze A-Blowin’?

Despite Apple moving 37.04 million iPhones last quarter -- largely made up of that iPhone 4S everyone seemed so disappointed by when it was announced in October -- the rumor mill is already churning up word that another new iPhone model which could see a triumphant return for early summer. According to 9to5Mac, “a reliable source at Foxconn” claims that the elusive iPhone 5 will soon head to manufacturing, with a confusing array of sample devices floating around the plant in China. OK, so we’ll bite: What’s new? The source claims the new handset will feature a “four-plus inch display” made by LG and a new design which departs from the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S -- but not the “teardrop-shaped” version that was floating around in mockups last year. The source seems confident that Apple may unveil the iPhone 5 in time for an early summer release, but color us skeptical.

Netflix Beats the Street, But Isn’t So Cocky About It

It’s been rather quiet on the Netflix front after a tumultuous 2011 for the company, but judging from their fourth-quarter financials, it seems the choppy waters have calmed, at least for the moment. According to AllThingsD, Netflix reported revenue of $876 million and earnings of 73 cents per share, slightly higher than analysts’ expectations of $857 million and 54 cents per share. Although the company previously warned that it would be losing money in 2012, Netflix clocked in 22 million subscribers for its U.S. streaming service, 11.17 for DVD and 1.86 million internationally -- numbers that are upwards of 25 percent more than the previous year, which seems to indicate that all may be forgiven with its customers. However, the report concludes with a New York Post tidbit claiming that Amazon may soon offer “a standalone video service,” separate from its Prime-only offering today. “We expect Amazon to continue to offer their video service as a free extra with Prime domestically but also to brand their video subscription offering as a standalone service at a price less than ours,” the company explained, without going into details of how they might respond to such a threat.

Reuters Says iOS Trounced Android in Q4 2011

Apple and Google will likely be in a cat and mouse game for smartphone market share for the foreseeable future, but new research data revealed today appears to give Cupertino the upper hand -- which should be little surprise after yesterday’s financial results. According to Reuters, Apple’s U.S. smartphone market share has doubled to 44.9 percent, narrowly passing Google’s open-source Android which slipped to 44.8 percent, down from 50 percent in the previous quarter. The data comes courtesy of research firm Kantar Worldpanel Comtech, who notes that Apple’s share climb has come at the expense of handset makers Motorola, HTC and Sony Ericsson, all of whom reported lower earnings last quarter. The news also isn’t good for Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform, whose market share is below two percent in nine key markets where such data is tracked, even after the recent launch of Nokia’s much-hyped Lumia 800 in the U.K. Analyst Dominic Sunnebo still expects Windows Phone to nab “around a 10 percent share of European smartphone sales” later this year.

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

How to Remove "Other" Data from Your iPhone

When I look at my iPhone in iTunes, there is 1.6GB of space taken by “Other.” What exactly is this stuff and how can I get rid of it?

The Other space is reserved for application data and settings.

With an iOS device, the “Other” space in iTunes is used to store things like documents, settings, caches, and a few other important items. If you sync lots of documents to apps like GoodReader, DropCopy, or anything else that reads external files, your storage use can skyrocket. With iOS 5, you can see exactly which applications are taking up the most space. Just head to Settings > General > Usage, and tap the button labeled Show All Apps. The storage section will show you the app and how much storage space it is taking up. Tap on the app name to get a description of the additional storage space being used by the app’s documents and data. You can remove the storage-hogging application and all of its data directly from this screen, or manually remove the data by opening the app. Some applications, especially those designed by Apple, will allow you to remove stored data by swiping from left to right on the item to reveal a Delete button.

Applications that store large files will use more of the Other storage space.

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Tuesday Recap: Verizon Quarterly Loss, Steve Jobs Plane, Biscuit’s Valentine’s Day

So yeah, Apple still has the moxie to rake in the big bucks, as you’ve no doubt heard from Cupertino’s fiscal first quarter results earlier today. We can’t help but think that this bubble has to burst eventually, but hey, it’s a wild ride while it lasts, right? Unfortunately for U.S. carrier partner Verizon Wireless, the quarterly financials weren’t quite as rosy. Ready to find out more? Then read on and discover all the news that’s fit to print for this Tuesday, January 24, 2012.

Verizon Blames Quarterly Loss on Pensions, Subsidy Costs

We all know that Apple just clocked in another record quarter with 37.04 million iPhones sold -- and according to Bloomberg, 4.3 million of those were activated last quarter on Verizon Wireless. Unfortunately, the Big Red carrier’s news wasn’t all rosy, with total smartphone sales of 7.7 million -- about 1.5 million shy of analyst projections. Despite total sales of $28.4 billion (a 7.7 percent increase over last year), Verizon as a whole lost $2.02 billion last quarter compared to its $2.64 billion profit a year ago, which the company blamed on handset subsidies paid out to wireless customers.

Inside Apple: The Secret Packaging Room

Fortune writer Adam Lashinsky’s book Inside Apple hits stores tomorrow, and much like Walter Isaacson’s official bio on Steve Jobs, nuggets of information have been leaking out in the last week or so in advance of the release. According to NetworkWorld, one such detail outlined in the book examines a room in Apple’s headquarters dedicated to product packaging -- a secret area “only accessible to a select few with the requisite security badges” for the purpose of testing boxes. “To fully grasp how seriously Apple executives sweat the small stuff, consider this: For months, a packaging designer was holed up in this room performing the most mundane of tasks -- opening boxes,” Lashinsky reveals. The attention to detail even extends to the unboxing experience as well. “One after another, the designer created and tested an endless series of arrows, colors, and tapes for a tiny tab designed to show the consumer where to pull back the invisible, full-bleed sticker adhered to the top of the clear iPod box,” Lashinsky writes. “Getting it just right was this particular designer's obsession. What's more, it wasn't just about one box. The tabs were placed so that when Apple's factory packed multiple boxes for shipping to retail stores, there was a natural negative space between the boxes that protected and preserved the tab.” Shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone who’s owned an Apple product...

Readdle Serves Up PDF Expert 3.2 for iPad with Full Text Search

It’s no secret that the iPad makes a great vehicle for reading and even editing PDF files, which is why developer Readdle continues to innovate with their PDF Expert for iPad. The company just pushed out a new version 3.2 update, adding full text search across your entire PDF library -- no more simply searching by file name, the complete text of every PDF document inside the app is available to you. PDF Expert 3.2 also adds a new sorting panel for reordering files based on Name, Date or Modified Date, along with support for the Tab and Arrow keys on Bluetooth keyboards while filling out PDF forms for lightning-quick text entry. Last but not least, the update introduces a new Eraser tool for your handwriting, located in the Pens toolbar. PDF Expert 3.2 is available now from the App Store for only $9.99, and is a free update for previous owners.

Virgin America Christens Plane with Famous Steve Jobs Quote

The late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs left us with many memorable quotes, but somewhere near the top of that list resides “Stay hungry, stay foolish.” According to Cnet, the expression now has a new lease on life, with the words emblazoned on the side of a new Airbus A320 aircraft as part of the Virgin America fleet (photo above, if you don’t mind squinting).“"The 'Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish' aircraft name was actually submitted as a tribute to Mr. Jobs by one of our employees in an internal plane naming competition," Virgin America spokesperson Abby Lunardini explained to CNET on Monday.“"The idea behind Virgin America was to reinvent the travel experience by thinking differently about design and service--we are known for the tech-forward amenities we offer onboard.” Considering Virgin’s presence in Silicon Valley and the company’s “fleet-wide Wi-Fi with touchscreen entertainment and power outlets at every seat,” we think Jobs would approve.

iStoryTime Hearts “Biscuit’s Valentine’s Day”

Ready to introduce your child to the forthcoming Valentine’s Day in a special way? zuuka’s iStoryTime line has just published a new title together with HarperCollins Children’s Books entitled Biscuit’s Valentine’s Day. Available as a $2.99 universal app for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, the title is also making its debut on the Amazon Appstore for the Kindle Fire as well as Barnes & Noble’s Nook Color and Nook Tablet devices. The story follows that loveable puppy Biscuit as he delivers “sweet puppy love” to his special friends, including Daisy, Puddles, Grandma and Grandpa. "Biscuit has been a family classic for almost two decades and for good reason as the lovable yellow puppy teaches children life lessons such as how important it is to give rather than receive," said Woody Sears, founder of zuuka. "We're very excited to add another Biscuit book to the iStoryTime library and look forward to many more." The app includes fully animated Read to Me and Read to Myself modes, memory and puzzle games as well as a sticker and coloring book, all wrapped up neatly in a 110MB app that’s available for download from the App Store today.

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

(Image courtesy of Cnet)

Monday Recap: Tablet Ownership Doubles, Vintage Camera Serves 3 Million

Apple will release quarterly financials on Wednesday, but the week is already off to a rousing start with news late Sunday that the co-CEOs of BlackBerry maker Research in Motion have stepped down to make way for a new voice… who sounds an awful lot like the old one, if you ask us. Judging from a survey in today’s roundup, some of RIM’s customers are definitely buying iPhones, so who knows how many may be left by the time BlackBerry 10 launches later this year. While you ponder that, have a slice off the daily news pie with a quintuplet of news for this Monday, January 23, 2012.

Report: Holiday Tablet Ownership Nearly Doubles in U.S.

According to a report from AppleInsider, an awful lot of us are adding a tablet to our tech arsenal, with total tablet sales in the United States having nearly doubled over the holiday shopping season. The new data from The Pew Research Center reveals that “tablet ownership went from 10 percent of U.S. adults surveyed before Christmas to 19 percent in January of 2012.” And it wasn’t just tablets that had holiday shoppers excited: Dedicated e-book readers like Amazon’s Kindle line also reaped the benefits as well. "These findings are striking because they come after a period from mid-2011 into the autumn in which there was not much change in the ownership of tablets and e-book readers," the research firm revealed. "However, as the holiday gift-giving season approached, the marketplace for both devices dramatically shifted." Curiously, the findings fail to make any mention of the current market leader, the iPad, suggesting that cheaper alternatives such as Amazon’s Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble’s Nook Tablet have more to do with the recent surge in buying.

21 Percent of iPhone 4S Buyers Go 64GB (and Other Factoids)

AppleInsider is also reporting on a few interesting tidbits of data regarding the iPhone 4S today, courtesy of a new report from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners that was made public on Monday. For example: Did you know that 21 percent of iPhone 4S buyers opt for the highest-capacity 64GB model? Meanwhile, “the survey also found that AT&T, Verizon and Sprint have maintained their market shares consistently among iPhone owners,” which is good news for them but likely very bad news for fourth-place T-Mobile, the only major U.S. carrier without the iPhone (unless you  count all those jailbroken devices running on their EDGE network). Last but not least, the survey found that 36 percent of iPhone 4S users actually come from a competing smartphone platform -- likely Android, BlackBerry or Palm, although the data collected from 6,316 users from October through December, 2011 didn’t specifically break down which competitors suffered the most.

Analyst: iBookstore Served Up 350,000 Textbooks in 3 Days

AllThingsD is reporting that the new days-old textbook initiative from Apple may already be considered a success, with Global Equities Research claiming “more than 350,000 textbooks were downloaded from the company’s iBookstore within the first three days of availability.” The firm apparently “monitors Apple’s iBooks sales via a proprietary tracking system” but fails to offer any details on how it might work -- nor does it factor in the free price tag on E.O. Wilson’s Life on Earth, which is the only one of eight available textbook titles not sold for $14.99. Global Equities also claims that Apple’s free OS X app iBooks Author has already been downloaded around 90,000 times, which could mean a lot more e-books coming down the pipeline in the months ahead.

Vintage Camera Developer Nabs 3 Million Users in First Month

While most users are content with photo sharing giants like Instagram and Camera+, that isn’t stopping developers from trying to reinvent the wheel with offerings of their own. According to Presselite, the developers of Vintage Camera, their month-old app is already streaking up the charts, with the free version ranked at number one in both Japan and Thailand over the Christmas holiday while staking out a lower position in many other countries. The iPhone and iPod touch app has been downloaded a whopping three million times in its first month, which presumably includes a tally of both the free and 99-cent Pro edition combined. Vintage Camera offers a retro design with a full range of features, including the ability to apply filters in a variety of looks and save them to your Photo Roll as well as share to Twitter or Facebook without leaving the app.

Rumor: Apple Blew $100 Million on HTC Patent Suits

We’d all agree that Apple’s patent assault on Google’s Android platform has been a messy affair, but a new rumor circulating today claims it may have all been for naught -- unless the company was just looking to drain their bank account. According to onetime Fake Steve Jobs scribe Dan Lyons, Apple has spent in the neighborhood of $100 million on its initial assault against Android handset maker HTC, which began with “84 claims based on 10 patents” -- a number that was soon whittled down to a mere four patents once it went before a judge. The real Steve Jobs famously told biographer Walter Isaacson that he was willing to go “thermonuclear” on Android and spent every dime in Apple’s coffers to bury the competing smartphone platform, but the odds of that happening appear slim at best -- for now, the best Cupertino can hope for is to force handset makers to stop using features that infringe on their patents, which is likely to cost them a bundle since they’re only getting started.

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

Friday Recap: SOPA Down, A5 Untethered Jailbreak, “We Got Samsung’ed”

It’s that time of the week again when we kick back with (or without) a cold one and reflect on the days past. The internet managed to score a victory this week by smacking down the SOPA/PIPA bills and iPhone 4S/iPad 2 users also have reason to cheer as they use a new untethered jailbreak to free their devices from some of Apple’s draconian restrictions. So hey, pretty good week, right? Let’s read on and find out what else is happening for this fabulous Friday, January 20, 2012.

Untethered Jailbreak Arrives for iPhone 4S, iPad 2

MacRumors is reporting that the jailbreak “dream team” has managed to deliver as promised, with a new enhancement to the popular Greenpois0n tool now available for jailbreaking devices with A5 processors -- those being the iPhone 4S and the iPad 2 for now. “Absinthe A5” is capable of freeing any iPhone 4S or iPad 2 running any version of iOS 5 (including either flavor of iOS 5.0.1), although its authors warn that iPhone 4S users looking for a software-based SIM unlock should remain on iOS 5.0 for now, which has the best chance of being cracked in the near future. You’ll also need some patience, as the Greenpois0n website has been available on and off today, no doubt from a surge of A5 device owners looking to have their shackles broken.

Apple Retail Stores Cleared for Launch in India

AppleInsider is reporting that the government of India now allows “full ownership of single-brand retail stores by foreign companies,” a crucial first step toward Apple opening its first brick-and-mortar location in the world’s second most populous country. According to LiveMint.com, Apple “has been in discussions with the [Indian] government for some time to bring its retail stores” to the country’s more than 1.2 billion people. Cupertino currently works with reseller chains like Imagine and iStore to offer the company’s products, and was even thwarted in its 2006 plans to open their own tech support center in India for the same reason. According to an unnamed official, “the doors are now open” for Apple to establish retail locations in India, where the iPhone 4S was successfully launched back in November.

Video: “We Just Got Samsung’ed”

There’s no love lost between Apple and Samsung in the smartphone and tablet wars, and the South Korean manufacturer is stepping up their public relations battle with a new commercial for the Galaxy S II which introduces the term “Samsung’ed” into our lexicon. The spot shows a bunch of scruffy would-be iPhone buyers camped out in line for what’s presumably the iPhone 4S (judging from the comment, “It looks just like last year’s model!”) until a passerby happens along with his Samsung Galaxy S II using Google’s built-in turn-by-turn directions. “What app is that?” one of the iPhone lovers asks, to which the passerby explains it’s software that came with the handset. “Oh, we just got Samsung’ed again!” the iPhone user laments. A clever spot to be sure, but we’re guessing this is one advantage we’ll see stomped out soon enough.

Congress Abandons PIPA, SOPA -- For Now

Score one for the internet! According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Senator Harry Reid has announced a postponement of “a cloture vote on PIPA scheduled for next Tuesday, which means, as a practical matter, that the bill is dead for now.” Likewise, Representative Lamar Smith issued a statement “conceding PIPA's evil House stepsister, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), also wasn't ready for prime time.” The move comes only two days after the internet blackout in protest of the government’s attempts to strong-arm its citizens in an effort to stamp out online piracy. The EFF notes that more than a million emails were sent to Congress, with more than eight million taking to the phone numbers of their representatives to communicate their displeasure with the proposed bills.

Apple Brings Patent Fight to Samsung Galaxy Nexus

AllThingsD is reporting that Apple made a little headway today in its patent war with Samsung. A German court has rejected one of seven patent infringement claims filed against Cupertino, specifically one relating to the 3G/UMTS wireless standard. Apparently, the move has Apple in an offensive mood, because they’ve used their “slide-to-unlock” patent to bring down the thunder on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, which is Google’s third flagship device, used to introduce the world to Android 4.0, better known as “Ice Cream Sandwich.” The move is noteworthy since it’s also the only smartphone currently on the market with ICS, although Apple has thus far chosen to only file the claim in Germany.

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

(Image courtesy of AppleInsider)

How to Remove Old Email Contacts on the iPhone 4

How can I remove old, unwanted email addresses that are cached on my iPhone 4? My sister changed her email address, so I deleted her old one in Address Book and replaced it with the new one. It now shows both emails associated with her name when I compose a message to her. Is there a way to remove the old address?

Frequently used addresses will float to the top of the list.

Unfortunately, the answer is “not really.” Cached email addresses can be a nuisance when composing new emails, and this feature cannot be reset, not even in iOS 5. Luckily, the most-used email address is listed first, so as you send more messages to the new address, it will move to the top. You could do a factory reset on your phone and start from scratch, but that’s a lot of work just to get rid of some old email addresses.

GOT A TECH QUESTION OR A HELPFUL TIP TO SHARE?

Email  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  or write to Mac|Life, 
4000 Shoreline Ct, Suite 400, South San Francisco, CA 94080

Canteen Tequila

"The Sauza, 1800 and El Jimador tequila brands have captured double-digit share growth while the category leader Jose Cuervo is in decline.

Bocanegra

"Bocanegra, craft beer made in Monterrey. It is a tribute to all working people.

Scrumptious

The most important indulgence of the day and it features last weeks Trending topic from The Wrap: Stripes!

Student Concept Packaging: Nue Galley

"The student brief was to create a brand for a concept jewellery company, Nue Galley, and to then use this as inspiration for packaging to suit a range of jewellery.

Student Spotlight: Krista Farrell

Check out these two package designs by Krista Farrell, a Senior Graphic Design student at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.

Chocolates With Attitude

Brandpersonality & Chocolate in one product.

Mleko i Miód

We absolutely adore this packaging and the extra effort that was put into the product/packaging photo shoot. Simply gorgeous.

CRIT*: Half n’ Half

Richard Baird will be contributing to The Dieline to cultivate our next Opinion Series: CRIT* tell us how you really feel. This Designer & Blogger will share a critique on packaging that merits discussion in addition to the weekly post that receives the most traffic. Read about Richard and check out his first CRIT* below. Be sure to come back (at least) every Tuesday to read Richard's CRIT* on the top post of the week!

Student Spotlight: Heritage

"Heritage is a brand of single barrel bourbon whiskey who’s packaging reflects the age-old process of true whisky making.

Pureology by L'Oreal

"'L'Oreal's Pureology brand professional products (shampoos, conditioners, masques and treatments) have been literally flipped over on-shelf in sophisticated pearlescent toned, multi-tasking bottles designed to reflect their 100% vegan formulation and sustainable packaging.

The Report That Will Blow Up The Eurozone

No, I’m not talking about the fact that Germany and Holland want to take over as the de facto government in Greece, as Noah Barkin writes for Reuters (that they want to do it through Brussels is a mere technicality).

Germany wants Greece to give up budget control

Germany is pushing for Greece to relinquish control over its budget policy to European institutions as part of discussions over a second rescue package, a European source told Reuters on Friday.

"There are internal discussions within the Euro group and proposals, one of which comes from Germany, on how to constructively treat country aid programs that are continuously off track, whether this can simply be ignored or whether we say that's enough," the source said.

The source added that under the proposals European institutions already operating in Greece should be given "certain decision-making powers" over fiscal policy. "This could be carried out even more stringently through external expertise," the source said.

The Financial Times said it had obtained a copy of the proposal showing Germany wants a new euro zone "budget commissioner" to have the power to veto budget decisions taken by the Greek government if they are not in line with targets set by international lenders.

"Given the disappointing compliance so far, Greece has to accept shifting budgetary sovereignty to the European level for a certain period of time," the document said. Under the German plan, Athens would only be allowed to carry out normal state spending after servicing its debt, the FT said.

Ilargi: Nor do I mean the report from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy that Ambrose Evans-Pritchard cites for the Telegraph, and which implies a second bailout for Portugal is looming near:

Investors fear mounting losses in Portugal as second rescue looms

Portugal is fighting a losing battle to contain its public debt and may be forced to impose haircuts of up to 50pc on private creditors, according to a top German institute.

A report for the Kiel Institute for the World Economy said Portugal would have to run a primary budget surplus of over 11pc of GDP a year to prevent debt dynamics spiralling out of control, even in a benign scenario of 2pc annual growth.

"Portugal's debt is unsustainable. That is the only possible conclusion," said David Bencek, the co-author, warning that no country can achieve a primary budget surplus above 5pc for long. "We won't know what the trigger will be but once there is a decision on Greece people are going to start looking closely and realise that Portugal is the same position as Greece was a year ago."

Yields on Portugal's five-year bonds surged on Thursday to a record 18.9pc, reflecting fears that the country will need a second rescue from the EU-ECB-IMF Troika. Three-year yields hit 21pc.

Ilargi: Or even the true meaning behind the steep drop in the Baltic Dry Index, on which Sebastian Walsh reports for Financial News:

Chart of the Day: The Baltic Dry Index

Statistics from the Office of National Statistics this morning showed that the UK went into reverse in the last quarter of 2011, when the economy shrank by 0.2% – but as the Baltic Dry Index shows, the global economy is looking even more worrying.

The index – often used as a proxy for the health of the global economy as it reflects the prices charged for shipping commodities such as metals, coal or grain around the world – has fallen by 61% since October. The index was at 842 at yesterday’s close – down from its 12-month high of 2173 last October.

Nick Bullman, managing partner at risk consultant Check Risks, said the index is a good way of looking at the risks to the global economy, "as it tends to be where they hit first".

According to Bullman, its initial collapse in October was driven primarily by a fall-off in demand from China, where declining housing prices pushed purchasing managers to cut back on orders for the raw materials whose transport the Baltic Dry Index reflects.

He said: "This collapse looks similar to the falls we saw in the Baltic Dry ahead of the recessions of the late 1970s and early 1990s – but this drop is actually steeper."

Bullman added that it was also a more direct indicator of global economic health than government-produced statistics. "Personally, I’m not interested in employment data and GDP figures because they’re manipulated," he said. [..]

Bullman said that shipping companies have also been deliberately slowing down their journeys to save fuel, with trips from China to the US going now taking around 50% longer than they were early in 2011.

Instead, he said he was surprised by how long the Baltic Dry took to fall. The NewContex index – an indicator of prices for transporting products in container ships – started falling in April last year. Bullman said: "When we saw that happening in April, we realised that risks had returned to pre-2008 levels. We thought the Baltic Dry would start falling too, but it was actually relatively resilient."

"What this is signalling is that the world economy is slowing down much more quickly than people have been thinking."

Ilargi: The report I refer to in the title requires a little background info:

In Holland, where I'll be for a few more days, there's a "rogue" right-wing party named PVV (Party for Freedom). It has no cabinet ministers, but the minority moderate right-wing government needs its support to stay in the saddle. The PVV, like other European right-wingers, is, among many other things, against much of what the European Union stands for. It's certainly against the Euro, and the bailouts with Dutch taxpayer money of countries like Greece and Portugal.

A few months ago, the PVV announced they had commissioned a report from British financial consultancy firm Lombard Street Research on the economic consequences of staying in the Eurozone versus returning to the guilder.

That report is about to be published "within days". It will prove to be highly explosive material. And the PVV will do all it possibly can to make sure it receives a lot of media attention. It may tear down the incumbent government, which is a heavy advocate of all things Europe, and which will have to quit once the PVV support dies, but for that party that's not the no. 1 concern.

And if and when Holland has a large scale discussion on the report and the issues it raises, Germany won't be able to ignore it and stay behind. And then, neither will France.

Max Julius of Citywire.uk did a piece on the report, without mentioning it directly, 10 days ago:

Why Germans and Dutch will exit 'suicide pact' eurozone

Germany and the Netherlands are likely to quit the eurozone rather than swallow an indefinite number of 'unrequited transfers' to the union’s crisis-stricken nations, according to Charles Dumas, chief economist at Lombard Street Research.

Speaking at an event in central London, he said that before joining the single currency, German incomes had stayed level but their purchasing power had increased as the Deutschmark appreciated. With the weaker euro, the economist said, they have seen 'tremendous' wage restraint, leading to huge growth in German firms’ market share but ‘no serious growth of the economy’ and a squeeze on disposable incomes. Meanwhile, consumption rose elsewhere in the eurozone, he said.

'So what you’re actually dealing with here... is a German population which has had a rotten deal – and that’s why they’re all so angry' noted Dumas, who is also chairman of the macroeconomic forecasting consultancy. Branding the monetary union a 'suicide pact', he continued: 'So what this exercise in uniting Europe has achieved is to divide Europe.'

Dumas [noted that] the 'Club Med' nations needed about 5% of gross domestic product in annual debt refinancing 'more or less indefinitely'.

This would amount to €150 billion a year, of which Germany would have to stump up just over €60 billion, France a little under €50 billion and €15 billion from the Netherlands, he said. And this would be on top of the shortfall in consumer spending, in addition to the fact that wages and consumption may have to be held down in the future, Dumas warned.

Ilargi: This morning, Dutch daily Algemeen Dagblad cited Dumas as saying these numbers are "cautious estimates". They are valid only if Greece and Portugal would leave the Eurozone in 2012 - which Dumas expects will happen -. If they don't, the payments will be even higher.

He predicts the costs of a return to the guilder will be much less than for instance the Dutch government's Central Planning Bureau claims, which warns of huge losses if Holland were to leave the Euro.

Dumas: "It's just like in a religion: first they promise you heaven, and if that doesn't work out, they threaten you with hell."

The economist dismissed the notion that the region would be able to turn itself around so as to make such support from its 'core' unnecessary. Citing the example of the persisting transfers from west to east Germany, he pointed out: 'The ones that need the money to flow in carry on needing the money to flow in, or just stay poor.'

Dumas also warned that austerity was only worsening Greece’s budget deficit, and that it was 'difficult to imagine' the deeply indebted state receiving the four quarterly batches of financing it is due this year. ‘It’s almost impossible to imagine people continuing to stump up the money, because they simply have not actually gone into this thing with the intention of unrequited transfers to Greece ad infinitum,’ he said as the country resumed talks with its creditors over a planned debt swap.

Calling the one-off damage of splitting up the eurozone 'seriously exaggerated', Dumas warned that as the crisis deepens, he believes 'Germany and the Netherlands will actually realise that they had better call it a day and jump out.'

Ilargi: Sure, the Dutch government, and certainly the EU and the banking system, have formidable PR machineries at their disposal. We’ll see a lot of numbers being floated that contradict Lombard's report. And we'll have to wait a few days to see exactly what numbers Dumas et al. come up with.

But the people of Germany and Holland are already very nervous about the fact that they face austerity and budget cuts while billions of euros are transferred to southern Europe. Up until now, the fear of economic disaster predicted in unison by government leaders have kept them quiet. Now that a reputable economic research firm flatly contradicts these predictions, and states that, instead, it's staying within the Eurozone that will be the far more costly option, the people will grow increasingly restless.

Charles Dumas again, from Algemeen Dagblad:

"The Dutch people have lost thousands of euros in purchasing power per year since the currency was introduced."

Governments in Berlin and The Hague will have a lot of explaining to do. They have to do so against a backdrop of (near-)failing Greek debt swap talks, which will at the very least force them to admit that they have a lost tens of billions in taxpayer money to Club Med countries already.

With a second Portugal bailout waiting in the wings. And lots of negative news on Italy and Spain. And more domestic budget cuts.

They’ll realize that their governments have painted far too rosy pictures about the issues so far. And they’ll expect them to deliver more of the same. This is what we call a receding trust horizon.

It's not the report alone, it's the entire combination of factors. The report will "merely" serve as the catalyst that blows up the powder keg. It may take a few months, but it will happen. The publicity hungry rogue PVV party that commissioned it, followed by anti-Eurozone voices elsewhere, will make sure of that.

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See Also:

• The Latest Solution For Europe Solves Absolutely Nothing
• SWITZERLAND: Here's How A $50,526 Minimum Income Could Backfire
• The European Crisis Is Hopeless As Long As Leaders Don't Understand The Problem

ROAD TRIP: 1,700 Miles To Discover The Best Wineries In Europe

This post originally appeared at Food & Wine.

I blame it on the fact that I grew up in Texas.

By which I mean, at some point it occurred to me that driving from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, one of France’s greatest wine regions, to Piedmont, one of Italy’s greatest wine regions, would be only a slightly longer trip than driving from Houston to Dallas. (Not to mention that at the end I’d be in Piedmont, a more appealing place than Dallas.)

More on Food & Wine:

 After that, the mental dominoes fell into place: What if I flew to Europe and hit the road, visiting five iconic wineries, in five great wine regions, in five different countries, in five days—the Priorat in Spain, Châteauneuf, Piedmont, Germany’s Mosel and finally Austria’s Wachau.

I’d visit five legendary wineries, and I’d also have the pleasure of founding an entirely new pursuit—extreme wine tourism—in the process.

Wine Road Trip Mile 0: Spain

My starting point was Alvaro Palacios’s eponymous winery in Spain’s Priorat. The Priorat, about an hour-and-a-half southwest of Barcelona, is a steep, severe place that produces some of Spain’s most sought-after red wines. People have grown grapes here for hundreds of years, but the region only recently came to prominence.

Palacios was one of the small group of winemakers that recognized the Priorat’s potential back in the 1980s, and he is now its most famous producer. His top wine, one of Spain’s greatest reds, is called L’Ermita. The grapes come from a single, old, steep vineyard in the shadow of a 16th-century hermitage (it’s still in use; apparently, there’s even a waiting list to be the resident hermit).

L’Ermita is a stunning expression of Grenache, a grape that reaches a pinnacle in the Priorat. “It’s one of the few grapes that can transform heat and aridity into something vibrant and refreshing,” Palacios said.

Wine Road Trip Mile 0: Spain

As I walked that morning in L’Ermita’s vineyard, there was certainly no lack of heat and aridity. With each step, I crunched through gravelly schist, kicking up red and brown dust; the sun was fierce. Palacios farms L’Ermita with mules, as the slope is too steep for tractors. As I hiked back up the slope, sweating, I felt fortunate not to have their job.

Palacios’s winery is a spare, modernist structure, its big glass windows looking past the town of Gratallops to hills scored by the terraces of old vineyards. We tasted a number of his wines, ending with the 2009 and 2010 L’Ermitas, which cost roughly $800 a bottle.

The ’09, from a warm year, was a study in power, with immense tannins under its dark fruit; the ’10 was even better—extravagantly aromatic, perfectly balanced. They were both wines to sit with and ponder; wines for long, lingering, unhurried reflection. Instead, I checked my watch. “Uh-oh,” I said. “I’m sorry, Alvaro. I’ve got to get out of here!”

Wine Road Trip Mile 359: France

The drive from the Priorat to Châteauneuf-du-Pape takes you from dusty and scruffy (Gratallops) to drab and industrial (the northern outskirts of Barcelona) to sunlit and idyllic (France’s Mediterranean coast). Four hours in, I was sailing along the E15 past Nîmes, under a glorious Provençal sun. To my right was the pastel-blue Mediterranean; to my left, maniacal French drivers, rocketing past me with fine Gallic disregard, even though I was doing 90 miles per hour.

Châteauneuf-du-Pape shares three important things with the Priorat: the sun, the Mediterranean and Grenache. The Priorat is a hardscrabble, impoverished region, despite the success of its wines; in contrast, the southern Rhône Valley, home to Châteauneuf, feels like an extension of Provence, all sparkling light, picture-postcard villages and gentle hills. The place is charming, not harsh. If a local farmer from the Priorat were to wake up here, he’d think he’d gone to heaven. At least until he realized everyone was speaking French.

I spent the night at a bed-and-breakfast; the next morning, I drove to Château de Beaucastel, one of the greatest producers of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Marc Perrin, a lanky 41-year-old whose family owns Beaucastel, looked surprisingly relaxed—surprising since it was the middle of harvest and his wife had had a baby three weeks before. “I’m not getting much sleep,” he admitted.

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London Banker Allegedly Arms Himself With Two Crossbows After Girlfriend Dumps Him

If this is true, it's by far the creepiest banker dating story we've ever heard.  

The Daily Mail is reporting that a U.K. banker Al Amin Dhalla, who is currently on trial, allegedly armed himself with weapons including two crossbows and an air rifle after he was dumped by female doctor trainee he met on a dating website for "high-earning professionals."

Not only that, he's also been accused of setting fire to his ex's mother's cottage, the report said. 

Dhalla, a 42 year-old Canadian native who worked as a bank auditor at an unidentified firm, also apparently lied about his age and his background on his dating profile.

When he seemed rushed to want to marry the doctor-in-training, her mother and her mother's boyfriend intervened revealing his shady past.

That's when Dhalla allegedly bought a cache of weapons, hired a private investigator to spy on his ex and even dressed as a doctor all to get back at her and her family. 

He denies all charges.

Read the full story here  >>

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• It Costs How Much To Go To Davos?!
• Bank Of America I-Bankers, Prepare For A 25% Compensation Cut
• Protesters In Chicago Leave CME Group Chairman A Golden Toilet

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ECONOMY DISAPPOINTS, EUROPE GETS DOWNGRADED, MARKETS GO NOWHERE: Here's What You Need To Know (DIA, SPY, QQQ, LNKD, MS, JEF)

So the economy grew slower than expected in Q4.

First, the scoreboard:

Dow: 12,660.5, -74.2, -0.6%
S&P 500: 1,316.3, -2.1, -0.2%
NASDAQ: 2,816.6, +11.3, +0.4%

And now, the top stories:

• We got our first read of Q4 2011 GDP, and it was weaker than expected.  GDP climbed 2.8%, which was slower than the 3.0% economists were hoping for.  Government spending fell 2.1%.  Based on this first read, real GDP rose just 1.7% in 2011, which reflects a sharp deceleration from the 3.0% growth we saw in 2010.  Caterpillar: This Is What The World Will Be Like In 2012 >
• In more positive and current economic news, the University of Michigan consumer sentiment index jumped to 75 in January, up from 69.9 in December.  Economists were expecting 74.
• In a highly anticipated move, Fitch downgraded a bunch of European countries. Specifically, the credit rating agency downgraded Italy, Belgium, Cyprus, and Slovenia. The markets didn't budge in what was basically a non-event.
• Facebook plans to file for its IPO some time next week, reported The Wall Street Journal. Shares are expected to trade under the ticker symbol FB.  Morgan Stanley, which was named as an underwriter in the report, led a broad rally in the financial sector.  And for some reason, a bunch of other web companies like LinkedIn rallied.
• In other banking news, Jefferies and Cantor Fitzgerald were downgraded by S&P.  Jefferies shares closed down by more than 2%.
• Don't Miss: Check Out Frank Holmes' EPIC Presentation On The China Boom, And What It Means For Commodities >

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• STOCKS SURGE AND THE FED SEES LOW INTEREST RATES FOR YEARS: Here's What You Need To Know
• FINALLY, STOCKS FALL: Here's What You Need To Know
• Boeing Q4 EPS Crushes Estimates, But 2012 Guidance Is Weak

REVEALED: Facebook's Stock Symbol

Facebook hasn't decided on which exchange it will list, but it has already decided on a symbol, the New York Post reports.

Ready?

…

…

…

Really ready?

It's…

"FB"

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• 'When Online Gambling Is Legalized, Facebook Will Be A $100 Billion Company'
• Check Out Mark Zuckerberg's Graffiti Skills
• Sheryl Sandberg Used To Be An Aerobics Instructor

Don't Be One Of The 20% Of Americans Who'll Miss Out On This Tax Credit

Here's another cushy tax break you're not gonna want to this miss this year.

The Earned Income Tax Credit is reserved for low-income workers who made under $49,078 last year.

The EITC is pretty simple to apply for, but the IRS has been rolling out reminders to consumers all week leading up to today, National Earned Income Tax Credit Awareness Day.

It doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, but the EITC's an important credit to promote since the income bracket flucuates every year, effecting the eligibility status of one-third of all workers.

"The EITC provides a financial boost for millions of hard-working Americans. But people can easily overlook this important credit, especially if their financial situation has changed," said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman.

The IRS estimates 20 percent of Americans who qualify fail to claim the credit each year.

The average credit last year was a cool $2,200, which definitely isn't chump change if you're supporting a family on less than $50K per year.

Eligibility is based on a few factors, including income, the size of your brood and your filing status.

There are a couple of ways to find out if you make the cut: Use the IRS EITC Assistant or try this great app from Intuit.

 Download it from the App Store, Android Market and Amazon Appstore.

More on the EITC:

-The credit ranges from $464 for filers without kids and up to $5,751 for those with three or more dependents. 

-It's refundable, which means if you owe less in taxes than the credit, you'll get a check or deposit with the leftovers. 

-How to get it: You must claim it on your 2011 taxes. You can file free at IRS.gov if you make under $57,000. If you qualify for the EITC, you can also have your taxes prepared at these free tax preparation sites. For more info, see www.irs.gov/eitc.

Now see 9 easy ways to spot a tax scam >

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Fee Disclosures On Overseas Money Transfers Will Be A Lot More Transparent In 2013

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau just issued ew rules on consumers making any overseas money transfers over $15. 

Like its other strides to make financial product fees more transparent, the CFPB's rules will hopefully put fees on foreign transactions under the magnifying glass.

Until now, remittance transfers haven't been held to the same consumer protection regulations as other services.

The new rules will apply to banks, thrifts, credit unions and any money transfer service, but they're still subject to government approval.

If approved, they won't go into effect until January of next year, but here's what you can expect: 

Companies will have to clearly spell out what the exchange rate for the transaction is, how much you'll pay in fees and the total amount of money set to be delivered. In return, you'll get a receipt or proof of payment. 

Also, you'll have half an hour to cancel any transfer you schedule in return for a full refund. If you don't cancel in time, you can still file a complaint and businesses are required to investigate any reported issues with transfers.

If it turns out that it was the companies' error and not your own that caused the problem, it's up to them to pay for it. 

Don't forget: The CFPB is now accepting stories from consumers on shady payday lending experiences. See our coverage here.

Now see 10 things you should NEVER buy new >

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• See Just How Much More We're Paying To Get Pizza Delivered These Days
• SOUND OFF: Consumers Are Hitting The CFPB With Payday Lender Complaints
• Once Again The Government Will Tax All Unemployment Benefits

Two Big Lessons From The Dazzling Market Rally In Europe...

The big pan-European index, the STOXX 600 is now up 20% from its low last year. So it's officially in "bull market" territory.

This violent move will prompt a fair amount of head-scratching, and people asking "What's fixed?"

And of course, the answer is that nothing's fixed. But the lesson is that crises don't need to be "fixed" for market participants to stop panicking.

We wrote a lot about this last December, when the market was just starting to take off, pointing out that if you were waiting around for the problems to get "solved" then you were likely to miss the turn, since the market doesn't have to wait for all the underlying issues to get resolved before moving in a new direction.

Of course, this rally really got cranking after the ECB announced its 3-year LTRO, plying cheap liquidity to the banks, which brings us to a second piece of more conventional wisdom: Don't fight the Fed (Or the ECB in this case).

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• CHART OF THE DAY: Does Anyone Else Think These Charts Look Similar?
• Is This Really An About-Face In The Euro Crisis?
• REPORT: Eurozone Fin Mins REJECT Greek Debt Deal

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MOODY'S: 'Central Banks Will Be Asked To Buy Time A Few More Times'

All investors can talk about right now is the long-term refinancing operation conducted by the European Central Bank last month to inject liquidity into the tightening banking system.

Despite recent optimism, however, Bart Oosterveld pointed out yesterday that the liquidities themselves are important but only short-term stop-gap measures and will have to be repeated.

Oosterveld is the head of the Sovereign Risk Group at Moodys.

"These are important parts of policy," Oosterveld said at a conference sponsored by Bloomberg Link yesterday. "The fundamental challenges that Europe is facing are medium-term...[and measures like the LTRO or coordinated central bank action] will not solve the underlying problems."

The LTROs' role in staving off a banking crisis--not to mention coordinated measures by six major central banks to make dollars more cheaply available--has effectively bought European politicians time to make more drastic changes to the eurozone's problems. Initiatives that EU leaders have undertaken so far, Oosterveld said, "are probably directionally correct but they take time to implement and they take time to act."

However, he added, "When you buy time you have to do something with that time...Central banks will be asked to buy time a few more times."

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• The Biggest Reason Everyone's Still Underestimating The ECB
• Is This Really An About-Face In The Euro Crisis?
• A New Watershed Moment In The Euro Crisis?

Entry-Level Facebook Engineers Get A $100,000 Salary, $50,000 Signing Bonus, And $120,000 In Stock

How much does Facebook pay a recently graduated software engineer?

Over on Quora, an anonymous user answered:  "I am graduating in the spring of 2012, and I was offered $100,000 in salary, a $50,000 signing bonus, $5,000 in relocation, and as [much stock] as necessary to be worth $120,000."

We've since had this answer confirmed with a second source familiar with Facebook compensation.

Pretty good right?

Now…Guess Who Pays The Most In Silicon Valley >>

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