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Apple repeats it won’t read iMessages, expert says it can

Back in June, in the wake of the NSA scandal that engulfed the US — and the UK — Apple released a statement saying it couldn’t and wouldn’t read customers’ missives sent using its iMessage service. This week, a security company contradicted that, claiming it is theoretically possible. And now Apple has hit back with another statement, repeating its earlier …

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BlackBerry: BBM downloads for iOS, Android hit 5M in 8 hours

BlackBerry’s BBM instant messenger service landed on Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android operating systems on Monday and the company says the app has already been downloaded 5 million times. The company announced the achievement in a Twitter post that alerted the “next 5 million” people that their turn to download the app was at hand. Next 5 million in line …

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New Apple TV due alongside new iPads, listing hints

A refreshed version of Apple TV could be with us within the week, Amazon’s European listings suggest. AppleInsider spied that Apple TV has been yanked from sale on Amazon’s French and German websites, both of which say that the set-top box will be back in stock on 23 October. That’s the day after Apple’s confirmed 22 October event, where we’ll …

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HTC CEO said to hand off duties to focus on reversing decline

The chief executive officer of HTC is handing off some of his duties to the company’s chairwoman and founder as the struggling handset maker fights to regain market share, the Financial Times reported Sunday. Peter Chou will temporarily relinquish some of his responsibilities to Cher Wang to focus on innovation and product development, in a bid to reverse a market …

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Apps in the smart home: An entry point for carriers

These days, the smartphone sector revolves around the competition among Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Those three companies wrested power from the likes of Motorola, Nokia, and BlackBerry (then RIM) — but there was also another group sidelined in the rise of the smartphone, even as its members profited immensely from the uprising: mobile operators. Especially in the US, carriers still …

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AT&T in $4.85B cell tower deal with Crown Castle

AT&T announced Sunday it has agreed to lease or sell the rights to 9,700 cell phone towers for $4.85 billion to Crown Castle International, which provides infrastructure for broadcasting and mobile telecommunications. Under the terms of the deal, Crown Castle will have the option to purchase 9,100 towers for $4.2 billion after the average lease term of 28 years expires. …

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High

The Rocky Mountain Audio Fest is held every October in Denver, and every year it’s packed with the latest and greatest high-end audio goodies. High-end doesn’t necessarily mean outrageously expensive, though; Schiit Audio was previewing its upcoming $119 Vali tube headphone amplifier, and I quickly auditioned Audioengine’s soon-to-be-released $249/pair A2+ desktop speakers. I hope to get one of the first …

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