Here are your Apple rumors and AAPL news items for today:
Sharper Image: An Apple- (NASDAQ:AAPL) branded television set could be released by the end of this year, or early in 2014, DigiTimes notes. The iTV will have a screen with resolution of 3,840-by-2,160 pixels, putting it in compliance with the 4K UHD standard, also called Ultra HD. It would also have a resolution four times greater than current 1080p HD television sets. A number of companies have unveiled 4K TVs, including Samsung and LG, but those sets have been priced several times above existing HD sets, effectively pricing them out of the general consumer market. Apple is said to be looking for a partner to produce the Ultra HD screens, but will probably choose LG. DigiTimes has a mixed record with regard to reports of Apple’s future projects.
Backlash: Recent harsh criticism of Apple by Chinese state-run media outlets has provoked an outcry from Chinese fans of the company, Reuters noted. China’s Communist Party-owned newspaper, The People’s Daily, recently upbraided Apple for its low-key response to a critical report about its customer service broadcast on China Central Television. The TV station aired another report on Wednesday threatening punishment if Apple didn’t change the warranty policy on its MacBook Air computers. However, Chinese bloggers on popular website Weibo challenged the state-run media attacks. Some accused the government of focusing on trivial things while Chinese environmental conditions worsened. One called The People’s Daily a relic that was “old and disgusting.” Apple enjoys a good reputation among Chinese consumers. A Deloitte analyst noted that many Chinese felt that the government was attacking the company to divert attention from its own problems.
App Nightmare: After 13-year-old Cameron Crossan ran up £3,700 in charges while playing iPad games, his father filed fraud charges against him, the Daily Mail notes. Cameron amassed the hefty bill through in-game purchases on apps including Hungry Shark and N.O.V.A. 3. The boy’s father, a police officer himself, was apparently irate after learning of the charges from his credit card issuer. Apple has declined to refund the charges, noting that a password had to be entered for each purchase. The father, who acknowledges that his son was unaware of the consequence of his actions, is hoping that by filing a fraud complaint, the credit card company will reverse the charges. He is also hoping to embarrass Apple into changing its in-game purchase policies.
For more about the company, check out our previous Apple Rumors stories.
