Here are your Apple rumors and AAPL news items for today:
Coming: Sources tell 9to5Mac that Apple (AAPL) will add new flexibility to the iPad when it launches the next generation of its iOS operating system later this year. Currently, iPad users can only interact with one app at a time using full-screen views. However, insiders say iOS 8 will permit users to divide the iPad screen between two apps and use both simultaneously. A number of other tablets already feature split-screen multitasking, including those from Microsoft (MSFT) and Samsung. Apple’s rivals have highlighted the iPad’s lack of split-screen multi-tasking in ads. The addition of the feature is seen as a way for Apple to boost the iPad’s appeal to businesses. Not only will users be able to see and run two apps simultaneously in iOS 8, they will be able to drag and drop content from one app to another. That includes video, pictures and text. Apple is expected to show off some iOS features at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) early next month, though recent rumors indicate that its updated OS X for Mac may be the centerpiece of the event. iOS 8 will launch later this year along with Apple’s much-anticipated iPhone 6.
Stormy: Apple is facing a complaint from the Norwegian Consumer Council over its iCloud service agreements, ZDNet notes. The Consumer Council says that a recent study found that few Norwegians who subscribe to iCloud read its terms of service because they are so confusing. The Consumer Council described the 8,600-word set of terms and conditions “convoluted and unclear.” While other cloud-service providers were found to have similarly complex terms of service, the Consumer Council said that Apple’s terms were “particularly bad.” The Consumer Council also took exception to Apple’s declaration that it can alter the terms at any time without notifying users. According to the Consumer Council, current iCloud service terms violate the Norwegian Marketing Act. In a statement, the Consumer Council said: “Receiving notice when terms change should be a bare minimum requirement. The fact that this can be done without informing the users is unacceptable.” The Consumer Council has passed its findings to the European Commission’s Expert Group on Cloud Service Contracts.
Pricey: An hour-long lunch with Apple CEO Tim Cook was auctioned off for $330,001 on CharityBuzz, MacRumors notes. Bidding on the auction closed on Tuesday. It marked the second time Cook has auctioned a lunch meeting at Apple’s Cupertino, Calif., headquarters for charity. The winner of the auction has to pay for transportation to Apple’s campus, but won’t have to pay for the meal. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights. The winner will also get a VIP guest invitation to an unspecified Apple event. Last year, the hour-long lunch with Cook brought in a winning bid of $610,000.
For more about the company, check out our previous Apple Rumors stories.
