iPhone 4S's Big Flaw; Apple Plans Solar Plant

Every week, makes news with technology developments, business deals and, more often than not, controversies.

That’s where our weekly "Core Bytes" column on Apple comes in. We’ll relay the past week’s news highlights from our favorite backyard tech giant.

Controversies
Last week techies raved about the new iPhone 4S. But this week, many of them are bemoaning its lack of battery life—only eight hours after a charge, noted TechCrunch. “I think I figured out what the 'S' stands for in the iPhone 4S,” they quipped. Still, Apple deserves some cred, as its own engineers have been contacting many of the users who openly complain about poor battery life.

Apple now owns a patent on an action that comes as a reflex to many: unlocking the iPhone with a sliding motion. Now any other device that does so will be infringing on the patent, so Android phones may be up against some legal battles in the coming months.

New Products
“Steve Jobs” was released on Monday, shooting to the top of Amazon’s bestseller list. It drew hyped-up headlines of how he forwent conventional cancer medicine for alternative treatments, unknowingly met his biological father, and even mastered legal loopholes in order to avoid having a car license plate. Yet behind the shocking facts, says one reviewer, the book offers a balanced look behind the life of a very complex man who valued people more than the products they used.

Apple’s “in-store pick-up” program has launched in San Francisco. Now customers can order a product online (through scrolling down on a “Select a Pick-Up Store” feature) and pick it up from their local retail store. And, worry not, impatient Apple product users: items listed as “Available now,” can be picked up within the hour.

Business Deals and Developments
Maiden, North Carolina. You may not recognize the name now, but you likely will after Apple finishes building a massive new iCloud data center there. But the center won’t be fired entirely with the cheap, coal-derived electricity that lures other big companies to the Southern state. Rather, Apple is building a sprawling solar farm on 171 acres across the street from the plant.

Apple no longer reigns as King of the Smartphone. Its major competitor Samsung now holds a full quarter of the smartphone market, up from 9.3 percent in the third quarter of last year. Apple’s share, on the other hand, fell from 17.4 percent to 14.6 percent.