Claire Cain Miller

Once the best of friends, Google and Apple have become foes, battling in courtrooms and in the consumer marketplace. Last week, the hostilities took a new turn when they spilled right onto smartphone screens.
In the latest version of Apple’s iPhone software, which became available Wednesday, Apple removed two mainstay apps, both Google products Maps and YouTube.

The disappearing apps show just how far-reaching the companies’ rivalry has become, as well as the importance of mobile users to their businesses.
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This year, MSI’s GE70 and GE60 are at the center of serious conversations among serious players about serious gaming laptops. To meet your need for speed, MSI continues to roll out gaming notebooks with ever more impressive performance to price ratios. The powerful upgraded GE70 and GE60 pack the 3rd generation Intel Core i7 quad core processor and the robust new Nvidia GTX660M discrete graphics chip. They boast 3D game performance ratings that outstrip the previous generation GTX560M and the earlier GT650M by more than 15%. The blazing Killer Gaming Networking chip, SteelSeries professional gaming keyboard, quad-driver stereo wrap-around sound, Audio Boost headset sound enhancement technology, the snazzy exterior, and the unbelievably clear multimedia reproduction come together perfectly, putting the competition to shame.

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By Adam Satariano and Ryan Faughnder

Apple Inc. (AAPL) surpassed $700 in late trading yesterday after announcing record first-day orders for the latest iPhone, fueling optimism that the company will keep generating the revenue growth that transformed it from a niche computer manufacturer into the world’s most valuable business.

Shares climbed as high as $701.79 after reaching a record $699.78 at the close in New York. The stock has advanced 73 percent this year.

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What LTE on the iPhone 5 will mean to you _ questions and answers

By Peter Svensson

NEW YORK (AP) — The iPhone 5 is Apple’s first mobile handset that uses new “LTE” wireless networks. What’s LTE —and why should you care? Here are some answers.

Q: What does LTE stand for?

A: It’s “Long-Term Evolution,” but that doesn’t really tell you anything. It’s actually the latest and fastest way to transmit data from cellular towers to phones and other gadgets. It’s one of two so-called “fourth-generation,” or 4G, wireless technologies that have been deployed by various phone companies. (The other one is WiMax, which is available on Sprint phones. But WiMax coverage is low, isn’t being expanded, and even Sprint is betting on LTE for the future).

Q: How fast is LTE? Will it make a difference to me?

A: LTE networks in the U.S. reach speeds up to 20 megabits per second. That’s faster than most people get at home, with their cable or DSL services. It’s also faster than older wireless networks, but the differences aren’t always that big. Sprint and Verizon iPhone users should see a huge jump in speed with the new iPhone because their 3G networks are relatively slow. Downloads will be more than ten times faster where LTE is available. For AT&T users, downloads speeds should double or triple.

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Lee Mathews

Acer had planned to launch a customized version of its Cloud Mobile smartphone in China that ran Alibaba’s Aliyun OS. The phone is already available elsewhere running Android, but with Acer’s brass keen to expand the company’s mobile market share, shifting to Aliyun in China seemed like a good idea.

Google apparently thought otherwise. According to an Alibaba spokesperson, Acer was urged to reconsider its course of action. Google reportedly threatened to terminate “product cooperation and related technical authorization” should it proceed with the Aliyun-powered phone. Acer decided to call things off — and naturally both Acer and Google are remaining tight-lipped about why this week’s launch party has been cancelled.

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