The Microsoft Zune is mostly just a footnote in tech history. Microsoft spent years - and vast sums of money - trying to create a true competitor to Apple's iPod, without ever coming close to actually pulling it off. The Zune was simply too little, too late. You know what's surprising about the Zune, though? Microsoft made a lot of the right bets with the Zune. The company saw - well ahead of most of the rest of the tech industry - that adding social features could make its product stickier. It understood that these pocketable devices might eventually be useful for much more than just music. And it had a bunch of interface design ideas that … Read the…

Apple shares climbed roughly 2% in premarket trading on Friday, buoyed by strong holiday-quarter guidance that signaled a sales recovery driven by the new iPhone 17 lineup, even amid shipping delays to the crucial China market. Although supply issues hampered fourth-quarter results, investor confidence held firm after the September debut of the latest iPhones propelled Apple’s market capitalization above $4 trillion earlier this week, placing it alongside Nvidia and Microsoft. Reuters: ‎ Amazon and Apple shares are still the worst performers for the year so far among the so-called “Magnificent Seven” group of megacaps, though the e-commerce giant’s stock soared before the bell on Friday on stellar cloud growth in the quarter. Apple’s stock trades at 33.4 times analysts’ profit…

Apple shares climbed roughly 2% in premarket trading on Friday, buoyed by strong holiday-quarter guidance that signaled a sales recovery driven by the new iPhone 17 lineup, even amid shipping delays to the crucial China market. Although supply issues hampered fourth-quarter results, investor confidence held firm after the September debut of the latest iPhones propelled Apple’s market capitalization above $4 trillion earlier this week, placing it alongside Nvidia and Microsoft. Reuters: ‎ Amazon and Apple shares are still the worst performers for the year so far among the so-called “Magnificent Seven” group of megacaps, though the e-commerce giant’s stock soared before the bell on Friday on stellar cloud growth in the quarter. Apple’s stock trades at 33.4 times analysts’ profit…

Nvidia is poised to etch its name in history on Wednesday, becoming the first company to hit a $5 trillion market valuation and prolonging a dominant surge fueled by its pivotal role in the worldwide AI explosion. The Santa Clara, California-based firm’s shares climbed 3.6% in premarket trading, bolstered by a series of recent announcements that solidified its dominance in the AI competition. Reuters: ‎ CEO Jensen Huang unveiled $500 billion in AI chip orders on Tuesday and said he plans to build seven supercomputers for the U.S. government. Moreover, President Donald Trump is expected to discuss Nvidia’s Blackwell chip with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, reflecting the company’s growing clout in an escalating U.S.-China tech rivalry. Nvidia’s $5…

Apple briefly reached a $4 trillion market value in early trading on Tuesday, becoming the third Big Tech giant to hit this milestone. Strong demand for its latest iPhone models eased concerns about the company’s lagging AI progress, which critics attribute to a lack of visionary leadership. Reuters: ‎ Apple’s shares have gained about 13% since the new launches on September 9, in a remarkable turnaround that pushed the stock into positive territory for the first time this year. Brokerage Evercore ISI expects the strong demand for Apple’s latest iPhones to help it surpass market expectations for the three-month period ending in September and issue upbeat forecasts for the quarter ending in December. Apple is the third company to hit…

Microsoft's Clippy has been resurrected for a cameo appearance in the company's latest Copilot update, which broadly aims to make its AI assistant more friendly, warm, and human-centered in its interactions. Microsoft's Copilot Fall Release introduces Mico – an animated orb that serves as the voice mode's visual companion. Mico (its name a nod to Microsoft Copilot) listens, reacts, and changes colors based on the user's interactions, with the aim of giving the AI chatbot a cuter, more approachable presence. That said, Microsoft's attempt to soften its AI offering could backfire if users tap Mico repeatedly – the action briefly turns Mico into Clippy (officially named Clippit), the animated paperclip assistant that first appeared in Office 97 and became a…