Apple working on cheaper iPhones?

According to people who have been briefed on the plans, Apple is developing less expensive iPhone models to compete with lower level smartphones, writes Digital Trends.

In a move to compete with the rapidly expanding Android market, which integrates on smartphones of various makes and prices, Apple will market a cheaper, smaller version - about one-third smaller than the existing iPhone 4.

Bloombergclaims one of its sources has seen the prototype, and that it will sell for $200 without a contract - as opposed to the iPhone 4, which currently sells for between $200 and $300 with a two-year AT&T or Verizon contract.

Microsoft has said the latest version of its Internet Explorer Web browser puts it ahead of competitors like Google and Firefox, reports the BBC.

The software giant, which is losing market share, made the bold claim as it unveiled what is known as the release candidate of IE9.

This is the final test drive for the new browser - a chance to catch any last-minute bugs before its debut. IE9 has been downloaded 25 million times during beta testing.

Free cellphone encryption is coming to Android users in Egypt, courtesy of San Francisco software maker Whisper Systems, reveals The Register.

Until now, Redphone and TextSecure, voice- and text-encryption apps respectively, have generally been available in the US only. Whisper Systems has been working on making the packages available internationally.

With cellphone communication playing a vital role in the more than two weeks of protests in Cairo and Alexandria, the company decided to jump-start a version for Egyptians, said principal Moxie Marlinspike.

Three weeks into a medical leave he took “to focus on my health”, Apple chief executive Steve Jobs is staying closely involved in the company's strategic decisions and product development, according to people familiar with the matter, notes The Wall Street Journal.

The 55-year-old Jobs, whose ailment hasn't been disclosed, has been taking business meetings at home and on the phone, the sources said.

He also has been seen on Apple's Cupertino, California, campus and in public in Palo Alto with a company executive, they added.