Apple's high-end PC line in danger

Apple's line of high-end desktop towers could be more endangered than originally thought, with a new report claiming the company is considering shelving what is currently its most expensive product, writes Cnet.

Citing anonymous sources, Apple Insider says a sharp decline in sales of the workstations, which begin at $2 499 in the US, have led executives to reconsider whether it's worth continuing to invest in the Mac Pro product line.

“People familiar with the matter said management as far back as May of 2011 were in limbo over whether to pour any additional resources into the product line,” the report says.

Research In Motion (RIM) has begun rolling out a discount programme for its PlayBook tablet line, reveals V3.co.uk.

The company has begun offering business customers in the US and Canada a special offer in which businesses can purchase two tablets and receive the third tablet free of charge through the end of the year.

The special offer comes as the PlayBook continues to struggle to gain a foothold in the tablet space. Though early figures estimated sales at 250 000 units in the first month of availability, the PlayBook never lived up to its billing as a serious challenger to the Apple iPad.

A US computer security firm says cyber attacks traced to China targeted at least 48 chemical and military-related companies in an attempt to steal technical secrets, according to the Associated Press.

Symantec says the attacks occurred between late July and September and used e-mails sent to companies to plant programs in their computers to gather information “for competitive advantage”.

It did not identify any of the targets but said they included companies involved in developing chemical compounds and advanced materials used for military vehicles.

Google has unveiled a new version of Google+ for Android, complete with a new look, a new user interface and support for Ice Cream Sandwich, says Mashable.

Version 2.1 of the updated Android app provides a cleaner and more streamlined version of the app that is consistent with the design changes implemented in Android 4.0.

Notifications have been moved to the top right, the interface has been tightened and photos have been enhanced and enlarged. Even profile pictures have been enlarged to improve the user experience.