Yesterday the U.S. Department of Justice sued Apple and five major publishers on antitrust grounds, alleging they fixed prices of e-books throughout 2010. According to the Department, consumers may have been paying as much as $5 too much for e-books. Three of the publishers have settled. Joe Nocera is an Op-Ed Columnist at the New York Times, and joins us to talk about how book pricing works, and what yesterday's legal actions mean for the future pricing of e-books.

After a comprehensive inspection by the Fair Labor Association, Chinese factory Foxconn has agreed to cut worker's hours and increase their wages. Apple, whose products are manufactured at Foxconn, cheer the promises of reform. If implemented, these changes could prompt an overhaul of Chinese labor laws. Charles Duhigg is a New York Times business reporter.

This morning, investors found out Apple's plans for its stockpile of almost 100 billion dollars in cash. Apple says it will use some of its money to pay a dividend to shareholders and buy back some of its shares. 

Recent reporting by our partner The New York Times raised fresh concerns over the safety and well-being of the workers that staff Apple's supplier factories in China. Apple now says that it has requested an independent labor group to audit the conditions at its suppliers' factories, with the first inspections under way starting yesterday.

Millions of people love their iPhones, iPads, and refuse to be separated from their iPods. But lately our relationship with our Apple technology has been tainted by guilt after a story from our partner The New York Times revealed significant safety concerns for workers at some of Apple's overseas factories in China. Stories of long, abusive hours and horrifying conditions came to light. Now Apple is trying to allay concerns. The company has asked an independent labor group to audit the working conditions at its suppliers' factories.  

Millions of Americans love their Apple products: from iPods to MacBooks to iPads. But there's a story behind the beloved devices. How do they get made and what price is paid? Our partner The New York Times has been investigating and this morning's story is a riveting read, in particular the safely problems at a Chinese factory that makes iPads.

It was a decade ago today that Apple's first iPod digital music player was released, forever changing the world's relationship to music. No longer would people on the move have to choose their favorite handful of CDs for their commute to work or trip to the gym. Entire record collections could suddenly be jammed into one's back pocket. The iPod would go on to be recognized as one of the crowning achievements of Apple founder Steve Jobs.

Walter Isaacson's highly anticipated new biography on Steve Jobs hit book shelves this week and reveals layers of a man most of us never knew. The book has kept Jobs in the global conversation and Howard Rheingold, visiting lecturer in Stanford University's Department of Communications and author of the book, "Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution," shares with us what he believes is missing from the conversation about Steve Jobs that all of us should know.

This past week saw an outpouring of grief around the country for Apple founder Steve Jobs, who died of pancreatic cancer last Wednesday. Jobs is remembered as a visionary who changed how we use technology every day. That commercial announcing the launch of Apple's Macintosh played off of George Orwell's "1984" and presented Apple as an iconoclast. But in recent New York Times Op-Ed argues that today there's no company that looks more like the Big Brother of that commercial than Apple itself.

After Steve Jobs died on Wednesday, many reflected on his innovations, and how they changed what the world has come to expect from technology. His intuitive understanding of design and human psychology helped him to create a user-friendly approach to high-tech computing which, in turn, made Apple one of the most popular brands in the world.

"Apple took us into a space where technology didn't have to be this rational thing," John Maeda told The Takeaway. "It could be an emotional thing — a thing you could connect to as a person." Maeda, a world renowned graphic designer and visual artist, is president of the Rhode Island School of Design. Maeda cannot understate the influence of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs on his life and career. He fondly remembers his Apple II and his first Macintosh in 1984, which his MIT classmates derided as a "pansy computer." "I knew that computer was different," Maeda said. "It was making a statement."

Heads of state, business and technology leaders, and throngs of consumers, who were touched by his products, are mourning the loss of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who died Wednesday at age 56. The news comes little over a month after Jobs stepped down as CEO of the company, on August 24, due to his declining health. Jobs was battling pancreatic cancer. New Yorker writer Ken Auletta wrote an obituary for Jobs last night, saying Jobs' creations "changed our lives." "The Macintosh, the iTunes store that induced people to pay for music and other content, Pixar, which forever changed animation, the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. These were more than technological feats. Apple products were beautifully designed, as well," Auletta wrote.

Steve Jobs, Apple's iconic co-founder, died Wednesday at age 56 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Widely credited with transforming the way people use computers, listen to music, and communicate, Jobs's influence and vision shaped each of Apple's popular devices. Jobs, a college dropout inspired by the spirit of the 60s, founded Apple in a garage with Steve Wozniak in 1976. In a statement on its website, Apple wrote, "Steve’s brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives."

Apple announced last night that Steve Jobs, co-founder and chief executive of the company, would immediately resign from his position. Tim Cook, chief operating officer there, will replace him. In a public letter, Jobs said "I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come." Jobs will stay on at Apple as chairman of the board. Shortly after the news broke, Apple shares fell seven percent. 

Apple announced last night that Steve Jobs, co-founder and chief executive of the company, would immediately resign from his position. Tim Cook, chief operating officer there, will replace him. In a public letter, Jobs said "I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come." Jobs will stay on at Apple as chairman of the board. Shortly after the news broke, Apple shares fell seven percent. 

Google is attempting to acquire Motorola Mobility Holdings and — as part of the package — Motorola's 17,000 patents. Google’s CEO, Larry Page, explained the motivations in a blog post about the deal: "Our acquisition of Motorola will increase competition by strengthening Google's patent portfolio, which will enable us to better protect Android from anti-competitive threats from Microsoft, Apple and other companies."

Two computer programmers presented findings showing that your iPhone and iPad is recording your locations in a hidden file. Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center explains how the devices track your location and why this is a breach of privacy. The issue, he says, is partially the fact that you are being tracked, but also that the file is being saved. This points to a larger privacy problem whereby users don't have a choice as to whether they can be tracked.

For the second time in the company’s history, Apple CEO Steve Jobs is going on medical leave. A year and a half ago, Jobs underwent a liver transplant, and recovered from pancreatic cancer in 2004. The company's most recent earnings report will also be released today. Both announcements come at a time when Apple is facing some of its toughest competition from smaller tech challengers as well as fellow titans like Google. Thus far Steve Jobs has been synonymous with Apple — an often essential part of the brand. What is the possible future of Apple without Steve Jobs?

NATO forces in Afghanistan now say they have recovered the body of one of the two U.S. Navy personnel missing since Friday night. Negotiations are still going on through tribal elders to secure the release of the other man, who is still being held in the eastern province of Logar.

Yesterday, the U.S. Copyright Office declared it perfectly legal for iPhone owners to "jailbreak" their mobile devices. In reviewing the Digital Millenium Copyright Act, the office said that although it may break Apple's warranty, there was no legal reason why iPhone users shouldn't be able to free their phones from the software restrictions that Apple places on them. The Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple Corporation responded that jailbreaking iPhones could lead to "copyright infringement, potential damage to the device and other potential harmful physical effects" to the device. The new ruling changes the sense of ownership that technology users have over their products.