Apple chief executive Steve Jobs today announced he is taking a new leave of absence from the technology company 'so I can focus on my health'.
'At my request, the board of directors has granted me a medical leave of absence so I can focus on my health. I will continue as CEO and be involved in major strategic decisions for the company,' Jobs said in an email to Apple employees.
Jobs said he had asked Tim Cook 'to be responsible for all of Apple's day-to-day operations' in his absence.
'I have great confidence that Tim and the rest of the executive management team will do a terrific job executing the exciting plans we have in place for 2011.
'I love Apple so much and hope to be back as soon as I can. In the meantime, my family and I would deeply appreciate respect for our privacy,' he said.
Jobs went on a medical leave in 2009, and later disclosed he had undergone a liver transplant as part of treatment for pancreatic cancer.
Belgium plans iPad subscriptions probe
Belgium is to investigate Apple's policy of requiring newspapers and magazines to go through the iTunes store to sell subscriptions for the iPad tablet.
Economy Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne asked the country's competition watchdog to review whether Apple abused its dominant position after several Belgian and Dutch editors were notified about the US company's policy.
A recent document from Apple 'indicates that from now on, iPad subscriptions will only be sold via iTunes', the minister's office said in a statement. Apple takes 30% of the revenue from sales of newspaper and magazine subscriptions through iTunes, the ministry said.
It added that the Apple strategy was not without consequences for publishers. Barring newspapers and magazines from selling their subscriptions for iPad users through their own channels would appear to be 'an abuse of a dominant position', it said.
Belgium could launch a formal investigation if the review spots any problems with the policy, the ministry said, warning it could also transfer the case to the EU's competition watchdog.
