News: retina display Macs, Apple's universal remote, lost AppleCare appeal, and more!

A closer look at some image resources in the Mountain Lion beta has revealed double-sized graphics, says Ars Technica. Doubled graphics are one of the first clues people look for to indicate Apple's well-known retina displays, and if these doubled graphics are anything to go by, it means we'll be seeing Macs equipped with retina-class displays sooner, rather than later. The rumour says that Apple are looking into universal remotes that customises the UI intelligently. There's a patent that examines how this could possibly be done, and it's possible an iOS device with IR capabilities could be used for this very purpose. What's more, instead of manually programming your intelligent universal remote, you would just take a photo of your existing remote, send it to iCloud, and be on your way.

Apple recently lost an AppleCare appeal in Italy, where Italian law already covers products for up to two years from the original date of purchase. Apple now must also pay a US $1.2 million fine, after charging customers for AppleCare, without first telling them Italian law already covered their product for two years.

What is the real leadership lesson of Steve Jobs? Walter Isaacson over at the Harvard Business Review has more.