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By Byron Kaye and Swati Pandey SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian businesses are turning their backs on bitcoin, as signs grow that the cryptocurrency's mainstream appeal is fading.     Concerns about bitcoin's potential crime links mean many businesses have stopped accepting it, a trend accelerated by Australian banks' move last month to close the accounts of 13 of the country's 17 bitcoin exchanges. The development is a blow to hopes of bitcoin fans that the currency can play a significant role in everyday business transactions in developed economies, with Australia once seen as one of its most promising markets. “We've got a squeaky clean reputation, and that's actually worth a lot more to us than dipping into this,” said James Snodgrass, principal of Sydney's Forsyth Real Estate, which ditched the currency in late 2014 after the firm was investigated by the federal tax office.

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By Heather Somerville and Jane Wardell SAN FRANCISCO/SYDNEY (Reuters) – A significant number of Apple Inc customers are reporting their mobile devices have crashed after attempting to upload the new iOS 9 operating system, the latest in a line of launch glitches for the tech giant. Twitter and other social media were awash with disgruntled customers reporting two distinct faults, with one appearing to be linked specifically to older models of Apple iPhones and iPads. “It is beyond inconvenient to not be able to use your phone for a day,” said student Pip Cordi as staff in the Apple store in central Sydney looked at her phone on Friday.

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By Anya George Tharakan and Julia Love BENGALURU/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Apple Inc forecast fourth-quarter revenue below estimates and missed some targets for iPhone sales, sending its shares down more than 6 percent in after-hours trading. Apple said on Tuesday it sold 47.5 million iPhones in the third quarter, up 35 percent from a year ago. The company forecast revenue of $49 billion to $51 billion, missing analysts' average estimate of $51.13 billion according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. The world's largest publicly traded company by market value said it sold 47.5 million iPhones in the third quarter, up 35 percent from a year ago, but down 22 percent from 61.2 million in the second quarter.

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By Matt Siegel SYDNEY (Reuters) – Early adopters of the Apple Watch, Apple Inc's first new product in five years, are complaining that a number of its key functions are disrupted by their tattoos. Owners of Apple Watch – including this reporter, who bought a 42mm version with stainless steel case and black classic buckle for A$1,029 ($822) – have found that their inked skin confuses the sensors on the underside of the device. Users of the watch, which went on sale last week, took to social media on Thursday under the hashtag #tattoogate to air their frustration with the flaw from Apple's renowned design house.

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By Deepa Seetharaman and Edwin Chan SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Electric-car battery maker A123 Systems has sued Apple Inc for poaching top engineers to build a large-scale battery division, according to a court filing that offered further evidence that the iPhone maker may be developing a car. Apple has been poaching engineers with deep expertise in car systems, including from Tesla Inc, and talking with industry experts and automakers with the ultimate aim of learning how to make its own electric car, an auto industry source said last week. Around June 2014, Apple began aggressively poaching A123 engineers tasked with leading some of the company's most critical projects, the lawsuit said. The engineers jumped ship to pursue similar programs at Apple, in violation of their employment agreements, A123 said in a filing earlier this month in Massachusetts federal court.

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(Reuters) – Apple Inc said it has identified and blocked malicious software applications targeting users in China. Palo Alto Networks Inc said on Wednesday it discovered a new family of malware that can infect Apple products, underscoring the increasing sophistication of attacks on iPhones and Mac computers. “We are aware of malicious software available from a download site aimed at users in China, and we’ve blocked the identified apps to prevent them from launching,” Apple said in an email to Reuters. …