ifoAppleStore reports that Apple will be adjusting its scheduling practices for retail store employees as of April 15th, placing greater weekend demands on its full-time workers and requiring greater weekly commitments from its part-time staff. The moves come as traffic at Apple stores continues to rise and the company seeks to bolster staff presence during the busiest times. According to the report, while Apple has been requiring many of its full-time staff to work one of the two weekend days per week, the company is now redefining Friday as a weekend day and requiring Specialists, Creatives, and Geniuses to work two out of the three weekend days per week

Earlier today, we noted that the iPad had been pulled from sale at online retailers Amazon China and Suning.com, with the development coming just days after authorities had seized some iPads over a trademark dispute involving the "iPad" name. At the time of the removal, an Amazon China spokesperson indicated that the iPad had been removed at Apple's request rather than as a result of actions associated with the trademark dispute, but Apple's reasons for the request were unknown.

Each year on the evening of December 31st an estimated one million people from around the world flock to New York City’s Times Square to cheer in unison as the final 10 seconds of the year are counted down and the iconic glowing ball is lowered down a 130-foot pole from atop 1 Times Square. BGR recently attended the Philips Ball Test, during which the city does a dry run of the ceremonies that will take place seconds before midnight on New Year’s Eve. We had a chance to sit down with Jeff Straus, the president of Countdown Entertainment and one of the producers who has overseen the event for the past 17 years, and Ed Crawford, the CEO of Philips Lighting, which provides the bulbs for the New Year’s Eve ball