Tag: apple

BlackBerry CEO : iPhone UI Is Old, Lacking Innovation

Thorsten Heins, BlackBerry’s CEO, has been on a mission to bring back the glory days of the smartphone maker. A huge sign of adoption occurred last week when BlackBerry revealed that an unknown partner signed up to purchase 1 million BlackBerry 10 smartphones – this was the “largest ever single purchase order in BlackBerry’s history.”

Now Heins has laid a burn on the iPhone, pointing out that its software is starting to look a bit dated. He is currently visiting Australia for the launch of the Z10 and had some choice words for their competitors, namely Apple.

Heins said “Apple did a fantastic job in bringing touch devices to market… They did a fantastic job with the user interface, they are a design icon. There is a reason why they were so successful, and we actually have to admit this and respect that. History repeats itself again I guess… the rate of innovation is so high in our industry that if you don’t innovate at that speed you can be replaced pretty quickly. The user interface on the iPhone, with all due respect for what this invention was all about is now five years old.”

Mr Heins said one area that the new BlackBerry phones had surpassed the iPhone was in the ability to multi-task – running multiple apps at once – meaning that users could work in the same fashion on their smartphone as they liked to on a laptop.

Apple’s future direction with iOS and its user interface are now a point of interest for the company, as it parted ways with its previous iOS software chief, Scott Forstall, late last year. That role, along with control of the design of OS X, has been handed to Jonathan Ive, who has overseen development of the company’s iconic hardware for years.

[Via Financial Review]

March 18, 2013
THX Sues Apple Over Speaker Patent

Apple Inc. has been accused by THX Ltd., a company founded by “Star Wars” producer George Lucas, of stealing speaker technology used in iPhones, iPads and iMac products.

According to the complaint, Apple knowingly infringed and continues to infringe upon THX’s U.S. Patent No. 7,433,483 for “Narrow profile speaker configurations and systems,” a property granted in 2008 describing methods to effectively enhance sound quality in compact speaker arrangements integrated into consumer electronics like computers and televisions.

As noted by Bloomberg, THX claims Apple’s violation caused monetary damages and irreparable harm, and seeks royalties or damages to make up for lost profit.

Given the products Apple allegedly uses the technology in, it is reasonable to assume that monetary damages could be a substantial sum.

THX originated as a way to make sure that the audio in Lucas’s Star Wars movies could be properly produced outside of the theater. The company did this by establishing standards, as well as a certification for sound systems, reports Bloomberg.

This year, San Rafael, California-based THX announced its first mobile application, THX tune-up, available in Apple’s iTunes App Store, according to a Jan. 29 statement from THX. The app allows consumers to use an Apple device with the iOS operating system to adjust the performance of televisions, projectors and speakers, according to the statement.

Neither company would comment outside of THX which simply said that this was a “pending legal matter”.

[Via Bloomberg]

March 16, 2013
Apple Suffers Setback In iPhone Trademark Apple In Mexico

Apple’s appeal to overturn a previous ruling against its sole ownership of the “iPhone” trademark in Mexico was rebuffed on Friday, with the Mexican Supreme Court saying a local tech company holds the official rights to the “iFone” name in the country.

In a case of David vs. Goliath, the Mexican Supreme Court has upheld a lower court ruling that iFone, a small IT company in Mexico City, is the rightful owner of the iPhone name in that country.

The company registered the name in 2003, four years before Apple rolled out the smartphone it dubbed the iPhone, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The case goes back to 2009, when Apple tried to register the phone brand name in Mexico and the Mexican Industrial Property Institute said it was already taken. Apple tried to take the name by suing, arguing that it had expired for iFone, but a federal court disagreed.

Ifone, based in Mexico City, specializes in server-based telecommunications systems, such as software that controls IP telephony, and is the local representative for software-based communications solutions provider AltiGen Communications Inc.

The ruling marks another setback for Apple in Latin America. A month ago, Brazilian authorities rejected Apple’s attempts to register the iPhone name because Brazilian electronics maker IGB Eletronica SA, better known by its brand name Gradiente, already owned rights to the name.

Last year Apple fought with Chinese company Proview over the rights to the iPad trademark in the country. That dispute, which threatened sales of the popular tablet, was settled last July for $60 million.

[Via LA Times]

March 16, 2013
Apple Marketing Head Phil Schiller Tweets Link To Android’s Security Flaws

Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller has been known to take to Twitter and email to voice his opinions on rival services and platforms in the past. Today, the Apple executive appears to be taking a jab at Android by tweeting out a link to a recent study from security firm F-Secure that compares security threats on mobile platforms.

Be safe out there: f-secure.com/static/doc/lab…

— Philip Schiller (@pschiller) March 7, 2013

Schiller is noted for his taunts at competition, but he hardly uses the microblogging website, so when he does it seems to have an impact. The last activity on his Twitter account before this dig at Android was on 25 December, wishing everyone a happy Christmas.

The F-Secure report indicates that around 96 new families and variants of Android threats were discovered in the fourth quarter of 2012, which was double the number recorded in the previous quarter and that on the threat side, Android’s share rose to 79% in 2012 compared to 66.7% in 2011, while iOS’ share was just 0.7%. While the report is certainly not the de facto pronouncement of mobile OS security, and is based on a specific methodology, a senior Apple executive citing it to pan competition does raise eyebrows.

The reality of the situation is that if you stick to Google Play, you’d be safe in most of the cases. And if you run 4.2 Jelly Bean, you’d be protected even against malicious apps in third-party stores.

Still, Google’s anti-malware bouncer platform and constant quick clean-ups of Google Play cannot protect you from yourself. Rogueware and spyware apps do exist on third-party app stores, and earlier Android versions might be vulnerable. But then again, that’s the price you pay for your freedom of choice, something that other platforms cannot boast about.

March 8, 2013
Nokia Joins Apple In Bid For Samsung Ban

In a surprising twist, Windows Phone device manufacturer Nokia has filed a brief with US courts in support of Apple’s ongoing legal battle against Samsung.

Acting as an amicus curiae (friend of the court, a party who offers information to a case they are not directly involved with), Nokia has filed a brief on behalf of Apple to the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit this week.

In the brief, Nokia asked the court to permit permanent injunctions on the sale of Samsung phones that were found to infringe Apple’s patents.

As part of its ongoing legal battle with Samsung, Apple has repeatedly requested the courts to impose an injunction on the sale of Samsung products that have infringed on the iPhone maker’s patents.

As noted by Reuters, the brief itself is currently sealed, but an accompanying motion supplies an overview of Nokia’s argument. The company questions Judge Koh’s December ruling requiring a patent holder to first establish a “causal nexus” between a patented feature and customer demand before securing a permanent injunction against offending products. If such a precedent were set, Nokia asserts, the ability of patent holders to obtain sales bans would be crippled.

[quote]The “causal nexus” requirement as applied by the district court here, making the evidentiary standard for obtaining a permanent injunction so burdensome and strict that it may rarely, if ever, be met, will essentially lead to a compulsory-licensing system wherein patent holders are forced to license patented technology to competing firms, which could in turn harm incentives to innovate.[/quote]

In her ruling late last year, Judge Lucy Koh said that sales bans on Samsung products will not be given, and they can only be removed from sale if the feature deemed to infringe on a patent is one that is solely responsible for consumer demand for the product.

[Apple Insider]

March 7, 2013
Report : Intel in Talks to Build Chips for Apple

Intel is reportedly in talks with Apple to take over Samsung’s role to manufacture iPad and iPhone processors. Even if Apple is not using Intel’s x86 CPU’s in its mobile products, it would be an attractive deal for Intel to fill the capacity in its own fabs and take away business from its most significant chip manufacturing rival in the market.

Intel’s next CEO is likely to shepherd the top chipmaker into a growing contract-manufacturing business, a strategic shift that could lead to a deal with Apple Inc and give it a fighting chance to make inroads in the mobile arena.

According to Reuters, a source “close to one of the companies” claims that executives from both Apple and Intel have met over the past year to discuss the idea of Intel making chips on a contract manufacturing basis. That would mean that Intel used its foundries to create chips designed to Apple’s own specifications.

This is not the first time rumors of an Apple-Intel partnership have cropped up. A report from May 2011 suggested that Intel showed interest in building Apple’s A4 and A5 SoCs, though no action was taken and the idea was apparently shelved as the so-called Ultrabook initiative gained momentum.

As for Apple, a move to Intel is easier to imagine, as the Mac lineup already runs on x86 processors. It has also been rumored that the company wants to distance itself from current A-series SoC manufacturer Samsung, with which it is ensnarled in a worldwide patent struggle. The Korean electronics giant is also Apple’s biggest competition in the mobile marketplace, with a variety of Android-based devices going jockeying for position against iOS products like the iPhone and iPad.

[Apple Insider, Reuters]

March 7, 2013
Rumour : Apple iPhone 5S Coming In August With Faster Processor and Improved Camera

We all know that a new iPhone will be hitting stores’ shelves this year, but what exactly will this device bring to the table?

As soon as a new iPhone is announced the next wave of rumours begin. Surfacing today is a report from iMore noting that Apple is planning to announce the follow-up to the iPhone 5 with the iPhone 5S (if that’s what it would be called!) sometime this summer, possibly in August of this year.

As for the design, no plans for this new iPhone 5S to come with a laser keyboard or holographic display, but will keep the same overall general style as the iPhone 5 and come with a better camera and faster processor – possibly “A7.” According to previous rumours the iPhone 5S will also come with a fingerprint sensor under the home button for added security, plus additional details revealed camera will have an improved LED “SmartFlash” sensor.

More specific rumours point to a 13-megapixel camera, and a storage capacity as high as 128GB.

Without compromising with overall design and thickness of casing, Apple is trying to raise the bar of upcoming iPhone 5 only to stay above than the competition.

Despite of high-sales of iPhone 5 and iPad Mini, the year 2012 remained below expectations for Apple and for investors. However, with a line of products reportedly scheduled in 2013 at regular intervals – Apple iPad Mini 2 in April, Apple iPhone 5S in August and Apple iWatch by end of the year – last three-quarters could make Apple swipe off the market beating expectation with significant margins.

[iMore]

March 5, 2013
Apple iPhone Could Have Been Called ‘Telepod’, ‘Tripod’ or ‘Mobi’!

Before Apple settled for iPhone, Apple considered several other names for its first smartphone. Not only was the name iPad originally in contention for the phone rather than it later being used for the company’s tablet, but it also almost went with TriPod. Really.

Considering that Apple named their desktop computer system the iMac and their portable media player the iPod, it isn’t surprising that they decided to name their mobile phone the iPhone. However that wasn’t always the case and according to former Apple marketer, Ken Segall.

Speaking to 9to5Mac, Segall said that Apple considered the names “Telepod” and “Tripod” for the smartphone at one point.

The former brand would bring “telephone” together with the iPod, while the latter would refer to the iPhone’s three core capabilities – a phone, an iPod and a device to get onto the internet.

According to Segall, Apple also evaluated the name “mobi” as a play on the word “mobile”, and could even have called the phone “iPad”. That brand was used for Apple’s tablet computer product that debuted in 2010.

But Apple co-founder Steve Jobs previously revealed that the firm actually started working on the tablet before the phone, only to end up prioritising the iPhone in its product strategy.

So yeah, looking at what names Apple might have picked for its iconic smartphone, we’re glad it chose the “iPhone” eventually. Otherwise, we would now be talking, tweeting and snapping photos using our Tripods, and that just sounds silly. Don’t you agree?

[Via 9to5Mac]

March 5, 2013
Rumour : MacBook Air With Retina Display Coming In Q3

The MacBook Air could be in line for a Retina Display upgrade later this year, according to reports.

Taiwanese newspaper the Economic Daily, citing those infamous ‘supply chain sources’ is claiming the ultra-portable laptop will be fitted with a super hi-res display and launched in the third quarter.

The report added that both the 11.6-inch and the 13.3-inch iterations have been earmarked for the screen technology first utilised on the iPhone 4, before the 4S, 5, iPod touchand iPad 3 got in on the act.

The tech also arrived on Apple’s computing products in 2013, with a 13-inch MacBook Pro with a 2560 x 1600 Retina Display and a 15-inch Pro with a 2880 x 1800 Retina Display launched.

Apple last week cut the price of its 256GB MacBook Air by $100, to $1,400. The move was a response to it dropping the price of its MacBook Pro with Retina down to $1,500. Apple also boosted processor speeds in its MacBook Pro line.

In addition to talk of improvements to the MacBook Air, another report out of Korea today said Apple’s next-generation iPad would come with GF2 display technology, a thinner alternative to what’s currently running in the device. Apple’s iPad Mini uses GF2 display technology. The addition of GF2 should make it easier for Apple to deliver a thinner full-size iPad.

This news comes after Google today launched the Chromebook Pixel.

The Chromebook Pixel from Google features a 12.85-inch touchscreen display that has a resolution of 2560 x 1700 pixels, amounting to a pixel density of 239 pixels per inch (ppi). Google says that the display on the Chromebook pixel is the best screen that has ever been put on a laptop. The display is a step ahead than Apple’s 13.1-inch Macbook Pro with Retina display that has pixel density of 227 pixels per inch.

February 22, 2013
Apple Hit With ‘Planned Obsolescence’ Lawsuit Over Fourth-Generation iPad

Apple’s legal troubles in Brazil grew on Thursday, as news emerged that the company has been hit with a class-action suit alleging that the quick release of the fourth-generation iPad constitutes “planned obsolescence” with regard to its predecessor.

Brazil’s Jornal do Comérciao reports that the Brazilian Institute of Politics and Law Software (IBDI) has filed suit against the iPad maker, claiming that the company could have, when launching the third-generation “New iPad,” implemented all of the technological upgrades it introduced in the fourth-generation model. Apple’s failure to do so, the suit alleges, amounts to planned obsolescence and unfair business practices.

“Consumers thought [they were] buying high-end equipment not knowing [it] was already an obsolete version,” says IBDI attorney Sergio Palomares.

The New iPad and iPad with Retina display are different in three ways.

For one, the current generation tablet includes an A6X processor versus the A5X processor that came with the discontinued iPad 3. It also includes a FaceTime HD camera. The previous model included a VGA front-facing videophone camera. Finally, the iPad 4 includes Apple’s new Lightning connector. The iPad 3 included a 30-pin connector.

It should also be noted that iPad 3 buyers who had purchased their tablet within 30 days of the iPad 4 announcement were able to make a return. In addition, some retailers extended this policy even further.

Apple also faces a struggle over rights to the iPhone brand in the country, having lost the right to the trademark after a court found in favor of Gradiente Electronica, a company that first registered the iPhone trademark in 2000.

February 22, 2013
Apple Releases iOS 6.1.2 Update, Evad3rs Release Evasi0n 1.4 Jailbreak Tool

Apple today released iOS 6.1.2, the latest iteration of the mobile operating system for iPhones, iPads and iPod touch devices, following widespread reports of errors caused by calendars connected to Exchange servers.

The affects of the bug also caused the battery life on the iPhone or iPad to suffer significantly.

Microsoft came up with a few ideas to prevent the overloading, such as switching off the calendar function altogether or simply banning all iOS 6.1 users from accessing the network.

Just a few hours after Apple released its latest iOS update yesterday, the Evad3rs team was out with Evasi0n version 1.4 designed to work with iOS 6.1.2 devices. An Evad3rs team member tweeted the news late yesterday.

Even the prior version of Evasi0n seemed unaffected by the iOS 6.1.2 update, at least according to preliminary testing. But Evasi0n version 1.4 makes it official.

Apple hasn’t spoken out about publicly about the Evasi0n jailbreak. But the company did update its jailbreak warning page a day before the tool was unleashed earlier this month.

The page cautions people about the side effects of the practice, such as instability, security vulnerabilities, shortened battery life, unreliable voice and data, disruption of services, and the inability to apply future software updates.

Unfortunately, Apple failed to address a security vulnerability enabling hackers to bypass an iPhone’s lockscreen and access core device functions.

February 20, 2013
GLBenchmark Result Shows Apple iPhone 5 Running iOS 7!
A GLBenchmark result page, sent to us on Facebook by Akash Sukhija, shows the Apple iPhone 5 running on iOS 7, the next version of the Apple mobile operating system. On top of the results page, the OS tab reads “iPhone OS 7.0”.

This comes at a time when Apple is set to release its promised fix for an iOS 6.1 bug that enables intruders to by-pass a user’s passcode and access certain areas of the phone, could be released this week. The rollout of iOS 6.1 hasn’t gone as smoothly for Apple as the company would have liked and it would be eager to make sure that iOS 7 does not follow a similar path.

Running iOS 7, the iPhone 5 scores :
- 3290 Frames (29.1 Fps) in GLBenchmark 2.5 Egypt HD C24Z16 – Offscreen (1080p)
- 4515 Frames (40.0 Fps) in GLBenchmark 2.5 Egypt HD C24Z16 – Onscreen
- 31721 ms (35.6 Fps) in GLBenchmark 2.5 Egypt HD Fixed Timestep – Onscreen
- 48806 ms (23.2 Fps) in GLBenchmark 2.5 Egypt HD Fixed Timestep – Offscreen (1080p)
- 1808 MTexels/s Fill Rate
- 133 MTriangles/s Textured Triangle Throughput
Apple launched iPhone 5 in September along with iOS 6, and it has been reported that the new iPhone will be released in the middle of 2013. Reports last month suggested that Apple could unveil the next version of its iPhone and iOS 7 as early as the spring of 2013.

Back in January, App developers had found references in their usage logs to a new version of the iPhone – identified as iPhone6,1 – and to iOS 7.

This webpage all but confirms Apple’s iOS 7 testing. Thanks Akash!

You can find the webpage here.
February 17, 2013
Apple To Release iOS 6.1.2 Next Week To Fix Major Security Issue

Apple’s promised fix for an iOS 6.1 bug that enables intruders to by-pass a user’s passcode and access certain areas of the phone, could be released this week.

According to a report from German site iFun, which was dead-on about the release of iOS 6.1.1, the iOS 6.1.2 release date could come as soon as next week, possibly by February 20th.

The rollout of iOS 6.1 hasn’t gone as smoothly for Apple as the company would have liked.

Not only did the initial release introduce the security issues and battery problems, in addition to a wallop of a 3G connectivity bug for iPhone 4S users in Europe, the follow-up version, iOS 6.1.1 released last week, introduced a bunch of new issues.

iPhone users are still reporting Exchange connectivity bugs, so severe that Microsoft is suggesting affected devices be booted from the server so as not to slow down the rest of the network.

Earlier this week a video was posted online showing how a complex series of button pushes could nullify the passcode and unlock photo albums, calling logs, voicemail and enable the hacker to modify contacts.

Apple has acknowledged the problem, which is almost identical to one which surfaced in 2010, and said it is hastily working on a fix.

February 17, 2013
Apple Paid A Record US $ 8 Billion To iOS Mobile Developers

Apple has announced it has paid out a total of $8 billion to developers since the inauguration of the App Store in 2009.

This is an increase of $1b since January 13th, when Apple last reported the numbers, and a milestone for an industry that increasingly relies on developer interest to beckon customers to a particular platform. While Android has proven successful for developers in usage numbers, recent statistics cite iOS developers as earning four times the amount, on average, for paid apps.

The App Store reached 775,000 apps back in September, with some apps becoming multi-billion dollar businesses. Cook couldn’t resist pointing out the lack of tablet-optimised apps in rival’s stores, saying: “We have over 300,000 apps custom designed for the tablet. The other guys have a few hundred.” This taunt is not dissimilar to one that Steve Jobs used during one of his WWDC keynotes a few years ago.

With iTunes bringing in a sizeable amount of money, too, Apple’s online services are definitely paying off.

Speaking also about what Apple would and would not do to earn cash, specifically with “affordable” products, Cook let it be known that the company’s “North Star” is “a great product.” Cook continued speaking about how they’d actually tried to make cheaper products, but found that instead of creating a Mac for under $500, it made more sense to make the iPad. Thus that product ecosystem was born.

February 13, 2013
Report : Google To Pay Apple $1 Billion To Be Default Search Engine

Despite their continuing legal battles, new reports have suggested search giant Google will pay bitter rival Apple as much as $1 billion (£638.24 million) to be the default search browser on the company’s market dominating hardware ranges. In 2009, the search giants paid only $82 million for the privilege.

It seemed like an impressive win for Mozilla when the new three-year, $900 million deal with Googlewas announced. The Foundation derives the bulk of its funding from that search deal and in return Google gets billions of search hits. But that deal may pale in comparison to what it pays Apple.

Business Insider brings a little hyperbole into the equation, saying that if the iPad continues to grow that it’ll surpass PCs in 5 years — at which point an Apple switch to another search provider could be devastating for Google. They base this speculation on the recent news that iPhoto has dropped Google Maps as a location provider, which some feel is an indication that Apple no longer needs Google at all.

For every dollar of revenue Google makes on iOS thanks to advertising and data collection, Apple gets 75 cents from Google. The number is only going to increase in the coming years if iOS sales keep growing.

Are you an Apple iDevice or Mac user? Do you stick strictly to the Google search options of your device or make use of alternatives such as Bing?

[Business Insider]

February 12, 2013