The rumoured iPad mini shell that was leaked earlier has gotten a new life thanks to new images prior to the 12th Sept 2012 iPhone 5 launch. The shell appears to be thicker in size and the claimed iPad mini will not have a sim card slot, making a stab at the success of the Kindle Fire and Nexus 7 tablets. The tablet also touts dual speaker arrangement and the new style dock connector that is seen in the leaked mockups of the iPhone 5 as-well.
Apple has invited members of the Press and media to attend, what is supposedly going to be the next iPhone Launch, at San Francisco. Several rumors and leaks despite the lock downs by Apple, seem to have shaken the world of technology. Apple products have by far been the best kept secret, but this time around it just seems everyone knows what to expect. Although rumours of a separate iPad -Mini event seem to be doing rounds, we are still skeptical of any such announcement.
The event starts at 10:30:00 PM IST on 12 September 2012 , we will bring you all the dirt and coverage as we can.
Motorola’s biggest ever complaint against Apple involves 7 technologies that are now owned by Motorola, such as syncing messages between devices and bookmarking media playback on one device to resume on another. Although Apple has been using these technologies since 2005 in podcasts and Movies from iTunes, Motorola’s complaint only targets the newer iPad, iPhone 4s and other devices in the bottom line of Apple’s retail chain.
The complaint may take 6 months to over a year to resolve. By then Apple’s new lineup of technologies should be out. But, the question on everyone’s mind remains whether Apple, with their billions of dollars of corp warfare funds, will let this go easy.
Google has let out a sly update to their Google+ apps on Android and iOS. The biggest addition is now allowing, Android phones to join Hangouts on Air, a feature we might use as soon as Today.
For iOS the app, it now allows you to open links in Chrome instead of Safari, making the dreams of a default chrome browser more real than ever.
What’s in this Android version:
– Teens can now create and join Hangouts from mobile
– Join Hangouts on Air from mobile
– Floating timestamp in photos view
– Shortcuts for post creation
– Ability to report abuse in Events
What’s in this iOS version :
? Web links in posts now open in Chrome (if installed)
? Teens can now join and create Hangouts
? Instant Upload bug fixes to improve performance
[App Store] [Google Play]
If you think the Surface tablet’s Touch Cover and Type Cover are cool, then take a look at what Apple has in the works. The company that’s dominating the tablet industry with the iPad is looking to patent what appears to be next-generation Smart Covers, complete with built-in, flexible AMOLED displays, keyboards, and even solar panels and radio frequency (RF) energy collection antennas.
Apple’s patent application for a “Cover Attachment With Flexible Display,” was published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office Thursday, and shows a number of possible Smart Cover embodiments, one of which should look particularly familiar to Microsoft watchers.
When Microsoft first showed off its Surface tablet in June, it spent a significant amount of time touting the benefits of the peripheral Touch Cover, a tablet cover with a flat, built-in keyboard. It was a key features etting the Surface apart from the iPad. But it looks like Apple has been thinking along the same lines for at least a year — the company first filed its patent on Aug. 11, 2011 — and has come up with a flexible Smart Cover that includes a fabric keyboard and potential video or document controls on a back flap.
“First, this configuration gives the user an experience much closer to the one enjoyed by laptop users. Second, by allowing the user to easily view the screen and by providing a convenient surface to type on, tasks such as word processing and email become much more efficient,” the patent document states.
This sounds a lot like what Microsoft said about its Touch Cover advantages, but Apple is envisioning much more (though whether any of Apple’s ideas ever reach fruition is a different matter entirely).
One of the most interesting embodiments in the patent is a Smart Cover with a built-in AMOLED display made of a thin, polyimide substrate that could extend the iPad’s display. The cover would connect to the tablet through a wireless or wired data connection, or could even via other ports such as DisplayPort, mini DisplayPort, DVI, or Thunderbolt.
“The addition of cover display ameliorates the limited screen area problem and makes a number of tasks significantly easier, in some cases functioning as an extended desktop,” the patent states. It goes on to list a few examples of how the cover display could help with reviewing multiple documents at once. I imagine the scheme might also be helpful for general multitasking — you could keep your e-mail on the cover display and your web browser on the iPad display. The patent adds that the cover’s display could be enhanced with multi-touch gestures.
Since the cover’s display is flexible and can be used as an iPad stand (just like the current Smart Cover), the patent says that the cover could also recognize when it’s being bent back (with the help of an accelerometer) and activate itself for a specific purpose. For example, the cover display’s panel might display your Facebook status or latest tweet, the current time, or even your name — useful for when in meetings with strangers.
The display doesn’t have to stay within the confines of the tablet. Apple’s filings also describe another option in which the cover features small displays across the outside panels, allowing you to view information without having to open the cover and turn on the tablet. Instead of AMOLED display technology, the patent describes this embodiment as using electronic paper, which requires no extra power to maintain static images or text. The cover, in this case, could be used to display calendar reminders, tasks, or decorative patterns.
How does the cover display get power? Apple has thought of a few options. The patent document describes a custom MagSafe connector that would allow the cover to draw power from the iPad itself. Alternatively, the cover could include a small battery, so that it doesn’t drain the tablet’s power. Another interesting option is to include “ambient energy collectors” such as solar panels and RF antennas.
In one embodiment, the iPad cover has integrated solar panels on the outside of the cover. In this case, the cover doesn’t only power itself, but it could also transfer energy to the tablet. The cover could also include RF antennas, which the filings admit do not yield as much energy. Still, the antennas could power a micro battery or a super capacitor inside the actual cover, to power the low-energy AMOLED or electronic paper display. One advantage of the RF antennas is that they can collect energy whether the cover is open or closed, whereas the solar panels have to face a light source.
It’s clear that Apple has covered a lot of Smart Cover ground with this patent. It would be amazing to see all of these become actual shipping product features, available for various kinds of user needs. But knowing how Apple functions, it’s more likely that they will come out with one or two options. And if the company is smart, we’ll see a new cover with a built-in keyboard — to ensure nobody opts for a Microsoft Surface just because of the available Touch Cover.
Rumours of the Apple iPad mini are heating up the stadium. These images of supposedly legit iPad parts were put up on Chinese social media site Sina Weibo. The back panel apprears to be pre production as there is no cutout for camera. It could also be a prototype design, one of many that Apple tests.
The rumours this year have been hotter than ever, maybe, just maybe, Apple shows off the iPad mini at the September event?
Apple has announced their Q3 results and as always the company has posted a massive profit. The company pulled in $35 billion in revenue, pocketing $8.8 billion of pure profit, a record for both in Q3. Profits were up $1.5 billion from Q3 of 2011. During the last three months the company shipped 17 million iPads, an 84 percent increase when compared to the same quarter in 2011.
More than $16 billion of the total revenue is directly attributable to the smaller member of the iOS family, the iPhone. The iPad is also not behind getting over $9 billion in this quarter alone. As an up, Apple is able to award its investors a $2.65 per-share dividend.For the next quarter Apple actually expects a small drop in both revenue and earnings per-share.
Tim Cook also discussed how China has instrumental in Apple’s continued growth. While revenues were down $2.2 billion from the previous quarter in the country they were up roughly 48 percent year-over-year to $5.7 billion.
[toggle_box title=”Apple Q3 Earnings Report” width=”Width of toggle box”]
Apple Reports Third Quarter Results
17 Million iPads Sold
CUPERTINO, Calif., Jul 24, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) — –Board Declares Quarterly Dividend of $2.65 per Common Share
Apple(R) today announced financial results for its fiscal 2012 third quarter ended June 30, 2012. The Company posted quarterly revenue of $35.0 billion and quarterly net profit of $8.8 billion, or $9.32 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $28.6 billion and net profit of $7.3 billion, or $7.79 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 42.8 percent compared to 41.7 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 62 percent of the quarter’s revenue.
The Company sold 26.0 million iPhones in the quarter, representing 28 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 17.0 million iPads during the quarter, an 84 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. The Company sold 4.0 million Macs during the quarter, a two percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 6.8 million iPods, a 10 percent unit decline from the year-ago quarter.
Apple’s Board of Directors has declared a cash dividend of $2.65 per share of the Company’s common stock. The dividend is payable on August 16, 2012, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on August 13, 2012.
“We’re thrilled with record sales of 17 million iPads in the June quarter,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We’ve also just updated the entire MacBook line, will release Mountain Lion tomorrow and will be launching iOS 6 this Fall. We are also really looking forward to the amazing new products we’ve got in the pipeline.”
“We’re continuing to invest in the growth of our business and are pleased to be declaring a dividend of $2.65 per share today,” said Peter Oppenheimer, Apple’s CFO. “Looking ahead to the fourth fiscal quarter, we expect revenue of about $34 billion and diluted earnings per share of about $7.65.”
Apple will provide live streaming of its Q3 2012 financial results conference call beginning at 2:00 p.m. PDT on July 24, 2012 at www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/earningsq312 . This webcast will also be available for replay for approximately two weeks thereafter.
This press release contains forward-looking statements including without limitation those about the Company’s estimated revenue and diluted earnings per share. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ. Risks and uncertainties include without limitation the effect of competitive and economic factors, and the Company’s reaction to those factors, on consumer and business buying decisions with respect to the Company’s products; continued competitive pressures in the marketplace; the ability of the Company to deliver to the marketplace and stimulate customer demand for new programs, products, and technological innovations on a timely basis; the effect that product introductions and transitions, changes in product pricing or mix, and/or increases in component costs could have on the Company’s gross margin; the inventory risk associated with the Company’s need to order or commit to order product components in advance of customer orders; the continued availability on acceptable terms, or at all, of certain components and services essential to the Company’s business currently obtained by the Company from sole or limited sources; the effect that the Company’s dependency on manufacturing and logistics services provided by third parties may have on the quality, quantity or cost of products manufactured or services rendered; risks associated with the Company’s international operations; the Company’s reliance on third-party intellectual property and digital content; the potential impact of a finding that the Company has infringed on the intellectual property rights of others; the Company’s dependency on the performance of distributors, carriers and other resellers of the Company’s products; the effect that product and service quality problems could have on the Company’s sales and operating profits; the continued service and availability of key executives and employees; war, terrorism, public health issues, natural disasters, and other circumstances that could disrupt supply, delivery, or demand of products; and unfavorable results of other legal proceedings. More information on potential factors that could affect the Company’s financial results is included from time to time in the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of the Company’s public reports filed with the SEC, including the Company’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 24, 2011, its Forms 10-Q for the fiscal quarters ended December 31, 2011 and March 31, 2012, and its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2012 to be filed with the SEC. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements or information, which speak as of their respective dates.
Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.
NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional information visit Apple’s PR website ( www.apple.com/pr ), or call Apple’s Media Helpline at (408) 974-2042.
(C) 2012 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac OS and Macintosh are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Apple Inc.
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(In millions, except number of shares which are reflected in
thousands and per share amounts)
Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
——————————- ——————————-
June 30, 2012 June 25, 2011 June 30, 2012 June 25, 2011
————— ————— ————— —————
Net sales $ 35,023 $ 28,571 $ 120,542 $ 79,979
Cost of sales (1) 20,029 16,649 66,281 47,541
——- ——- ——- ——-
Gross margin 14,994 11,922 54,261 32,438
——- ——- ——- ——-
Operating expenses:
Research and development (1) 876 628 2,475 1,784
Selling, general and administrative (1) 2,545 1,915 7,489 5,574
——- ——- ——- ——-
Total operating expenses 3,421 2,543 9,964 7,358
——- ——- ——- ——-
Operating income 11,573 9,379 44,297 25,080
Other income and expense 288 172 573 334
——- ——- ——- ——-
Income before provision for income taxes 11,861 9,551 44,870 25,414
Provision for income taxes 3,037 2,243 11,360 6,115
——- ——- ——- ——-
Net income $ 8,824 $ 7,308 $ 33,510 $ 19,299
======= ======= ======= =======
Earnings per common share:
Basic $ 9.42 $ 7.89 $ 35.89 $ 20.91
Diluted $ 9.32 $ 7.79 $ 35.48 $ 20.63
Shares used in computing earnings per share:
Basic 936,596 926,108 933,672 922,917
Diluted 947,059 937,810 944,440 935,688
(1) Includes stock-based compensation expense as follows:
Cost of sales $ 70 $ 52 $ 196 $ 155
Research and development $ 172 $ 119 $ 500 $ 336
Selling, general and administrative $ 206 $ 113 $ 596 $ 379
Apple Inc.
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In millions, except number of shares which are reflected in
thousands)
June 30, 2012 September 24, 2011
——————– ——————–
ASSETS:
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents $ 7,945 $ 9,815
Short-term marketable securities 19,709 16,137
Accounts receivable, less allowances of $94 and $53, respectively 7,657 5,369
Inventories 1,122 776
Deferred tax assets 2,309 2,014
Vendor non-trade receivables 6,641 6,348
Other current assets 6,560 4,529
———- ———-
Total current assets 51,943 44,988
Long-term marketable securities 89,567 55,618
Property, plant and equipment, net 10,487 7,777
Goodwill 1,132 896
Acquired intangible assets, net 4,329 3,536
Other assets 5,438 3,556
———- ———-
Total assets $ 162,896 $ 116,371
========== ==========
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY:
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable $ 16,808 $ 14,632
Accrued expenses 10,430 9,247
Deferred revenue 5,822 4,091
———- ———-
Total current liabilities 33,060 27,970
Deferred revenue – non-current 2,530 1,686
Other non-current liabilities 15,560 10,100
———- ———-
Total liabilities 51,150 39,756
———- ———-
Commitments and contingencies
Shareholders’ equity:
Common stock, no par value; 1,800,000 shares authorized; 937,266 and 15,573 13,331
929,277 shares issued and outstanding, respectively
Retained earnings 95,641 62,841
Accumulated other comprehensive income 532 443
———- ———-
Total shareholders’ equity 111,746 76,615
———- ———-
$ 162,896 $ 116,371
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity
========== ==========
Apple Inc.
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In millions)
Nine Months Ended
—————————————–
June 30, 2012 June 25, 2011
——————– ——————–
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of the period $ 9,815 $ 11,261
——— ———
Operating activities:
Net income 33,510 19,299
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash generated by operating
activities:
Depreciation, amortization and accretion 2,296 1,271
Share-based compensation expense 1,292 870
Deferred income tax expense 4,066 2,232
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net (2,278) (592)
Inventories (346) 162
Vendor non-trade receivables (293) (955)
Other current and non-current assets (3,238) (1,551)
Accounts payable 2,450 2,480
Deferred revenue 2,575 1,276
Other current and non-current liabilities 1,686 2,608
——— ———
Cash generated by operating activities 41,720 27,100
——— ———
Investing activities:
Purchases of marketable securities (121,091) (75,133)
Proceeds from maturities of marketable securities 10,344 16,396
Proceeds from sales of marketable securities 73,140 34,301
Payments made in connection with business acquisitions, net of cash (350) 0
acquired
Payments for acquisition of property, plant and equipment (4,834) (2,615)
Payments for acquisition of intangible assets (1,067) (266)
Other (56) 34
——— ———
Cash used in investing activities (43,914) (27,283)
——— ———
Financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of common stock 433 577
Excess tax benefits from equity awards 1,036 915
Taxes paid related to net share settlement of equity awards (1,145) (479)
——— ———
Cash generated by financing activities 324 1,013
——— ———
(Decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents (1,870) 830
——— ———
Cash and cash equivalents, end of the period $ 7,945 $ 12,091
========= =========
Supplemental cash flow disclosure:
Cash paid for income taxes, net $ 5,901 $ 2,563
Apple Inc.
Q3 2012 Unaudited Summary Data
(Units in thousands, Revenue in millions)
Q2 2012 Q3 2011 Q3 2012
———————- ———————- ———————-
Sequential Change Year/Year Change
——————- ——————-
Operating Segments Mac Units Revenue Mac Units Revenue Mac Units Revenue Mac Units Revenue Mac Units Revenue
——— ———– ——— ———– ——— ———– ——— ——- ——— ——-
Americas 1,214 $ 13,182 1,487 $ 10,126 1,522 $ 12,806 25% – 3% 2% 26%
Europe 1,048 8,807 922 7,098 941 8,237 – 10% – 6% 2% 16%
Japan 158 2,645 150 1,510 173 2,009 9% – 24% 15% 33%
Asia Pacific 771 10,153 620 6,332 593 7,887 – 23% – 22% – 4% 25%
Retail 826 4,399 768 3,505 791 4,084 – 4% – 7% 3% 17%
——— —— ——— —— ——— ——
Total Operating Segments 4,017 $ 39,186 3,947 $ 28,571 4,020 $ 35,023 0% – 11% 2% 23%
========= === ====== ========= === ====== ========= === ======
Sequential Change Year/Year Change
——————- ——————-
Product Summary Units Revenue Units Revenue Units Revenue Units Revenue Units Revenue
——— ———– ——— ———– ——— ———– ——— ——- ——— ——-
Mac Desktops (1)(9) 1,199 $ 1,563 1,155 $ 1,580 1,010 $ 1,287 – 16% – 18% – 13% – 19%
Mac Portables (2)(9) 2,818 3,510 2,792 3,525 3,010 3,646 7% 4% 8% 3%
——— —— ——— —— ——— ——
Subtotal Mac 4,017 5,073 3,947 5,105 4,020 4,933 0% – 3% 2% – 3%
iPod (3)(9) 7,673 1,207 7,535 1,325 6,751 1,060 – 12% – 12% – 10% – 20%
Other Music Related Products and Services (4) 2,151 1,571 2,060 – 4% 31%
iPhone and Related Products and Services (5)(9) 35,064 22,690 20,338 13,311 26,028 16,245 – 26% – 28% 28% 22%
iPad and Related Products and Services (6)(9) 11,798 6,590 9,246 6,046 17,042 9,171 44% 39% 84% 52%
Peripherals and Other Hardware (7) 643 517 663 3% 28%
Software, Service and Other Sales (8) 832 696 891 7% 28%
—— —— ——
Total Apple $ 39,186 $ 28,571 $ 35,023 – 11% 23%
=== ====== === ====== === ======
(1) Includes revenue from iMac, Mac mini and Mac Pro sales.
(2) Includes revenue from MacBook, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro sales.
(3) Includes revenue from iPod sales.
(4) Includes revenue from sales from the iTunes Store, App Store and
iBookstore in addition to sales of iPod services and Apple-branded
and third-party iPod accessories.
(5) Includes revenue from sales of iPhone, iPhone services, and
Apple-branded and third-party iPhone accessories.
(6) Includes revenue from sales of iPad, iPad services, and
Apple-branded and third-party iPad accessories.
(7) Includes revenue from sales of displays, networking products and
other hardware.
(8) Includes revenue from sales of Apple-branded and third-party Mac
software, and services.
(9) Includes amortization of related revenue deferred for non-software
services and embedded software upgrade rights.
[/toggle_box]
[Apple]
Proview the company that sued Apple for the iPad trademark in China has been sued by its very own legal firm for the non payment of its legal fees for the said case. According to Sina Tech, Grandall Law Firm confirmed that its shady client refused to pay up the promised 4 percent of Apple’s settlement fee, which equates to $2.4 million.
Proview founder Yang Rongshan told Sina Tech that Grandall’s behavior is “nonsense,” and that his company isn’t obliged to pay back immediately as it isn’t under normal operation right now.
Apple Inc. was ordered by a judge to publish a notice on its U.K. website and in British newspapers alerting people to a ruling that Samsung Electronics Co. didn’t copy designs for the iPad.
The notice should outline the July 9 London court decision that Samsung’s Galaxy tablets don’t infringe Apple’s registered designs, Judge Colin Birss said yesterday. It should be posted on Apple’s U.K. home page for six months and published in several newspapers and magazines to correct any impression the South Korea-based company was copying Apple’s product, Birss said.
This order means that Apple will, in a way, advertise Samsung’s tablets, that too on its own website. However, Judge Briss shot down Samsung’s request to bar Apple from further claiming that its tablet copied the iPad’s design. On this, he said, “They are entitled to their opinion.”
As well as Apple’s website, the company must pay for notices in the Financial Times, the Daily Mail, Guardian Mobile magazine, and T3, according to a draft copy of the order provided by Samsung’s lawyers.
Apple’s lawyer said the company would appeal the July 9 decision and Judge Birss granted the company permission to take its case to the court of appeal.
A US appeals court gave Samsung a temporary reprieve Friday on the sale of its Galaxy Nexus 7 smartphones while leaving intact a court ban on US sales of its tablet computers in a patent battle with Apple.
In two rulings in the bitter patent dispute, the US Court of Appeals in the capital Washington gave one to Apple and one to Samsung, but only temporarily.
But the “stay” was just temporary until the panel receives arguments from Apple, which argues the phone infringes on patents in its iPhone.
In a separate decision, the appellate judges refused to lift Koh’s injunction on the 10-inch Galaxy Tab computer, which Apple claimed was copied from the iPad.
The court panel in Washington ordered Apple to respond by July 12, while denying a Samsung request to stay, or halt the injunction.
Both Galaxy devices are powered by Android operating software that Google makes available for free to gadget makers. Nexus is the Mountain View, California-based technology company’s own branded line.
Google faces a $22.5m fine (£14.5m) for breaching the privacy of iPhone and iPad users after bypassing cookie rejection settings on the devices, according to reports.
If confirmed, the fine would be the largest ever imposed by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) against a single company – and would be the second time this year that the search giant has fallen foul of regulators in the US.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the FTC and Google are close to agreeing a settlement over the privacy breach, in which Google circumvented Apple’s protections on the iPhone and iPad against the setting of third-party “cookies” – small text files stored on the user’s device – for tracking where users went on the web.
The discovery of the circumvention, by Jonathan Mayer of Stanford University, was first revealed in February. Millions of users of Apple’s iOS software on iPhones and iPads could have been affected, said Mayer. Google declined a request from the Guardian to specify when it began the tracking.
However, Google may have escaped further prosecution for breaching an FTC consent decree over privacy that it signed in March 2011 because although the breach seems to have started in or before December 2011, the documentation in which Google explained what it would do dates back to 2009, before the decree, which covered privacy breaches caused by the Google Buzz social network, since closed.
Whether or not the FCC fines Google over the cookie infraction, it will also publish a report which would detail how it reached the decision, probably with documentation from Google about how many people were affected and for how long.
Google insisted at the time that the ad tracking was inadvertent and that the workaround to plant the Google cookie was feasible within Apple’s system. It said then: “The Safari browser contained functionality that then enabled other Google advertising cookies to be set on the browser [by other advertising companies using the DoubleClick network]. We didn’t anticipate that this would happen, and we have now started removing these advertising cookies from Safari browsers. It’s important to stress that, just as on other browsers, these advertising cookies do not collect personal information.”
Apple said at the time that “We are aware that some third parties are circumventing Safari’s privacy features and we are working to put a stop to it.”
Hot on the heels of Google’s Nexus 7 tablet, rumours have resurfaced of an iPad Mini. According to Bloomberg, citing “two people with knowledge of the plans”, the smaller tablet will have a screen size of between 7 and 8 inches – less than the 9.7-inch iPad currently out now.
The tablet could be announced in October and won’t have a Retina Display on-board, one of the sources purportedly said.
A cheaper iPad tablet could pose a formidable challenge to Google’s $199 Nexus 7 and Amazon’s Kindle Fire slates. Microsoft has also introduced a new Surface tablet range, complete with a keyboard cover and Windows 8.
Since the iPad went on sale in April 2010, Apple has dominated the tablet market, which is predicted by Display-Search to reach $66.4 billion this year. Apple has 61% of the market share.
Apple has agreed to pay US$60 million for ownership of the iPad trademark in China, as part of a settlement with a little-known Chinese firm called Proview that had tried to ban sales of the tablet in the country, according to a local court.
The two companies have been locked in a legal dispute to determine ownership of the iPad trademark, with Apple claiming to have bought the iPad trademarks for China from Proview in 2009.
The Guangdong court was originally expected to rule on the case. But Apple and Proview were in recent months in talks to settle the dispute, at the initiative of the court.
Proview had wanted as much as $400 million in settlement from Apple in order to help clear its debts. Eight banks have taken over Proview’s assets and are owed $180 million.
Li Su, the head of the consultancy representing the eight banks, said Apple initially wanted to pay only a few million dollars for the iPad trademark. But over time, Apple negotiated in good faith, realizing the dispute would linger in Chinese courts unless a settlement was reached, he added.
Su said he did not know how the $60 million received from Apple would be spent.
Apple has finally started to branch out into what is a major chunk of their earning region. Hong Kong, Taiwan and Vietnam are among the dozen new countries where Apple has just launched their iTunes store for music and movies. Other countries include Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand. If you are asking then the answer is no, India was not included.
The company has left out India from the mix, possibly in comparison to the number of account holders. Hopefully, they can roll out the store in the coming months.
[Apple]
While everyone waits the arrival of the next big OS for your iDevice, Apple is working hard to get it ready. The company has pushed out Beta 2 to the developers for testing, there are no special additions the primarily focus is on the bug fixes leading the software closer to a final release. There are still other betas expected before the final release comes out, So, hold on to your horses.
Those who have active developer accounts can download the latest betas from their accounts now.
[9to5 Mac]