Apple finally gets the Lion trademark, iTunes is delayed due to internal paranoia while Samsung focuses on a new Custom ARM processor and reveals a new tri-fold flexible display smartphone design they have in their labs.
The US Patent and Trademark Office Registers Apple's "Lion" Trademark
Although Apple has already moved onto OS X "Mountain Lion," the US Patent and Trademark Office has finally registered Apple's "Lion" trademark. Perhaps with half of it already approved we'll see Apple's "Mountain Lion" trademark application filed on July 09, 2012 get fast tracked. I'm only kidding. The government fast track something? Ha!
Apple's iTunes 11 Delayed until Late November due to Paranoia
CNET's Josh Lowensohn reports that Apple's spokesman Tom Neumayr told him that the "The new iTunes is taking longer than expected and we wanted to take a little extra time to get it right. We look forward to releasing this new version of iTunes with its dramatically simpler and cleaner interface, and seamless integration with iCloud before the end of November."
Translation: We screwed up badly on Maps and Scott Forstall is out for it. Hell if that's going to happen to iTunes or more heads will roll. Yes – Paranoia now rules the day at Apple.
By the way, all of the stock analysts tearing at Forstall to keep Apple's stock price from falling further are just Apple mouthpieces. How do you go from being a Steve Jobs protege, as Bloomberg puts it, to being a negative force at Apple after a single misstep? Internal politics is how, and it stinks.
I hope to see Forstall bounce back next year and I'm sure that any major Apple competitor will be lucky to have him. If Meg Whitman is awake, then here's HP's chance to excite their base with someone who actually "gets" the new mobile space! Time will tell if Meg has what it takes to make the grab of the decade.
Samsung Copies Apple with Custom ARM Processor
Samsung Electronics has teamed up with U.K.-based semiconductor designer ARM to develop the Exynos 5400 advanced mobile application processors to be used in the Galaxy SIV scheduled to be unveiled early next year, according to industry sources Wednesday.
The report states that "Samsung's system division ― part of the firm's semiconductor business ― is in the process of developing advanced system chips with ARM by using 28-nanometer high-k metal gate (HKMG) technology."
Additionally, the reports states that "Samsung has applied ARM's most-advanced Cortex A15-architecture to the new chip. That means the Exynos 5400 is much faster and far better in battery consumption than its predecessor as it uses four core CPUs and a graphic processing unit.
If Apple has a customized ARM processor, so must Samsung. Hmm, this copying trend never seems to end. You could read more about this from the Korea Times.
Samsung gets Aggressive with Flex Displays for Future Smartphone
Samsung has been very aggressive with patents for multi-display and flex display smartphone designs this year and was the first to mass produce flex displays back in September. Samsung has always been thought of as a copycat designer, be it for smartphones or refrigerators. But if Samsung could ever deliver on some of their latest smartphone designs in the coming years, they just might be able to shed their copycat image and take on a leadership position in the industry.
Samsung is gaining momentum whether people like it or not and the world is waiting for Samsung to step up to the plate and deliver some great innovation in the mobile space. Can they do it? Are they all talk and no action? Time will tell. For now, Patent Bolt uncovers a new Samsung tri-fold flex display smartphone design on record and it holds a lot of potential. Apple has been experimenting with flex displays, but nothing in this magnitude.
