The International Financial Review reports that Apple wowed the debt markets on Tuesday with the largest non-bank bond deal in history, offering a whopping US$17bn for sale as the US computer giant switches strategy to placate restless shareholders.
Three brothers living in Texas who own a 2002 patent titled "Communication and proximity Authorization Systems," are suing Apple for patent infringement. According to their document filed with the court, Apple's AirPort and AirPort Extreme products infringe on their intellectual property. If Apple is found guilty, the plaintiffs are seeking a "reasonable" royalty from Apple.
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 43 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In this particular report we uncover a major surprise. Apple has been granted a major multiplayer gaming patent that emphasizes the integration of chat sessions over mesh and focus networks. Two of Apple's engineers that are listed on this patent have worked extensively on other FaceTime and/or iChat patents in the past which gives this aspect of the patent credibility. Last week we covered Apple's patent filing for new pivotal-styled buttons for a game controller and a secondary granted patent published today covers techniques for controlling gaming accessories on an iDevice. With Apple's CEO talking about new product and service categories being in the pipeline over the next two years, it would appear that advancing gaming to a whole new level may be one of the top ones coming our way. Without a doubt, today's gaming patent is by far the most detailed of them all to date. To top off our report we provide you with a full list of the other patents that were granted to Apple today.
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 43 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In this particular report we briefly cover two granted patents. The first relates to a multitouch display while the second relates toautomatically installing software for transferring and sharing photos. The later appears to be one the first patents that Apple acquired from Kodak.
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of four design patents for Apple today covering their iPod nano (seventh generation), the iPod Touch (fifth generation), their new EarPods and iPod nano Lanyard called "The Loop." While it's rare to see design patents get fast tracked as these have today, it's a trend that should continue being that we're in an era of quick design turnovers.
In a new patent filing from Samsung we learn that they're trying to patent a shadow effect for turning an eBook page. Androiders love to complain and rant about what they perceive to be Apple's frivolous patent filings. I say to them, take a long look in the Samsung mirror and say, what? Samsung is trying to patent the creation of a shadow for turning an eBook page? Is this really worthy of a patent?
A relatively unknown player to North Americans by the name of China Wireless is seen as a serious challenger to Apple in China. The little unknown was in the number three spot last year behind Samsung and Lenovo but well ahead of Apple who came in the sixth position. Wireless China isn't worried about Apple, even if their more economical iPhone is in the pipeline. While China Wireless is only a fraction of the size of Apple, their latest smartphones called the Coolpad is outselling the iPhone due to their fuller range of lower priced models and much closer ties to Chinese Carriers. While Apple enjoyed the best quarter ever in China, we thought that we'd put a face on one of Apple's tougher competitors in China with a video from Bloomberg.
Sometimes it's good to use humor in ads. Apple's long standing "I'm a Mac and I'm a PC" series of ads used humor to scoff at Windows. Now Microsoft and Nokia are trying to show that the Apple-Samsung feud is out of control in a humorous light. Of course it's all being filmed on a Lumia 920 smartphone with Windows.The campaign's message is simple: Don't fight switch to Nokia.
The International Financing Review is reporting today that Apple is set to begin investor calls today led by Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs, a source familiar with the situation told IFR, and filed SEC paperwork for a debt offering.
As tablet players are turning their focuses from the 10-inch segment to 7-inch for the second half of 2013, sources from the upstream supply chain believe the competition between Apple iPad mini and 7-inch Android tablets will become fiercer than before.
Zhengzhou Foxconn is currently producing Apple's iPhone 5 and is preparing to manufacture Apple's new products. It was at this plant where 2 employees plunged to their deaths late last week.
Tech columnist David Pogue shares ten simple, clever tips for computer, web, smartphone and camera users in a brief six minute video. While you may know some of these tricks, there's probably one or two you don't. Check it out below.
Every once in a while I check out various databases around the world for new trademark and patent filings and every now and then I'm rewarded by finding something interesting or something that somehow slipped through the cracks. One of these surprises has once again surfaced and it's an interesting one that touches on the subject of Liquidmetal. The Material's extraordinary ability to bond contrasting materials together with stunning precision will no doubt provide Apple with the ability to create a series of future devices that will be seen as aesthetic wonders. And within this patent application we learn a few new twists about Liquidmetal. And to top it all off, Apple provides us with an interesting list of possible products that could be aesthetically and functionally enhanced by using this exotic material in the future.
Chitika Insights published a new report today showing Apple's iPad share of Web traffic in North American is holding firm at 82% as we reported on last month. The new report illustrates iPad stats over the last six months where iPad Web traffic has slid from 92% to 82%. In that same time frame Samsung had rung up an anemic 2% growth in their tablet Web traffic to a total of, drum roll please, 4%.
I don't know about you, but I found that Apple's last batch of TV ads were really annoying. Apple has now introduced a refreshing new kind of TV advertisement that says very little and yet says so much. It's simple. It's about taking photos every day. What's your take on the new ad?
According to a new IDC report, Apple's smartphone shipment volume hit a new first-quarter high thanks in part to the iPhone 5, with volume growing 6.6% year over year. The last time that Apple posted a single-digit year-over-year growth rate was 3Q09. IDC stated that Apple has held the second spot in the smartphone rankings for the past five quarters.
In September 2012 we reported that "Apple has reduced purchases of liquid crystal display (LCD) panels for tablet computers from Samsung Display amid the deepening patent disputes." Market experts had stated that the move is aimed at minimizing its reliance on Samsung parts. Today, news of Samsung's earnings has surfaced showing that Apple's decision to stop orders for Samsung displays have now officially Samsung's bottom line.
It was in the news recently that the Fair Trade Commission had formally set up a case to investigate whether Samsung was deceptively pitching its products online and attacking its rivals' devices. There's a fine line between a marketing team being aggressive and crossing an unethical line. That's where the Fair Trade Commission comes in to keep dirty tricksters out of the market, or more realistically, fine them and embarrass these companies publically. But now another kind of game seems to brewing over at Samsung. No one is saying it's illegal. It just smells bad.
During Apple's financial conference on Tuesday afternoon, Apple's CEO Tim Cook stated that Apple had new categories of products in the pipeline for the end of the year and throughout 2014. It was three years ago to date that Apple first hinted at a gaming console and controller. Well today, one of Apple's published patent filings revealed new pivoting buttons that may be coming to future iDevices. The exciting aspect to this is that there are two specific example button designs for a game controller that they have in mind. The first gaming button is noted in our cover graphic above while the second gaming button is presented in our report. The designs are about the buttons and not the look of a full game controller. This is the first big hint that Apple may be closer than we think to a gaming console or at least a game controller for a gaming version of Apple TV. I love video gaming and this news put a smile on my face. Come on Tim – get it out the door for Christmas. We're all cheering you on.
On April 25, 2013, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a round of eleven original patent applications from Apple today excluding 15 continuation patent filings. In this report we cover two patent applications relating to Apple's "Maps" App, a new buckling shock mounting system to better resist mechanical shock and a list of five others covering matters such as data transfers using the Low Energy Bluetooth standard and battery technologies.
On April 25, 2013, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals a new In-Plane Keyboard Illumination system designed to allow future MacBooks to be even thinner. Apple's engineering teams are always pushing the boundaries of industrial design to deliver the very best products in the marketplace.
On April 25, 2013, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that generally relates to future iPhones being able to locate your vehicle in a multi-tiered parking lot. In fact, Apple states that a "parking location" can be any place where a vehicle can be parked, stored, or docked. For example, in the case of a boat, a parking location can refer to a berth in a marina; in the case of an aircraft, a parking location can refer to a location at a municipal airport (e.g., outdoors or in a hangar). The vehicle can go beyond a car and it could be useful in trying to find a bike that you've parked. This new parking system application is likely a sub-system of a broader application. Part one of Apple's future automotive-application was covered in our first patent report of the day titled "Apple Reveals Advanced Automotive Access & Control System." It's pretty clear that Apple's acquisition of WifiSLAM will definitely play a role in the development of this application.
On April 25, 2013, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals a new automotive access and control system that will primarily be found in future iPhones. Last June we posted a report that revealed Apple's in-vehicle initiative with nine major auto companies to integrate Siri into popular vehicles regarding "Hands Free Navigation." Today we learn that Apple's work may be going far beyond just integrating Siri and that's major news. Apple's patent filing reveals that future iPhones will be able to open your car door, start your engine, shut off your engine for specific time frames, be able to program complete personalized car settings and much, much more. The depth of these integrated services can't be done in a vacuum, which clearly indicates that the collaboration between Apple and a number auto companies has been quite elaborate.
Apple today announced that it will hold its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) June 10 through June 14 at San Francisco's Moscone West. At the five-day conference, developers from around the world will learn about the future of iOS and OS X, enabling them to create incredible new apps with innovative features. Tickets for this year's WWDC go on sale Thursday, April 25 at 10 a.m. PDT.
According to DRAMeXchange, a division of global research firm TrendForce, in the first quarter of 2013 smartphone shipments increased steadily worldwide, with total shipments reaching 216.4 million units, 9.4% Quarter-over-Quarter growth. Since the beginning of 2012, smartphone shipment figures have been up every quarter despite seasonality. Apple announced yesterday that it shipped 37.5 million iPhones giving them a 17.3% market share. In contrast, Samsung is on target to ship 65 million units this quarter which will account for a 30% market share lead.
Apple's conference call hasn't officially begun and MarketWatch is already reporting this afternoon that Apple Inc. reported an 18% drop in earnings for its second fiscal quarter on Tuesday afternoon, though the results came in slightly ahead of Wall Street's estimates. This marks Apple's first profit decline since 2003. This Report has been updated right up until 4:19 PM MST with new information, stats and a few conference call notes.
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a whopping 54 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In our last granted patent report of the day we briefly cover Apple's granted patents relating to smart instruments, smart business cards, and magnetic connector ports. To top off our report we provide you with a list of the remaining patents that were granted to Apple today which number over forty.
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 54 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In this particular report we cover a single important patent that could very well come to life this year. We've noted several times that Apple's Phil Schiller stated that it's not "clear that NFC is the solution to any current problem." The method of sharing data using a digital handshake via NFC doesn't seem to impress Apple and this newly granted patent may very explain their reasoning. Apple's solution is vastly superior in terms of securing data while being transferred. Due to its built-in security features, we may very well see Apple implement this technology into their future iWallet application instead of or in addition to NFC.
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 54 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In this particular report we briefly cover two of Apple's granted patents. The first relates to Virtual Input Tools and the second covers a cool idea called a "virtual expander" for the iPad which has yet to come to market.
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 54 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. In our first granted patent report of the day we cover Apple's wild invention relating to the creation a comic book from video game play and two design patent wins.
The iPhone 5S could be delayed until after June due to problems associated with Apple's new fingerprint-scanning feature designed by Apple to replace the passcode-based unlocking system on previous models. A supply chain source in Taiwan stated that Apple was trying to find a coating material that did not interfere with the fingerprint sensor, and this may be causing a delay.
Google is on a legal losing streak of late. On Friday a German court denied Google's Motorola an injunction against Microsoft over a push notification patent that is most likely invalid. Today the United States International Trade Commission threw out the last patent-in-suit (PDF) remaining in the investigation of Motorola's October 2010 complaint against Apple. U.S. Patent No. 6,246,862 on a "sensor controlled user interface for portable communication device" was found invalid. The patent relates to the feature that a touch screen ignores touches if the user is on a phone call and holds the device close to his head. Google wanted the ITC to ban the importation of any iPhones with that feature into the U.S. market.
German authorities said Monday they had fined Google for illegally collecting massive amounts of personal data including emails, passwords and photos while setting up its disputed Street View service. Johannes Caspar, the data protection office's Chief stated that in his opinion "this case constitutes one of the biggest known data protection violations in history."
The Taipei based China Business Journal is reporting today that their sources are saying that 5 to 8 million iPhones were returned from Apple on March 15 because they were either malfunctioning or didn't meet Apple's standards in terms of appearance.
Last Thursday the US Patent & Trademark Office published a series of four patent applications from Apple that focused on color balance and color correction. Today it's more common to see someone take a photo at a beach or concert with a smartphone than a traditional standalone camera. The quality we're getting from our iPhone and iPad cameras is nothing short of phenomenal. It's now common to read about "smartphone camera shootouts" because it's one the key attributes of a smartphone that we use more of each and every year. In the Mashable shootout, they stated that the "real story of the iPhone 5 is its color accuracy. Nearly every photo we took came off the camera with accurate and bright colors." Yes, exactly, and with each and every iPhone upgrade Apple is pushing the boundaries of color balance and correction in their cameras so as to provide their customers with the ability to shoot stunning photos and videos so that their captured lifelong memories look their very best.
This afternoon the IP Office in Hong Kong China granted Apple two design patents regarding a "Power Connector Module" under numbers 1202395.2M001 and .2M002. Our report presents you with several jumbo graphics pertaining to the Power Connector along with a trademark filing for the fusion drive icon. UPDATE April 22, 2013: Apple's Fusion Drive logo Trademark application has also been published by the US Patent and Trademark Office today.
Patent Bolt was first to break the news that Samsung had filed for a patent relating to technology surrounding a brain computer interface back in November 2012. The patent described neural activity being tracked on a neural activity detecting device. Preferably, the neural activity tracked includes EEG, EOG, and EMG activity." The idea is tap into concentration patterns that would be able to respond to the users mental commands to "open file", "close file", "copy file", "clicking", "paste", "delete", "space", or "inputting characteristics." Samsung is now going beyond the patent phase in the hopes of creating a new modality for communicating with future tablets and the MIT Technology Review has posted a report on the topic today.
TIME is compiling a live gallery of photographs from the massive manhunt around Boston for the surviving suspect of the duo believed to have carried out Monday's marathon bombing. Authorities have the city and surrounding neighborhoods on lockdown as they search for 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Time's collection of photos will be ongoing throughout the day and perhaps beyond until the crisis is resolved. The gallery now presents 21 gripping photos over the last 24 hours.