It's being reported today out of Taiwan that TSMC (Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) is likely to add two more advanced processes to its 16nm process portfolio in order to compete with the 14nm nodes to be released by Intel and Samsung Electronics.TSMC is going all out to compete for Apple's A9 processor business.

A report from India today points to Himanshu Chakrawarti, CEO at The Mobile Store, India's largest mobility devices retail chain stating that Apple now wants to challenge Samsung in the tablet space like it's doing in premium smartphone space. The "iPad Mini is expected to be the game changer for Apple in the Indian tablet market space the way iPhone 4 has been able to bring newer consumers, which early this year even prompted the company to re-launch this globally defunct model in India.

Yesterday we reported that Samsung didn't want jurors in the Apple-Samsung patent infringement trial starting this week to see an instructional video from the Federal Judicial Center, claiming that the video strongly suggests that Apple's products are innovative and patentable. We expressed our view of that request and Judge Koh poked Samsung in the eye by overruling their objection earlier today.

Apple filed for new iOS 7 icons in the US this past week and we covered their filings in four separate reports (01, 02 and 03) including a bizarre abandonment of their iMovie icon that they had just filed for the day before. Today, we discovered that Apple has mirrored those filings in Hong Kong China as well as adding three additional icons to the list. Our report covers Apple's new icon filings in China as well as a newly granted design patent for their iOS 7 keypad for iPhone.

The next round in the Apple-Samsung patent infringement war begins this week. Yesterday we presented a video that Samsung doesn't want the jurors to see from the Federal Judicial Center, as it all but screams out that Apple is a leading US inventor. In a trial where Apple is seeking more than $2 billion in damages for copying features of its iPhone, the stakes are higher than they were in the first trial. So much so that Google will be making its first appearance in the US courtroom battle between the smartphone rivals in the hopes of tipping the US jury's perspective of the trail being about the US vs. Korea.

Samsung has raised objections to the video above being shown to the jury this coming week during the new Apple Samsung patent infringement case. Starting at the 2:58 point of the noted video from the Federal Judicial Center, US District Judge Jeremy Fogel states that "During the lifetime of the patent its disclosure may inspire new inventions (iPad is shown in video). And after it expires, the invention is free (original iPhone is shown in video) for anyone to use." The Apple products in the video are connected verbally and visually as "inspired inventions." Samsung's attorney's complained that "At a minimum, the video strongly suggests that Apple's products are innovative and patentable." Yes, you F$%&%#$g Ass$%&e, that's what the video is saying from on high! (Ha!)

Last Thursday the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals that they're seeking protection for a newly advanced five axis robotic arm used in the manufacture of their new Mac Pro. Apple's Senior Vice President Operations Jeff Williams states in a video presented below that in order to make the advanced Mac Pro Tower, Apple had to pioneer entirely new processes. Of course one of them relates to Apple's new robotic arm. In the end, Apple is showing us the insane depths that they're willing to go so as to create an amazingly original desktop computer. How many companies other than Apple would go to such lengths to design a new desktop today in the midst of the mobile revolution? None. Apple just thinks different. Designing cool products is just in their DNA. 

Looking at the past five years, music downloads are still up by more than 50% as our chart below confirms despite the noise that the download music market is dying. The stats of subscription and steaming music services sound hot, but they're still miles from catching up to the download music market that's led by Apple's iTunes.

On March 27, 2014, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Nike that reveals a new motorized footwear adjustment system that will work with the Nike-Apple created Nike + iPod system. Nike's idea is absolutely crazy, but I like it. Nike's new system will allow professional athletes and sporting enthusiasts alike to program their running shoes so that they could attain the ultimate comfort level each and every time they put their runners on. It'll provide athletes with a snugness that's unique to their needs. It's an automatic shoe lace adjustment system on steroids. Your laces will never come undone again at any time. More importantly, Nike's patent clearly confirms that this new system will work with Apple's iPhone and the Nike + iPod system including the iPod sensor. Yes, there's a new Nike + iPod system update in the making and many sporting fans will truly appreciate Nike's attention to detail and for making their next generation footwear even that much more comfortable for their hard runs and gaming needs.

On March 27, 2014, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals an Apple TV feature that we'll all like. In a nutshell, if you're watching a movie on Apple TV and want to get some more popcorn and drinks, you may not have to stop the movie. You'll just sync the movie stream from Apple TV to an iDevice and it'll allow you to watch your movie while grabbing snacks or doing other duties. Come to think of it, that could have come in handy while watching this year's iTunes music festival. In the future, we may even be able to sync our Apple TV content to a future computer band so while you're grabbing your snacks you don't have to hold your iPhone. While only time will tell if that scenario ever plays out, for now we just may be looking at a new Apple TV feature that's coming our way (hopefully soon).

On March 27, 2014, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple titled "Oleophobic Coating on Sapphire." Apple's invention covers a surface coating apparatus that could spray oleophobic and other coatings onto the glass of an iDevice. Apple's patent also hints that the body and bezel of future iDevices could be made of plastic, aluminum or an amorphous glass material which translates into being a liquid-metal. Today, we get another piece of Apple's sapphire materials puzzle.

On March 27, 2014, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals an all-new iPad smart cover configuration that includes a keyboard panel. One of the aspects of this design which differentiates itself from Microsoft's Surface tablet cover is that Apple's keyboard has been uniquely designed to double as a multi-touch gesture keyboard eliminating the need for a touchpad.