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April 2014

Angry Apple Fans File New Class Action over iOS 7 Problems, the "Grayed out Issue" and Much More

50. Patently Legal
David Yastrab, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, has filed a class action lawsuit against Apple in California. Much of the complaint revolves around iOS 7 issues and the "Grayed out Issue" in particular. It's clear that many Apple fans were not happy about their iOS 7 experience and so this lawsuit shouldn't come as a surprise. Whether the suit is worth more than $5 million dollars remains to be seen. Our report focuses on the "Nature of the Action" which provides a detailed yet narrowed overview of the lawsuit.

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An Obscure Rumor points to Apple Secretly Shipping Sapphire

10A News - Rumor
The "Obscure Analyst" blog that's run by Matt Margolis is reporting today that Apple has shipped small quantities of sapphire from their plant in Arizona to one of their partnering plants in China. Margolis, who owns stock in Apple's sapphire plant partner GTAT, believes that the sapphire is for future iPhone covers even though Apple's CEO clearly stated that the sapphire is for a secret project. Margolis is convinced otherwise for reasons unknown.

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Apple's Smartphone Growth Sails Past Samsung's in new Study

1. cover graphic
A new report published yesterday by market research firm Strategy Analytics shows that Apple's iPhone sales grew an impressive 16.8% year-over-year, significantly above Samsung's anemic 6%. Apple was only second to Huawei who scored an impressive year-over-year growth of 22.4%. Yet some of the other statistics that were presented in Strategy Analytics' charts skewed Apple's real position.

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Four of Apple's iOS 7 Icons are now Registered Trademarks

40. Trademark
1A - 4 new RTMs for Apple Apr 30, 2014
Today the US Patent & Trademark Office published four of Apple's latest registered trademarks covering iOS 7 icons for the iTunes Store, Music, Voice Memos and Safari. The four were officially granted to Apple late yesterday. Apple's iOS 7, which was released on September 18, 2013, included a redesigned user interface led by Apple's Senior VP of Design Jony Ive. The newly registered icons reflect just a few of the icon updates.

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New Study Shows Consumers in Emerging Markets want to buy Apple Products over any other Technology Brand

1AF. The iPad in Bollywood - Apple brand cultivation
During Apple's April Financial Conference Call Apple's CEO Tim Cook stated that Apple's Q2 (or calendar Q1) demonstrated that they could do well in a number of geographies from emerging markets to the developed markets. Cook then followed up with specific examples: "Brazil was up 61%, Russia was up 97%, Turkey was up 56%, India up 55% and Vietnam was up 262%. I could go on but the point is that there are a number of markets out there where we're beginning to really catch on with. These haven't been particular strong points for Apple." Apple's conference call was held on April 23, 2014. The very next day, a new study was published with findings that put a little wind into Tim Cook's sails about the momentum for Apple in emerging markets.

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Big Deal, the European Commission Slaps Motorola on the Wrist

1AF - EU COMMISSION REPORT
Back in 2012 we briefly covered the news that the European Commission was going to investigate Samsung for abusing their Standard Essential Patents (SEP) against Apple. At the end of 2013 we reported that the EU wasn't happy with Samsung's initial Anti-Trust offer to end its patent dispute with Apple. Today, the European Commission adopted a decision with finds both Motorola and Samsung guilty of abusing their Standard Essential Patents. Yet the punishment doled out to Motorola for starting this war against Apple over essential patents ended up being a joke. Their big punishment was nothing more than a roaring press release with no bite. Yes, a polite little slap on the wrist. Yet perhaps there's a silver lining to all of this.

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Google creates new Pro-Android Campaign to Better Compete with Apple's iPhone & Keep Samsung In Line

10. News
A new report posted today claims that Google wants to take a run at Apple's iPhone with a new line of smartphones called "Silver" that's really just killing off the Nexus branding for something that they could market better. The plan is also a part of a backup plan should Samsung decide to push their Tizen platform against Android.

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Apple is Granted 45 Patents Today Covering a MEMS based Autofocus Actuator for iDevices and Much More

1AF - COVER GRAPHIC FOR MEMS AUTOFOCUS ACTUATOR FOR IDEVICE CAMERAS
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 45 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In this particular report we cover Apple's patent for a MEMS based autofocus actuator for iDevices which will provide faster response times, better photo stability and more. The inventor of this patent worked at Cambridge Mechatronics who specialized in auto focus actuators. Will this cause Apple any problems in the future or did Apple license part of the technology? Only time will tell. In addition, we cover Apple's newly awarded design patents and we wrap up this week's granted patent report with our traditional listing of the remaining granted patents that were issued to Apple today.

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Apple Granted a Surprising Patent for an iWatch-Like Device

1. Apple - Cover graphic
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 45 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In this particular report we cover a single granted patent that surprisingly relates to an iWatch-like device form factor.

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Samsung Profits Dip for the Second Consecutive Quarter

10. News
Samsung Electronics saw earnings dip in the first quarter – for the second consecutive quarter – as margins were squeezed by competition in the high-end smartphone market (ahem, Apple). The dip contrasts with rival Apple, whose smartphone unit sales jumped 17 per cent in the first quarter, driving an overall 5 per cent rise in sales to $45.6bn and helping Apple's earnings growth hit its highest rate in six quarters, with net profit of $10.2bn.

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New York iPhone users to Benefit from iBeacon Event on May 20

1. Cover beaconcrawl
On May 20, Apple iPhone users, starting with the iPhone 4S with integrated iBeacon technology, will be able to participate in New York's May 20 event called "BeaconCrawl." BeaconCrawl, an interactive bar crawl event supporting bars in lower New York that were hit by 2012's Superstorm Sandy, will integrate beacons with a mobile application to drum up business.

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US Patent Office Published 82 Apple Patent Applications Last Week

30a patent application
Last Thursday the US Patent & Trademark Office published a series of 82 patent applications from Apple. While we only highlighted three of the patent applications (one, two and three) that were most interesting to the general Apple community, the fact remains that there were many other inventions that could appeal to many niche communities that have specialty skills. In this report we've compiled a list of 50 of the remaining 82 patent applications and their respective hyperlinks so that the curious explorer could find some of Apple's little hidden treasures that didn't get much attention last week. Enjoy the hunt.

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Concept Video Surfaces showing iPhone 6 with iOS 8 Features

 

A new concept video created by TechRadar illustrates a compilation of rumored ideas that might make their way to the next iPhone 6 running iOS 8. The video illustrates such rumored ideas as the new Healthbook app, Notification Center and other concepts such as the new DriveMode patent idea and a new Shazam feature that would be better served as a CarPlay feature.

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The New Galaxy S5 Already Experiencing Major Camera Failures

10. News
Although Samsung has quickly admitted to their recent camera defects and promising free replacements, it's embarrassing that a feature this important has problems popping up so early on after its debut. The camera module of the Galaxy S5 is mostly supplied by their own Samsung Electro-mechanics division, so there's no one else to blame for the camera's failure. The full extent of the problem is unknown at this time, but it could hurt their next quarter's financials if the problem is found to be extensive.

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Apple Regains Momentum and Continues to Conquer Japan

10. News
A new analytical report published today covering the latest smartphone sales data from for the three months to March 2014, shows Apple performing strongly in the first quarter of the year, with sales bouncing back in Europe, Japan and Australia.

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Apple Loses Appeal in Japanese Click Wheel Infringement Case

50. Patently Legal
Japan's Intellectual Property High Court has affirmed a lower court order imposed on a local unit of Apple Inc. to pay ¥336 million (US$3.3 million) in compensation to a Japanese inventor for its patent violation. The patent infringement case concerned aspects of Apple's iPod Clickwheel.

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Apple's iTunes Targeted in new Patent Lawsuit

50. Patently Legal
c4cast.com, a Delaware corporation having a principal place of business in Pasadena, California, has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Apple regarding iTunes and its interactive resources.

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Apple's iPad Continues to Crush all Android Tablets Combined with 77% of Web Traffic in the US and Canada

1. Cover
Once again Chitika Insights latest web traffic stats for tablets in the US and Canadian markets has rolled out and Apple has crushed their Android competitors handily. Chitika notes that "the proverbial elephant in the room is iPad usage share, which still stands at over 77% of all U.S. and Canadian tablet-based Web traffic."

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Mind Boggling Apple Patent reveals Futuristic 3D Display Allowing users to Interact with Images in Mid-Air

30a patent application
On April 24, 2014, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals a monumental invention relating to an interactive 3D display. At first I thought it might have been a patent from PrimeSense, but the inventors are Apple engineers. Today's discovery is one of those patents where you get goose bumps just thinking about what this could mean for the future.

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Future iDevices may provide new Environmental Sensors

1. Cover - Apple environmental sensor patent filing
On April 24, 2014, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals new environmental sensors may be considered for future iDevices relating to measuring temperature and humidity.

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Apple Reveals Additional Embedded Authentication Systems

30a patent application
On April 24, 2014, the US Patent & Trademark Office published a series of three patent applications from Apple that revisits the many authentication systems that Apple is working on beyond just a fingerprint scanner. Apple touches on retinal scanning, eye tracking, voice prints and other systems for the iPhone and MacBook Pro alike. For the MacBook Pro, the biometric sensor could be built right into a familiar keyboard key or in the palm rest. Lastly, Apple adds retina scans to one of their patents patent claims to ensure that it's a protected future feature option.

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A Few Extra Tidbits Emerge from Apple's Conference Call

1. Cover - Apple Financials
While we reported earlier on Apple's financial results for its fiscal 2014 second quarter that ended March 29, 2014, there were a few interesting little tidbits that emerged from Apple's Q&A session at their conference call. Though one thing is for sure, Apple's appears to be in no rush to expand their product line just yet. Until whatever they're working on is insanely great; it's not going to be revealed.

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Shareholders Rejoice: Apple Surprises with a 7 to 1 Stock Split Announcement

1. Cover - Apple Financials
If you're an Apple shareholder, rejoice! Apple's Board of Directors surprisingly approved a seven-for-one stock split. Apple today announced that its Board of Directors has authorized another significant increase to the Company's program to return capital to shareholders. The Company expects to utilize a total of over $130 billion of cash under the expanded program by the end of calendar 2015.

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Women Sues Apple in Louisiana for iPhone 4S exploding in her Pants

50. Patently Legal
Amy Langlois DeOliveira, a resident and citizen of Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge Parish Louisiana has sued Apple in a personal injury lawsuit. According to her formal complaint before the court, her iPhone 4S allegedly exploded in her pants last summer burning her leg.

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Taiwanese Company Sues Apple over iOS's Core Motion Framework

50. Patently Legal
A Taiwanese Company by the name of CyWee Group Ltd. has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Apple. The patent infringement lawsuit concerns Apple's iOS Core Motion Framework that is used in Apple's iDevices like the iPhone 5S.

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Samsung Lands Application Processor Contract for iPhone 7

10A News - Rumor
Over the weekend a Korean publication posted a report claiming that Samsung Electronics has joined forces with GlobalFoundries of the United States, the world's second largest foundry, to produce mobile application processors (APs) for Apple's iPhone 7. Report Updated 8:50 AM PST

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Apple Granted 56 Patents Today Covering Magic Mouse and a Method of Locking-Out Drivers from using an iDevice for Texting

1. Cover - Apple granted patent report Apr 22, 2014 -
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 56 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In this particular report we cover Apple's granted patents for their magic mouse and one relating to a method of turning off an iDevice while a driver is in the driver seat and in motion. This invention was way ahead of its time and yet it's possible that it'll make its way into a future version of Apple's new CarPlay. We wrap up this week's granted patent report with our traditional listing of the remaining granted patents that were issued to Apple today.

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Apple Granted Patents for a Cellular Data Connected Smart Pen, the Next Generation of MagSafe with Fiber Optics & More

20. GRANTED PATENTS
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 56 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In this particular report we cover Apple's possible Livescribe competing smart pen and the next generation of MagSafe with a fiber optic line incorporated. One of the questions that arise from the smart pen patent is whether Sir Jony Ive secretly works for UK's MI6.

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Apple Granted a Liquid-Metal Patent for Hollow Structures that Support a Possible Future iPhone Design

20. GRANTED PATENTS
The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 56 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In this particular report we cover a liquid-metal related patent that supports hollow structures. This supports a possible future flexible display based iPhone patent filing that was revealed last December.

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Could Apple be Eying Smart Clothing as the Next Big Thing?

10AB - News - Opinion
Apple's most mysterious hires over the last year have something to do with fashion. Apple first hired Ex-Yves Saint Laurent last July which was then followed by Ex-Nike Ben Shaffer in September and quickly followed by retail superstar Angela Ahrendts in October. Apple's very focused series of hires specializing in fashion in one form or another led to speculation that it was connected to Apple's future iWatch which was made public last February. And yet if you honestly think about it, Apple's new talent pool is complete overkill for a just a single wearable device in the form of a smartwatch. In fact it really never made much sense to have that much star power and talent for such a finite project. Now new research has come to light in a lab far from Cupertino that may actually provide us with a clue that could unravel one of Apple's secret projects: smart clothing. 

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Nike Dismantles their FuelBand Wearables Team

10. News
Last week we posted a report titled "Samsung's New Snake Oil is now on Sale: Smartwatches will be as popular as Apple's iPad … Soon." In that report we stated that With all the hype about electronic health bands and the iWatch, Tim Cook's initial leeriness about consumer wearables in the form of a wrist band watch may have been more plugged in than you might think. At last year's D11 conference (between the 19-21 minute marks of the Walt Mossberg interview) Cook grumbled at the idea of a watch of any kind, though later admitted that "other wearables" could be interesting down the road. In fact a recent survey showed that only 4% of UK consumers showed any interest in a wearable device like a Samsung Gear smartwatch. Now to make matters worse, Nike secretly lowered the boom last week and dismantled their FuelBand wearables team.

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Will Apple Introduce Touchless Input for iDevices in the Future?

1. Cover - Will Apple introduce touchless input
It was reported just last month that Microsoft had claimed that it was making great progress on new touchless technology that would allow users to interact with their smart devices without actually needing to touch them. Microsoft noted that they had a number of prototypes in the works at the moment. Rico Malvar, Microsoft's chief scientist, said work had begun on new screens that could be manipulated without needing to approach a gadget. That's true and today our other IP site Patent Bolt is covering Microsoft's patent pending invention covering "touchless input" for mobile devices which may be closer to reality than most of think. The thing to this report that could be interesting for Apple fans is that the basic technology behind it could be duplicated in future iDevices quite easily using PrimeSense technology that Apple recently acquired.

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Pathetic John Scully confesses his Sins against Steve Jobs to get Publicity for his new Company

10. News
John Sculley co-founded Inflexionpoint, an IT and telecom supply chain Company that will be launching its phones in India under the Obi Mobiles brand. In order to get a little publicity for Inflexionpoint, Scully usually pulls out an Apple-related story to capture the presses attention. What is he saying now? Another Steve Jobs story of course where Sculley uses the press like a priest at confession.

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Apple's iOS 8 May Introduce New Shazam Music Feature for Siri

1. Cover Graphic Music Download Biz Report - Patently Apple Mar 28, 2014
In a new report this morning we learn that Apple is working with Shazam Entertainment on a new feature for iOS 8 that will reportedly debut at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference in June. Apple will reportedly unveil a song-discovery feature in iOS 8 that will allow users to easily identify a song and its artist using an iDevice and beyond.

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Apple reveals new Password Gestures to Strengthen the Authentication Process of Future iDevices and Macs

1. Apple - Password Gestures
Earlier today we posted a report titled "Two new Biometric Patents from Apple Surface Covering Anti-Spoofing Measures and More" that covered a new "doodle" authentication process. In another patent application filing published by the US Patent & Trademark Office today, Apple reveals the next level of passcode authentication process for iDevices and Macs that involve a color coded combination feature covering "password gestures." The new method is to both strengthen the current authentication process using Touch ID and to provide an alternative method of authentication for those Apple fans that have decided to opt out of using Touch ID due to their distrust of the US government's NSA spying processes that have been in the news of late. The race is on to secure these next-gen authentication processes, as others like Samsung have patents on record for this, though Apple's filings are dated a year or more ahead of theirs. And with Apple suing Samsung over "Slide to Unlock," securing patents for this advanced process is important. UPDATE April 19, 2014 11 PM PST - Addressing Fanatical Android Fans

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Two new Biometric Patents from Apple Surface Covering Anti-Spoofing Measures and More

30a patent application
On April 17, 2014, the US Patent & Trademark Office published two new biometric related patent applications from Apple. While one invention delves into various methods that Apple's Touch ID may be using today or could be using in the future, the other introduces us to a new and unique anti-spoofing measure that they aptly call the "Doodle" mode that could be used with the iPhone and/or future Macs.

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Future High-End Android Smartphones with 3D Cameras will be using Apple's PrimeSense Technology

10. News
A new report today reveals that Google's future Android smartphone that will come equipped with a high-end 3D Motion camera that's part of Google's Project Tango will accomplish its wonders using technology from PrimeSense, a company acquired by Apple; A company who possesses many 3D related patents.

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English Speaking Canadians Resoundingly Choose Apple's iPad

10. News
A new report by the Media Technology Monitor (MTM) that was published by The Canadian Press states that more than 42 per cent of Anglophone or English speaking Canadians now own a tablet and most are increasingly choosing one of Apple's iPads.

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Samsung Boldly Announces Tizen Smartphones for Next Quarter

10. News
Business Insider noted last week that "While Samsung's Galaxy phones rose to prominence thanks to the Android ecosystem, the company has been planning for years to ditch the platform for its own operating system as soon as it can." That little informative nugget was discovered in an internal document produced at the Apple-Samsung patent infringement trial last week. In February we posted a report titled "Samsung Embarrassingly Drops the Ball on Tizen," which outlined Samsung's failure to keep NTT Docomo from bailing on Tizen as 2014 kicked in. Today, a Samsung executive boldly announced that Samsung will in fact be introducing two new Tizen smartphone late next quarter.

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In Truth, the Success of the Galaxy S5 is Greatly Exaggerated

10AB - News - Opinion
Our report titled "Samsung's Galaxy S5 is a Dud According to Korean Carriers" struck a nerve with many Android fans understandably. Many Android fans emailed me and pointed to all kinds of Android reports to prove me wrong, even though our report was focused on Korean mobile carrier statistics. But here's the thing, today you have headlines in the press like this one in Canada that's titled "Samsung exec says the Galaxy S5 'is selling faster than the S4.'" The funny thing is however, that's not what Samsung's executive really said. Pro Android sites are simply hearing what they want to hear.

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