Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails says that he's been a life-long Apple consumer, fan and advocate. He's now working on a secret project with Apple. REPORT UPDATE WITH NEW VIDEO NOV. 5, 2014.

In August we reported that David Howard – Microsoft's Corporate Vice President & Deputy General Counsel, wrote on their legal blog that they didn't take lightly filing a legal action against Samsung, a company with which they enjoyed a long and productive partnership with over the years. Unfortunately, as Howard noted, "even partners sometimes disagree. After spending months trying to resolve our disagreement, Samsung has made clear in a series of letters and discussions that we have a fundamental disagreement as to the meaning of our contract." Late Yesterday Samsung filed their official response to Microsoft's claims in court.

A new report today began by noting that "Forty years ago, the Swiss watch industry nearly died. The advent of Japanese quartz watches, cheaper and more accurate than their mechanical Swiss rivals, drove many traditional watchmakers out of business. Two generations on, a new question is occupying the country's watch industry: will Apple's new smartwatch be the prelude to a similar upheaval?

Today the European Trademark Office published Apple's latest trademark filing for "Handoff" under number 013420203. Apple's marketing for the new OS X Yosemite feature called Handoff states that a user can pick up where they left off when their devices are near each other and will automatically hand off activities to each other. For example, if you're writing an email on your iPhone and walk up to your Mac, your email is ready for you to pick up on your Mac — exactly where you left off. That's true, but with my 2011 iMac, I was out of luck. Bluetooth 4.0 only debuted on the iMac in 2012. REPORT UPDATED NOV. 6 2014 Apple files US trademark applications.

A bold if not crazy Indian Company is asking India's Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) to remove Apple's "iPhone" trademark from the Trademark Registry. I read about this case last week and decided not to cover it thinking that the request would be instantly quashed by IPAB. I was wrong. Report Updated

It's being reported today that in Apple's annual 10-K filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission, they note that while most of the company's hardware was manufactured in Asia, the company also performs final assembly of certain products at its manufacturing facility in Cork, Ireland. "Due to economic and political conditions, tax rates in various jurisdictions may be subject to significant change," the company wrote in its filing.

Yikes, distractionitis! Today the US Patent Office revealed a patent from Google for a micro projector for a future version of Google Glass. Technically you'd be able to project your email onto your windshield while you're driving. That's all we need today, more distracted drivers to dodge on the freeway. Beyond that possible application, Google is very vague as to what advantages their new invention will bring to tech fans, so you'll have to use your imagination here – batteries not included.

The Market is flooded with cheap unprofitable tablets: Today a new IDC report was published regarding the top five tablet vendors for Q3 2014. Despite a continued shipment decline for its iPad product line, Apple maintained its lead in the worldwide tablet market, shipping 12.3 million units in the third quarter.

ABI Research has a new report out about Apple's CarPlay vs. Android Auto. They note that just as in the smartphone industry, Apple and Android are now tough rivals in new the battle for automotive dashboard integration. While CarPlay from Apple (the software platform that synchronizes iPhones to vehicle infotainment systems) was first-to-market and had the backing of OEMs such as BMW, Citron, Ferrari, Jaguar/Land Rover, Mercedes, Peugeot, and Toyota and sixteen others. Yet ABI's Senior Analyst Filomena Berardi appears to be cheering on Google's Android Auto. He notes in this report that a few car manufacturers are delaying their rollout of CarPlay as if there's some major problem with CarPlay instead of it just being a new project that is experiencing a normal bump in the road with scheduling conflicts for this year's models.

Cook states in a new Bloomberg report that "I don't consider myself an activist, but I realize how much I've benefited from the sacrifice of others. So if hearing that the CEO of Apple is gay can help someone struggling to come to terms with who he or she is, or bring comfort to anyone who feels alone, or inspire people to insist on their equality, then it's worth the trade-off with my own privacy." While I think everyone can understand this to a certain point, recent activities could be seen as contrary to his statement of not being an activist. Hopefully his testimony that's now openly and loudly on the table will now be put to rest and get on with just being Apple's CEO, period.

The US Patent & Trademark Office published two patent applications from Apple today that reveal their ongoing work regarding advanced haptics and new iOS interface elements and metaphors for consumers and the enterprise. At a basic level, Apple's advanced haptics invention may have played a role in Apple's new Apple Watch.

CNN reports that Samsung earnings plunged in the third quarter as the company's smartphone business was squeezed by competitors at both ends of the cost spectrum. The South Korea-based firm posted operating profit of 4.1 trillion won (US$3.9 billion) for the third quarter -- a 60% decline from the previous year. The CNN video shows how shoppers in Hong Kong strongly favor Apple's new iPhone 6 and 6+ over any smartphone from Samsung.