Technology Blogged, News » iPad

The Apple Battle Continues In Australia, Germany

Benny Sabghir — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 07:30:40 +0000

Back in November 2011 I highlighted just why the Apple patent war needed to stop. Well nonetheless that war is still going on. So this week we have some news that is good, bad and just ugly. Where to begin? Well lets start with bad, in the land down under, Australia. Apple has brought a whopping 278 claims against Samsung in an Australian court – 278! The Australian reports the Apple has added 278 complaints against Samsung. 72 involve patents and 10 involve Smartphone and Tablets products Samsung has yet to release in Australia . Although Apple won an injunction against Samsung back in November 2011, it has since been overturned. Samsung’s top lawyer involving the suits, Neil Young (anyone else suddenly picture the American rock singer?) says that do to the short notice of the latest law suit, Samsung will not be able to file defense until the middle of May 2012 at the earliest. This could have a major negative impact on Samsung’s sales in Australia.

Now for some good news – or ugly news, depending on how you look at it. Motorola has won a permanent injunction against Apples iCloud product in a German court. The decision was handed down in the Mannheim Regional Court by judge Andreas Vass. Apples iCloud being a cloud-based service, infringes on a ”multiple pager status synchronization system and method,” owned by Motorola. Motorola also won a case against Apple involving one of Motorola’s European 3G/UMTS patent. Since then, Apple has pulled the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, and iPhone 4 from its German online store along with any 3G/UMTS enabled iPad’s it has. This move came from a ruling handed down in December 2011. Motorola went all out against Apple to ensure the ruling was enforced. This will hurt Apples sales in Germany.

VIA: Engadget

Why The Apple Patent War Must End

Benny Sabghir — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 20:46:23 +0000

A vast number of people on earth have technological items which are based on one or more patents. Patents are a form of intellectual property. For the term of the patent, the patent’s owner has the full right to control its use as he sees fit. Sometimes companies will devise their own technology as a way of getting around having to license a patent. Sometimes the patent holder will refuse to license the use of the patent in order to keep the technology to themselves and stifle competition. Nonetheless, it is common business practice for companies to license their patents. After all if you devised a technology that billions of people might want, wouldn’t it be logical to benefit from that want through licensing and cross-licensing? In addition to receiving compensation for the investment in research and development in creating the technology, the company will often have an eye out to improve the product or create new products.

Beginning in April 2011, there has been an ongoing “Patent War” between Apple and Samsung. Apple started this War, by using the courts in the United States and the European Union to block the importation and sale of Samsung’s latest flagship Smartphones and Tablets. Samsung in turn has countersued Apple and has also tried a similar tactic against Apple’s phones and tablets throughout Asia the European Union and the United States.

Currently, the Patent War between Apple and Samsung encompasses 19 active cases in twelve courts spanning four continents and 12 countries.

One might logically ask, which critical proprietary technology did Samsung allegedly misappropriate to warrant this international imbroglio? Surely it must be something vital to Apple’s existence! Perhaps it is the patent that makes every apple device “magical”? Perhaps Samsung has moles in Cupertino that leaked top secret technology back to the Samsung offices in South Korea? Perhaps Samsung’s CEO Lee Kun-Hee once defeated the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs in a round of golf, and Apple is now seeking revenge?

If one thought that there is a reasonable basis for Apple’s vendetta against Samsung, one would be mistaken. (The aforesaid golf suggestion would have made a lot more sense). Unfortunately, the critical matter at issue, seems so inane, that I am surprised that the respective judges have not laughed the Apple lawyers out of court.

The main issue is over (1) the physical design (although there is ongoing litigation regarding 3G connectivity and multitouch screen technology) – and (2) the user interface (UI) of the Samsung Android powered Galaxy, Galaxy S, and Galaxy SII line of the Smartphones featuring 4 and 4.3 inch screens respectively and the Android powered Galaxy Tab family of Tablets that come in screen sizes of 7, 8.9 and 10.1 inches respectively. That’s it folks!

The Samsung Smartphones and Tablets listed above, all bear a physical (shape) similarity to Apple’s iPhone and iPad. The iPhone is rectangular in shape with a screen size of 3.5 inches. The iPad is square in shape and features a 9.7 inch display. The Galaxy family of Smartphones are all rectangular in shape, and so is the Galaxy Tab family of Tablet products.

Until I heard about the Apple litigation in April, I had not been aware that one could patent universal shapes. If one is using a Smartphone other than the ones listed, take a good look at it. Odds are that it is rectangular. With exceptions, most mainstream Smartphones are, although often manufactures like to toy around with different designs.

If the reader is reading this on a computer, take a look at the monitor in front of you. What shape is it? Odds are it is one with a rectangular 16:9 aspect ratio that is now used on virtually every laptop. In fact most monitors manufactured over the last half decade all use this particular design. If it is not a rectangular 16:9 monitor, than then the other possibility is that it is one of the square varieties featuring a 4:3 aspect ratio. These are both universal shapes used in many products today. The reader can appreciate that it would be absurd for someone to claim a patent on the square or rectangular shaped monitor.

When Apple introduced the iPhone back in June 2007, save for the lack of a physical keyboard, they were not introducing a new physical phone design never before seen. However, some of the technology that made the phone so unique was new. Most significantly, the operating system, iOS was new. When Apple introduced the iPad in January of 2010 they were not introducing a completely new product that no one had ever seen or conceived. Tablet computers became popular in approximately 2002, although pen tablets were introduced in the 80’s and 90’s. Although, some of the technology was new, what was truly unique was that the rush to buy tablets was new! That was about it.

Now for the sad part

Despite the market success of the Apple iPhone and iPad family of products, Apple seems to view its closest direct competitors as a major financial threat that clearly must be eliminated through any legal means possible, similar to how Bill Gates viewed Microsoft’s direct competitors, before the Justice Department decided that its behavior was a violation of anti-trust and involved in the restraint of trade. As a company, Apple has stroked itself over its claim to be innovative. The company’s long standing slogan “Think Different”, now comes off sounding like an oxymoron as the practice of suing to have the products of other companies from being sold seems to be ‘old style’ restraint of trade. Instead of continuing to innovate, they are now concentrating on protecting their bottom line, through engaging an army of Ivy League lawyers ready for worldwide combat against the competition.

This does not just hurt Samsung, it hurts electronics retailers, it hurts cell phone service providers, and most importantly, it hurts the consumer.

Sure, there are many other tablets out there. Some good, some bad, but a victory by Apple against Samsung would fail to be the Pyrrhic victory many companies wish for. Why? Because after Samsung, who is next? Sony, LG, Toshiba, Vizio, Archos? It means that every law abiding company is going to have to spend millions of dollars hiring hundreds, if not thousands of lawyers to work in order to keep their products on the shelves. Yes, I am suggesting that the Samsung litigation is just a test case and that Apple is likely to use this litigation as a template to go after each and every company producing rectangular Smartphones and Tablets with a UI similar to the iPhone and iPad. Without viable competition, Apple can price their products sky high and further limit how the end user uses the product, that is unless the Justice Department decided that their litigation campaigns represented a restraint of trade and violation of anti-trust laws.

Competition is good. It makes new products more affordable for consumers and forces manufacturers to innovate. Consumers have more choices to pick the product they feel will benefit them the most. Darwin’s theory of evolution and the idea of “survival of the fittest” applies directly to the Tablet and Smartphone market. In the end it needs to be the consumer who decides which products they feel to be superior and those are the ones that will thrive. It should not be a court-mandated determination merely because a particular product looks vaguely like its competition.

Sources:

Technologyblogged (1,2,3 ,4)

Huffingtonpost

Fudzilla (1,2)

RIP: Apple co-founder Steve Jobs has passed away

Benny Sabghir — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:32:49 +0000

Hot on the heels of the iPhone 4S officially being revealed barely two days ago, Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple, has died. He was 56 and had spent over half a decade battling a rare form of Pancreatic cancer. Say what you will about the man, but there is no denying the impact the products his company created have on the PC, mobile, and MP3 player market – aside from the rest of the world. With all the amazing thoughts and creations he has injected in to our world over his career, the world is going to be a far less colorful place without him.

R.I.P Steve Jobs, you will be missed.

VIA Apple, MSN, the world.

Apple iPad outselling all Android tablets by a huge 24:1 ratio

Jakk — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 12:19:10 +0000

Be sure to check out our iPad 3 features article. Okay folks here it is, a real world figure which can be put in to context by even the simplest of life forms. Apple’s iPad is outselling all Android powered tablets including mainstream ones such as the Motorola Xoom, Samsung Galaxy Tab and the EEE Pad by a whopping ratio of 24:1. The accuracy of this ratio isn’t entirely confirmed, however if TheNextWeb is anything to go by, the ratio should be pretty accurate indeed.

All of this comes despite some Android tablets being very competitively priced and lower than the iPad 2, and sometimes even better, but Apple’s marketing is still clearly playing off with brand image playing a key factor. Another factor favoring Apple is the fact that their platform has a much higher developer support and therefore more people working around the clock to bring decent apps to consumers.

Source: IT Pro Portal

Skype for Apple’s iPad leaked, might be available soon

Jakk — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 12:47:17 +0000

I don’t think many Apple iPad 2 owners have lost sleep over no Skype app optimized for the iPad, however up until now there has been very little evidence to suggest that there was even an app coming soon. Now however a video has been leaked, after Skype unintentionally posted what looks like an ad for a real-deal app for the iPad. You can hit up the video below to see what we’re talking about. Hit it up, baby!

Three Of The Best iPad Keyboards

Jakk — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 13:47:14 +0000

Have you ever used your Apple iPad and thought ‘I really miss hardware keys’ or ‘I could really do with a hardware keyboard’? well then you’re not the only one who has, because I found myself in this exact situation 3 months ago.

After using the iPad and iPad 2 for well over a year for practically nothing but Facebook and Twitter, I decided enough was enough and updating this website from a virtual keyboard would be fine. Boy was I wrong. Despite being a great virtual keyboard which is practically touch typable in landscape mode, I missed the hardware feedback a traditional keyboard offered me and grew tired of a soundless type, and decided to search for the best iPad keyboards available this 2011 which would be compatible with the original iPad and the latest iPad 2. This is the result.

ZAGGmate iPad 2 Cover & Wireless Keyboard

Never before in the world of technology has there been more accessories with multiple functions, and the ZAGGmate iPad 2 Cover & Wireless Keyboard is one such product, which protects your device and also allows you to type on it with a built in hardware keyboard. One of the best features this case has is that it is constructed from ‘aircraft grade’ aluminium, meaning it is very tough.

I highly recommend this case based on it’s multi-purpose and price.

Price, $57.95 (Amazon, US).

Apple iPad Keyboard / Dock

Hot on the heels for a good all round keyboard which actually holds your device as one of it’s features and charges it I immediately turned to Apple themselves. Testing this unit out, I liked the fact that this keyboard is just like a sound dock only with no sound and a keyboard (not like a sound dock then, ha?), however it is quite bulky and the dock part quite cumbersome at times.

This case is a good option due to it’s fairly low cost.

Price, $69.00 (Apple, US).

Apple Bluetooth keyboard

If you are a true brand loyalist, and a true ergonomics loving kind of guy, then the Apple Bluetooth keyboard is a great option available to you. Although this keyboard does not incorporate a sturdy dock to auto tilt your iPad’s screen like the Apple Keyboard / Dock above, the addition of a smart cover certainly helps with this, and what’s more the Bluetooth keyboard is far more portable than it’s brother above.

Much like the product above, this product can be recommended for it’s great price.

Price, $69.00 (Apple, US).

Enjoy!

Thinking of Upgrading to an iPad 2?

Jakk — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 15:09:41 +0000

So, you’re thinking of upgrading to the ‘magical’ iPad 2, but you’re wondering what’s new in the iPad 2? Well, this post will go through what’s new, and why you should or should not upgrade to this new magical device.

What’s New

Well, one of the main things that has been incorporated into the new second generation device is the new Apple A5 dual-core processor that Apple claims will provide for more speed and power. They also claim this device is over 9x faster than it’s predecessor. It also sports a HD video out function, using the new adapter Apple provides upon purchasse. Although this adapter comes with a hefty price tag, over $40, it I’d is worth the extra money for convenience.

The iPad 2 is also a good bit thinner and lighter than it’s predecessor at 8.8mm thick and just under 1.3 pounds in weight, to be precise. They’ve also added the option of a white iPad 2, although the classic black will still be available. At the same time, Apple says the iPad 2 will retain that legendary 10-hour battery life, despite the new power and size. Apple have also integrated a brand new feature to the new device, a screen cover. This is no ordinary screen cover though (or a plastic sticky shield) because it attaches to the screen via magnets, and when the cover is closed, the iPad goes to sleep, but when it is opened, it’s wakes up again. And unlike normal iPad accessories, it comes in six different colors. Also, it comes in two different materials, leather and polyurethane. There is quite a price difference between the two; $40 for the polyurethane, whereas it’s $70 for the leather version. The iPad also sports front and back facing cameras, capable of HD video recording.

My initial Verdict

To be honest I don’t really think that there is anything that makes the iPad 1 seem obsolete compared to the iPad 2 for the average consumer, although if you are in the need for Facetime and dual cameras the iPad 2 is a must have upgrade; both devices will play Angry Birds, too.

Apple To Sell Over 8.8 Million iPads This Quarter

Jakk — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 12:00:50 +0000

Apple’s huge company growth can be traced all the way back to October the 23rd 2001 with the launch of the iPod line, a line which took the world by storm thanks to some rather clever marketing from Apple and also because competition at the time was only partially existent. Now however Apple’s continous company growth is in the hands of the iPad, due to the iPhone already being established, and amazing as it may sound Apple is expected to ship over 8.8 million iPad’s (this includes the 2nd gen) during Q1 2011 alone.

Following on from predictions regarding Apple taking over IBM and HP this news come from a survey amongst 30 industry analysts carried out by Fortune, which showed that Wall Street expects to Apple to sell between five and 8.8 million iPad and iPad 2′s in the first quarter of 2011 alone.

This comes as an update to the UK stock pile of iPad 2′s becoming non existent currently, with retailers detailing on websites that there is an up to 4 week delay. Oh well, you could always eBay your next gen iPad for twice the price it retails for *or not*.