11 Patents That Are Getting Android Partners In To Trouble

11 Patents That Are Getting Android Partners In To Trouble

July 2, 2012   Technology

• 0

   
• SHAREBAR

The Android platform is under attack from a number of companies — not just Apple. Microsoft, for example, has forced several Android partners into licensing agreements due to patent infringements.

And between these settlements, and Apple’s recent legal hot streak against Samsung, there’s no denying that Google is guilty of illegally copying something from somewhere. But the question is, what?

Intellectual Property expert Florian Mueller recently put together a list of 11 patents (from both Apple and Microsoft) that Android has been found to be guilty of infringing upon:

• Patent EP2059868 – covers “a portable electronic device for photo management.” Basically it’s the photo gallery page-flipping feature in iOS.
• U.S. Patent No. 7,469,381 – covers “list scrolling and document translation, scaling, and rotation on a touch-screen display.” This is what gives scrolling in iOS that rubberband-like bounce.
• U.S. Design Patent No. D618,677 – this is an iPhone design-related patent.
• U.S. Patent No. 5,946,647 – involves “a system and method for performing an action on a structure in computer-generated data.” This covers the ability in iOS to open the Mail or Phone app by tapping an email address or phone number.
• EP1964022 – “unlocking a device by performing gestures on an unlock image.” One of Apple’s slide-to-unlock patents.
• U.S. Patent No. 6,370, 566 – “generating meeting requests and group scheduling from a mobile device.” Microsoft.
• EP1304891 – “communicating multi-part messages between cellular devices using a standardized interface.” Microsoft.
• U.S. Design Patent No. D504,889 – an iPad-related patent
• U.S. Patent No. 8,086, 604 – covers a “universal interface for retrieval of information in a computer system.” Essentially, this covers Siri and other unified searches.
• U.S. Patent No. 8,046,721 – “unlocking a device by performing gestures on an unlock image.” Another slide-to-unlock patent.
• U.S. patent No. 8,074,172 – “a method, system, and graphical user interface for providing word recommendations.” Otherwise known as autocorrect.

This was just a brief rundown of the 11 patents. FOSS Patents has a much more in-depth analysis of each one, plus links to each patent, if you’re interested in that sort of thing.

At any rate, it’s interesting to see the inventions that have multiple billion dollar tech companies fighting around the world. It’s hard to to believe that these things are causing so many problems.

[BusinessInsider]

Read More

New Light Sheds On App Review Process From A Former Apple Employee

New Light Sheds On App Review Process From A Former Apple Employee

• 0

   
• SHAREBAR

Apple’s app review team takes a lot of heat from the iOS community. Their decisions on which apps are let into the App Store, and which ones get rejected, are often criticized for being either too strict or too lenient.

One reason why there’s so much grievance is that fact that people don’t quite understand the process or what it’s like to be an appreviewer. So a former Apple employee decided to clear things up…

Former software engineer Mike Lee recently spoke with Business Insider regarding what it’s like to be a part of Apple’s app review team. And apparently, it’s actually a pretty lousy gig.

“People have this idea that there are 100 people in India doing app reviews,” Lee tells Business Insider. “It’s just people in a building at Apple, and like every other part of Apple, they can’t get enough really good people. Apple will not compromise the quality of its teams to fill it in. I promise you it’s a lot smaller than you imagine.”

This is mind-boggling when you consider that Apple sees between 8,500 and 10,000 app submissions per week. And reviewers must scan each and every one for copyright and guideline infringement, as well as explicit content. In fact, Lee says the latter is particularly troublesome.

“It’s a very serious problem, trying to filter out things that no one is there to see. Somebody has to sit there and filter out all of those d*cks. You can’t let any of those get through. You have to err way on the side of safety. You have to have people sitting there looking at things that may or may not be d*cks all day long.”

It’s no surprise that filtering out these types of applicationsis of particular importance to Apple’s review team. Steve Jobs was extremely vocal about his company’s position on pornography, famously saying “If you want porn, get an Android.”

Nevertheless, while while we may wonder what they’re thinking sometimes, we have to admit that in general, Apple’s review team does a pretty good job of protecting the integrity of the App Store.

Read More

The Mojo Treble Is An All-In-One Keychain Tool

The Mojo Treble Is An All-In-One Keychain Tool

• SHAREBAR

We’ve shared numerous cables and tools you should have in your go bag, but the last thing you want is to root through piles of stuff just to find one charger. The Mojo Treble Keychain combines an iPhone charger, Android charger, SD card reader/thumb drive, and SIM-ejecting pin into one, tiny tool.

This little keychain (available in black or white) packs a ton of stuff into a small space, letting you charge and sync nearly any phone and store data like a thumb drive (via the micro SD card reader) through its USB connection. It also comes with a small pin for ejecting your phone’s SIM card, but it’s also perfect for resetting a router or performing any other “pin reset” task, making this a great tool to have with you wherever you go. It costs $25 on Amazon, but considering a normal charging cable from Apple costs $20, that’s actually a pretty good deal.

Read More

Updated Pandora App Now Has UI Changes And Reduced Battery Usage

Updated Pandora App Now Has UI Changes And Reduced Battery Usage

July 8, 2012   Technology

• 0

   
• SHAREBAR

Pandora has released a major update for its iOS application this weekend, bringing it to version 3.2. The new app includes a refreshed UI, and several other welcomed enhancements.

Among the new features is a modification to the app’s architecture, which, Pandora claims, greatly reduces the amount of battery life it uses. Keep reading for the full change log…

New features in Pandora 3.2 include:

• Visual refresh and design enhancements
• Full lyrics for the songs we play
• Artist biographies
• Detailed track features from the Music Genome Project
• Song history: rate, bookmark, or buy previously played tracks
• Explicit lyrics controls
• Start a new station directly from the Now Playing screen
• Simplified sign-in and registration screens
• Reduced battery usage

The update really makes for a more cohesive user experience. I like the new look, which follows the recent Instagram-esque design trend, and new features like Artist Biographies and Song History are a nice touch.

I haven’t been using version 3.2 long enough to notice any kind of significant impact on the battery life of my iPhone4S, but even the slightest improvement would be helpful at this point.

The app, as always, is free, and can be found in the App Store. And then of course, Pandora is still offering its ad-free $3.99-per-month Pandora One service.

So, what do you think of the new Pandora?

[The Verge]

Read More

Brand New Food and Drink Category Is Now live On The App Store

Brand New Food and Drink Category Is Now live On The App Store

• 0

   
• SHAREBAR

Earlier this month, several iOS developers reported receiving word from Apple that it was adding a new category to the App Store called Food and Drink.

The new section would showcase a number of applications regarding the topic, that previously got lost in the gigantic Lifestyle section. And now it’s live…

As noted by 9to5Mac, the new Food and Drink category is now live in the App Store. Users can use the new section to find a nice mix of food and drink recipe apps, cooking aids, and local restaurant finders.

To give you an idea, top paid iPhone apps in the new category include Food Network in the Kitchen and MapMuse’s Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives Locator. Top free apps include Starbucks and Urbanspoon.

If you want to check out the new section for yourself, you can view it in the App Store, by clicking here.

Read More

Prey’s New Mobile Webapp Finds Your Lost or Stolen Laptop and Smartphone

Prey’s New Mobile Webapp Finds Your Lost or Stolen Laptop and Smartphone

• 0

   
• SHAREBAR

It’s so easy to lose your laptop or get your phone stolen these days. Luckily, Prey helps you get them back, and today they added a new mobile-friendly webapp to make recovering your gadgets easier than ever.

We’ve talked about Prey many times before. It’s great for recovering stolen tech, and it’s super easy to set up, but so far its control panel—the webapp that helps you get your stuff back—has been designed for the desktop. Meaning, if you get your laptop stolen, you need to find another computer to help you get it back. Today, Prey released a mobile-friendly webapp that makes finding your stolen tech much easier. Just like the desktop version, you can lock your device, sound an alarm, track it via GPS, and more. To access it, just head to panel.preyproject.com on your iOS or Android device.

And if you haven’t installed Prey on all your devices yet, check out our guide on how to do it—it’ll only take you a few minutes, and you’ll have a much better chance of getting your gear back if lost or stolen.

Read More

Apple’s retail business Gets Profiled By The New York Times

Apple’s retail business Gets Profiled By The New York Times

• SHAREBAR

The New York Times published a lengthy report today regarding Apple’s retail operations. The article covers a few aspects of the business, but most of it focuses on the employees.

Following the tone of its previous piece on Apple’s supply chain, The Times paints a bleak picture of Apple’s retail employees, describing them as overworked and underpaid…

The entire thing can really be summed up by the first paragraph:

“Last year, during his best three-month stretch, Jordan Golson sold about $750,000 worth of computers and gadgets at the Apple Store in Salem, N.H. It was a performance that might have called for a bottle of Champagne — if that were a luxury Mr. Golson could have afforded.”

Dividing Apple’s overall retail revenue by the number of its employees, the author calculates that, on average, each of them — including non-sales staff — made the company $473,000 last year. Wow. Compare that to the average employee’s salary of $25,000 a year, and we admit, it looks sketchy.

But it’s not like Apple is underpaying its employees. The article redeems itself from being a total witch hunt by pointing out that the company actually offers above average pay compared to most other retailers, and surprisingly good benefits. Each employee is offered health care, 401(k) contributions and substantial discounts on Apple products.

Aside from the pay, The Times outlines a number of other complaints from current and former Apple Store workers, including limited upward mobility, and constant stress from the ever-increasing foot traffic. It also claims that according to internal surveys, employee satisfaction at several locations is “surprisingly low,” especially among technicians.

Of course, Apple refuted the claim, and issued the following statement:

“Thousands of incredibly talented professionals work behind the Genius Bar and deliver the best customer service in the world. The annual retention rate for Geniuses is almost 90%, which is unheard-of in the retail industry, and shows how passionate they are about their customers and their careers at Apple.”

The entire article is worth a read — if only for its insight into the lives of Apple Store employees. It really could have done without the cynicism though. Newsflash: not everyone in the world — especially in retail — is always happy with their job.

Read More

Will NFC Be Coming To The Next iPhone?

Will NFC Be Coming To The Next iPhone?

• 0

   
• SHAREBAR

When a high-ranked Apple executive says Apple won’t do something, expect quite the opposite. So when Apple’s worldwide marketing chief Phil Schiller told the Wall Street Journal that Passbook, a new app in iOS 6, won’t be a direct payment product, there was more to his words than met the eye.

We’ve also heard countless rumors involving an Near Field Communication NFC chip coming to the next iPhone to provide a hardware basis for secure contactless payments on the go. Apparently, recent code dumps that broke the taller iPhone news also indicate that NFC controllers are directly connected to the power management unit of the next iPhone…

Folks like SITA’s CTO Jim Peters are convinced that Apple will make NFC happen with this year’s iPhone revision, said to be slated for launch in October. He expects 2012 iPhones with NFC to dominate e-tickets.

Noting that carriers, handset makers and Google are all trying to upend one another in order to take a cut of NFC transactions, he observed Apple’s focus on the end user will help the company mainstream mobile payments:

Who is thinking of the user? Apple. They don’t argue about it with anybody. They came out with Passbook last week, which is an electronic wallet that they are going to start putting stuff on.

He then dropped the bomb:

They are going to get people using it (the Passbook application) and then all of a sudden they will allow credit cards to be used in there, on the next iPhone, which will include NFC.

Speaking at the annual Air Transport IT Summit in Brussels, Belgium, Peters summed it up:

You need to get ready, this is coming. This is going to happen. By the end of the year the majority of smartphones that you go and buy will have NFC on them. If in October the next iPhone comes out and it has NFC on it, it’s game over.

MasterCard’s Ed McLaughlin is also adamant that Apple is working on a wireless mobile payment system that involves NFC and iTunes, recently dropping the following hint:

I don’t know of a handset manufacturer that isn’t in process of making sure their stuff is PayPass ready.

Seth Weintraub, who runs 9to5Mac, notes the possible implications of NFC hardware in the next iPhone:

The implications here are obviously monstrous. With the recently announced PassBook application (which we detailed prior to its announcement while speculating about an NFC tie-in), Apple will be set to compete with Google Wallet and the similar service Microsoft unveiled last week.

And provided Cupertino partners with payment processors, it could process real-world transactions via iTunes:

Apple could tie in with a payment processor like Citibank’s PayPass system for credit card transactions or it could become a payment processor of sorts with its hundreds of millions of credit cards already on file at iTunes.

NFC would also allow iPhone users a quick and easy way to share files from one iOS device to another.

I think it’s inevitable that NFC is coming to iPhones now that Google and Microsoft have made some moves in this space. The market for mobile payments is on the verge of exploding and Apple needs a solution to compete.

Not everyone agrees with Weintraub, though.

Mike Elgan speculated in his Cult of Mac article titled Inside Apple’s Secret Plan to Kill the Cash Registerthat Apple could instead tap Bluetooth 4.0 technology for iWallet.

“It’s already in your pocket”, John Brownlee explained in another post at Cult of Mac, apprehending the fact that Bluetooth 4.0 is already found on latest iOS devices.

So. theoretically speaking, all Apple needs to do to make iWallet a reality is ship an app (it just did that with Passbook), cut some partnerships and make iTunes backend changes.

What do you think, will Apple implement NFC hardware inside the next iPhone or find a better solution?

Would you be willing to pay for your groceries using your iPhone and your iTunes credit card on file?

Read More