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iPad 3 Front Glass Reveals No Significant Changes
Various iPad 3 parts have leaked in recent weeks, but the front panel of the alleged device has remained unseen until now. Apple.pro points to a posting on Chinese microblogging site Sina Weibo showing what is claimed to be the front glass and digitizer assembly from the iPad 3.
The part appears nearly identical to that of the iPad 2, with the major distinguishing feature being a relatively long ribbon cable extending up the side of the display as opposed to a shorter cable with a sideways orientation seen in the iPad 2. Other features of the iPad 3 display include the same round home button seen in all iOS devices so far and a hole in the top bezel to accommodate both the front-facing camera and the ambient light sensor.
Leave a commentApple Settles Class Action Suit Regarding iPhone 4 Antenna
Apple has reportedly settled a class action suit over the iPhone 4's antenna.
The settlement comes from 18 separate lawsuits that were consolidated into one. All share the claim that Apple was "misrepresenting and concealing material information in the marketing, advertising, sale, and servicing of its iPhone 4--particularly as it relates to the quality of the mobile phone antenna and reception and related software."
Apple earned $1 out of every $5 US consumers spent on electronics this holiday
NPD's Retail and Consumer tracking Services and Mobile Phone Track found that Apple accounted for 19 percent, or nearly one in five, of all U.S. consumer dollars spent on electronics, during the busy holiday shopping season. Apple, consequently, remained the largest consumer electronics brand for the second year in a row.
All of the other top five brands beyond Apple actually saw a year over year decrease in revenue in 2011. HP's sales dropped by 3 percent, third-place while Samsung dipped 6 percent, fourth-place Sony slid 21 percent, and Dell, in fifth, lost 17 percent.
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs did serve on White House council in '90s
The U.S. Commerce Department has confirmed a FBI agent report who claiming that Apple co-founder Steve Jobs served on former President George H.W. Bush's Export Council during the 1990s. He was considered for appointment to the council in 1991.
The Export Council consists of unpaid members who meet a minimum of twice a year to advise the president on trade policy. Given that the Commerce Department said Jobs served during the first Bush administration, it would appear that he was on the council from 1991 to 1993.
US Air Force may buy 18,000 Apple iPads for cargo aircraft
According to Nextgov, the U.S. Air Force's Air Mobility Command recently put out a notice that it plans to buy as many as 18,000 of Apple's iPad for use on cargo aircraft. Such order could be the largest single federal order for the iPad 2. The Air Mobility Command revealed on Federal Business Opportunities that it plans to buy a "minimum of 63 and a maximum of 18,000 iPad 2" units or "equal devices."
Though the iPad was the only tablet named specifically in the listing, Glen Roberts, AMC public affairs director, said the command seeks "a tablet device" but "not necessarily an iPad." The Air Force seeks proposals from tablet makers and seeks to obtain them at the lowest possible fixed price. A move to tablets, iPad or otherwise, would allow the Air Mobility Command to adopt an electronic flight publication system to save time and money, as well as boost efficiency.
First iPad was brought to the U.S. Air Force by the Federal Aviation Administration which started using Apple's touchscreen tablet as an electronic flight bag last July. Previously, commercial and charter airlines relied on cumbersome 40-pound paper manuals.
Apple Sues Motorola Over Breach Of Licensing Agrement With Qualcomm
According to Reuters' , Apple has filed a suit against Motorola alleging that the company has breached terms of the licensing contract with Qualcomm in its efforts to block sales of several Apple’s iOS devices in Germany. Following Motorola's vicrory in a German court in December, Apple last week removed all 3G-enabled devices except for the iPhone 4S from its online store in Germany. However, these devices were restored within several hours after the court suspended the injunction.
Foxconn's Servers Hacked, Exposing Vendor Usernames and Passwords
Swagg Security hacking group announced this week that they managed to hack Foxconn servers that expose usernames and passwords for clients and employees. Such information could be used to place fraudulent orders for companies like Apple and Microsoft.
Swagg Security alleged that it had bypassed Foxconn's firewall "almost flawlessly." Using several hacking techniques and a couple of days time, the hackers reportedly dumped "most of everything of significance," including usernames and passwords. According to the group, the leaked passwords "could allow individuals to make fraudulent orders under big companies like Microsoft, Apple, IBM, Intel, and Dell."
Google reportedly hired away Apple senior director for 'secret project'
VentureBeat claims to have learned that Google has managed to hire away Simon Prakash, Apple's senior director of product integrity, to work on a "secret project". Report author Dean Takahashi called the new hire "historic" for Google, as Prakash is reportedly the most senior person that Google has recruited away from Apple.
At Google Prakash will work on a "secret project" that may be led by co-founder Sergei Brin who is in charge of a number of clandestine research and development projects, including an "X" lab that works on speculative technology.
Apple Stands To Benefit From U.S. Government's Push For Digital Textbooks
The Associated Press that U.S. government plans to help schools and textbook publishers shift to digital textbooks during the following five years. As Apple has been in the forefront of digital textbook expansion with the release of iBooks platform, the company is likely to considerably benefit if its iPads become a primary tool in the transition to digital textbooks.
iPad 3 Event in March, An 'Unusual' Apple Event in February
Japanese site Macotakara has issued a new report where it clarified earlier claims of an Apple event in February with the cryptic details that Apple will hold a "Strange" event in February to unveil the so-called "iPad 3" and iOS 5.1 with deeper Facebook integration and a Special Event to launch the third-generation iPad in early March.
Citing both an Asian supplier and a source in the U.S., blogger Danbo has now corrected the original claim telling that Apple will indeed hold an event in February, but it will be a "Strange" event rather than a full product launch.
One possibility is that the rumored February event could contain industry-related announcements similar to how last month's education event in New York City to mark the release of iBooks 2 and iBooks Author without showing off new hardware. "Special Event for new products will be hold in early March and will release products during March as usual," Danbo continued.
Apple climbs two spots to become world's third-largest mobile phone maker
Worldwide Mobile Phone Sales in 2011 in Millions of Units
Research firm IDC has recently released its estimates of global mobile phone sales for the fourth quarter of and full-year 2011. The results show that Apple passed LG and became the third world largest mobile phone vendor for the first time. Apple was closing to LG by the middle of 2010, but during the third quarter ZTE pushed the company back on the fifth place. However, thanks to the iPhone 4S launch, Apple moved up in the year’s final quarter and passed LG in full-year numbers as well.
According to the estimates, Apple was neck-and-neck with Samsung for the crown of top smartphone manufacturer, Nokia and Samsung firmly hold down the top two spots in the overall mobile phone rankings on the volume of their lower-end feature phones.
iOS Users Without Siri Can Use Evi
We have already seen Siri competitors making their way to the Android and Windows Phone Markets. Evi is another Siri counterpart that might actually become its true alternative for non-iPhone 4S iOS and Android users.
NYTimes: Why Apple builds its products in China
The NY published an absolutely fascinating article, explaining why Apple builds almost all of its stuff in China. The short of it is that companies like Apple simply cannot manufacture products in the United States. The cost is not the reason, however. Years ago, the Chinese government subsidized building cities of factories that can hire 3,000 workers to live in a dorm in a day —or 8,700 Industrial Engineers in two weeks (it would take 9 months in the U.S.).
The most interesting tale might have been the last minute decision to make the iPhones display glass:
In 2007, a little over a month before the iPhone was scheduled to appear in stores, Mr. Jobs beckoned a handful of lieutenants into an office. For weeks, he had been carrying a prototype of the device in his pocket.
Mr. Jobs angrily held up his iPhone, angling it so everyone could see the dozens of tiny scratches marring its plastic screen, according to someone who attended the meeting. He then pulled his keys from his jeans.
New Apple suit claims Galaxy Nexus infringes on 'slide-to-unlock' feature
Mere hours after serving up a ruling on Friday for a failed Samsung lawsuit against Apple, the Mannheim Regional Court held a hearing about Apple’s complaint against Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus. It is the first time when Apple has named the South Korean electronics manufacturer's flagship Android handset in a lawsuit, claiming the device infringes the iPhone maker's "slide-to-unlock" utility model that was first introduced with the original iPhone in 2007 and subsequently patented with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in October 2011
Examinations of utility model registrations are not as stringent as patent filings and don't carry a presumption of validity which is necessary for a court ruling. Thus the Mannheim court does not foresee an immediate decision in the "slide-to-unlock" suit as it believes the validity or invalidity of the invention is too close to call.
Mac sales growing faster for Apple in China than US
Analyst Ben A. Reitzes with Barclays Capital said in a note to investors on Wednesday that Apple's growth in China now extends beyond the iPhone and iPad, with Mac sales there also continuing to outpace the U.S. Reitzes believes that Apple's total global sales will be up 22 percent year over year, thanks largely to rapid expansion in China.
"We believe Mac sales remain relatively strong even as the economy weakens, benefitting from new stores in China and strong sales of the MacBook Air," he said. "Even though the economy and HDD shortages are concerns that could limit upside, we remain comfortable with our estimate for 22% (year over year) Mac unit growth for (the fourth quarter of calendar 2011) given overseas momentum -- especially in China where growth is much higher."