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News tagged ‘U.S.’
11.6-inch MacBook Air is checkpoint-safe
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has announced that the owners of new 11-inch MacBook Air are allowed not to remove their notebook from bag at security checkpoints in U.S. airports.
Leave a commentAnother Apple's patent application reveals new methods of protecting electronic devices
New Apple's application with a title "Nitriding Stainless Steel for Consumer Electronic Products" was published this week by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The document describes a cost-effective system, which can place a nitride layer on the surface of stainless steel exterior.
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Proview Asks Apple For $1.5 Billion For iPad trademark
According to the Financial Times, A Taiwanese contract manufacturer of flat screens Proview sold the "global trademark" of iPad to Apple in 2006 but it still possesses the trademark in China. Few years ago Proview released an I-Pad tablet, but the product wasn't successful and the company abandoned the project.
Caixine, which is a Chinese news site, reveals that Proview asks more than 1.5 billion dollars from Apple. Proview chairman Yang Rongshan even threatened the company:
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Apple's 2010 Annual Report
Today the Apple’s 2010 annual report was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Here some interesting facts:
- The Company had approximately 46,600 full-time employees (over 35% since last year's annual report) and 2,800 full-time temporary employees and contractors on its payroll;
- Apple's advertising budget for fiscal 2010 was $691 million, up 38% from last year's $501 million;
- Apple's revenues allowed the company to reduce its percentage of revenues spent on advertising from 1.37% to about 1.06%;
- The Company expects its gross margin percentage to decrease in the first quarter of 2011;
- Expected that in future component cost and other cost increases.
Nintendo of America president: Apple is a serious threat for us
In a recent interview to Forbes the president of Nintendo of America Reggie Fils-Aime shared his thoughts on Apple. He said that iPod and iPhone are perceived as devices for casual games in most cases and that Apple is a serious threat for his company.
“Do I think that in the near term they can hurt us more than Microsoft? Absolutely.”
Apple made a deal with Unisys to increase its sales on governmental market
New Bloomberg report reveals that Apple has made a contract with Unisys Corp to help it sell its products to enterprise and government clients, so now Unisys also provides "maintenance and other services to companies and government agencies that purchase Apple devices."
The history of Unisys is similar to the IBM's one. Nowadays it is a provider of IT-services for huge corporations, airports, the FAA, TSA, IRS, though 30 years ago it was a mainframe hardware vendor.
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Resuming the Apple's Q4 conference call
For those who have no time or desire to read the entire transcript of Steve Jobs’ Apple Q4 Earnings Call, here are the most interesting facts he revealed during the speech.
- Apple has sold 14.1 million iPhones, 3.89 million Macs (2,6 million notebooks and 1,29 million desktops) and 4.19 million iPads for the last quarter.
- The total profit in fourth fiscal period is $4,46 billion.
Motorola wants to prove 11 Apple patents are invalid
Last week Motorola filed another complaint in a U.S. District Court in Delaware. Current company's approach is to invalidate 11 patents that were awarded to NeXT Software and Apple (which are both known to be founded by Steve Jobs).
It is said in Motorola's suit that these patents were named in Apple's complaints against HTC and other handset makers that use Google's Android OS in their smartphones. That explains why company wants to prove that these patents are invalid.
Here is the list of the patents that were named in the lawsuit:
Apple's iPad coming to all U.S. Mercedes-Benz dealers
After a successful iPad pilot program with 40 dealerships this summer, Mercedes-Benz decided to expand its iPad program to all 355 U.S. dealerships this fall. The "overwhelmingly positive" results from the test program were surprising, said vice president of marketing Andreas Hinrichs. "The feedback was so positive." Dealers use the iPad to apply for loans and fill out paperwork keeping customers on the showroom floor. Although the test program did not provide conclusive evidence that buyers are more willing to purchase a vehicle if they stay in the showroom, Mercedes-Benz made its decision.
Blood Glucose Meter For iPhone Closer Than Ever
In the US alone, 17.9 million people suffer from diabetes. In the entire world, at least 171 million have to deal with various aspects of the disease. One such aspect involves testing one’s blood glucose level. For some time now, we’ve been hearing whispers of an iPhone connected blood glucose monitor: a device which could, quite literally, change the lives of millions.
Fourth-Generation iPod Touch Teardown Photos Posted by FCC
iPod touch 4G teardown photos have appeared on the website of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) аlong with other standard information on radiation emissions required by the FCC for approval.
iTunes 10 Now Available to Download
The next version of iTunes includes Ping, a social music discovery tool that allows users to follow friends and artists, helping customers to discover and share new music. The product is based on discovery, allowing users to see what their friends are listening to and what concerts they're going to. Users can choose to "follow" artists, as well as their friends, and iTunes will populate a customized top 10 list that represents what their friends are downloading. Users can also see concerts that are coming near them, and inform their friends that they will be attending.
iTunes 10 will also ship with a new logo, which Jobs joked reflects the fact that by next Spring, Apple is expected to surpass all CD sales in the U.S. The new iTunes logo dispenses of the CD that was previously featured, and only includes a musical note.
The 82mb file can be downloaded at
Patent suit challenges motion-based input with Apple's iPhone 4
A new lawsuit takes aim at the accelerometer- and gyroscope-powered abilities of Apple's iPhone 4, alleging that the interactive, three-dimensional input methods are in violation of a U.S. patent. The lawsuit, filed this week by Triton Tech of Texas, names both Apple and Nintendo as defendants. Triton is the owner of U.S. Patent No. 5,181,181, entitled "Computer Apparatus Input Device for Three-Dimensional Information."
That patent describes a handheld device that includes multiple accelerometers and angular rate sensors for detecting positioning and motion. By interpreting acceleration, velocity and relative position of the device, it can allow users to interact with a computer or other device with six degrees of motion in a three-dimensional space.
Triton's lawsuit only specifically singles out the iPhone 4 from Apple as an infringing device, though it implies that other devices could be in violation. Apple's iPod touch and iPad also include accelerometers that are used for input.
Owner of location-based advertising patent targets Apple's iAds
Apple and its iAds mobile advertising service are the target of a new lawsuit from a company that owns a patent related to location-based ads. Apple was named in the lawsuit from StreetSpace, along with Quattro Wireless, which is now being phased out in favor of iAds. Other defendants include Google, AdMob, Nokia, Navteq, Millenial Media and Jumptap.
StreetSpace is the creator of a remote Internet terminal the Web Station. Users can walk up to one of these terminals to access the Internet, and are delivered targeted advertisements in the process. The suit alleges that iAds service, launched on July 1, is in violation of StreetSpace patent because it delivers personalized advertisements based on a user's location, profile and usage history.
Related to that invention is U.S. Patent No. 6,847,969, which StreetSpace has alleged Apple is in violation of. Named "Method and System for Providing Personalized Online Services and Advertisements in Public Spaces," it was granted on Jan. 25, 2005.
Former Apple manager accused of hiding $125k in shoeboxes
Paul Devine, the Apple supply manager charged with accepting kickbacks from overseas partners, allegedly had more than $150,000 in cash stashed in shoe boxes in his home when it was raided by federal agents. Moreover, the investigation had found “a significant number of overseas accounts and a significant amount of money”. The judge determined that Devine represents a potential flight risk if he is let out on bail before the foreign funds have been moved into the U.S.
Earlier this month, Devine was arrested and charged with wire fraud, kickbacks and money laundering. Prosecutors have alleged that the Apple global supply manager used his security clearance to provide confidential information to the hardware maker's suppliers. Apple's partners then allegedly used the information to negotiate favorable contracts with Apple, and, the prosecution says, paid kickbacks to Devine. Devine is accused of accepting more than a million dollars from Asian suppliers.