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iPhone 4S Launch Delayed in Beijing as SWAT Teams Respond to Violence
Jan 13, 12:36AM
Reports coming in from M.I.C gadget and AppleInsider claim that Apple's Chinese launch of the iPhone 4S is not going particularly smoothly, with violence breaking out ahead of the opening at Apple's Sanlitun retail store in Beijing. According to reports, the violence has resulted in Apple delaying the planned early opening of the store by at least an hour, with the company potentially having canceled today's launch there entirely. From M.I.C gadget:
Lines outside the Apple store in Beijing's Sanlitun district show no signs of shortening, causing frustration for the thousands of fans and scalpers desperate to get their hands on the iPhone 4S. Now some of that disappointment is turning to anger, with reports of fights breaking out between gangs of scalpers, and guess what, Beijing SWAT teams arrived. So, the Apple store employees later announced that the launch of iPhone 4S is cancelled at the Apple's flagship store in Beijing, and all scalpers are pissed.Bloomberg notes that Apple's "main store in Beijing" (presumably the Sanlitun store) is currently being pelted with eggs by customers upset with the delayed opening.
Officers from Beijing's SWAT team arrive at Apple's Sanlitun retail store
Apple has seen similar large crowds dominated by scalpers at many of its major product launches in China, with teams of people working to purchase as much of the available stock as possible for resale at higher prices. Violence has occasionally erupted both between scalpers and between scalpers and those upset with their strategies.
Update: Bloomberg now has an expanded story on the situation.
Apple Inc. (AAPL)'s main store in Beijing was pelted with eggs from a crowd of about 500 people after it failed to open on time for the start of sales of the iPhone 4S.
Apple had advertised that the store would open at 7 a.m. At about 7:15 a.m., the crowd began chanting "Open the door!" and "Liars!" after a man with a bullhorn said the phone would not go on sale today, without giving an explanation. The man also declined to identify himself to a Bloomberg News reporter. The crowd chased away a man who tried to stop the egg throwing.
Apple Working to Lease 700,000-800,000 Square Feet of New Office Space in Sunnyvale
Jan 13, 12:13AM
While Apple moves forward on plans for its new 2.8 million square foot corporate campus in Cupertino, the company continues to grow with the success of its products. Apple's interim space needs led the company to lease 373,000 square feet in Cupertino six months ago, and soon after expand its New York City presence to over 50,000 square feet.
The San Jose Mercury News now reports that Apple is working on deals to lease between 700,000 and 800,000 square feet of additional space in Sunnyvale, California, adjacent to the company's hometown of Cupertino.
According to the report, Apple has already signed a lease for a four-building complex in Sunnyvale totaling 215,000 square feet. The company is said to be preparing move into the new facility, which is approximately seven miles from Apple's main corporate campus, by the end of this quarter.
The company has also signed a lease for over 100,000 square feet in another two-building complex. Estimates suggest that Apple could house about 1,300 employees over the two sites, but could push that Sunnyvale population to over 3,000 if it can track down the additional space it is looking for.
"Apple seems to be gobbling up everything they can," said Chad Leiker, a vice president with Kidder Mathews, a realty firm. "They are taking a ton of space."Apple has long been overflowing its main Cupertino campus, purchasing and leasing additional space surrounding the campus and elsewhere. The company's plans for its new major campus are intended to allow it to consolidate many of those space needs currently served by leased space into a single company-owned location. But with construction on the new campus yet to get underway, Apple will need to continue leasing new space over the next several years in order to handle its rapidly expanding workforce.
Verizon to Require 4G LTE Compatibility for 'All' Future Smartphones
Jan 12, 8:28PM
CNET yesterday reported that Verizon has announced a "hard requirement" that all future smartphones released on the carrier support 4G LTE technology for faster data speeds. That requirement has naturally led to speculation that the carrier has all but confirmed that the iPhone 5 will support LTE, which had already been widely assumed and rumored. Verizon's statement does, however, come with a minor catch, as there will reportedly be occasional exceptions to the LTE requirement, although those exceptions seem to be planned for the carrier's push-to-talk business.
From now on, nearly every smartphone, wireless hot spot, tablet, and Netbook that Verizon offers will come with LTE guns a-blazing. Yes, Virginia, that includes Windows Phone and BlackBerry devices, too.The report notes that Verizon currently leads the pack among U.S. carriers when it comes to LTE deployment, already covering 200 million people in 190 markets with plans to complete the buildout by the end of next year. Unsurprisingly, Verizon is seeking to use its lead in LTE to its advantage by pushing its users onto devices offering the faster speeds.
There will be the occasional exception, however. For instance, phones on Verizon's push-to-talk network are 3G-only for now, and will remain that way until further notice.
Verizon's clear, unyielding stance on 4G--"a hard requirement," according to Verizon--may partially explain why it has picked up only one Windows Phone so far.
Apple Researching Motion-Sensing Virtual 3D User Interface for iOS Devices
Jan 12, 6:29PM
Patently Apple reports on a newly-published patent application from Apple describing the use of motion sensors to create a virtual three-dimensional interface for iOS devices. Utilizing concepts similar those found in a number of existing augmented reality apps, the general device interface could appear as a virtual room that could be navigated by changing the orientation of the device.
The invention covers a 3D display environment for mobile device that uses orientation data from one or more onboard sensors to automatically determine and display a perspective projection of the 3D display environment based on the orientation data without the user physically interacting with (e.g., touching) the display.Apple describes the use of gyroscope sensors that would allow the "camera view" of the virtual room to rotate as the user rotates their device. Apple also mentions that sensors could be used to detect gestures above the surface of the device's display in order to allow for natural 3D manipulation of the user interface environment.
Finally, Apple's patent application discusses a "snap to" feature that would allow users to easily transition between various "walls" within the virtual room.
In another patent application filed in mid-2007, Apple discussed a similar notion of multi-dimensional desktops in Mac OS X, showing a virtual room with various groups of icons on the different walls of the room. Apple followed that up with another patent application looking at hyper-reality displays that would allow for orientation- and motion-based manipulation of 3D objects.
Target Confirms Plans to Bring Dedicated Apple Shops to 25 Stores
Jan 12, 3:41PM
Reuters reports that Target has confirmed its plans to launch "store-within-a-store" concepts for Apple products in 25 of its stores around the United States. The announcement comes alongside a broader effort called "the Shops at Target" that will offer special focuses on certain products and brands.Target Corp (TGT.N), known to many U.S. shoppers as the place to go for trendy, low-priced merchandise, will soon have shops within its discount stores selling everything from dog treats to high-end home accessories.Word of Target's plans first surfaced late last week, with Apple and Target reportedly teaming up to place the locations in areas without sufficient customer base to support full Apple retail stores.
Target also confirmed during a presentation on Thursday that it will have 25 stores featuring special displays of Apple Inc (AAPL.O) merchandise, a move that had been speculated about last week.
Neither Apple nor Target has provided details on just what the store-within-a-store concepts will entail, although some are looking to perhaps a scaled-down version of the "Apple Shop" model used in many Best Buy stores as a possibility.
Sharp Out as iPad 3 Display Supplier?
Jan 12, 3:22PM
Even as some sources are claiming that iPad 3 production is underway with Sharp providing the displays for the device, Korea's Electronic Times reports (via Patently Apple) that Sharp has failed to meet Apple's requirements and is out as a display supplier. According to the report, Samsung and LG will be providing the displays for the iPad 3.
An industry source said on January 9, "LCD manufacturers started mass production and supply of LCD panels for the iPad3 late last year. Samsung Electronics' LCD business unit was the first to start mass production, and LG Display has participated in mass production with full capacity, beginning this year." [...]Apple is said to be requiring at least 65 million iPad 3 display panels for 2012, with an initial batch of 5 million being produced for launch.
Sharp has competed with Samsung Electronics and LG Display over the development of display panels for the iPad3, but reportedly failed to pass Apple's approval process for mass production.
A decision by Apple not to go with Sharp for the iPad 3 display could have consequences for the device's design, as the two companies have been reported by several sources to be working together on Sharp's indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) technology to achieve thinner, lower power displays.
If Apple does utilize more traditional low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) displays from Toshiba and LG, that decision could require a dual light bar system to support the higher resolution of the iPad 3, thus necessitating the slightly thicker profile that has been rumored for the device.
Hundreds Lining Up for iPhone 4S at Chinese Apple Stores
Jan 12, 2:58PM
With close to twelve hours still to go until opening time, Tech in Asia reports that Apple's five retail stores in China are seeing huge lines for the iPhone 4S, with stores said to already be seeing hundreds of people in line.
At the two stores in Beijing, and the three in Shanghai, there are clearly lines stretching hundreds of meters, with reports of hundreds of queuers at each, snaking around city blocks (see more photos below). Most stores have a ticketing system to deter queue-jumpers, but that won't stop the 'scalpers' who buy the phones to resell later at a profit.
Apple's Xidan Joy City store in Beijing
The report notes that Apple's iPhone partner China Unicom will begin selling the iPhone 4S online at 12:01 AM, but that there is undoubtedly significant interest in unlocked devices sold directly from Apple. Pricing is set at the equivalent of $790/$932/$1,074 for the three capacities of unlocked iPhone 4S models.
Apple's Pudong store in Shanghai
For those customers willing to sign up for a contract with China Unicom, the carrier is offering the iPhone 4S for free under certain rate plans and contract lengths.
Apple Maintains Third Place Ranking with 11.6% of U.S. PC Shipments in 4Q 2011
Jan 11, 10:08PM
Research firm Gartner today released its preliminary personal computer shipment data for the fourth quarter of 2011, offering up a picture of market performance during the quarter. With year-over-year unit growth of over 20%, Apple was the only one of the top five U.S. vendors to see an increase in shipments in an overall market that shrank by nearly 6%.
Apple's U.S. Market Share Trend: 1Q06-4Q11 (Gartner)
Apple's share dipped from 12.9% in the third quarter, which is routinely the company's strongest quarter due to a heavy presence in education. But the performance marks a distinct improvement over Apple's 9.0% share in the year-ago quarter and continues a long-term trend of increasing market share.
Gartner's Preliminary U.S. PC Vendor Unit Shipment Estimates for 4Q11 (Thousands of Units)
As usual, Gartner did not cover Apple's worldwide market share for the quarter, as the company does not rank among the top five vendors on a worldwide basis. PC shipments shrank 1.4% year-over-year on a worldwide basis, with strong growth from Lenovo and Asus being offset by declines from HP and Acer.
Update: IDC has also released its numbers for the fourth quarter of 2011, yielding results similar to Gartner's. As is typical, IDC pegged Apple's market share slightly lower than in Gartner's data, with IDC showing Apple with 10.92% of the U.S. market on 18% year-over-year growth.
IDC also released numbers for full-year 2011, showing Apple in third place in the U.S. market at 10.73%, up from 8.83% in 2010. Apple's full-year growth of 16.41% easily outpaced the other top-five manufacturers in an overall U.S. market that declined by nearly 5% from 2010.
Sony's 'Music Unlimited' Service Headed to iPhone and iPod Touch [iOS Blog]
Jan 11, 9:28PM
VentureBeat reports that Sony will be bringing its "Music Unlimited" streaming service to the iPhone and iPod touch within the next three months, looking to make inroads into Apple's ecosystem that has been dominated on the music side by iTunes.
The electronics company will offer a free iPhone and iPad app for Music Unlimited at some point this quarter, Tim Schaaff, head of Sony Entertainment Network said today at a small CES media gathering.Sony introduced its Music Unlimited service nearly a year ago and garnered some attention when a company executive suggested that Sony Music could pull its content from the iTunes Store if Music Unlimited proved successful, although another Sony executive disputed that notion soon after.
Additionally, the iOS app will offer offline caching for subscribers to Sony's service, allowing users to save their playlists for listening when away from a network connection.
Sony's Music Unlimited app for iOS (Source: The Verge)
As a subscription service, Apple would take a 30% cut of a revenue from subscriptions generated through an iOS app from Sony. But Apple's scaled-back subscription rules that went into effect last year would allow Sony to still offer an app without having to share revenue with Apple as long as the app itself does not allow subscription signups and does not contain any external links to sign up for service outside of the app.
UMichigan Professor Uses iPads to Remake the Chalkboard [iOS Blog]
Jan 11, 9:13PM
Apple's big education announcement may be January 19th in New York City, but that doesn't mean Apple is the only company innovating in the educational space. University of Michigan professor Perry Samson has developed an iPad app called LectureTools that Samson hopes can turn laptops and iPads from a way to distract bored students into an interactive learning tool that keeps them engaged.
The Chronicle of Higher Education explains:
For the app to be fully utilized, all of the students and the professor would need either an iPad or a laptop loaded with the software as they sit in the classroom. Then the instructor could use the iPad app to present slides that would show up on every student's screen and allow any student in the room to annotate the slides or ask a question. For instance, students could highlight points on a map using their iPads, and the group of responses would be visible—anonymously—to the entire class. Mr. Samson said the app freed him from the podium.The app tracks students classroom participation, something Samson says could be used to spot early warning signs in students who may be having difficulty with the material. 20 classes are using LectureTools at the University of Michigan, but it's also being used at Ohio State and Michigan State.
Infinity Field HD First App to Include Multiplayer Joypad Support [iOS Blog]
Jan 11, 7:46PM
Infinity Field HD, a space shooter from Forzefield Studios, has been updated with extensive Joypad support. Joypad is a separate app that allows gamers to control supported games on an iPad or Mac from their iPhone, turning it into a wireless virtual controller with a configurable set of buttons. Infinity Field HD is the first app to include multiplayer Joypad support, allowing two players to play the game in co-op multiplayer mode on one iPad while controlling it from two iPhones, as shown in this video:
iOS developers have been pushing the boundaries of what's possible on Apple's gaming platform. Last year, Firemint used AirPlay to project a game on a television via an AppleTV, and used an iPad as a second screen to control the game.
Infinity Field is available for the iPhone or the iPad, for $0.99 or $1.99 respectively on the App Store. Joypad is free, while Joypad Elite is $11.99 and includes a number of skins from classic console controllers. Select skins are available via in-app purchase from the main Joypad app, as well.
Apple's 'Education Announcement' Scheduled for January 19 in New York City
Jan 11, 5:37PM
The Loop reports that Apple has sent out media invitations for an "education announcement" to be made at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City on Thursday, January 19.
Word of the event first surfaced last week, and sources have indicated that the announcement will relate to publishing, with digital textbooks perhaps playing a major role.
Update: The New York Times confirms that the event will focus on digital textbooks and that no new hardware will be introduced.
The event will showcase a new push by Apple into the digital textbook business, but will not feature any new devices, according to a person briefed on the event who did not want to be identified talking about it before it occurs.
T-Mobile USA Claims Next iPhone Chipset Will Support Carrier's AWS Bands
Jan 11, 3:40PM
With the launch of the iPhone 4S, T-Mobile USA is now the only one of the four major U.S. carriers to not offer the iPhone, due in large part to the carrier's use of the Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum band for its 3G network, a situation that so far would require Apple to develop specific hardware compatible with the network. Some had hoped that the situation would be rectified over time by AT&T;'s planned acquisition of T-Mobile, but that deal has fallen apart in the face of scrutiny from regulators.
AllThingsD now reports on comments from T-Mobile CEO Philipp Humm again acknowledging that the AWS issue is an important reason for the carrier's lack of the iPhone, but reporting that the issue will be addressed both by migration of T-Mobile's spectrum bands and by new chipsets supporting AWS.
"The key reason we didn't have the iPhone in the past is we are on different band than globally the market was," Humm said. "That is something which will change over time. Chipsets are also evolving to be able to allow for more bands."CNET has more on the topic from T-Mobile Chief Technology Officer Neville Ray, who specifically claims that Apple's plans for the next iPhone chipset include support for AWS.
As always, though, the decision is up to Apple, Humm acknowledges.
Ray, however, said T-Mobile's unique spectrum would have required extra work to ensure the iPhone ran correctly on its network. But the next chipset that Apple plans to use will be able to overcome that hurdle, he said.New LTE networks are another factor in the discussion, with rumors suggesting that the iPhone 5 may indeed support the faster technology with greater unification of network standards across carriers. But with LTE still being built out and carriers having achieved varying stages of progress on their efforts, the iPhone and other smartphones will continue to require compatibility with 3G networks as a fallback option where LTE won't yet be available.
"The next chipset will support AWS," he said in an interview with CNET. "The challenge that existed in the past will go away."
Ray said he has seen the roadmap of chipsets that Apple plans to use, and knows it has that capability. But he noted Apple could choose to ignore that capability and not strike a deal with T-Mobile.
Update: In a clarification to 9to5Mac, T-Mobile reports that Ray said only that Apple could use an AWS-capable chipset in a future iPhone model, not that he had specific knowledge of Apple's roadmap.
iPad 3 Production Underway for Early March Shipments?
Jan 11, 2:43PM
Japanese blog Macotakara reports that Apple's manufacturing partners Foxconn and Pegatron have begun production on the next-generation iPad, with Foxconn once again bearing approximately 85% of the load. According to the report, the initial production batch is targeted for shipment in early March, in line with a number of rumors regarding the iPad 3 launch.
According to Chinese source, Foxconn Technology and Pegatron Technology started next generation of iPad assembly with Foxconn bearing 85% and Pegatron taking 15% of the production load like as iPhone 4S. Accelerated schedule is made possible by earlier Chinese New Year festival, 23rd-28th January.The report reiterates several of the details found in iLounge's reports on the device, including descriptions of a form factor that looks approximately the same as the iPad 2 but which is slightly thicker. Macotakara notes that tight-fitting iPad 2 cases will apparently not fit the new model but that the Smart Cover will be compatible with the new model despite an adjustment in the location of the device's magnets.
This first lot production implements LCD's, which are produced by Sharp Electronics Corporation, and aims to be shipped at early March, source told.
Macotakara has at times offered accurate information, but has had a few missteps including claims of a late 2011 launch for the iPad 3, new flash memory for MacBook Air solid state drive, and a SIM-less iPhone 4S.
CES 2012: BulletTrain eXpress Enclosure for Magic Trackpad and Apple Keyboard [Mac Blog]
Jan 11, 4:55AM
At CES, Bullettrain announced their new eXpress keyboard platform that offers a single enclosure for the Magic Trackpad and Apple Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard.
The enclosure mimics the layout of an Apple laptop, placing the trackpad below the keyboard. This gives it a bit more of a familiar feel for those transitioning between a notebook and a desktop setup. Both the keyboard and Magic Trackpad snap into place, and can be easily removed from the eXpress.
The enclosure will be shipping in March and will cost $79 for silver version and $99 for colored versions, a couple of which are shown above.
Update: This post originally described the enclosure as aluminum per a description on BulletTrain's website. BulletTrain has informed us that yesterday's announcement actually concerned a new lower-cost line constructed of glass-reinforced polycarbonate and available in ten colors. The new product is an alternative to the company's existing aluminum enclosure priced at $139.
CES 2012: Behringer's $30,000 iNuke Boom Speaker on Display [iOS Blog]
Jan 11, 4:33AM
Behringer is on hand at CES 2012, displaying its enormous iNuke Boom iPhone speaker dock that was announced last month. The over-the-top accessory is 8 feet wide and 4 feet tall and weighs over 700 pounds. Billed as the loudest iPhone speaker dock, the 10,000-watt speaker can indeed put out overwhelming sound.
A dock with a 30-pin connector on the top allows direct connection of an iPhone or iPod touch. The speaker also has Bluetooth to play audio wirelessly from an iPhone, iPod touch or other device.
The iNuke requires so much electricity to run that its power switch is designed to power it on in stages to avoid blowing the fuse of the outlet that it's connected to. This short video recorded by Behringer shows the power switch on the back of the speaker along with the volume control and the iNuke Mode switch that boosts output.
Priced at $29,999, the iNuke is out of reach for the average consumer. However, the high price tag at least includes a white glove delivery service for placement and set-up in your home.
The iNuke is in production now and will be available for purchase in the 3rd quarter of 2012.
Apple Confirms Acquisition of Israeli Flash Memory Firm Anobit [Updated]
Jan 11, 1:42AM
Bloomberg reports that Apple has confirmed last month's news from Israel that the company had acquired flash memory firm Anobit. The confirmation came in the form of Apple's standard boilerplate statement used in addressing acquisitions, and did not include details on the purchase or Apple's plans for the company.Steve Dowling, a spokesman for Cupertino, California-based Apple, said today that the purchase had been made, while declining to elaborate. The statement confirmed a December report from in the Israeli newspaper Cacalist.Apple reportedly paid $400-500 million for Anobit, but neither Apple nor Anobit has confirmed the purchase price.
"Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans," Dowling said in a telephone interview.
The report notes that Anobit is currently responsible for a key flash memory controller for the iPad and iPhone, and Apple likely opted to bring the company's expertise in house in order to draw more heavily on the Anobit's expertise, increase efficiencies, and exert greater control over a component important to the functionality of iOS devices.
Update: Bloomberg reports that Apple paid about $390 million for Anobit in a deal that was not finalized until January 6.
Apple Inc. (AAPL) acquired Anobit Technologies Ltd. for about $390 million, paying below the price sought by the Israeli maker of a flash-memory drive part for the iPhone, people familiar with the purchase said.
Negotiations continued for more than two weeks after Israel's Calcalist newspaper reported Dec. 20 that Apple bought Herzliya-based Anobit for as much as $500 million. Apple finally signed the agreement Jan. 6 to buy the Israeli company, according to two Anobit shareholders, who spoke on condition of anonymity because Apple didn't want details disclosed.
OS X 10.7.3 Build 11D42 Seeded to Developers [Update: Release Description]
Jan 10, 11:39PM
Following in the footsteps of yesterday's release of iOS 5.1 Beta 3, Apple today seeded a new version of OS X 10.7.3 to registered Mac developers. The new version, termed Build 11D42, comes three weeks after the previous build, but the development team's work was undoubtedly slowed due to the holidays.
According to those familiar with the update, Apple is asking developers to focus their testing on the following areas: Address Book, iCal, Mail, Spotlight, and Safari. The delta version of the new build for updating from OS X 10.7.2 weighs in at 989.75 MB, while a combo version good for updating from any previous version of OS X Lion weighs in at 1.26 GB.
OS X 10.7.3 will be Apple's next free maintenance update for OS X Lion users. The current version, OS X 10.7.2, was released in mid-October and brought support for Apple's new iCloud services. OS X 10.7.3 developer builds have so far released a few hints of Apple's work, including drivers for new graphics cards that could appear in an updated Mac Pro and active efforts on HiDPI display modes that could come to fruition in a "Retina" MacBook Pro rumored for release early this year.
Update: We're hearing that the new Build 11D42 is likely to be either the golden master version of OS X 10.7.3 that will be released to the public or very close to it. Consequently, a public release could come in the relatively near future.
Update 2: Build 11D42 contains what is likely to be the final release description for OS X 10.7.3:
The 10.7.3 update is recommended for all OS X Lion users and includes general operating system fixes that improve the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac including fixes that:
- Add Catalan, Croatian, Greek, Hebrew, Romanian, Slovak, Thai, and Ukrainian language support
- Address issues when using smart cards to log into OS X
- Resolve issues authenticating with directory services
- Address compatibility issues with Windows file sharing
Kodak Files New Patent Infringement Lawsuits Against Apple and HTC [iOS Blog]
Jan 10, 9:44PM
With Kodak on the brink of filing for bankruptcy as it pursues an auction of its patent portfolio in order to remain solvent, the company today announced that it has filed two new lawsuits alleging patent infringement by Apple and HTC.A complaint filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) specifically claims that certain of Apple's iPhones, iPads, and iPods, and certain of HTC's smartphones and tablets infringe Kodak patents that relate to technology for transmitting images. Kodak also alleges that certain of HTC's smartphones infringe a patent that covers technology related to a method for previewing images which is already the subject of pending actions against Apple. Separately, Kodak filed suits today against Apple and HTC in U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York alleging the same infringement.The four patents being asserted against Apple include:
"As we have stated before, Kodak is the leader in digital imaging innovation and we have invested hundreds of millions of dollars creating our pioneering patent portfolio," said Laura G. Quatela, President and Chief Operating Officer, Eastman Kodak Company. "We've had numerous discussions with both companies in an attempt to resolve this issue, and we have not been able to reach a satisfactory agreement."
- U.S. Patent No. 7,210,161 – "Automatically Transmitting Images from an Electronic Camera to a Service Provider Using a Network Configuration File"A fifth patent is being asserted only against HTC.
- U.S. Patent No. 7,742,084 – "Network Configuration File for Automatically Transmitting Images from an Electronic Still Camera"
- U.S. Patent No. 7,453,605 – "Capturing Digital Images to be Transferred to an E-Mail Address"
- U.S. Patent No. 7,936,391 – "Digital Camera with Communications Interface for Selectively Transmitting Images over a Cellular Phone Network and a Wireless LAN Network to a Destination"
Kodak first filed a patent infringement suit against Apple in January 2010, also targeting Research in Motion in the same effort. Apple filed a countersuit a few months later in an effort to bolster its position against Kodak.
With the new lawsuits coming just as Kodak is attempting to stave off bankruptcy, the company appears to be attempting to demonstrate strength in its patent portfolio as it hopes to attract higher bids for its intellectual property. Even if the company is unable to avoid bankruptcy, its patent portfolio is likely to be one of the key assets to be sold off in a court-ordered auction following the bankruptcy filing.
CES 2012: Apple's Greg Joswiak 'Scouting the Competition'
Jan 10, 9:24PM
While Apple doesn't participate at CES and has ended its involvement in trade shows in general, the company naturally continues to keep tabs on what its competition is up to and CES is a prime event for new product introductions. paidContent has in fact proven Apple's interest in CES by chance, running into iOS device marketing chief Greg Joswiak on the floor at the expo.
While wandering around the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center Tuesday, I bumped into Greg Joswiak, head of iOS product marketing for Apple, just outside of Sony's booth. Joz, as he's known within the Apple community, grinned sheepishly upon being recognized by a reporter and stopped to chat for a few minutes.Joswiak declined to enter a more in-depth discussion of his interests at the show, with paidContent noting only that he "seemed less than impressed" with Sony's booth on the expo floor.
Joswiak said he was interested in how other companies present their products at events such as CES, from things like booth layout and aesthetics to which products are highlighted within a company's booth.
Apple is of course interested in what its competitors are doing, but is likely also interested in following what companies are coming up with in terms of accessories for Apple's own products. Despite Apple's lack of official presence at the show, it remains a popular venue for announcements for products of all types, including those within the Mac- and iOS-related markets.
Joswiak has appeared at several Apple keynote and media events, and has frequently played featured roles in Apple's promotional videos for the company's various iOS devices.
Update: A source has informed Reuters that Apple has over 250 employees registered for CES.
Apple Inc, famous for giving CES the cold shoulder year after year, will field a larger presence at the world's largest trade show than many observers imagine.
More than 250 employees are registered to attend the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, according to a person familiar with Apple's plans.
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