AppleiPhone
Latest
German court rules that Motorola, Samsung don't violate Apple touch event patent
Motorola and Samsung just caught a break from the law after a few hard knocks. A Mannheim, Germany court has ruled that neither company infringes on an Apple patent covering how an OS responds to and ignores touch events. While we don't yet know the full details, patent lawsuit guru Florian Mueller suggests that the German judge took the same point of view that thwarted Apple's claims in the Netherlands and the UK: the particular patent was just too broad to stick. It's a potentially important win, as a ruling of violation could have led to serious problems with keeping Android-based Motorola and Samsung devices in stores; other patents are more easily circumvented. However, it's still something of a Pyrrhic victory for a pair of companies that have lately been facing the threat of near-term bans and steep damages.
Apple trying for patent on electromotive charging, could use that confident stride to charge iPhones
We've seen the concept of electromotive (movement-based) charging before, but it usually comes at the cost of either a clunky design or a limitation to very low-power devices like watches. Apple has been experimenting with a concept that could power gadgets as big as iPhones and iPods with that spring in your step -- and without the bulk of any extra wires. A newly published patent application uses flat, printed coils to generate electromagnetic induction through movable magnets; as the device bounces around in your pocket, the magnets slide past the coils and run them through the magnetic fields they need to build electricity. It all sounds grand, but it's hard to tell from the very recent June filing whether the technology is enough to keep devices completely powered or simply delays the inevitable. We'd still suggest getting back into shape, though, in the event that morning run can one day save you from hunting down a wall outlet.
iPhone 5 gets mild teardown, reveals its precious new innards
With Apple's shiny new iPhone 5 set to start arriving at people's doorsteps tomorrow, it's only proper for some folks with early access to give the masses an inside look at what most won't ever get to see. And while it isn't the usual suspects doing the damage favor on this occasion, we still appreciate the iPhone-Garage crew for taking the time to dismantle Cupertino's novel handset. As you can see above, the iPhone 5's innards aren't set up much differently than those of its predecessors, the 4 and 4S, which is to be expected given the similar form factors between them. That said, the battery has found a semi-new home at the front end of the device, while the most obvious change is the headphone jack now being located at the bottom, next to that newfangled Lightning port. There's an extra pic down below for everyone's viewing pleasure, but we recommend checking out the source link to get a better glimpse of the full teardown treatment.
Apple patent application has iPhones text when calls don't reach spotty coverage areas
If you're already using Android 4.0 or iOS 6, you're likely familiar with the option to send a pre-made text reply to incoming calls you can't take. But what if it's your own call that won't go through, at no fault of your own? Apple may have that covered through a patent application that could keep the accusations to a minimum. If flaky reception at the destination prevents your call from connecting, the proposed idea has your iPhone automatically send a text message indicating that you've at least tried to get in touch. Recipients with Apple's hardware contribute to their own solution in this world: the message code is a cue to measure the signal strength and flag the location as a weak point in the carrier's network. Whether or not Apple acts on its concept is as much of a mystery as with most other patents, although we're hoping it becomes real. If anything's going to strain a relationship, it shouldn't be dodgy coverage.
Apple updates nearly every app for iOS 6, sneaks in key GarageBand, iPhoto and Podcasts updates
If you didn't already know that iOS 6 was out in the wild, Apple just delivered a torrent of mobile app updates to make it perfectly clear. Virtually every app that isn't preloaded now has explicit iOS 6 support to keep it running smoothly, and some of the upgrades are thankfully more than just skin-deep compatibility tweaks. Among the highlights are Podcasts' new subscription list syncing through iCloud, ringtone creation with GarageBand and iPhoto support for 36.5-megapixel image editing on the latest devices -- you know, for that moment you need to tweak Nikon D800 photos on an iPhone 5. We're including direct links to a few of the juicier updates, but we'd recommend checking AppleInsider's comprehensive list to see everything that you're missing.
PSA: iOS 6 expected to arrive at 1PM Eastern, get your downloads ready
Apple tends to release new iOS upgrades like clockwork, which gives us a good indicator of when it should push iOS 6 to early adopters: 1PM Eastern, or 10AM Pacific and 5PM GMT. At that point, you can likely get your turn-by-turn and Passbook fixes through at least iTunes. The real question is whether the upgrade will be available directly from an iPad, iPhone or iPod touch -- we've seen delta updates arrive over the air for iOS 5, after all, but not major OS revisions. There's only a few hours before we find out. September 19, 2012 1:00 PM EDT
iPhone 5 review
Thinner. Lighter. Faster. Simpler. The moment the iPhone 5 was unveiled we knew that it was checking off all the right boxes, folding in all the improvements and refinements people have been demanding over the past year -- yet plenty of folks still went to their respective social networks to type out their bitter disappointment. iPhone upgrade ennui seemed to be sweeping the nation, a sentiment that appeared to quickly dissipate when it came time for people to vote with their wallets. The iPhone 5 is here -- or will be soon, anyway -- and it's every bit the device that people were asking for when the iPhone 4S came out. Its new design has less mass yet leaves room for a larger display and LTE wireless, all while increasing battery life. In nearly every respect, this is an upgrade over the 4S that came before, though it arrives almost a year later than many had hoped. Is it too late to keep pace with the rapidly iterating Android offerings, or is it so good it was worth waiting for? The answer lies below.%Gallery-165757%
iOS 6 review
More Info iOS 5 review Apple unveils iOS 6 at WWDC, launch apps with Siri, Facebook integration, Maps iOS 6 coming to iPhone 4S, 4, 3GS, new iPad, iPad 2 and iPod Touch on September 19th Starting tomorrow, iOS users will be prompted to update their devices to the newest iteration of Apple's mobile operating system. As difficult as it is to believe, we're already onto the sixth version of the OS, which continues to be updated with new features on a yearly basis. After pushing out so many upgrades critical to plugging a few major feature holes, the vast majority of its 200 advertised enhancements are strictly granular, as Apple continues to polish its popular OS. That doesn't mean, though, that this build is coming to the masses without any jarring UI changes: Apple has declared independence from Google by adopting its own Maps, added a few nice features to Mail and iCloud, thrown Facebook integration into the mix and introduced the Passbook for paperless tickets. The question is, how does it stack up against previous refreshes? Read on to find out.
Advocacy groups notify AT&T of net neutrality complaint with the FCC over FaceTime restrictions
Public advocacy groups aren't all that impressed with AT&T's justifications for limiting FaceTime access over 3G and 4G to those who spring for its costlier Mobile Share plans. Free Press, Public Knowledge and the Open Technology Institute have served formal notice to AT&T that they plan to file a net neutrality complaint with the FCC within 10 days. It's not hard to understand why, given the groups' existing pro-neutrality stances: the Free Press' policy lead Matt Wood argues that the carrier is unfairly pushing iOS users into plans they don't need, a particularly sore point for iPad-only customers that have no AT&T phones to share. We've reached out to AT&T for comment, although we're not expecting a change from its position that allowing app use over WiFi makes its restrictions okay. As for the FCC? It's mum on the current situation. A literal reading of its net neutrality rules, however, doesn't include a WiFi exemption and might not favor AT&T when Skype video is allowed and Verizon has no problems with unrestricted access.
Twitter revamps its iPad app for expanded content, adds header photos and image streams
Twitter's iPad app is sometimes the neglected stepchild of its mobile app family: newer features usually come to the Android and iPhone versions first and are handed down to the iPad later, if they come at all. The company is making amends for that in style with a major update to the iPad version as of today. Whether you like them or not, expanded tweets are now baked in and will optionally show some photos, videos and web links within the timeline rather than disrupting the entire experience. The Connect, Discover and Me sections we've seen elsewhere also come to the tablet-tuned app, albeit at the expense of more quickly finding direct messages and lists. You'll soon notice a much more visual spin on people's profiles, regardless of whether or not Apple's slate factors into the daily routine. Both the Twitter site as well as the official Android and iOS apps now show a header photo behind the bio to provide a little more color than avatars and background pictures can manage. If you're on one of the mobile platforms, you'll also see a photo stream in the profile that will help relive memories without hunting down individual tweets. The phone and tablet makeovers require an update to shine, so hit the relevant source link if you're ready for a prettier (if not always more functional) social experience.
Google buys Snapseed developer Nik Software, raises the eyebrows of Instagram shutterbugs
Google makes a lot of acquisitions, some of them more important than others. Its latest purchase might skew towards the grander side, as it just bought imaging app developer Nik Software. While the company is known for pro photography apps like Capture NX and its Efex Pro series, the real prize might be Snapseed, Nik's simpler image tool for desktop and iOS users. Both Nik and Google's Senior Engineering VP Vic Gundotra are silent on the exact plans, but it doesn't take much to imagine a parallel between Facebook's buyout of Instagram and what Google is doing here: there's no direct, Google-run equivalent to Instagram's social photo service in Android or for Google+ users, and Nik's technology might bridge the gap. Whether or not Googlegram becomes a reality, the deal is likely to create waves among photographers of all kinds -- including those who've never bought a dedicated camera.
Shazam now rides shotgun with any TV show in the US, gets cozier with Facebook
Shazam doesn't want to let GetGlue control all our couch potato time -- it just rolled out an upgrade to its TV component that lets the mobile app provide social sharing, soundtrack and trivia details for nearly any TV show in the US, not just those deemed worthy of special attention. The app mirrors the program it's looking at -- we'll see stats instead of IMDb if we're watching hockey, for example. Whether or not attention is locked on the bigger screen in the living room, Shazam's little screen is making Facebook more a centerpiece of the experience. Media mavens can comment on friends' tagging habits and post their own tags to their Facebook timelines for all to see. The wider universe of TV shows should be available today, although we'll have to wait for an update in the "coming weeks" to broadcast our tastes in media with the rest of the world.
iPhone 5 pre-orders crack 2 million in first 24 hours
We told you Apple would likely provide numbers for those "incredible" iPhone 5 pre-orders. The company tells us that it notched two million pre-orders in the first 24 hours, more than twice as many as the million it recorded for the iPhone 4S last year and over three times the iPhone 4's figures. Many of those online purchases that missed launch day now won't arrive until October. Yes, it would almost be a shock if Apple didn't shatter any records given the size of its existing user base, but the scale of demand suggests you just might want to get in line Friday morning if you're bent on getting an iPhone 5 on launch day.
Apple, carrier stores open at 8AM on September 21st for iPhone 5 sales, early pre-order tallies are 'incredible'
Apple regularly likes to kickstart major launches with early retail openings, and it's just confirmed that the natural order of things is intact: both its own stores as well as those for AT&T, Sprint and Verizon will open at 8AM local time on September 21st to take iPhone 5 sales from anyone who missed out on the pre-order rush. As for how well those pre-orders have gone so far? Apple's statement on the subject doesn't give us concrete numbers at this stage, but it certainly hints at an upbeat outlook: "Pre-orders for iPhone 5 have been incredible," said Apple spokeswoman, Natalie Kerris. "We've been completely blown away by the customer response."
ITC says Apple didn't violate four Samsung patents with iPad, iPhone
This just hasn't been Samsung's summer. On top of Apple winning its earliest civil lawsuit against Samsung, the International Trade Commission has just handed out an initial determination that Apple didn't violate any of four Samsung patents (including two reportedly standards-essential examples) by offering the iPad and iPhone. While Judge James Gildea didn't publicly outline why Apple was in the clear, he added that Samsung lacks a domestic business that uses the patents -- important when it's trying to claim economic harm in the US. The verdict still gives Samsung at least four months' room to breathe while the ITC reviews the decision, but it's hard to see Samsung enjoying the reduced offensive strength when it's already on the defensive in American courtrooms.
iPhone 5 shipping times slip almost immediately to 2 weeks, early birds feel validated
When we suggested it would be a good idea to stay up late (or wake up early) to guarantee a launch day iPhone 5, we meant it. Those bent on pre-ordering through the Apple Store saw the company's online portal exhaust itself within an hour of the 3:01AM availability -- faster than the iPhone 4 and 4S, and no doubt crushing the hopes of North Americans who value their sleep. Individual US carriers weren't quite so quick to sell out, although they weren't far behind. AT&T is now quoting two to three weeks for any new orders, and Verizon doesn't see any new orders on their way until September 26th. Only Sprint is left taking pre-orders with the expectation that they'll arrive next Friday, and it's certain that the supply situation won't get better in the near future. We're curious to see just how many iPhones sell before the weekend is out, or even the day; given the briskness of pre-orders for the iPhone 4S last year, we wouldn't be surprised to see some braggadocio from Apple or the carriers by the time Monday rolls around.
T-Mobile USA nano-SIM poses for the camera, may arrive in October (update: official)
T-Mobile's American branch would really like to scoop up a few iPhone owners, and we're getting a better sense of just how far it's willing to go to lure refuseniks who'd otherwise go to AT&T. A product matrix leaked to TmoNews both shows the US carrier's specially branded nano-SIM cards and suggests they'll be available in October. And while there wasn't really any doubt, the cards should be in stores just for unlocked iPhone 5 models -- "no T-Mobile devices require this SIM card," the company tells its staff. The wait could be a pain, but the sighting at least provides some comfort to those who would only let their iPhone 5 run on Magenta's network. Update: Talk about under-the-radar confirmation: T-Mobile has mentioned in conversation that it hopes to carry nano-SIMs in mid-October.
Apple confirms iPhone 5 won't do simultaneous voice and LTE data on CDMA networks
If you're still struggling to decide which carrier to use for your iPhone 5, you may have had some of the decision made for you. Following statements by Verizon that hinted simultaneous voice and data still wouldn't be an option despite the inclusion of LTE, which theoretically frees up CDMA for calls, we've confirmed with Apple spokesperson Natalie Harrison that this is indeed the case. It's "not yet possible" to do side-by-side CDMA voice and LTE data on a "single-radio" design like the iPhone 5, she says. That's technically true, although it may be a case of Apple wanting to keep hardware differences to a minimum between CDMA and GSM users. AnandTech founder Anand Lal Shimpi tells the New York Times that Verizon phones like the Galaxy S III, which don't have this limit, follow a different approach: where Apple uses a second antenna to improve overall reception for a single connection, Samsung and other phone makers use theirs to keep both data and voice flowing in harmony. While it's a tradeoff with its own benefits, the choice means that iPhone 5 units for Verizon, Sprint, and every other CDMA carrier still won't let you check your e-mail in mid-call without WiFi. If that's an issue, you'll have to turn to AT&T (or T-Mobile with an unlocked phone) to get your fix.
PSA: iPhone 5 pre-orders kick off on September 14th at 3:01AM ET
Ready to hop on the iPhone 5 bandwagon after tuning into yesterday's unveiling? Keep an eye on the clock and pull out a credit card, because Apple, AT&T, Sprint and Verizon will kick off online pre-orders tomorrow at 3:01AM (or at 12:01AM PT for folks on the West Coast). Sixth generation iPhones begin shipping on September 21st and start at $199.99 for 16GB models bound to two-year contracts. Those who relish a healthy dose of suspense can always test the hand of fate -- and retail availability -- by visiting Apple's brick-and-mortar establishments at 8AM on launch day.
Verizon sends invitations to closed trial of FiOS TV app for iOS with live streaming
Want to know the definition of frustration? Try being teased with a FiOS TV app that supports live streaming, only to be denied when the app shows up. The end to that (admittedly mild) form of torture may be in sight. Engadget has learned through a tip that Verizon is sending invitations among a limited group to test a new FiOS TV iOS app with the usual schedule browsing, DVR control... oh, and live TV. Flex View On Demand videos and local media should be on tap as well, although it's not clear whether or not any of the options will require an active link to Verizon's fiber or cellular networks to watch. The trial leaves some time to go before we're tuning in through a bedside iPhone 5; even so, it suggests the gap between hope and reality is about to close. [Thanks, Anonymous]
