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Apple calls for an early ban on Samsung Galaxy S III, isn't amused by S Voice
Samsung might have been right when it said lawyers didn't design the Galaxy S III, because it's in legal hot water again. Apple has moved to add the new Android 4.0 flagship to the same request for a preliminary US ban that would stop the Galaxy Nexus. Cupertino believes the Galaxy S III violates at least two patents, one the data tapping patent that's also being leveled against HTC and the other a unified search patent that covers Siri; not surprisingly, Apple isn't keen on that strangely recognizable S Voice interface. A hearing was already scheduled for June 7th and is now taking on a new sense of urgency, at least in Apple's mind: it's arguing that the rumored nine million pre-orders (still unconfirmed) are evidence of the potential damage if the US court lets the dispute slide. Samsung has already said that the injunction call won't affect its rapidly approaching US launches. The company had better hope it's right, or it risks disappointing a lot of early pre-order customers.
Oracle sues Lodsys to squash its patents, deals in ironic reversals of fortune
Lodsys has been facing an increasing backlash ever since it began suing left and right to scrape money from developers over patents, including countering lawsuits from some heavy hitters. Its stiffest opposition might have just lined up in the form of Oracle, however. The database behemoth is hoping to render four of Lodsys' patents invalid and prevent it from threatening further lawsuits against companies that use Oracle's technology, such as current target Walgreens. The lawsuits are focused more on web chats than on the in-app purchasing that has put more than a few mobile app developers in jeopardy, although it might help EA or Rovio at ease knowing Lodsys might be defanged. Oracle certainly isn't mincing any words in its accusations: it out-and-out accuses Lodsys of being a patent troll that profits from technology it didn't invent and will never use. Strong rhetoric against patent lawsuits won't guarantee Oracle a victory in court, but it certainly creates a minor degree of irony for a company that unsuccessfully sued Google over patents inherited through an acquisition.
Wearable lab coat TV packs thousands of LEDs, heads for Burning Man (video)
Sure, we've seen iPad hats and augmented reality tattoos, but a 60-inch display suitable for hours of wear under the hot Nevada desert sun? Well that's just crazy talk. Believe it or not, a one Dave Forbes built exactly that: a 12V battery powered, 160 x 120-pixel monitor capable of displaying standard NTSC analog video from an in-pocket iPod. The result is nothing short of incredible, but when you're building a wearable lab coat-based TV with thousands of LEDs and a pair of circuit boards, features like breathability and water-wicking tend to get overlooked. Forbes spent six months creating this ultimate gadget, which is likely to make quite the colorful splash when he shows it off next month at Burning Man. But with a multi-month time commitment and $20,000 price tag, we can't help but wonder what this 'brainiac' could have come up with were he to redirect those resources towards a super-slick tech project for the masses, instead.
Apple sues Samsung again for copying the iPhone's design, this time in South Korea
As if Apple and Samsung's patent infringement catfight weren't distracting enough, Apple is recreating the legal spectacle in Samsung's home country of South Korea. Apple just filed a suit against Samsung Electronics in Seoul Central District Court, with Cupertino alleging that the Samsung Galaxy S copies the third-generation iPhone, according to a report from the online news site, MoneyToday. That closely matches the claims Apple made when it it sued Samsung back in April for "slavishly" copying the iPhone and iPad. Since then, Apple's expanded its case to include additional Samsung devices, including the Droid Charge, Infuse 4G, Nexus S 4G, Galaxy Tab 10.1, Galaxy S II, and a handful of others. Meanwhile, Samsung has attempted (in vain) to subpoena prototypes of Apple's next-gen iPhone and iPad. We wouldn't be surprised if Samsung abandoned its efforts to peek Apple's forthcoming products, but if this is, indeed, destined to be a case of déjà vu, Samsung might well strike back with a suit of its own.
TUAW's Daily App: BeSpeak
Our friends at luxury blog Luxist have discovered an app that's perfect for my lack of fashion sense. Given some basic information about how you look (eye/hair color, height, and body shape), it will give tips for men's fashion. It doesn't just tell you what colors to wear, though; it tells you what patterns in your wardrobe match and what shades complement each other. I have an extreme blind spot when it comes to looking good, so outsourcing this kind of decision-making is perfect for me. The next time I go suit shopping, BeSpeak will be on my iPhone for sure. Unfortunately, it's only for more formal clothing (suits, dress shirts, and ties), so if you want to try matching T-shirts with your favorite khakis or figure out which button-down you should wear with your jeans, you're still on your own. However, casual tips are on the way. The app is basically free advice for men, so if you're at all confused about whether that tie goes with that suit, it's probably worth a download.
Class action lawsuits filed against Apple
Just when you think Apple's financial woes have begun to recede, Forbes.com alerts us to a slew of recently filed class action lawsuits that all have the big fruit in their sights. First up is yet another complaint alleging that Apple has created a monopoly by tying iTS purchases to the iPod and only the iPod. Even though suits like this have come and gone, the court has interestingly denied Apple's motion to dismiss. Next in line is a suit over the MacBook's iBook G4's "abnormally high rate" of logic board failure. This suit was filed Nov. 7th, and Apple still has time to respond. A third suit is coming from PhatRat Technology LLC, who is calling patent infringement on the Nike+iPod product. A response from Apple is still pending here as well. Last (though possibly not least?) is a securities class action suit against the company and "certain current and former officers and directors" over all this backdated stock option grant business. That's about everything Forbes has on the Apple lawsuit list for now. Think it's still worth it to wish Apple a happy new year?
The iPod suit, for slacking off at work
We've seen endless varieties of clothing designed to integrate with your iPod, and most of them do appear to offer either added functionality (see: all the jackets for gloved-hand control) or some modicum of security (see: Thomas Pink's shirt and tie). But a new set of duds from men's clothier Bagir -- appropriately named the iPod suit -- however, seems to be more of a solution that's looking for a problem. What make this suit so special are the soft, integrated buttons from Eleksen (creators of those fabric keyboards), which allow you to stealthily control your 'Pod from the inner lining -- because, you know, actually pulling out your DAP to change tracks during a board meeting is like totally gauche. Seriously, though, if you're really in a situation where you absolutely can't extract your iPod from its confines, it would seem that an in-line remote would work just as well -- and if you snatch up Apple's version, you even get an FM tuner to boot. Plus, if you're picking out your suits based on how high-tech they are and not how good they look, well, you've probably got more problems than the iPod suit can solve, anyway.
