A number of Apple patent applications have been uncovered lately, including an updated “Wiimote” for Apple TV, a Google Latitude-like service for iPhones, and one way to possibly help solve iPhone reception issues.
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MacRumors, Cult of Mac, The iPhone Blog
A class action lawsuit filed in 2006 alleging that Apple’s iPods can damage a user’s hearing was dismissed in Apple’s favor last year. The decision was appealed, but the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the dismissal this week.
It has been well-documented that iPods are capable of outputting as much as 115dB of sound with stock earbuds, which is certainly capable of damaging your hearing even if listening for short periods of time. However, the maximum output can vary depending the type of headphones used, and iPods have a setting that can automatically limit the maximum output power. The plaintiffs claimed that the mere potential to damage hearing was enough to bring the lawsuit against Apple, even though none of them had actually suffered any hearing loss themselves.
iWork doesn’t get much press beyond news of new releases, but the low-cost office suite is quietly gaining popularity with Mac users. The newest data from market research firm NPD reveals that iWork ‘09 has outsold iWork ‘08 by 50 percent during its first year on the market.
The boost in sales is attributed in part to the Mac Box Set, introduced at Macworld Expo at the beginning of this year. The $169 Box Set packages the latest version of Mac OS X with the latest versions of the iWork and iLife suites, and was the officially endorsed—if not exactly required—upgrade path from pre-Leopard to Mac OS X 10.6.
Nokia has stepped up its beef with Apple, taking the fight to the International Trade Commission. The company has filed a complaint with the ITC, alleging that “virtually all” of Apple’s products violate at least one of seven Nokia technology patents.
Nokia has stepped up its beef with Apple, taking the fight to the International Trade Commission. The company has filed a complaint with the ITC, alleging that “virtually all” of Apple’s products violate at least one of seven Nokia technology patents.
US iPhone users, especially in densely populated areas like New York, San Francisco, and Chicago, are no strangers to issues like slow data connections, dropped calls, and late notifications of voicemails. While most of our European readers tell us that they don’t have these issues, several UK readers—most in London—say they face similar problems. O2 has recently apologized to its customers for the issues (which were especially troublesome over the last six months) and said that recent improvements should improve things for iPhone and other smartphone users.
O2 was the original—and until recently, exclusive—UK carrier for the iPhone. The company reported that it had only sold 1 million iPhones earlier this year, but noted significant increases in sales with the release of the iPhone 3GS in the summer of 2009. The recent explosion of data-hungry smartphones like the iPhone—the company experienced an 18-fold increase in data traffic this year alone—was cited as one of the reasons for the inability of many users to make or receive phone calls, maintain data connections, and more.
US iPhone users, especially in densely populated areas like New York, San Francisco, and Chicago, are no strangers to issues like slow data connections, dropped calls, and late notifications of voicemails. While most of our European readers tell us that they don’t have these issues, several UK readers—most in London—say they face similar problems. O2 has recently apologized to its customers for the issues (which were especially troublesome over the last six months) and said that recent improvements should improve things for iPhone and other smartphone users.
O2 was the original—and until recently, exclusive—UK carrier for the iPhone. The company reported that it had only sold 1 million iPhones earlier this year, but noted significant increases in sales with the release of the iPhone 3GS in the summer of 2009. The recent explosion of data-hungry smartphones like the iPhone—the company experienced an 18-fold increase in data traffic this year alone—was cited as one of the reasons for the inability of many users to make or receive phone calls, maintain data connections, and more.
If the iPod touch is a gateway drug for future iPhone users, then Apple should feel confident that it will have plenty of future iPhone users after this holiday season. From an analysis of App Store downloads during December 25th, it seems that the iPod touch was a hot, hot gift this Christmas.
According to the latest data from mobile analytics firm Flurry, downloads of apps to iPod touch devices spiked significantly on the 25th—not only far above the average download rate throughout November and December, but 172 percent higher than the spike in downloads to iPhones. App downloads typically track slightly lower for the iPod touch versus the iPhone according to Flurry’s data, which counts whenever an app that uses Flurry’s metrics API launches for the first time. On December 26, iPod touch downloads topped iPhone downloads even while trending sharply down towards more normal levels.
If the iPod touch is a gateway drug for future iPhone users, then Apple should feel confident that it will have plenty of future iPhone users after this holiday season. From an analysis of App Store downloads during December 25th, it seems that the iPod touch was a hot, hot gift this Christmas.
According to the latest data from mobile analytics firm Flurry, downloads of apps to iPod touch devices spiked significantly on the 25th—not only far above the average download rate throughout November and December, but 172 percent higher than the spike in downloads to iPhones. App downloads typically track slightly lower for the iPod touch versus the iPhone according to Flurry’s data, which counts whenever an app that uses Flurry’s metrics API launches for the first time. On December 26, iPod touch downloads topped iPhone downloads even while trending sharply down towards more normal levels.
Apple apparently purchased the domain iSlate.com in 2007. Some believe this is even further evidence of Apple’s tablet (er, iSlate?) plans.
Read More:
MacRumors, Ars past coverage
