Apple complies to U.K. order, and gives a giant middle finger in the process

Apple has complied to a order from the High Court of England to put a notice on their U.K. website that Samsung didn't copy from them. Well they did just that, and you can either go to their website to read it, or just look below:

On 9th July 2012 the High Court of Justice of England and Wales ruled that Samsung Electronic (UK) Limited’s Galaxy Tablet Computer, namely the Galaxy Tab 10.1, Tab 8.9 and Tab 7.7 do not infringe Apple’s registered design No. 0000181607-0001. A copy of the full judgment of the High court is available on the following link www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Patents/2012/1882.html.

In the ruling, the judge made several important points comparing the designs of the Apple and Samsung products:

"The extreme simplicity of the Apple design is striking. Overall it has undecorated flat surfaces with a plate of glass on the front all the way out to a very thin rim and a blank back. There is a crisp edge around the rim and a combination of curves, both at the corners and the sides. The design looks like an object the informed user would want to pick up and hold. It is an understated, smooth and simple product. It is a cool design."

"The informed user's overall impression of each of the Samsung Galaxy Tablets is the following. From the front they belong to the family which includes the Apple design; but the Samsung products are very thin, almost insubstantial members of that family with unusual details on the back. They do not have the same understated and extreme simplicity which is possessed by the Apple design. They are not as cool."

That Judgment has effect throughout the European Union and was upheld by the Court of Appeal on 18 October 2012. A copy of the Court of Appeal’s judgment is available on the following link www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/2012/1339.html. There is no injunction in respect of the registered design in force anywhere in Europe.

However, in a case tried in Germany regarding the same patent, the court found that Samsung engaged in unfair competition by copying the iPad design. A U.S. jury also found Samsung guilty of infringing on Apple's design and utility patents, awarding over one billion U.S. dollars in damages to Apple Inc. So while the U.K. court did not find Samsung guilty of infringement, other courts have recognized that in the course of creating its Galaxy tablet, Samsung willfully copied Apple's far more popular iPad.

Why Some App Developers Fail

Some app developers, such as Freeverse, Inc. and others, just don't care about the user experience. They'll release an app and never update it. Sometimes even set the initial release of an app high, and then lower it when sales are slow, without ever actually updating it to peak peoples interest. And then they complain that other apps are overshadowing theirs; well there is a reason for that. Your apps suck, and you need to face facts. If you want to survive in the app world, you need to keep your apps updated with new reasons for people to buy them.

Take Apple for example, all their apps get an update every 6-12 months. They don't just release an app four years ago and never update it like some other developers do.

All apps have been updated either last month (September) or this month (October). Why don't more developers update like this?

iBooks glitch, workaround

Since version 2.2 of iBooks there has been a glitch on the iPad, and it continues in version 3.0 that was just released last night. However I came up with a fix this morning. I discovered it whilst playing around with the settings to try to fix the glitch that Apple seems to have ignored. I left a review as well as emailed their customer support back when it was in version 2.2, and still no official fix.

As you can see, the ability to Copy the text, Define a word, Highlight, make a Note, Search within the book, or Share the passage are all missing. All that is left is text-to-speech. However there is a simple fix to bring those things back (except for the speech part).

By simply turning off "Speak Selection" and then fully closing out iBooks (via the multitask bar, double tap the "home" button), you'll notice a big improvement. Now reopen iBooks and notice the change.

You can't listen to your books anymore, but at least you can highlight and take notes again! And if you ever miss the speech, just turn it back on (but lose everything else).

I hope you found this tip useful, and good luck in your future reading endeavors

3rd gen iPad dead after less than a year on the market

Phil Schindler announced only a few minutes ago that the new iPad 4th generation will be available for pre-order on October 26th and ship November 2nd. Thereby killing off the iPad 3rd generation (The iPad 2 will still be offered as a budget device, as well as a new iPad mini).

Wow thanks Apple, you killed off a product that was less than a year old!

The prices are as follows:
iPad mini
Wi-Fi
16GB $329
32GB $429
64GB $529

Wi-Fi + Cellular
16GB $459
32GB $559
64GB $659


iPad 2 (2nd generation)
Wi-Fi
16GB $399

Wi-Fi + Cellular
16GB $529


iPad with Retina display (4th generation)
Wi-Fi
16GB $499
32GB $599
64GB $699

Wi-Fi + Cellular
16GB $629
32GB $729
64GB $829

The iPad mini is essentially an iPad 2 in a smaller form factor, but with a better camera. The iPad 2 camera is a 0.7MP on the back and a 0.2MP on the front. The iPad mini will sport a 5MP camera on the back and 1.2MP on the front.

Apple released Events app for Apple TV

Today Apple has pushed a new app to the 2nd and 3rd Apple TV. Called "Apple Events" the new app allows you to view previous events as well as stream todays event live. Todays event starts at 10am pacific, 1pm eastern.

You can also view the event today live via your Safari browser on an iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, or your Mac.

antonline Will Ruin Your Packages

Is this how you expect your packages to arrive?

I didn't either, but that's what came recently when I ordered from "antonline" via Amazon.com

I've had the unfortunate luck of running into the company "antonline" recently when I bought a new toaster for my grandmother on Amazon recently. I figured the seller was professional, but there is nothing professional about the way the toaster was delivered. No protection at all, no outer box with padding to protect the contents from being banged around (and by the looks of the box, it received a lot of bangs). There are dents all around, a big chunk of one of the corners is bashed in.

On top of that, the shipping was delayed because "antonline" decided to have the United Parcel Service (UPS) hand the package off to the United States Postal Service (USPS). That's like an Olympic runner stopping before crossing the finish line and asking someone else to finish the race for him/her. UPS was a mere 40 minutes from my house when they handed it off to USPS, which then took an extra day to deliver it. When you're talking about a 90 year old grandmother who hasn't had toast for several days, you can understand what one extra day means.

The point is not about the delivery method though, it's about the way it was delivered. I've never experienced anything like this before, this is not how you should ship a package. There is a reason "retail box" and "shipping box" aren't used interchangeably, and that's because they aren't the same. One has pretty pictures on it to entice customers to buy the item, the other is designed to provide protection in a long trip on a truck. The shipper "antonline" provided no protection at all, and as a result the package is ruined.

If we take away anything from this article, it's avoid antonline.

Surface commercial all about the click

Microsoft has launched their commercial ahead of public release for the Surface, and the entire commercial is about how the keyboard "clicks" with magnets onto the device itself.

At least it's more entertaining to watch than the other they released earlier in the day.

The Surface goes on sale October 26th.

Continuing to sell the old iPod touch is nothing new

A lot of people seem to be complaining online about the 5th generation iPod touch being sold in only 32GB and 64GB sizes, which makes the starting price $299. But if anyone remembers, Apple did the same thing when they sold the 3rd generation iPod touch. The 2nd generation was still selling in 8GB, and if you wanted a 3rd generation it was 32GB for $299 or 64BG for $399. The SAME prices the 5th generation iPod touch is selling for.

Although back then it led to a little bit of confusion as those that weren't aware thought that their 8GB device was a 3rd generation when it really wasn't. (I had to correct quite a number of people that insisted their 8GB iPod touch was not a 2nd generation product)

This time around, it's not as confusing. 4th generation has a 3.5" screen, 5th generation has a 4" screen.

So now can people stop complaining about pricing? If you think an iPhone 5 is "cheaper" then go for it. But keep in mind that with the data fees, it's actually way more expensive. I still think "iPhone 5" is a stupid name, it's the 6th generation iPhone.

One year anniversary of the death of Steve Jobs

Today marks the one year anniversary of a visionary, Steve Jobs. If you currently go to Apple.com you'll be treated with a memorial video followed by some text from Tim Cook which reads:

A message from Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO.

Steve’s passing one year ago today was a sad and difficult time for all of us. I hope that today everyone will reflect on his extraordinary life and the many ways he made the world a better place.

One of the greatest gifts Steve gave to the world is Apple. No company has ever inspired such creativity or set such high standards for itself. Our values originated from Steve and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple. We share the great privilege and responsibility of carrying his legacy into the future.

I’m incredibly proud of the work we are doing, delivering products that our customers love and dreaming up new ones that will delight them down the road. It’s a wonderful tribute to Steve’s memory and everything he stood for.

- Tim