iDownloadBlog.com

Is Google Apple’s next courtroom sparring partner?

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

Samsung's $1 billion loss to Apple last week may have widespread repercussions, including Google's Android software. What previously was a proxy cold war with cell phone makers, the stand-in soldiers, could heat up dramatically and place the Mountain View, Calif. firm squarely in the middle of Apple's legal radar and making Steve Jobs' threatened "thermonuclear war" over Android a reality.

That legal war "is drawing closer to Google's doorstep," reports the New York Times. The court ruling that Samsung violated Apple patents related to changing a screen's view or tapping to zoom closer are all part of Android. Indeed, Google just recently removed from Android a feature that bounces your iOS screen to indicate you've reached the bottom. Dumping that feature from Android was more out of "design reasons" than Samsung's courtroom defeat, a source told the Times.

New report rules out NFC for next-gen iPhone

Cody Lee ∙ August 28, 2012

Bad news today for folks who were hoping that near field communications technology, or NFC, would make it into the new iPhone. It looks like the tech is a no-go for Apple's next smartphone.

Theories for the tech picked up steam yesterday when a square chip inside a leaked iPhone 5 part was identified as an NFC sensor. But according to a new report, it's not happening this year...

Apple rolls out streaming iTunes Festival app to Apple TV

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 19, 2019

Apple kicks off its annual iTunes Festival in London next month, which will include 30 days worth of free concerts. Several notable stars are expected to perform at the event, including Usher, OneRepublic and David Guetta.

And here's how you can watch the whole thing for free...

Let the FAA know you want to use your iPad during takeoff

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 25, 2016

Earlier this year, we heard reports that the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was looking to relax its policies regarding the use of electronic devices on airplanes.

At the time, the Administration had started allowing pilots to use their iPads in the cockpit. And now it looks like it's ready to start making changes for the passengers as well...

T-Mobile to start offering 4G micro SIM kits for unlocked iPhones

Cody Lee ∙ August 27, 2012

Last week, T-Mobile announced that it was going to begin offering truly unlimited data plans on September 5th. It says the plans will work in conjunction with 4G data speeds, and promises that users will never be throttled.

Well, good news today for current or potential iPhone customers on the network. According to a new report, the carrier is about to start offering 4G micro SIM kits, compatible with its unlimited plans, for unlocked iPhone users...

These are the 8 Samsung devices Apple wants to ban in the US

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

Last week, a jury found several of Samsung's devices to be guilty of infringement on Apple's patents. The damages awarded thus far total around $1 billion dollars, but Apple is seeking much more than that.

The Cupertino company has filed a notice with the court today identifying which of Samsung's infringing products that it would like banned from US sales, including several Galaxy S and SII models...

NASA builds Android-based satellite

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

If Google wants to find somewhere not dominated by Apple's iPhone, they'll have to leave planet Earth -- which is exactly what's being planned. NASA will launch the Android-powered Nexus One smartphone this fall as the brains of a tiny nano-satellite.

The Android phone will be at the heart of PhoneSat, a 4-inch cube space agency engineers are building using off-the-shelf parts with a $3,500 budget. Turns out, the Android phone has all of the basic features to power what NASA hopes will be an orbiting ring of tiny satellites. Along with the Android operating system, the Nexus One has a fast processor, communications gear and a nifty camera with which to snap photos of Earth from space.

AT&T denies rumors of employee vacation blackout

Cody Lee ∙ August 27, 2012

Over the weekend, it was reported that AT&T employees were seeing a blackout on vacation dates in late September, likely due to the new iPhone launch. Apple is widely expected to roll out the handset on September 21.

The information seemed spot-on, considering the timeframe matched up with both Verizon blackout dates and previous reports. But it looks like, for whatever reason, AT&T is denying the employee blackout rumors...

China is fastest-growing iOS and Android market

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated March 12, 2018

China has the big mo when it comes to smartphones. Although the US still leads with 165 million active iOS and Android devices, China is the fastest-growing market, according to analytics firm Flurry. Demand for smart devices in China grew 400 percent between July 2012 and the same period last year.

The nation far outpaced other countries, with Chile in second place at 279 percent year-over-year smart device growth. Brazil ranked next with 220 percent as Russia registered 179 percent growth and India's smart device growth rose by 171 percent.

Claimed iPhone 5 parts reveal possible NFC chip

Cody Lee ∙ August 27, 2012

Surprise, surprise, another purported iPhone 5 component was leaked over the weekend. Late last night, an assembled front panel with Home button and FaceTime camera surfaced on the web.

But unlike the claimed parts we've been seeing as of late, this one might actually give us some worth-while insight. It houses an unknown square sensor, which some folks believe to be an NFC chip...

Samsung hopes ‘strict firewall’ keeps Apple a customer

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

In one of the most bizarre moments following its loss to Apple, Samsung executives met this weekend to discuss ways to keep its largest customer: Apple. At the heart of their strategy, the South Korean firm reportedly will rely on a "strict internal firewall" keeping separate its handset and chip units.

The Sunday meeting included Samsung's vice chair Coi Gee-sung and mobile chief JK Shin, Reuters reported. Left out of the discussion was Samsung CEO Kwon Oh-hyon, who oversees the component side of the company...

Question of the week: Was the Samsung vs Apple verdict fair?

Jeff Benjamin ∙ August 27, 2012

Guilty. That was the verdict handed down by the court in the recent Apple vs Samsung legal battle. Samsung was accused of unabashedly copying Apple's design over the years, and the jurors agreed.

Samsung now has to pay over one billion dollars in damages to Apple, along with the threat that some of their products may be banned.

Obviously, this is music to the ears of many Apple fans, but the question stands to be asked — was it fair? What do you think?