Apple

Apple Patent Hints at Graphics Driven UI in Future iOS

For those not so familiar with the lingo, a patent basically gives an inventor exclusive rights to their invention. It prevents others from using your invention in their products. Patents are usually filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office long before an idea makes its way onto the shelf.

The reason why Apple patents are so popular is that everyone from Wall Street to gadget blogs wants to know what Apple's next innovation is going to be. Although a lot of patents never reach consumer products, it still gives us a glimpse of what Apple is working on...

iOS 4.3.1 Released in iTunes

Apple has released iOS 4.3.1 for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. If you "Check for Updates" in iTunes, you will now have the option to download and install the latest version of iOS.

iOS 4.3.1 fixes multiple bugs relating to graphics, enterprise authentication, and cellular connection glitches. Nothing that significant is contained in this latest build of iOS, and if you jailbreak, you'll want to hold off from updating.

Revamped MobileMe to Include Music Locker Service, Cost $20 Per Year?

According to a report from The Music Void, Apple will be re-launching MobileMe this April, alongside a new, cloud-based music "locker." MobileMe will most likely be a free service, but The Music Void claims this new locker service will cost $20 a year.

The streaming locker service would have to tie into the iTunes backend, and users would be able to stream content between iDevices and the desktop. No specific details have been leaked about the locker in the sky, but The Music Void says Apple has already been hounding record labels for the rights to stream their content...

Apple’s Latest “If You Don’t Have an iPhone” Ad Highlights Game Center

Apple continues their "If You Don't Have an iPhone" marketing campaign with the latest ad focusing on Apple's iOS online multiplayer social gaming network, Game Center.

The 30 second commercial opens up by showcasing the huge library of games available in the App Store, such as Infinity Blade, and then shows the capabilities of Game Center, including friends requests, starting a multiplayer game through matchmaking, tracking achievements, and comparing high scores on a leader board.

iPhone 5 Will Probably Have NFC After All

At first we hoped the iPhone 5 would have NFC technology, then we were told Apple wasn't considering NFC yet. Now it appears that the next iPhone will in fact have NFC technology for mobile payments.

Multiple reports from sources like The New York Times and China Times reveal that Apple is working hard to implement NFC into the iPhone. Near Field Communication technology would allow consumers to use the iPhone as a mobile payment option, and the technology would most likely tie into the already-existing iTunes payment infrastructure.

Apple Files Lawsuit Against Amazon Over ‘App Store’ Trademark

Amazon has had an "appstore" developer portal since January; a place where developers can submit mobile applications for approval and then sell them on Amazon's website.

Bloomberg reports that Apple has filed a lawsuit against Amazon Inc. on March 18th over the “App Store” trademark used in their developer portal...

Back to the Future: Apple Reinvents the Phone

I was browsing the web earlier today when I came across the video of Steve Jobs announcing the first iPhone back in January 2007. I remember that day as if it was yesterday. I remember how I instantly fell in love with the iPhone as it was everything I ever wanted in a phone.

Fast-forward four years later and I can say that the iPhone has changed my life, literally. Not only the iPhone has allowed me to change the way I communicate and stay connected, but the iPhone has also allowed me to quit my job and make a living blogging about this revolutionary device...

Rumor: Revamped MobileMe Launching Next Month

Remember when we all signs were pointing to a MobileMe revamp at Apple's last event? The iPad 2 ended up stealing the show, and MobileMe wasn't addressed at all.

Apple has stopped selling MobileMe at their retail stores, and you can only sign up for the 60-day free trial online. Because there is no current way to actually pay for MobileMe, it makes sense that Apple is about to do something significant to their cloud-based sync/storage solution.

According to an inside source, Apple will launch a new, free version of MobileMe in April...

Apple’s “If You Don’t Have an iPhone” Ads Highlight App Store, iTunes, and iBooks

Apple has released some new ads that focus on the three main e-commerce stores for the iPhone. These short, 30 second promos focus on the App Store, iTunes, and iBooks.

The main focus of these three ads is to show what people who don't have the iPhone are missing. The "If you don't have an iPhone" tag line plays throughout the ad as different features of each store are pointed out. Each ad ends with a little jab: "If you don’t have an iPhone, well, you don’t have an iPhone."

What do you think? The ads clearly get the intended message across. Perhaps a little too boldly? Apple sure knows how to make a poignant little commercial.

[MacStories]

Is Apple Intentionally Handicapping Web Apps?

Whether you love them or hate them, no one can deny the success Apple has had with its iOS devices and the App Store. Although they are selling these products in record numbers, many still refuse to buy in due to multiple factors. The omission of Flash support, a technology used in many popular websites, is the first one that comes to mind.

But it doesn't stop there. Apple has also been attacked on its strict App Store policies, such as, denying applications for odd and unclear reasons. In fact, their unyielding control over their ecosystem is what leads many people to jailbreak...

Daylight Savings Time Glitch Has Caused Much Grief for iPhone Owners

Daylight Savings Time has stuck again! A bug that reportedly caused the iPhone's internal clock to not adjust properly to Daylight Savings Time has resurfaced with the recent time change.

Two days ago, we told you about a glitch with the iPhone's clock not changing to the correct time for the DST "spring forward" of one hour. At the time of the report, no one was really sure to what extent this clock glitch was affecting users.

Complaints seemed to not be as wide spread as the last time there was a DST issue, but many people were (and still are) experiencing problems with their alarm not going off at the right time...

Phil Schiller Confirms That White iPhone 4 Will Ship “This Spring”

Could it finally be true? Could the mythical white iPhone 4 really be on the distant horizon for consumers?

According to Apple's VP of Marketing, Phil Schiller, the white iPhone 4 will be available for purchase "this spring." This statement corroborates an earlier comment from Apple's co-founder, Steve Wozniak. Woz also said that the white iPhone would be available for purchase in the near future...