Apple

Proview slams Tim Cook for meeting Chinese politicians ahead of iPad ruling

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 16, 2016

As we reported on Monday, Apple CEO Tim Cook was on a China tour recently. He posed for iFan shots at the company's retail store inside Joy City, a Xidan, Beijing shopping mall. While the real purpose of his visit to the 1.33 billion people country (emerging as Apple's most important market) remains shrouded in secrecy, it does coincide with the Proview situation and an upcoming iPad launch in China.

According to a pair of news articles, Cook also met with local politicians to talk "intellectual-property issues". The meetings were "great", a spokesperson for the company said. However, Proview representatives were quick to slam Cook for conducting a “political public relations campaign”.

As you know, the embattled display maker Proview is suing Apple over the rights to use the iPad moniker in China, where Apple has yet to introduce its third-generation tablet. Shenzen courts are expected to rule on Apple’s latest appeal on the iPad trademark within 90 days.

Half of all US households own at least one Apple product

Cody Lee ∙ March 28, 2012

Apple's numbers certainly make it look like it's sitting on top of the electronics world. But to figure out how popular the company really is, you have to look at who's buying its products, and how many they're buying. And that's exactly what CNBC did.

According to its recent All-America Economic survey, 50% of all US households own at least one Apple product. That equates to more than 55 million homes that have at least one iPhone, iPad, iPod, or Mac computer. But wait, there's more...

Steve Jobs didn’t really like the Siri name. What about you?

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 28, 2012

Siri, a digital assistant exclusive to the iPhone 4S, is heavily featured in Apple's advertising as it's the handset's key differentiator in the eye of public. For all the rage surrounding Siri, Apple's late co-founder Steve Jobs didn't really like her name to begin with. This comes from the mouth of Dag Kittlaus, the guy who made Siri and became a millionaire following a personal phone call from Steve Jobs.

"Siri" is Norwegian for "beautiful woman who leads you to victory." A new report highlighted Kittlaus's speech from last weekend in which he briefly reflected on how he came up with the Siri name and why Steve Jobs wasn't a fan of his choice.

Denmark, Sweden, UK, New Zealand also probing Apple’s “4G” marketing for the new iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 25, 2016

Uh-oh, it looks like Apple is now facing additional probes by consumer watchdogs in other countries around the world for misleading 4G iPad buyers with false advertising. Yesterday, Apple of California was forced to bow to the pressure from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission over the matter and is now offering refunds to those consumers believing they were misled.

According to the latest news reports, the company is now facing similar investigations in Denmark, Sweden, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Both the Swedish Consumer Agency (SCA) and UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) have now been confirmed as looking into complaints...

Nokia threatens not to license essential patents if Apple “imposes” its Nano SIM variant

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 28, 2012

Handset maker Nokia is increasing pressure on Apple ahead of the European Telecommunications Standards Institute’s (ETSI) ruling on the emerging SIM card standard, due later this week. The latest in the ongoing power struggle includes Nokia issuing another statement accusing Apple for bending unwritten rules and misusing the standardization process "to rubber stamp its proposal".

All that jazz for a smaller SIM card standard? Color me skeptical, but I'm questioning Nokia's motive here. Is the other Nano SIM variant backed by Nokia, Motorola and RIM really so much better than Apple's, which requires a tray (seen in the above shot)?

Here’s what Foxconn’s strategic deal with Sharp could mean for Apple, iPad and iTV

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 28, 2012

Yesterday's news that Apple's contract manufacturer Foxconn bought an eleven percent stake in the Japanese multinational corporation Sharp sent the tongues wagging. With a 46.5 percent stake in Sharp’s LCD plant in Sakai, Osaka, conventional wisdom has it that Foxonn, which just released its 2011 financial report, will bolster Sharp's LCD business and make it more profitable by securing the lowest prices on components.

Other folks think the two partners joined forces to battle LG Display and Samsung for orders of Retina displays for the new iPad. After all, Sharp is already been credited with small-volume shipments of 2,048-by-1,536 pixel resolution panels for the device and they're about to ramp up production in the second quarter.

Another intriguing possibility includes next-generation flat panels for a rumored Apple-branded television set, nicknamed the iTV...

Apple now offering refunds in Australia to “misled” 4G iPad buyers

Cody Lee ∙ March 27, 2012

Well that didn't take long. It was just this morning that we reported that the ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) was taking legal action against Apple for "misleading" Australian customers with its 4G iPad advertising.

The Commission feels that since the tablet isn't compatible with Australia's 4G networks, Apple shouldn't advertise it as a 4G device. Apparently the Cupertino company agrees, because it's already offering some customers refunds...

Sprint says its network will be eligible for LTE iPhone

Cody Lee ∙ March 27, 2012

Even though Sprint became an official iPhone partner last fall, Apple snubbed the carrier earlier this month when it launched its new 4G-capable iPad to the masses. The tablet has been a staggering hit, breaking a number of various sales records.

There's also been some speculation that Sprint will be left out of Apple's LTE party again this fall — assuming the next iPhone features the tech — due to its lack of LTE coverage. But the Kansas-based operator doesn't seem to be too concerned...

Apple dispatches VP of iPad marketing to set the record straight on Batterygate

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 25, 2016

In what could be described as a timely (and prudent) move to prevent the perceived battery issues with the new iPad from getting overblown, California-based Apple has dispatched its vice president of iPad marketing Michael Tchao, who went on the record to indicate that overcharging your iOS device won't harm its battery.

According to a statement provided to the AllThingsD blog, run by the Wall Street Journal network, this is by design and there's nothing wrong with the iOS battery gauge. It says 100 percent just before your device reaches a completely charged state, continuing charging to 100 percent. Then, it discharges a bit and charges back up to 100 percent...

CBS chief (again) explains Steve Jobs didn’t want to pay a dime for iTunes deal

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 27, 2012

Back in November, CBS President and CEO Les Moonves confirmed in a conference call with Wall Street analysts that Apple's late co-founder Steve Jobs approached the studio with a subscription-based iTunes content deal. It had been rumored at the time that Apple was looking for premium content partnerships to accompany a rumored Apple-branded television set, dubbed by the press the iTV.

Moonves was quoted as saying that CBS had decided against joining the initiative because it was based on an ad split. Yesterday, the executive shed more light on the matter. Confirming the original report, Moonves (portrayed as the man who said "no" to Steve Jobs) has revealed that Jobs actually didn't want to pay a dime for CBS content that the likes of Netflix spend hundreds of millions of dollars to license...

Apple’s favorite contract manufacturer Foxconnn secures 11% stake in Retina display maker Sharp

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 27, 2012

Japanese electronics maker Sharp said today it will form a strategic global manufacturing partnership with Foxconn parent Hon Hai Precision Industry Co that will see the latter take eleven percent ownership in the former. In a nutshell, an assembly company has just purchased a stake in a manufacturer.

Things get really interesting knowing that Hon Hai's Foxconn is Apple's long-standing manufacturing partner producing iPhones, iPads and Mac notebooks, but also PlayStation 3s, Xbox 360s and a host of other consumer electronics products for Western companies.

On the other hand, Sharp is currently on Apple's list of supply chain partners and has allegedly produced 2.71 million Retina display panels for the new iPad, with plans to ramp up production in the second quarter. This strategic partnership should also help Foxconn and Sharp together battle LG and Samsung for Apple orders.

Apple granted Nano SIM-related patent that Nokia is “not aware” of

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 27, 2012

Once again, the Finnish cell phone giant Nokia is opposing Apple's proposal for a new requirement related to the emerging Nano SIM card standard, dated back to 2011. According to a rumor yesterday, Apple wants to license its version of the Nano SIM to others royalty-free in exchange for any Nano SIM-related patents held by other companies.

Today, Nokia said in a statement it does not know of any Apple patent related to the iPhone maker's Nano SIM variant. Essentially, Nokia just slammed Apple's recent strides aimed at promoting its Nano SIM variant ahead of the European Telecommunications Standards Institute's (ETSI) ruling later this week...