Apple I- Phone

Apple attacks Motorola's efforts to block iPhone 4S using standards patents, asks for huge damages

By Daniel Eran Dilger

Published: 02:57 PM EST (11:57 AM PST)

Apple has filed a new "antisuit lawsuit" aimed at unraveling Motorola's litigation efforts and attempts to block iPhone 4S using standards essential patents. Apple is also asking for damages that could reach multibillion dollar figures.

In its patent battles with Apple, Motorola chose to rely upon its standards essential patents that are required to build GSM/GPRS/UMTS compatible devices, and committed to FRAND licensing because of that fact. Rather than negotiating the "fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory" royalty rates the company has committed to as a member of the 3GPP standards body, Motorola has invented a new legal strategy.

Motorola first canceled elements of its patent license with baseband chipmaker Qualcomm, then insisted Apple had to license the technology supplied by Qualcomm's chips on its own, under terms intended to extract more than a billion dollars per year, perpetually, just for using chips that were already properly licensed to be used for that purpose.

Because Apple won't agree to give Motorola billions of dollars based on a percentage of the total value of the iPhones and other 3G-capable devices it sells that use Qualcomm baseband chips, Motorola is seeking to block sales of Apple products in a variety of countries, including efforts that temporarily forced Apple to remove products from its shelves and then later restock them.

Apple pulls out the linch pin

Now, according to a report by Florian Mueller of FOSS Patents, action taken by Apple in California seeks "declaratory and injunctive relief" that the company hopes will shut down Motorola's German injunctions.

Apple's filing claims "Motorola?s German lawsuit is in direct breach of a Patent Licensing Agreement between Motorola and Qualcomm. As a Qualcomm customer, Apple is a third-party beneficiary of that contract.

"Moreover, under this same contract, Motorola?s rights under the ?336 and the ?898 patents are exhausted. Accordingly, Apple brings this suit for breach of contract, declaratory, and injunctive relief, and asks this Court to enjoin Motorola from prosecuting and enforcing its claims against Apple in Germany."

Qualcomm backs Apple

Qualcomm, the company building the baseband chips in Apple's iPhone 4S, reports in the complaint that "On January 11, 2011, Mr. Kirk Dailey, Motorola's Corporate Vice President, Intellectual Property, sent a letter to Qualcomm, copying Apple, purporting 'to terminate any and all license and covenant rights with respect to Apple, effective February 10, 2011 (30 days from the date of this letter).'"

The complaint further notes, "On April 25, 2011, Mr. Derek Aberle, Executive Vice President of Qualcomm and President of Qualcomm Technology Licensing responded to Motorola?s letter of January 11, 2011. Mr. Aberle disagreed with Motorola?s contention that it could invoke the Defensive Suspension Provision with respect to Apple. He noted that the Defensive Suspension provision did not entitle Motorola to terminate rights based on suits brought by Apple."

Say hello to my little FRAND

Mueller points out that Samsung has similarly attempted to terminate patent rights that benefitted Apple, efforts that courts in both France and Italy determined "was neither allowed under the agreement nor acceptable from a FRAND point of view."

Mueller added, "the French finding is particularly meaningful because ETSI [standards body] is based in France, and the related obligations must be interpreted under French law. The French court firmly ruled out that a company with a FRAND licensing obligation can grant a license and later terminate it with respect to one third-party beneficiary, given that ETSI's FRAND declaration requires the grant of irrevocable licenses to standard-essential patents."

Tremendous potential penalties for thwarting open standards, filing bogus lawsuits

Apple's series of legal actions in the US, which require relatively little deliberation or findings of facts (unlike complex patent arguments) are likely to results in an immediate stay of any infringement claims or enforcement requests Motorola is seeking against Apple in other countries.

Additionally, Motorola's conduct is likely to result in its involvement in ongoing antitrust investigations that have do far centered around Samsung. Yesterday, European Union Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia announced plans to "use antitrust powers to prevent patents from being used to unfairly control market share, including in ongoing investigations," according to a report by Dow Jones.

"I am determined to use antitrust enforcement to prevent the misuse of patent rights to the detriment of a vigorous and accessible market," Almunia said. "I have initiated investigations on this issue in several sectors and we will see the results in due time." Just weeks ago, the commission opened a formal investigation into Samsung's use of standards-essential patents to sue Apple.

"It is a major task of competition control to ensure that new generations of businesses are given a fair chance," Almunia said. "I am notably thinking of the surge in the strategic use of patents that confer market power to their holders."

Mueller also noted, "If any of the other [Apple] claims succeed, such as the one for damages, Google can already make room in its balance sheet for what could be multi-billion dollar damages. If the iPhone 4S got blocked in Germany on an illegal basis for even just a couple of quarters, Apple's resulting damages claim would likely exceed those of Oracle in its actions against Google and SAP combined."

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While we may have to wait for a year or two for our iPhones to be waterproof using technology from startups such as Hz0 or Liquidpel, Lifeproof claims that that their case will not only make your iPhone waterproof, but also dirtproof, snowproof, and shockproof.

Lifeproof achieves this by completely covering the iPhone, which means that the iPhone buttons are protected, an integrated screen protector covers the home button, a screw in cap protects the headphone jack, and a flip cover protects the dock connector.  The speakers are protected with Gore-Tex, which are designed to let sound pass through but prevent water from getting in. Lifeproof even claims that their case "improves the bass and mid-frequency speaker response by utilizing the back of the case as a sub-woofer for a richer, fuller sound."

They also have also published videos to demonstrate that their iPhone case is waterproof and not just water-resistant like some of the iPhone cases.

Based on the reviews online, it seems to work as advertised. However, it's not like a typical iPhone case. You need to go through the manual and test the iPhone case to ensure that it has been assembled correctly.

The thing that we like about the iPhone case is that it doesn't seem to make the iPhone 4S look too bulky.

Lifeproof's iPhone case is available on their website for $79.95 and comes in the following colors: black, white, pink and purple.

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We love us some patents here at RedmondPie, and Apple is one company that just likes to apply for patents as if the fate of the world depended on it. Of course, this being Apple, their patent applications tend to get picked up by the technology press and then picked apart in the hope we find a future product or service hidden in there somewhere!

Today is one day when such a patent has reared its head, and this one appears to pertain to a spot of 3D technology, something that Apple has yet to bring to any of its devices, be they iOS or Mac.

The patent calls for a 3D system that would be available to iOS devices, allowing a pseudo-3D effect to be created using the magic of technology. Using Apple’s implementation, no 3D glasses would be required.

The patent suggests that the new 3D mode could be activated using some kind of gesture, allowing users to switch between 2D and 3D modes at will.

The implementation, should it be used, would rely on sensors such as the accelerometer and compass to detect movement and then to allow the device to change the orientation of on-screen objects. This would create a 3D illusion for the user, thanks to added eye-tracking technology.

We have seen a similar technology demonstrated on an iPad already, and it works surprisingly well once you adjust to it. Adding some hardware and addition software support would only serve to make the experience even more enjoyable.

Smartphones with 3D technology are not a new idea. HTC, for example, has had a 3D-equipped Android phone on sale for some time now, with limited success. The gaming industry has also had its first handheld machine with 3D capabilities in the Nintendo 3DS, again with limited success.

With the debate still raging as to whether 3D in televisions is worthwhile or not, the same debate is sure to take place over smartphones. Do we need 3D smartphones, and if so, what will we use them for beyond the usual gimmicks? If Apple can make something from a 3D interface that isn’t possible with one less ‘D’ then we are all for it.

If Apple is going to give us some fancy spinning icons that don’t add to the experience though. then we just don’t really care.

Remember folks, more ‘Ds’ don’t always make better devices!

(via Patently Apple)

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Apple on Friday filed suit against Motorola Mobility in a U.S. district court over the use of Qualcomm chips in Apple's iPhone 4S.

The appeal to the Southern District of California court has a bit of a twist. The iPhone maker isn't claiming that Motorola is infringing on Apple's own patented technology. Rather, Apple is suing Motorola Mobility for breach of contract with regards to Motorola's own IP, which is used by Qualcomm in its MDM6610 baseband processors. Apple is asking the court to bar Motorola from suing Apple in Germany for using those chips in its latest iPhone.

The suit in U.S. district court follows a ruling in Germany on Friday that dismissed one of Motorola's more general claims regarding Apple's use of 3G/UMTS wireless technology.

Apple says in its U.S. filing that it has been assured by Qualcomm that "Qualcomm has already paid Motorola for the licenses and covenants for Qualcomm and its customers, including Apple."

At stake is Motorola's claim in Europe that Apple has infringed on its patent. Apple claims that Motorola's declaration to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute ("ETSI") that the technology is essential to practicing the ETSI's GPRS standard makes this a matter of what's called "fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory" or FRAND licensing.

What that means, according to Apple, is that Motorola is in breach of a commitment to FRAND licensing, which is an agreement by companies owning standards-setting technology to extend licensing under fair terms to rivals when technology essential to a meeting a standard could be withheld to block market access.

"Apple believes that parties who commit to license their standards= essential patents on FRAND terms have obligations they cannot ignore, evade, or apply only prospectively after an abuse has occurred," Apple's lawsuit states.

In earlier litigation brought by Motorola last spring against Apple in Germany for alleged infringement on its GPRS-related technology, Motorola makes no mention of the iPhone 4S, which hadn't been released yet. But in a January 2012 response to an Apple appeal, Motorola did reference the iPhone 4S, claiming it was subject to a German court's December order to Apple to cease and desist selling products infringing on Motorola's patent.

But Apple's counter-claim Friday holds that the contract between Motorola and Qualcomm includes a covenant Motorola made to not sue Qualcomm customers for infringement of the patent in question. As a third-party beneficiary of that contract, Apple contends it cannot and should not be sued by Motorola in any jurisdiction.

For the top stories in tech, follow us on Twitter at @PCMag.

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One of the things we often take for granted from our mobile devices is the ability to quickly transfer files between any Bluetooth-capable devices. iOS doesn’t really play ball, though, leaving iPhone users to look for other means to share audio, video, and image files.

There have been a few attempts from Cydia purporting to allow Bluetooth file sharing, namely Celeste, which released last year. Unfortunately, not only did it not actually work particularly well, but it was limited to iOS devices only. What happened to universal sharing by default?

Well, enter AirBlue Sharing; the answer to the prayers of those looking to share files with local devices. Unlike Cesleste and the other solutions available, it gives you back your freedom by allowing you to send/receive from any Bluetooth device – even Android.

Compatible with devices running iOS 4.2 through iOS 5.0.1, this great tweak requires no configuration whatsoever, and offers high speed Bluetooth transmission of up to 1.7 MB/s. It leaves no stone unturned in its quest for total sharing, allowing you to send directly from Notes, Photos, Videos, Music, Contacts or Voice Memos if you so choose.

Here are a couple of video of this great tweak in action:

The cost? Well, it comes in at a rather hefty $4.99, and is available in Cydia as we speak. Then again, it works well, and is probably the best solution for Bluetooth sharing.

If you fancy giving AirBlue Sharing a go, head over to the BigBoss repository – a default in your list of Cydia sources unless you’ve opted to delete it – and make your purchase.

We’re loving it here at Redmond Pie, and cannot recommend it enough!

You will obviously need to jailbreak your device to install this tweak. For jailbreaking iPhone 4S and iPad 2, you can simply follow our step by step guide posted here to jailbreak iOS 5.0.1 using Absinthe on Windows or Mac. For those of you with iPhone 4, 3GS, iPad 1, and iPod touches can use Redsn0w or Sn0wbreeze to untether jailbreak on iOS 5.0.1.

Be sure to check out our iPhone Apps Gallery and iPad Apps Gallery to explore more apps for your iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

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Foursquare has updated their Android and iPhone apps that brings new Explore feature with cleaner design and offers improved search results. The Foursquare for iPhone has been updated to version 4.2 that also brings improved handling of duplicate venues. The Foursquare for Android gets support for Android Beam that lets you send Venues, Lists and your profile to other Android (Requires Android 4.0 with NFC support) users.

The new Explore features include, option to change your location so that you can explore using the map in your city or find an address, filter option enables you to narrow your results by places you and your friends have been, and photos in your search results.

Download Foursquare for iPhone from the Apple iTunes Store and Foursquare for Android from the Android Market for free.

Read, Image via Droid Life

Srivatsan Sridhar is a Mobile Technology Enthusiast who is passionate about Mobile phones and Mobile apps. His current phone is Sony Ericsson Xperia X10. You can follow him on Twitter @ssrivatsan and on Google+

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Evernote Hello for iPhone has received a major update to version 1.1 that brings more options to add people, calendar tiles, new icon and more. They launched the first version of the app last December.

New features in Evernote Hello for iPhone v1.1

Add people you meet by sharing your phone, typing the information yourself or directly from your address bookWhen entering information yourself, as you type names, Hello instantly searches the address book for matchesFind Hello contacts by names, email, locations, calendar events, and moreLanguage detection during name entry auto-adjusts for cultural differencesChoose your profile picture from the Camera RollTap on any profile picture to display it in full-screen viewNew Logout option under the gear option in Settings.Improved layout of Setting screenNew Calendar Tiles add month and year breaks to Mosaic screenAutomatic phone number formatting based on language & localeContact Links let you jump into Hello from associated address book entriesEvernote Hello now supports 17 additional languages. Srivatsan Sridhar is a Mobile Technology Enthusiast who is passionate about Mobile phones and Mobile apps. His current phone is Sony Ericsson Xperia X10. You can follow him on Twitter @ssrivatsan and on Google+

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Instagram, Lovestagram and now Cinemagram. Every way we turn there is a new ‘gram’ application which uses the power of visual art to entice users in to using the service. As we all know by now, Instagram is the popular photo sharing application which allows filters to be applied to photographs and shared with the Instagram network. Lovestagram is a soon to be made live service which has been created by an adoring girlfriend as a valentines day gift for her man, and Cinemagram, well that is a new application released onto the App Store two days ago which exists to create a beautiful hybrid image born out of image and video.

Created by Factyle Inc, Cinemagram offers users the ability to create visually engaging and animated photographs by offering the ability to animate small portions of the image to give it a ‘moving’ effect. The Cinemagram application joins the many thousand apps which are already in the thriving photography section of the App Store, but is sure to stand out and gain some traction due to the unique and eye pleasing functions that it offers.

The app looks very simplistic in its design, featuring a standard tab bar navigation interface that we have all seen before in apps like Instagram. The user interface of Cinemagram benefits from some polish and customization to make it fit in with the developers view of how the application should look. Factyle Inc don’t provide a great deal of information about Cinemagram on the App Store or through their website, other than to say it allows the creation of "a stunning hybrid between photo and video".

The steps to using Cinemagram also follow the same minimalistic approach that seems to have been given to the App Store description as well as the official website:

Film a short video clip using the device camera which is approximately 2-3 seconds in length. Animate a small region. Apply awesome xpro, vintage filters. Share to Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook.

The steps do make it seem like a very simple process, but with the UI showing an internal settings option and the need to ‘animate’ a small region, I am betting there are a few intricacies that have been missed out, or in the words of an Apple television commercial, "some sequences have been shortened". With that said, the end result seems to be very effective if the featured Cinemagrams are anything to go by, but I am not sure whether $1.99 to effectively create a gif file is worth the cost.

The Cinemagram application is available on the App Store at a cost of $1.99 and is compatible with all devices capable of running iOS 5.0 and above.

Download Cinemagram now [iTunes Link].

You may also like to check out:

Be sure to check out our iPhone Apps Gallery and iPad Apps Gallery to explore more apps for your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

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Here are some iOS apps for your iPhone and iPad for this valentine’s day. These apps are based on different categories such as games, music and lifestyle.

List of Valentine’s Day apps for iPhone and iPad

Love Games (US$0.99) – This has a list of 16 fun Apps such as the classic truth or dare, solving puzzles to apps on finding the perfect zodiac partners for you & glow dice and moreWiki How: Love Survival Kit (Free) – This offers great relationship advice right from writing a love letter, articles on dating skills and moreValentine App (Free) – This app offers Gift ideas, activities, music, movies and more.Romantic Ideas (Free) – This app offers romantic ideas to spice up the love and affection in your life.Valentine’s Day Recipes (Free) – This has 140 delicious Valentine’s Day recipes that are a perfect way to celebrate a special relationship.Valentine Radio (Free) – Surprise your Valentine with these romantic radio stations on your Valentine date.Bliss Lite (Free) – It is a board game that you can play with your valentine. When you arrive at a space on the board, you will be given an action to do.Valentine Cam (Free) – Take romantic love photos with fantastic Valentine effects and send them to the one you loveValentine Day Recipes (Free) – This has 140 easy Valentine’s Day recipes with easy-to-follow-instructions and beautiful full-color photos of every recipeOnly the Love Games app is paid, and others are free. Srivatsan Sridhar is a Mobile Technology Enthusiast who is passionate about Mobile phones and Mobile apps. His current phone is Sony Ericsson Xperia X10. You can follow him on Twitter @ssrivatsan and on Google+

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Apple again highlights Siri with new 'Road Trip,' 'Rock God' iPhone 4S ads

By Josh Ong

Published: 01:10 AM EST (10:10 PM PST)

Apple on Thursday posted two new video ads showcasing how the Siri virtual assistant on the iPhone 4S can help people achieve dreams like cross-country road trips and playing in a rock band.

The promotional spots went up on Apple's website and its YouTube channel on Thursday as part of a series of ads for the iPhone 4S. Though the iPhone maker has also published commercials highlighting iCloud and the upgraded camera on the device, the bulk of its advertising efforts for its latest handset have been spent on showing off what Siri can do.

The "Road Trip" commercial shows a man asking directions from the east coast of the U.S. to the west coast. He and a companion are then depicted as going on a road trip and using Siri to search for restaurants, activities, directions and other information. The commercial ends with a shot of the couple standing at the Pacific Ocean.

"Remind me to do this again," the woman tells Siri. "Okay, I'll remind you," she replies.

"Rock God" begins with a young man telling Siri that he's "gotta get a guitar." The voice recognition software then helps him learn to play the instrument, make a list of band names and send a message to his friends that his band is playing in a garage.

"Call me a Rock God," he whispers to Siri after finishing a song. She responds with: "From now on, I'll call you 'Rock God'. OK?"

Apple focused on Siri with its first television ad last October. A couple months later, Apple's holiday-themed ad featuring Santa using Siri and the iPhone 4S was voted the most effective ad of the 2011 season.

The company has some work to do in convincing some skeptical customers that Siri, which is still in beta, is more than just a gimmick. Though initial reviewers touted Siri as a worthwhile reason to upgrade from the iPhone 4, a number of pundits have voiced disappointment in it.

Apple's cause isn't helped by the fact that the feature is only available in a few languages and has limited functionality in some regions outside of the U.S. The company has promised support for additional languages later this year, with one rumor suggesting that Siri will speak Mandarin, Japanese and Russian in March.

Siri's limitations notwithstanding, Apple has enjoyed phenomenal sales of the iPhone 4S thus far. The handset was the top-selling smartphone in the U.S. last quarter, followed by its predecessors, the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS. Apple sold a record 37 million iPhones in the December quarter, up 128 percent year over year.

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Apple postpones China retail launch of iPhone 4S after unruly crowd rages in Beijing [u]

By Josh Ong

Published: 07:00 PM EST (04:00 PM PST)

After an unruly crowd disrupted the release of Apple's iPhone 4S at its flagship location in Beijing, Apple has decided to postpone the sale of its best-selling handset at its official retail locations in China, though the device will still be available through its carrier partner and authorized resellers [updated].

Update: Apple has confirmed in a statement to AllThingsD that it will delay sales of the iPhone 4S at retail locations in Beijing and Shanghai.

?The demand for iPhone 4S has been incredible, and our stores in China have already sold out,? an Apple spokesperson told the publication. ?Unfortunately we were unable to open our store at Sanlitun due to the large crowd, and to ensure the safety of our customers and employees, iPhone will not available in our retail stores in Beijing and Shanghai for the time being. Customers can still order iPhone through the Apple Online Store, or buy at China Unicom and other authorized resellers.?

Apple retail staff at the Sanlitun Apple Store in Beijing put signs out Friday afternoon with a note saying, "This store will not be selling the iPhone in the recent future."

Apple had previously announced that the iPhone 4S would go on sale at its Sanlitun retail store in Beijing at 7AM local time (6PM Eastern), but altercations between scalpers and line-waiters have allegedly delayed the launch. As of 8AM, the store had yet to open.

The imminent launch of Apple's latest handset in China had attracted thousands of customers outside the company's five stores throughout the country. Security barricades had originally been set up to manage the crowd at the Sanlitun store earlier in the week, but they were taken down sometime on Thursday night or Friday morning.

Remnants of the crowd outside Sanlitun Apple Store in Beijing early on Friday, Jan. 13.

One journalist on location in Beijing claimed that Apple had canceled the launch because fights had broken out during the night, while some crowd members claimed Apple would take orders for the iPhone 4S at the store on Friday without distributing the devices.

Groups of professional line-waiters and scalpers could be seen congregating outside the store early Friday. As the 7AM launch time came and went without Apple opening its doors, a number of them became disgruntled. Shouts of "Open the door!" rang periodically rang throughout the crowd. At one point, a group of unhappy line-waiters left shouting profanities at Apple. Several individuals were forcefully escorted away by security officials, though it was not immediately clear why they were being removed.

Bloomberg reported on Friday that some angry customers pelted the Apple Store with eggs after it was revealed that the device would not go on sale. According to the publication, the Apple Store in the Pudong district of Shanghai opened an hour early and has begun selling the iPhone 4S.

Police officers cordoned off the Sanlitun Apple store in Beijing on Friday.
The 16GB iPhone 4S is selling for 4,988RMB ($790) on Apple China's online store, while the 32GB and 64GB models sell for 5,888RMB and 6,788RMB, respectively. Estimated shipping time is currently two weeks. China Unicom is also offering iPhone 4S for free with a multi-year contract on plans starting at 286RMB ($45).

The well-organized secondary market in Beijing has led to conflicts at the Sanlitun store in the past. Last year, the release of the iPad 2 and white iPhone 4 was marred by an incident that resulted in a broken glass door and several injuries.

In addition to China, Apple is scheduled to launch the iPhone 4S in 21 more countries on Friday.

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Apple exploring motion-based 3D user interface for iPhone

By Neil Hughes

Published: 08:35 AM EST (05:35 AM PST)

Apple has shown interest in developing a new user interface for the iPhone that relies less on the device's touchscreen, and more on manipulating a 3D environment with motion controls.

The concept was revealed this week in a new patent application discovered by AppleInsider and entitled "Sensor Based Display Environment." It describes a three-dimensional display environment that uses orientation data from onboard sensors, like a gyroscope and compass, to navigate the system.

In the application, Apple notes that problems can occur when using a 3D user interface with a touchscreen. The application refers to 3D as polygons on the screen of a traditional iPhone, rather than the "illusion" of 3D by sending two different images to each eye with a new, special display.

"Due to the limited size of the typical display on a mobile device, a 3D GUI can be difficult to navigate using conventional means, such as a finger or stylus," the filing reads. "For example, to view different perspectives of the 3D GUI, two hands are often needed: one hand to hold the mobile device and the other hand to manipulate the GUI into a new 3D perspective."

Apple could remove the need to touch the screen entirely by using orientation data from onboard sensors to determine a "perspective projection of the 3D display environment." Examples of this kind of interaction can be seen with augmented reality applications, or using the gyroscope to view a location with Google Street View in the iOS Maps application.

But Apple's concept would take the idea much further, potentially offering users the ability to navigate the device using motion. In one illustration, the iPhone is shown with a home screen featuring a floor, back wall, ceiling and side walls.

Users would navigate the iPhone by picturing the display as an "imaginary camera viewfinder" offering a glimpse into a digital world. By moving the imaginary viewfinder around, the orientation of the iPhone would determine what is displayed to the user on the screen.

As users look about their virtual room, a number of objects can be placed on the floor, walls, ceiling and even behind them. These objects could be selected and would allow users to navigate the device.

The filing also makes note of a "snap to" feature that could make navigation a quicker process. By doing a preset action, such as shaking the iPhone, the view could automatically "snap to" a predetermined camera view of the 3D user interface.

The proposed invention, made public this week by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, was first filed in July of 2010. It is credited to one inventor: Patrick Piedmonte.

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Reacting to Apple at CES 2012: Intel's Ultrabooks to Samsung's Galaxy Note
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Briefly: Sony iOS music service, Tim Cook, Adobe CS6
Strong sales of iPhone 4S a precursor to 'monster' launch of redesigned 'iPhone 5'
Apple announces education event in New York City next Thursday, Jan. 19
Apple awarded 676 patents in 2011, ranks 39th among all companies
CES: Dell plans to launch first 'consumer tablet' in late 2012
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Rumor: 250 Apple employees attending CES despite no official presence
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Apple confirms purchase of flash memory company Anobit
Kodak lawsuit accuses Apple of violating four patents (u)
Apple accused of extortion by Spanish tablet maker
CES: GPU candidates for Apple's next iPad, iPhone are 20 times more powerful
CES: MSI unveils external Thunderbolt GPU, Henge Docks gain MacBook Air support
Comcast launches live TV on iPad, Amazon optimizes Kindle store for iPad

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Verizon will very soon impose a strict rule, requiring all smartphones on its network to be 4G LTE compatible, CNET reports. 

If it didn't immediately strike you, Verizon's phone lineup includes the iPhone as well, which has led to speculations that Apple's next iPhone will support 4G LTE networks.

CNET reports:

From now on, nearly every smartphone, wireless hot spot, tablet, and Netbook that Verizon offers will come with LTE guns a-blazing. Yes, Virginia, that includes Windows Phone and BlackBerry devices, too.

There will be the occasional exception, however. For instance, phones on Verizon's push-to-talk network are 3G-only for now, and will remain that way until further notice.

Verizon's clear, unyielding stance on 4G--"a hard requirement," according to Verizon--may partially explain why it has picked up only one Windows Phone so far.

Of course this doesn't ensure that the next iPhone is going to be LTE compatible. If Apple still feels that 4G LTE severely degrades battery life, they would ship the device sans 4G. We all know that Apple doesn't give in to demands like these made by carriers. John Gruber sums it up perfectly:

Negotiations with the carriers:

Android handset makers: Here are our phones. How would you like us to change them so that you will sell them?

Microsoft: Here’s $200 million. Please sell our phones.

Apple: Here is our new phone. It comes in black or white. We will let you sell it.

[via CNET]

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Apple unveiled its iTunes Rewind 2011 today. iTunes Rewind is Apple’s annual listing of the top applications. Under Apple’s Editorial picks,  photo manipulation and sharing app Instagram won the ‘iPhone App Of The Year’ award.

Other apps finding top spots in the listing include Angry Birds , Facebook and games like Fruit Ninja , Cut The Rope. Photo App Snapseed was second behind Instagram in the Editor’s Choice category. Instagram lets users apply filters to images in real time and share to social networks and their own private network.

[Via - TechCrunch]

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The Apple iPhone 4S was launched on both Aircel and Airtel in India today at a midnight launch ceremony. The Airtel launch was held at an upscale restaurant while Aircel decided to keep it real by holding the event at their South Extension market retail outlet. The launch events included handing over the handsets to the first pre-order customers.

You’ve already seen the plans on both the carriers. The iPhone 4S in India does not seem to have any specific tweaks made to Siri. Mapping via Siri did not work during our trials.

The Indian accent was also quite a hit or miss for the voice control service. The iPhone 4S has been priced at Rs 44,500 for the 16GB model.

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Clingle is a Geo-social app with video check-in and it is the first app with this feature. This app is from the creators of MyCityWay and it uses the data of MyCityWay while adding the social features along with that. It lets you explore popular places around you, keep track of your friends and also lets you send personalized messages(using text,picture, audio or video) to your friends about the spot.

Features of Clingle for Android and iPhone

Record and share your check-in moments as a video by sharing live videos of the place you visitAdd iTunes audio to Clings on your iPhoneLeave surprise messages and make your friends unlock it when they visit a particular place, add video clips to Clings or start private group conversions.Explore for popular places, deals and discounts in your neighborhood including suggestions for new things around the city.Redeem your points and badges for real life goodies! Earn points and special badges and start redeeming them on the Clingle store for exciting real life goodies FOR FREE! The Clingle store will soon be live for India and US.Download Clingle for Android and iPhone from the Android Market and the Apple iTunes Store for free. It would soon be available for Nokia and BlackBerry phones. It works in USA, UK, Singapore and India. Coming soon across the globe. Passionate about Mobile phones and Gadgets. Love to explore new and innovative mobile phone Apps.

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Electronic Arts has started their Thanksgiving sale that offers iOS games at at 80% offer and Android games at 40% offer. This offers iPhone games at as low as $0.99 and iPad games as low as $2.99 and Android games as low as $0.99. Their previous sale was Labor Day. Gameloft has also started their Thanksgiving deals for iPhone and iPad games.

List of EA iPhone and iPad Games at 80% offer

Need for Speed Hot Pursuit for iPhone and iPadTRIVIAL PURSUIT Master Edition for iPadMADDEN NFL 12 for iPhone and iPadThe Sims 3 for iPhoneSHIFT 2 Unleashed for iPhone and iPadBATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY 2 for iPhone and iPadAmerican Idol: The Game for iPhoneAnytime Pool for iPhoneBATTLESHIP for iPadBop It! for iPadCOMMAND & CONQUER RED ALERT for iPadCoconut Dodge for iPadDead Space for iPhone and iPadDragon’s Lair 2: Time Warp for iPhoneDraw Jump HD for iPadFIFA 10 by EA SPORTS for iPhoneFIFA 11 by EA SPORTS for iPhoneFIFA SOCCER 12 by EA SPORTS for iPhoneFight Night Champion by EA Sports for iPhoneMONOPOLY HERE & NOW: The World Edition for iPadMONOPOLY for iPadMax and the Magic Marker for iPadMirror’s Edge for iPadNBA JAM by EA SPORTS for iPadNeed For Speed Undercover for iPhonePictureka! for iPadRISK for iPhone and iPadReckless Racing HD for iPhoneSCRABBLE for iPhone and iPadSNOOD for iPadSimCity Deluxe for iPadTETRIS for iPadTHE GAME OF LIFE for iPadThe Sims 3 Ambitions for iPhoneThe Sims 3 World Adventures for iPhoneThe Sims Medieval for iPhoneTiger Woods PGA TOUR 12 for iPadUltimate Mortal Kombat 3 for iPadThere is also 40% offer on Android games that include, Bejeweled 2, The Sims 3, NEED FOR SPEED Shift, Worms, SimCity Deluxe, Need for Speed Hot Pursuit, MADDEN NFL 12 by EA SPORTS, Surviving High School, THE GAME OF LIFE and TETRIS . This offer is for limited period only, So Hurry! Passionate about Mobile phones and Gadgets. Love to explore new and innovative mobile phone Apps.

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Airtel has announced the pricing for both the pre-paid and the post-paid plans for the iPhone 4S.  They started pre-orders for the iPhone 4S last week and it is expected to be available from 25th November. The 16GB version comes at Rs.44,500 and the 32GB is available for Rs.50,900. These plans offer free Local Minutes, Local and National SMS and 3G Data. Aircel has already revealed their post-paid plans for the iPhone 4S earlier this week.

Airtel iPhone 4S Postpaid Plans

Montly Rental After Discounts (Rs)Free Local & National SMS / month

Airtel iPhone 4S Prepaid Plans

Monthly Charges After Discounts (Rs)Free Local & National SMS / month

All the plans mentioned here are monthly for the period of 24months. After the monthly consumption in the offered prepaid plan is over, you would be charged at 50p for all Local & STD calls, Re. 1 for SMS (Local/ National) and applicable data tariff as per your subscribed pack. In case you have not subscribed any data pack, standard browsing charges of 3p / 30 kb is applicable. If 3G data services has not launched in certain circle 2G data upto 2.5GB (2G data) for offers Rs. 600-1000 and 5GB (2G Data) for all other offers would be offered till the date of launch of 3G data services.

If you opt for prepaid plans, you need to recharge for a particular amount (Rs 600 for example) and the discount amount (Rs. 300) would be credited back to your main account balance within 3 to 4 days which could be used for voice, SMS or data.  In case of postpaid plans your discount will reflect in the bill at the end of your monthly bill cycle. Data usage will have a bill shield of max Rs3000/ excluding rental in postpaid plans post that you can browse at 20 kbps speed for free. You may also switch between the higher or lower range of postpaid or prepaid plans, over the period of 24 months.

Passionate about Mobile phones and Gadgets. Love to explore new and innovative mobile phone Apps.

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Deam Zoo by Zynga is their first zoo themed game where players can collect, breed, and care for the world’s most amazing animals in their very own zoo. Zynga is popular for its games like Words With Friends, Hanging With Friends, CityVille Hometown and most recently Mafia Wars Shakedown. This game is only available for iPhone and iPad, and not on Facebook or Google+.

Features of Dream Zoo for iPhone and iPad

Breed and collect thousands of rare animal varieties such as Rainbow giraffes, polka dot baboons, and colorful zebrasAnimals come alive in your zoo with awesome moves.Pet and tend your animals with fun mini-games.Get earn extra bonus points for caring, feeding, petting and cleaning your zoo animals by touch, tap, and swiping.Press your luck on safaris to discover more exotic species.Let your imagination run wild with decorations from around the world.Connect and visit your friends’ zoos to discover different habitats and terrains for a truly social experience. Location-based bonus play feature lets you unlock in-game rewards based on playing in multiple locationsDream Zoo is available in 5 languages, English, French, Italian, German and Spanish. Download Dream Zoo for iPhone and iPad from the Apple iTunes Store ( iOS 4.0 or later) for free. A network connection is required to play the game. Passionate about Mobile phones and Gadgets. Love to explore new and innovative mobile phone Apps.

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IndiaONE – The sounds of India is an app for music lovers that is available for Apple iPad and iPhone. This app offers a range of features including a huge collection of Music, News in three languages, Live Radio, a Mood player and Karaoke channel. All the music will be updated every 30-45 days at no extra cost for the period of subscription.

Features of The IndiaONE app for iPhone and iPad

Current hits and classic songs from Indian movies of your choice.Non filmy music of various genres such as Ghazals, Religious, Folk, Indipop and LoungeNews updates from BBC World servive in English, Hindi and Tamil.Live Radio in Hindi and TamilExclusive unplugged sessions with the best Indian artists recorded LIVE at the RadioONE studios.Top 13 exclusive songs from India’s best Bollywood Celebrities.Mood player that shuffles music and a 1000-song karaoke channel (only on iPad version) with tracks from the 70s to the latest film songsSeparate KaraokeONE app is also available for Indian Bollywood music.The IndiaONE app is available for the iPhone at $0.99 and for the iPad at $1.99. The KaraokeONE app is available for iPhone for $0.99. Passionate about Mobile phones and Gadgets. Love to explore new and innovative mobile phone Apps.

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