Steve Jobs “war” on Android barred from Samsung/Apple US trial

Though Samsung has already won the similar cases in several countries around the world, their battle with Apple on the similarities between their Galaxy tablet and the iPad rages on – and they’ve invited Steve Jobs to defend them. A set of quotes that Samsung intended on using to defend themselves in regards to the late Apple leader’s “thermonuclear war” against Google’s mobile OS. However as of this week, U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh, heading up this case, has barred the use of any and all Steve Jobs quotes from being used in the courtroom.

Apple’s case here, like it has been in several countries around the world over the past few months, is that the Samsung Galaxy Tab lineup is too similar to the iPad to legally be allowed for sale. In this US court case they’ve been successful in getting a preliminary injunction against the tablet line, specifically the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in this case, to bar it from sale until the case is complete. Samsung’s defense was up until this week going to be made in part with the Jobs quote written by Walter Isaacson which goes as follows:

“I will spend my last dying breath if I need to, and I will spend every penny of Apple’s $40 billion in the bank, to right this wrong, I’m going to destroy Android, because it’s a stolen product. I’m willing to go thermonuclear war on this.” – Jobs

Samsung had intended to speak in court on how the quote “speaks to Apple’s bias, improper motives and its lack of belief in its own claims in that they are a means to an end, namely the destruction of Android.” Apple contended that the quotes are simply a distraction to the case and are irrelevant on the whole. Judge Koh agreed, saying, “I really don’t think this is a trial about Steve Jobs.”

This case is set to begin on July 30th – have a peek at the timeline below to see what other countries have ruled on similar cases.


Steve Jobs “war” on Android barred from Samsung/Apple US trial is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


Ptch is a new social network for slideshows

PtchAs if there weren’t enough social media platforms for sharing content with your friends or “followers” already, we’ve got one more to add to the pile. This one is called Ptch and stands out for a number of reasons – it is backed by DreamWorks Animation, and it’s not as straightforward as the rest. Ptch doesn’t want its users to just post up random pictures – Ptch wants its users to create 60-second animated slideshows to showcase their talent and creativity.

As usual, these clips can be uploaded onto Ptch itself and then shared on networks like Facebook and Twitter, or even by email. While I haven’t given the app a shot, it’s said to be easy to use, with a simple drag and drop interface and its own set of filters for spicing up your pictures. Users can also download clips from other people, break them apart and then remix them themselves. Music can also be added to the clips to make things a little more interesting.

Ptch is only available on iOS now, but you can expect it to make its appearance on other platforms in the future. Head over to the Apple App Store to download it now, and let us know what you think about it.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Smule launches AutoRap, App Store in-app purchases circumvented by hacker,

Samsung not allowed to use Steve Job’s quotes on Android for upcoming trial

Steve JobsIt looks like Samsung won’t be able to use Steve Job’s words in an upcoming trial against Apple in less than 2 weeks. According to Reuters, a US judge approved Apple’s request to bar “disparaging statements by Steve Jobs about Google’s Android operating system” at the July 30th hearing. Samsung had plans to use Job’s (now infamous) thermonuclear quote about destroying Android to show “Apple’s bias, improper motives and lack of belief in its own claims in that they are a means to an end, namely the destruction of Android.”

While Samsung has one weapon less in its case against Apple, at least it doesn’t have to be humiliated like Apple that was recently ordered to print in magazines and post up on its website that Samsung didn’t copy the iPad. What do you think of the judge’s ruling? Would it have been fair to use Steve Jobs’ quotes about Android in court?

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Samsung Galaxy Tab is “The tablet Apple tried to stop.”, Apple sues Samsung for being copycats,

Sprint won’t charge extra for FaceTime over 3G

Sprint logoOver the past few days there has been some commotion over the possibility of carriers charging its customers for using FaceTime over 3G. AT&T was rumored to be implementing such a plan while Verizon claimed that it was too early to talk about it. However, one carrier has come forward to confirm that it won’t be doing such a thing when iOS 6 arrives. According to a Sprint spokeswoman, the carrier has no plans for charging any additional fees when using FaceTime over its mobile network.

With carriers not even batting an eyelid when consumers use other apps like Skype or Tango to make video calls with mobile data, it makes you wonder why FaceTime gets such special treatment. And if people are going to be charged additional fees for using it, they’ll probably turn to alternative apps instead. Sprint is definitely on the right track by not charging customers for how they use their data.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: iPhones bring “best ever day of sales for a device family” on Sprint, Sprint iPhone 5 spotted in Radio Shack inventory list?,

Buffalo Japan announced the HDW-P550U3 Series its latest USB 3.0 and WiFi External HDD

Available in 500GB only the HDW-P550U3 from Buffalo has been tailored for people who needs to get access to their data on the go and wirelessly! Indeed this USB 3.0 External HDD comes with WiFi BGN connectivity and a 2,860mAh (enough for 4.5h of usage) internal battery that will offer you the possibility to access your data even away from the nearest electric plug as well as being totally iOS and Android friendly!
The HDW-P550U3 will be sold in Japan this august and will cost around 23,205 …

Hollywood-Backed iOS App Vyclone Pioneers Social Filmmaking [Video]

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Apple to appeal Samsung “advertisement” court ruling

Earlier today it was announced that after ruling the Samsung Galaxy Tab not “cool” enough to be mistaken for an iPad, a UK judge has demanded that Apple place “an advertisement” for Samsung declaring the result for all to see. This judgement has, as expected, been appealed by Apple and has been granted the right to take the case to the court of appeal by the same Judge Birss that presided over this main case. In the event this ruling stands, Apple will have to pay for notices in the Daily Mail, Financial Times, Guardian Mobile magazine, and T3 as well as displaying a notice on Apple.com that the Samsung tablet does not infringe on Apple’s registered designs.

This is by far the most notable of results from the series of Apple vs Samsung cases that have been ruled upon over the past few months. The Galaxy Tab was for a while blocked from sales in Germany, in Australia the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 has been found not guilty of infringing on the design of the iPad, and a Dutch court released a statement which included the following:

“Following the statement from Apple that its model attractive ‘minimalistic’ or ‘tight’ shape, is judge noted that “minimalist” design basically means that the contours are followed as defined by technology and ergonomics of the device are dictated and in determining the scope of this model, technical or other practical / ergonomic elements be disregarded. Considered further given that the backs and sides of the Galaxy Tabs 10.1v and 10.1 differ from those of the Apple model, the judge concluded that the Samsung tablet a different overall impression than that model, so there is no of breach” Dutch court documentation.” (machine-translated)

Meanwhile Apple is still in the middle of a case here in the USA with a preliminary injunction against the Galaxy Tab 10.1 standing even after a Samsung appeal. As for this most recent ruling in the UK, it remains unclear as to how Apple and Samsung will handle the situation.

The appeal mentioned above for this UK case deals with the original claim against Samsung rather than the advertisment-based penalty, but we’re sure Apple is a bit more than a little conscious of how negative the ads could be for their cases still pending around the world.

Stay tuned as we await the proceedings!

[via Bloomberg]


Apple to appeal Samsung “advertisement” court ruling is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


Smule launches AutoRap

AutoRapIf you’re a fan of Smule’s Songify, you’ll be pleased to know that the folks behind that app have added yet another title to their collection. This time, it’s for fans of rap and is called AutoRap. Not unlike Songify, AutoRap takes your recorded speech and automatically turns it into a song – a rap song. So instead of auto tuning your voice to fit a melody, AutoRap works differently by tuning your speech as well as making it follow a beat, speeding up and slowing down your words as though you were making a rhyme.

I downloaded the app on my phone and gave it a shot – needless to say I was pretty impressed. Not as much as I was when I used Songify for the first time, but I was pleased with the results. No I won’t be sharing my track here, but if you’re interested in checking out AutoRap, you can download it for yourself on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. AutoRap is free to use and comes with a number of free tracks, but if you’d like a wider selection of beats including those from more well-known songs, you’ll need to make in-app purchases.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Twitter updates Android and iOS apps, Apple App Store’s first spam sending app pulled,

Verizon: too early to discuss FaceTime charges over 3G

FaceTime Verizon 3GOne of the most anticipated features of Apple’s upcoming iOS 6 would be the ability to FaceTime over 3G – without having to jailbreak your iOS device. However, it looks like it might not be something that everybody in the US will want to do, especially after discovering that AT&T might have plans to charge customers for using such a feature. What about the other carriers? Well, the folks over at GottaBeMobile decided to ask Verizon and were given the following response:

“The timing of any pricing conversations related to future versions of iOS is premature.”

While it makes sense for a carrier to want to squeeze as much money from its consumers as possible, it doesn’t make any sense to charge for only FaceTime and not the plethora of apps available. Users have been able to make video calls over 3G via apps like Skype, Tango, Fring without incurring any additional costs beyond their initial data plans. Singling FaceTime out doesn’t make much sense – unless the carriers have been promised incentives for selling more non-iOS devices.

Let’s hope the carriers come to their senses about this issue.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: FaceTime coming to Verizon’s 3G network, iOS 6: New Maps solution ,

New iPhone cases bet on a non-iPod port

This week over in the land of pre-release device accessory makers, a couple new iPhone (or iPhone 5, whatever you want to call it) cases have been revealed with the smartphone’s new form factor intact. This case, coming in two colors – simple black and white – shows the iPhone in a taller form with many of the same features as the iPhone 4/4S. This device has a back-facing camera hole with enough room for a flash bulb, a lock-screen switch hole above volume buttons, and the same width as in previous models.

The big differences come in the places we’ve been tipped several times now will be getting big changes, starting with the base of the device. Instead of there being one giant space for an iPod cord, instead we’ve got a much smaller port more consistent with the size of a microUSB cord. Of course we know Apple will not likely adopt that kind of cord, instead opting for their own next-generation connection with 16 pins instead.

To the right and the left of this hole at the bottom of the device’s case, you’ve got two more holes, one of them with a circle carved into it for a headphone jack. There you’ll find the jack at the bottom of the device instead of at the top where it’s always been for the iPhone, and the square bits are ready for speaker grille action.

This device setup is consistent with several other recent design concepts we’ve seen for the next-generation iPhone, complete with enough height to provide for a 4-inch display on top of everything else. Note here that the case in this post is likely manufactured with specifications guessed or distributed without the consent of Apple, so it’s really a bet on the part of the creators of this case whether or not it’ll be accurate when the time comes and the next iPhone is revealed.

Have a peek at the new iPhone timeline below to keep up with the tips, leaks, and rumors!

[via CydiaBlog]


New iPhone cases bet on a non-iPod port is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.