Hasta La Gadget!

A district court in Tokyo, Japan, has ordered Apple to pay ¥330 million or $3.3 million in damages to Norihiko Saito, a Japanese inventor. The lawsuit is related to the click wheel system found on a number of past iPod models. The current iPod classic uses a similar click wheel system. Saito’s company had applied for a patent that covered this technology back in 1998. Apple adopted the technology for its music players in 2004.

An injunction request was filed by Saito with Tokyo Customs against Apple back in 2007, requesting that iPod imports into Japan be blocked as his patent was being infringed upon. This prompted settlement negotiations. However, three rounds of negotiations didn’t lead to a settlement. Saito then raised his damages claim to ¥10 billion or $101 million, the figure was based on iPod sales at that point in time. However, according to the Tokyo District Court, Apple’s infringement of Saito’s patent does not warrant such a hefty damages payout. Instead, it has directed the company to pay $3.3 million in damages to Norihiko Saito. The click wheel basically combines a circle touch sensor with a number of buttons which allows for easy use with just one hand. It can be used for selecting music as well as for scrolling and fast-forwarding.

Apple Ordered To Pay $3.3 Million In Japanese Lawsuit Over Patent Violation original content from Ubergizmo.

2013 will be known as the year the iPod classic died.

Here’s a bit of web fun to liven up your weekend: a digital artist by the name of Pritesh Desai has recreated a fully functional first-generation iPod that you can play directly in your browser. In remembrance of Steve Jobs, Desai built the faux iPod using HTML5, CSS3, and a touch of jQuery. You can drag the click wheel around just like with the real deal, change the volume, hit play / pause and even skip tracks. Especially nice is the addition of Extras like the Clock and the Calendar. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to play any of your own tunes, but Desai had compiled a list of Creative Commons songs, so you can see how the player works. The next step is for someone to fill this up with hits of the early aughts (“Last Nite” by The Strokes, perhaps?) so you can truly travel back in time to the heydays of Windows XP and the Enron scandal.

Filed under: Misc

Dude recreates first-gen iPod in-browser, won’t put 1,000 songs in your pocket originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Oct 2012 15:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Whether you think they’re infamous or merely a signature piece of Apple design, there’s no doubt most of us have been exposed the company’s iconic white earbuds. Along with the latest batch of iPods and the iPhone 5, Apple announced the replacement for those dreaded earphones, a pair of ‘buds called the EarPods. Given that these are bundled with new iDevices (also sold as a standalone for $29), it’s hard not to think that the folks at Cupertino are drinking some sort of spiked Kool-Aid, claiming these rival headphones that cost hundreds more. While reviewing the likes of the iPhone 5, we also gave the EarPods a listen to find out whether or not they’re just an over-engineered set of ‘buds. You’ll find our detailed verdict after the break.

Continue reading Apple EarPods review: A $29 revolution in earbuds or another set for the recycling bin?

Filed under: Portable Audio/Video, Mobile

Apple EarPods review: A $29 revolution in earbuds or another set for the recycling bin? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 18 Sep 2012 21:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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