Hasta La Gadget!

There may be more than a few fake Apple Stores in China, but for the moment, Cupertino’s anti-KIRF crusade seems focused squarely on New York City. According to Reuters, Apple has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against two stores in Queens, alleging that they sold unauthorized cases, headphones and other accessories for the iPhone, iPad and iPod. In the complaint, the company claims that the products in question were all emblazoned with its familiar fruit logo, along with the phrase, “Designed by Apple in California. Assembled in China.” The suit also demands that one of the stores, called Apple Story (seriously), change its name to avoid confusion with the real retail outlet and that both vendors disclose full lists of people who both supplied and purchased the goods.

It all began when company representatives visited the Chinatown-area stores on “multiple occasions over several weeks,” where they bought and examined the items, described in court records as “exact duplicates” of their authentic counterparts. On July 27th, Apple executed a few ex parte seizure warrants, which allowed authorities to seize any goods bearing its logo. US District Judge Kiyo Matsumoto has already granted an injunction to stop the stores from selling the alleged knockoffs, but hasn’t yet decided whether Apple Story will have to change its name. The complaint also seeks undisclosed monetary damages and asks that all existing counterfeit goods be destroyed, though court documents suggest that both sides are close to reaching a deal. Neither Apple nor the defendants have commented on the accusations, but we’ll let you know as soon as we learn more.

In the meantime, check out this KIRF “iPhone 5” we found in Beijing — a Java-powered handset that’s slimmer than the Galaxy S II and a bit laggy, but boasts a multitouch capacitive screen. Asking price? ¥680, or about $106.

Apple cracks down on counterfeit products sold in NYC, files lawsuit against Queens vendors originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Aug 2011 04:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It popped up in private beta earlier this summer, but Slide’s Photovine is now open to the public, available as a free download on Apple’s iOS App Store. Surprisingly there’s no Android app yet — a curious move considering Google (Slide’s parent company) isn’t known to exclude its own mobile platform with new product rollouts. Huff Post went hands-on with the app, summing it up as “Instagram meets Piictu,” also noting the bizarre exclusion of an option to add your Gmail contacts — though you can import your friends from Twitter and Facebook. It’s probably safe to say that an Android app will be coming soon — or perhaps some other indication that Google and Slide do in fact share the same roof — but for now, iPhone owners can slide on down to the source link to get their photo sharing fix.

Photovine grows out of private beta, begins sprouting on iPhones everywhere originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Aug 2011 14:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple adding DisplayPort to iOS devices? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 17 Aug 2011 10:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android’s always had a best friend forever (or, for the time being) in Verizon. Together, the two companies were able to establish Andy Rubin’s mobile OS as a serious platform competitor, fighting back against the then threat of AT&T’s exclusive iPhone juggernaut with Moto’s Droid. Flash forward to present day and it’s no wonder Big Red’s SVP John Thorne is giving a public-facing, albeit tentative, thumbs up to Google’s Motorola Mobility acquisition. Thorne’s official line on the deal concerns the “stability [it might bring] to the ongoing smartphone patent disputes,” but the executive declined to comment further, citing a lack of known details for the proposed buyout. Certainly, the wireless operator has good reason to keep a close eye on the takeover, as a recent Chitika survey pegs it with a commanding 41 percent share of active Android handsets. So far, only Nokia has come out from behind Microsoft’s shadow, hailing the move as a boon for WP7 and casting shade on Google’s intentions. As for the rest of the industry, it appears they’re all making heavy use of that nifty statement generator. Hit the more coverage link to see what we mean.

Verizon embraces Google’s Moto Mobility deal, hopes for an end to patent disputes originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 19:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why is LTE equipment being installed in an Apple Store? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Aug 2011 13:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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