Apple Gains Ground in U.S. Ruling Banning Some HTC Phones

(Updates with HTC closing price in ninth paragraph.)


Dec. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc. won a patent-infringement ruling that bans some HTC Corp. smartphones from the U.S. starting next year, bolstering efforts to prove that devices running Google Inc.'s Android operating system copy the iPhone.

The U.S. International Trade Commission, in a review of a judge's findings in July, said yesterday that HTC is violating one Apple patent related to data-detection technology and issued a limited import exclusion order that takes effect April 19.

"HTC will completely remove it from all of our phones soon," Grace Lei, general counsel for Taoyuan, Taiwan-based HTC, said in an e-mail. The six-member commission determined that three other patents in the case weren't infringed.

While less than what Apple sought, the ruling gives the company its first victory in patent cases designed to slow the growth of Android, which former Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs claimed "ripped off the iPhone." Apple has one other case against HTC, as well as complaints against Samsung Electronics Co. and Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc., and is involved in more than a dozen other cases before the trade commission.

"The battle between Apple and Android is going to continue," said Peter Toren, a patent lawyer with Shulman Rogers in Potomac, Maryland, who has been watching the cases. "I'm not sure this decision, the way it is, is enough to push the parties to settlement. Apple doesn't have the leverage of a total exclusionary order."


Nexus One


The list of affected products and a full reason for the commission's decision, which is subject to appeal and a presidential review, wasn't immediately made public. Apple's original complaint named HTC's Nexus One, Touch Pro, Diamond, Tilt II, Dream, myTouch, Hero and Droid Eris.

Kristin Huguet, a spokeswoman for Cupertino, California- based Apple, declined to discuss the possibility of a settlement. She repeated the company's position that "competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology."

Representatives from Google had no immediate comment.

HTC shares rose by the 7 percent daily limit to NT$476 in Taipei after the company said it will buy back 10 million of its own shares, equal to 1.16 percent of those outstanding.

The ruling is the first definitive decision in the dozens of patent cases that began to proliferate in 2010 as smartphone makers battle over a market that Strategy Analytics Inc. said increased 44 percent last quarter from a year earlier to 117 million phones worldwide. HTC, the second-largest maker of Android phones, used its partnership with Google to help transform itself from a contract manufacturer founded in 1997 to the biggest U.S. smartphone seller in the third quarter.


HTC Sales


HTC generated about $5 billion in U.S. sales last year, according to a separate patent complaint it filed at the trade agency against Apple. That's more than half of HTC's $9 billion (NT$275 billion) in global sales last year.

The commission's order applies to new phone imports and doesn't force HTC to pull existing devices off U.S. store shelves. The company can import refurbished phones to fulfill warranties or insurance contracts through Dec. 19, 2013.

"This exemption does not permit HTC to call new devices 'refurbished' and to import them as replacements," the commission said.

Apple's so-called '647 patent covered a feature in which the phone recognizes a telephone number so it can be stored in directories or called without dialing.

"The '647 patent is a small user interface experience," Lei said. The company is pleased with the commission's overall decision, and "we respect it."


IPhone 4s, Galaxy



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iPhones, iPod Touches still on iOS 3.1.3 can't download new apps directly from the App Store

While fragmentation is a rare(r) problem on iOS there's still quite a few users rocking older versions on their devices. Unfortunately for them, ever since a recent update on the 16th they haven't been able to download any new apps from the App Store straight to their devices. While users of older iPod Touches and iPhones stuck on 3.1.3 by choice or incompatibility with newer OSes can still update the apps they already have and transfer software from iTunes on a computer, they can't buy or install new ones directly from the device.

We were able to confirm the issue on one of our own devices, while there's a pretty lengthy thread in Apple's support forum about the issue, but no official response yet. We'll keep you posted if word comes that this is just a glitch or if the company has decided to leave those old versions on the outside looking in.

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LifeStreet Facebook Updates iOS App to Include Timeline, Make Browsing Faster

Facebook released version 4.1 of its iPhone app to bring the new Timeline version of profiles to iOS. The app is now in line with Facebook’s offering for Android and the mobile touch site, which we detailed last week.

Facebook for iPhone has more than 57 million daily active users, according to AppData, our data tracking service covering traffic growth for apps on Facebook. For the first time, Facebook for Android has more DAU than its iPhone counterpart. The Android app reached that milestone when it passed 58 million DAU on Dec. 16.

Although Facebook for iPhone still leads in monthly active users, the Android app has a higher percentage of DAU per MAU. This suggests Facebook is more “sticky” among Android users.

Facebook noted in the iPhone app changelog that iPad support for Timeline was on its way. Facebook for iPad, has 5.5 million DAU, according to AppData.

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New iPad And iPhone Leaked By Apple?

The iOS 5.1 betas software of apple was not released on Monday afternoon for developer, and during on the first view it appeared to add much, produced following investigations by consumer a couple of tidbits interesting, around which are new.  Most interesting could be references to the next iPad.

On apple of Monday, iOS 5.1 to developer released; this is good messages for iPhone owner while it means the general release of iOS 5.1, that once and for all solution the battery derivation problems should, comes soon.  More may have but apple follower than an only a software rise to look forward to.

Apple blog 9to5Mac has a couple interesting prime in the code of iOS 5.1, namely references to a new iPad, iPhone and apple television set found.

T was a question of the minutes because that appeared last to iPhone 5 and iPad of 3 rumors, so that we thought, that it wildly speculates only fitting, that the betas code is for iOS 5.1 house myriad hints, that new apple hardware actual in the works.

We would like to think that the numbers three USA carrier would receive a special nod of apple, after so much money to make risking, the iPhone 4S business.  Find the iOS 5.1 release notices at our source connections, and let us know if you discover something else, the apple secret would be allowed to retain like!

The iPhone 5 makes also a first appearance in the iOS code with version 5.1. obviously can we you any information about the Spez of everyone of the impending devices not now give, but further details around it should begin to pour enough in soon.

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Apple's 'New' iPhone Disappoints Market Watchers

Apple has its latest product that iPhone 4S will reveal, at its headquarters in Cupertino, California on Tuesday.  It is came 16 months after that revealed the prior model, the iPhone 4.

The iPhone 4S will compete with the galaxy S2 and galaxy S2 LTE Smartphone, that are produced by Samsung electronics.  All eyes are on whether the iPhone 4S will be able to continue the stellar achievement of its predecessors, that sold through that ten of millions around the world, to become the most desired Smartphone on the planet.

But news agency expressed disappointment, that says, that they were underwhelmed through the product.  They had expected that apple the iPhone brings out 5 marking designs and functions, that more highly were, that the iPhone 4, but as seen the name "4S" proposes, it improves merely some functions.

The new apparatus is identical in design to the old model.  You both marks 3.5-inch screen, weighs 140 Gramme and are 9.3 mm thick.  They offer also three different types memories -- 16 gigabytes, 32 gigabytes and 64 gigabytes on.  Technology media website CNET reported that there is no reason to the consumers, that possess the iPhone 4 to buy the iPhone 4S.  But the iPhone 4S marks a 8-megapixel of LED flash camera with HD video record functions and is twice so fast as the iPhone 4 because it comes with a doubly kernkapazität, that uses two CPUS.

Market reaction was anything however hot.  Apple shares only fell 4 percent after the iPhone 4S was revealed.

A thing worthy by attention the "siri" voice activation function is marked becomes by apple, that for the first time on the iPhone 4S. for example if a consumer says, "changes my 5 o'clock in the afternoon appointment with tasks 7 p.m.," the timetable on the iPhone 4S should reflect the changes.  There are other functions, that not first may seize the attention of the consumer, but comes in enables handily, like for example a vibration capacity absorbent, the smooth films of to move likenesses.

Apple will begin to suppose sequences for the iPhone 4S Friday.  It becomes first in the USA, Canada, Australia, that U. K., France, Germany and Japan at the Oct sells become.  14th revenue will begin at the Oct.  28 in 22 other countries, including Austria, the Netherlands, Singapore and Mexico.  In Korea and around 70 other countries, will begin it between the November and December.

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iPhone 5 Event: Apple Releases October 4th Invitations (PICTURE)

Apple announced that it will align an event on Tuesday, 4th of October.

Invitations have on at the 27th of September lecture distributed "speeches we iPhone" however offered few criteria around which type of iPhone told announcements would be made.  Will we see a new device?  Will there be a couple of hand apparatus new?  Will it give any, that excites new applications?

The invitations offer only the date (4 Octobers) and the time at (10 o' clock), as well as a telephone copy with a curious number "1" marked has.

Last week AllThingsD first reported hold would become (at present, unofficial) the apple an event on the 4th of October, but no one knew for certainly if the event would circle around the iPhone.  Now we can say for certainly that it becomes, but we do not know yet if this event will see the start of the neighbor generationshandapparats of the firm, designate as a "the iPhone 5".

AllThingsD reported also that the event will take place at the headquarters of apple in Cupertino, California.

The event invites (below) see itself on.  What do you think that apple will announce?

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Jeff Verkoeyen, Facebook's Lead IPad App Developer, Leaves For Google

On Monday Jeff Verkoeyen, that leading iPad application announced has engineer of Facebook, on its blog, that he had abandoned Facebook and moved Google.

Verkoeyen wrote that it became with works 80 hours per week on a project "frustrated", whose start, that date was retained to be knocked back without explanation.  Although down its blog at present this letter was, TechCrunch wrote that Verkoeyen said, that the iPad application "mark was complete" for the May.

In July TechCrunch screenshots released whereby appeared is, to be a polished Facebook application for iPad.  The blog post of Verkoeyen has were had confirmed that the pictures of TechCrunch actually the application it processed.

"It is now nearly 5 months because the application was, mark completes and did not see I that it released daraußer, when the project was licked on Techcrunch [sic]," Verkoeyen, wrote, per TechCrunch. "unnecessarily to say that this was a frustrating experience for me.  The experience to process of this application, was was a large contribution to the reasons why I left Facebook, although that does not mean, that it not a difficult decision".

It was whisperred that the iPad application would be announced by Facebook at the new F8 the conference by the social network.  But that happened never is.

While Verkoeyen said has for certainly, what not, caused the delay of the application, he provided himself that the application never may be released "," in accordance with a quotation, that of its blog post through business insider was taken.

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