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Jury begins deliberations in antitrust lawsuit over iPods, iTunes, and third-party music stores

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The class-action lawsuit against Apple over alleged anticompetitive behavior in how the iPod handled songs from third-party much stores is finally in the hands of a jury. Following last week’s final witness testimony, the jury has started deliberations in the decade-old case.

The evidence and testimony in this case have given us quite a bit of insight into the way Apple operated ten years ago with regards to its iPod and iTunes business. Former CEO Steve Jobs took jabs at rival Real Networks in a videotaped deposition (which the media wants the public to see, but Apple doesn’t). We also learned details of Apple’s contracts with record labels.


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New settlement in GT Advanced bankruptcy case gives supplier more time to sell equipment

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The Wall Street Journal reported today that Apple and GT Advanced Technologies have reached a settlement in their ongoing bankruptcy case. The settlement, which was approved by the courts earlier today, gives the sapphire supplier up to four years to sell its current stock of sapphire production equipment in order to repay Apple.

The two companies previously went head-to-head over who should be considered responsible for the complete failure of the partnership, with GT blaming Apple for making demands the company couldn’t meet while blocking any other contracts GT may have wanted to accept. Apple, on the other hand, blames GT for accepting a contract and then failing to provide the agreed-upon product.


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Former iTunes engineer testifies in iPod trial, says his team was responsible for blocking music from other stores

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Apple has been engaged in a lawsuit this week over what some deemed “anticompetitive” measures put into place in the iPod several years ago. Those measures essentially prevented users from playing back any music from third-party stores. Apple, for its part, has owned up to those actions, saying it did so to protect the user experience and the device from possible malicious files.

Today a former engineer who worked on iTunes at the time testified that he was part of a team responsible for ensuring that music from all competing stores was blocked from working on the iPod. He held to Apple’s claim that it was done for security and user experience reasons.

The iTunes engineer was the final witness to be called in the trial, following several others including Steve Jobs himself through a videotaped deposition that was played earlier this week. At this point, the outcome is in the jury’s hands. Deliberations are expected to start next week.

Twelve South launches BookBook for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus

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Apple accessory maker Twelve South has debuted an updated version of its popular BookBook iPhone case for the latest models of the iconic smartphone. The new BookBook for iPhone 6 (and iPhone 6 Plus) is available now from the company’s website.

The BookBook combines a protective smartphone cover with a hand-distressed leather wallet for storing your cash, credit cards, and IDs, and puts it all inside a case designed to look like a book.


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More leaked Sony emails reveal possible locations for Steve Jobs biopic

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Michael Fassbender will reportedly play Steve Jobs in the upcoming biopic

Michael Fassbender will reportedly play Steve Jobs in the upcoming biopic

While we’ve already learned some interesting details about the upcoming Steve Jobs biopic from the recently leaked Sony Pictures files, it seems there’s still more to be gleaned from the company’s documents. As the Verge notes today, new emails have revealed the possible settings for the film, which include “two auditoriums, a restaurant, and a garage.”

Those locations were included in an email sent from screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, who, along with director Danny Boyle, will be taking the film to Universal Pictures for production after working with Sony on it for several years.


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Canadian watchdog looking into Apple’s carrier deals for possible anticompetitive behavior

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Apple’s Canadian mobile carrier contracts are being evaluated by the country’s Competition Bureau after accusations of anticompetitive behavior from unnamed source, Reuters reported today.

The anonymous accuser claims that the agreements with Canada’s cellular carriers contain anticompetitive language. There’s currently no evidence to support those claims, but the Competition Bureau is still in the process of acquiring a court order for documents that could back them up.


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Microsoft releases suite of MSN apps for iOS, including News, Sports, and more

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Microsoft released an entire suite of MSN apps for iOS today, which includes MSN News, Money, Health & Fitness, Food & Drink, and Sports. A Weather app has also been announced, but hasn’t yet been released for iOS. It’s scheduled to arrive later this year.


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Apple fighting media requests to air Steve Jobs deposition from iPod antitrust suit

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As we noted earlier today, several media outlets have filed a motion that would allow them to air the videotaped deposition of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs that was played for jurors in the ongoing iPod antitrust lawsuit. Now the Verge reports that Apple is fighting back against the motion, with the company’s lawyers accusing the media of wanting to see “a dead man.”

As Apple attorney Jonathan Sherman put it:

The marginal value of seeing him again, in his black turtleneck — this time very sick — is small. What they want is a dead man, and they want to show him to the rest of the world, because it’s a judicial record.


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Last plaintiff in iTunes antitrust lawsuit disqualified, but the show must go on as lawyers search for replacement

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In the latest twist in the iPod antitrust lawsuit that has already given us a deposition of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and details about Apple’s deal with record labels to sell music in the iTunes Store, a judge ruled on Monday that the trial will continue even though there are no plaintiffs left.

Yes, you read that correctly. Every single plaintiff in the case has been disqualified. Marianna Rosen, the last complainant standing, was discovered to have never purchased an iPod that was affected by the song-deleting software updates in question.


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Facebook Pages Manager update introduces redesigned iPad UI

Facebook has updated its standalone Pages Manager app with a revamped UI for the iPad. The new design brings a tabbed sidebar that allows quick access to features like notifications and messages. The app also gained bug fixes.

You can get Facebook Pages Manager for free on the iOS App Store.

What’s New in Version 12.0

• New design updated for iPad, faster access to messages, notifications, and insights
• Bug fixes and performance updates

Leaked Sony data indicates falling revenue forecasts for Steve Jobs biopic, Natalie Portman reportedly passing

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DiCaprio and Boyle on the set of the 2000 film "The Beach"

DiCaprio and Boyle on the set of the 2000 film “The Beach”

New information discovered in the Sony Pictures data dump indicates that the loss of Leonardo DiCaprio for the lead role in the studio’s Steve Jobs biopic may have contributed to the decision to give the movie to Universal Pictures. According to Fusion, the film’s revenue projections dropped by a whopping 25% after Leo dropped out.

Soon reports claimed that Christian Bale would be taking up the role, but that ended up falling through as well. Most recently, actor Michael Fassbender is said to be up for the titular spot, though the movie is now being produced by Universal.

Now the movie has lost another potential cast member…

Bose products reportedly set to return to Apple Store shelves as early as next week

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Earier this year Bose and Apple had a bit of a falling out when the former decided to block NFL players from wearing Beats headphones while on camera, then fined players who violated the rule. Beats Electronics co-founder Jimmy Iovine said at the time that the ban actually served Beats by providing a bit of free publicity.

Apple apparently didn’t agree, and retaliated by pulling all Bose products from its store shelves in October. Around that time the two companies were also duking it out in a patent lawsuit, though they eventually decided to settle.

But Bose products are reportedly headed back to Apple Store shelves…

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Protesters take to 5th Ave Apple Store: “what better place than a big glass building to make a point?”

Image via Robert MacMillan

Image via Reuters/Robert MacMillan

New Yorkers protesting the recent decision of a grand jury not to indict the NYPD officer who killed Eric Garner took their movement to Apple’s iconic glass cube on 5th Avenue earlier today. The protesters staged what Reuters reporter Robert MacMillan called “a mass die-in” inside the flagship Apple Store for about fifteen minutes.


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Steve Jobs deposition reveals details of Apple’s contracts with record labels, requirements for DRM on music

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The videotaped deposition of Apple’s late co-founder Steve Jobs was played in court today as part of the ongoing antitrust lawsuit involving the iPod, iTunes, and digital rights management. As CNET reports, the video revealed new details of Apple’s deals with record labels and why the FairPlay DRM was created.

Jobs said in his statement that because the record labels were afraid that a store like iTunes could lead to music piracy, they required Apple to create and implement a digital rights management system—which would become the FairPlay system—in order to gain the rights to distribute music. DRM wasn’t something that Apple wanted to do, but had to do.


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Apple seeds new beta of OS X 10.10.2, highlights fixes for Wi-Fi issues

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Apple has seeded a new build of the OS X Yosemite beta to AppleSeed users and developers. The seed notes for build 14C78c say that testers should focus on Wi-Fi connectivity, indicating that Apple has done some work in that area to resolve outstanding issues.

The update comes in at about 470 MB and is available now in the Updates tab of the Mac App Store. It should be available shortly on the OS X Developer Center as well.

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Apple planning to spend $161 million on its own auditorium at ‘spaceship’ campus

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By now you’ve probably heard about Apple’s ambitious new “spaceship” campus, which will serve as the company’s new headquarters once completed. While some details of the facility haven’t been revealed to the public, a new building permit uncovered by BuildZoom has given us an idea of how much money Apple will be spending on its new in-house auditorium.

The 1,000-seat theater is going to cost Apple somewhere around $161 million. It will be worth the money though, as it’s expected to be used for most product unveilings, and will give Apple even greater control over the keynote experience. It won’t be large enough to take over as the official WWDC venue, but for most other product launches it should work nicely.

 

Alabama state representative to name anti-discrimination bill after Tim Cook

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Alabama state representative Patricia Todd announced today that her upcoming anti-discrimination bill will be named after Tim Cook. Todd plans to introduce the bill, which would prevent the government from discriminating in its hiring practices based on points such as sexual orientation, in March.

Initially Todd received pushback from Apple on the naming of the bill, with Apple saying that Cook would probably not want his named attached to a sensitive piece of legislation. After a few days, however, the company informed her that “Tim was honored to hear that State Rep. Todd wanted to name an antidiscrimination bill after him.”


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SoHo Apple Store to host Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump for performance and GarageBand discussion tomorrow

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Apple has announced through its official @AppStore Twitter account that Fall Out Boy singer Patrick Stump will be performing at the SoHo Apple Store tomorrow. As part of the company’s Apps for (Red) campaign, Stump will also talk about how he incorporates GarageBand into his creative process. The event begins at 8 PM.

Last month Apple kicked off a campaign that brought many of the most popular iOS apps together with the (PRODUCT)RED organization to raise money for the fight against AIDS. The company also held a sale on Black Friday to raise money for the same cause.

Customers who want to attend Stump’s performance will need to sign up through the Apple Store’s website.

Apple admits it deleted songs purchased through competing stores from iPods without warning

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Today’s continuing testimony in the iTunes antitrust lawsuit has revealed that the company added changes to iTunes that deleted music that had been purchased through competing stores like Real Player from iPods. Users would not be notified that any music would be deleted by updating their music players.


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