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American Idol

Three 'American Idol' stories January 2014 - August 2014
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The Typo iPhone keyboard is back again after lawsuit, but maybe not for long

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Aug 1 2014 - 4:32 am PT
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Seacrest’s Typo, the BlackBerry-like physical keyboard for the iPhone, didn’t last long the first time around. BlackBerry sued, describing it as “a blatant infringement against BlackBerry’s iconic keyboard,” and succeeded in getting an injunction against the $99 accessory.

Seacrest – the company co-founded by American Idol host Ryan Seacrest – responded by redesigning the keyboard and is now taking pre-orders for the Typo 2. The new model features a backlight, battery indicator and lock key, but otherwise looks strikingly similar to the original.

Shipping is scheduled for mid-September – assuming BlackBerry doesn’t have another injunction in place by then …

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Vote for American Idol with your iPhone or iPad through Google Search

Avatar for Zac Hall Feb 26 2014 - 7:28 am PT
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Planning to watch American Idol tonight and vote on your favorite performers? Google is making voting through its Search apps possible through a partnership with FOX. As the live finalist performance shows debut, American Idol is allowing viewers to vote through Google.com and Google’s iOS and Android Search apps.

Voting through Google allows you to cast up to 50 votes for each contestant as the new voting system is piloted. Simply search american idol or idol during voting hours and cast your votes!

Google Search for iOS is available for free from the App Store.

BlackBerry sues Ryan Seacrest-backed company over iPhone keyboard accessory (Updated)

Avatar for Zac Hall Jan 3 2014 - 12:03 pm PT
20 Comments
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A day after recording artist Alicia Keys saw her contract as BlackBerry ‘creative director’ expire, the Waterloo-based handset maker has filed a lawsuit against an accessory company cofounded by American Idol host Ryan Seacrest over a patent dispute, WSJ reports.

“This is a blatant infringement against BlackBerry’s iconic keyboard, and we will vigorously protect our intellectual property against any company that attempts to copy our unique design,” BlackBerry said in a statement.

While the keyboard accessory does resemble that of BlackBerry’s own handsets, it’s certainly an interesting stand to take against a startup company as even BlackBerry’s own smartphones are trending toward touch screen user interfaces and built-in keyboards have all but lost in popularity. Typo Products, LLC, the company in which Seacrest reportedly invested $1 million and is listed as a founder, lists the keyboard accessory as $99 on its website and currently says shipping will begin this month…


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