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1,026 'Google' stories August 2010 - July 2012

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Next Issue for iPad launches, offers bevy of popular magazines for just $10/month [Video]

Élyse Betters Jul 10 2012 - 1:11 pm PT

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sk079o_2FHo&feature=player_embedded]

Next Issue, a subscription-based iPad app for magazines, finally hit the App Store today after first having launched as an Android app on the Google Play store.

The sales pitch is simple: “All the magazines you love. All in one app. All yours for one low price.”

Folks need to visit NextIssue.com to create an account and start a 30-day free trial, and then they can download the app to access a bevy of titles from Conde Nast, News Corp, Hearst, Meredith, Time, and more major publishers. A few of the more enticing magazine titles include: Allure, Better Homes and Gardens, Bon Appétit, ELLE, Entertainment Weekly, Esquire, Fitness, Fortune, Glamour, GQ, InStyle, People, Popular Mechanics, Real Simple, Self, Southern Living, Sports Illustrated, The New Yorker, TIME, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and Wired.

Next Issue offers two subscription types: the $10 monthly plan only provides the top magazines, while the $15 monthly plan boasts the entire catalog with weekly selections. A quick gander through the catalog shows enhanced digital magazines, which are tablet-optimized and feature bonus videos, photography and interactive elements.

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Google to pay $22.5M settlement in FTC’s iOS Safari privacy investigation

Jordan Kahn Jul 10 2012 - 5:41 am PT

The last time we updated you on the Federal Trade Commission’s investigation into Google’s method of bypassing the default Safari browser settings on iOS devices, reports claimed the company was facing possible fines that could reach tens of millions. Today, The Wall Street Journal said Google is close to reaching a $22.5 million settlement with the FTC, according to people close to the negotiations:

The fine is expected to be the largest penalty ever levied on a single company by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. It offers the latest sign of the FTC’s stepped-up approach to policing online privacy violations, coming just six months after The Wall Street Journal reported on Google’s practices.

While the fine likely will represent only a tiny portion of Google’s revenues—last year, the Internet giant raked in that much cash roughly every five hours or so—it counts among a series of negative reports about Google’s privacy practices that could undermine users’ trust in its services.

Google facing tens of millions in fines in FTC’s iOS Safari privacy investigation (9to5google.com)

Report: Judge who dismissed Apple’s case against Motorola disputes legal protection for tech industry

Élyse Betters Jul 5 2012 - 6:50 am PT

Reuters interviewed the U.S. judge today who dismissed Apple’s patent court case against Motorola, and the details behind the jurist’s reasoning for tossing the lawsuit are as interesting as they are controversial.

Richard Posner sits on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago and disputes whether software and related tech industries should even have patents for their products.

“It’s not clear that we really need patents in most industries,” said Posner, referring to the slew of features in smartphones that are legally protected. “You just have this proliferation of patents. It’s a problem.”

Posner, 73, argued the pharmaceutical industry better deserved protection for its intellectual property because of the, as Reuters coined it, “enormous investment it takes to create a successful drug.” He tossed Apple’s lawsuit against Google’s Motorola Mobility last month and denied an injunction against the sale of Motorola devices using Apple’s patented technology.

The judge attributed Apple’s scramble to attack competitors allegedly using its technology to a “constant struggle for survival.”

“As in any jungle, the animals will use all the means at their disposal, all their teeth and claws that are permitted by the ecosystem,” Posner contended.

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WSJ: Apple suppliers preparing to begin mass production of 7-inch iPad in September

Jordan Kahn Jul 4 2012 - 7:30 am PT

Yesterday, Bloomberg reported Apple has a smaller iPad in the works approximately 7-inches to 8-inches in size that may be scheduled for an October unveiling. Today, a report from The Wall Street Journal backs the rumor by claiming Apple’s suppliers are now preparing for mass production of the device in September, which would make an October unveiling alongside the next-generation iPhone all the more likely if true:

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Siri vs Google search in 1600-question street test, speed test

Jordan Kahn Jun 29 2012 - 6:05 am PT

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDsOtdRtG0Q&start=23]

As noted by Phillip Elmer-DeWitt at Fortune, Apple analyst Gene Munster published a note to clients today that contained the results of a Siri vs. Google search 1600-question showdown.

While it is not exactly a test of how well the companies’ various voice services stack up against one another (since Google Search queries were typed-in and not spoken), but it is a good indication of just how viable Siri is as an everyday mobile search product and alternative to Google. In the test, both Google and Siri were asked 800 questions in a quiet location. Another 800 questions were asked among the loud street traffic in Minneapolis. The results, according to Fortune:
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BlueStacks now lets Android apps run on Macs

Élyse Betters Jun 28 2012 - 8:53 am PT

BlueStacks, the tool that allows Android apps to run on Windows, is now available for Macs.

The software, which is often touted as the “Parallels for Android”, now supports 17 Android apps on OS X. Pulse and Words With Friends are two of the more notable apps packaged in the launch, while high-resolution support for Retina Macs and additional apps are on the horizon.

The company attempted to court more developers—and celebrate the launch of its Mac Alpha —with a mock wedding for Android and Apple at Google I/O yesterday. The free download is available on the BlueStack’s website.

This aside is cross-posted on 9to5Google.

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Apps & updates: Nike+ Training, Nike+ Basketball, NY Times on Flipboard, more

Jordan Kahn Jun 28 2012 - 8:22 am PT

Our list of newly released apps and updates kicks off today with two new Nike+ apps and another nice update that brings even more content to Flipboard. As always, we will keep this list updated as more notable app related news comes up throughout the day.

Nike+ Training: Nike released a new app today that works with shoes using the Nike+ Sport Adapter (included in Nike+ Sport Pack bundles) that syncs wirelessly with your iOS device over Bluetooth. The app’s iTunes page explained “Sensors in your shoes track every jump, step and rep as you take on pro athlete drill packs that challenge you with the moves the world’s best use to get into shape.” This app is geared specifically towards fitness routines, and it provides four-week programs for daily workouts and demonstrations of drills from Nike trainers.

Nike+ Basketball: Nike also released another iOS app today called “Nike+ Basketball” that that works with the same Nike+ technology, but it is geared specifically towards basketball players, allowing you to track “how high, how quick and how hard” you play. The app provides stats for Vertical, Quickness, Hustle, and more. It also has a “Showcase Your Skills” feature that allows you to capture video and create highlight reels of your games to share through various social networks.

Flipboard version 1.94: After receiving an update earlier this month with Google+ and YouTube integration, today the app gets full access to the New York Times for paid subscribers, as well as the NYT Top Section free to all readers

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irejb1CEFAw&feature=player_embedded]

Amazing Alex: We already knew it was coming when Angry Birds developer Rovio announced it acquired iOS puzzler Casey’s Contraptions and planned to rebrand it as “Amazing Alex”. Today we get a little bit more info about the game and a short teaser video from a post on the official Rovio blog:

Set the objects up to bounce, pop, ricochet, bash, and crash into each other and create an elaborate Rube Goldberg device! With a houseful of toys to play with, there’s more than one right answer! Share your most creative solutions with your friends and see what they came up with!… Got a great idea for a level? Design intriguing new levels using 35 interactive objects and share them — with friends or with the whole world! With other fans constantly creating and uploading new levels, there are always new challenges to check out!

iPad version of Google+ unveiled at Google I/O, coming ‘very soon’

Jordan Kahn Jun 27 2012 - 10:59 am PT

Google I/O is happening right now, and execs just showed off a new version of Google+ for tablets that will come to the iPad “very soon.”

Of course, our tablet app isn’t just bigger, like our mobile app isn’t just smaller. It’s designed with the device in mind, and it includes:

-A beautiful stream that styles content based on popularity, type and orientation

-A “lean back” Hangouts experience that’s great for the couch or common room

-Crisper text, fuller photos and easily-tappable actions like +1 and comment

You can get full coverage of the event on 9to5Google.

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Google I/O 2012 Liveblog

Élyse Betters Jun 27 2012 - 9:19 am PT

The 2012 Google I/O Developers Conference starts today at the Moscone Center West in San Francisco, Calif., with events continuing until June 29 at 4:30 p.m. PST.

For those interested in what the folks at Mountain View are announcing this morning, check out 9to5Google. Seth Weintraub is live-blogging from the event now:

Google I/O 2012 Liveblog

Here are a few vids for some of the key announcements:

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Apple’s rumored iOS device inductive charging solution gets pictured in patents

Jordan Kahn Jun 26 2012 - 12:46 pm PT

Another batch of newly granted Apple patents were published today by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and then detailed by Patently Apple. Perhaps the most notable is one for an inductive charging solution that we have heard about in the past. Apple patents surfaced last year showing new methods of inductive charging that could be used in various Apple devices. There were even rumors last year that a next-gen iPhone could sport a similar cable-free charging solution. Patently Apple described the docking station invention covered in today’s patent that would include an “eradiating antenna and an inductive charging circuit for inductively charging a handheld device”:

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Google attempts to block US iPhone & iPad shipments over 3G patents

Jordan Kahn Jun 25 2012 - 2:22 pm PT

[tweet https://twitter.com/zerohedge/status/217362407469748224]

Update: A report from Bloomberg Businessweek confirmed with some clarification. As we reported in April, the ITC will have to review Judge Pender’s previous ruling that Apple infringed on one Motorola patent related to industry standard 3G and wireless technologies. The date for that hearing is now scheduled for August 24 and could result on a block of iOS devices from Asia to the United States:

The U.S. International Trade Commission said it will review ITC Judge Thomas Pender’s findings that Apple was violating one of four Motorola Mobility patents. The commission is scheduled to issue a final decision on Aug. 24, and has the power to block devices made in Asia from entering the U.S.

According to several tweets from financial analyst @zerohedge, Google is apparently attempting to block shipments of the iPhone and iPad in the U.S. related to 3G patents. We do not have any more information at the moment, but we will keep you updated as the story unfolds…

[tweet https://twitter.com/zerohedge/status/217362478374457345]

CNBC reported a Reuters story of the same nature.

[tweet https://twitter.com/CNBC/status/217364425290686464]

(Developing)
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Gmail iOS app updated with support for Notification Center, ‘Send-as’ option, and persistent logins

Jordan Kahn Jun 25 2012 - 10:27 am PT

Google just updated the Gmail iOS app with a number of new features. Perhaps the most notable is that Notification Center support provides users with banners, alerts, and lock screen notification options that are manageable from settings. Google also noted on the Official Gmail Blog that notifications in the updated app are “up to 5x faster than in the previous version.”

Another new feature is a “From:” option when composing a new message. It allows you to switch between sender addresses under Settings->Accounts->Send mail as from Gmail on the desktop. Finally, Google explained the improved “persistent logins” would allow you to stay logged in as long as you want:

“we’ve improved the login process to allow you to stay logged into the app for as long as you’d like. You can still choose to sign out of your account, but you won’t be automatically logged out after a certain period of time has elapsed.”

What’s New in Version 1.2.7812

– Notification Center support. Banners, alerts and lock screen notification options.
– “Send-as”. Alternate sender support, if configured within Gmail.
– Persistent login. Sessions no longer expire.

Google doesn’t plan to leave iOS Maps users without a fight (9to5google.com)
After getting booted from Maps.app, Google is plotting their own amazing iOS Maps experience (9to5mac.com)
Facebook working on ‘major update’ to its SDK for iOS, acquires Face.com (9to5mac.com)

Report: Apple developer kit shows iPhone Maps app with Yelp check-ins

Élyse Betters Jun 25 2012 - 1:42 am PT

Scott Forstall showed Yelp on Apple’s new Maps app during the opening keynote at the Worldwide Developers Conference last week, but he neglected to mention Yelp check-ins

Those using iOS 6 probably noticed this feature in the Maps app when clicking a location.

According to Bloomberg, the Apple developer kit, which the Cupertino, Calif.-based Company distributed to software developers earlier this month, visually depicts how the upcoming Apple Maps essentially lets users alert friends of their location through Yelp without leaving maps or launching a new app.

Bloomberg added:

Mobile check-ins use the GPS capability in smartphones to let users share what local businesses or events they’re visiting. The feature can show how many other people have checked in at a location, whether those individuals are friends, and can publish users’ whereabouts through social-networking services such as those operated by Facebook and Twitter Inc.

Yelp is ramping efforts to attract local advertising, which made up 70 percent of revenue in 2011. Check-ins are used by 18 percent of adult smartphone owners, the Pew Research Center found earlier this year.

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Apple in court: Apple vs Motorola, Samsung wins damages, Kodak sues

Jordan Kahn Jun 20 2012 - 8:12 am PT

There are several reports today on Apple’s ongoing court cases with Samsung and Motorola. First, we have the latest on the United States case between Apple and Google’s Motorola Mobility with Reuters reporting on a “crucial hearing” scheduled for today:

Federal Judge Richard Posner in Chicago will hear Apple argue why it should be able to seek an order barring the sale of some Motorola phones. Posner’s decision could affect the iPhone maker’s ability to negotiate favorable licensing agreements in its legal fights against Motorola and other competitors like Samsung Electronics Co Ltd… last week Posner granted Apple’s request for a hearing on a possible injunction, and ordered both sides to submit legal arguments in advance. Those documents were filed under seal on Monday.

The last time we reported on this Apple/Samsung Galaxy case in the U.S., Apple was forced to request a separate hearing for a ban on the Galaxy S III. A trial date for Apple’s previous injunction requests for the Galaxy line is set for July 30. In its patent disputes with the company in Europe, Reuters reported today that a Dutch court in The Hague ruled Apple would have to pay damages for violating a Samsung patent with pre-iPhone 4S devices:

A court in The Hague ruled Apple had violated a Samsung patent used in some of Apple’s phones and tablet computers to connect to the Internet, and said damages should be based on certain iPhone and iPad sales in the Netherlands… Damages should be based on Dutch sales figures since August 4, 2010, which the court said was the date when Apple could have known it was violating Samsung’s patent.

FossPatents weighed in:

…there’s no question that Apple is ready, willing and able to pay a FRAND royalty rate. It just didn’t want Samsung to win an injunction, or pay an excessive rate. Court documents say that Apple asked Samsung half a dozen times (!) to quote a FRAND rate before the 2.4% demand, which the court considered outrageous, was made… Considering the parameters and circumstances I just described, Samsung will be lucky to even recover its attorneys’ fees with this. The dispute will continue.

In other Apple court news, bankrupt Kodak is suing the company this week for wrongly claiming ownership of 10 patents and “interfering with plans to sell a large patent portfolio.” Reuters explained:

In a lawsuit filed on Monday in U.S. bankruptcy court in Manhattan, Kodak said Apple, the largest U.S. company by market value, wrongly claims to own 10 patents arising from work that the companies did together in the early 1990s… Kodak said Apple is the largest infringer of patents in that portfolio, and also a potential purchaser of those patents… “Apple’s strategy has been to use its substantial cash position to delay as long as possible the payment of royalties to Kodak” and interfere with the sale, Kodak said.

Google Offers app now available on iPhone for US users

Jordan Kahn Jun 19 2012 - 10:45 am PT

Google just announced on the official Google Mobile Blog that it is releasing a Google Offers app for iPhone. The app is available on the App Store now for United States users, which is just in time to take advantage of today’s Netflix deal that offers movie theatre tickets for $1 to new subscribers (free one-month trial available here). Google outlined the available cities and some features for the iPhone app below:

Cities available (US only): Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Brooklyn, Charlotte, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Fort Worth, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, NYC, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Oakland / East Bay, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Orlando, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, St. Paul, St. Louis, Tampa and Washington D.C.

Instant savings, just around the corner: Quickly discover offers near you in map view or search for deals by category to easily find the right deal for you.
See & use the deals you want, when you want them: All of your purchased and saved offers are tracked in “My Offers,” for easy access from your iPhone or online.
Savings made simple: Instantly redeem most offers with your iPhone, without having to print vouchers.
Never miss a great deal: Get notifications when new deals are available or when a deal that you’ve purchased or saved is about to expire.

Google accelerating development of Siri competitor for Android

Jordan Kahn Jun 19 2012 - 7:14 am PT

The Wall Street Journal reported that Google is accelerating its plans to launch a competitor to Siri. 9to5Google has the full story:

We have heard several reports in the past that Google was working on various evolutions of its Voice Actions platform for Android. Back in December we heard of “Project Majel”, which according to reports is the codename for a new voice-controlled assistant app similar to Siri. In March TechCrunch reported on a similar project dubbed Google Assistant. According to a new report from the Wall Street Journal, Google is accelerating its plans to launch a competitor to Apple’s Siri…

How Steve Jobs helped Barack Obama’s re-election campaign get more social and go viral

Élyse Betters Jun 15 2012 - 7:33 am PT

Barack Obama’s current Campaign Manager Jim Messina revealed recently that Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs encouraged him to capitalize on technology in ways that are boosting the president’s re-election efforts.

According to Businessweek, Messina quit his gig as the White House deputy chief of staff in January to become Obama’s 2012 campaign manager. He immediately met with executives at Apple, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, DreamWorks, and more to commence a forward thinking stand for office.

“I went around the country for literally a month of my life interviewing these companies and just talking about organizational growth, emerging technologies, marketing,” said Messina to Businessweek.

He further described two conversations that he had with Jobs while still acting as deputy chief. The Apple co-founder told Messina last year that mobile technology—coupled with social—had to be the primary focus in the re-election effort.

“Last time you were programming to only a couple of channels,” said Jobs, while referring to the Web and email. “This time, you have to program content to a much wider variety of channels—Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, YouTube, Google—because people are segmented in a very different way than they were four years ago.”

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Apple to grab portion of Baidu ad sales in iPhone

Élyse Betters Jun 14 2012 - 6:37 am PT

Apple announced earlier this week at the Worldwide Developers Conference that Baidu will come to the iPhone in the iOS 6 software update, but it just came to light that the Cupertino, Calif.-based Company plans to seize a portion of the China-based search engine’s advertising sales as part of the deal.

According to Bloomberg:

The revenue-sharing agreement with Apple follows similar accords between Baidu and manufacturers of handsets that use Google Inc. (GOOG)’s Android operating system, Wang Jing, vice president at Beijing-based Baidu, said in a phone interview today. He declined to disclose the commercial terms.

Apple said this week it will offer Baidu’s search-engine as an option for iPhone and iPad customers, and add Chinese- language support for its Siri voice technology, as the world’s most valuable company tailors its products for Chinese consumers. Baidu, which fields about 80 percent of China’s Web searches, is prepared to incur costs to add smartphone users by offering services such as music streaming for free, Wang said.

Eric Wen, who rates Baidu buy at Mirae Asset Securities, told Bloomberg that Baidu previously shared revenue with websites to encourage traffic for the search engine, while it now has a focus on sharing with smartphone manufacturers. He further estimated that Baidu distributed less than 10 percent of its generated smartphone revenue to those manufacturers.

The deal reflects Baidu’s need to invest in the mobile industry instead of computers, because more people in China are accessing the Internet through smartphones. It is worth noting that Baidu is already baked into 80 percent of Android devices.

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Apple applies for top-level ‘.apple’ domain name

Jordan Kahn Jun 13 2012 - 7:59 am PT

Google confirmed in May that it applied for domains, such as .google, .youtube, and .lol, as part of ICANN’s program to increase the amount of generic top-level domains. Today, ICANN officially published its list of the 1,409 applied-for domains. Among the other companies requesting domains, AssociatedPress reported Apple is after the “.apple” domain name:

Apple Inc., Sony Corp. and American Express Co. are among companies that are seeking names with their brands… If approved, the new suffixes would rival “.com” and about 300 others now in use. Companies would be able to create separate websites and separate addresses for each of their products and brands, even as they keep their existing “.com” name. Businesses that joined the Internet late, and found desirable “.com” names taken, would have alternatives.

While several companies—such as Google— have applied for various domains that cover different products and more common words like .app, Apple appears to have only applied for the “.apple” domain.

Google applies for .google, .youtube, & other generic top-level domains (9to5google.com)

Apple rescinds: New Mac Pro is no longer ‘new’

Élyse Betters Jun 12 2012 - 12:46 pm PT

Apple’s website listed the refreshed Mac Pro as “new” after the opening keynote at the Worldwide Developers Conference yesterday, but complaints from critics, including an ex-Apple engineer, likely spurred the company to remove the alerting icon.

Former Apple engineer and current Google employee Andy Hertzfeld expressed his disappointment in the new Mac Pro through a Google+ post this morning. He said the high-end desktop “seems like it’s stuck in time in 2010” and only received an “inconsequential processor clock bump.”

Apple unveiled an all-new MacBook Air and Pro lineup during its keynote, but the company did not announce any updates to its Mac Pro. The blogosphere jumped online to gobble up the notebooks, where they finally discovered the Mac Pro’s minor spec-bump listed under the familiar “new” notation. Since then, the Cupertino, Calif.-based Company has been under-fire for displaying the machinery as new when it only boasts a few slight changes.

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Apple caters to China with crop of targeted features

Élyse Betters Jun 12 2012 - 7:09 am PT

Apple unveiled a host of China-targeted features for its operating systems during the opening keynote of the Worldwide Developers Conference yesterday, but the full suite of additions are now spotlighted on Apple’s website.

A few of the earmarks include integration with China’s Twitter-alternative Sina Weibo, Google-competitor Baidu, and YouTube-like Youku and Tudou. Communicating also got easier with improved input for emoticons and Chinese pinyin, and even Siri can now fully communicate in Chinese.

According to The Wall Street Journal:

Some of the new features are now outlined on Apple’s website as part of the new Mountain Lion operating system. They address a number of long-standing issues for Chinese users, who can’t easily take advantage of Apple products’ existing integration with Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Google search because of government Web filtering and who previously had to use third-party apps or browsers to access Chinese Internet services. […]

Apple’s announcement of the new features shows how the Cupertino-based maker of iPads and iPhones is rushing to embrace China, now the company’s largest market outside of the U.S., after previously neglecting it.

The world’s largest mobile market by subscribers and second-largest PC market by unit shipments, China had to wait almost two and a half years, until 2009, before getting its first official iPhone launch. Apple didn’t start accepting payments in Chinese yuan for the App Store until last November.

Chief Executive Tim Cook noted Apple’s tremendous growth in China during April’s quarterly earnings call. The Cupertino, Calif.-based Company is continuing to expand its presence in the country with the addition of Apple Stores in Shenzhen and Chengdu.

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UN’s ITU wants to tax biggest US websites including Google and Apple

Jordan Kahn Jun 8 2012 - 7:37 am PT

The United Nations is considering a new Internet tax for U.S. websites and content providers including Google and Apple, according to leaked proposals from the European Telecommunications Network Operators Association:

The United Nations is considering a new Internet tax targeting the largest Web content providers, including Google, Facebook, Apple, and Netflix, that could cripple their ability to reach users in developing nations…The European proposal, offered for debate at a December meeting of a U.N. agency called the International Telecommunication Union, would amend an existing telecommunications treaty by imposing heavy costs on popular Web sites and their network providers for the privilege of serving non-U.S. users, according to newly leaked documents.

Report: For every 7 iOS apps built, there are 3 for Android

Élyse Betters Jun 7 2012 - 9:29 am PT

Analytics firm Flurry has dissected developer ratios for Apple and Google’s mobile platforms as their respective annual conferences are on the horizon, and research findings show the two companies boast a joint market cap of about $750 billion.

The study compared developer support for iOS versus Android by examining data collected from more than 70,000 companies across more than 185,000 mobile apps. The bar graph below illustrates developers’ loyalty to Apple: For every 10 apps that developers build, seven are for the iOS operating system.

“While Google made some gains in Q1 2012, edging up to over 30% for the first time in a year, we believe this is largely due to seasonality, as Apple traditionally experiences a spike in developer support leading up to the holiday season. Apple’s business has more observable seasonality,” explained Flurry in a blog post.

Flurry further cited iOS as the more attractive platform to developers due to its stronghold on the tablet market share. The pie chart below represents a sample size exceeding 5 billion total user sessions. It reveals the Galaxy Tab and Amazon Kindle Fire “hold very distant second and third places in terms of consumer usage.”

Another comparison on revenue generated by top apps for both Android and iOS uncovered the difference in revenue generated per active user is four times greater on iOS than Android. Flurry noted that for every $1 earned on iOS, a developer could expect to earn about 24-cents on Android.

Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference is June 11 to June 15 in San Francisco, while Google’s I/O conference is June 27 to June 29 in the same California tech-hub city.

Visit Flurry for the full run-down and more graphs.

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WSJ chronicles Apple move away from Google Maps and the growing rivalry between the companies

9to5 Staff Jun 4 2012 - 9:19 pm PT

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vtdamKEcH8]

Most of you know what is coming in iOS 6 Maps. However, in a long post this evening, which unfortunately does not include much that we haven’t seen or heard, the Wall Street Journal chronicles the last five years that have saw Google and Apple going from best of corporate friends by sharing board members and agreeing to no-poach agreements to sworn enemies spending a great deal of time disparaging each other in and out of courts. The latest breakup in the relationship, and probably the biggest holdout, is Maps. Apple has used Google’s Maps since the launch of the iPhone in 2007 when Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt went on stage to introduce the new software (above).

Later this year, Apple is planning to oust Google Maps as the preloaded, default maps app from the iPhone and iPad and release a new mapping app that runs Apple’s own technology, according to current and former Apple employees. Apple could preview the new software, which will be part of its next mobile-operating system, as soon as next week at its annual developer conference in San Francisco, one person familiar with the plans says. Apple plans to encourage app developers to embed its maps inside their applications like social-networking and search services. Technology blog 9to5Mac earlier reported that Apple will launch its own maps app in its next mobile-operating system.

Apple purchased Placebase, C3 Technologies, and Poly9 over the past three years to ramp up its mapping capabilities faster. In a rare description of something we have not heard, a use case is explained for the new calendar-integrated mapping system:

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