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241 'United States' stories December 2010 - August 2012

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You’ve seen Apple’s internal memo to employees on the verdict, now here’s Samsung’s

Seth Weintraub Aug 27 2012 - 6:01 am PT

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We were the first to deliver Tim Cook’s internal memo on Apple’s trial victory. Here’s the other side of the coin:

[Internal Memo] Regarding the Jury Verdict in California

On Friday, August 24, 2012, the jury verdict in our trial against Apple was announced at the US District Court for the Northern District of California. The following is an internal memo that reflects Samsung’s position regarding the verdict:

We initially proposed to negotiate with Apple instead of going to court, as they had been one of our most important customers. However, Apple pressed on with a lawsuit, and we have had little choice but to counter-sue, so that we can protect our company.

Certainly, we are very disappointed by the verdict at the US District Court for the Northern District of California (NDCA), and it is regrettable that the verdict has caused concern amongst our employees, as well as our loyal customers.

However, the judge’s final ruling remains, along with a number of other procedures. We will continue to do our utmost until our arguments have been accepted.

The NDCA verdict starkly contrasts decisions made by courts in a number of other countries, such as the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, and Korea, which have previously ruled that we did not copy Apple’s designs. These courts also recognized our arguments concerning our standards patents.

History has shown there has yet to be a company that has won the hearts and minds of consumers and achieved continuous growth, when its primary means to competition has been the outright abuse of patent law, not the pursuit of innovation.

We trust that the consumers and the market will side with those who prioritize innovation over litigation, and we will prove this beyond doubt.

If, when you read “History has shown there has yet to be a company that has won the hearts and minds of consumers and achieved continuous growth, when its primary means to competition has been the outright abuse of patent law, not the pursuit of innovation.” you thought “Microsoft!”, you are not alone.
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Dallas newspaper identifies ‘Evil Genius’ Apple Store, corroborates Gizmodo story

Jake Smith Aug 22 2012 - 1:54 pm PT

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Yesterday, Gizmodo posted a harrowing piece about one of the most corrupt Apple Stores in the United States. The story profiled many unethical tactics done by the store managers and employees. In one instance, a regional manager actually gave away a free Apple product in exchange for a weight loss surgery, and also leant Apple products out for months at a time. In another case, Apple Store Geniuses would actually take iPhones at their leisure, often breaking them and replacing them. But perhaps the most disconcerting bit from the Gizmodo piece is what Geniuses did to customer’s products. In one instance, a Genius actually “just erased people’s hard drives that are —holes.” Certainly shocking out of the company that’s already had 300 million visitors in its stores this year.

We weren’t sure how accurate the story was or if the sources had perhaps been embellishing at best and fabricating at worst. However a separate second source has come forward with a separate but similar story and has named the store in question.
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Spotify expanding into Canada soon, with further plans for Asia and South America. Hulu gets a facelift

Jake Smith Aug 22 2012 - 5:39 am PT

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Spotify made a huge stride when it launched in the United States in July 2011, which opened a partnership with Facebook that has paid off. The music streaming company looks to be expanding even further, as the Wall Street Journal reported this morning that Spotify is expected to launch in Canada soon. Furthermore, Spotify may also expand into Asia and South America. Spotify’s latest annual accounts tipped WSJ off on the news:

Last year, Spotify established subsidiaries in Canada, Singapore and Hong Kong, all places where its service isn’t yet available. Spotify is currently available in 15 countries, including the U.S., the U.K. and Germany, and recently launched in Australia and New Zealand. Company spokeswoman Sofie Grant declined to elaborate on the details of the company’s expansion plans, but said Spotify “of course plans to launch in new countries.”

Many ditched Apple’s iTunes and services like Pandora for Spotify, including me, because the ease of building playlists and finding new music on Spotify is certainly impressive. The only downfall is that the premium plan costs $10 a month, which offers unlimited music without ads, but I find the money to be worth it. Spotify recently introduced a free unlimited radio — launched on its Android — in July.

In other media news, Hulu, which just recently came to Apple TV, got a bit of a facelift on the web.

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TIME’s Wireless Issue examines phone dependency in the modern age

Élyse Betters Aug 16 2012 - 8:16 am PT

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TIME magazine’s special wireless issue for this week takes an interesting look at how phones are practically now an extension of our minds and bodies.

The cover for “THE WIRELESS ISSUE. 10 Ways Your Phone is Changing the World” notably showcases more than 200 Instagram photographs from across the world; a mobile device captured each image. The magazine also features an in-depth, Qualcomm-partnered mobility poll that illustrates human dependency on smartphones and tablets. The poll tallied worldwide responses from 5,000 people online and by phone in June and July, and a whopping 84 percent said they could not go one day without a mobile device.

More poll results (via TIME Mobility Poll):

Mobile Use & Attitudes

– 84 percent worldwide said they couldn’t go a single day without their mobile devices in hand

– If forced to choose between the two, 65 percent worldwide opted to take their wireless mobile device with them in the morning instead of their lunch; 44 percent would leave their wallets at home in favor of their device

– 61 percent worldwide plan to replace their phone in less than two years

– 50 percent of Americans say they sleep with their mobile next to the bed—as do more than 80 percent of 18-24 year olds

– 32 percent of all respondents say that if it was their choice they would prefer to communicate by text message

– 30 percent said that being without their mobile for even short periods leaves them feeling anxious

– 23 percent of all respondents say they screen almost all their calls and tend to reply to many voicemails via text or email

Dating

– 55 percent (76 percent of 25-29 year olds) worldwide had flirted with someone via text message

– 43 percent have used texting to ask someone out on a date

– 24 percent of respondents globally said they sent a text message to coordinate or commit adultery – including 56 percent in China

Parenting

– 66 percent of people feel that their wireless devices have made them better parents

– 70 percent of parents think the benefits for kids of learning about technology outweigh the potential for distractions from studies

– The average age thought appropriate for a child to own a mobile phone is 13 years

Government & Politics

– 75 percent worldwide think governments should not have the power to shut off wireless networks for the purpose of suppressing peaceful dissent

– In the U.S., 28 percent say they are better informed about the news and current events; in China, that number jumps to 79 percent

– 40 percent in the U.S. say mobile technology has strengthened the economy; in China, 81 percent agree with that

– 50 percent agree that wireless mobile technology made the government more accountable to the people

Business

– 26 percent say they feel guilty if they don’t promptly respond to a work-related message outside of normal work hours

– In the U.S. only 19 percent said it is easier for them to be away from the office because of mobile technology

Multi-Tasking

– 64 percent (77 percent of 18-24 year olds) use their devices while watching TV

58 percent globally (74 percent in India) use their wireless mobile device while also using a laptop or desktop computer

“It is hard to think of any tool, any instrument, any object in history with which so many developed so close a relationship so quickly as we have with our phones. Not the knife or match, the pen or page. Only money comes close—always at hand, don’t leave home without it,” wrote TIME Deputy Managing Editor Nancy Gibbs. “But most of us don’t take a wallet to bed with us, don’t reach for it and check it every few minutes, and however useful money is in pursuit of fame, romance, revolution, it is inert compared with a smart phone—which can replace your wallet now anyway.”

Additional stories in the wireless issue include:

– Democracy: The Election Goes Mobile, By Michael Scherer
– Learning: Do Smart Phones Have a Place in School? By John Cloud
– Spending: A Week of Paying By Phone, By Harry McCracken
– Your Life is Fully Mobile, by Nancy Gibbs

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Senator Al Franken doesn’t believe AT&T should be able to charge extra for FaceTime

Seth Weintraub Aug 4 2012 - 6:20 pm PT

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Last month, we broke the news that there were clear signs AT&T was at least laying the groundwork for charging an additional fee for FaceTime over its network. You really do not need any more evidence than the screenshot above, but AT&T’s CEO went on record refusing to deny the plans.

That might not be such a smart move, however. Already, U.S. Senators, like Al Franken, do not seem to cool with the idea, with the former comedian from Minnesota saying in an interview with Nilay Patel of The Verge:

“That’s wrong,” he quickly replied when told of rumors that claim Ma Bell may place a premium on Apple’s video chat technology when iOS 6 launches this fall. “Because that’s not the architecture we’ve had.”

Video with wider network neutrality context follows:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8kuhj4SKCE&start=445]

Rewind the entire thing for the whole conversation.

How to watch official BBC Olympics coverage from the US

Jordan Kahn Aug 1 2012 - 6:52 am PT

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OH1u-DP1fws&feature=player_embedded]

For Americans, coverage of the Olympics in London is mainly limited to NBC’s video stream offerings. Unfortunately, the network’s coverage, especially online, is receiving a ton of complaints as witnessed by the #nbcfail hashtag on Twitter. Fortunately, there is a way to bypass NBC altogether and take advantage of the BBC’s official live stream coverage from inside the U.S. of almost every major event. There is not much to it; all you have to do is use a DNS routing service to get around the BBC’s region blocked streams. Below is a quick guide courtesy of Lifehacker that uses the Unblock Us service. It is free for a week, and then it is $5 for the month.

[tweet https://twitter.com/MiaFarrow/status/230373185923710976]

First, you will have to sign up for the service on its website. Once that is finished, you can configure the service for BBC using the steps below:

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Wired does a Steve Jobs cover complete with halo and horns

9to5 Staff Jul 22 2012 - 5:36 pm PT

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The article sounds a bit boring with the TIRED anecdotes from the Isaacson bio, but it is something to see Wired still trotting out Jobs covers to sell some mags.

Wired’s cover story has gone live.

Apple Store overnights happening July 24. Mountain Lion launch the next day?

Seth Weintraub Jul 15 2012 - 8:08 pm PT

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We’ve heard a few whispers (3 and counting) that Apple Stores both in the United States and overseas have planned overnights for Tuesday, July 24th. With OS X Mountain Lion launching “in July”, according to Apple, we believe that it is sensible to speculate that this overnight may point to a public launch the following day.

This purported launch would be July 25th, a date that we speculated when Apple announced that its Q3 2012 earnings would be announced on the 24th. For OS X Lion’s launch last year, Apple announced the July 20th release at its July 19th Q3 2011 earnings announcement. It appears that Apple may follow that same pattern this year.

This year, Mountain Lion isn’t being launched alongside hardware (last year new Minis and Airs launched with Lion) so there is less setup required and accordingly, we’re hearing that the overnights will be smaller. One employee tells us that it is basically just a few guys running around with the master image installing it on every Mac. Notably, some stores we’ve spoken to haven’t heard of any overnight…yet.

On the other hand, Apple often holds Tuesday overnights, so this July 24th overnight may simply be a coincidence, and Apple may not launch OS X Mountain Lion on the 25th. But, there is already under two weeks left in July, and with last year’s launch pattern prime for repetition (launch announcement during the upcoming earnings call), we’d say a July 25th launch is increasingly likely.

OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion will be a $19.99 upgrade which will hit the Mac App Store on launch day. Developers already have what is likely the Golden Master – build number is 12A269, a 4.34 GB Mac App Store download.

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Nielsen: Android and iOS are over 90 percent of US smartphone market, and growing

Seth Weintraub Jul 12 2012 - 3:36 pm PT

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…For the first time ever, two-thirds of new phone acquirers are buying smartphones.

Smartphone use is exploding in the United States, while PC sales are dropping. If 66 percent of mobile phone buyers purchase smartphones, and 36.3-percent of them get the iPhone, then that means almost a quarter of all phones bought in the U.S. are iPhones. That also means 36 percent of the purchased phones run Android OS.

More from Nielsen, including the incredibly skewed graphic, is below—which gives Symbian, Palm and Windows 7 devices almost the same amount of “fill” at 2.8-percent as Apple’s 34 percent.

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SoHo NY Apple Store to reopen July 14

Élyse Betters Jul 12 2012 - 9:27 am PT

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[tweet https://twitter.com/ifostore/status/223266063452880896]

Apple just announced it will reopen its SoHo store in Manhattan on July 14 at 10 a.m. EST.

The Apple Store, SoHo, is completely redesigned and better than ever. There are more than twice as many products available for you to try. A new state-of-the-art theater with extra seating is the perfect place to enjoy events and workshops. We’ve added New York’s first Briefing Room, where you can get to know our Business Team. Even the Genius Bar is bigger, so it’s easier than ever to get an appointment.

The first 3, 000 customers win free commemorative t-shirts.

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Report: NIAC director slams US Gov’t, Apple for racially profiling over export sanction to Iran

Élyse Betters Jul 12 2012 - 6:35 am PT

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Do you remember last month’s report about select Apple retail stores in Georgia allegedly discriminating against Farsi-speaking customers due to a United States sanction export to Iran? Well, the story is still abuzz. The policy director at the National Iranian American Council, Jamal Abdi, even got some space in The New York Times today to speak his mind on the matter:

IMAGINE if your ethnicity determined which products you were able to buy. Or if sales clerks required you to divulge your ancestry before swiping your credit card.

Some of us don’t have to imagine.

Abdi reviewed the cases from last month, and he even cited similar situations in California:

An isolated episode could be dismissed as the work of one bigoted, or misguided, employee. But there have been other recent reports of Apple employees refusing to sell to customers of Iranian descent.

In Santa Monica, Calif., two friends looking to buy an iPhone were asked whether they were speaking Persian and promptly informed, “I am sorry, we don’t sell to Persians.” In Sacramento, an Iranian-American man looking to buy Apple products for personal use mentioned that he was also thinking about buying an iPod for his nephew in Iran and was told he could not buy anything, even for himself. An Iranian student in Atlanta, and his Iranian-American friend, were not permitted to buy an iPhone after the friend, under questioning, mentioned that the student planned to return to Iran for the summer.

The NIAC director attributed these occurrences to Apple retail employees being forced to “interpret and implement federal policy,” which results in racial profiling, he said:

At the moment, nearly all exports to Iran are prohibited. Traveling to Iran with items like computers and smartphones is illegal. Apple’s own policy, stated on its Web site, makes it very clear that its products can’t be sent there.

But it is also illegal in the United States for a private company to discriminate against individuals based on race, color, religion or national origin under the Civil Rights Act. This protection extends of course to retail stores.

Abdi concluded his editorial by calling for Congress and President Obama to confront the consequences of their “ratcheted up sanctions,” or else they will continue to threaten the “values and basic civil liberties of some American citizens.”

The issue comes down to the US Government vaguely forcing retailers to enforce sanctions when those should be enforced at borders.

Visit The New York Times for the entire piece, called “Sanctions at the Genius Bar”.

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Apple posts $2.6M bond to begin preliminary injunction on Galaxy Tab 10.1

Jordan Kahn Jun 28 2012 - 7:25 am PT

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There were reports earlier this week that District Judge Lucy Koh issued a preliminary injunction on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the United States related to the ongoing cases between Apple and Samsung. At the time, reports claimed the ruling would kick in once Apple posted a $2.6 million bond. Today, FossPatents reported that Apple has since done so, allowing the preliminary injunction to formally take effect:

Apple didn’t hesitate to post its $2.6 million bond to protect Samsung against the possibility of a successful appeal, in which case the preliminary injunction would be found to have been improperly granted… the injunction has taken effect and Samsung must abide by it. Otherwise Apple could ask the court to sanction Samsung for contempt.

With Apple pulling $39.2 billion in revenue last quarter, we know it takes only a matter of minutes to make that $2.6 million, which is meant to protect Samsung from damages in case the injunction is found to be wrongly issued. On Tuesday, Judge Koh made a statement following her ruling that Samsung “does not have a right to compete unfairly, by flooding the market with infringing products.” FossPatents continued by giving its outlook for the trial set to take place this summer:

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San Diego Unified School District purchases $10M worth of iPads for students

Jordan Kahn Jun 26 2012 - 8:37 am PT

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJTZ_G7PpLI&feature=youtu.be]

According to several local media reports, including the one above from ABC 10News, the San Diego Unified School District recently purchased almost 26,000 iPads at a cost of over $10 million. The order, which will put iPads in approximately 340 classrooms for around $370 each ($30 off retail per unit), is the largest iPad rollout for a K-12 school district, and it will benefit children from fifth-grade to high school. SD Unified will also buy support and app packages, which likely explains the $15 million purchase reported by news outlets. 10News said some have questioned the district’s decision:

Some have questioned SD Unified’s purchase of $15 million worth of iPads for 340 classrooms. One 10News Facebook fan wrote: “I’m so confused. I thought we couldn’t afford to even pay the teachers, how can they afford 26,000 iPads???… 10News learned the district is paying for the iPads through Proposition S funding. The measure, passed in 2008 by 69 percent of the vote, specifically sets aside money for “up-to-date classroom technology.”

Iran’s Apple product vendors say iOS devices flourish in capital despite US sanction

Élyse Betters Jun 25 2012 - 7:02 pm PT

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Apple product vendors in Iran are laughing at reports from last week about U.S. Apple Store employees refusing sales to Farsi-speaking customers.

According to a weekend story from the Agence France-Presse (via MSN News), iPhones and iPads are widespread throughout Iran’s capital:

One salesman who gave only his first name, Hossein, told AFP that he had sold 40 iPhones the day before, and explained that prices for Apple items in Iran were only around $50-$60 more than in the United States.

Hossein explained it is easy for traders to workaround the export restriction. He said Apple’s highly coveted products are smuggled into Iran through Iraq. He also noted practically everyone in Tehran owns an iOS device, while other salesclerks claimed several shops are “dressed up to look like official Apple Stores.”

Despite the vendors’ jibes, and their claims about Iran’s unwavering access to the Cupertino goods, many questioned Apple’s treatment of Farsi-speaking U.S. customers, which bordered on racial profiling. An Apple Store in Georgia apparently refused to sell iOS devices to an Alpharetta woman and her uncle, because they spoke Farsi, a Persian-Iranian language, to each other. Another customer, Zack Jafarzadeh, apparently received the same treatment at a different Apple Store in Atlanta when he accompanied a fluent friend to buy an iPhone.

Sabet and Jafarzadeh asserted that the Apple Stores racially profiled Iranians and discriminated against them. They further said Apple’s policy is both confusing and inconsistent.

A representative for the U.S. State Department clarified there was no policy or law that prohibits Apple from selling products in the U.S. to anybody intending to use them stateside, including customers of Iranian descent or citizenship, but customers do need a license to take the “high-technology goods” to Iran.

Apparently, though, at least to a few vendors in Iran, that license is a joke.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBDFILJ8tkM&feature=player_embedded]

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Author Ken Segall details fight between Jobs and Ive, reveals the iPhone’s surprising first name

Élyse Betters Jun 1 2012 - 9:45 am PT

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Ken Segall, a former Apple consultant and subsequent author, recently revealed a couple of anecdotes on the late CEO Steve Jobs while speaking at an event for his tell-all book.

Segall remembered a quarrel between Jobs and Apple’s design guru Jonathan Ive. He said the pair was “inseparable” and as “close as lovers,” but he also noted they had their disagreements: According to PC Advisor:

Segall was shocked at one of these rare arguments between Steve and Jony – he even worried that Ive might quit Apple over the row.

After 1998’s Bondi Blue iMac Apple decided to push the boat out and release a whole rainbow of the coloured computers the next year. Many models in various hues were collected together for Jobs, Ive, Segall and a few others to select from.

But Ive was “driven crazy” by Steve’s choices, and eventually stormed out of the room to his holiday, shouting that Steve could choose any of the colours he liked but he was taking no more part in the discussion.

Walter Issacson’s “Steve Jobs” biography provides a little more background information on the iMac feud:

Ive soon came up with four new juicy-looking colors, in addition to bondi blue, for the iMacs. Offering the same computer in five colors would of course create huge challenges for manufacturing, inventory, and distribution. At most companies, including even the old Apple, there would have been studies and meetings to look at the costs and benefits. But when Jobs looked at the new colors, he got totally psyched and summoned other executives over to the design studio. “We’re going to do all sorts of colors!” he told them excitedly. When they left,Ive looked at his team in amazement. “In most places that decision would have taken months,” Ive recalled. “Steve did it in a half hour.”

The author of “Insanely Simple: The Obsession That Drives Apple’s Success” further remembered one of the first names considered for the iPhone. So, what is the ingenious smartphone name that fell to the wayside in lieu of the “iPhone” moniker?

The “iPad.”

The book is $15.

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iPhone goes prepaid in the US on Cricket starting June 22

Seth Weintraub May 31 2012 - 5:26 am PT

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Update: Apple commented on the move:

“By making iPhone available on pre-paid plans through Cricket Wireless, we are making the best smartphone more accessible to an even broader market in the US,” Apple representative Natalie Harrison said.

Apple took a big step today in the United States by aligning with Cricket prepaid Wireless. While you can buy an iPhone off-contract (for significantly more than the above Cricket prices), and then go on AT&T, T-Mobile, or any GSM carriers’ network, this is the first time Apple has let the iPhone play in the prepaid market.

Cricket’s monthly fee for unlimited anything (data throttled after 2.3GB) is $55 per month, which is very low for all things considered. You can also quit at any time, take months off, or trade phones. However, you need to buy the iPhone at an “unsubsidized rate.” But is it really unsubsidized?

What is interesting is that Cricket offers the iPhone 4 for $399 and iPhone 4S for $499. Look at Apple’s prices for unlocked iPhone 4S (iPhone 4 costs $549):

There is a $150 gap somewhere. Perhaps Cricket is subsidizing some of the cost by thinking buyers will eventually make up that $150 difference in service fees. Apple may also offer Cricket a discount as it buys large quantities of iPhones, because Apple is hoping to spread its customer base.

We are not sure how many prepaid customers will shell out $400 to $500 up front for an iPhone. However, there are probably some jailbreaker/unlockers or otherwise who would like to take a Cricket iPhone and use it off-network (or without a network).

Sprint, which carries the iPhone, and owns two big prepaid networks in Virgin and Boost Mobile, will likely have an iPhone prepaid offering in the coming months too.

The press release follows:
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Shocker: Apple and Samsung agree to nothing during their two-day forced summit

Jordan Kahn May 23 2012 - 6:28 am PT

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A couple days ago, we updated you on the ongoing legal battle between Samsung and Apple with Reuters reporting Samsung chief JK Shin was considering cross-licensing options ahead of court moderated settlement talks between Apple and Samsung scheduled for May 21. While it is not much of a surprise to anyone following the case, The Korea Times reported today that a Samsung official confirmed no agreement was reached during the two-day summit:

Samsung CEO Choi Gee-sung and Shin Jong-kyun, head of the firm’s mobile division, left Seoul Sunday for the United States to meet Apple CEO Tim Cook by order of the Northern District Court of California, in an attempt to settle the patent fight without going into costly legal proceedings… The two technology giants could find no clear agreement through the talks, according to a Samsung official. Apple Korea declined to comment on the matter.

According to the report, the ongoing patent battle and trial in California is scheduled to continue June 27. As for what was discussed at the meeting…

According to foreign media outlets, both technology giants held firm on their assertions: Samsung continued to demand Apple pay royalties for using its wireless transmission technology and Apple insisted that Samsung copied its design in various products.

Samsung chief says company looking to resolve differences with Apple ahead of court rendezvous, options include cross-licensing deal (9to5mac.com)

AT&T hints at family/data sharing plans on the horizon

Élyse Betters May 8 2012 - 7:32 am PT

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AT&T’s variant of the family data plan is on the horizon.

The company’s CEO of Mobile Business Ralph de la Vega told CNET on the sidelines of the CTIA Wireless trade show that the upcoming shared plan would allow consumers to buy one package of data to split among multiple devices, which is a forward-thinking step that could encourage tablet sales.

“I’m very comfortable with the plan that will be offered to our customers,” revealed de la Vega.

Just a few months ago, the executive seemed to doubt family plans due to IT, billing, and device subsidization issues. He even remarked his goal to “get it right”— instead of unveiling the strategy prematurely.

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NPD: iOS plummets to 29 percent of total US smartphone sales in Q1

Élyse Betters May 7 2012 - 11:44 am PT

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Apple’s iOS United States smartphone market share slide 12 percent in the year’s first quarter, which helped Google’s Android to capture nearly two-thirds of the market.

According to CNET, market research firm NPD Group placed Android’s U.S. market share at 61 percent, which is a dramatic gain from the holiday quarter’s 49 percent.

Meanwhile, Apple’s iOS slid from 41 percent in Q4 2011 to 29 percent in Q1 2012. It is assumed Apple’s October iPhone 4S launch boosted the holiday sales, but Android eventually reclaimed its Q3 2011 crown once the new year settled.

It is worth mentioning that advertising research company Neilsen measured the two smartphone OS manufacturers in March and placed Android at 49.5-percent and iOS at 32 percent for Q1 2012.

This article is cross-posted on 9to5Google.

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Amtrak ditches hole puncher for iPhone, new service tool scans tickets (Photos)

Élyse Betters May 7 2012 - 7:57 am PT

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Government-owned railroad service Amtrak is set to use Apple’s iPhone and a new app as an electronic ticket scanner.

The New York Times reported that train conductors have been training to use the tech during select routes since November. The addition allows passengers to load a specific bar code on their smartphone screens that the conductor can scan for tracking purposes. Of course, passengers can still print their tickets per usual for Amtrak’s iPhones to scan.

Amtrak said 1,700 conductors would use the iPhone on routes across the country by late summer. The iOS device will come with a case containing an extra battery and a bar-code scanner. It will also come equipped with an app for scanning and indicating special conditions, such as whether passengers are disabled— and when and where they are departing— for coordinating a wheelchair lift. The app will even enable conductors to report the train’s mechanical failures.

The NYT article does not mention it, but 9to5Mac discovered mobile and emerging technologies developer Übermind claims to be the brain child behind the app’s shiny, new features. It’s website provided a few images (below) that depict what Amtrak described when detailing the iPhone’s case, battery, and app:

“Paper tickets are so 19th century. We ushered Amtrak’s conductors into the 21st century with our workforce automation solution. The bottom line for Amtrak: better customer service, better labor relations, and real-time business intelligence. Riders, taking the train just got fun again. [..] We worked with Amtrak to design and implement the engaging Digital Passport feature within Amtrak’s passenger iPhone app. With the personalized passport, riders can earn stamps for travel, share achievements to social networks, and view a map overlay of personal ridership stats. Train Masters, wanted.”

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Parallels app is now iPad Retina-optimized with iOS 5 compatibility

Élyse Betters May 2 2012 - 7:25 am PT

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The app that lets users wirelessly access their Mac applications and Windows programs on-the-go, while running Parallels Desktop for Mac, was just updated to version 3.1.530.

Parallels Mobile allows users to remotely control all the software on a computer from an iOS device, but today’s upgrade includes iOS 5 compatibility and new iPad optimization. It also offers support for international keyboard layouts when working in Mac applications, fixed scrolling in Mac and Windows, and a host of other improvements.

The app requires Parallels Desktop for Mac version 6 or 7 (Amazon currently offers v7 for $62), but 9to5Mac found Parallels Desktop 7 to be a huge leap ahead of its predecessor. This is especially true for Lion users that want to run the odd Windows app, try Windows 8, or for devs that just want to run another instance of OS X.

Parallels Mobile is $4.99 in the App Store.

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Senator Tom Coburn says he’s ‘absolutely livid’ about Apple’s tax practices

Jake Smith May 1 2012 - 2:03 pm PT

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8bAEVhciCY&start=649]

Republican Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma appeared on “Morning Joe” earlier this morning to talk the debt crisis. During the interview, a question came up about a piece The New York Times ran this weekend that discussed Apple’s tactics of legally skirting billions in taxes each year by using tax havens like Nevada, Ireland, Luxembourg, and the Virgin Islands. Keep in mind: These practices are perfectly legal and other large companies are doing the same. However, when the Senator was asked about the topic, Coburn sternly replied that he’s “absolutely livid.”

As a solution to the issue, Coburn said that the nation needs to “reform the tax code,” which he said will lead to economic growth. The senator also said he has begun work with Michigan Senator Carl Levin to look into how Apple is doing this. The big thing it looks like the senator wants to do is bring the funds from these larger companies back into the United States to help put more money back into the economy—obviously through large taxes.

Apple currently has $74 billion of its money off-shores, and it is pushing, along with other companies, for a tax-holiday where it could bring its money back into the U.S at a cut tax rate. Apple responded to the NYT piece on Sunday:

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Australian parliament launches probe into Apple price gouging, as Apple TV hits Brazil for $211

Jordan Kahn Apr 30 2012 - 8:02 am PT

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Apple and other technology companies will soon have to answer the Australian Parliament as to why content from iTunes costs more for Australian consumers than United States consumers. The Sydney Morning Herald reported the Minister for Communications Stephen Conroy has now signed off on a parliamentary inquiry that will carry out sometime this year by the standing committee on infrastructure and communications from the House of Representatives.

The report noted the inquiry could extend to eBooks if evidence of price increases for Australian consumers comes to light. In July 2011, Apple cut the price of iOS apps in Australia by up to 25 percent in response to criticism from many, such as federal Labor MP Ed Husic, who raised the issue in Parliament. However, the inquiry will be the first time Apple is asked by Parliament to explain its pricing strategies for the Australian market. The issue surfaced once again last week with the release of Adobe’s latest software suite, which costs up to $1,400 more for Australians.

Husic also raised similar pricing complaints over Apple’s hardware products, which is something that the Brazilian market is experiencing today with the release of the new Apple TV:

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Tim Cook, Samsung CEO to begin to hash out patent settlement on May 21

Jordan Kahn Apr 29 2012 - 11:14 am PT

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Earlier this month, we reported Apple’s CEO Tim Cook and Samsung’s CEO Gee-Sung Choi agreed to an Alternative Dispute Resolution with Judge Lucy Koh in a California district court. The agreement, described as “semi voluntary” by media covering the case, would see the two chief’s and their legal counsels meet within 90 days for court-moderated, patent-related settlement talks. According to a new report from Foss Patents, Magistrate Judge Joseph C. Spero, who is overseeing the settlement talks, has now scheduled the meeting for May 21-22:

The meetings will take place in a San Francisco courthouse, while the litigation itself is before the San Jose division of the court… one of the things Magistrate Judge Spero wants the parties to do is to provide a settlement statement until May 9 including, among other things, “a candid evaluation of the parties’ likelihood of prevailing on the claims and defenses”

Not surprisingly, the mediation and statements submitted by both companies throughout the process will apparently remain confidential. In the report, while noting pending disputes between the two companies exist in as many as 10 countries, Foss Patents broke down how the court’s decisions could impact up to 31 countries:

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[Internal Memo] Regarding the Jury Verdict in California

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