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Apple’s plea to ban sales of Samsung’s smartphones that violate its patents has been rejected by a US judge.
Apple had requested the ban after a jury ruled earlier this year that some Samsung products had infringed Apple’s patents.
Samsung was also ordered to pay $1.05 billion in damages, a ruling the South Korean firm has since challenged.
However, the judge said there was not enough evidence that the infringed patents had hurt Apple’s US sales.
“The phones at issue in this case contain a broad range of features, only a small fraction of which are covered by Apple’s patents,” District Judge Lucy Koh said.
“Though Apple does have some interest in retaining certain features as exclusive to Apple, it does not follow that entire products must be forever banned from the market because they incorporate, among their myriad features, a few narrow protected functions.”
Since winning $1.05 billion damages in August this year, Apple has suffered setbacks in its various legal clashes with rivals.
Last month, Apple was asked to disclose the details of its patent-sharing deal with HTC to Samsung.
It has also lost an appeal against a UK ruling that Samsung had not infringed its design rights.
Apple’s plea to ban sales of Samsung’s smartphones that violate its patents has been rejected by a US judge
The US technology firm was also asked by a UK High Court to publish a statement on its website admitting that Samsung had not infringed its designs.
Meanwhile, sales bans sought by Apple against Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus phone and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet computer in the US were also lifted in October.
In November, a judge in the US dismissed a case brought by Apple alleging that Google’s Motorola unit was seeking excessive royalty payments for patents.
“The momentum that Apple had gained in the wake of the big billion dollar judgement seems to be losing its steam,” said Manoj Menon, managing director at consulting firm Frost & Sullivan.
“It appears that Apple will find it increasingly difficult to convince courts around the world that it has been hurt by alleged patent infringements.”
The smartphone market has seen tremendous growth over the past few years and Apple and Samsung have emerged as two of the biggest players in the sector.
The success of Apple’s iPhone has been a key driver of its growth, while Samsung has reported record quarterly profits helped by the popularity of its Galaxy range of smartphones.
However, as their market share has increased, so has the intensity of their legal battles with each other.
The two firms have filed legal cases against each other in more than 10 countries, each accusing the other of violating its patents.
However, analysts said that it was time the two companies sat down together and agreed on an amicable solution to their tussles – a move that has also been suggested previously by a judge in the US.
Manoj Menon of Frost & Sullivan said that as manufacturers look to develop even more advanced phones, they will eventually need to use technologies, the patents for which may not belong to them.
“What we are seeing is a convergence of different technologies into one device,” he said.
He explained that for innovation to continue in the sector it was key that various companies agreed to licensing terms for their patents.
Last month, Apple agreed such a deal with Taiwanese phone-maker HTC as it signed a 10-year licence agreement that ended their legal battle over patents.
Pictures leaked online claim to show the case for the forthcoming iPhone 5S, Apple’s next update of its market leading smartphone.
Surfacing on French website Nowhereelse.fr, the images reveal an exterior virtual identical to the current iPhone 5, which was only released in September.
But a closer look at the inside of the part shows the fixing points of some of the internal components – which differ from the latest model – seems to suggest that it could be a new part for an updated phone.
Nowhereelse.fr hedge its bets, admitting that while it could be a case from a new iPhone prototype, it could equally be part of a well-made Chinese iPhone clone.
It says it first found the images published on the website forum iPhone5Parts and makes no attempt to confirm their authenticity.
Nevertheless, the apparent leak comes as the rumors have begun to circulate online that Apple is already about to begin making the successor to its latest smartphone.
Pictures leaked online claim to show the case for the forthcoming iPhone 5S
A Chinese site in November claimed the firm was set to begin trial production of the new model this month, although has no details of what new features it may contain.
The Commercial Times estimated that full commercial production of the rumored iPhone 5S will begin as early as Q1 2013, with the December run only expected to return between 50,000 and 100,000 units.
Facing low yield rates in the production of iPhone 5, Apple has accelerated the certification processes for related parts and components for the iPhone 5S, the paper revealed, according to DigiTimes.
“While the speculated iPhone 5S is expected to enter volume production in the first quarter of 2013, Apple is also likely to release a new version of iPad a quarter later than the iPhone 5S, since the display resolution of its latest version of iPad has come out lower than expected,” the paper said.
However, while the firm may begin trial production, some believe it may not go on sale until later next year.
“The industry was surprised at how quickly the iPad 4 replaced the 3, however that was to make all of its top line products have the same connector,” said Luke Peters, editor of T3 magazine.
“Trial production might see we see snippets on the web, but its usually 6-7 months until we see a launch, and so I would expect to see a new version, be it an iPhone 5S or a 6, late next year.”
It comes as Samsung’s Galaxy S3 has become the world’s best-selling smartphone model for the last quarter, pushing aside Apple’s iPhone.
Apple has dominated the chart for more than two years, research firm Strategy Analytics said.
It claims Samsung sold 18 million S3 models in the third quarter, compared with iPhone 4S sales of 16.2 million.
Strong sales of the flagship Galaxy S3- which comes with a large 4.8 inch touchscreen – helped Samsung post a record $7.3 billion operating profit in the July-September quarter.
Apple customers were also believed to be waiting for the release of the iPhone 5, which is expected to propel Apple back to the top spot.
Korean giant Samsung has filed papers at a US court claiming that Apple’s latest iPad mini, released this month, infringes eight technology patents.
Samsung has asked a judge to add the 7.9-inch Apple tablet to a list of products, including the iPod Touch 5, and the iPad 4, which it claims violate patents on radio signaling technologies.
A patent war has engulfed technology giants with firms trying to make sure the others’ latest products are involved in the legal dispute in a bid get sales banned.
Apple and Samsung have filed cases against each other in more than 10 countries, each accusing the other of violating its patents.
Last week Apple successfully applied to add Google’s latest mobile operating system, Android 4.2, Jelly Bean, to the case.
In a minor victory for Samsung, on Wednesday, the judge ordered Apple to disclose the financial details of its patent licensing deal with HTC.
Samsung has filed papers at a US court claiming that Apple’s latest iPad mini, released this month, infringes eight technology patents
Apple and HTC signed a 10-year license agreement earlier this month, but did not make the details public.
But the court ordered Apple to produce a full copy of the settlement agreement “without delay”, subject to an “attorneys’ eyes only” designation, meaning it will not be made public.
Legal experts say the question of which patents are covered by the HTC settlement, and licensing details, could be instrumental in Samsung’s efforts to thwart Apple’s subsequent quest for a permanent sales ban on its products.
Samsung has argued it is “almost certain” that the HTC deal covers some of the same patents involved in its own litigation with Apple.
It seeks to show Apple is willing to license its technology if the price is right.
It has been speculated that HTC has agreed to pay Apple a royalty of up to $8 on each smartphone it sells, but the figure has been flatly denied by the firm’s chief executive.
The settlement of Apple and HTC ended their worldwide litigation and brought to a close one of the first major flare-ups in the global smartphone patent wars.
Apple first sued HTC in 2010, setting in motion a legal conflagration that has since circled the globe and engulfed the biggest names in mobile technology.
Apple has revealed its new smaller tablet iPad Mini with a 7.9 inch screen that is set to blow away its rivals in the tablet market this Christmas.
The widely-anticipated 7.9 in (20.1 cm) iPad Mini, which is 7.2 mm thick and weighs 0.68 lbs, was announced at an event in San Jose, California.
The entry wi-fi-only model, with 16GB storage, will cost $415 and be available on 2 November.
The iPad Mini will compete directly with similar sized tablets from Google and Amazon.
Apple’s vice-president of marketing Phil Schiller told attendees that the device was 23% thinner and 53% lighter than the third-generation iPad, which was released in March this year.
The other wi-fi-only models will have a recommended retail price of $535 for 32GB and $660 for 64GB.
The devices with cellular capability will be released “a couple of weeks” after the wi-fi-only models, the company said. They will be priced at $568 for 16GB, $691 for 32GB and $815 for 64GB.
The firm also announced upgrades to its Macbook Pro, iMac and Mac Mini ranges of computers.
Its new iMac machines have been made 80% thinner than previous models, Phil Schiller said.
The full-sized iPad, which is just seven months old, was given its own lower-key upgrade. Calling it the “fourth generation” iPad, Phil Schiller said its new A6X chip meant it had twice the CPU power of the third-generation model.
Apple has revealed its new smaller tablet iPad Mini with a 7.9 inch screen that is set to blow away its rivals in the tablet market this Christmas
Paddy Smith, online editor for Stuff.tv, said some Apple users could see the iPad upgrade as a “kick in the face” as it is such a new product.
“I think a lot of people will be upset to see a new full size iPad so soon,” he said.
“For many people that represents a pretty major purchase, something you wouldn’t want to do more than once a year.”
The iPad Mini launch ends years of speculation that Apple was considering launching a new, smaller version of its bestselling iPad range.
In 2010, late founder Steve Jobs described 7 in tablets as being “too small”.
However, Apple’s apparent change of heart comes in the face of mounting pressure from its closest competitors, who already offer smaller – and crucially, cheaper – products.
However, consultants IDC predict that the new device will boost Apple’s already dominant position in the tablet market.
It said that Apple will hold a 68% share of the market in 2012, compared to 29% for Android tablets.
Both will fall off slightly next year with the launch of Windows 8 tablets, IDC said.
At 6:00 p.m. Tuesday evening, Apple CEO Tim Cook is set to take to the stage in a San Jose theatre to introduce Apple’s latest blockbuster product – a mini tablet set to fend off competition from Amazon’s Kindle Fire and a raft of relatively cheap smaller tablet computers.
The shrunken iPad is rumored to have a screen that is 7.8 inches across the diagonal – which compares to 9.7 on the original version.
Tech watchers suggest the device – like the latest incarnation of the iPhone – will work on the superfast 4G mobile network.
Apple is said to be planning to charge $350 for the smaller version, which is around half the price of the cheapest iPad 3.
However, it will remain considerably more expensive than Amazon’s Kindle Fire, which costs $200, and the higher specification Kindle Fire HD, which is $250.
Amazon has suggested it is selling its tablets at a loss in order to get it into the hands of families.
The idea is that it can then cash in through sales of a vast library of books, music, films and TV programmes.
Apple’s innovative phones, tablets and computers have always come with a hefty price premium, while its rise to become the world’s most valuable company has been fuelled by sales through its vast iTunes store.
It is thought that Apple will also launch a tweaked version of the iPad 3 that works on the 4G network.
HOW SMALL?
iPad Mini is thought to be 7.85in diagonally, compared to the 9.7in of the full-size iPad.
This would allow it to be used easily on public transport, and fit into a (large) jacket pocket.
TrustedReviews is predicting the mini – which some are dubbing the iPad nano – will use a 1,024 x 768 pixel panel.
Apple’s yet-to-be-announced iPad Mini has apparently been revealed in full for the first time in the best set of pictures yet leaked on the internet.
iPad Mini has apparently been revealed in full for the first time in the best set of pictures yet leaked on the internet
Sonny Dickson, a researcher for fansite 9to5mac.com, published the images on his Twitter feed last week, sparking a wave of excitement among Apple enthusiasts.
The images show a device that is significantly smaller than the regular iPad.
According to rumors it boasts a 7.85 in liquid crystal display, making it a rival to Google’s Nexus 7 and Amazon’s Kindle Fire.
The images also show the iPad Mini utilizes the controversial new connector introduced with the iPhone 5, which has made all accessories available to previous Apple gadgets obsolete at a stroke.
It also emerged that Apple had instructed suppliers in China to manufacture 10 million of the new smaller tablet computers, showing faith in their product in the face of stiff competition.
Insiders say the iPad Mini will go on sale November 2.
As yet, however, Apple has not officially confirmed any of the reports, rumors of leaks about a smaller iPad.
Apple has lost its appeal against a UK ruling that Samsung had not infringed its tablet design rights.
A judge at the High Court in London had originally ruled in July that the look of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab computers was not too similar to designs registered in connection with the iPad.
He said at the time that Samsung’s devices were not as “cool” because they lacked Apple’s “extreme simplicity”.
Apple still needs to run ads saying Samsung had not infringed its rights.
The US firm had previously been ordered to place a notice to that effect – with a link to the original judgement – on its website and place other adverts in the Daily Mail, Financial Times, T3 Magazine and other publications to “correct the damaging impression” that Samsung was a copycat.
The appeal judges decided not to overturn the decision on the basis that a related Apple design-rights battle in the German courts risked causing confusion in consumers’ minds.
“The acknowledgment must come from the horse’s mouth,” they said.
“Nothing short of that will be sure to do the job completely.”
However, they added that the move need not “clutter” Apple’s homepage as it would only have to add a link entitled “Samsung/Apple judgement” for a one-month period.
A spokeswoman for Samsung said it welcomed the latest ruling.
“We continue to believe that Apple was not the first to design a tablet with a rectangular shape and rounded corners and that the origins of Apple’s registered design features can be found in numerous examples of prior art.
“Should Apple continue to make excessive legal claims in other countries based on such generic designs, innovation in the industry could be harmed and consumer choice unduly limited.”
Apple declined to comment. It can still appeal to the UK Supreme Court, otherwise the ruling applies across the European Union.
Three judges were involved in the Court of Appeal review of the case.
Apple had reasserted its claim saying that the front face and overall shape of the tablets was the most important factor – rather than the overall design – because users would spend most of their time looking at a tablet’s screen and holding it.
One of the judges – who noted he owned an iPad himself – explained why Apple had lost the appeal in his ruling.
“Because this case (and parallel cases in other countries) has generated much publicity, it will avoid confusion to say what this case is about and not about,” wrote Sir Robin Jacob.
“It is not about whether Samsung copied Apple’s iPad. Infringement of a registered design does not involve any question of whether there was copying: the issue is simply whether the accused design is too close to the registered design according to the tests laid down in the law.”
“So this case is all about, and only about, Apple’s registered design and the Samsung products.”
Sir Robin Jacob noted that Samsung’s decision to place its logo on the front of its devices distinguished them from Apple’s registered design which said there should be “no ornamentation”.
He also highlighted the fact that the sides of the iPad’s design – which featured a “sharp edge” – were significantly different from those of the Galaxy Tabs.
In addition, Sir Robin Jacob wrote that Samsung’s designs were “altogether busier” with a more varied use of color on the devices’ rear and their inclusion of a thicker section to house a camera.
Apple has now lost a series of lawsuits against Samsung based on the design of their tablets.
These include cases in the Netherlands, Australia and US – despite sometimes winning temporary sales bans.
However, the California-based company has been more successful with other claims.
Most notably a US jury proposed Samsung should pay Apple a $1.05 billion fine for infringing several software patents, and the look and feel of the iPhone. Samsung is appealing the verdict.
The US Court of Appeals has overturned a ban on sales of Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus phone, in a blow to Apple in the ongoing battle between the two rivals.
It said the district court in California, which had issued the ban in June, had “abused its discretion in entering an injunction”.
Earlier this month, a sales ban on Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet computer in the US was also lifted.
The two firms are involved in a legal tussle over patent infringement claims.
Samsung welcomed the latest decision saying it “confirms that the role of patent law is to protect innovation and not to unreasonably stifle competition and restrict consumer choice”.
“We will continue to take all appropriate measures to ensure the availability of our innovative products,” the South Korean manufacturer said.
The smartphone segment is one of the fastest growing sectors for phone manufacturers and Apple and Samsung are among the biggest players in the arena.
Apple, which makes the iPhone, was one of the early pioneers in the segment, while Samsung, which manufactures the Galaxy range of smartphones, has made rapid strides in the sector gaining a strong share of key global markets in recent years.
However, its success has coincided with a growing legal battle with Apple, spread across various countries.
Earlier this year, a California court awarded Apple $1.05 billion in damages, after ruling several of its software and design technologies had been infringed by Samsung.
Samsung has since challenged that verdict and called for a retrial.
Analysts said that given the tremendous growth potential of the sector, the legal battle between the two firms was likely to continue.
“The intensity of the competition is so high, that it is less about billions of dollars in fines but more about slowing the competition,” said Manoj Menon, managing director of Frost & Sullivan.
He explained that Apple feels that Samsung has infringed its patents, which it believes has played a role in Samsung’s success.
“Apple will try and slow the rapid growth trajectory of Samsung,” he said
Apple’s iPad Mini has apparently been revealed in full for the first time in the best set of pictures yet leaked on the internet.
Sonny Dickson, a researcher for fansite 9to5mac.com, published the images on his Twitter feed yesterday, sparking a wave of excitement among Apple enthusiasts.
The images show a device that is significantly smaller than the regular iPad. According to rumors it boasts a 7.85 in liquid crystal display, making it a rival to Google’s Nexus 7 and Amazon’s Kindle Fire.
The images also show the iPad Mini utilizes the controversial new connector introduced with the iPhone 5, which has made all accessories available to previous Apple gadgets obsolete at a stroke.
It emerged yesterday that Apple had instructed suppliers in China to manufacture 10 million of the new smaller tablet computers, showing faith in their product in the face of stiff competition.
Insiders say the iPad Mini will be announced on October 17, a few days from the releases of Amazon’s Kindle Fire and Microsoft’s Surface tablets, and go on sale November 2.
As yet, however, Apple has not officially confirmed any of the reports, rumors of leaks about a smaller iPad.
Apple’s 9-inch device dominates the market, but smaller, cheaper tablets have been eating away at the iPad’s popularity. The iPad mini is expected to go on sale around the world on November 2nd, according to online speculation.
HOW SMALL?
The mini is thought to be 7 in diagonally, compared to the 9.7 in of the full-size iPad.
This would allow it to be used easily on public transport, and fit into a (large) jacket pocket.
TrustedReviews is predicting the mini – which some are dubbing the iPad nano – will use a 1,024 x 768 pixel panel.
The Mini launch comes as research suggests a quarter of us – 22% – own a tablet, with another 3% regularly borrowing someone else’s tablet for web browsing.
About 68% of the 9,5123 adults surveyed said they purchased their tablet within the last year.
The U.S. survey by the Pew Research Center also suggests the flood of cheaper tablets, such as the Google Nexus or Amazon Fire, are weakening Apple’s grip on the market.
A year ago, Apple had more than 80% of the market, but this has now dropped to less around 52%.
The Kindle Fire has 21% of the market, meanwhile Samsung’s Galaxy tablet has 8%.
Out of those surveyed, 44% of adults who said they have a smartphone, 46% have an Android phone, 38% have an iPhone and 10% have a Blackberry.
Samsung has added iPhone 5 to a US patent lawsuit claiming the latest Apple’s handset infringes eight of its technologies.
The disputed innovations include a way to synchronize photos, music and video files across several devices, and a method to capture and send video over the internet.
Samsung had already filed claims against earlier iPhones and iPads.
It coincides with calls from a judge for “major reforms” to US patent law.
Judge Richard Posner, who previously oversaw a legal dispute involving Apple and Google’s Motorola unit, said that protection available to software patents was “excessive”.
Samsung’s legal move is the latest in a long running battle with Apple.
Apple has claimed that the Galaxy device maker copied the look and iOS system software found on its tablets and handsets.
Although several of Apple’s claims have been rejected, it recently scored a major victory when a California-based jury ruled Samsung should pay it over $1 billion in damages.
Samsung has had its own courtroom successes, including a ruling in August that Apple had infringed two of its wireless communication patents in South Korea. It resulted in an order for the iPhone maker to pay 40 million won ($35,000) in damages.
The US lawsuit involving the iPhone 5 dates back to April when a complaint about other devices was filed in the Northern District of California. The case is due to go to trial in March 2014.
It involves two so-called Frand patents – technologies Samsung has an obligation to licence on “fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory” terms because they are recognized as being essential to data transmission standards. In other words, if Apple agrees to pay what is deemed to be a fair rate then Samsung will be obliged to let it use the technologies.
The other six disputed innovations are feature patents, and in theory Samsung could force Apple’s products off the shelves if it does not remove the functions from the devices.
Patent consultant Florian Mueller listed details of the disputed patents on his blog earlier this year, noting that Samsung owned about 30,000 US patents in total. Several of these include 4G LTE technologies which the Seoul-based company has hinted could be the basis of further lawsuits.
HTC, Motorola, Microsoft, RIM and other tech firms are also involved in ongoing US lawsuits.
Legal experts have expressed concern at some of the tactics being used, including Judge Richard Posner who threw out a case involving Motorola and Apple in June, rebuking both firms.
He has now followed this up with a blog post in which he calls for an overhaul of the law regarding software patents.
“Nowadays most software innovation is incremental, created by teams of software engineers at modest cost, and also ephemeral – most software innovations are quickly superseded,” he wrote.
“Software innovation tends to be piecemeal – not entire devices, but components, so that a software device (a cellphone, a tablet, a laptop, etc) may have tens of thousands of separate components (bits of software code or bits of hardware), each one arguably patentable.
“The result is huge patent thickets, creating rich opportunities for trying to hamstring competitors by suing for infringement – and also for infringing, and then challenging the validity of the patent when the patentee sues you.”
The judge said that 20-year-long patent protection made sense for pharmaceutical drugs which require development costs running to hundreds of millions of dollars, need extensive testing and subsequently remain on the market for decades.
He said such factors did not apply to software, adding that a firm that invented a new technology would benefit from being the first to use it and would also gain a reputation for innovation.
“My general sense… bolstered by an extensive academic literature, is that patent protection is on the whole excessive and that major reforms are necessary,” he wrote.
The tech news site Ars Technica, which was first to report the blog, noted that Judge Posner did not have the power to shape US patent policy, but added that his views were likely to be discussed by policymakers.
Apple has asked for a court order for a permanent U.S. sales ban on Samsung Electronics products alleged to have violated its patents along with additional damages of $707 million on top of the billion-dollar verdict won by the iPhone maker last month.
Samsung has responded by asking for a new trial.
The world’s top two smartphone makers are locked in patent battles in 10 countries as they vie for top spot in the lucrative, fast-growing market.
Apple scored a legal victory over Samsung in late August when a U.S. jury found that the Korean firm had copied critical features of the iPhone and awarded the U.S. firm $1.05 billion in damages.
In a motion filed late Friday U.S. time, Apple sought a further $400 million damage award for design infringement by Samsung; $135 million for willful infringement of its utility patents; $121 million in supplemental damages based on Samsung’s product sales not covered in the jury’s deliberation; and $50 million of prejudgment interest on damages through December 31. The requests together come to $707 million.
Apple asks for new court order to permanently ban Samsung Galaxy S III sales in US
Apple wants the injunction to cover “any of the infringing products or any other product with a feature or features not more than colorably different from any of the infringing feature or features in any of the Infringing Products”.
Such a wide-ranging sales ban could result in the extension of the injunction to cover Samsung’s brand-new Galaxy S III smartphone.
Samsung, in a filing to the U.S. court, asked for a new trial to be held.
“The Court’s constraints on trial time, witnesses and exhibits were unprecedented for a patent case of this complexity and magnitude, and prevented Samsung from presenting a full and fair case in response to Apple’s many claims,” Samsung said.
“Samsung therefore respectfully requests that the Court grant a new trial enabling adequate time and even-handed treatment of the parties.”
In a separate statement, Samsung lamented the fact that patent rulings should cover issues such as the shape of the product in addition to technological points.
“It is unfortunate that patent law can be manipulated to give one company a monopoly over rectangles with rounded corners, or technology that is being improved every day by Samsung and other companies,” it said.
Samsung earlier this week said it plans to add Apple’s new iPhone 5 to the existing U.S. patent lawsuits, stepping up its legal challenge as the two companies seek to assert rights to key technologies.
Apple said it wanted the court to award it damages that reflect “a rational and fair effort to address Samsung’s willful misconduct that has and will impose lasting harm on Apple.”
Samsung was the world’s top smartphone maker in the second quarter of this year, shipping more than 50 million phones, nearly double Apple’s 26 million iPhone shipments.
Both companies are raising their marketing spending to promote their latest products ahead of the year-end shopping season.
Apple is believed to be launching an iPad Mini in October, and now fansite Apple.pro claims to have photographed the eight-inch evolution of the iPad.
Apple is notoriously secretive on the run-up to new launches, but leaks from within the industry, including from suppliers and partners, have all but confirmed the device is on its way this Autumn.
The Apple Mini is believed to sport an eight-inch screen, making it a shrunken version of the iPad’s ten-inches.
This will allow a higher degree of portability over previous models, and also give Apple the ammunition to compete with Google, which recently brought out a seven-inch range of Nexus tablets.
Fansite Apple.pro claims to have photographed the eight-inch evolution of the iPad
Apple.Pro also reports this is a 3G-capable model, meaning you can use data on the go.
While Steve Jobs was famously against smaller iPads, the success of the Nexus and Amazon’s “Fire” of budget tablets appears to have convinced Apple there is a market for the slim-line device.
Rumors from Apple suppliers suggest the innards of the Mini will be equivalent to an iPad 2, which analysts suggest will be more than enough to power the shrunken device.
The third iPad had a specification increase but also increased slightly in weight due to the demands of the high-definition Retina display.
Apple is also believed to be announcing the iPhone 5 during September, although it has not yet confirmed a launch date.
The new device which is expected to boast a display of less than eight inches will be unveiled at a separate event, so as not to dilute the impact of the iPhone’s launch, according to analysts.
“I don’t think Apple would want reviews of both a new iPhone and new-size iPad appearing at the same time,” said Daring Fireball’s John Gruber.
“Why share the spotlight? Why have another Apple product battling with the iPhone for the top spots in news coverage?
“The more I think about it, the less sense it makes for the iPhone to even share the stage at the announcement with any other product.
“The iPhone is too big, too cool and garners too much attention – and it’s in Apple’s interest to keep that attention undiluted.”
Apple’s legal motion to have some Samsung mobile phones banned in the US will now be heard in court on December 6th.
A US jury on Friday ordered Samsung to pay Apple more than $1 billion after ruling it had infringed several of the iPhone maker’s patents.
The judge had originally suggested that Apple’s request would be heard next month, but now says that a hearing will take place on 6 December.
Shares in Samsung rose 3% on Tuesday on news of the delay of the hearing.
Apple's legal motion to have some Samsung mobile phones banned in the US will now be heard in court on December 6th
The South Korean firm had $12 billion wiped off its market value on Monday as its shares suffered their biggest drop since October 2008.
Apple wants eight Samsung smartphones banned.
They are the Galaxy S 4G, Galaxy S2 AT&T model, Galaxy S2 Skyrocket, Galaxy S2 T-Mobile model, Galaxy S2 Epic 4G, Galaxy S Showcase, Droid Charge and Galaxy Prevail.
The list does not include Samsung’s current flagship handset, the Galaxy S3, which was not involved in the case.
Google has announced that it does not want the ruling in the Apple-Samsung patent lawsuit to “limit” consumers’ access to Android devices.
A US jury ordered Samsung to pay Apple over $1 billion on Friday after ruling it had infringed several of the iPhone maker’s software and design innovations.
Samsung said it intended to appeal.
There has been speculation that the news could encourage handset makers to install the rival Windows Phone system.
Google released its statement late on Sunday in the US.
“The court of appeals will review both infringement and the validity of the patent claims,” it said.
“Most of these don’t relate to the core Android operating system, and several are being re-examined by the US Patent Office.
“The mobile industry is moving fast and all players – including newcomers – are building upon ideas that have been around for decades. We work with our partners to give consumers innovative and affordable products, and we don’t want anything to limit that.”
Google has announced that it does not want the ruling in the Apple-Samsung patent lawsuit to "limit" consumers' access to Android devices
Apple has indicated it will seek sales bans on the 17 phones at the heart of the lawsuit at a hearing on 20 September.
The list does not include Samsung’s current flagship handset, the Galaxy S3, but does include earlier versions of the model.
However, Apple could also use the verdict to try to halt sales of other models that infringe its pinch-to-zoom patent.
During the court case Apple revealed it had licensed some of its technologies to Microsoft. Its lawyers also showed pictures of Nokia’s Lumia – which runs Windows Phone 7 – as an example of a handset that looked distinctive from its own.
In contrast, Apple continues to be involved in lawsuits against two other Android-handset makers: Motorola – which is owned by Google – and HTC.
Following the Samsung verdict, Bill Cox, marketing director for Microsoft’s Windows Phone Division tweeted: “Windows Phone is looking gooooood right now.”
Dell, HTC, Samsung, LG and ZTE have already created Windows Phone 7 devices, but only Nokia has concentrated its efforts on the system.
One analyst said that the US ruling presented Microsoft with an opportunity to convince others to put their weight behind the next version of its mobile system.
“I think this will force a reset on Android products as they are re-engineered to get around Apple’s patents,” said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the tech consultancy Enderle Group.
“[It should also] provide a stronger opportunity for both of Microsoft’s new platforms – Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 – because they come with indemnification against Apple, suddenly making them far safer.”
However, manufacturers will have to weigh up Android’s popularity before making a move.
According to recent data from analysts at IDC, Android had a 68.1% of the global smartphone market between April and June. Apple’s iOS had 16.9% and Windows Phone/Windows Mobile had 5.4%. The data was based on shipments rather than sales.
If Apple’s patents hold up under appeal Google could recode Android to ensure there was no potential infringement, or handset makers could seek to pay their rival a licence fee.
And there is another alternative: Apple could ultimately seek a patent cross-licensing deal with Google despite its late chief executive Steve Jobs’ vow to “destroy Android”.
Part-way through the Samsung case Google filed its first lawsuit versus Apple since taking over Motorola. It alleged seven patent infringements, one of which involves the technology used in the iPhone’s Siri voice-activated search tool.
Were Google to succeed it could call for a import ban on Apple’s iOS products, potentially forcing its rival into a deal.
The case is driving share prices in a number of technology stocks.
Samsung’s shares fell 7.5% in Seoul on Monday – their biggest drop since October 2008, wiping about $12 billion off the companies value.
Nokia’s shares rose about 10% on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
In New York, Apple’s stock was about 2% higher in pre-market trade, Microsoft’s about 1% up and Google’s about 1% down.
Samsung announces it will appeal against the US court ruling that the firm stole designs from Apple to make smartphones and computer tablets.
The jury in San Jose, California ordered Samsung to pay Apple $1.05 billion in damages.
In response, Samsung accused Apple of using US patent laws to try to dominate the smartphone market.
Analysts say the ruling is one of the most significant in a global battle over intellectual property.
In recent weeks, a court in South Korea ruled that both technology firms had copied each other, while a British court threw out claims by Apple that Samsung had infringed its copyright.
But the year-long US case has involved some of the biggest damages claims.
Samsung announces it will appeal against the US court ruling that the firm stole designs from Apple to make smartphones and computer tablets
Samsung described Friday’s decision as “a loss for the American consumer”.
“It will lead to fewer choices, less innovation, and potentially higher prices,” the firm said.
The statement added that it was “unfortunate that patent law can be manipulated to give one company a monopoly over rectangles with rounded corners”.
Apple, however, said it applauded the court “for finding Samsung’s behavior willful and for sending a loud and clear message that stealing isn’t right”.
It said it intended to seek injunctions to block US sales of Samsung products at a follow-up hearing on 20 September.
The two firms account for more than half of global smartphone and tablet computer sales.
The nine-person jury at the federal court in San Jose, California had to consider 700 questions about each side’s claim that its rival had infringed its intellectual property.
It deliberated for less than three days before coming to a unanimous decision, rejecting all of Samsung’s claims and upholding five of Apple’s allegations, including:
• Some of Samsung’s handsets, including its Galaxy S 4G model, infringed Apple’s design patents for the look of its iPhone including the system it uses to display text and icons
• All the disputed Samsung devices had copied Apple’s “bounce-back response”, which makes lists jump back as if yanked by a rubber band
• Several Samsung devices incorporated Apple’s facility allowing users to zoom into text with a tap of a finger
Apple had wanted $2.5 billion in damages. Samsung had sought $519 million.
It may also seek to use this ruling to block other devices powered by Google’s Android software that it believes replicate elements of its user-interface, including current models by Samsung as well as other firms.
A US court has ruled that Samsung should pay Apple $1.05 billion in damages in an intellectual property lawsuit.
It said several of Samsung’s devices had infringed iPhone-maker Apple’s software and design patents.
The jury rejected Samsung’s claims that several of its patents had been breached and awarded it no damages.
Apple may seek an import ban of some of its rival’s products, blocking them from the US market. Samsung has said it will appeal against the ruling.
“We will move immediately to file post-verdict motions to overturn this decision in this court and if we are not successful, we will appeal this decision to the Court of Appeals,” a statement from Samsung said.
A US court has ruled that Samsung should pay Apple $1.05 billion in damages in an intellectual property lawsuit
Apple and Samsung account for more than half of global smartphone and tablet computer sales.
The nine-person jury at the federal court in San Jose, California had to consider 700 questions about each side’s claim that its rival had infringed its intellectual property.
It deliberated for less than three days before coming to its unanimous decisions.
It rejected the South Korean firm’s claim that Apple’s intellectual properties were invalid. It added that Samsung was “wilful in its infringement” in many of the cases.
Not all of Apple’s claims were upheld – it had claimed a total of $2.5bn (£1.6bn) in damages. Samsung had sought $519m.
Apple said it applauded the court “for finding Samsung’s behaviour wilful and for sending a loud and clear message that stealing isn’t right.”
Samsung described the verdict as “a loss for the American consumer”.
“It will lead to fewer choices, less innovation, and potentially higher prices,” it added.
The jury ruled that some of Samsung’s handsets, including its Galaxy S 4G model, had infringed Apple’s design patents for the look of its iPhone including the system it uses to display text and icons.
However, it dismissed the allegation that the South Korean firm’s tablets had infringed the rectangular design used for Apple’s iPad.
It also found that all the disputed Samsung devices had copied the bounce-back response in the iOS system’s user interface, without paying a licence. This makes lists jump back as if yanked by a rubber band when pulled beyond their limit.
Another infringement involved use of Apple’s tap-to-zoom feature.
Samsung failed to convince the jury Apple owed it money for using technologies it claims to own including listening to music on a device in the background while carrying out another task; and integrating a phone, digital camera and email facility into a single device.
Michael Gartenburg, research director at Gartner, said the verdict could have major ramifications for the wider smart device sector.
“Apple patents being upheld will force the rest of the industry to both innovation and differentiation,” he said.
“That will be a good thing for consumers in the long run. Anyone who was even thinking about borrowing a technology or design from Apple will think twice about it now.
“Apple’s point was that it was possible to create an experience that doesn’t look like its designs and only Nokia and RIM Blackberry are really doing that right now.”
There has been a spate of lawsuits involving mobile-device makers, but this case had been viewed as one of the most significant to date.
This is because of the size of the damages involved, the likelihood it will influence the way future patent licenses are handled, and the insights it has given into both Apple and Samsung’s working practices.
Pictures of prototype iPhones and iPads that had never been seen before were released, and one of Samsung’s designers explained how she had created some of its app icon designs.
The offending Samsung models at the centre of the case have since been superseded by updates, reflecting the fast turnaround in product releases.
But Apple said it still intended to seek sales injunctions at a follow-up hearing on 20 September.
It may also seek to use this ruling to block other devices powered by Google’s Android software that it believes replicate elements of its user-interface, including current models by Samsung as well as other firms.
While Apple has scored a victory over Samsung, it remains one of the South Korean company’s biggest customers buying computer chips and, reportedly, screens from it to build the iOS mobile devices.
A South Korean court has ruled that tech giants Apple and Samsung both infringed each other’s patents on mobile devices.
The court imposed a limited ban on national sales of products by both companies covered by the ruling.
It ruled that Apple had infringed two patents held by Samsung, while Samsung had violated one of Apple’s patents.
The decision comes as a jury in California is deliberating on a patent trial between the two firms in the US.
A South Korean court has ruled that tech giants Apple and Samsung both infringed each other's patents on mobile devices
The sales ban will apply to Apple’s iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and its tablets the iPad and iPad 2.
Samsung products affected by the ban include its smartphone models Galaxy SI and SII and its Galaxy Tab and the Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet PCs.
The court ordered Apple to pay 40 million won ($35,000) in damages to its South Korean rival, while Samsung was told to pay Apple 25 million won.
The awards are dwarfed by the damages being sought by Apple in its case in California. It is seeking more than $2.5 billion from Samsung, for allegedly violating its patented designs and features in the iPad and iPhone.
A Samsung spokesperson said the court had found the South Korean firm guilty of violating Apple’s patent relating to the “bounce back” function.
The function lets users know that they have reached the end of a screen that they may be scrolling through on their devices.
Meanwhile, Apple has been found guilty of violating patents relating to telecom standards held by Samsung, including technology that makes the transfer and transmission of data between devices more efficient.
However, the court ruled against Apple’s claims that Samsung had copied the designs of its products.
“There are lots of external design similarities between the iPhone and Galaxy S, such as rounded corners and large screens… but these similarities had been documented in previous products,” a judge at the Seoul Central District Court was quoted as saying by the Reuters news agency.
“Given that it’s very limited to make big design changes in touchscreen based mobile products in general… and the defendant [Samsung] differentiated its products with three buttons in the front and adopted different designs in camera and [on the] side, the two products have a different look,” the judge said.
Apple, the world’s most valuable firm, is now the most valuable company of all time, with a market value of approximately $623 billion.
Apple has now surpassed Microsoft’s record of $620.58 billion set in 1999. However that figure is not adjusted for inflation.
The news comes ahead of the anticipated launch of the iPhone 5, and possibly a smaller and cheaper iPad.
Apple, the world's most valuable firm, is now the most valuable company of all time, with a market value of approximately $623 billion
Apple shares hit $664.74 in New York midday trading, before falling to $663.
That was $14.98, or 2.3%, higher than Friday’s close.
There is also speculation that Apple plans to make a TV set.
However, despite its market valuation, Apple, like many US companies, faces a number of challenges.
The strength of the US dollar against the euro and other currencies makes US-made goods more expensive overseas. Added to that, the faltering economic recovery in the United States, combined with recession in major markets such as Europe, is also making it more difficult to sell consumer electronics.
Apple also faces stiff competition from Samsung’s Galaxy S3 and HTC’s One X smartphones.
The judge in a patent trial involving Apple and Samsung has said iPhone maker’s lawyer William Lee must be on drugs if he thought she would accept his list of potential witnesses.
William Lee had named 22 people he wanted to rebut testimony given by Samsung’s choice of experts.
“Unless you’re smoking crack you know these witnesses aren’t going to be called” said Judge Lucy Koh.
William Lee replied: “Your honor, I’m not smoking crack. I can promise you that.”
The clash, reported by the Verge news site, took place close to the end of the trial after William Lee presented a 75-page document detailing the witnesses.
The judge in a patent trial involving Apple and Samsung has said iPhone maker's lawyer William Lee must be on drugs if he thought she would accept his list of potential witnesses
The judge had previously made it clear she wanted closing arguments to be presented next week. She has given each side a maximum of 25 hours to make its case.
Of that time Apple has less than four hours of witness testimony remaining on its clock, and William Lee said he honestly believed he could cover all the people he had named within that period.
The move could potentially have made it harder for Samsung’s legal team to prepare.
Samsung called on damages expert Michael Wagner shortly before the exchange, who said Apple had overestimated Samsung’s profit margins.
His evidence was intended to undermine the US firm’s claim that it was owed $2.5 billion in damages.
Under cross examination Michael Wagner acknowledged that his analysis had been based on data provided by Samsung as part of its response to Apple’s patent infringement accusations.
In addition to denying the allegations the South Korean firm is also pursuing its rival for royalty payments.
Judge Lucy Koh’s outburst is not the first time she has expressed anger at the two sides’ behavior in the case.
Earlier the judge chided Samsung’s lawyer John Quinn for approving a press release which publicized evidence she had ruled inadmissible in court.
She had also demanded each legal team write out their legal arguments after they wrangled over whether a witness should be allowed to present certain evidence, saying: “I don’t trust what any lawyer tells me in this courtroom. I want to see actual papers.”
Despite the potential large payouts involved in the case the firms’ share prices do not appear to have suffered.
Apple’s stock has closed at a record high of $636.34 after rising 6.9% since the start of the trial.
Samsung’s shares have gained 5.5% over the same period.
YouTube app is missing from the next version of Apple’s iOS6 operating system.
Apple said the app had been removed because its license to produce the program had expired.
The Apple-made version of the YouTube app has been a staple on the iPhone’s iOS since the device was first launched in 2007.
Apple said Google was developing its own version of the app which should appear soon.
The fourth test, or beta, version of iOS6 was released by Apple on 6 August. The final public version is expected to be ready in September prior to the rumored launch of a new iPhone.
YouTube app is missing from the next version of Apple's iOS6 operating system
Soon after the software was released many tech news sites noticed it lacked the YouTube app, even though the Apple-made version of this program has been available for years.
Not all YouTube functions have disappeared from iOS6 beta, said Apple in its statement, as users can still play video by visiting YouTube with a web browser. They can also still upload films to YouTube from a phone or tablet.
Financial terms of the licensing deal that let Apple create the YouTube app have not been disclosed.
Apple would not be drawn on whether it would be replacing the YouTube app with another pre-installed video sharing service. It has already taken a similar step with Google maps, as iOS6 will use its own mapping app.
No date has been given for when Google’s version of the YouTube app will appear.
“This is all about Apple removing Google from its operating system completely,” said Stuart Miles, founder and head of tech news site Pocket-lint. He wondered if the end result of this strategy would be for Apple to drop Google as its default search engine on iOS.
“In a couple of years you will just ask Siri for results and you will not care where that comes from,” he said.
Gaining control of the YouTube app was good for Google, he said, because it let it update and change the program as needed. It would also likely mean that ads would appear on clips.
“There’s no reason why you won’t start having pre-roll adverts, which is going to mean a worse experience for users.”
Apple is reportedly considering buying a stake in Twitter worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
The technology giant, which has stumbled on the social media front, has been in talks with Twitter in recent months about the strategic investment, according to The New York Times.
Apple’s hefty injection of funds would value the social networking powerhouse at more than $10 billion, up from an $8.4 billion valuation last year, the newspaper’s sources said.
Apple has had huge success selling its iPhones and iPads but has had little traction in the fast-growing social media world.
As social media, accessed on computers and mobile devices, increasingly influences how people spend their time and money, Apple, which also sells applications, games, music and movies, is keen to get in on the action.
Apple is reportedly considering buying a stake in Twitter worth hundreds of millions of dollars
The New York Times said it’s not a done deal and the companies are not in negotiations at the moment. But are likely to form a strong partnership against intensifying competition from the likes of Google and Facebook.
Facebook is aligned with Microsoft, which owns a small stake in it, and Google, which rivals Apple in the smart phone market, is pushing its own social network, Google Plus.
“Apple doesn’t have to own a social network,” Timothy D. Cook, Apple’s chief executive, said at a recent technology conference.
“But does Apple need to be social? Yes.”
Twitter and Apple have already been working together, with the technology leader embedding Twitter features into its software for phones, tablets and computers.
Meanwhile, Twitter has been working to bolster its relationship with Apple, according to The Times.
An investment in Twitter would not be a big financial move for Apple, which has $117 billion in liquid investments, but it would be one of Tim Cook’s most important strategic decisions since taking the helm after Steve Jobs’ stepped down due to illness.
For Twitter, having the backing of a tech icon like Apple would see its valuation shoot up overnight.
Like that of other start-ups, the company’s valuation has languished in the wake of Facebook’s lackluster market debut.
But Twitter does not need Apple’s cash injection. Earlier this year, chief executive Dick Costolo, said the company had “truckloads of money in the bank”.
The Times’ sources reckon this “truckloads” adds up to more than $600 million in cash on hand thanks to a healthy flow of advertising revenue.
Both Apple and Twitter refused to comment in the article, but Dick Costolo said of Apple in a recent interview: “Those guys are a great partner. We think of them as a company that our company looks up to.”
Actor Russell Brand has been fined $500 and ordered to do 20 hours of community service for damaging a photographer’s mobile phone.
It relates to an incident in March when the photographer tried to take Russell Brand’s picture in New Orleans.
Russell Brand’s lawyer, Robert Glass, pleaded not guilty on his behalf at a hearing at Orleans Parish Municipal Court on Thursday morning.
The fine and community service must be completed before the end of August.
Russell Brand has been fined $500 and ordered to do 20 hours of community service for damaging a photographer's mobile phone
A court spokesman said the community service must be carried out at a “suitable public entity” – which does not have to be in New Orleans.
Russell Brand was accused of taking the phone and throwing it through the window of a nearby law firm.
Writing on Twitter at the time of the incident, Russell Brand said he took the phone as “a tribute” to Apple boss Steve Jobs, who died last year.
The actor tweeted: “Since Steve Jobs died I cannot bear to see anyone use an iPhone irreverently, what I did was a tribute to his memory.”
Samsung has disabled Google local search function in an update to the international version of its flagship Galaxy S3 smartphone, following a patent dispute with Apple.
Once the software is installed the phones no longer search contacts, apps and other on-device material using software developed by Google.
Android Central, which revealed the news, noted that users were not told the update would disable the service.
It follows a similar move in the US.
Apple claims the innovation infringes its patent to a single search interface which it uses in its Siri app to collate results from a range of sources.
Apple had already managed to enforce a brief sales ban on another Samsung handset – the Galaxy Nexus – in the US because of the patent.
Samsung disables Galaxy S3 Google local search function following patent dispute with Apple
That dispute will be considered again by a Washington-based court on 20 August – but whatever the ruling, it would not have applied to the GT-i9300 (S3) model sold in the UK and other places outside the US.
A spokeswoman for Samsung was unable to provide more detail.
“Samsung may be doing this as a precautionary measure to prevent it having to pay damages on devices sold outside the US in case Apple prevails in the States and then pursues a similar suit elsewhere,” said Simon Clark, head of intellectual property at law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner.
“Generally speaking a multinational company like Apple will have patent protection in all its key countries, and the wording will be very similar in each area. Although patent law can vary across territories it’s quite likely that a ruling in one country will lead to similar decisions in others.”
The move marks the latest development in a long string of lawsuits between the two firms over the technologies and designs of their mobile devices.
Apple was defeated in a London court earlier this month when it tried to have Samsung’s Galaxy Tab tablets banned in the UK after it failed to convince a judge that the South Korean firm had copied the look of its iPad.
The California-based company was ordered to publish the fact that its competitor had not infringed its registered design on its website and in magazines as a consequence.
However, it was more successful in Germany on Tuesday when an appeals court in Dusseldorf extended a preliminary injunction against Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 7.7 across the EU because of a related claim.
The two firms are set to clash again in the US on Monday when a jury will hear patent infringement suits filed by both companies against the other.
According to a court filing posted on the Foss Patents blog, Apple is seeking $2.5 billion in lost profits and royalty fees but is offering a fraction of that amount – half a cent in damages for each handset it has sold that uses its rival’s technologies – to settle Samsung’s countersuit.
Samsung later responded with its own filing, alleging that Apple was trying “to stifle legitimate competition and limit consumer choice to maintain its historically exorbitant profits”.
Apple has announced that OS X Mountain Lion, the latest version of its Mac operation system, will be released on Wednesday.
OS X Mountain Lion makes it easier to share material to social networks and also introduces a notification panel similar to that found on many smartphones.
The news was revealed in the company’s third quarter earnings release.
Mac sales were 2% up on the year, but the results fell short of many analysts’ forecasts.
Apple’s shares dropped about 5% in after hours trading on Wall Street.
Apple has announced that OS X Mountain Lion, the latest version of its Mac operation system, will be released on Wednesday
Apple first announced the latest update to its operating system in February. The update continues a trend to introduce features to its desktop and laptop families that have already been implemented on its iPad and iPhone mobile devices.
These include the ability to upload and synchronize material with its iCloud internet storage service; the introduction of the iMessage service allowing text message-like chats between the firm’s computers and handsets; the ability to easily share material to Twitter; and an application to compare the user’s video game scores against those of their friends.
Apple has also taken steps to aid its expansion in China including the adoption of Baidu as a search service built into its web browser’s toolbar, and buttons to make it easy to share material to the Sina Weibo microblog, and the video sites Youku and Tudou.
However, the firm’s decision to keep its Mac system distinct from iOS for mobile devices is set to be challenged by October’s Windows 8 release by Microsoft.
Microsoft is offering users the chance to run the same system on both their tablets and desktop computers, making it easier to share software between them.
Windows 8 – and its touchscreen Metro apps – have been described by Microsoft as the biggest revision to its interface in over a decade. But one analyst said Mountain Lion was more of an incremental step forward.
“While there are a lots of new features this is not a major upgrade like the last version Lion was,” said Brian Blau, research director at tech research firm Gartner.
“But Apple has also been improving its Office-like software and creation applications along the way, so maybe it didn’t need such a big revision. And you have to bear in mind it is only charging $20 for the change.”
By contrast Microsoft is charging $39.99 for a Windows 8 upgrade, while Linux-based systems, such as Ubuntu and Debian, can be downloaded for free.
Clueful, an app that told iPhone users whether their other apps were breaching data privacy, has been removed from Apple’s store in mysterious circumstances.
Clueful would say if your other programmes were accessing your address book, tracking your GPS co-ordinates or farming information from social networking accounts.
Neither Apple nor the app’s developers, Romanian-based Bitdefender, have revealed why, after just two months, the program has been pulled.
The app was approved by Apple on May 22, but the company has now reversed its decision, it was reported by Security Week.
Clueful app has been removed from Apple's store in mysterious circumstances
In a statement on Wednesday, Bitdefender said: “Apple informed Bitdefender’s product development team of the removal – for reasons we are studying – after it was approved under the same rules. iPhone owners who already use Clueful privacy may continue to do so.”
Apple has been even more tight-lipped and have not responded to requests for an explanation.
Digital commentators have been left speculating that Apple may have been concerned that Clueful was putting users off purchasing apps or perhaps that the tech giant found a technicality that violated its terms of service.
Speaking at the launch of Clueful, Bitdefender’s chief security researcher Catalin Cosoi highlighted the vast amount of data that other apps can harvest.
Catalin Cosoi said: “App developers can ask for, and receive, access to your precise location, your contact list and more information about you when you install their products on your iPhone.
“Your iPhone is probably the most personal device you own, holding vast amounts of information about what you do, who you are and where you go.
“While most app developers use this information for legitimate purposes, others might not.”
Apple has been ordered by a UK judge to publish announcements that Samsung did not copy the design of its iPad, according to the Bloomberg news agency.
It said the judge said one notice should remain on Apple’s website for at least six months, while other adverts should be placed in various newspapers and magazines.
It follows Apple’s failed attempt to block sales of the South Korean firm’s Galaxy Tab tablets.
Apple has been ordered by a UK judge to publish announcements that Samsung did not copy the design of its iPad
Apple and Samsung have not commented.
The order did not feature in Judge Colin Birss’s judgement published on 9 July, but Bloomberg said the matter was discussed in the court following the verdict.
It said the notices must make reference to the court case and should be designed to “correct the damaging impression” that Samsung’s tablets had aped the look of Apple’s products.
“They do not have the same understated and extreme simplicity which is possessed by the Apple design,” said the judge at the time.
“They are not as cool. The overall impression produced is different.”
However, the judge refused Samsung’s request that Apple be forbidden from restating its claim that its design rights had been infringed.
Judge Birss said that the US firm was “entitled” to hold the opinion that his judgement was wrong.
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