Apple faces camera patent lawsuit over iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X

Back in November, the Israel-based startup Corephotonics filed a lawsuit against Apple for infringing on its patents. Their case stated that the company approached Apple about joining forces on dual lens technology, which Apple rebuffed. Corephotonics alleges that Apple then infringed on its patents with the dual-camera system on the iPhone 7 Plus. Now, Corephotonics has filed a second patent infringement claim to cover the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X.

The basis of Corephotonics’ claim is that the company actually met with Apple to discuss their technology. Apple refused to enter into an agreement with the company, instead using the technology described at the meeting without entering into any sort of licensing arrangement. Corephotonics even claims that Apple’s negotiator boasted that they could infringe on any patent without fear of reprisal.

This new lawsuit also adds a second patent that it claims Apple infringed upon. Patently Apple notes, though, that this claim is a bit confusing because the patent was just granted in January of this year. The question is how Apple could have infringed on a patent that was granted after the phones were already released with the technology in question.

It will certainly be interesting to see where this case goes. Apple does have its own patents for a dual-lens system. The key for Corephotonics will be to demonstrate that Apple could not have developed this technology independently and utilized the tech that the startup presented in its meeting with Apple with no licensing arrangement in place.

Via: 9to5 Mac

Source: Patently Apple

Olloclip Launches New Mobile Lens System Designed for iPhone X

Olloclip today announced an all-new mobile lens system that is designed exclusively for Apple’s iPhone X. With the lens, iPhone X owners can enhance their field-of-view and shoot “wider and closer” than the iPhone’s built-in camera.

The company said that the new iPhone X lens system maintains many of the features of previous Olloclip accessories, coming equipped with Connect X interchangeable lenses to help users adapt to every environment. In total, there are six lenses available for the iPhone X system:

Super-Wide: Four-element lens with more than 120° visibility.
Ultra-Wide: A 155° action camera field-of-view.
Fisheye + Macro 15x: Unique 180° wide-angle spherical effect + 15x increased magnification.
Telephoto: 2x optical zoom to get twice as close to the action.
Macro 14x + 7x: Get detail oriented and see beyond the naked eye.
Macro 21x: Go in for the ultimate close-up.

There are numerous new features unique to the iPhone X system, including an expanding lens mount that allows for Olloclip to be screen protector compatible, as well as align with both the iPhone X’s front and rear cameras. The system has a pendant stand designed to carry the set, also doubling as a pocket-sized tripod.

In addition to the iPhone X lens system announcement, Olloclip is updating its single lens system for the iPhone 7/8 and 7/8 Plus. The new products have a lower price point, interchangeable lenses, multi-element optics, and the ability for users to reach the front and rear cameras by quickly flipping the lens system. Six lenses are individually available: Super-Wide, Fisheye + Macro 15x, Telephoto 2x, Ultra-Wide, Macro 14x + 7x, and Macro 21x.

Both the iPhone X and iPhone 7/8/Plus accessories are available to purchase now on Olloclip.com, ranging in price from $59.99 to $79.99. There’s also a bundle called the Mobile Photography Box Set for iPhone X with Super-Wide, Fisheye, and Macro 15x lenses priced at $99.99. Apple retail locations worldwide will begin selling the bundle in June.

Related Roundup: iPhone XTag: olloclipBuyer’s Guide: iPhone X (Neutral)
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2018 MacRumors Blood Drive

MacRumors is pleased to announce the Ninth Annual MacRumors Blood Drive, throughout the month of May 2018. Our goal is to save lives by increasing the number of life-saving blood and platelet donations. While most blood drives are specific to a geographic location, our blood drive is online and worldwide. MacRumors routinely reports on Apple’s support for charity, as summarized in our Help Center. The MacRumors Blood Drive is our own community effort.

Over the past eight years, the MacRumors Blood Drives have recorded donations of 470 units of blood, platelets, and plasma, and celebrated new signups for organ donor and bone marrow registries. We’ve heard from many forum members whose lives were affected by blood, platelet, or bone marrow donations, including those whose lives were saved by strangers.

How to participate

1. If you are eligible, schedule a blood or platelet donation (see FAQ), in May if possible, at any donation center near you. Then post in the MacRumors 2018 Blood Drive! thread to tell us about it and to accept our thanks. We’d also like to hear from you if you register as an organ donor and/or register for the bone marrow registry (see FAQ).

2. If you aren’t eligible to donate blood for reasons of age, health, height/weight, a recent donation, or because you are deferred as a donor, please encourage someone else to make a donation, and let us know. If they donate, you both belong on our Honor Roll! See our Blood donor eligibility thread for news about a change to the deferral policy for gay men in the U.K.

3. Share our message and help this cause by convincing friends and relatives to participate as well. The Honor Roll lists this year’s donors. Please congratulate them for their generous acts on behalf of strangers.

Tag: MacRumors blood drive
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FedEx adds a hydrogen fuel cell van to its fleet

Cars are bad for us in pretty much every respect, especially since fossil fuel use contributes around 65 percent of all climate-changing emissions. Since delivery companies zoom around our neighborhoods with diesel-belching vans every day, package vans need to get clean, and fast. It’s why FedEx is making a big deal that it’s just taken delivery of its first hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle.

The van has been built in partnership between Workhorse Group and Plug Power, and uses a hydrogen engine. The ride is in service at FedEx’s facility in Menands NY, and runs a standard delivery route for the logistics outfit. According to the companies involved, the whip can cover 160 miles per “delivery cycle,” after which it heads back to a hydrogen charging station in Latham.

FedEx’s new super-green van has already racked up more than 3,000 test-miles, and the company is hoping it’ll clock 27,000 miles in its first six months. It’s another component of the green vehicle puzzle that companies like FedEx are trying to solve, with the company also investing in electric semi trucks. FedEx has ordered 20 Tesla Semis, which will be distributed around its freight department when they arrive.

‘Fortnite’ update delivers destruction, new areas and meme emotes

Fortnite Season Four is here, and Epic Games has delivered in a big way. After teasing a spectacular comet crash at the end of the previous season, today’s update sees much-loved areas of the map destroyed, new ones added and players bestowed with tonnes of new skins, emotes and in-game items.

Dusty Depot, which you may remember as a camper’s paradise in the middle of the map, has taken the full force of the impact. So much so that it’s now an enormous crater known as Dusty Divot. Inside lies what looks like a forensic investigation, with tents and structures set up around a mysterious glowing piece of asteroid. Dotted around the perimeter of the area are small purple crystals called Hop Rocks, which when consumed grant the player a small period of zero-gravity movement.

Fortnite’s v4.0 patch also adds new areas to the map. In the rolling hills between Anarchy Acres and Wailing Woods lies Risky Reels, a drive-in movie theater that has been partially destroyed by an asteroid. In fact, the large majority of map locations have suffered some form of impact damage, including a sizeable crater in the center of Tilted Towers.

Lmao I’m so cringe.But here.#BoogieDown pic.twitter.com/HlxnchVOy7

— Orange Shirt Kid (@Kid_Fortnite12) March 30, 2018

No big update would be complete without new skins and emotes, and today is no different. After numerous threads on Reddit and posts across social media, Epic has added the “Orange Shirt Kid” to the game via the Orange Justice emote. The four superhero skins teased prior to today’s update are also live, allowing players to equip DC-themed outfits either via the shop or by unlocking via experience points.

Other smaller tweaks include being able to damage structures on the starting island and the removal of the crossbow (RIP). The update is now live across PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, iOS and you can read the full patch notes via the link below.

Source: Epic Games

Microsoft Announces New Features for Outlook on Mobile, Desktop, and Web

Microsoft is rolling out several new features for Outlook users this week and in the next couple of months. The announcement comes hot on the heels of Google’s recently launched Gmail redesign, and promises changes to the company’s Outlook desktop and mobile apps, as well as its webmail service.

First up is new support for synced draft folders, which will allow Outlook users to draft a message on their mobile device and finish it on their desktop computer, or vice versa. Another addition is a new chat-like Quick Reply box at the bottom of the screen, for quickly responding to messages while keeping their content in view.

Microsoft is also introducing a “Favorite people” feature to go with its existing support for identifying groups and email folders in Outlook. It’s a lot like the way VIPs work in Apple Mail, but uses tags rather than stars.

Elsewhere, the company is adding the ability to view Office 365 Group events in Outlook, as well as access to a group’s OneNote Notebook. Events will be trackable in the group’s contact card, while the Notebook access relies on the OneNote app being installed.

Other business-focused features coming to the mobile app include the ability to add organization directories to your Outlook contact information, and proxy support for companies who choose to block direct access to the internet from mobile devices.

Improvements to Outlook Calendar have also been announced, including bill pay reminders for Outlook.com that appear as calendar items if a bill is identified in a received email (similar to how travel reservations are recognized by the webmail service), as well as location support and meeting room booking options for iOS. Lastly, Outlook for Mac is getting time zone support for calendar entries that involve travel across different time zones.

The updates start this week and are part of a phased rollout for iOS, webmail, and Mac over May and June, with more features planned for Outlook in the near future, as detailed in Microsoft’s Office 365 roadmap.

Tags: Microsoft, Microsoft Outlook, Office 365
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$199 Oculus Go VR headset is ready for pre-order on Amazon

We’re just hours away from the first keynote speech of Facebook’s F8 event where we’re expecting to hear about all kinds of things, including its mass-market standalone VR headset. Facebook first showed off the Oculus Go as “Project Santa Cruz” two years ago, and then last year revealed its look and $199 price. We got some hands-on time with its comfy wireless experience at GDC recently, but now Amazon watchers Wario64 and the Tracker App note that Monday night it became ready for pre-ordering.

If you’re already sure you want one of the headsets that will bring a VR experience without requiring any help from a PC or phone then you can go ahead and get in line now. The only issue remaining (other than any idea about details or software support) is the release date, which Amazon has filled in with a likely placeholder of December 31st.

Oculus Go is up for preorder at Amazon ($199) https://t.co/NCNVgO7h6w pic.twitter.com/nUdVpaiYhH

— Wario64 (@Wario64) May 1, 2018

Oculus Go is in stock at Amazon https://t.co/IIF2nRxUcf for $199.00 | Get The Tracker App @TheTrackerApp

— The Tracker App (@TheTrackerApp) May 1, 2018

Source: Amazon

CNN: At least 103 Uber drivers have been accused of sexual assault

It’s no secret that Uber has been grappling with numerous sexual assault complaints against its drivers, but the company hasn’t exactly been forthcoming when it comes to the number of cases it’s facing. A CNN investigation has revealed, though, that at least 103 Uber drivers in the US have been accused of and sued over sexual assault and abuse over the past four years. The publication reviewed court documents and police reports from 20 states for the investigation, which has also revealed that at least 31 drivers have been convicted. Their crimes range from forcible touching and false imprisonment to rape.

Most of the victims involved in the 103 cases were inebriated or had a few drinks, at least, which is why CNN put a spotlight on how Uber markets itself as a safe way to go home in its report. The ride-hailing giant aired ads that show women taking an Uber for nights out. It even teamed up with Mothers Against Drunk Driving to launch a designated driver campaign urging women to take an Uber instead of driving under the influence.

While 18 of the 103 cases have already been dropped or dismissed, it didn’t include data on complaints that couldn’t be verified with incident reports. And considering CNN was only able to look into 20 states’ documents, that means Uber is likely dealing with a lot more than 103 cases.

An Uber spokesperson told Engadget that it has recently beefed up its safety approach by introducing an emergency button and a safety feature that lets you designate contacts to share trips with in its app. Uber will also start rerunning driver background checks on an annual basis and will keep an eye out for new criminal cases filed against its drivers.

“These stories are horrific and our hearts go out to the victims. We worked with CNN to understand their findings and determined that Uber did 2.4 billion trips in the U.S. in that same period. But even one incident on our platform is too many which is why safety is Uber’s top priority for 2018 and beyond. We recently strengthened our safety approach with new features including an emergency button, driver screening improvements, and the addition of the former Secretary of Homeland Security to head up Uber’s Safety Advisory Board. This is just a start and we are committed to doing even more.”

Uber isn’t the only ride-hailing firm facing these issues, though: CNN also found 18 cases accusing Lyft drivers of sexual assault over the past four years.

Source: CNN

Facebook’s ‘downvote’ test spreads to more users Down Under

With Facebook’s F8 developer event approaching, word has spread that more users can try its “downvote” button on post comments. While it’s not the fabled “dislike” button that some would like to see, it is a way for users to flag comments Reddit-style on public posts. That may come in handy as it rolls out more video, VR and whatever else’ we’ll hear about during its 1 PM ET keynote. Facebook confirmed to CNET that its test is occurring in New Zealand, but many users in Australia report seeing the buttons too.

Source: CNET, TheNextWeb, The Guardian

What’s on TV: ‘Manhunt,’ ‘Donkey Kong’ and ‘I’m Dying Up Here’

The NBA and NHL playoffs rage on while the MLB season is well underway, but this week our eyes are turned to a new John Woo film and Swedish thriller series coming to Netflix. Manhunt focuses on a prosecutor out to clear his name, which will predictably be achieved through a number of exciting and possibly hilarious action sequences, while The Rain focuses on a pair of siblings surviving in post-apocalypse Scandinavia. For gamers, there’s a remastered version of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze coming to Nintendo Switch, while Dear White People, I’m Dying Up Here and Colony all have season premieres this week. Finally, on Saturday Donald Glover will perform as both host and musical guest on SNL. Look after the break to check out each day’s highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).

Blu-ray & Games & Streaming

• Game Night (VOD)
• Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell
• Mamma Mia! (4K)
• Peter Rabbit (4K)
• In the Fade
• Through the Woods (Xbox One)
• Nihilumbra (Switch)
• Deiland (PS4)
• Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Switch)
• Drive on Moscow (Xbox One, PS4)
• Killing Floor: Incursion (PS VR)
• City of Brass (Xbox One, PS4)
• Super Mega Baseball 2 (Xbox One, PS4)
• Battlezone: Gold Edition (Xbox One, PS4)

Monday

• The Voice, NBC, 8 PM
• Dancing with the Stars, ABC, 8 PM
• Lucifer, Fox, 8 PM
• Supergirl, CW, 8 PM
• WWE Raw, USA, 8 PM
• Kevin Can Wait, CBS, 8 PM
• Man with a Plan, CBS, 8:30 PM
• iZombie, CW, 9 PM
• The Resident, Fox, 9 PM
• The Terror, AMC, 9 PM
• Superior Donuts, CBS, 9 PM
• Elementary (season premiere), CBS, 10 PM
• AMC Visionaries: James Cameron’s Story of Science Fiction (series premiere), AMC, 10 PM
• For Our Lives: Parkland, Freeform, 10 PM
• The Crossing, ABC, 10 PM
• Good Girls (season finale), NBC, 10 PM
• American Dad, TBS, 10 PM
• Final Space, TBS, 10:30 PM
• Desus & Mero, Viceland, 11 PM

Tuesday

• John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City, Netflix, 3 AM
• Sometimes, Netflix, 3 AM
• Night Train with Wyatt Cenac (S2), Starz.com
• Civilizations, PBS, 8 PM
• Shadowhunters, Freeform, 8 PM
• WWE Smackdown, USA, 8 PM
• The Voice, NBC, 8 PM
• Lethal Weapon, Fox, 8 PM
• The Flash, CW, 8 PM
• NCIS, CBS, 8 PM
• The Middle, ABC, 8:30 PM
• The 100, CW, 9 PM
• First Civilizations, PBS, 9 PM
• LA to Vegas (season finale), Fox, 9 PM
• Black-ish, ABC, 9 PM
• Bull, Fox, 9 PM
• Rise, NBC, 9 PM
• Deadliest Catch, Discovery, 9 PM
• New Girl, Fox, 9:30 PM
• Splitting Up Together, ABC, 9:30 PM
• Legion, FX, 10 PM
• Chicago Med, NBC, 10 PM
• For the People, ABC, 10 PM
• Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G. (season finale), USA, 10 PM
• Tosh.0, Comedy Central, 10 PM
• The Last O.G., TBS, 10:30 PM
• The Jim Jefferies Show, Comedy Central, 10:30 PM
• The Ice Cream Show, Viceland, 10:30 PM
• Desus & Mero, Viceland, 11 PM

Wednesday

• The Handmaid’s Tale, Hulu, 3 AM
• Psychokinesis, Netflix, 3 AM
• Riverdale, CW, 8 PM
• Famous in Love, Freeform, 8 PM
• The Goldbergs, ABC, 8 PM
• Survivor, CBS, 8 PM
• Empire, Fox, 8 PM
• The Blacklist, NBC, 8 PM
• Alex, Inc., ABC, 8:30 PM
• Modern Family, ABC, 9 PM
• The Originals, CW, 9 PM
• The Expanse, Syfy, 9 PM
• Star, Fox, 9 PM
• Seal Team, CBS, 9 PM
• American Housewife, ABC, 9:30 PM
• Being Serena (series premiere), HBO, 10 PM
• Colony (season premiere), USA, 10 PM
• Archer: Danger Island, FXX, 10 PM
• Brockmire, IFC, 10 PM
• The Americans, FX, 10 PM
• Catfish, MTV, 10 PM
• Krypton, Syfy, 10 PM
• Designated Survivor, ABC, 10 PM
• The Ultimate Fighter, FS1, 10 PM
• Code Black, CBS, 10 PM
• Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, TBS, 10:30 PM
• My House, Viceland, 10:30 PM
• Comedy Knockout (season premiere), TruTV, 11 PM
• Desus & Mero, Viceland, 11 PM

Thursday

• Superstore (season finale), NBC, 8 PM
• Grey’s Anatomy, ABC, 8 PM
• Jersey Shore Family Vacation, MTV, 8 PM
• Supernatural, CW, 8 PM
• Siren, Freeform, 8 PM
• The Big Bang Theory, CBS, 8 PM
• A.P. Bio (season finale), NBC, 8:30 PM
• Young Sheldon, CBS, 8:30 PM
• Ex on the Beach, MTV, 9 PM
• Station 19, ABC, 9 PM
• Showtime at the Apollo, Fox, 9 PM
• Arrow, CW, 9 PM
• Mom, CBS, 9 PM
• Life in Pieces, CBS, 9:30 PM
• Champions (season finale), NBC, 9:30 PM
• Quantico, ABC, 10 PM
• Chicago Fire, NBC, 10 PM
• S.W.A.T., CBS, 10 PM
• Atlanta, FX, 10 PM
• Black Card Revoked, BET, 10 PM
• Thursday Night Darts, BBC America, 10 PM
• Desus & Mero, Viceland, 11 PM

Friday

• Dear White People (S2), Netflix, 3 AM
• Kong: King of Apes (S2), Netflix, 3 AM
• End Game, Netflix, 3 AM
• Busted! I Know Who You Are (series premiere), Netflix, 3 AM
• Manhunt, Netflix, 3 AM
• A Little Help with Carol Burnett (S1), Netflix, 3 AM
• Anon, Netflix, 3 AM
• Forgive Us Our Debts, Netflix, 3 AM
• The Rain (S1), Netflix, 3 AM
• The Remix (season finale), Netflix, 3 AM
• Last Flag Flying, Amazon Prime, 3 AM
• My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman: Tina Fey, Netflix, 3 AM
• Vice, HBO, 7:30 PM
• Once Upon A Time, ABC, 8 PM
• Blindspot, NBC, 8 PM
• Macgyver (season finale), CBS, 8 PM
• Dynasty, CW, 8 PM
• Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., ABC, 9 PM
• Hawaii Five-0, CBS, 9 PM
• Rellik, Cinemax, 10 PM
• Blue Bloods, CBS, 10 PM
• Taskmaster, Comedy Central, 11 & 11:30 PM
• Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas, HBO, 11:30 PM

Saturday

• 2018 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, HBO, 8 PM
• Ransom, CBS, 8 PM
• Saturday Night Life: Donald Glover / Childish Gambino, NBC, 11:30 PM

Sunday

• The Good Fight, CBS All Access, 3 AM
• The Joel McHale Show, Netflix, 3 AM
• Bob’s Burgers, Fox, 7:30 PM
• Sweetbitter (series premiere), Starz, 8 PM
• American Idol ABC, 8 PM
• Killing Eve, BBC America, 8 PM
• Instinct, CBS, 8 PM
• The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth, Showtime, 8 PM
• The Simpsons, Fox, 8 PM
• Vida (series premiere), Starz, 8:30 PM
• Brooklyn Nine-nine, Fox, 8:30 PM
• Westworld, HBO, 9 PM
• Billions, Showtime, 9 PM
• Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, CNN, 9 PM
• Fear the Walking Dead, AMC, 9 PM
• Genius Junior, NBC, 9 PM
• NCIS: LA, CBS, 9 PM
• Unforgotten, PBS, 9 PM
• The Last Man on Earth (season finale), Fox, 9:30 PM
• I’m Dying Up Here (season premiere), Showtime, 10 PM
• Naked & Afraid XL: All-Stars (season premiere), Discovery, 10 PM
• Into the Badlands, AMC, 10 PM
• Silicon Valley, HBO, 10 PM
• Trust, FX, 10 PM
• Naked & Afraid, Discovery, 10 PM
• Deception, ABC, 10 PM
• Timeless, NBC, 10 PM
• United Shades of America, CNN, 10:15 PM
• Barry, HBO, 10:30 PM
• Talking Dead, AMC, 11 PM
• Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, HBO, 11:15 PM

[All times listed are in ET]