Smartflash Hits Apple With Second Lawsuit After Winning $533 Million Verdict

Just one day after Apple was ordered to pay a $532.9 million settlement to Smartflash LLC for infringing upon its patented technologies, the Texas-based patent licensing firm has sued the Cupertino-based company a second time over the same patents (via Reuters). The new lawsuit covers Apple products that were introduced after the original case was filed, including the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and iPad Air 2.

“Smartflash filed the complaint to address products that came out too far into the last proceedings to have been included,” Smartflash’s attorney, Brad Caldwell, told Reuters on Thursday. “Apple cannot claim they don’t know about these patents or understand that they are infringing. A diligent jury has already rejected those arguments.”

The new lawsuit was filed in the same Tyler, Texas district court on Wednesday night, only hours after a federal jury found Apple guilty in the original trial. Apple plans to appeal the decision in the original lawsuit under the belief that the patents are invalid. The patented technologies relate to digital rights management for downloaded songs, videos and games.

“Smartflash makes no products, has no employees, creates no jobs, has no U.S. presence, and is exploiting our patent system to seek royalties for technology Apple invented,” said Kristin Huguet, an Apple spokeswoman. “We refused to pay off this company for the ideas our employees spent years innovating and unfortunately we have been left with no choice but to take this fight up through the court system.”

Smartflash LLC fits the definition of a so-called “patent troll,” which is generally considered to be a company that licenses patents but does not sell any products or services based on the inventions. The small company has also filed similar lawsuits against Samsung Electronics, Google and Amazon in recent months over the same patents. The new lawsuit against Apple was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

Avatron Launches ‘Air Display 3’ for iOS With New USB Connection Option [iOS Blog]

Avatron, the company behind popular secondary display app Air Display 2 today launched an updated version of the software, Air Display 3. Like Air Display 2, Air Display 3 allows users to turn their iPads, iPhones, or iPod touches into secondary displays for their computers, but Air Display 3 has an important new feature — an option to connect an iOS device to a computer over USB.

Previous iterations of AirDisplay have been forced to work over WiFi (which made using AirDisplay laggy and unreliable) because for a long time, Apple rejected apps that used a USB connection. Apple relaxed its policies on apps accessing USB earlier this year when it approved Duet Display, paving the way for apps like AirDisplay to incorporate the same technology for more solid connections that cut down on lag.

In our limited testing, AirDisplay 3 used over USB worked well, with little lag, and its performance was comparable to Duet Display. There’s still an option to connect over WiFi if USB is not available, but using WiFi was considerably more unreliable with a lot more of a delay when attempting to perform tasks.

In addition to USB support, Air Display 3 has also gained features from Avatron’s Air Stylus app, which is being retired. Air Stylus was designed to allow people to use their iPads as pressure sensitive wireless drawing tablets in conjunction with Mac or PC-based computers, and that capability has been added to Air Display 3.

We’re retiring our Air Stylus iOS app and we’ve rolled all of its awesome features into Air Display 3. Now you can draw with your favorite pressure-sensitive stylus directly into a Mac app like Photoshop or Motion. In Air Display 3, we’ve added support for all of the latest styluses. And on iOS 8, you don’t even need a stylus: just tilt your finger to simulate pressure changes.

Air Display 3 also gains support for pinch and zoom gestures, and according to the release notes, its WiFi features have been sped up as well. Older features like multiple monitor support (for up to four iPads), a keyboard, HiDPI options, and touch gestures are also available.

Air Display 3, which is a new app and not an upgrade from AirDisplay 2, can be downloaded from the iOS App Store for $14.99. [Direct Link]

Users will also need to download a free Mac app from the Avatron website to connect their iOS devices to their Macs. For the time being, Air Display 3 is only compatible with Macs running OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion and above, but Avatron has plans to add Windows support in the future.

Google’s Sundar Pichai Discusses Search Partnership With Apple and iPhone 6 Success

Google’s Sundar Pichai, senior vice president of Android, Chrome and Google Apps, recently spoke about his company’s relationship with Apple in an in-depth interview with Forbes. The executive discussed a few topics related to Apple, including the impact of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus on the high-end smartphone market and Google’s long-standing search partnership with Apple that is rumored to be up in the air.

Questioned about the possibility of Apple ditching Google as the default search engine on iOS, Pichai did not appear worried and remains committed to building a product that users need. Google renewed its search partnership with Apple in 2010, although the contract is reportedly set to expire this year and there has been increasing speculation that Apple is considering a number of options. Both Microsoft and Yahoo have reportedly courted Apple to become the default search engine for Safari in the past.

Q: Your relationship with Apple is complicated. How concerned are you that you may lose them as a search partner on iOS?

A: There are areas with Apple in which we have always collaborated. We have had a long term search partnership. We work closely with them in areas like YouTube. When I look at search, largely the evolution depends on “are we bulding something which users need?” If we are building something that users need and there is a lot of value we are driving, I think how search manifests in iOS will work out just fine. We have a long term search partnership and are working together with them, and we’ll have to see.

Pichai also reflected on how Google expected the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus to do very well for Apple, adding that Android is healthy both overall and in the high-end market. He adds that Android is building upon the momentum of one billion devices shipped and believes both Google and Apple are doing well as the smartphone industry continues to evolve.

Q: There’s a perception that as Samsung is going through some challenges, Apple is regaining share at the high end. Do you see that in the numbers?

A: Share is tough to assess. There is a lot of noise. Based on what we see things are healthy overall globally including the high end. Apple obviously has done very well with iPhone 6 and 6 plus, but we always expected that. We knew this would be a big upgrade cycle for them. To me looking at the momentum of having shipped a billion devices, people even on the high reporting high loyalty rates across Android, I haven’t seen anything to be concerned about. The bigger story here is a growing pie. All of us are doing well.

The full-length interview goes into more detail about the state of Google, touching upon a number of products and services such as Android, Nest, Google Wallet, Google Hangouts, Google Shopping Express and the Play Store. Pichai also reflects on competitors in various spaces, including Amazon in e-commerce and WhatsApp, Snapchat and Facebook Messenger in messaging.

Apple Sends Invites for ‘Spring Forward’ Media Event on March 9

Apple today sent out invites for a media event that will be held on March 9, 2015 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, reports The Loop. The event will kick off at 10 a.m. Pacific Time.

The event is believed to be focused on the Apple Watch, with Apple unveiling details that are still under wraps, such as price, battery life, and accessory options. The event could also see the launch of other products, such as the 12-inch Retina MacBook Air.

iPhone Accounts for Nearly 90% of Smartphone Industry Profits in Fourth Quarter [iOS Blog]

The latest numbers from Strategy Analytics reveal that Apple continued to dominate in global smartphone profit during the fourth quarter of 2014, capturing a record-high 88.7% share of profit during the three-month period ending December. Apple earned quarterly operating profit of $18.8 billion on iPhone sales, up from $11.4 billion during the fourth quarter of 2013.

“Global smartphone operating profit grew 31 percent annually from US$16.2 billion in Q4 2013 to US$21.2 billion in Q4 2014. Android hardware vendors combined took a record-low 11 percent global smartphone profit share, down from 29 percent one year ago. In contrast, Apple iOS captured a record-high 89 percent profit share, up from 71 percent in Q4 2013.”

Overshadowed by the success of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, Android suffered a sharp decline in smartphone profit compared to its 29.5% share in the year-ago quarter. Android accounted for a record-low 11.3% share of global profit during the fourth quarter based on $2.4 billion in operating profit. Android had operating profit of $4.8 billion in the year-ago quarter. BlackBerry, Windows Phone and other mobile platforms recorded zero operating profit during the quarter.

These numbers reiterate that the smartphone industry is largely a two-horse race between Apple and Google, whether it be overall platform market share, enterprise market share or smartphone profit share. But if smartphone makers such as Samsung are unable to make decent profits based on the Android ecosystem, Strategy Analytics suggests that vendors may give more attention to alternatives such as Windows, Tizen or Firefox in the future.

Brikk Announces Diamond-Studded Apple Watches Costing Up to $75,000

While the Apple Watch is not expected to be released until April, luxury and couture product design company Brikk today announced a line of 30 luxury models for the upcoming smartwatch that they claim, “will afford unmatched opulence to an exclusive clientele worldwide.”

Similar to the Apple Watch in terms of sizes, the line of Lux Watches will be available in 38mm and 42mm, with color options of 24-karat yellow gold, 18-karat pink gold, and 950 platinum alongside varying band options. There are also three editions to the line: Standard, Deluxe, and Omni. All versions of the Lux Watch are prepared through disassembling Apple Watches that the company then repurposes with their luxury materials in a “state-of-the-art laboratory.”

The basic Standard edition offers a single row of diamonds (.50 carats) and a leather strap, while the mid-tier Deluxe has multiple rows of diamonds (2.3 carats), diamond encrusted buttons, and a diamond studded clasp on its leather strap.

The Lux Watch Omni edition in 24k yellow gold with 12.3 carats of diamonds
“For the ultimate in exclusivity,” Brikk offers the Lux Watch Omni edition with a fully diamond-emblazoned case resulting in over 12 carats of jewels on the device. The company promises only the highest end of luxury and satisfaction in purchasing one of their new line of high-end devices, which they’ve done before with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

The Lux Watch line stands out thanks to its meticulous production processes. Each piece is disassembled inside Brikk’s state-of-the-art laboratory in Los Angeles by a team of skilled engineers. They are hand polished, then plated with five layers of diverse metals before their final plating in either two layers of gold or platinum. High quality diamonds (color D, clarity VVS1) are set with a microscope in a custom-machined bezel. Each piece is then reassembled and tested before shipping to clients.

The line will set those interested back $7,495 for the Standard, $11,995 for the Deluxe, and $69,995 for the Omni, and all prices fluctuate slightly higher for larger sizes. Brikk promises that each comes in a “Zero Halliburton aluminum case with carbon fiber interior”, with a user manual, the expected accessories, a 1-year warranty, and a diamond-studded certificate of authenticity.

While Apple has taken a decidedly fashion-skewed angle in beginning to market the Apple Watch, Brikk’s new diamond-encrusted offerings appear to be a more straightforward answer to those looking for more of a statement with the new wearable.

Pricing guesses have jumped between $10,000 and $20,000 for the high-end Apple Watch Edition, so while the Lux line’s lower-end models could fall in line with Apple’s own mid-to-upper tier models, the Omni edition offered by Brikk may in fact be the most expensive version of the Watch on the market when the device launches this Spring.

Those interested in the Lux Watch line can visit Brikk’s official website to place a pre-order, which requires a deposit and is expected to ship between 4-6 weeks following the official Apple Watch launch in April.

iOS Extends Lead on Android in Enterprise on Strength of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus [iOS Blog]

The latest Mobility Index Report from Good Technology reveals that iOS increased its lead over Android in the enterprise market during the fourth quarter on the strength of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. iOS accounted for 73% of total activations during the three-month period ending December, up from 69% in the previous quarter and equal to the year-ago quarter.

Specifically, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus made up 30% of all activations during the fourth quarter, with the iPhone 6 to iPhone 6 Plus split being 77% and 23% respectively. Android activations dropped from 29% during the third quarter to 25% in the fourth quarter, while both Windows Phone and all other mobile platforms each represented a 1% share of activations.

Tim Cook Will Give 2015 Commencement Address at George Washington University

Apple CEO Tim Cook will give the keynote address to graduates at George Washington University this May, the university announced today. Cook will speak on May 17 on the National Mall and was nominated for the honor by students earlier this year. The university also plans to give Cook an honorary doctorate of public service.

“I am delighted that Tim Cook has accepted our invitation to give this year’s commencement address on the National Mall,” George Washington President Steven Knapp said. “I know our graduating students will be inspired and enlightened by his reflections on the lessons he has garnered from his distinguished career as a highly effective leader at the forefront of technological innovation.”

Cook’s last commencement speech took place in 2010, at his alma mater Auburn University. At the time, Cook was Apple’s Chief Operating Officer, and he took the opportunity to call working at Apple “the best decision I ever made.” He gave a moving speech that emphasized the importance of intuition and how it led him to Apple.

Previous commencement speakers at George Washington University have included actress Kerry Washington, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, First Lady Michelle Obama, former President George H.W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush, and Hilary Clinton.

It is not clear if a live stream of Cook’s commencement address will be available, but George Washington University does typically share videos of its commencement events on Vimeo shortly after they take place.

Google Expands Free Google Play Music Storage to 50,000 Songs [iOS Blog]

Google today announced an update to its Google Play Music service, expanding the amount of available storage. Users can now store 50,000 songs in the cloud at no cost, up from 20,000.

Content stored within Google Play Music can be played on computers via Google’s Music Manager app, on iPhones and iPads via the recently redesigned Google Play Music app, through a Chrome extension, through Chromecast, and on Android devices.

Google’s Google Play Music storage does not require a subscription to Google Play Music to use it, making it free for all users.

Those interested in using Google’s free music storage can access it by going to the Google Play Music website, skipping the subscription offer, and going straight to the music interface where there’s an option to upload music. Content can be uploaded directly from an iTunes library or from any folder.

Google, of course, hopes users will opt-in to its $9.99 per month subscription music service when signing up for free music storage, which offers on-demand access to millions of songs much like Spotify or Beats Music.

With the boost in free storage space, Google Play Music gains a bit of a competitive advantage over Apple’s iTunes Match service. iTunes Match costs $25 per year and allows users to store up to 25,000 songs in iCloud, but it gives users the benefit of accessing 256-Kbps AAC DRM-free quality music for any uploaded song that’s also available in the iTunes Store.

For those in the Apple ecosystem, it’s arguably easier to access songs on any device through iCloud using iTunes Match, but Google Play Music is a viable alternative as the company now has apps for the Mac, iPhone, and iPad available.

Apple Adds ‘GasBuddy’ and ‘GreatSchools’ as New Maps Data Partners

Apple added several new companies to its Apple Maps Acknowledgements page over the course of the past month, possibly hinting at future plans for improvements to its mapping app. The Acknowledgements page lists all of the sources that provide information to Apple for the Maps app.

New listings include GasBuddy/OpenStore and GreatSchools, two additions that AppleMapsMarketing speculates could lead to Maps upgrades like gas prices on gas station locations and school data for school locations. GasBuddy.com is a site that is designed to highlight local gas prices, helping users find the cheapest gas in any given area. GreatSchools.org is a community-based site that aggregates information about schools, including students enrolled, available programs, ratings, and academic test scores.

Apple has also added Yext to the page, a site that allows businesses to update their locations for multiple online sites at one time, but the company’s partnership with Yext was previously known. The National Land Survey of Finland Topographic Database is also new, likely adding new maps data for the country.

Though Apple’s acknowledgements page lists GasBuddy and GreatSchools, the above-mentioned data is not yet showing up in the Maps app, and it is unknown exactly when and if Apple will add gas price and school information to Maps. It’s entirely possible that the company’s partnerships with GasBuddy and GreatSchools have been established to bolster existing data on the locations of gas stations and schools.

Since Maps’ rocky debut in 2012, Apple has made continued efforts to improve the app by hiring mapping experts around the world, fixing user-reported errors, and boosting points of interest through its data partners. Most recently, Apple added 10 new data sources to Maps, sometime around November of 2014.

Apple is rumored to be working on some major Maps improvements like transit directions and indoor mapping information, but the launch of these features seems to have been pushed back due to internal organizational issues. It is not known when Maps might see its next major update, but because there seems to be no sign of Maps upgrades in iOS 8.2 and iOS 8.3, it’s possible Apple is saving the feature for iOS 9.