Apple Files Trademarks for Beats 2, 3, 4, and 5 Radio Stations
Apple filed trademark applications for the word marks B2, B3, B4, and B5 with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in November, including the matching marks Beats Two, Beats Three, Beats Four, and Beats Five, as spotted by French website Consomac [Google Translate]. The applications are currently pending review.
All four trademark applications are assigned to “Beats Electronics, LLC,” have the same logo that Apple uses for its Beats 1 radio station, and are listed under broadcasting- and streaming music-related categories, indicating that Apple could be planning an expansion of its Beats radio network in the future.
Goods and Services: broadcasting and transmission of voice, data, images, music, audio, video, multimedia, television, and radio by means of telecommunications networks; broadcast and transmission of streamed music, audio, video, and multimedia content by means of telecommunications networks; matching users for the transfer of music, audio, video, and multimedia by means of telecommunications networks; providing access to websites, databases, electronic bulletin boards, on-line forums, directories, music, and video and audio programs
Apple’s licensing terms with record labels reportedly give the company permission to create up to five additional radio stations like Beats 1 without needing to negotiate new terms. Apple could potentially launch additional Beats stations around the world, adding DJs in other countries or launching stations with a specific focus or genre.
MacRumors previously discovered that Apple has registered domains such as beats2.com.cn, beats2.hk, and beats4.com.ru in various countries around the world. Beats 1 is broadcast worldwide, but in the future, Apple may wish to offer stations that cater to different languages and musical preferences around the world.
Beats 1 is broadcast in over 100 countries and has been on air since Apple Music launched on June 30. Apple’s 24/7 live global radio station, anchored by renowned DJs Zane Lowe, Ebro Darden and Julie Adenuga, provides a mix of the latest music, guest interviews and more. Beats 1 can be streamed through Apple Music and iTunes.
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Hyundai Launching CarPlay in Sonata in First Quarter of 2016
Hyundai has confirmed that CarPlay will launch in the 2016 Sonata in the first quarter of next year, per the Detroit Free Press. The carmaker will reportedly sell an SD card with new software to get the system for an undisclosed price.
The report does not specify if CarPlay will be available in 2016 Sonata models sold outside of the United States, or if Apple’s in-dash software will be backwards compatible with the 2015 Sonata. The carmaker has not yet outlined plans to bring CarPlay to the rest of its vehicle lineup.
In April 2014, Hyundai announced that CarPlay would be available in the Sonata beginning in the 2015 model year, but it failed to deliver on that promise. CarPlay is only now beginning to experience wider U.S. adoption in 2016 vehicles from General Motors, Volkswagen, Honda and other automakers, as either a standard feature or entertainment package upgrade.
CarPlay provides hands-free or eyes-free access to Maps, Phone, Messages, Music, Podcasts and third-party apps including Spotify, Rdio, iHeartRadio, CBS Radio and MLB At Bat. The platform uses Siri and interfaces with your vehicle’s knobs, dials and buttons for safer access to common iPhone features. The software is compatible with iPhone 5 or later running iOS 8 or above.
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Apple wants an additional $180 million from Samsung in patent infringement lawsuit
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In early December, we heard that Samsung would finally be conceding to the decision handed down in its patent infringement lawsuit against Apple, paying the $548 million that it owed the tech giant. While Samsung is still searching every legal avenue of getting the money back, Apple is apparently not content just to get amount agreed on in the lawsuit – it wants more. In court papers filed just before Christmas, Apple submitted a claim that it wants an additional $180 million from Samsung in interested and additional damages.
This is probably payback for when Samsung managed to get its payment amount reduced by around $382 million in May this year, down from the original amount, $930 million, which was ruled on in 2012. And just so we’re reminded about the kinds of things that were part of this lawsuit, Samsung was charged with infringing on patents to do with the iPhone’s front face, bezel and app icons – seems like a whole lot of hullabaloo over nothing, but this lawsuit likely isn’t going away anytime soon.
What do you think about Apple looking for an additional $180 million from Samsung? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The post Apple wants an additional $180 million from Samsung in patent infringement lawsuit appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
A lot of people apparently got Fitbits for Christmas
If Apple’s App Store rankings are any indication, a lot of you got a Fitbit for Christmas yesterday: The company’s fitness-tracking app quickly shot to the top of the free list in iTunes. As Qz points out, Fitbit’s activity tracker was already the most-downloaded health and fitness application for iOS, but as Christmas approached, it leapfrogged 20 spots to the top, suggesting many a couch potato unboxed one of the firm’s wristbands.
That’s not surprising, insofar as Fitbit is the clear market leader, with a whopping 22 percent of the pie, last we checked. And hey, even we would vouch for its products: Some of our own editors use Fitbit’s products and we’ve previously included the Charge HR in our wearable buyer’s guide. That said, the company has also had some competition from an increasing field of rivals, some with less expensive wares. For now, though, consider this evidence that Fitbit is still a first name in wearables — and that lots of gift givers had the same safe idea.
Source: Qz
Apple tries to pack more in sack, asks court for almost $180 million more from Samsung
Like one of the scenes of the Grinch trying to cram every last bit of Christmas from Whoville in his sack, Apple strikes just before the holiday with a request to lighten the bank account of Samsung just a little bit more in their long-running patent battle. In a new court filing this week, Apple is asking the district court for another $180 in damages and interest.
Just a couple weeks ago, Samsung made a payment of more than half a billion dollars to settle the amounts outstanding from a 2012 jury ruling in the case. In the course of making that payment, Samsung reserved the right to “claw back” funds if it was later found that Apple was not really owed all of that money. Samsung’s basis for thinking not all of the damages were really owed is their belief that they will succeed in a new appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court that they filed this month.
Samsung may be hopeful regarding the elimination of some of the damages based on previous attempts to limit the damage from the ruling. The jury had originally awarded Apple close to $1 billion. That amount was reduced to just over $500 million after an appellate court ruling earlier this year.
Apple is claiming that Samsung continued to sell some of the infringing products after the jury ruling in the original case. These sales deserve an additional damage award according to Apple since they infringed the patents.
source: Reuters
Come comment on this article: Apple tries to pack more in sack, asks court for almost $180 million more from Samsung
Case claiming iMessage set to not deliver to Android dismissed
Apple has come out on top in a legal battle that claimed iMessage was rigged to not deliver to Android phones.
Specifically, the lawsuit in question stated that Apple’s iMessage service “intercepted” and retained messages that were intended to be delivered to Android owners. Despite the claim, federal judge Lucy Koh has chosen to dismiss the case in a single-paragraph order.
This is the second time this year that Apple has won this particular case, following a ruling earlier in the year that decided the group wasn’t eligible for class action, Business Insider reports.
The original class-action lawsuit was filed by a former iPhone user who said that she was no longer able to receive messages from other iPhone’s after switching to an Android device. Following the complaint, Apple acknowledged the issue and released a patch in May addressing the issues, however the suit continued until its dismissal in August.
Back in August, we reported that both Google and AT&T filed motions with the federal courts to access materials being filed during the lawsuit’s discovery phase.
Apple continues to host a service specifically designed to help customers de-register their phone number from the iMessage service.
Another option for those aiming to switch to Android involves disabling the messaging service through the iPhone’s settings before switching the SIM out to the new handset.
Via: ZDNet
Come comment on this article: Case claiming iMessage set to not deliver to Android dismissed
Apple wins lawsuit claiming messages to Android were blocked
You certainly have reason to be upset at how Apple handled iMessages for users switching away from iOS, but it’s clear that not everyone has raised those gripes the right way. Judge Lucy Koh (from the Apple-versus-Samsung case) has dismissed a lawsuit arguing that Apple effectively wiretapped iMessage chats to prevent them from reaching Android users. There’s no mention of the reasons for dismissal in the court order. However, Apple had asked the judge to toss the case when it learned that two of the plaintiffs dumped their iPhones after the case began — they’d eliminated important evidence.
As it stands, the wiretapping connection was strained. The issue wasn’t that Apple was looking at and blocking iMessages, but rather that it didn’t have a way to deliver those texts when recipients ditched their iPhones without deactivating iMessage first. Think of it as moving without leaving a forwarding address — the post office can’t give you a letter if it still thinks you’re at your old place. This doesn’t excuse the headaches involved with ditching iOS, but it’s clear that this suit didn’t have much chance of success.
Source: Business Insider
Apple wins lawsuit claiming messages to Android were blocked
You certainly have reason to be upset at how Apple handled iMessages for users switching away from iOS, but it’s clear that not everyone has raised those gripes the right way. Judge Lucy Koh (from the Apple-versus-Samsung case) has dismissed a lawsuit arguing that Apple effectively wiretapped iMessage chats to prevent them from reaching Android users. There’s no mention of the reasons for dismissal in the court order. However, Apple had asked the judge to toss the case when it learned that two of the plaintiffs dumped their iPhones after the case began — they’d eliminated important evidence.
As it stands, the wiretapping connection was strained. The issue wasn’t that Apple was looking at and blocking iMessages, but rather that it didn’t have a way to deliver those texts when recipients ditched their iPhones without deactivating iMessage first. Think of it as moving without leaving a forwarding address — the post office can’t give you a letter if it still thinks you’re at your old place. This doesn’t excuse the headaches involved with ditching iOS, but it’s clear that this suit didn’t have much chance of success.
Source: Business Insider
Apple wins lawsuit claiming messages to Android were blocked
You certainly have reason to be upset at how Apple handled iMessages for users switching away from iOS, but it’s clear that not everyone has raised those gripes the right way. Judge Lucy Koh (from the Apple-versus-Samsung case) has dismissed a lawsuit arguing that Apple effectively wiretapped iMessage chats to prevent them from reaching Android users. There’s no mention of the reasons for dismissal in the court order. However, Apple had asked the judge to toss the case when it learned that two of the plaintiffs dumped their iPhones after the case began — they’d eliminated important evidence.
As it stands, the wiretapping connection was strained. The issue wasn’t that Apple was looking at and blocking iMessages, but rather that it didn’t have a way to deliver those texts when recipients ditched their iPhones without deactivating iMessage first. Think of it as moving without leaving a forwarding address — the post office can’t give you a letter if it still thinks you’re at your old place. This doesn’t excuse the headaches involved with ditching iOS, but it’s clear that this suit didn’t have much chance of success.
Source: Business Insider
YouTube Accuses T-Mobile of Downgrading All Video With Binge On Program
YouTube this morning provided a statement to The Wall Street Journal criticizing T-Mobile’s recently introduced Binge On program and accusing T-Mobile of throttling all video and not just the video of its Binge On partners.
Launched in November, Binge On is a T-Mobile video service that allows T-Mobile subscribers to watch video from content partners without it counting against customer data plans. The catch is that it uses a proprietary data compression algorithm to stream the video in 480p. While Binge On can be disabled, using the feature requires partner video to be watched in 480p, which T-Mobile calls “DVD quality.”
T-Mobile has 24 partners for Binge On, including Netflix, HBO, Sling TV, and more, but YouTube has not signed up to participate. Despite the fact that YouTube is not partnering with T-Mobile, the company says its video streams are still being downgraded to 480p quality, a problem YouTube would like fixed.
YouTube, which is owned by Alphabet Inc., said T-Mobile is effectively throttling, or degrading, its traffic. “Reducing data charges can be good for users, but it doesn’t justify throttling all video services, especially without explicit user consent,” a YouTube spokesman said.
The Internet Association also backed up YouTube’s claim, stating that T-Mobile’s Binge On service “appears to involve the throttling of all video traffic, across all data plans, regardless of network congestion.”
T-Mobile did not address YouTube’s complaints when questioned by The Wall Street Journal, instead giving a blanket statement about Binge On. Customers love “free streaming video that never hits their data bucket” and “the quality of their video experience and the complete control they have.”
The United States Federal Communications Commission is looking into Binge On along with free data services from AT&T and Comcast. While there is no formal inquiry at this time, the FCC has asked the three companies to answer some questions about their free data practices. YouTube’s accusations could further spark the FCC’s interest, especially as some consumer advocates believe that programs like Binge On violate net neutrality rules.
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