Apple

Developer survey offers top mobile predictions for 2013

It appears that 2013 will be the year that mobile shopping becomes pervasive. According to the just-released "Q4 2012 Developer Survey Report,"  from research firm IDC and Appcelerator, a mobile-platform developer, it's likely that most retail companies will have enabled mobile commerce in 2013. 

The survey, which encompasses the views of nearly 3,000 Appcelerator customers, predicts that 86 percent of shoppers will access a retailer's site on their mobile device while shopping in a retail store, and 71 percent of those surveyed predict the mobile wallet will "permeate" the consumer … Read more

iPhone infringes on patents from MobileMedia, jury rules

Apple has lost a few rounds in a courtroom case pitting it against patent holder MobileMedia.

A U.S. court ruled today that the iPhone infringes on three patents held by MobileMedia, a spokesperson for the patent holder told CNET.

One of the patents, No. 6,427,078, refers to a camera phone technology, according to the spokesperson. The other two patents, No. 6,253,075 and No. 6,070,068, deal with call handling.

A document of the verdict posted on Scribd shows the jury found that Apple directly infringed on the three patents in question. The jury also … Read more

Apple patent shows better way to handle incoming calls

A new Apple technology could make it easier for you to manage incoming phone calls.

Approved today by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the patent dubbed "Dynamic Context-Based Auto-Response Generation," describes a method to intelligently manage an incoming call, whether you're on the line with someone else or simply unavailable.

In one scenario, the system can be totally automated. So if you can't answer the call, the caller receives a specific pre-recorded message based on the caller ID and other attributes. In that case, the caller would be prompted to leave a voice mail. … Read more

Samsung exec: I use iPhone, iPad, Macs at home

Samsung's chief strategy officer, Young Sohn, is sure to ruffle some feathers in Seoul over his recent comments regarding Apple.

Speaking to MIT Technology Review in an interview published today, Sohn said that Apple's key strength might not be products, but the company's "ecosystem, such as iCloud."

"I like that my family 6,000 miles away in Korea is able to see my schedule and see all of my contacts and photos," Sohn said. "It is sticky, but it is a proprietary architecture. Look at your phone [pointing to the writer's … Read more

Google Maps already No. 1 among free iPhone apps

Google Maps didn't take long to capture the top spot among free iPhone apps.

Driving back into iTunes earlier today, the app had already reached first place after the first several hours. It's also garnered close to 8,000 reviews at this point, almost all of them earning five stars.

The new app offers all of the features that made it an iOS standard in the past but with a cleaner look and feel.

You can search for your destination by typing or speaking it. The app handles specific addresses as well as the names of businesses and … Read more

Apple could make bid for map firm TomTom, analyst says

Apple could make a bid for GPS and mapping company TomTom, according to an analyst.

In a note to investors today, Hans Slob, a Netherlands-based analyst at Rabobank International, said he believes there's a 30 percent chance of Apple offering to acquire TomTom. The move, he said, would be designed to quickly handle any troubles Apple could be facing with its Maps iOS application.

"TomTom needs the cash from Apple, and Apple needs the know-how of TomTom," Slob said, according to Bloomberg, which was first to report on the story.

It's not clear if Slob was … Read more

iPad Mini sales likely hurt by supply problems -- analyst

It's good to be in high demand, but not when there's not enough supply to go around. That's the case for Apple's iPad right now, Sterne Agee says.

The firm has joined the growing chorus of analysts worried about sales of Apple's popular gadgets. In Sterne Agee's case, the firm feels pretty bullish about iPhone sales but is more concerned about the iPad.

While the iPhone could surprise to the upside amid improving iPhone 5 supply, Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu said, iPad sales may prove to be a bit disappointing. That's because … Read more

iPad Mini to head to Russia this Friday

The iPad Mini will find itself in Russia starting this Friday, according to a Russian retail site.

Trumpeting the arrival of the 7-inch tablet, retail site Re:Store said it would kick off iPad Mini sales at its Moscow stores on December 14 at 18:00 local time, with other stores to follow suit.

The Wi-Fi only version will debut in Russia this Friday, while the Wi-Fi + Cellular edition won't be available until a later date. Russian buyers will have to ante up 13,490 rubles ($440) for the 16GB version, $571 for the 32GB edition, and $702 for … Read more

Google's Schmidt: Android is 'winning that war' with Apple

Google Chairman Eric Schmidt believes that Android's war with iOS is just about over -- and that his team won.

Speaking to Bloomberg in an interview published this morning, Schmidt said Android's ongoing market-share battle with Apple's iOS "is of the scale of 20 years ago -- Microsoft versus Apple." He went on to say that in his opinion, "we're winning that war pretty clearly now."

It might be difficult to argue with Schmidt's point. Research firm IDC reported last month that during the third quarter, Android shipments accounted for 75 percent of the worldwide market. … Read more