Unlocking the Power of iPad for the Blind
Bloomberg West profiles Ed Summers, who, as head of accessibility at international software company SAS, ?has made it his mission to help other visually impaired people unlock the power of the iPad.? Summers is traveling around the United States to teach educators how to maximize the device?s built-in accessibility features in their classrooms. Bloomberg notes that tablets are growing in popularity among educators, and Summers says iPad is ?opening up a whole world? for visually impaired students. ?We?re working to make sure that students and professionals of all abilities can succeed in the classroom and the 21st-century knowledge economy,? Summers says.
published on Monday, the 25. March 2013, apple-hot-news
Bloomberg: Apple ëiWatchí team numbers around 100
Lending further weight to Appleís rumored plans for an ëiWatchí, the company is said to have assigned up to 100 people to the project. An earlier rumors suggested that Apple might be experimenting with smartwatch-like device running the companyís iOS mobile operating system and using a new type of curved glass. The fresh rumor reported by Bloomberg would have Apple much closer to a potential product launch than previously thought....
published on Wednesday, the 13. February 2013, macintosh-news-network
Apple Has Team of 100 Product Designers Working on a Smart Watch
Bloomberg is reporting that Apple has a team of about 100 product designers working on a wristwatch computer, according to "two people familiar with the company's plans." The New York Times previously reported that Apple had been "experimenting" with a curved glass smart watch, but Bloomberg believes that Apple's smart watch plans have moved beyond the experimental phase. The team, which has grown in the past year, includes managers, members of the marketing group and software and hardware engineers who previously worked on the iPhone and iPad, said the people, who asked not to be named because the plans are private. The team?s size suggests Apple is beyond the experimentation phase in its development, said the people.Apple's senior director of engineering, James Foster, is said to be one of the managers working on the project, which happens to involve challenges like creating a smart watch that doesn't have to be charged every day. The smart watch, known colloquially by some as the "iWatch," would be able to do some of the same tasks as the iPad and iPhone. Bloomberg also mentions that Apple had been planning a wearable fitness tracking device, much like Nike FuelBand or Jawbone Up, but that Apple had decided not to bring them to market. Apple CEO Tim Cook is a Nike board member and spoke about his own Nike FuelBand at the D10 Conference last year, also saying that wearable devices were an "interesting area" but that "the book hasn't been written on that one yet." Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Apple Releases Firmware Battery Fix for 2010/2011 MacBook Pro 15- and 17-Inch Models • Minor Update of Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 Fixes Licensing Bug • Apple Exploring Alternatives to Traditional Passwords with Photo Identification as Authentication • Tim Cook Opposed Suing Samsung Over Mobile Device Patents • 4chan Founder Chris Poole Releases DrawQuest, an App Designed to Inspire Creativity • iOS 6.x Jailbreak Evasi0n Hits Seven Million Installs in Four Days • Vodafone UK Warning iPhone 4S Users Not to Upgrade to iOS 6.1 Due to 3G Issues • Enterprise Information Workers Favor Microsoft Tablets and Apple Phones
published on Tuesday, the 12. February 2013, macrumors
Details emerge on new Berlin, San Francisco Apple Stores
New information has emerged on anticipated Apple Stores in Berlin and San Francisco. Bloomberg sources indicate that as expected, Apple is planning to open up its first Berlin location in a former movie theater at Kurfürstendamm 26. Kurfürstendamm is one of the main shopping streets in Berlin, and the theater in question is across from a Hard Rock Cafe. The location was originally tipped over a year ago, and job listings began appearing in March. MacNN can confirm that Apple has already started hiring people for the store....
published on Tuesday, the 29. January 2013, macintosh-news-network
Samsung asks court to dismiss Apple appeal in Japan
Samsung is petitioning the Intellectual Property High Court in Tokyo to dismiss an Apple appeal in a patent infringement case, one which Samsung won last August, Bloomberg reports. The parties made their first oral arguments on Monday, and are slated to appear in court again on March 21st. The two corporations are disputing an Apple patent on syncing music and video with servers; before the Tokyo District Court ruled against it, Apple was seeking 100 million yen ($1.1 million) in damages for the supposed infringement....
published on Tuesday, the 29. January 2013, macintosh-news-network
Briefly: Apple Japan moves, Archos iPad kb, Iger on Jobs
Apple will be committing upwards of $2.2 billion in order to take over two whole floors of the 54-story Mori Tower as it relocates its Apple Japan headquarters from one part of the capital city to another. Mori Tower is the centerpiece of Roppongi Hills, a high-end business property development, reports Bloomberg. Apple Japan is presently located in Tokyo Opera City Tower and plans to complete the move before the beginning of summer. One reason for the move could be related to the real estate market: office rentals are down to less than half of what they fetched at their peak, about five years...
published on Thursday, the 24. January 2013, macintosh-news-network
Apple asks Court of Appeals to review two Samsung rulings
Apple has asked for a full complement of judges at the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to do simultaneous reviews of not one but two rulings in Samsung's favor, says Bloomberg. An Apple petition to review an October judgment against a Galaxy Nexus ban was already known; Bloomberg notes, though, that Apple is now hoping that the court will also overturn a December ruling rejecting other preliminary bans on Samsung products. It's unusual for a full set of Court of Appeals judges to work on a case. Typically, a panel of three judges is assigned to each issue....
published on Friday, the 18. January 2013, macintosh-news-network
Apple and Amazon Ordered to Enter Settlement Talks Over 'App Store' Trademark Issue
Earlier this month, a court threw out Apple's false advertising claim against Amazon in the dispute over the "App Store" trademark, leaving unaddressed the question of trademark infringement. The two companies have been battling over the issue for nearly two years, with Apple claiming that Amazon's use of the "Appstore" name to describe its marketplace for Android apps infringes upon Apple's App Store name and causes confusion with consumers. Bloomberg now reports that the two sides have been order to enter settlement talks over the alleged infringement in an attempt to resolve the dispute before it heads to trial later this year.U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth Laporte in San Francisco directed the companies to confer on March 21 and to bring their lead attorneys and people who have full authority to negotiate and settle the case, according to a court filing today. A trial is scheduled for August. Apple is seeking a court order to block Amazon from using the term Appstore in its service to sell software for devices running Google Inc.?s Android operating system. Apple alleges the online retailer infringes its trademark and violates unfair competition laws.Amazon has argued that the term "app store" is a generic one and that Apple should not have been preliminarily awarded a trademark on the name back in 2010. Apple originally filed for the trademark in 2008, but once the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office tentatively approved the application and published it for opposition in early 2010, Microsoft filed an objection, also arguing that the term was generic. The trademark approval has remained in limbo, as Microsoft and Apple have agreed to postpone further debate in the process until the case between Apple and Amazon is resolved. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • iPhone 5 Cutbacks Simply Due to Initial Shipment Rate Being Too Large to Maintain? • New York Times Columnist Goes Undercover, Secretly Creates Best-Selling App • Other World Computing Building Pricey 3.5" 2TB SSD for Desktop Workstations • A Behind the Scenes Look at a Steve Jobs Keynote • Apple Adds Streaming Movie and TV Service Watchever to Apple TV in Germany
published on Wednesday, the 16. January 2013, macrumors
Reuters Pulls Story on Phil Schiller's iPhone Comments Following 'Substantial Changes' to Source Article [Updated]
Yesterday, a report from the Shanghai Evening News including comments made by Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller about Apple's refusal to build "cheap" devices was widely re-reported throughout both the Apple-focused rumor scene and in mainstream media. Schiller's comments were viewed by some as a direct rebuttal to recent rumors from The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg that Apple is working on a less expensive iPhone for launch as soon as later this year, although he actually appeared to simply be noting that any product Apple releases would not sacrifice quality in order to grab market share at lower price points. Reuters has now issued a brief statement retracting its re-reporting of the Shanghai Evening News piece, citing "substantial changes" to the source article. Reuters will not be publishing an amended version of its story. It is unclear exactly what changes Reuters is referring to, as the online version [Google translation] of the Shanghai Evening News piece appears to be essentially the same as when it was first covered by English-language media. Still, the retraction by Reuters casts significant uncertainty on the original report and raises questions about whether Schiller's comments were mistranslated or misinterpreted. Update 12:30 PM: Reuters has now published an explanation for its retraction, citing the changes made to the original Shanghai Evening News article.[I]n a new version of the story published after the original, the Shanghai Evening News removed all references to cheaper smartphones, except for a mention of a "cheaper, low-end product." It also amended its original headline from "Apple will not push a cheaper smartphone for the sake of market share," to "Apple wants to provide the best products, will not blindly pursue market share." Apple confirmed the interview had taken place and that it had contacted the Chinese newspaper about amending its original article, but had no further comment and declined to provide a transcript of the interview. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Xerox CFO Luca Maestri Joining Apple as Corporate Controller • Angry Birds Space 'Pig Dipper' Update Brings New Water Worlds • Apple Releases EFI Firmware Update 2.6 for MacBook Air • Tweetdeck Updated With Predictive Typing and Performance Upgrades • Pebble Smart Watch to Begin Shipping January 23
published on Friday, the 11. January 2013, macrumors
Reuters Pulls Story on Phil Schiller's iPhone Comments Following 'Substantial Changes' to Source Article
Yesterday, a report from the Shanghai Evening News including comments made by Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller about Apple's refusal to build "cheap" devices was widely re-reported throughout both the Apple-focused rumor scene and in mainstream media. Schiller's comments were viewed by some as a direct rebuttal to recent rumors from The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg that Apple is working on a less expensive iPhone for launch as soon as later this year, although he actually appeared to simply be noting that any product Apple releases would not sacrifice quality in order to grab market share at lower price points. Reuters has now issued a brief statement retracting its re-reporting of the Shanghai Evening News piece, citing "substantial changes" to the source article. Reuters will not be publishing an amended version of its story. It is unclear exactly what changes Reuters is referring to, as the online version [Google translation] of the Shanghai Evening News piece appears to be essentially the same as when it was first covered by English-language media. Still, the retraction by Reuters casts significant uncertainty on the original report and raises questions about whether Schiller's comments were mistranslated or misinterpreted. Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories • Xerox CFO Luca Maestri Joining Apple as Corporate Controller • Angry Birds Space 'Pig Dipper' Update Brings New Water Worlds • Apple Releases EFI Firmware Update 2.6 for MacBook Air • Tweetdeck Updated With Predictive Typing and Performance Upgrades • Pebble Smart Watch to Begin Shipping January 23
published on Friday, the 11. January 2013, macrumors