GigaOM » Apple

Motorola v. Apple 3G patent suit tossed by German court

Erica Ogg — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:46:23 +0000

Just a week after Motorola was awarded two significant victories in a German court over Apple, the companies’ luck have changed. On Friday, a judge ruled he would not grant an injunction against Apple products on the basis of a 3G/UMTS patent claimed by Motorola and dismissed the suit.

Patents blog FOSS Patents explains:

The judge explained that the court does not hold Apple to infringe claim 9 of EP1053613 on a ‘method and system for generating a complex pseudonoise sequence for processing a code division multiple access [CDMA] signal’. In the court’s opinion, MMI failed to present conclusive evidence for its infringement contention.

Motorola had argued that the patent named above was “essential,” meaning that someone — in this case, Apple — would have to use technology covered by the patent if they’re using an industry-standard practice. The problem is, the judge didn’t see it that way and says Motorola didn’t present a convincing case that the patent was essential.

Just a week ago, Motorola claimed victory on two separate rulings related to its ongoing intellectual property battle with Apple. In the first, an injunction was granted against older iPhone and iPad models that infringed on a GPRS-related patent. And in the second, Motorola won an injunction against Apple devices that receive push email notifications from its iCloud system in Germany. Apple said it would appeal both.

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China Telecom could offer the iPhone as early as February

Darrell Etherington — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:24:00 +0000

China Telecom is getting very near to launching Apple’s iPhone 4S on its network, the carrier said in a press release Tuesday obtained by China Daily. China Telecom subsidiary Beijing Telecom said a CDMA version of the iPhone 4S will likely be available to its customers by the end of February or the beginning of March.

Apple has been taking preparatory steps in advance of a launch with China Telecom, China’s third largest mobile network operator. Earlier in January, Apple secured regulatory approval to sell a device in China that operates using the CDMA2000 network standard, which is the technology China Telecom uses for its 3G network. At the time, the only step remaining for Apple was to get a license from China’s Telecommunications Equipment and Certification Center to begin selling the device, which it gained on Monday this week.

Earlier this week, Morgan Stanley’s Katy Huberty predicted Apple could grow its iPhone sales by as many as 57 million units in China over the next two years if it succeeds in securing partnerships with China Telecom and China Mobile. China Telecom will offer Apple a potential subscriber pool of roughly 15 million high-end subscribers according to Morgan Stanley’s numbers, approximately doubling its current reach through official partner China Unicom.

The deal hasn’t yet been confirmed by Beijing Telecom’s parent company beyond the report from China Daily, and no pricing details have been released, but the pieces are in place, and there’s little reason to suspect Apple wouldn’t want to expand its presence in China as quickly as possible. No doubt a partnership with China Mobile, which reaches 650 million subscribers and has around a 70-percent share of the Chinese mobile market, is also a priority, but technological factors likely precludes official iPhone support until Apple creates a version specifically for China Mobile’s network.

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Why the iPad is a salesperson’s best friend

Darrell Etherington — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:31:06 +0000

Recent studies from Forrester and Good Technology show that Apple’s iPad is doing very well in the enterprise, with new activations soaring. One company just deployed 1,300 of the Apple tablets across its sales force, because combined with the right software, it believes there is no better tool a salesperson can carry.

A recent report at InformationWeek details the story of Level 3 Communications, which recently equipped its entire sales workforce with iPads loaded with apps that provide access to pricing information; presentation creation; and display, corporate email, customer records and inventory checks. The iPad proved more than up to the task of supplementing and mostly replacing laptops.

InformationWeek goes into much more detail about what the iPads meant for Level 3, but the advantages for salespeople on the ground can be boiled down to three main categories:

1. Instant on. The iPad’s ability to instantly wake from sleep and pick up right where a user left off exceed that of even the fastest SSD-equipped notebooks, and it only sips power in tiny amounts in order to provide that functionality. That, combined with its superior portability, makes it the perfect tool for doing “quick checks between meetings, at an airport, or in a taxi,” InformationWeek says. With a laptop, five minutes in a taxi might not seem like enough time to make powering up worth your while; with the iPad, that’s a nonissue.

2. Connectivity. The iPad (at least the 3G models) provides always-on cellular network access, as long as you are within coverage range. Some laptops can offer that, but the process is still often more complicated than just tapping the wake button and being ready to surf, email or chat. But it’s not just cellular radios that make the iPad great for sales; built-in GPS positioning means salespeople can get locally relevant information, like clients or potential clients in the immediate area, in only a few short steps via task-specific software.

3. On-device demo. A laptop is an ineffective replacement for a catalog, and presenting a slide show on one is awkward. Using an iPad as a presentation tool, on the other hand, is natural. The tablet is easily passed around, can be read like a magazine, and can also output to external displays with less hassle and fewer steps than a laptop. And apps like OnLive Desktop and Iongrid make it even easier for iPads to sub in for notebooks capable of running desktop presentation tools.

Level 3 isn’t the only company to realize the value of iPads in the hands of a sales force. Sears, of all companies, announced in October it would begin rolling out iPads in 450 stores that same month, and TUAW noted at the time that Lowes and Pacific Sun were also expanding iOS deployments.

InformationWeek thinks 2012 will be a breakout year in terms of actual iPad deployments, just as 2011 saw a huge uptick in pilot programs. If that indeed comes to pass, we should see Apple easily beat the 40.7 million iPads it sold in 2011.

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Samsung’s second German 3G patent lawsuit against Apple dismissed

Darrell Etherington — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:15:39 +0000

Samsung suffered another reversal in its patent battle with Apple on Friday morning, as the Mannheim Regional Court in Germany dismissed the Korean company’s second patent complaint related to 3G/UMTS technology. Last week, the same court had rejected another complaint involving a separate patent that also dealt with 3G.

Florian Mueller of FOSS Patents was in attendance at the court’s announcement of the ruling on Friday and said that Judge Andreas Voss didn’t specify any particular reason for the decision. The first ruling against Samsung last week also didn’t include a reason. Mueller said at that time that the reasons could either be that Apple had been found not to infringe the patent or that Samsung’s rights in exerting the patent had been deemed exhausted, which would result in Apple’s being granted a license by default. The same reasons could also be applied to Friday’s ruling.

For Samsung, this is definitely a setback, but it isn’t the end of the road; the company still has three other 3G/UMTS patents at issue in separate complaints filed with the Mannheim court. As long as the reasons behind the dismissals of these two lawsuits aren’t somehow related to all the patents in question, it could still claim a victory on one or more of those remaining.

Samsung could also still appeal the decision, and given that it, like Apple, posted record earnings for its most recently completed quarter, there is no financial barrier preventing it from doing so. With two companies at the top of their game slugging it out in the legal arena, there is little incentive for either to stop.

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Hands on with OnLive Desktop: Windows works surprisingly well on the iPad

Darrell Etherington — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:29:16 +0000

I like my Macs, but I also won’t turn my nose up at Windows. Sometimes it’s just what the doctor ordered, and with the new OnLive Desktop app for iPad, I suspect it’ll be the prescription I’m looking for much more often. OnLive Desktop brings Windows 7 to your iPad, streamed remotely from powerful servers. Here’s a detailed look at what the fresh new Windows virtualization app for iPad has to offer.

The price tag is the best part

Somehow, OnLive Desktop is free. It doesn’t cost a dime to download the app from the App Store, and there’s no subscription service to sign up for. The app also doesn’t require you to own a copy of Windows, as do Mac virtualization apps like Parallels and VMware. Windows 7 is already set up and running on OnLive’s remote servers. All you have to do is sign up for a free OnLive account (or use an existing one if you already signed up for OnLive’s gaming service) and connect.

Better than remote desktop apps, local virtualization software

Despite OnLive Desktop is working over an Internet connection talking to servers miles away (likely hundreds of miles in my case), it performs better than any remote desktop apps I’ve used on my own local Wi-Fi network. There’s very little lag; apps open and close speedily; and documents, spreadsheets and presentations are already setup by default to save to a synced folder, which auto-syncs at regular, frequent intervals.

In terms of setup time and ease of use, OnLive Desktop beats out both remote desktop apps and virtualization software running locally on Macs, in my opinion. This is especially true if your intended use is light editing of documents you need to access right away when away from home, since you can download from and upload to a web interface at files.onlive.com for your specific synced OnLive Documents folder.

NextPrevious

Picture 1 of 5

That's a Windows desktop, on your iPad.

Limited in scope, but should hit the right notes for most

OnLive Desktop has some limitations your own local installations of Windows won’t, however. Any changes you make to app or system settings won’t be there the next time you log in, for instance; OnLive does this to ensure speedy connections and easy jump-in, jump-out functionality for all users.

You also can’t install new programs or access anything beyond what OnLive provides, so this definitely isn’t a solution for Windows-based gaming. Still, those pre-installed apps include Word, Excel and PowerPoint 2010, as well as Windows Media Player and some basic utilities. You can’t access Internet Explorer, which would be a nice touch for people working remotely who have to access IE-only enterprise dashboards, for instance.

Finally, there’s the issue of not being able to use the iPad’s own software keyboard. Instead, you’ll get the Windows 7 on-screen keyboard. It pales in comparison to the Apple version, but it’s usable nonetheless. Also, know that if you exit the app mid-edit, you won’t be able to save your document when you jump back in, even if it resumes with the document open.

Despite those limitations, OnLive probably provides what the vast majority of its target audience requires: a quick and easy way to edit Office docs on the go. The extremely high-quality Windows Media Player streaming playback and other perks like the ability to use the touch-optimized Microsoft Surface Collage app, are just are icing on the cake.

Microsoft’s Office iPad apps are here

With Bluetooth keyboard support and the ability to connect over 3G (OnLive disconnects you after 10 minutes when connected this way, but that’s plenty of time to accomplish minor edits on the fly), I see little reason to go elsewhere for Office-compatible document editing. Plus, if this app eventually gets an upgrade to the tablet-optimized Windows 8, it should be even more touch-friendly.

Rumors occasionally crop up that Microsoft is working on dedicated Office apps for the iPad. With OnLive Desktop, I find myself happy to wait for Microsoft to take as long as it wants to get its act together.

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T-Mobile: Apple’s next chipset will support AWS

Darrell Etherington — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:02:07 +0000

Updated. Apple isn’t one to talk about its future plans, but that doesn’t always stop partners or potential partners from sometimes spilling the beans. Case in point: T-Mobile CTO Neville Ray told Cnet in an interview Tuesday that Apple’s “next chipset will support AWS.” That means the iPhone could soon be available on a bunch of different networks, including T-Mobile’s in the U.S., which uses the AWS spectrum.

It probably shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. After all, most expect Apple’s next iPhone to support 4G LTE technology, which runs at least in part on AWS spectrum. Verizon has especially invested heavily in AWS to enable its LTE network, planning to spend about $4 billionto buy airwaves from the cable providers. But Ray’s definite statements go a long way toward confirming Apple will at least have the building blocks of LTE support in place with its next-generation iPhone. Update: T-Mobile reached out to let us know that Ray in fact has not seen Apple’s specific roadmap, but that he believes “Apple has the option to move to AWS with the roadmap of chipsets on the market today.”

That isn’t a guarantee that T-Mobile will be an iPhone carrier with the next iPhone’s launch. Ray was careful to note in talking with Cnet that Apple could easily not take advantage of the device’s hardware compatibility and skip reaching an agreement with T-Mobile. Also, AWS antennas in an iPhone 5 might just be needed to support LTE, so there’s no guarantee that Apple will extend its use to 3G networks like the HSPA+ network that T-Mobile employs. But adding AWS compatibility has implications beyond just T-Mobile.

In the U.S., other big players that use AWS spectrum include Cricket and MetroPCS, both of which use the band for their CDMA networks. Cricket reaches around 7 million customers, while MetroPCS’s network covers 8.9 million subscribers. In Canada, the other major market where AWS spectrum is used, upstart low-cost alternatives to the big three, Wind Mobile and Mobility, have AWS networks, and major providers Bell and Rogers are using it to build out their own next-gen LTE networks.

Apple simplified its product offerings with the iPhone 4S by including world phone support, providing compatibility with a wide range of spectrums. Adding AWS support would not only put LTE support within reach, it could also potentially open up the iPhone to a whole new segment of customers, should Apple choose to explore 3G support on the AWS band as well.

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U.S. Wireless Data Market: Q4 and Year-End 2008

iOS 5.1 Beta 3 restores 3G toggle, hints at iPod, iPad dictation

Darrell Etherington — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:27:51 +0000

Apple released its latest iOS beta on Monday, and details have since emerged that make it a noteworthy update, both for iPhone users and for others waiting in the wings on some of Siri’s features to trickle down to the rest of the iDevice family.

First, there’s a new feature in iOS 5.1 beta 3 for iPhone 4S users that will be familiar to many: You can once again toggle 3G on and off (via mobileburn), instead of only being able to disable data entirely. It’s a feature that was missed by many during its absence, especially since the ability to force a step down to 2G connections is a great way to help extend your battery just a little longer than usual. It’ll be found under the Settings app in the Network section when the 5.1 update goes live.

Another new tidbit which has less concrete implications is the presence of new references to Dictation services (via 9to5Mac) in a new section under the Keyboard menu in general settings. The section, called “About Dictation and Privacy,” opens a dialog box with legal and feature information related to using Siri Dictation on the iPhone 4S. The new section is reportedly appearing on both the iPad and iPod touches with Retina Displays.

While dictation still isn’t actually available from software keyboards on either of those devices, the presence of this new section indicates that Apple could be preparing them for its arrival. Since the same info relegated the Siri subsection of Settings on the iPhone 4S, it does seem like the iPad and iPod touch could be getting just the dictation, without the smart searching and other benefits of Siri. There’s also the possibility that these are just testing placeholders, ahead of the introduction of Siri features to next-gen devices also being used internally at Apple with pre-release iOS software builds.

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Apple poised to double potential iPhone market in China

Darrell Etherington — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:22:34 +0000

Apple is one step closer to nearly doubling its potential iPhone subscriber base in China, thanks to a new regulatory approval it secured in that country this week, according to Bloomberg. Apple now has official permission from the China Radio Management Office to offer a handset that operates on the CDMA2000 network standard, which is used by the third-largest Chinese carrier, China Telecom.

China Telecom would be the second iPhone carrier in China, joining the country’s second-largest network provider China Unicom. China Telecom would add a potential buying audience of 33.4 million mobile subscribers to China Unicom’s network of 36.5 million users. All that remains is that Apple secure a license from China’s Telecommunications Equipment and Certification Center prior to offering the device for sale.

Apple wouldn’t need to do much to offer the right hardware for the network; China Telecom uses a 3G CDMA2000 network, based on the same standard as Verizon’s mobile 3G network in the U.S. Adding the carrier officially would not only expand Apple’s reach, but also help it win back more legit channel sales from the gray market: Gartner analyst Sandy Shen told Bloomberg that as authorized sales outlets become more widely available, gray market sales dwindle.

Apple may soon face entirely different challenges in China, however, especially if it rapidly scales its potential iOS user base in the country. Recent reports indicate Apple is currently being sued by a group of Chinese writers over allegations that pirated books are being offered for sale on the App Store. The group has asked Apple to remove the books, but so far, the iPhone-maker has refused. The group plans to file another lawsuit on behalf of more authors soon, and says the problem has become rampant. The group is only seeking around $1.2 million USD in damages for this first suit, but in the long term, Apple could alienate content providers and invite continued legal trouble by ignoring the problem.

As China becomes more central to the future of Apple’s mobile market, the company will likely have to come up with new ways to address these and other unique challenges. We’ve seen that localization is key when it comes to making apps successful in Asian App Stores, so it would make sense that Apple may eventually want to set up more localized operations for dealing with Chinese App Store content as well, especially given the recent move to make the Chinese App Store open to payments using local currency.

It looks like we’ll soon see China’s iPhone use explode, above and beyond the impressive growth it’s already posting in that country. Don’t be surprised if Apple pumps up its local operations as well.

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Share any iPad or iPhone’s data connection with iTether

Darrell Etherington — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:11:07 +0000

Update: iTether is gone from the App Store. A quick test shows that the service is no longer working for tethering my iPad connection to my Mac, either. It might be because Tether.com couldn’t handle the server load from so many users trying out the service, though, so we’ll keep trying to see if it starts working again. Let us know if the app continues to be usable for you.

Amazingly, Apple approved an app called iTether that lets you share your iOS device’s data connection with a Mac or PC over USB — regardless of whether or not your carrier allows tethering, and without jailbreaking. Even more surprising, maybe, is it works with 3G-enabled iPads, too.

Tether, the company behind iTether, is no fly-by-night organization, either. The company has offered tethering solutions for BlackBerry devices for quite some time now, and I have often taken advantage of its services in the past. Now, it has somehow convinced Apple’s App Store review team to allow it to release an app that provides tethering even to people whose plans specifically forbid it. There’s no guarantee your carrier won’t be able to identify the extra usage and incur charges after the fact, or present you with an ultimatum requiring you to pay up, but it works nonetheless.

Here in Canada, most of our carriers offer iPhone tethering as part of your basic smartphone data plan, so there is no additional fee and everything works out of the box with Apple’s own built-in personal hotspot tech. But I also carry a 3G iPad with me wherever I go, and have often thought I’d like to use that connection with other devices, since I have the plan anyway. ITether running in compatibility mode on an iPad 2 worked perfectly for me, sharing its 3G data connectivity over USB to my iMac once I managed to download and install the server application (I used this mirror, since Tether.com’s servers are taking a beating).

It would be nice if I could broadcast the connection over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, instead of having to have my iPad plugged into the computer I want to share the connection with, but it’s still nice to have the option available. ITether is in the App Store now for $14.99, but I can’t imagine Apple’s major U.S. carrier partners will be very happy about this, so buy at your own risk. We’ve requested more info from Apple about the app’s approval, and will be sure to update you if its availability or status changes.

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AT&T: We’re not seeing subscribers flee to iPhone rivals

Darrell Etherington — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:39:21 +0000

AT&T isn’t seeing its network subscribers jumping the fence for greener pastures in the wake of rivals Sprint and Verizon getting the Apple iPhone, an AT&T executive said in an interview with MarketWatch on Wednesday. In fact, it hasn’t seen subscriber loss rates change at all, and it continues to experience high demand for the iPhone 4S.

Speaking to MarketWatch, AT&T President of Emerging Devices Glen Lurie said that “churn [the number of customers who cancel their services] has not moved at all.” That’s pretty much in keeping with what we saw in a third-party report from analytics firm Localytics earlier this month.

Lurie went on to praise Apple and its flagship smartphone, noting the record-breaking numbers AT&T saw in terms of iPhone 4S sales so far. AT&T is also still having trouble keeping up with demand, Lurie said, with customers currently facing a week or two delay in order to get their hands on a 4S when ordering from the carrier.

Network speed is one of AT&T’s primary advantages over the competition with the iPhone 4S, and it could be one reason users aren’t eager to switch providers. It’s the only carrier that can offer HSPA+ speeds on the device, and subscribers on Sprint have complained of slow browsing on 3G connections.

Still, AT&T’s competitors also appear to be happy with the iPhone’s sales performance on their networks. Sprint confirmed early on that the iPhone 4 and 4S beat its previous one-day sales record by a wide margin, and Verizon said during its most recent quarterly report that iPhone 4 and 4S sales remain strong. In other words, it doesn’t look like anyone has to lose in order for AT&T to win in this case.

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Did iOS 5.0.1 fix your battery (and other) issues?

Darrell Etherington — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 14:29:48 +0000

Apple released iOS 5.0.1 on Thursday after a remarkably short beta testing period and faster than many expected after a promised timeline of a “few weeks.” But was the release too expedited? A number of complaints from iOS 5 device owners on the Apple Support Discussion forums suggest that could be the case.

Far from cries of relief, the Apple Discussions site has been flooded since the update with stories of how the software fix hasn’t actually fixed anything at all. Users complain that battery issues remain, and some who say they have never experienced any battery problems before the 5.0.1 update now see problems post-installation.

Many users (five pages’ worth of new complaints on one thread alone) are expressing a similar suspicion that maybe the battery issue is not really related to software at all but may be endemic to the iPhone 4S itself. Others claim that the 5.0.1 update has introduced new problems, like microphone failures, Wi-Fi signal loss and cellular network inconsistencies. Some of the issues I reported that weren’t addressed specifically by the update’s release notes appear to also remain in play, judging by reports from other users and personal experience since the update.

The update isn’t all bad; the introduction of multitouch gestures for the original iPad works well and is a welcome addition. And the first over-the-air iOS update went very smoothly, downloading and installing within just a few minutes, compared to the rather time-consuming and complicated process of updating via iTunes. But it does seem like it was rushed out the door without making sure it addressed the problem at the fore of most users’ minds.

I haven’t had any significant battery problems with iOS 5 and nothing seems to have changed in that regard, but the flood of disappointed feedback from users is undeniable. What about you? Has the update fixed your device, left it unchanged or made things worse?

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U.K. survey finds many iPads getting limited use

Darrell Etherington — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:30:32 +0000

An interesting new survey out of the U.K. finds that a significant number of iPads may not be getting as much use as you might expect. How often do you use your iPad? According to the new survey, it’s possible more than a quarter of you answered once a week or less.

According to a survey of more than 1,500 British iPad owners conducted by discount site MyVoucherCodes.co.uk (via Cnet UK), 26 percent of respondents used their iPads once a week or less. One in 10 even said they use it rarely.

In fact, only 42 percent of iPad owners say they use their iPad every day, according to the survey. My own usage makes me feel like a crazy person by comparison, since I doubt barely an hour goes by where I don’t at least pick the thing up and unlock it just to check my notification history.

The problem for around half of those who said they weren’t using their iPads more than once a week is connectivity; they say they don’t own a 3G model and therefore can’t as easily access the web and use apps that require data connections while on the go. That’s actually good news for Apple; it suggests the company should be able to upsell at least some iPad buyers on mobile network-capable devices next time they upgrade.

But the answer of others, who claim that they don’t use it that often because they can’t think of what to do with it, is more troubling. Basically, it means Apple and app developers still have some work to do in terms of promoting every day use cases for the iPad and its software.

Of survey respondents, 14 percent said they’d received their iPad as a gift, and as a result never really felt a need for one to begin with. That, and the tablet’s unique and transitional place in the overall computing landscape (it is still a relative newcomer compared to notebooks and desktops, after all) could account for a lot of the perceived indifference among surveyed owners.

What do you think? Is this in keeping with what you’re seeing about iPad usage, or just a freak result?

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Apple fixing some 4S bugs, but what about mute and network problems?

Darrell Etherington — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:47:51 +0000

It’s no secret now that Apple is working hard on getting a fix for iOS 5 battery issues out the door. It even opened up beta testing of pre-release software to end users, instead of just the usual registered developers. But battery life isn’t the only problem new iPhone 4S owners are having with their devices.

The mute bug

Now that the talk around the battery problems has died down at the Apple Support discussion forums, the new star of the show is a flaw with outgoing calls that sees them often automatically muted. It doesn’t seem to be limited to any one carrier, so the problem seems to be something specifically with the 4S’s hardware or software. I’ve also experienced this myself, though only a couple of times near the beginning of my time with the device. Still, I don’t often make outgoing calls without a headset, so I may just not have noticed since then.

While users wait for an official fix, you can get voice working again by turning speakerphone on and off, or by using a headset to call as I mentioned I usually do anyways. This hasn’t been acknowledged by Apple in any official documentation yet, but it does seem like the kind of thing that could be addressed in a future update, so you may want to pause before scheduling an appointment to make a return.

The 3G or network data drop

Another common complaint at Apple’s support discussions is that the iPhone 4S drops network data connections seemingly at random. Besides being well represented on Apple’s forum, it’s also something I’ve heard of a lot personally from other 4S owners I know. The problem isn’t something that totally disables your device; often data just drops from 3G to EDGE and eventually goes back to normal after a few hours. But sometimes, data can be dropped altogether, which means you won’t know about new voicemail, or get push emails, and measures like turning Airplane Mode on and off are often required to get a connection back.

I’ve seen this on my own iPhone 4S, too, and as mentioned, it’s hard to identify a cause. It seems to happen most frequently when I get or make a call, but not exclusively during those activities. Also, just opening Safari and browsing can sometimes re-establish a connection if you’ve only dropped 3G but still have EDGE.

Again, this one hasn’t been officially acknowledged by Apple, but if it’s happening to you, it’s probably not worth exchanging your device just yet. The problem seems widespread enough, based on the discussion threads related to it, that a replacement will just display the same issue, so waiting to see if a forthcoming software update is the least inconvenient option.

The Siri volume bug

Siri has a nasty habit of maxing out the volume just after use. You’ll notice if you activate Siri, and then press the home screen button to cancel your request, then lock the device. After a short time, the volume goes back to wherever you set it, but for a little while, the volume is ear-splitting, and this applies system-wide. There are many threads in the Apple Support Communities about this issue.

Mostly minor, but majorly irritating

All the bugs listed here are actually quite small, which is why a lot of users report not having returned their devices as a result of encountering them. I, too, have run across each but have yet to ascribe it to hardware fault, since each seems pretty likely to be a software problem. It’s troubling, however, to see no mention of these apparently common problems in any of the information circulating about Apple’s upcoming bug-busting iOS 5.0.1 release. Hopefully they’re filed under the category of “general bug fixes” and do arrive with that update. Otherwise, Apple will have to tackle them head-on sooner or later.

Anyone else seeing these or other persistent problems?

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Which carrier is best with iPhone 4S in your state?

Erica Ogg — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 14:18:00 +0000

Now that you have three U.S. carriers to choose from when it comes to the new iPhone 4S, you can afford to shop around a little for the network operator that will get the best performance out of Apple’s latest smartphone. Open Signal Maps has helpfully put together an interactive map showing data from thousands of speed tests combined with information known about the iPhone 4S’s chipset. The maps shows that AT&T is the winner in 31 states, but does that include your state? Check out the map below and click through for more details.

Open Signal Maps doesn’t have data on every state (sorry, people of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, the Dakotas, Nebraska, Iowa, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire). While AT&T took 31 states, Verizon would be fastest for iPhone 4S owners in six states. Sprint didn’t test fastest in any state. At least they’ve got that unlimited data plan going for them?

Open Signal Maps does include the caveat that this is not a comparison of the three carriers’ networks vis-a-vis each other. Rather, this is a test of how the iPhone 4S only operates on each different network. Here’s the explanation:

What’s the difference? Well, the iPhone 4S is a dual-mode phone that supports AT&T’s 3G network, which uses HSPA technology, and Verizon and Sprint’s 3G network, which runs on EVDO. AT&T has recently upgraded their existing HSPA network to HSPA+, which offers almost double the speed of their original 3G network, and the iPhone 4S supports this newly upgraded technology. Verizon and Sprint aren’t actually far behind: have both rolled out next-generation 4G networks, and Verizon’s LTE network in particular was blazing fast in our recent testing. But since the iPhone 4S doesn’t support those networks, they’re not included in our analysis.

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Samsung to file for multiple injunctions against iPhone 4S

Darrell Etherington — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 12:24:42 +0000

Samsung revealed on Wednesday that it would try to stop the release of Apple’s new iPhone 4S in France and Italy with filings seeking injunctions on the new smartphone. Samsung’s complaints (via WSJ) will center on two instances of alleged patent infringement related to WCDMA standards for 3G connectivity.

The patents in question are considered “essential,” which means that Samsung has an obligation to license them to any competitor on fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory (FRAND) terms in the EU. Samsung has previously attempted to block the sale of Apple products on similar grounds in the Netherlands. In that case Apple argued that it had been attempting to comply with the FRAND licensing requirement but was still in the process of negotiations with Samsung based on price. A preliminary decision on the validity of Samsung’s complaint is expected next week.

It was a move that Apple likely saw coming, as reports have surfaced recently that this was indeed what Samsung had planned to do. It also makes sense that Samsung would want to retaliate against the multiple injunction attempts that Apple has consistently aimed at Samsung’s Galaxy Tab and Galaxy smartphone devices in various global markets.

Samsung’s statement claims that the infringement embodied by the iPhone 4S is simply “too severe,” necessitating that the device be barred from sales. The company claims to have chosen Italy and France for its initial filings because the countries represent “key markets” and also cited their specific legal systems and procedures as reasons behind the choice. France is part of Apple’s initial launch group of countries for the 4S, which will receive the new iPhone on Oct. 14, while Italy is part of the second group, which should see the 4S launch at the end of October.

I’d say this fight is getting ugly, but the truth is that it’s already been that way for a long time. FOSS Patents’ Florian Mueller thinks that Samsung’s attempts in this case go beyond just ugly and venture into dangerous territory. He says that while it’s “most likely” that these complaints related to FRAND patents “will fail,” the implications if they succeed are bad, since they could destabilize the tech industry by weakening what amounts to a barrier to rampant infringement claims. Essential patents are considered necessary to a category of device, so if companies can successfully file suit without exhausting all possible FRAND negotiations, it could make it much harder for both existing players and newcomers without strong patent portfolios to compete.

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Apple raises antitrust specter in Samsung patent hearing

Darrell Etherington — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 15:12:36 +0000

Apple and Samsung’s lawyers faced off Monday in a Dutch court hearing arising from Samsung’s recent suit against the iPhone maker over wireless patents. The two traded jabs in a heated debate about whether or not Samsung has the right to pursue an injunction of Apple products at this stage, or whether Samsung is overstepping its bounds by not allowing Apple to come to fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) licensing terms for Samsung’s essential mobile wireless patents. Part of Apple’s argument against the validity of Samsung’s complaint involve accusations that it could be guilty of anticompetitive behavior.

Under European patent regulations, because the 3G and wireless patents Samsung is claiming Apple has infringed upon are considered essential, Samsung must give competitors a chance to come up with licensing terms that satisfy the FRAND requirements. Samsung can only pursue legal action against infringing parties only if it absolutely can’t reach an agreement with the other party.

Samsung’s suit, filed last week, was premature, according to Apple’s lawyers. Dutch publication Webwereld editor Andreas Udo de Haes live-tweeted the events from the Netherlands courtroom as they unfolded, where Apple reportedly claimed to “basically have an agreement” with Samsung regarding licensing for the four patents in question, “according to French law,” with the only outstanding issue being price. Apple claims Samsung is asking for an unreasonable percentage of device profits in exchange for the tech licenses.

Apple claimed there was no urgency in this case, and Samsung is only pushing for an injunction against any iPhones and 3G-capable iPads in order to derail the upcoming launch of the next iPhone. The iPhone maker even brought up the idea that Samsung’s actions in pursuing suits related to these patents in the face of any FRAND negotiations that are ongoing could amount to an antitrust issue. FOSS Patents’ Florian Mueller chimed in to wonder whether or not those accusations could presage an antitrust complaint from Apple with the European commission at a later date.

Samsung claimed Apple’s portrayal of its patents was false, and downplayed their importance. The Korean company also claims Apple has undermined the validity of any FRAND negotiations by breaking non-disclosure rules regarding the process. Samsung further addressed claims made by Apple that it is playing patent ambush by arguing that Apple had full knowledge of the existence of Samsung’s patents when it brought its products to market and wilfully ignored them. Apple says the chips in its products are supplied by companies that have already paid royalties themselves, so licensees are covered.

We should hear more in the next day as the hearing continues. The court will issue a ruling about whether or not Samsung’s cases against Apple will be allowed to continue on Oct. 14.

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