Apple has been hit by another lawsuit this week, with Ericsson suing them for infringing on 41 wireless-related patents which they believe make little products like the iPhone and the iPad work. Hmm.
This occurred after Apple refused to accept a licensing deal from Ericcson, as their previous deal expired mid January. When that happened, Apple was a little miffed at Ericsson and filed suit against them, claiming that they were demanding excessive royalties for patents not essential to LTE standards. Ericsson countersued, seeking an estimated $250 million to $750 million in royalties per year for Apple to continue licensing its patented wireless technologies. Apple refused to settle, and now Ericsson is really pissed.
“By refusing Ericsson’s fair and reasonable licensing offer for patented technology used in Apple smartphones and tablets, Apple harms the entire market and reduces the incentive to share innovation,”
However, Ericsson is not actually asking for money from Apple anymore, with the company now asking the U.S. International Trade Commission for an exclusion order against Apple. That means they want the iPhone, the iPad and other products they believe use their patented technology blocked from being sold in the United States.
What a beautiful weekend we have to look forward to! And it’s almost here! If you plan on getting on some hot deals online whilst sipping a mojito on the beach, or in-between hot dates and long brunches with friends, here’s what looks good!
*Get a WinBook 1080p Action Video Camera for just $46, or with WiFi for just $66 with Shipping from Microcenter.
*DazzleGames via eBay are offering their TPU Rubber Ultra-Thin Bumper Cases for iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus in seven colors for $1.99 with free shipping.
*Amazon is offering the Bose Acoustimass 6 Series 5.1-Channel Speaker System, at the pretty incredible price of $399 with free shipping.
*Get a 51″ Samsung 720p 600Hz Plasma HDTV for just $348 with free store pickup at Walmart
* Can’t wait for the Apple Watch? Get a Xiaomi MiBand Smart Bracelet Silicone Band Wristband Watch for Android/IOS Phone for just $15.52 after coupon MIBANDS12OFF. Free shipping included. From TinyDeal.
*Swoop on PlayStation 4 with Four Games, One Pick Bundle with 6-Month PS Plus for just $359.99 + Free Shipping. From eBay.
*eBay is currently offering 10% off Laptops and Cameras of $200+ after Coupon Code: “CLC10OFF” ($50 Max Discount).
*Use that coupon on some great deals such as these two: The Canon EOS 6D Full Frame Digital DSLR Camera (BODY ONLY) for a low $1099.00 after coupon and with Free Shipping, and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III Full Frame DSLR Camera BODY ONLY for a low $1949.00 after Coupon Code, and with free shipping.
*Wanna try some new games this weekend? Best Buy has a 30% bonus for games trade in.
And that’s a wrap! Hope you guys enjoy your weekend whatever you may be doing!
Good news!! One of those things we all love – Apple special media events – has just been announced!
Come March 9th (that’s in just 11 days people!) Apple will be sharing some special news with us at a media event held at 10:00 AM P.S.T at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.
What the news? Well, we’re not 100% on that, but that’s of course not unusual for an Apple media event. Here’s what we do know:
It is assumed that the event will focus mainly on the imminent release of the much anticipated Apple Watch, including specific price, battery life, accessory and release date details.
There is a rumor that Apple will also talk about a 12-inch Retina Macbook Air as well.
Other than that we’ll just have to wait and see! We will of course keep you up to date with the rumor mill as the event gets closer!
The day after celebrating what would have been the late Steve Jobs’ 60th Birthday, a federal jury in Texas has found that Apple infringed on Texas based patent licensing firm Smartflash LLC’s patents relating to digital rights management, data storage and managing access through payment systems.
The infringement exists in relation to iTunes and the jury has hence ordered Apple to pay up – not the original $852 Smartflash was originally after, but $532.9 million big ones. Apple will be appealing the findings of course, saying that Smartflash is exploiting the patent system to seek royalties for tech Apple invented.
From the Sauce, Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet:
“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.”
In what seems like an expensive (or lucrative) year for Smartflash, they are also suing Samsung in a lawsuit that will begin after the Apple trial is complete, as well as against HTC Corp and Google.
This case is Smartflash LLC v. Apple Inc., 13-447, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Texas.
Apple debuted their new iPad Ad last night during the Academy Awards, and as per usual it was an uplifting and inspiring look at what the iPad can do to improve your life. In this case, it was focusing on Artists and in particular, filmmakers.
Because it was shown during the Oscars. And they’re filmmakers, you see? And pretty much about 75% of people who watch the Oscars think about how nice it would be to be up on that stage, holding a little golden statue and saying ” You like me! You really like me!”
Apple wants everyone to achieve that dream! And use your iPad while you’re at it!
The Ad, called ” Make a Film with iPad’, featured Martin Scorcese in a resonant voiceover and a bunch of students from a Los Angeles County high School using iPads to create films and other art. It finishes with the phrase “Everything changes with iPad”. The ad was apparently itself completely shot on an iPad Air 2.
Check out the App store for the new featured section highlighting the Apps that can help student filmmaking, and check out the ad below!
Reports have surfaced that the Apple Electric – possibly self driving- car that has lately hit the rumor mill with a vengeance will be debuting as early as 2020.
2020! That’s a very short 5 years away.
This ads to rumors that Apple is looking to buy Tesla (whilst Elon Musk has his interests in SpaceX and in batteries) and has suffered from a lawsuit claiming that Apple has poached vital and under contract engineers from Electric-car battery maker A123 Systems. They are also purported to have hired engineers from Ford, GM, MIT Motorsports, Ogin, Autoliv, Concept Systems, and General Dynamics.
It’s interesting to think about Apple’s entry into such a huge new industry- considering that to buy General Motors they would only need to access 10% of their cash stockpile, it’s an interesting, intriguing and entirely possible new direction they seem to be turning.
As always it remains to be seen whether this project will actually come to fruition or not. We’ll keep you up to date with all the rumors until then!
What do you guys think, would you buy an electric car from Apple?
Today marks the 25th anniversary of Photoshop, which, after it’s creation by John Knoll in 1987, was launched on a Mac Plus on the 19th February 1990. To put that into some context for you, this was the same month that Nelson Mandela was released after 27 years imprisonment in South Africa, and that the Bette Midler song Wind Beneath My Wings won at the Grammy’s.
So – pretty long ago.
Photoshop has come a long way since then, enriching our lives, and becoming the industry standard image editing app (and making it so people can trick people everywhere. Thanks photoshop).
Adobe has launched a special celebration of Photoshop, looking back at the last 25 years and looking to the future of the next 25. Check it out here.
From the Sauce:
“Today, the digital imaging revolution that Photoshop started is so pervasive that remembering a time before it existed takes some work. So it’s with great pleasure, on Photoshop’s 25th anniversary, that we look back to the simpler, pre-millennial world into which it was born, not to celebrate the past but to recognize what an awesome transformation our world has undergone in such a short amount of time.”
Do yourself a favor – Google Photoshop so you can truly appreciate it’s effect on society (and enjoy a treasure trove of majestic images!)
Everyone’s favorite dysfunctional family, the Dunphy’s & Pritchett’s from ABC’s show Modern Family will be coming at you through the lens of only Apple devices in an upcoming episode of the show.
On February 25th, the Modern Family you see will have been entirely shot on an iPhone 6 and iPad Air 2. Not only that, but the whole episode will take place on a MacBook Screen as Claire Dunphy tries to get in touch with her daughter Haley by using various Mac Apps (think iMessage, FaceTime etc) to call members of her family whilst stuck at an airport. Pretty impressive!
The episode, entitled “Connection Lost” airs Wednesday, February 25 on ABC.
As per our previous article, Apple Pay just keeps on growing. We thought it might be handy for you guys to know which merchants you can use Apple Pay in, and which merchants will very soon support it.
Stores:
Aeropostale
American Eagle (Per keynote slide; not yet listed on site)
Anthropologie (Coming later this year)
Apple
Babies R Us
Bi-Lo
BJ’s
Bloomingdales
Champs
Chevron
Disney (Coming later this year)
Duane Reade
Extra Mile
Food Maxx
Foot Locker
Foot Action
Free People (Coming later this year)
Harveys
House of Hoops by Foot Locker
Jewel-Osco
Kids Foot Locker
Lady Foot Locker
Lucky
Macy’s
McDonald’s
Nike
Office Depot
Panera Bread
Petco
PetSmart (Coming later this year)
Radio Shack
Run by Foot Locker
Save Mart
Shaw’s
Six:02
Sephora (Coming later this year)
Sports Authority
Sprouts
Staples
Subway
Texaco
Toys R Us
United Supermarkets
Unleashed
Urban Outfitters (Coming later this year)
Walgreens
Walt Disney Parks & Resorts (Coming later this year)
Wegmans
Whole Foods
Winn-Dixie
Apps:
Airbnb
Apple Store
Bierhaus
Chairish
Dapper
Disney Store (iPhone only)
Eventbrite (Coming later this year)
Deal Flicks
Drync
Fancy
Flextrip
Free Prints
Gametime
Getaround
GoldieBlox and the Movie Machine
Groupon
Hotel Tonight
Houzz
Indiegogo
Instacart
Jack Threads
Keep Shopping
Levi’s Stadium (Coming later this year)
LIFX
Lyft
Merchbar – Merch and Vinyl
MLB.com
OpenTable (New York City, San Francisco, Washington D.C. only; pay.opentable.com)
Orange Harp Shopping
Panera Bread
ParkWhiz – Discounted Parking
Pose added
Postmates
Priceline
Print Studio
RadPad
SeatGeek Tickets
Sephora
Sosh
SpotHero
Spring – Go Shopping
20Stamps
Staples
Starbucks (Coming later this year)
Stayful
StubHub
StyleIt
Target
ThirdLove: Lingerie Reinvented
Ticketmaster
Tickets.com
ThreadFlip: Buy and Sell Fashion
Touch of Modern
Uber added
Washio
YPlan
Happy Apple Pay Shopping! We for sure see some useful Valentines Day merchants on that list! ( Hint Hint… just kidding)
Apple Pay is continuing to grow with Apple still adding not only merchants who accept it, but Banks and Credit unions that support it. The list of Banks and Credit Unions now runs at over 45 and Apple just added over a dozen names to that list.
Here are the names of the new institutions that support Apple Pay:
Alliant Credit Union
Altra Federal Credit Union
Andrews Federal Credit Union
BBVA Compass
BECU (Boeing Employees’ Credit Union)
Ent Federal Credit Union
F&A Federal Credit Union
Fifth Third Bank
First Niagara Bank
First Tech Federal Credit Union
Golden 1 Credit Union
INOVA Federal Credit Union
Savings Bank of Danbury
Star One Credit Union
Uwharrie Bank
Whilst this brings the number of banks and Credit unions that support Apple pay up to 60, Tim Cook made mention in his 1st quarter earnings call last week that their have been 750 institutions in total that have committed to rolling out support of Apple Pay in the future.
He also brought out the pretty fantastic number – $2 out of every $3 spent using contactless payments across the three major credit card companies—Visa, MasterCard, and American Express—was made using Apple Pay.
That sounds a little surprising, doesn’t it? To use Apple Pay your banking institution must support Apple Pay, the merchant or App you are making a purchase though must support Apple Pay, and you must have an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, or iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 with apps only.
Users with an iPhone 5, iPhone 5C and iPhone 5s will be able to use Apple Pay if they use it in combination with an Apple Watch after it’s release in early April.
Here is the total list of Banks & Credit unions that currently support Apple Pay.
-L&N Federal Credit Union
-UW Credit Union
-Commerce Bank
-America First Credit Union
-American Express
-Bank of America
-Barclaycard
-Capital One
-Citi
-Commerce Bank
-J.P. Morgan
-M&T Bank
-Merrill Lynch
-Navy Federal Credit Union
-PNC
-Regions Bank
-SunTrust
-U.S. Bank
-U.S. Trust
-USAA
-Wells Fargo
-Fremont Bank
-National Institutes of Health FCU
-Security Service Federal Credit Union
-Consumers Credit Union
-Virginia Credit Union
-Cyprus Federal Credit Union
-Fairwinds Credit Union
-Mountain America Credit Union
-Partners Federal Credit Union
-Customers Bank
-A+ Federal Credit Union
-Amegy Bank of Texas
-America First Credit Union
-Bethpage Federal Credit Union
-California Bank & Trust
-Connex Credit Union
-Goldenwest FCU
-Huntington Bank
-KeyPoint Credit Union
-Meijer Credit Union
-National Bank of Arizona
-Nevada State Bank
-The Bank of Greene County
-Vectra Bank
-Zions First National Bank
-Alliant Credit Union
-Altra Federal Credit Union
-Andrews Federal Credit Union
-BBVA Compass
-BECU (Boeing Employees’ Credit Union)
-Ent Federal Credit Union
-F&A Federal Credit Union
-Fifth Third Bank
-First Niagara Bank
-First Tech Federal Credit Union
-Golden 1 Credit Union
-INOVA Federal Credit Union
-Savings Bank of Danbury
-Star One Credit Union
-Uwharrie Bank
What has your experience been like with Apple Pay?
Uncategorized | iPhone-Antidote | 
February 28, 2015 10:31 am | 
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