Judge Cote Likely to Side with U.S. Against Apple

5 hours, 59 minutes ago · Bryan Chaffin · News

Apple in Court

Judge Denise Cote said on Thursday that she expects the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) will be able to prove that Apple conspired with publishers in the run-up to the release of the iPad. The judge issued a "tentative view" that effect to attorney representing the DOJ and Apple to that effect, adding that the opinion is based on reading through some of the evidence.

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This case drives us nuts. On the one hand, Apple mostly likely did act as ringleader in getting the publishers to shift to the agency model for pricing. At the same time, before Apple did so, Amazon had monopoly power in this market and was dumping books to gain that power and shut down competitors.

Microsoft Commercials Take Swipes at Apple’s iPad

8 hours, 29 minutes ago · Bryan Chaffin · Editorial

iPad vs. Windows

Microsoft is taking pot shots at Apple's iPad in its efforts to promote moribund sales of Windows 8 tablets. In a new series of commercials, the Redmond, WA company harnesses Siri to disparage iPad's one-app-at-a-time nature, and compares specs to show an Asus device is thinner and weighs less than iPad.

Reuters Traces Apple’s Irish Operations Back to 1980

10 hours, 33 minutes ago · Bryan Chaffin · Cool Stuff Found

Reuters has put together a detailed look at Apple's operations in Ireland at the center of the company's tax strategy. As noted by CEO Tim Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer during their testimony in a Senate hearing on Tuesday, Apple first started doing business in Ireland in 1980. Reuters explains how the Irish government used generous tax concessions to attract companies like Apple going back to 1956, and how those efforts led to many multinationals using Ireland for their European operations. If you're following Apple's tax story, it's a great read.

Analyst: iWatch Coming in 2014 with Biometrics

1:15 PM EDT, May. 23rd, 2013· Jeff Gamet · Rumor

Don't plan on spending your money on an Apple smartwatch this year, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. He expects the rumored iWatch will surface later in 2014 and that it will include biometric-related features, too.

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It's a pretty safe bet that Apple is experimenting with wearable technology in its labs, and that most likely includes watch-type devices. Whether or not any of those products ever make it to market remains to be seen, and it's also a safe bet they won't make it out of testing if Apple doesn't think they'll be market changing devices.

Pondering Those Who Dis Apple’s CEO Tim Cook [VIDEO]

11:30 AM EDT, May. 23rd, 2013· John Martellaro · Editorial

Drive-by insults of Mr. Cook don't cut it.

Recently, we've seen some articles that claim Tim Cook doesn't really know what he's doing and he'll drag Apple down. It's all nonsense, driven by lack of understanding of the man. John Martellaro refutes the crazy notion based on his own experiences. Plus he presents a video for you to analyze.

Mailbox, Now with iPad Support

10:37 AM EDT, May. 23rd, 2013· Jeff Gamet · Cool Stuff Found

The popular Gmail client app Mailbox started life as an iPhone and iPod touch app, but now has iPad support, too. Mailbox hit the App Store earlier this year and proved to be so popular that users had to sign up on a waiting list to get access to its features. The app has since been bought by Dropbox and the waiting list days are behind us. The app gives users more email organizational control that Google offers, can set reminders to check specific messages later, and more. Mailbox is free and is available at Apple's iTunes-based App Store.

Apple Says Samsung Galaxy S4 Violates 5 Patents

9:41 AM EDT, May. 23rd, 2013· Jeff Gamet · News

Apple followed through on a plan to add Samsung's Galaxy S4 smartphone to its patent infringement lawsuit this week by filing new documents in the case claiming the device infringes on five patents. The filing also stated that the Google Now search features included with the S4 infringe on two patents.

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Apple made it clear it wants Samsung's Galaxy S4 included in this patent infringement case. Judge Koh will most likely approve the addition while cutting one of the other devices Apple is already targeting, especially since denying Apple's motion would most likely lead to yet another patent infringement lawsuit between the companies.