It may have been relatively quiet on the patent front in comparison to the no-holds barred playground that we have been used to over the last twelve months, but Samsung is ensuring that the litigation surrounding alleged patent infringements will continue well into next year. We all remember the major Apple victory earlier this year in a San Jose courtroom, but it appears that Samsung is now going on the offensive side by ensuring that a number of Apple's recently released products are added through a court filing that should see the two technology powerhouses duking it out once again in another bitter legal battle.
The September 14th ruling that saw Samsung ordered to pay Apple a cool billion dollars may be set for review by the ITC, but that hasn't stopped one of Samsung's top men letting loose with a volley that is sure to sting many at Apple HQ. According to the head of Samsung’s mobile and IT division, Apple's iPhone would be impossible if Samsung didn’t license its patents to its fierce competitor.
iTunes 11, which, among other new features and implementations, is set for a major design overhaul of the store, was supposed to have arrived at some point last month, but thanks to numerous delays, has not yet seen the light of day. It's scheduled to finally be shipping at the end of this month, and a post over at the MacRumors forums suggest Apple may have finally gotten iTunes sorted out. The post screenshots an email that was sent to artists by German music distribution service Feiyr, which says iTunes 11 is "about to be released within the next days."
Apple's ongoing patent spat with Samsung has been particularly interesting over the past week due to the involvement of HTC. The Cupertino company reached a licensing agreement with the Taiwanese outfit ten days ago, but Samsung has since demanded Apple hand over details of said agreement, claiming they could be relevant to its own case with Apple.
Advertising a product can be as important as the quality of the product itself, and in the run-up to the holiday season, every company wishing to capitalize on the frenzy of shoppers will need to deliver a bunch of enticing TV commercials. We already know that the kids of today have their eyes firmly on an Apple product this holiday, but despite what Santa might say, it's not all about them.
The talk of Apple delving further into the television market is something the blogosphere cannot seem to shake off. Analysts continue to reignite the fire, and although nobody seems sure enough to offer any specifics on the venture, it is widely presumed to be happening in the near future. Much like the iPad mini prior to a couple of months ago, not everybody is convinced this is something Apple will be doing just get, but undeterred, Apple analyst Gene Munster has once again delivered his projections on how many of the mysterious device he forecasts the Cupertino as selling.
In the age of the internet that is packed full of inquisitive minds, it is extremely difficult for companies to keep things a secret or hide their intentions away from eager prying eyes and ears. Over the last week or so, we have been hearing murmurings that Apple were planning on opening up an official online eBay outlet store to gain some additional exposure for their officially refurbished products, and it looks like that additional sales channel is now in full swing, although there remains some question over whether it is actually operated and controlled officially by Apple or whether or not it is just an Apple sanctioned and approved reseller offering the refurbished goods.
Analyst Gene Munster has been relatively reliable in accurately forecasting Apple's major product releases, and having concluded the Cupertino company would be releasing a connected TV sometime next year, he also gave his insight into what other new products and upgrades would be arriving in the next twelve or so months. Among them, a new radio service, Retina iPad mini and MacBook Airs, iOS 7 and a new version of OS X.
Apple's iPad mini has only just launched, and with a svelte, sleek new design, it's little wonder many outlets are already sold out completely. If you really want the smaller tablet from Apple but haven't been able to get hold of one just yet, you'll definitely want to enter our iPad mini giveaway. As with the Windows 8 Pro and iPhone 5 competitions of last month, all you need to do is follow a few simple steps to be in with a chance of winning, and if a free iPad mini sounds like something you may be interested in, please check out the details after the break!
Taking into account time zones, the movements of Apple's online stores in New Zealand and Australia are usually a sure indicator that, given a few hours, those same movements will be made to those in other parts of the world. This week is, as most of you will be aware, Black Friday, and Apple's Australian site is getting consumers psyched up by introducing a special landing page outlining the November 23rd event. It doesn't offer any details on deals just yet, but considering the last couple of Black Fridays have presented Apple fans with more than a decent dose of treats, we're hoping for more of the same this time around.
