For the majority of the world, the Black Friday sales have yet to commence, but thanks to the varying time zones, some countries have already begun to see one-off discounts on a range of products. Naturally, we're focusing on the savings in the technology field, and although the sales have yet to begin in the USA and other nations, those in Australia and New Zealand are already capitalizing on Apple's Black Friday offers.
It was approximately ten days ago when Apple and HTC announced that they had come to a global settlement that would eventually see their ongoing legal dispute come to an extremely welcome end. Both Peter Chou and Tim Cook expressed their delight in reaching the agreement that they hoped would see their respective companies focusing in innovation and customer satisfaction rather than pumping endless resources into fighting one another in a courtroom. Although both HTC and Apple refused to publicly reveal the intricate details of the agreement, a US based Magistrate judge has ruled that Apple will be required to let Samsung in on the bigger picture and inform them exactly what deal has been reached between Apple and their Taiwanese rivals.
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.
We're just two days away from Black Friday, and as retailers prepare for a frenzy of shoppers this weekend, some of the deals on offer are just starting to be revealed. Many of those looking to grab one of the specials this weekend are in search of an Apple product. Aside from the general popularity of the iPads, iPods and Macs, it's one of the very few occasions where Apple's prices budge, and with the holiday season looming, it's the perfect opportunity for everybody to stock up on gifts for friends and loved ones.
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.
Siri has been around for longer than a year now, and while some consumers - particularly those residing in North America - have found the voice-recognition software to be of some use, many other nations and continents haven't had such enjoyable experiences. Here in the UK, I still have to "put-on" an American accent in order for Siri to understand me first time, every time, but considering how little support there is in other places across the world, I count myself among the lucky few that can still have a little fun with the relatively new implementation.
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.
Over the years, the want lists of children have gotten more and more gadgetry, and according to a recent study by Nielsen, it's those of the Apple variety kids looking to receive this year. It's not a new trend, either. Over the past few years, it's become increasingly clear the devices most sought by American youngsters between the ages of six and twelve are those Designed by Apple in California, with half of those studied pining for the larger Apple iPad.
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 market-leading iPad is becoming increasingly difficult for consumers to keep up with. At the beginning of this year, we were up to the iPad 2, but as 2012 draws to a close, we are already - rather extraordinarily - talking about the iPad 5. Apple dropped a bombshell on iPad 3 owners by announcing the iPad 4 last month, but ever since the tear-downs of the A6X device concluded Apple's rather wasteful design techniques, it has seemed only a matter of time before a thinner, lighter iPad emerged.
