Just days after a German court ruled in favor of Apple in a patent infringement case against Samsung and the Galaxy Tab 10.1, a Mannheim court has swayed in the opposite direction and ruled against Apple in a separate suit involving Motorola Mobility. A previous preliminary ruling by the Independent Trades Commission had judged that Apple didn't have a case to answer in relation to Motorola's claims that the company has infringed upon their patents which are related to 3G connectivity.
We should all know by now that the rumor mill which surrounds Apple and its products will never stop. As soon as a product is launched, the speculation regarding its replacement begins and continues for the next twelve months until we actually see the launch happening in front of us. One of the latest and most persistent rumors surrounds Apple’s intention to release a branded physical television set which some have dubbed the 'iTV'.
If fresh reports from Japanese news site Macotakara are to be believed, then the much anticipated iPad 3 tablet will be released towards the end of March, making it pretty much twelve months since the launch of the iPad 2. The blog is reporting that Apple will hold a media event sometime at the beginning of March to no doubt announce the new product and release the specifications and pricing models.
Although the iPod revolutionized the way we enjoy our tunes on-the-go nearly a decade ago, the introduction of iPhone in 2007 has seen a decline in the popularity of portable media devices in general ever since.
Rivalry is undoubtedly a positive thing, particularly in the gadget sphere. Without manufacturers competing for the affections of the fickle public, we'd have less devices, fewer choices, and our digital freedom could be severely compromised.
It is fast approaching that time of year again where we start anticipating the launch of the next generation iPad device. March 2011 saw consumers once again going crazy for the iPad 2, queuing up outside stores in an attempt to get their hands on the year’s must-have gadget.
I make no secret of the fact that I am a massive jailbreak enthusiast. I have owned every iPhone since 2007, and both iPads and have eagerly jailbroken each and everyone of them as soon as the relevant tools are released or updated for the new devices and firmwares. I do it not just for the sake of it, but because I genuinely believe a number of tweaks and modifications which exist in Cydia enhance iOS and make it the best mobile operating system available.
With our cherished mobile gadgets now packing in very decent cameras, many have opted to ditch the unnecessary pocket-fill of the traditional standalone camera.
It seems that meeting each other in a German court of law has become a regular occurrence for the lawyers representing Apple and the Korean electronics firm, Samsung. With the two companies still locked in disputes against each other over alleged patent infringements, it doesn't look as if the court appearances are going to end anytime soon. The current patent cases only serves to add to the intensity of the rivalry between the two smartphone vendors as they also compete against each other to become the world’s number one smartphone manufacturer.
Apple has already radically altered a few different markets in its time. The company changed the way music is sold and distributed, for instance, and few could argue that Apple was not the driving force behind the smartphone market as it is today.

