Apple might have had the most notable and high-profile win in the on-going patent battle with Samsung when a judge in San Jose ruled that more than $1 billion in damages were due to the company from Samsung, but it hasn't all been about victory for Apple who have had their fair share of patent related setbacks. One of the latest has come right from the United Kingdom where an Apple appeal to have an earlier ruling overturned has proven unsuccessful.
We were expecting this announcement to pop up at some point this month, and just like clockwork, Google has sent out invites for an Android event which is going to be held in New York on October 29th.
After putting together, filing and submitting their original request for a Passbook related trademark back in June of this year, Apple has finally been successful in securing the trademark through the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Apple will be more than familiar with the process of securing a patent/trademark and will have been aware of the potential length of time it could take, but the official granting of the Passbook trademark gives the company protection against any competitor that attempts to mimic Passbook as well as the ability to invoke litigation against them.
In addition to kindly providing the vital bits of information about their self-branded tablet, Microsoft has also taken the opportunity to post a rather informative video to YouTube that gives a behind the scenes look at what is actually involved in developing and manufacturing the Surface. Check out the full video after the jump.
They say nothing in life is free, but when it comes to promotions for iOS and Android titles, that old cliché is thrown out of the window, for some of the very best apps – Fruit Ninja, Cut The Rope and even Angry Birds – have been available for the five-finger discount at some point in time. Now, the popular classic Carmageddon, which is just released on iOS, joins the list of titles to hold a promotional freebie, and you can download your free copy right now over at the iTunes App Store.
Microsoft's Surface is one of the most sought-after slates to be releasing this year, and as such, one would expect anybody lucky enough to have their hands on one already to be treating it with the utmost care; enjoying a device very few people have even seen in the flesh. Of course, such rules don't apply to Steve Sinofsky - the leader of the team which has created the Surface - and in a rather comical sketch, has demonstrated how the device also doubles up as a rather useful skateboard.
With the next Apple event being officially penned in for October 23rd, the floodgates are now open for iPad Mini related rumors to start doing the rounds. Although, it has been heavily speculated on over the last few weeks, there has been little in terms of possible technical specifications or component leaks. It has been less than twenty-four hours since Apple sent out their official invites but we are already seeing some photographs of what are reported to be the official displays being used in the miniature iPad.
Although the form factor of the iPhone 4 / 4S was relatively compact and by no means bulky to hold, the recent release of the iPhone 5 has left many consumers amazed at just how much thinner and lighter Apple has managed to go with regards to design. Svelte it may be, but packing in the (improved) technology took a lot of effort, and while Jony Ive and team would have thrown quite a few pieces of paper into the waste-basket in trying to get the radical interior reshuffle to work out, the main manufacturer of the device - Foxconn - also had a few headaches.
The Surface is undoubtedly going to be a very popular hardware creation for Microsoft, and even they themselves might be a little surprised at the early interest in the Windows 8 powered device. Those who are wanting to get their hands on a 32GB version of the tablet will be a little disappointed today as the online Microsoft Store is showing it as out of stock with expected delivery now being pushed back three weeks.
One of the great things about the third-gen iPad is the fact that apps, images and artistic type features look stunning on the high-resolution display. The Concepts app from TopHatch is a great example of an artistic based app that makes perfect use of every pixel on the iPad, allowing users to mockup unique and stunning creations directly on the device.
