07.05.2012]blodic.us

Apple Insider|blodic.us

OtterBox buys rival case maker LifeProof, drops ongoing patent suit

At the CTIA conference on Wednesday, mobile device case maker OtterBox announced that it has purchased TreeFrog Developments Inc., DBA LifeProof, known commercially as "LifeProof," for an undisclosed sum and has officially dropped allegations of patent infringement against the company.

New Microsoft Windows 8 ad turns Apple's Siri against her maker

A recently aired Microsoft ad pits a tablet running the company's Windows 8 against the iPad, with the spot featuring an unlikely narrator: Apple's Siri virtual assistant.

Corning touts Gorilla Glass 3's advantages over sapphire in side-by-side tests

In what seems to be a response directed at rumors saying upcoming smartphones, including Apple's iPhone, will switch from Gorilla Glass to sapphire as a cover material, Corning put its latest generation product to the test in a bid to show the material is comparatively superior.

Apple's iWatch to come in late 2014 with focus on biometrics, analyst says

Noted KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes Apple's much-rumored iWatch will hit store shelves late next year, not in 2013 as many market watchers expect, with a 1,5- to 2-inch screen, focus on biometrics and deep integration with existing iOS devices.

Google's new 3D Maps destroy Manhattan in the wake of Apple's Flyover

Nearly a year after Apple introduced its own Maps service in iOS 6 with Flyover 3D satellite views, Google is expanding its own online Maps to support similar 3D satellite imagery, with the same sorts of buckled roads and visual distortions Apple was castigated for last summer.

Former Gartner analyst Michael Garternberg joins Apple marketing

Michael Gartenberg, a longtime industry analyst who most recently covered technology for Gartner, has taken a job on Apple's marketing team working under executive Phil Schiller.

Penguin agrees to $75M settlement in Apple iBooks price fixing lawsuit

Book publisher Penguin announced on Wednesday it has reached a $75 million "comprehensive agreement" with U.S. State Attorneys General and private class plaintiffs over e-book price fixing allegations connected to Apple and its iBookstore for iOS.

Samsung Galaxy S4 & Google Now accused of violating Apple patents for Siri

In its ongoing litigation against Samsung, Apple has added five new patents to its claims, targeting both the company's new flagship Galaxy S4 smartphone, as well as the Google Now service for Android.

Sony to consider spinning off its entertainment division

Japanese electronics and entertainment conglomerate Sony could drop one of those divisions in the near future, as the company's board will soon discuss spinning off its entertainment division in order to help its electronics arm better compete against Apple and Samsung.

Like Apple, Google & Yahoo also avoid taxes by way of Ireland

Though they weren't grilled before a U.S. Senate subcommittee on Tuesday like Apple, Google and Yahoo rely on Irish subsidiaries to avoid taxes on billions of dollars in income, and they go one step further than Apple by utilizing offshore accounts.