Tag: Apps

Posted on

WWDC 2011: iCloud

Apple co-founder and CEO, Steve Jobs introduces iCloud.

iCloud is a service platform that supersedes MobileMe.

Features:

  • Daily backups of iOS device to iCloud over Wi-Fi.
    Purchased music, apps & books.
    Camera roll
    Device settings
    App data
  • Documents in the cloud,
  • Automatically syncs between iOS devices and computers (Mac and Windows)
  • Download all already purchased songs from iTunes with no additional fee.
  • iCloud comes free with iOS 5
  • Free 5GB of storage for mail. Apps and books do not count. Photo Stream does not count.

Posted on

WWDC 2011: iOS 5

During WWDC 2011 Keynote Apple’s senior vice president of iPhone Software Scott Forstall introduces iOS 5.

New and updated features in iOS 5:

  • Notification Center
  • Newsstand
  • Twitter
  • Safari
    Reader
    Reading List
  • Reminders
  • Camera Updates
    Camera App on the lock Screen
    Volume up button to take pictures. (ed:  Camera+, anyone?)
  • Mail
  • PC Free
    Does not require iTunes for activation.
    Software updates over the air for delta update.
  • Game Center
  • iMessage
    Messaging center for iOS (iPhone, iPod touch, iPad)

iOS 5 is scheduled to ship in Fall 2011. iOS 5 SDK will be seeded today to Developers.

Posted on

Eve of WWDC 2011: iCloud is not replacing MobileMe.

Post WWDC Keynote UPDATE:
MobileMe becomes part of iCloud.

According a person who claims to be an Apple Executive and definitely is not Phil Schiller, iCloud is not replacing MobileMe. Does anyone remember the mess Apple was in during the transition from .Mac to MobileMe?

Our resident self-proclaimed telepath said that iCloud includes music, iOS App, extension to iDisk and much more. A lot of iCloud services are tied to iOS 5.

We’ll find out on Monday June 6th, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time.

Posted on

Lodsys responds to Apple by suing iOS Developers earlier than planned.

Lodsys moves to sue iOS Developers earlier than planned as a respond to “Apple’s threat“.

From Lodsys’ blog:

Q: Why did Lodsys sue some App Developers on May 31, 2011?

Lodsys chose to move its litigation timing to an earlier date than originally planned, in response to Apple’s threat, in order to preserve its legal options.

Lodsys also sent Legal threats to Android Developers regarding in-app-purchasing patent.

Lodsys revealed that Apple, Google and Microsoft are already licensee of Lodsys’ patent portfolio. Apple, Google and Microsoft could seek to invalidate Lodsys patent.

——-

For some reason, this is what the iPhone 4 thinks of Lodsys:

Posted on

Lodsys also threatens Android Developers over patent. Google, it’s your move.

After gaining a lot of attention for sending lawsuit threat to numbers of iOS Developers, Lodsys is also going after Android Developers over in-app purchasing patent. Lodsys in its Q&A blog explained why its going after individual developers but not Apple, Google and Microsoft; that’s because the three companies have already licensed the four patents in question.

On May 23rd, 2011 Apple Legal sent a letter to Lodsys stating that Apple is licensed to all four patents in the Lodsys portfolio. Any iOS Applications published in iTunes App Store are essentially covered by the license.

Android Developers are hoping Google to do the same with what Apple did for its Developers.

Posted on

Apple Defends iOS Developers Against Threats From Lodsys.

“Good News iOS Developers!”

Actually it is good news for a lot more than iOS Developers. Apple has finally spoken out against Lodsys for threatening iOS Developers over some licensing issues.. MacWorld published the full text of the letter Apple Legal sent to Lodsys regarding its patent dispute with app developers.

Apple certainly took the time to review the matter, 10 days after Lodsys sent patent lawsuit threat to iOS Developers (Friday May the 13th, 2011). John Gruber of Daring Fireball seems to think that Apple is doing the right thing by carefully reviewing the matter and preparing an appropriate response.

This would be an interesting case to follow since Apple already licensed the patents in question from Lodsys.

First, Apple is licensed to all four of the patents in the Lodsys portfolio. As Lodsys itself advertises on its website, “Apple is licensed for its nameplate products and services.” See http://www.lodsys.com/blog.html (emphasis in original). Under its license, Apple is entitled to offer these licensed products and services to its customers and business partners, who, in turn, have the right to use them.

It would be interesting to know when Apple become licensed to Lodsys’ four patents; as Google and Microsoft do. Did Lodsys reach out to Apple, Google and Microsoft after iOS, Android and WP7 were released? How significant are these fours patents in the Lodsys portfolio?

It would be an even more interesting development if Apple, possibly joined by Google and Microsoft would seek to invalidate Lodsys’s patents in question.

If Lodsys were to prevail in their threats, it would set a scary precedence for Developers; Android, iOS and WP7.

Posted on

EFF Wants Apple To Defend Its Developers.

Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is weighing in on Lodsys’s patent threat against iOS Developers. EFF wants Apple to defend its Developers.

Lodsys claims that Apple is licensed to use Lodsys’ patents, even though there’s no detailed explanation of the licensing. At this moment Apple is keeping the silence. Lodsys’ threat against iOS Developers will ultimately hurt iOS App ecosystem if Apple chose to do nothing. Developers can opt to forgo in-app purchasing and upgrades; effectively taking one revenue-generating feature for Developers and Apple.

Apple, it’s your turn!