Nortel Patents Sold to Consortium which Includes Apple

Nortel announced that they had concluded an auction to sell of its patents and patent applications to a consortium consisting of Apple, EMC, Ericsson, Microsoft, RIM and Sony. The final winning bid was $4.5 billion and includes over 6,000 patents and patent applications covering wireless, 4G, networking optical, voice internet, semiconductors and more.

"Following a very robust auction, we are pleased at the outcome of the auction of this extensive patent portfolio", said George Riedel, Chief Strategy Officer and President of Business Units, Nortel. "The size and dollar value for this transaction is unprecedented, as was the significant interest in the portfolio among major companies around the world."

We had previously reported that Apple had been interested in buying up the patents off Nortel Networks which had filed for bankruptcy in 2009. The interest in the portfolio was significant due to the broad reach of the patents, especially in the area of wireless networking and LTE technology. Google was also said to be one of the early interested parties by placing an opening bid of $900 million on the patents.

One research firm has estimated that there are 105 patent families deemed essential to deployment of LTE (4G) technology, with Nokia controlling 57 of those families. Ericsson is said to control 14 families, while Nortel, Qualcomm, and Sony are each reported to control about seven families. The companies that are part of the winning bid will presumably provide access to these patents to those companies.




Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
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EA, Gameloft, and lots more app sales for the holiday weekend

Here's a few more sales popping up for the July 4th weekend:

• EA (duh) is putting a bunch of titles on sale for just 99 cents, including NBA Jam, Need for Speed Hot Pursuit, The Sims 3, FIFA 11, and Dead Space. Odds are that you've already picked one or two of these up, as EA is having a sale practically every weekend these days, but 99 cents is still a good price for a few of these.
• Adult Swim has some sale titles out, including the great Robot Unicorn Attack for just a buck.
• Trucks and Skulls Nitro just recently got a big update, and to celebrate, it'll be free for the holiday weekend.
• Zen Bound and its sequel are also on sale for just a buck.
• Gameloft is also having a dollar sale, with Dungeon Hunter 2 and Starfront Collision among the titles for just 99 cents.
• Cross Fingers is a puzzle app that's free right now.
• Speedball 2 Evolution is on sale for both iPhone and the Mac this weekend.
• Finally, BillMinder will be heavily discounted on July 4 only.

I'm sure we'll see plenty more before the weekend is done, but that's probably more than enough to let you do some shopping already. Stay tuned -- as we hear about more apps going on sale, we'll let you know as well.

EA, Gameloft, and lots more app sales for the holiday weekend originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

EA, Gameloft, and lots more app sales for the holiday weekend originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WWDC Interview: Orbotix

Victor Agreda, Jr. (Editor-in-Chief, The Unofficial Apple Weblog) interviews Brian Smith of Orbotix Inc. at WWDC 2011. You may remember Orbotix from CES. Brian was kind enough to tell us about their thoughts on the announcements on WWDC, and how it will affect their plans moving forward.

Orbotix is building a platform, they say, and I'm hopeful hobbyists will embrace it. The Orbotix demo robot, Sphero, is adorable.

TUAW and MacTech Magazine teamed up to speak to developers at WWDC 2011 about the keynote announcements and how Apple's new technologies will help them and their customers. We'll bring you those videos here, MacTech.com and MacNews.com. Also, check out the free trial subscription offer for MacTech Magazine here.

WWDC Interview: Orbotix originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

WWDC Interview: Orbotix originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Instacast for iPhone updated, adds Airplay, drops iOS 3

Instacast, a podcast subscription manager, has received a big update that includes many new features such as AirPlay support, chapter lists, continuous playback, and optimized UI elements. Alas, Instacast no longer supports iOS 3.

• Dropped support for iOS 3
• Added Download Waiting List
• Added resuming downloads after connection loss
• Added putting downloads on waiting list when switching from WiFi to 3G and 3G not enabled
• Added chapter lists if available
• Improved scrubbing and seeking
• Added cloud based image scaling service
• Added continuous playback
• Optimized some user interface elements
• Added Video AirPlay support to enhanced podcast player
• Removed option for System Player
• Added new sort options to episode lists
• Made Replay after Pause optional
• Added sending websites to Instapaper and ReadItLater
• Made Auto-Cache optional for audio and video separately
• Added Auto-Clear option when a new episode is loaded (now default)

If you pick this one up, let us know what you think! Check out the screenshots after the break.

[$1.99 - iTunes link]

Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.

iPhone Live 158: Sherlocked

• Our podcast feed
• Download Directly
• Subscribe via iTunes

Rene, Seth, Ally, and Georgia talk iPhone turning 4, iOS 5 beta 2, “Sherlocking” apps, SHSH blobs, tiered pricing, and Google+. This is iPhone Live!

• Show notes

Hosts

Rene Ritchie (@reneritchie)

Seth Clifford (@sethclifford)

Ally Kazmucha (@iMuggle)

Georgia (@GeorgiaTiPb)

Credits

Thanks to the TiPb iPhone accessory store for sponsoring the podcast, and to everyone who showed up for the live chat!

Our music comes from the following sources:

• I Called You — iPhone Remix by Pete Leidy
via Sneakmove iPhone Ringtone Challenge

Daily Tip: how to contact iTunes support with billing and account questions

Double-billed, have a purchase you didn’t make, or just have a problem with an iTunes purchase and wondering who to contact an how? There are millions of users and credit cards on file with iTunes, so every once in a while weird issues are bound to pop up. Unfortunately iTunes doesn’t have a phone line to call but they do have a pretty good support team that answers e-mails and deals strictly with iTunes billing issues. Keep reading and we’ll show you how to contact them!

All you’ll need to do in order to contact iTunes customer support is find the problem invoice on your iTunes account and e-mail them a little blurb explaining the issue. You can find your invoice in either the email receipt iTunes sends you after you purchase an app (or a few apps, they try to bundle them to lower credit card transaction fees), or by logging into your account via the iTunes desktop app and then clicking on Purchase History.

Once you have the right invoice…

• Click on the Report a Problem link directly from the problem purchase and you’ll be routed to the iTunes support site instantly. Just jot down your invoice number.

• Once on the iTunes support site, on the left hand column navigate to iTunes Store Account and Billing.
• Next select the topic you need. Most likely Billing Inquiries.

• Then click E-mail us and fill out the form. Your invoice number isn’t required but I’ve found they respond a lot faster if you submit complete information. Also make sure you provide a valid e-mail address and that your Apple ID is correctly input.



• You’re done! You’ll receive an automated message stating an iTunes rep will respond within 24 hours. Shortly after, you’ll receive correspondence from an iTunes rep that can help you resolve your issue.

I’ve always had a great experience when dealing with them. They always seem to respond promptly and resolve the issue at hand. What was your experience? Let us know!

Tips of the day will range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you’d like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to news@tipb.com. (If it’s especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we’ll even give ya a reward…)

Pic3D sheet brings glasses-free 3D to iPhone for $25

Many of us are perfectly content viewing only 2D content on our mobile devices, but if you've been dying to add a bit more depth to your smartphone's display, Global Wave may have just what you're looking for. At the 3D and Virtual Reality Expo in Tokyo, the Japanese company demoed its Pic3D sheet, which converts your Windows-based desktop or laptop, or iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch into a 3D display. The sheet uses a lenticular lens system instead of a parallax barrier for a smoother, more consistent image, yielding a reported 90-percent transmission level and 120-degree field of view. The company's Windows and iOS apps output video in a side-by-side format, simulating a 3D image. The software also allows you to view side-by-side content from the web, submitting the YouTube URL of a compatible video, for example -- perhaps not the most elegant solution, but a good start, if it works. Prices range from ¥2,000 (about $25) for an iPhone or iPod touch sheet, all the way up to ¥15,000 (about $186) for a 23-inch desktop version. We'll be on the lookout for Pic3D at the Tokyo Game Show in September, but in the meantime, you can get Diginfo TV's take in their video after the break.

Continue reading Pic3D sheet brings glasses-free 3D to iPhone for $25

Pic3D sheet brings glasses-free 3D to iPhone for $25 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 20:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nielsen study shows climbing iPhone sales in the US

Nielsen has released the results of a new survey of mobile phone users in the US, and the word (almost) all around is growth. More and more people are buy smartphones, and while Android currently sits in the most popular smartphone spot (with 38% of smartphone owners holding Android devices), the iPhone is the fastest growing smartphone over the past few months. That's not to say that Android's not growing -- the whole market segment is. But according to Nielsen, the Verizon iPhone has spurred a new jump in iPhone sales recently.

Where's the picture not so rosy? At RIM -- the Blackberry line of phones has shrunk in market share by nearly five percent, and that's a trend that's probably not over quite yet. While much of this smartphone audience consists of completely new users to the market, there still has to be a loser, and for now, RIM is it.

That said, the smartphone market in general is booming, showing a real transition from the days of simpler feature phones to more functional devices.

[via Ars]

Nielsen study shows climbing iPhone sales in the US originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nielsen study shows climbing iPhone sales in the US originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Crapgadget: ‘money to burn’ edition

Continue reading Crapgadget: 'money to burn' edition

Crapgadget: 'money to burn' edition originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mophie juice pack air iPhone battery pack now even snappier

Mophie recently announced the availability of a new design for their highly popular and useful juice pack air battery extender for iPhone 4. The Mophie juice pack air snap case (US$79.95) is available at Apple Stores and other retailers, and while it still offers virtually double the battery capacity of the stock iPhone 4, the new design makes it easier to access all of the switches and ports of the smartphone.

Let's look at how the design has changed. The previous model, which I personally use on my iPhone 4 all the time, splits near the top of the phone. That means that when you wanted access to the Dock connector, you basically needed to take the entire case off. That wasn't difficult to do, but it was inconvenient. The old design also had two openings on the left side of the phone for the ringer mute switch and the volume buttons, as well as a two openings on the top -- one for the power switch and the other for the microphone and headphone jack.

The juice pack air snap is quite different. The bottom of the case snaps off, so you can leave the case on the iPhone if you need access to the Dock connector. The same four LEDs for determining charge status are still there, there's still a micro-USB port on one side for charging the case, and the tiny slide switch for "charging" and "standby" is there as well.

Near the top of the case, the two separate ports on the left side have been replaced with one elongated port. This makes the case usable with both the GSM and CDMA versions of the iPhone 4. Previously, the case wouldn't work with the Verizon iPhone 4. Mophie has also opened the top of the case so that using the power switch and plugging in your headset is no longer a bother. With the "old" juice pack air, you slid the iPhone into the case from the top; now with the juice pack air snap, you literally snap the iPhone 4 into the case from the front.

I was perplexed by one fact: the new case is .1 ounce heavier than the previous model, even despite the more spacious openings. My guess is that the extra bit of weight is due to the fact that where the case splits, there are two new connectors that route the power from the battery to the area of the Dock connector. A small change, but it does make the total weight of the juice pack air go from 2.4 ounces to 2.5 ounces.

At our Denver Geek Lunch on Tuesday, fellow TUAWite Erica Sadun wanted to see the case I was using. She felt that the extra weight and bulk of the juice pack air wasn't worth the ability to have a fully-charged battery most of the time. I'm just the opposite -- I like the extra bit of bulk and the "grippy" exterior of the juice pack air as it makes the phone easier to hold, and I love the fact that even when I'm using geolocation-heavy apps, my iPhone's battery level is always maxed out.

The new case is available in two-tone black and silver; it was unclear from the press materials if the snap case will also come in the two-tone white/silver and red/silver models that were available for the previous model.

Mophie juice pack air iPhone battery pack now even snappier originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 18:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Mophie juice pack air iPhone battery pack now even snappier originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 18:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Facebook To ‘Launch Something Awesome’ Next Week; Will It Launch iPad App or Photo-Sharing App?

Mark Zukerberg, CEO and founder of Facebook – world’s biggest social networking website told reporters earlier today that they plan to launch something awesome next week. He didn’t reveal what will be launched, but based on the rumors and speculations, Facebook could finally launch the much awaited iPad app, an HTML5 based mobile platform codenamed “Project Spartan” that works [...]

Video App Demo: Vidcinity

Vidcinity is an app addressing the niche market of local video discovery. The idea is that you'll upload videos for a location and others will come along and discover those videos. I'm not sure we're ready for this just yet, but it's an interesting idea. Check out the demo below. Of course, we'll have to see how many people use the service -- always the worry with any social app endeavor.

Video App Demo: Vidcinity originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Video App Demo: Vidcinity originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starbucks for iPhone updated with new look and eGifts

Starbucks for iPhone as been refreshed with a new look and brings the ability to send eGifts via email or Facebook. You can now also transfer balances between cards within the app.

• Refreshed look and feel with our new logo and improved performance.
• Pay with your Starbucks Card using your phones, reload and transfer balances on your Cards.
• See your My Starbucks Rewards level and star balance.
• eGift functionality lets you send a gift to friends and family using your iPhone.
• Customizable navigation lets you use the app just the way you like it!

If you pick this one up, send me an eGift and let us know what you think! Screenshots after the break.

[Free - iTunes link]

Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.

Will Apple Remove Apps Like Kindle That Don’t Comply With In-App Subscription Policy Before Deadline?

Back in February, Apple launched the in-app subscription service for the App Store, which allowed publishers of content-based apps to sell subscriptions for content such as magazines, newspapers, music and video to users using the App Store billing system. However, at that time Apple also updated its App Review Guidelines, which required publishers to make the same in-app [...]

Ahead of OS X Lion, Mac App Store Sales Numbers Still Comparably Small

During the keynote address at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference earlier this month, Phil Schiller noted that Apple's Mac App Store, launch in early January, has rapidly risen to become the top selling distribution channel for computer software, beating out Best Buy, Walmart, and Office Depot. According to Schiller:

In the last six months, something incredible has happened. In the last six months, the Mac App Store has now become the #1 PC software channel for buying software. That's incredible.

But questions have remained about just how successful the Mac App Store has been, given the smaller installed base compared to iOS and long-standing alternative methods for purchasing software.

Developer Martin Schultz has, however, now provided a look at sales figures for his Hard Rock Racing app, which managed to peak as the #3 paid game and #14 overall paid app in the U.S. earlier this month after being featured by Apple in the "New and Noteworthy" section on the front page of the Mac App Store. According to Schultz, that stellar ranking translated into only 743 sales on the peak day.


While that one-day performance resulted in a solid $2,500 payday for Schultz after Apple's 30% cut of revenue, it's clear that Mac App Store sales fall far short of those seen for iOS apps. We spoke with John Casasanta of iOS developer taptaptap, who shared that his Camera+ application typically pulls in 8,000-12,000 downloads per day when it is ranked around #14 in the overall paid apps for the iOS App Store. Of course, 743 sales on peak day may be better than Schultz might have done through traditional channels or direct online sales. The average sales price for iOS apps also appears to be much lower than Mac Apps, which may also contribute to the volume discrepancy.

Apple is of course working hard to drive adoption of the Mac App Store, opting to distribute its forthcoming OS X Lion exclusively through the store. The company has also released its new Final Cut Pro X apps and other titles such as Aperture, iWork, and iLife through the store. With the Mac App Store set to take on an even larger role in OS X Lion with the addition of such features as in-app purchases and push notifications, Apple is clearly pushing forward in its attempts to replicate the success of the iOS App Store on the Mac platform.


Recent Mac and iOS Blog Stories
• Shortages of Boxed iWork '09 at German Retailers
• Steve Jobs Inspired by 9-Year-Old's iPad Story
• Early Thunderbolt vs FireWire RAID Benchmarks
• Apple to Cut iPhone 3GS Price to Free With Next Update?
• Apple Releases Java Update 5 for Snow Leopard and Update 10 for Leopard

Tweetbot for iPhone updated with many improvements

Tweetbot for iPhone has been updated to 1.3 and brings new features and improvements such as the ability to view local trends and translate direct messages.

• Improved multiple account switching
• Local trends (can be set in the account settings)
• Improved recipient selector when creating a new direct message
• Ability to copy, delete, and translate direct messages (swipe on a thread to delete a whole group)
• “Add to List” feature improved and renamed to “Manage List Memberships”
• Added “go to user” feature in people search (shows when typing into the “Search People” box)
• Gaps now load above or below depending on position of gap when button is invoked.
• Compose Tweet from hashtag (by holding down on a hashtag in a tweet)
• Drafts button now displays # of drafts.
• Support for Favstar (hold fav button to invoke ‘tweet of the day’, double-tap profile tab to see your own favstar page)
• Various bug fixes

Tapbots has also put up a blog post explaining why there are no push notifications (they need approval for the beta streaming service from Twitter), why they’re not making an iPad or Mac version any time soon, and why they choose not to support Twitlonger. Check out the link below for the details and if you pick this one up, let us know what you think!

[$1.99 - iTunes link, Tapbots blog]

Nielsen: iPhone sales up, Android flat

A recent Nielsen survey on smartphone growth reveals that Apple’s iPhone is catching up with Android devices in popularity.

Nielsen: iPhone sales up, Android flat

A recent Nielsen survey on smartphone growth reveals that Apple’s iPhone is catching up with Android devices in popularity.

Comex: Running Out Of Bugs To Fix; JailbreakMe 3.0 Release Imminent?

Comex – developer of JailbreakMe – popular browser-based jailbreak tool, who is expected to release a new version of the tool to jailbreak iPad 2 has tweeted few hours back that he is “running out of bugs to fix”, indicating that the release of Jailbreakme 3.0 is imminent. The countdown to the release of JailbreakMe 3.0 [...]

Will Kindle remove the web store button, or will Apple remove Kindle?

Today, June 30, is supposedly the deadline for apps like Kindle to remove buttons or links to their external web stores or risk expulsion from Apple’s iPhone and iPad App Store. Originally, Apple was requiring developers to not only remove external store links but also match any external sales and pricing with identical in-app purchase options (which would require giving Apple 30% of the price). Apple quietly stepped back from the content and price matching provisions earlier this month, but not the prohibition against external links.

So will Amazon update the Kindle app today with the Kindle Store button removed, will Apple “Sony” the Kindle app, and pull it from the App Store after the deadline expires, or will the Kindle app keep the button and stay in the store (either with Apple’s permission or convenient silence)?

Apple makes and markets the competing [iBooks](http://www.tipb.com/tag/ibooks] and associated iBookstore for iOS.

If you close your eyes, you can almost see the transport ship racing towards the blockade lines…