Ed Sutherland

Google-owned Motorola becomes first convicted patent troll

Ed Sutherland ∙ September 6, 2013

Google may have become the first convicted patent troll, after a federal jury Thursday fined the internet giant $14.5 million related to licenses held by Motorola. The Seattle-based jury upheld Microsoft's claim that the Google-owned Motorola demand $4 billion to license Wi-Fi and video patents that were supposed to be available under fair and reasonable terms.

The finding comes just a week before Apple's appeal of a similar claim against Motorola is to be heard. This week's judgement against Motorola opens a legal can of worms for both Google and Motorola, according to one keen patent observer...

Estimate: 13M iPhone 5S/5C sales in 10 days, 31M iPhones in Q4

Ed Sutherland ∙ September 6, 2013

Although Apple's much-awaited September 10 announcement remains days away, analysts are already weighing the potential benefit for the all-important fourth quarter. Can Apple get a much-needed bump in end of the year sales by launching the upgraded iPhone 5S and the new iPhone 5C, as well as potential distribution deals in China and Japan?

At the heart of new estimates for the September quarter is Apple's ability to quickly announce, then begin sales of the new hardware. Lucky for Apple, before becoming CEO, Tim Cook was the iPhone maker's supply chain maestro...

40 percent of online ads delivered via iDevices

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 18, 2016

Another sign appeared Friday further suggesting Android's 'build it and they will use it' mantra just isn't working. Apple's family of iDevices - ranging from the iPod touch to the iPhone and iPad - represent 40 percent of online ads delivered. Despite Android's numerical advantage, Samsung placed second with 26 percent, per ad network Millennial Media...

China Mobile ‘has all of the power’ in iPhone talks as Apple makes concessions

Ed Sutherland ∙ September 5, 2013

Apple usually is in the cat-bird seat when it comes to negotiations. The brand's allure, coupled with billions in cash and a handset responsible for rocketing smartphone sales has made the iPhone maker a brutal negotiator. Now comes word Apple may have made concessions in order to get the world's largest carrier on its team.

Just what Apple had to concede to gain support from China Mobile varies from a low-priced iPhone 5C to even a slice of some profits. While the latter possibility is rather far-fetched, observers agree: the Chinese carrier "has all the power" in these negotiations...

Apple ‘on hiring binge’ to strengthen iAd team ahead of iRadio Launch

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Apple is seemingly scrambling to hire a number of key iAd executives in preparation for the launch of its streaming music service iTunes Radio. The Cupertino company is "on a hiring binge," placing job offers for more than two dozen positions, according to reports Wednesday.

At the head of Apple's talent search is for a creative design manager who would oversee rich media ads for such brands as McDonald's, Pepsi and Proctor & Gamble. The iTunes Radio service is expected to be unveiled September 10 alongside iOS 7...

Court rules iTunes FairPlay DRM did not monopolize digital music sales

Ed Sutherland ∙ September 4, 2013

A California appeals court provided Apple some good news for a change, ruling Apple's FairPlay DRM software did not monopolize digital music sales. The decision has affirmed a lower court's dismissal.

In a Wednesday ruling, a three-judge San Francisco court found that although Apple controlled 99 percent of the digital music and digital music player market after imposing FairPlay, the company did not prevent rivals from competing.

The lawsuit had claimed Apple's DRM prevented songs purchased at iTunes from playing on anything other than its iPod...

IDC: in Asia, phablets now outselling both PCs and tablets

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 11, 2018

If a camel is a horse created by committee, then a phablet is a device built by indecision between a smartphone and tablet. Whatever the definition, popularity of the product with a screen between five and seven inches diagonally is skyrocketing in much of Asia. According to IDC, sales of phablets led tablets and portable PCs, up 620 percent in the second quarter compared to the same period in 2012...

Apple’s iPhone grows to 43 percent of US smartphones

Ed Sutherland ∙ September 4, 2013

Continued good news for Apple in the United States. The iPhone has more than 43 percent of the domestic market, marking a 7.8 percent jump over the July quarter of 2012. The increase appears to be largely at the expense of Android, which saw its share of the U.S. market fall during the period.

Additionally, although the market share of iOS declined throughout much of Europe, the iPhone in Great Britain saw a 7.8 percent jump between the three-month period of 2012 and 2013, according to an analytics firm...

Apple patent taps gesture input for multi-user iOS Lock screen access

Ed Sutherland ∙ September 3, 2013

Many iOS devices, particularly the iPad, are often shared among family and friends. For example, wouldn't it be great if you could unlock just your Games folders for the kids, but give yourself and your spouse access to more applications?

Apple may have heard your thoughts, because a new patent outlines ways to offer limited access to select sets of iOS apps, straight from the Lock screen. The technology could supplant the one-size-fits-all nature of a passcode, with proposed 'access inputs' featuring gestures ranging from letters, shapes and more...

August was a bad month for Apple’s mobile web usage share

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 18, 2016

New data from web analytics firm NetApplicatons shows a significant decline in Apple's share of the mobile web, with iOS devices falling to 54.9 percent in August, a 16.7 percent drop from the 65.9 percent reported during the same month in 2012. While still less than a third of the web usage, Android experienced an increase, rising eleven percent to 28.1 percent from 21 percent in 2012...

Apple’s Passbook is now a registered trademark

Ed Sutherland ∙ August 30, 2013

Passbook, Apple's iOS app for collecting coupons, board passes and other digital cards, is now a registered trademark. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office published the trademark registration Friday. This makes a clean sweep for the app, after its icon was trademarked by Apple earlier this month.

Apple had filed to trademark the app in 2012, just two months after unveiling Passbook during its annual June Apple World Wide Developer Conference.

Today's announcement comes as Apple continues efforts to trademark the term 'startup' as part of its retail services ahead of the expected September launch of the iPhone 5S/5C...

Court rejects faulty iPhone power button suit

Ed Sutherland ∙ August 30, 2013

A California U.S. District judge derailed a potential class-action lawsuit against Apple and AT&T earlier this week, rejecting a complaint that the two companies conspired against fixing a defect in the popular iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S handsets. Two California consumers had alleged a "wiggly" power button presented a safety hazard which both the tech giant and the carrier kept hidden in order to sell more of the handsets.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge Gary Feess dismissed the argument for a racketeering charge, ruling the safety hazards were "speculative" and occurred beyond the product's warranty period. The court's rejection could influence a second similar federal lawsuit still making its way through the legal system...