Business

Apple wins dismissal of $2.2 billion German patent troll suit

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The rulings are a blow to Munich-based patent holding company IPCom which has sued mobile-device makers over technology it acquired from Robert Bosch GmbH in 2007. The “100” series patents, which also apply to methods helping to place emergency calls, are the central piece of its portfolio.

IPCom, which doesn’t make any products, is one of a group of firms that license its patents and file lawsuits to generate revenue, earning the moniker “patent trolls” from its targets. Apple was among 19 companies and associations that petitioned the European Union in a letter this week to weaken the ability of non-manufacturers to win injunctions in intellectual-property cases.

“IPCom’s story has come to an end” with the ruling, said Martin Chakraborty, HTC’s attorney.

I love the phrase “IPCom, which doesn’t make any products”. Goes to the heart of the definition of a patent troll.

Why Nokia took on an Android phone project when they were about to join with Microsoft

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Terrific speculative piece from Seeking Alpha (free reg-wall).

To understand where Nokia is coming from with the Nokia X it’s important to keep in mind that developing a new phone platform, even one based on Android, takes time. Product development cycles can run into many months, even for a phone using an OS that the manufacturer is already experienced with, and using hardware based on existing products.

Really interesting. Sounds about right.

Twitter restores @N username to original owner

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About a month ago, Shawn King posted a story about a Twitter user who lost his high-value Twitter name (@N) to an alleged extortionist. If you haven’t read that story, I’d encourage you to go back and read it. Fascinating and a bit scary.

There was a lot of speculation about what Twitter would do to make this right. Now we know.

“Order had been restored”

This tweet came from Naoki Hiroshima’s Twitter account yesterday evening. Glad to see this happening. Surprised it took so long.

Apple expands “Made for iPad” program to include iBeacon

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Smart move on Apple’s part. They have opened enrollment for an iBeacon version of its Made for iPad program. If you want to use the iBeacon name, you have to meet the iBeacon criteria. This insures the level of quality stays high.

The indie operating systems place in the smart phone race

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Apple and Google and, to a lesser extent, Microsoft, have a huge lead in the smart phone mindshare race. Some might argue that the lead is unassailable. This article digs into the logic of what the indie OS providers are pursuing. Good read.

TekSavvy ordered to ID alleged movie downloaders

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This article starts in a chilling way:

A Canadian internet service provider has been ordered to hand over the names and addresses of about 2,000 customers who allegedly downloaded movies online.

We’ve heard this sort of thing before. The pursuit of copyright protection can take on the nature of a patent troll using scare tactics to grab money from the guilty and innocent alike. But this case took an unexpected turn, thanks to case management judge Kevin Aalto.

How to get a job at Google

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Thomas Friedman writing for the New York Times about the value of a high GPA, good grades, and the like to companies like Google.

The evolution of the importance of the developer

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Fascinating read:

It’s simple: Businesses that are agile and willing to embrace cloud infrastructure will have an advantage over ones that don’t. And employers willing to accept the developer’s newfound prominence will fare better than ones that are slow to adjust to this new reality. As O’Grady puts it in his book:

“Developers are now the real decision makers in technology. Learning how to best negotiate with these New Kingmakers, therefore, could mean the difference between success and failure.”

Ford said to drop Microsoft Sync for in-car, move to BlackBerry’s QNX

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If this is true, this is a big deal for both Microsoft and BlackBerry.

Ford Motor Co., struggling with in-car technology glitches, will base the next-generation Sync system on BlackBerry Ltd.’s QNX and no longer use Microsoft Corp.’s Windows, according to people briefed on the matter.

Apple buys mobile app management and analytics firm Burstly

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The rumors were flying ever since Wednesday:

Burstly, the makers of an in-app ad management platform called SkyRocket and the parent company of popular mobile app testing platform TestFlight, has been acquired, we’re hearing. Though we’re working to get more information on this now, including deal terms, our understanding is that Apple is the acquirer here.

This rumor was confirmed earlier today by Re/code.

Google buys ad-click fraud fighter spider.io

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As markets mature, fraud is sure to follow. Google and Apple both have their share of problem to solve, from online browser and YouTube click fraud for Google and App Store gaming issues for Apple.

Why Facebook needed WhatsApp

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Between the two companies, about 1 billion photos and 30 billion messages are sent per day.

That’s a lot. Good read.

Accusations of App Store manipulation

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Not sure what to make of this. Is the App Store being gamed, or are people being careless with their .99? Follow the links in the story to get the big picture. There are a lot of them.

Why did Jimmy Fallon’s MacBook Pro lose its Apple?

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The MacBook Pro on Jimmy Fallon’s Late Night desk was like a cast member, a regular part of his show. Apple was always a part of the show and was listed as a sponsor in the credits. Now the Apple logo is gone.