As a lover of fantasy stories, characters with psychic powers fascinated me. My last brush with psychic powers was when I saw a scene in Smallville where Dr. Fate told Clark Kent that in future, he (Clark) would be the leader of all super-heroes.

Well, we may not have Dr. Fate here to tell the future but if you want to know your future, try Jinx:Psychic Sidekick.

Don’t worry! Asking questions would not jinx your future, if it could, I would not have tried it.

Just ask any question that can be answered in yes or no. Jinx will answer it. By the way, this Jinx is not Siri. So no point in asking the location of cinemas or fast food joints. Nor there is any point in asking Jinx to a date.

In fantasy TV shows, you would have seen magic balls telling the future or showing the future. In Harry Potter And The Order Of Phoenix, there were balls carrying prophecies. Now your answers are in this magic fate ball called Jinx.

This is a cute blue wizardly ball (first future telling ball that looks cute). Just ask your questions and get the answers you want. After you download Jinx: Psychic Sidekick, he will help you get the low down you want on everything from confirming juicy gossip, to predicting sports event and everything in between.

Jinx: Psychic Sidekick is now in the list of TOP 100 Entertainment app in the UK and Italy. It is ranking within the TOP 200 Entertainment apps lists in 12 other countries.

Jinx: Psychic Sidekick is the cutest psychic companion available on the App Store. This app fun and quirky recreational app which might just give you some insight into your own future! Jinx has the power to answer up to three “Yes or No” questions in a row for users before taking a ten minute break. Jinx is integrated with Facebook, sharing predictions with friends and family will always be easy. Just sign in with your Facebook account and ask questions. I asked Jinx whether the girl I love would accept my proposal. I would keep the answer to myself for personal reasons.

Jinx: Psychic Sidekick full version would give you more answers.

If you upgrade to the full version Jinx: Psychic Sidekick, there would be unlimited energy unlocked that would let Jinx answer question after question without ever needing to take a brea. The unlocking would cost you $0.99.

After upgrading Jinx: Psychic Sidekick, you can enable Cheat Mode and play tricks on your friends.

Upgrading to the full version of this app would also unlock its full pranking potential. It would be possible to rig the answers in advance, hand Jinx off to your friends, and enjoy the hilarious results!.The jokes you will play iwill be limited to your own imagination.

Jinx: Psychic Sidekick – the Magic Fate Ball has been developed by Sizzle Entertainment.

The new version 1.05 of Jinx: Psychic Sidekick – the Magic Fate Ball has many updates.

Compatibility:
Jinx: Psychic Sidekick – the Magic Fate Ball is compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. It requires iOS 4.0 or later version.

This review has been written after the app being downloaded from app store and the app has been used on an iPad.

Click here to download Jinx: Psychic Sidekick – the Magic Fate Ball.

Know Your Future By Asking Your Psychic Sidekick Jinx [REVIEW] is a post from: The Apple Bites

By now, you would have heard about the biggest features of the new OS X, Mountain Lion. This is going to be the advanced version of Mac OS X Lion.

Apple is implementing some popular iOS features like Notifications, Game Center, and Reminders on the desktop OS. However, unless you are actually familiar with OS (which would mean you are a developer with access to the beta), you might not new aware of other little updates, smaller features that can make a big difference overall, but have not received much attention so far.

GigaOm has found some of these little features, and written them for everyone to read. List of apps installed in the device is not going to be the only thing that would make Mac OS resemble iOS. Finder file transfers now show off an iOS-style progress bar, and toolbars that are simple and more tactile. A lot of the button looks have been borrowed from Apple’s official iOS applications. Some other new features include Safari tabs simply splitting the distance on their bar instead of squeezed into one corner. The updates in System Preferences include options for screen savers.

What do you say about these new features? Post your comments.

Source: TUAW

Changes In The Mountain Lion Developer Preview is a post from: The Apple Bites

For a while, Apple has been working with music artists and their sound engineers to offer up the highest encoding practices possible for submissions to the iTunes Store.

Now Apple has now showing the outcome of some of those efforts by launching a new “Mastered for iTunes” section on the iTunes Store.

Apple currently uses the Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) codec for music compression and while, to the average listener, these files may sound great. However, to audiophiles, sound-engineers and the artists who create the music, they are not getting the full array of sound that they intended for you to hear.

Most recently, many artists like Neil Young, Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, head of Interscope-Geffen-A&M have all gone on record as not being in favor of the sound quality listeners are getting when purchasing music. The AAC codec, that is used by Apple and various other digital media service providers, causes quality loss during the conversion from the 24-bit 192kHz original recording. By the time consumers actually get the file, you are only receiving as little as three percent of the original 192kHz quality.

With the launch of the “Mastered for iTunes” section, Apple is carrying out a transition from their original methods of taking the CD masters and encoding them to the 256kbps iTunes Plus files. Apple is asking publishers to submit the full high-resolution 24-bit/96kHz files so they may be the base file for encoding. To help with the transition for music publishers, Apple has also released a white paper documenting the changes and advising how to go about the process of submissions. Apple is also documenting to provide new mastering tools to go along with it.

The ultimate goal here is to have everyone obtain the highest quality audio files possible from the iTunes Store. Neil Young once said that he had been working with Apple on this change prior to the death of Steve Jobs and since then, there has not been much word from Apple. The latest development in this regard shows that Apple had been working on it behind the scenes.

Source: iMore

“Mastered For iTunes” Section Launched On iTunes Store is a post from: The Apple Bites

Lawsuits from Proview, efforts to increase the availability of iPhone 4S and Foxconn controversies maybe giving Apple a headache in China.

However, despite all this, Apple still retains its desire of global retail conquest. As it turns out, just days before the long-awaited iPad 3 will likely make its debut on the world’s stage (according to rumors), Apple will expand its retail presence in the world by opening a store in the beautiful Amsterdam.

With over 350 retail stores now open around the world, Apple is presently less than two weeks away from entering the twelfth country to welcome an Apple store.

On Wednesday, 22 February 2012, Gary Allen of ifoAppleStore.com confirmed that the new facility will open 3 March 2012 on the ground floor and mezzanine of the “historic Hirsch Building in city center.” On the basis of reports from observers at the scene, the store will be as awesome as Apple’s Paris store.

The Amsterdam store has been on the cards for close to two years, with construction having begun in May 2011. Finally, just this week, the words “Coming Soon” were emblazoned across the front of the building. The store would open on 3 March 2012 at 10 AM (local time).

Source: Modmyi

Apple Opening Store In Amsterdam In March is a post from: The Apple Bites

There have been many tributes to Steve Jobs but sometimes, one fails to understand whether an act of “tribute” has been carried out as a mark of respect or ridicule.

Steve Jobs is no more and it is definitely strange to see an active profile of Steve Jobs on Facebook.

There was a Facebook timeline that documented the entire life of Steve Jobs since the day he was born, and one would drop his jaws after seeing the effort that was put to make this page and uploading information not many people know.

The timeline featured hundreds of photographs and videos that featured Steve throughout his life. From the Electronics Club at Homestead High School back in 1969, to the day he stepped down from the role of CEO at Apple, and everything in between, it was like an information overload on Steve Jobs. This page looked like a wonderfully interactive biography.

Later the page was taken down. What are your comments on this Facebook Timeline page of Steve Jobs? Share with us.

Source: Cult Of Mac

Facebook Timeline Page Documenting The Life Of Steve Jobs Taken Down is a post from: The Apple Bites

Earlier this month, we reported that Motorola had won an injunction against the iCloud service of Apple. Now Apple is facing the heat of that injunction.

Apple has informed German customers that Push email service has been suspended for iCloud and MobileMe customers in Germany due to successful patent litigation by Motorola Mobility.

Affected customers will still receive iCloud and MobileMe email, but new messages will be downloaded to their devices when the Mail app is opened, or when their device periodically fetches new messages as configured in iOS Settings. Push email service on desktop computers, laptop computers, and the web is unaffected, as is service from other providers such as Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync.

Though, mail services are available for both iCloud and MobileMe, the mail must be fetched manually or at a certain interval of time.

By winning the injunction, Motorola was able to enforce it by posting a 100 million euro bond. Apple decided to appeal against the verdict as it came out. Motorola may be liable for some amount of damages if this injunction is overturned. Apple has stated in the support document that it believes Motorola’s patent is invalid and is appealing against this decision.

Source: Mac Rumors

Apple Suspends iCloud In Germany is a post from: The Apple Bites

It seems that Brandywine Communications also wants to join some action that is taking place in the lawsuits that involve apple against Samsung, Motorola, Proview, HTC, Kodak and others. That is why, it has filed a lawsuit against Apple.

Brandywine Communications dragged Apple to court over alleged patent violations related to the iPhone’s voicemail software. The company has claimed, according to its filing, that Apple is using two of its patents without obtaining proper licenses from them.

The patents in question (5,719,922 and 6,236,717) describe a “simultaneous voice/data answering machine” system. They specifically reference retrieving voice and data messages via answering machine or computer. These patents also described a system where users could listen to a message while viewing related data at the same time, meaning multimedia messages.

According to some online reports, Brandywine Communications is facing a lawsuit of its own from Verizon over different patents. In that case, Verizon said:

“Brandywine is a patent holding company that is in the business of enforcing patent rights through the filing of various lawsuits.”

In other words, Verizon called Brandywind Communications a patent troll.

The lawsuit against Apple was filed in US District Court in Florida.

Apple has not made any comment over this lawsuit so far.

Source: The Mac Observer

Brandywine Sues Apple Over Voicemail Patent is a post from: The Apple Bites

We reported earlier that according to a research App Store apps would seek (possibly leak) more privacy details of users than the jailbreak apps. The research was conducted in the wake of Path scandal of user data being stored by Path and uploaded without user’s consent.

Path had sparked a huge controversy over user privacy violations in popular App Store apps. The outcry and criticism from media resulted in a new order from The California Attorney General to enforce new standards for informing users about app privacy policies.

Now Apple, Google, Microsoft, HP, Amazon and RIM will have to implement new policies that developers must comply with when the apps are published online. All information that is collected from the user will be outlined in the app’s privacy policy and it must be made viewable in the app stores before the download of the app.

This agreement will allow consumers the opportunity to review an app’s privacy policy before they download the app rather than after, and will offer consumers a consistent location for an app’s privacy policy on the application-download screen. If developers do not comply with their stated privacy policies, they can be prosecuted under California’s Unfair Competition Law and/or False Advertising Law.

The agreement further commits the platforms to educate developers about their obligations to respect consumer privacy and to disclose to consumers what private information they collect, how they use the information, and with whom they share it. The platforms will also work to improve compliance with privacy laws by giving users tools to report non-compliant apps and committing companies to implement processes to respond to these reports.

In the near future you will be able to easily view any app’s privacy policy before you download it. Any developer refusing to comply with the policy can be charged under California law. “By ensuring that mobile apps have privacy policies, we create more transparency and give mobile users more informed control over who accesses their personal information and how it is used,” said the Attorney General.

According to the results of the recent research, Apple’s App Store is actually one of the worst platforms for displaying an app’s privacy permissions plainly. The Android Market and other popular apps stores display app permissions more visibly (comparing with Apple’s app store). However, it is nearly impossible to find privacy information in the App Store before actually installing an app.

We hope that the new ruling from The California Attorney General will spur all technology companies and developers alike to be more transparent about disclosing privacy information.

Source: Cult Of Mac

Now Apple And Others Must Give App Privacy Details Before You Download is a post from: The Apple Bites

Now here is an iPad 3 rumor that Apple Fanboys in Europe would wish to be true.

Apple has not even revealed an official name for the upcoming iPad and Apple fanboys are hell-bent on calling it iPad 3. We wonder how they would react if the tablet is named as iPad 2S!

Coming back to the rumor, nowadays, everybody is anticipating that Apple will announce the iPad 3 on 7 March 2012. Nobody knows when iPad 3 would actually go on sale. Usually it is within weeks of the announcement. Online reports say that Apple is opening the Apple Store inside Harrods in London Mid-March. One can assume a Friday for the sales launch for the new iPad and further assume that Apple will align the store opening with the iPad 3 sales launch would be on 16 March 2012 which is the rumored release date for the iPad 3 in Europe.

US and European iPad launch dates have not been the same so far. This rumor has led to assumption by many that Apple would need to release the iPad 3 on 9 March 2012 in the United States to keep at least a week in between sales releases. 

We would like to remind our readers that these are all speculations. Do not blindly believe any rumor unless Apple confirms it.

Do you believe that iPad 3 would be released in US on 9 March 2012 and Europe on 16 March 2012. Post your comments.

You can also share your thoughts with us on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

The Apple Bites is giving away free iTunes Gift-cards for exciting games and interesting apps. All you need to do is to participate in the discussions The Apple Bites starts. No offensive words allowed. No spamming! The winners would be contacted and the gift cards would be given to them.

Source: i4U

iPad 3 Sales In Europe On 16 March? is a post from: The Apple Bites

As a child, I used to play a game called Diablo which was one of my favorites. A warrior would collect weapons and fight against monsters.

Now I feel nostalgic whenever I play this new game called Dark Summoner by Ateam. It is really nice game.

Animation and appearance of monsters is what fascinates me.

In Dark Summoners, while playing, you assume the role of a dark summoners who summons monsters to get help in fighting your enemy and his monsters.

The story of this game is set in a world where there is a lot of natural beauty and this world is inhabited by an intelligent humanoid species. Despite intelligence, people of this species were stubborn and about their beliefs and had differences. Differences led to conflicts and wars. They used their intelligence to create a deadly tool of war… the Gates. The gates can be used to summon all living creatures existing in any dimension or any parallel world. Chaos is everywhere as too many monsters have come.

Time is fight the monsters like He-Man.

In this game, you choose a name any of the three guilds among the Guild of Sin, Guild of Rancor and Guild of Tyranny. You summon monster by tapping the button on screen. Monsters have been categorized on the basis of their attacking abilities and defensive techniques. The rare and most dangerous monsters are of A+ category. Monsters are summoned and you fight with them against the monsters of your enemy’s army. Killing all enemies while playing in a guild is your path to victory.

The special effects and animation techniques used in this game are awesome. Makers collaborated with famous artists to deliver twisted and nightmarish monsters with horrifying appearances. Dark Summoner includes professional CG movies to present in-game action.

There are over 350 Types of Deadly Monsters. You can create an army that will scare your enemies. More and more monsters will be added frequently.

You can use the life force of weak monsters to make your powerful monsters, more powerful and strong. When you defeat some powerful dark lords, they would join you. This is an online game and needs internet connection.

Dark Summoners includes mild mature and suggestive themes. It also includes mild cartoon/fantasy violence and infrequent realistic violence. Therefore, we recommend user discretion while playing this game.

Compatibility:
Dark Summoners is compatible with iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. It requires iOS 4.2 or later version.

This review has been written after downloading the game from app store and the game has been played on an iPod.

So how was your experience of fighting dark creatures with monsters in this game. Post your comments.

Click here to download Dark Summoner.

Be Dark Summoner To Summon Monsters And Fight [REVIEW] is a post from: The Apple Bites

Tags:

• how do i make a new dark summoner account
• ios game dark summon

To live a healthy life, you need to have a balanced diet. Balanced diet is defined differently by different people. Here, by balanced diet, I mean a diet that gives proper nutrition and proper amount vitamins, proteins, minerals, carbohydrates and a necessary amount of fat.

Thus, you need to plan your meals in advance and here is an app that would help you do that. Introducing MealGuru by EMP Company. MealGuru helps you to plan your weekly diet in the forms of meals you would eat throughout the week. With this app, you can prepare a schedule on what to eat, when to eat and to eat on which day.

EMP Company describe their mission as improving the quality of everyday life and they do that by developing innovative customer applications related to food and health.

MealGuru would transform your iPad into a mobile meal planning solution that would be capable of whipping up deliciously healthy dinner ideas for everyday of the week, including your own favorite recipes. With MealGuru you can and you will feel more satisfied from a healthier, balanced eating regimen. With MealGuru, you will improve your and your family’s eating habits.

This app was created to provide a planning and organizing tool to help you enjoy eating balanced, diverse, and nutritionally conscious meals day in and day out. MealGuru provides weekly meal plans on the basis of recipes from the database and your unique taste. It compiles grocery lists, and varies dining plans flexible from week to week to ensure that a fresh and healthy diet for you.

You can choose your favorite recipe from a database of 280 healthy recipes in MealGuru. All of these recipes have been made and suggested by dietitians. Each recipe is broken down by ingredients and their nutritional values. Not only that, MealGuru also includes a number of unique “kid-approved” that your kids would love. This shows that MealGuru accommodates family friendly meal plans as well. With MealGuru, preparing a healthy eating regimen would not be a difficult task because this app would make it as simple as powering up your iPad!

MealGuru would also allow you to add and store personal recipes right into the app’s database via its innovative My Cookbook function. Personal recipes are circulated and added into meal plans randomly. Thus, your favorite recipes will also be included and suggested to you just the way recipes from dietitians are suggested by MealGuru.

Now you would note need to google and search for nutritional recipes for hours. You can simply choose what type of nutritional recipes and food do you and what type you do not want. The app will do the rest. Shopping lists are also included in this app. They can be emailed to yourself as well as friends and family. Preparations are easy and well instructed. The app takes care of all the planning, all you need to do is to follow the the procedure and cook properly.

Now let us have look at the features of MealGuru:

Creation of balanced meal plan:
1. You can create weekly menus on the basis of a variation in protein, vegetables and grains, plus low in saturated fat, balanced in calories and high in fiber, to meet your daily needs.
2. You can customize your personal preferences of the food, tastes and flavors that you like.
3. In MealGuru Like or unlike recipes can be customized for your future meal plan.

Discovering and using healthy recipes:
1. MealGuru’s recipe database comprises of 280 delicious meal choices.
2. You can learn how to cook easy, nutritionally balanced recipes based on Dietary Guidelines from United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This includes children’s recipes as well.
3. MealGuru includes In-depth nutritional information and photos with every recipe.
4. This app can give extra food tips by recipe.

Easily adding your own recipes:
1. You can add the recipes directly into the MealGuru and simply copy and paste recipe information from any website.
2. MealGuru can quickly scale recipe ingredients to the desired serving size.
3. You can easily add photos from your personal album or Internet.

An easy-to-use app built for efficiency and speed:
1. In this app, streamlined weekly menu creation tools will allow full meal plans to be built in minutes.
2. Shopping list creation options include categorized items.
3. You can email shopping list to yourself or others right through the app.
4. MealGuru does not require an Internet connection to function.

The features aimed at increasing the efficiency and speed of MealGuru have been improvised in new Version 2.0.

Compatibility:
MealGuru is compatible with iPad. It requires iOS 3.2 or later version.

This review has been written after obtaining MealGuru from app store with a gift card and the app has been used on an iPad.

So are you ready to plan you diet and make your health-conscious lifestyle more easy and efficient? Tell us how MealGuru benefitted you.

Click here to buy and download MealGuru.

Plan Your Weekly Diet With For A Healthy Life With MealGuru [REVIEW] is a post from: The Apple Bites

Good news for the fans of Beatles. Now your phone will ring to the tune of a song from Beatles.

Beatles have announced that their 27 #1 hits in the U.S. and U.K. are now available as 30-second ringtones exclusively on the iTunes Store.

The Beatles and Apple have a long history together. The legendary band from UK was a favorite of former CEO Late Steve Jobs. This led to exclusive deals of this sort between the two on many occasions.

Earlier this month, a live concert of Beatles singer Paul McCartney aired on iTunes.

The Beatles were originally added to the iTunes Store in November 2010. Since then, their music and other content has been featured multiple times.

Below is the full list of songs by that are now available for purchase as ringtones at $1.29 each on the iTunes Store:

1. “Love Me Do”

2. “From Me To You”

3. “She Loves You”

4. “I Want To Hold Your Hand”

5. “Can’t Buy Me Love”

6. “A Hard Day’s Night”

7. “I Feel Fine”

8. “Eight Days a Week”

9. “Ticket to Ride”

10. “Help!”

11. “Yesterday”

12. “Day Tripper”

13. “We Can Work It Out”

14. “Paperback Writer”

15. “Yellow Submarine”

16. “Eleanor Rigby”

17. “Penny Lane”

18. “All You Need Is Love”

19. “Hello, Goodbye”

20. “Lady Madonna”

21. “Hey Jude”

22. “Get Back”

23. “The Ballad of John and Yoko”

24. “Something”

25. “Come Together”

26. “Let It Be”

27. “The Long and Winding Road”

Source: Technology Tell

Exclusive Ringtones From Beatles Available On iTunes is a post from: The Apple Bites

After being welcomed by the Prime Minister of Israel for choosing Israel as business destination, Apple has started a recruitment drive in Israel.

Apple has posted listings around the Internet for a Technical Recruiter based in Israel. This signifies that the Cupertino-based company is kicking off a hiring drive in Israel.

The main goal of the individual in that position will be to get involved in “identifying, engaging and securing world-class candidates for Apple in Israel”. We can also presume that the person holding this position would also have to work for the growth Apple’s operations in Israel. The position asks for quite a bit of recruiting experience, particularly in the engineering, hardware, and semiconductor industries. The person holding this position will also need to deal with “hiring ramps of 20+ vacancies”. This again signifies the probability of a significant team headed to Israel.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has said in the past that as well as Apple is doing here in the US and overseas in Europe, the biggest potential for growth is in developing tech nations like Israel and other countries in the Middle East. Seems like Apple is set to grow bigger and bigger in near future.

Nobody knows whether this recruitment drive is for Research and Development Center or some new venture.

Source: TUAW

Apple Starts Hiring In Israel is a post from: The Apple Bites

Those who have opposed and rubbished the rumors of iPad 3 to be LTE equipped have argued that Apple will avoid the 4G technology again this year because it is still not widely available.

Many believe that Apple does not have any reason to complicate its manufacturing process with multiple 3G/4G models.

However, one point that these people are missing is that chips that work with both LTE and 3G networks already exist. Qualcomm unveiled a new all-in-one chip, earlier this week. According to rumors, this chip is going to be used by Apple in the upcoming iPad.

According to online reports, Qualcomm just unveiled the fifth generation of its popular gobi line: the MDM9615 (and the 9215). The chip is compatible with a long list of wireless technologies that includes LTE, HSPA, EV-DO, CDMA, TD-SCDMA, and TD-LTE.

This chip would allow Apple to manufacture a single tablet that works with both 3G and 4G networks. Plus, it would also enable Apple to finally offer its products on China Mobile. The carrier, who has over 600 million wireless subscribers, uses obscure TD-SCDMA and TD-LTE technology. This is the reason that partnership between iPhone and China mobile has not been possible till date.

This may not be a confirmation of LTE technology available in upcoming iPhone or iPad. However, this certainly can be a possibility that cannot be ruled out.

Source: iDownload Blog

New Chip From Qualcomm Works With Both 3G And 4G Networks is a post from: The Apple Bites

WeeRoll, the Notification Center animation tweak is here.

Yes you heard it right! WeeRoll has been released on the Cydia Store.

WeeRoll adds over a dozen Animations to Notification Center. It is like a different version of a similar tweak called Flowtation. Barrel has possibly served as an inspiration for WeeRoll.

It can now be downloaded for $0.99 on the ModMyi repo. It would work with jailbroken iOS 5 devices.

The video shared on this page shows how WeeRoll works.

Share your comments about WeeRoll with us if you have used it.

Source: iDownload Blog

‘WeeRoll’ Now In Cydia is a post from: The Apple Bites

Tags:

• weeroll source

This past Tuesday on 21 February 2012, Apple confirmed its plans to build a massive data center in Prineville Oregon, confirming the rumors that emerged late last year.

Last week documents with Apple’s name on it had emerged at the Crook County clerk’s office. A local TV station KTVZ confirmed the plans with Apple. The development, known as “Project Maverick”, will involve building a data center on a 160-acre plot of land purchased for $5.6 million. County commissioners signed the deed for the purchase on 15 February 2012, coinciding with a decision by the Oregon state senate voted in a bill that removed earlier threats of property taxes for data centers.

The usual non-disclosure agreements were issued to county officials by Apple preventing any unwanted information (or possible trade secret) on the development from coming out. However, one judge said that the project would be “good for Prineville and Crook County.”

Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet confirmed that the facility will exist and it will be “green.” Possibly, Huguet means “environment friendly” by saying “green”.

Source: Modmyi

Apple Confirms Data Center In Oregon is a post from: The Apple Bites

There is a ray of light in darkness. A ray of hope.

In China, where the whole judicial system and government were supporting the unfair claims of Proview about the ownership of “iPad” name (despite Apple presenting all the evidence of purchasing the tights to use “iPad” name), a Shanghai court has rejected Proview’s plea to ban the sales of Apple’s iPad.

Proview suffered a blow as the Shanghai Pudong New Area People’s Court rejected a preliminary injunction against the sale of the iPad. Now Apple can continue selling iPads in its flagship Shanghai stores without fear (and embarrassment) of sales suspension.

The hearings are postponed. However, both companies are awaiting the results of a separate case in the Guangdong provincial high court. The Wall Street Journal reported:

Proview had sought the injunction, saying it owns the iPad trademark in China. Apple, which contends that it previously purchased the rights to the iPad name from Proview, had applied in Shanghai to suspend proceedings on Wednesday. Ma Dongxiao, an attorney representing Proview, said the company doesn’t yet have a response.

Reuters said Apple is appealing a December court verdict ruled in Proview’s favor. Reuters reported that “A higher court hearing for the appeal is set for February 29 in China’s southern province of Guangdong.” Interestingly, it has been revealed recently that the Bank of China and Minsheng Bank are controlling debt-laden Proview since March 2009. As a result, Proview is not allowed to make any agreements without the creditors’ approval. One trademark lawyer told Business Week:

Right now, the most valuable asset of Proview Group is the iPad trademark registration in China. Assuming the creditors have control of the affairs of Proview Shenzhen, it might be in their best interest to get a settlement as quickly as possible to monetize the Proview assets.

Desperately in need of money, Proview resorted to the attempts of extortion by demanding Appel to pay US $ 1.5 billion to use iPad name in China, despite the fact that Apple had purchased the rights from Proview in 2009. Proview had marketed and sold an iMac-like desktop in 2000 named I-PAD. Lawyers representing Proview, took a stance ahead of the hearings on 22 February 2012. They said that an out-of-court settlement with Apple “is quite possible.” Apple responded by saying that Proview’s trademark is invalid because its I-PAD computer had not been on sale for years. Apple also argued that its own tablet called iPad was benefiting China’s economy through the creation of manufacturing jobs and tax revenues:

Apple has huge sales in China. Its fans line up to buy Apple products. The ban, if executed, would not only hurt Apple sales but it would also hurt China’s national interest.

In 2009, Apple secretly founded a United Kingdom-based firm to get “iPad” trademark so that Proview would not know at the time that Apple was the purchaser. The successful purchase had given Apple, the legal right to sell its iPad in China but so far, all Chinese courts had been unfairly supporting Proview due to jingoistic feelings. Apple said Proview was not honoring the agreement. A Hong Court’s support for Apple was the first legal victory for Apple in China over the issue surrounding iPad trademark row.

Source: 9TO5 Mac

Apple Can Sell iPad In Shanghai is a post from: The Apple Bites

Shocked that your wife found out about the phone call you made to your Ex? Blame your iPhone.

A bug has been found in iOS 5.0.1. Bugs are found in iPhone very often but this bug might give you sleepless nights.

You may need to worry because this bug may allow an unauthorized user to access your contacts, make phone calls, or use FaceTime on your passcode-protected iPhone. However, no need to panic as there is a solution. This bug is not easily reproduced. It requires someone else to have access to your phone, with either no service or the sim card removed. Your average snoop would not find it worth their time.

To trigger the bug, one would need to confuse your iPhone after receiving a missed call by one of two methods — doing it while you have no network coverage or actively inserting and ejecting the SIM card. This will eventually lead to the iPhone unlocking to the phone app and allowing you to place phone calls. Once you hang up, you will be locked out again.

This process needs to be performed numerous times, as shown in the video shared here. Your iPhone would not be confused by anyone as long as you do not need your iPhone unattended for long periods of time with shady people who actively carry around a SIM removal tool or paperclip. Using SIM removal clip or paperclip are popular methods to hack into an iPhone.

A similar bug was discovered a while back under iOS 4. This bug also allowed access to contacts, favorites, and voicemail on a locked device. In iOS 5, a timestamp bug was discovered that allowed access to your camera roll.

Nobody knows whether or not this specific issue is patched in iOS 5.1. If it is not already, we can only hope that it will be before the public release of iOS 5.1.

Do you feel that this bug has affected your iPhone? Post your comments.

You can also share your comments with us on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

The Apple Bites is giving away free iTunes Gift-cards for exciting games and interesting apps. All you need to do is to participate in the discussions The Apple Bites starts. No offensive words allowed. No spamming! The winners would be contacted and the gift cards would be given to them.

Source: iMore

Bug In iOS 5.0.1 Allows Unauthorized Access To Contacts And Call History is a post from: The Apple Bites

Before your toddler starts going to school, you can play a game with him/her that would give your toddler, a knowledge of alphabets and make him learn many new things.

Write My Name app familiarizes little children not just with alphabets and words, it would also make them a little bit of tech savvy as while learning to use this app from you or a teacher, they would also learn little bit about the gadget on which app is being used. For example, iPad.

Write My Name has been developed by Project Injini who have a history of developing educational games and assistive applications that cater to the knowledge and education related needs of little children. The applications developed by Injini aim to provide a high-quality learning experience to the child who is using the application. Injini also create helpful apps to aid the education of children with special needs.

Write My Name by Injini has been developed by experts who can make educational and educative applications. It is endorsed by parents and teachers due to its simple way of teaching and beautiful colorful graphics that would appeal to children. This app is a fun way for children to practice writing letters, words, names and phrases. Write My Name supports children ages 4 through 6 and helps them to learn how to write their name, trace uppercase and lowercase letters, and write various familiar sight/Dolch words. Write My Name teaches some of the basic reading and writing that children usually learn in kindergarten such as the introduction and mastery of print and word recognition concepts. It meets the Common Core State standards in this regard.

How to use this app:

Write My Name app is embedded within a child’s beautiful wood desk space. There are three activity areas that preschoolers and kindergarteners can explore while practicing and mastering writing their alphabet, name, and common sight words.

*ABC alphabet book in this focuses on learning and tracing the individual uppercase or lowercase letters.

* Write My Name features Word Cards that introduce the child to over 100+ common sight words. Thus, children trace words in uppercase or lowercase letters. Once the child traces the word, the word card comes to life with vibrant colors and animations that appear really beautiful on the iPad screen. Tracing the word for a second time would add star stamp word to the student’s word journal. These rewards would encourage children to keep progressing through all the words provided. This is what makes this app look like a game where one wins by scoring points and while learning, the child would get the feeling that he/she usually gets by enjoying while playing a game.

*My Name allows parents and teachers to create over 36 name tags, including the child’s name with a picture for children to practice writing words that are especially meaningful for them.

Helping students with special needs:

With Write My Name, Injini continued to follow the tradition of helping children with special needs. Write My Name app helps such children to practice emerging writing skills in a fun and playful way. Children with name writing as one of their Individual Education Program (IEP) goals will be benefited from the Write My Name learning application as this app would make this task accessible and achievable to children who have fine motor delays and sensory processing issues.

Now let us highlight the special features of Write My Name app:

1. Write My Name features an alphabet book to practice writing uppercase and lowercase letters.

2. There are Word cards to practice tracing over 100 common sight/Dolch words.

3. You can create 36 individualized name tags or phrases with pictures so that the child can learn to trace a word.

4. Write My Name app features a Fingerpaint mode to write with blue paint and see the letters exactly as traced.

5. Calm background music will be easy on the ears. If you or child find it distracting, the music can be turned off in the options screen. You can also turn it on in the same way.

6. Wite My Name has been designed for school and home use.

7. Superb artwork, music and real voice files make this app attractive.

8. Injini offers educational discounts for volume purchases.

9. Intuitive game design promotes independent play.

Thus, if your child learns to use this app properly, then on his/her first day of kindergarten, he/she would be familiar would be familiar with many things and would be one of the smartest students in the class.

Compatibility:
Write My Name is compatible with iPad. It requires iOS 4.3 or later version.

So are you ready to increase the intelligence level of your child and make him/her smarter? You must be happy with this app as using this app would give the feeling of playing a game to your child. Share your feedback about this app with us.

Click here to buy and download Write My Name.

Lil’ Tweeny Learns To Write With Write My Name [REVIEW] is a post from: The Apple Bites

iTunes Match was a rage the moment it came into existence. It has been launched in many countries and many countries are waiting for iTunes launch. The wait for Japan seems to end.

Japanese Mac site Macotakara has noted that the Japanese version of iTunes has been updated with a “Purchased” tab via iTunes in the Cloud. This suggests that Apple is about to launch an official version of iTunes Match in Japan.

iCloud has been Japan for some time, but only for sharing books and information across apps. iTunes in the Cloud will allow the Japanese users of Apple to access purchased songs from the iTunes Store on any of their devices. iTunes Match will allow users to “match” their music to iTunes Store for additional functionality.

iTunes in the Cloud has reportedly already gone live in Japan. Now it seems that Apple has finalized its plan to release iTunes Match in Japan. That could possibly mean that iTunes Match will also come to other new international markets in very near future.

Source: TUAW

iTunes Match Coming To Japan? is a post from: The Apple Bites

This past Wednesday on 22 February 2012, social media storytelling tool Storify finally untethered itself from the desktop with the launch of a free iPad app.

The web-based version of Storify has been used by news organizations such as the New York Times and Al Jazeera for their purpose. The iPad app makes it easy and simple to scroll through and assemble Tweets, YouTube videos, Facebook photos and Instagram photos in a social media timeline. It has a drag-and-drop interface that can be easily used on iPad.

Storify stories can now be published and shared through the iPad app as well as the web app. They are easy to embed on any web page. No matter where the stories are posted, each element within them maintains its functionality. Tweets, for instance, can be retweeted directly from a Storify timeline.

In web-based form, the tool has a history of being used by media organization and citizen journalists to cover everything from arrests of reporters at Occupy Wall St. protests to Fashion Week.

Storify is a good reporting tool and its iPad version will definitely help reporters.

Source: Mashable

New iPad App For Social Media Storytelling is a post from: The Apple Bites

According to a Chuck Norris Fact, Chuck Norris may be able to create a new photocopy machine out of an existing photocopy machine.

However, seeing a tablet coming out of a MacBook Pro is something closest to that what the mere mortals can achieve.

Jokes apart, Magic MacBook Pro can do that.

Magic MacBook Pro is futuristic laptop . It features a sliding trackpad that holds an iRemote (tablet) within. This is a Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled device that can act as function buff, allowing you to manage your music, media and ‘computer stuff’ in a streamlined way. iRemote maybe a table but it is not exactly and iPad.

This is a video of Magic MacBook Pro.

What are your thoughts about Magic MacBook Pro? What do you expect from Magic MacBook Pro and iRemote? Share your comments with us.

Source: Tech E Blog

Magic MacBook Pro Includes Built-In Tablet is a post from: The Apple Bites

25 iPhones worth over $16,000 have been stolen from an Apple Store in Northlake Mall in Charlotte, North Carolina.

This theft did not involve thieves coming, smashing the glass doors of Apple store and running with after stealing iPhones.

On the contrary, the suspect in this case was an Apple store employee. This employee had easy access to the store’s stock room.

The Charlotte Observer reports:

“The iPhones were stolen from the Genius Room located inside of the store,” a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police report says. “The suspect did have access to the Genius Room.”

The stolen phones, which are valued at $16,425, include 22 16-gigabyte iPhone 4S models, one 64-GB 4S model, one eight-GB iPhone 4 model and one 32-GB 4S model.

The suspect was confirmed as an Apple store employee by Charlotte’s WBTV. WBTV reported that 25 devices were stolen in total, over a period of time:

According to a police report, the person had access to a storage room at the store and stole the phones over a period of a month and a half, between December 1st and January 11th.

Another Apple store employee reported this theft by using the police department’s online crime reporting system. Police are look for the suspect.

Source: Cult Of Mac

Employee Steals $16,000 Worth iPhones From Apple Store is a post from: The Apple Bites

Tags:

• apple store northlake iphone theft

Today Pakistan is usually in the news due news related to terror attacks or drone attacks that United States in carrying out against terrorists hiding in Pakistan.

Time and again Pakistani military has been found to be in bed with international terrorists due to revelations from WikiLeaks and with Osama Bin Laden being found in a house who architect was contracted by Pakistani military officers to construct it in Abbotabad, which a military city in Pakistan.

Pakistan has out shined Saudi Arabia in being the epicenter of global terrorism.

However, now Pakistan is in news for there own version of iPad which is has been named as PACPAD. This tablet has been constructed by Pakistani Air Force.

Pakistani engineers made PACPAD with Chinese hardware as the Anti-American feeling in Pakistan and China have brought two countries closer.

“The original is the iPad, the copy is the PACPAD,” said Mohammad Imran. Imaran stocks PACPAD at his small shop in a mall that cells computers and cell phones, in Rawalpindi, a city close to Kamra and the home of the Pakistani army. The Air Force base in Kamra is the birth place of PACPAD.

PACPAD runs on Android 2.3, a Google-made operating system that is given away for free. In US dollars, its price is $200. PAC stands for Pakistan Aeronautical Complex.

While some people see this as a good sign and express joy about Pakistan achieving progress in technology, others wonder why Pakistani military had to work on PACPAD.

Jehan Ara, head of Pakistan’s Software Houses Association”I just can’t figure it out. Even if they could sell a billion units, I can’t see the point. The air force is supposed to be protecting the air space and borders of the country.”

Ayesha Siddiqa, author of Military Inc., a critical study of military businesses, “The defense industry is trying to justify its presence by doing more than just produce weapons. Some smart aleck must have thought we can make some money here.”

PAC’s website bragged about achieving success in cloning iPad and lauded help from China. China has been an all-weather friend of Pakistan and it has used its veto in UN many times when sanctions were to be imposed on Pakistan for sponsoring international terror attacks. While US, despite pouring billions of dollars as financial aid to Pakistan is seen as an enemy by majority Pakistanis.

Some people also see PACPAD as an answer to Akash, a tablet made in India which is being distributed among students. In US dollars, the price of Akash is $50.

It remains to be seen how much success will PACPAD achieve in terms of sales and how many people will be able to afford it.

Source: FOX News

Introducing Jihadi iPad: Made In Pakistan is a post from: The Apple Bites

Earlier there were reports of iPhone 4S to be available on China Telecom in February.

With February almost over, people in China must be wondering why iPhone 4S is not available on China Telecom.

It is time for them to cheer up as it is coming soon.

China Telecom earned the necessary permits and approval from Apple to host the iPhone 4S on its network in January. Now iPhone 4S would no longer be exclusive to China Unicom.

Jim Dalrymple from The Loop reported and confirmed on China Telecom’s website, that the iPhone 4S will be landing on China Telecom on 9 March 2012.

“iPhone 4S will be available starting at RMB 0 for the 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models on select contracts in China Telecom’s authorized stores and online, the company said.”

China Telecom will sell iPhone 4S on its website as well as in authorized retail stores. It will offer the 16GB, 32GB, 64GB models on select contracts for $0 RMB. The iPhone 4S is currently selling like hot-cakes, all over the world. Adding another carrier in China would certainly mean more money for Apple.

During its earnings call last month, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook said that China was a key emerging market for Apple products. Tim Cook made comment about how excited he was about the growth China’s sales were doing.

In a statement to The Loop, Apple spokeswoman Natalie Harrison said:

“iPhone 4S has been an incredible hit with customers around the world. We’re thrilled to be launching iPhone 4S with China Telecom and can’t wait to get it into the hands of even more customers in China.”

China Telecom is China’s third largest carrier. It has roughly 130 million subscribers. China Mobile is China’s largest carrier which has over 600 million customers, while China Unicom has roughly 200 million customers.

Being on two carriers, iPhone 4S sales are bound to get a boost.

Source: iDownload Blog

iPhone 4S Coming On China Telecom On 9 March is a post from: The Apple Bites

Last month, we reported that jailbreaking might become illegal this year. Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) was asking for everyone’s help in its fight to keep jailbreaking legal.

EFF suggested leaving a comment on the Copyright Office’s comment board to show your support.

The board closed on 10 February 2012. The Copyright Office has recently published everyone’s entries. Despite just 673 comments submitted, some big names turned out to defend jailbreaking, including well-known jail breaker and hacker Saurik.

Jay Freeman, also known as Saurik is the creator of Cydi. He filled up 6 pages with opinions and evidence on why jailbreaking should remain legal. Here is an excerpt from his comment:

“In order to bypass these restrictions, some developers have taken it upon themselves to help users escape the “jails” in which they feel manufacturers have them trapped. The resulting tools allow consumers of closed devices to install software from arbitrary parties and with no technical limitations. Depending on the device community, and the exact level of control granted, different terms are used for the process—”bootloader unlock,” “rooting,” “jailbreaking”— though the overall result is the same.

This process is not easy, and comes with many caveats. Upgrading the vendor-supplied software on the device can become more difficult, specifically as the vendor often attempts to re-assert their control during the process…”

If you want to read the entire thing that Saurik said, you can check out the comment # 14 written by Saurik here. The name here is SaurikIT and the real name of hacker Jay Freeman has also been mentioned.

Jailbreaking had been legalized in 2010. The decision to legalize jailbreaking is to expire this year. If the Copyright Office does not renew its exemption, jailbreaking will become illegal.

Do you believe that jailbreaking should remain legal. Voice your opinion.

Source: iDownload Blog

Saurik Explains The Necessity To Keep Jailbreaking Legal is a post from: The Apple Bites

As we reported earlier, ABC had planned to show the the truth about the working conditions in the Foxconn.

ABC’s Nightline aired the program iFactory: Inside Apple. Apple gave unprecedented access to Foxconn to ABC’s Bill Weir, where iPhones, iPads and Macs are assembled.

If you have read the earlier reports that we reported on this issue, there was nothing new here. ABC provided context as to why people go to work at Foxconn. ABC also provided some background on the working conditions at the plant.

Weir started by touching upon the Apple mythos, then went straight into how iDevices were made. For example, it took 141 steps to make an iPhone. Apple products are largely made by hand. Weir pointed to a tiny iPad camera module, noting that with two 12-hour shifts each day, Foxconn could crank out 300,000 of those in a day. According to ABC, it took 5 days and over 300 hands to assemble an iPad. And robot hands were not used. Weir observed that most people were young and nobody looked over 30.

Coincidently, Weir arrived to shoot the program on a day when thousands of your people had lined up to apply for jobs at Foxconn. The only requirement seemed to be a valid national ID card. Weir pointed out again and again, the demand for Apple products was so high that Foxconn could not keep up. They hired en masse and trained people for days before putting them to work. Most workers came from impoverished rural areas for the work. People in villages felt that their life was better with young people not around.

Working conditions were not inhumane. The nets placed around dorms and other buildings with high floors may look strange. These nets were designed to make potential suicide victims think twice before jumping. There have been various news reports in past about suicides at Foxconn. Louis Woo, a Foxconn executive, explained how Tim Cook flew to China. Cook had helped to organize counseling for people to prevent further suicides.

The area where Foxconn factory is located was really nice. Workers work for 12 hours. They stay in dorms with seven other people in a room. However this should not be seen as unusual China has the largest population in the world.

Workers also sleep during breaks. They have two one-hour breaks to eat. However, the executive who led Weir around the factory explained the naps after meals were a Chinese tradition.

Foxconn also takes care of recreational facilities for workers. There are internet cafes, soccer fields, and educational facilities like English classes. ABC did not give any percentage about how many workers used these amenities.

Fair Labor Association (FLA) said that they would conduct “bottom up” interviews to ensure decent working conditions.

Foxconn gets contracts from many companies but only Apple is criticized for being associated with Foxconn. This is because of Apple’s popularity and visibility in the world of technology and to some extent, bias from one section of media towards Apple. Otherwise, Foxconn provides some of the best working conditions in China.

Did you watch iFactory:Inside Apple? What are your comments about it? Share with us.

You can also share your comments on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

The Apple Bites is giving away free iTunes Gift-cards for exciting games and interesting apps. All you need to do is to participate in the discussions The Apple Bites starts. No offensive words allowed. No spamming! The winners would be contacted and the gift cards would be given to them.

Source: TUAW

ABC’s iFactory Shows Truth About Foxconn is a post from: The Apple Bites

Yesterday, we presented the review of Picture Hangman, hours before its release. This game has been developed by Tringio, LLC who aim to create original and innovative mobile games.

As we reported, Picture Hangman is now available for purchase and download.

Picture Hangman is compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod Touch (3rd Generation), iPod Touch (4th generation) and iPad. It requires iOS 4.0 or later version.

Following video shows you the game play of Picture Hangman.

You can buy and download Picture Hangman here.

How do you find this game after playing it? Post your comments.

Picture Hangman Game Available At App Store is a post from: The Apple Bites

No! No! No! I am not talking about the Marvel super-villain called Jigsaw, if you like to think like a detective and think everything with an unusual meaning.

I am talking about jigsaw puzzle. Or a game app that is as entertaining as a jigsaw puzzle.

I can proudly say that I am the first person to play the new game called Picture Hangman that would be released in app store on 23 February 2012.

A picture is worth a thousand words and a word is made of alphabets. If you consider a jigsaw puzzle picture, a word, then the pieces of puzzle would be the alphabets that make the word.

In Picture Hangman, there is a picture that you have to make from a long list of pieces. Some are relevant for picture and some are not. You have to remove the irrelevant and join the relevant pieces to create a picture.

In three easy steps, you can learn how to play this game:

1. As I said, your goal is to create a picture by selecting the relevant parts in the list.

2. At the bottom of the screen, you will see a bar in which the parts of picture would be listed. You will scroll down either right to left or left to right to find the parts relevant for the picture.

3. Either you can flick or swipe the relevant part to the center or double click (by tapping) to select that part. If the part you selected is not relevant, while dragging, it would fly up and disappear from the list as well as screen. If the part you selected is relevant, after getting dragged to the center, it would place itself at the right spot.

How to play and “Help” are the features in this game clarify all your doubts.

Picture Hangman can be played only by signing into the Game Center. So make sure that you have a profile and Game Center to play this game.

This review has been written after obtaining the game from a gift card and the game has been played on an iPod.

So are you waiting to download Picture Hangman on 23 February 2012? Do share your feedback after playing it.

Enjoy The Fun Of Jigsaw With Picture Hangman [REVIEW] is a post from: The Apple Bites

Just like the apps for iPhone and iPad, Apple also provides a way for developers to send ad-hoc versions of Mac App Store apps out for beta testing purposes.

Today there are many apps that have iPhone and/or iPad versions as well as Mac versions.

Even if you are beta testing an iOS app, you might need to know the procedure to install the companion Mac App Store beta version, and its provisioning profile, as well. As long as you gave the developer the proper hardware Universally Unique Identifier (UUID) for your Mac, the process is fairly simple, and quiet similar to the process of installing iOS beta software on your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad.

Following is the procedure to install the provisioning profile:

STEP 1 - Download the file on your Mac.

STEP 2 - Unzip the file if you have downloaded it as a zip-file.

STEP 3 - Double click the .provisionprofile file.

STEP 4 - After you click on .provisionprofile file, “System Preferences” will launch.

STEP 5 - When “System Preferences” asks for your admin password, enter it.

STEP 6 - Now the provisioning file should should appear in your profiles.

Now here is a two step procedure for intalling Binary:

STEP 1 - If you have an older version of the app already on your Mac, you should play safe and trash (delete ) it.

STEP 2 - Drag the beta app to your Application folder.

Mission accomplished! Now if you experience any problem, contact the developer. Yo may need to trash some other, previously installed files. You might also need to do some other configuration first. After that, you should see it working.

The Mac App Store is not the only way to distribute software on OS X. Many developers may never need to send UUID-locked beta builds.

Did you find the two proceudres explained above easy and useful? Tell us how these procedures helped you.

Source: iMore

Installing Beta Mac App Store Apps And Provisioning Profiles [TUTORIAL] is a post from: The Apple Bites

Do you like something unique? Are you bored of seeing your iPhone’s default unlock animation? Try iUnlock.

With a new jailbreak tweak called iUnlock, you can customize your unlock animation yourself with awesome effects and sounds. 

You can download iUnlock now from Cydia’s BigBoss repo. Its price is $1.99. However, there is a three-day trial that allows you to test the tweak yourself.

It features a vast amount of animations and sounds that would allow you to decorate your lock screen animation with a variety of fancy effects. Here is a video showing you how iUnlock is used:

iUnlock is compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. It can run on a jailbroken device that has iOS 5.

What do you say about the animations from iUnlock? Post your comments.

Source: Cult Of Mac

Add Awesome Unlock Animations To Your iOS Device is a post from: The Apple Bites

Tags:

• iunlock tweak

Display maker Proview sued Apple over the iPad moniker in China feels that it has the whole judicial system with it and despite selling rights to Apple, Proview is still falsely claiming the ownership of rights to extort money from Apple.

Last week, a court order banned the sales of Apple’s iPad in various Chinese cities. However, now it seems that Proview has a change of heart, all of a sudden. Proview has told The Times of India, one of the leading English dailies in India that it is ready to negotiate with Apple as it has “peaceful intentions.”

Proview is drooling over money and it is hoping for an out of court settlement, and it is shooting for as high as $1.5 billion for the iPad trademark in China. Legal representatives for Proview told the paper on Tuesday, 21 February 2012:

We are now preparing for negotiations. The court cases will continue until we reach an agreement.

Reuters reported that a court in Shanghai will begin hearings today on whether Proview’s claims have any merit and the ruling could take months. Nobody knows whether Proview’s strategy would work. Apple has even threatened to sue Proview over “defamatory statements.”  This highlights Apple’s unwillingness to engage in trademark licensing talks with Proview. Proview has recently filed for bankruptcy.

Some people believe that Apple wants to pursue an aggressive legal strategy to set an example. Thus, it may not be interested in an out of court settlement. Apple’s lawyers warned Proview in a letter issued on Monday, 20 Feb 2012:

“It is inappropriate to release information contrary to the facts to the media, especially when such disclosures have the effect of wrongfully causing damage to Apple’s reputation.”

A Hong Kong court ruling that dated July 2011 revealed that Apple founded a United Kingdom-based company to snatch rights to the iPad trademark in various markets without revealing it was the purchaser. The company insisted that it purchased the worldwide rights to the iPad trademark in 10 different countries in 2009  from Proview’s Taiwanese affiliate for about $55,000. 

Now Apple has accused Proview of not honoring that agreement, noting that a Hong Kong court sided with Apple in this matter. Hong Kong’s and Mainland China’s legal systems are different. Thus, the ruling is not helping Apple in its legal dealings with Proview, which wants to implement a country-wide ban on iPad imports and exports in China. The iPad is manufactured in Foxconn’s plants in Shenzhen, China. That is why, so any export ban would immediately impact worldwide availability of Apple’s tablet.

Source: 9TO5 Mac

Proview Ready To Negotiate With Apple? is a post from: The Apple Bites

If you are eagerly waiting for iPhone 5, you would have to wait for a long time. Apple has decided to to give iPhone 4S a 12 month lease of life before announcing the successor.

This kills the theory of iPhone 5 unveiling in June 2012.

If the Japanese blog Macotakara is to be believed, then September-October 2012 launches for the next iPhone (Apple has not announced any name officially) look to be the shape of things to come going forwards:

“We talk about the next iPhone, seems to be around before and after 1 year to 10 September announced 4S iPhone, and this cycle seems to continue for a while… the next iPhone will be released in September or October , and this cycle seems to be kept for years.” [via Google Translate].

Some online reports claim to have heard from an unnamed component supplier that an autumn release is now looking more likely.

According to rumors, new iPad, named as iPad 3 by the Apple fanboys is expected to launch in March, Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) event – where new iPhones were traditionally unveiled. This event is normally held in June-July and new iPhones now look to be unveiled around September-October.

Rumors about iPhone 5 suggest an aluminum body, a 4-inch screen and a higher resolution. Some rumors also hint at Quad-mode LTE and a water-proof body with water-proof mechanism.

Source: Recombu

iPhone 5 Release In September-October 2012? is a post from: The Apple Bites

At the moment, situations are not at all favorable for Apple in China as far as its legal battle with Proview is concerned. Both parties are claiming ownership to “iPad” name.

Eyeing Apple’s money, Proview claimed Apple is infringing on their trademark of the word ‘iPad’ despite selling rights to Apple. Apple has said that there has already been a settlement over the trademark. However, many China courts are banning the iPad throughout China.

The Associated Press reports that another local China court in Huizhou has banned the iPad:

Xie Xianghui, a lawyer for Shenzhen Proview Technology, said the Intermediate People’s Court in Huizhou, a city in southern China’s Guangdong province, had ruled on Friday that distributors should stop selling iPads in China. The ruling, which was also reported widely in China’s state media, may not have a far-reaching effect. In its battle with Apple, Proview is utilizing lawsuits in several places and also requesting commercial authorities in 40 cities to block iPad sales.

Huizhou, is located in southern China’s Guangdong province. Many Chinese cities including Huizhou have banned Apple’s tablet. Proview aim is to get the iPad from more than 40 cities, despite custom officials telling it that due to the popularity of iPad, it would be difficult to ban iPad in China.

Apple is continuing fight against these rulings, appealing every ruling that harms their interest. Apple purchased the rights to use iPad name for $55,000 in 2009.

In an interesting move, Apple requested Amazon China to remove the iPad from their online store a few weeks ago. It is not clear what were the motives of Apple.

The only consolation for Apple is that so far, there has been no ruling, banning iPad in the Mainland China.  

Source: iDownload Blog

Another Chinese Court Bans iPad is a post from: The Apple Bites

With the rumored date for the announcement of iPad 3 release coming closer, the rumors about iPad 3 are also getting intensified.

Adding fuel to the rumor fire of iPad 3, NextMedia has claimed to have gotten actual pictures of Apple’s next-generation tablet that include pictures of iPad 3 with with specs indicating that the rear camera will be 8 megapixel. Physically, the casing looks very much like the iPad 2. However, it has shaper and more tapered edges.

NewsMedia also say that the launch date of iPad 3 would be announced on 7 March 2012. It would have Retina display and quad-core Apple A6 processor, this fact conflicting with A5X Processor. They did not mention anything about 4G LTE, though the Wall Street Journal has previously confirmed that.

Many people might be surprised to see the big leap from 1 megapixel camera in the iPad 2 to 8 megapixels in the iPad 3.

What would you like to say about 8 MP camera in iPad 3? Post your comments.

You can also share your thoughts on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

The Apple Bites is giving away free iTunes Gift-cards for exciting games and interesting apps. All you need to do is to participate in the discussions The Apple Bites starts. No offensive words allowed. No spamming! The winners would be contacted and the gift cards would be given to them.

Source: iMore

iPad 3 Rumored To Have 8 MegaPixel Camera is a post from: The Apple Bites

The remote that comes with Apple TV 2 is very small and it can get lost or misplaced easily.

That is why, you can use your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch and Apple Remote App to control your Apple TV.

However, you frequently need to change the channel, you need something different. Here is a procedure that would enable you to control Apple TV with a third party remote. You should do this before you lose your remote. That is why, it is preferable to do that when you buy Apple TV 2.

STEP 1 - Power on your Apple TV.

STEP 2 - Go to “Settings” in the Main Menu.

STEP 3 - Click on “General”. After that, click on “Remote”.

STEP 4 - Choose “Learn Remote”.

STEP 5 - Select “Start”.

STEP 6 - Apple TV will display icons representing the six buttons on the Apple Remote. The “Up” or “+” button will be highlighted first.

STEP 7 - Use your third-party remote to press and hold the button you would like to use to control the “up” function until the blue progress bar is full as you see in the picture.

STEP 8 - Apple TV will then select the next button function. You have to repeat the above step using a different button.

STEP 9 - After programming all six button functions, you can now use your third-party remote to control Apple TV. If you wish, you can setup specific playback buttons for Fast-forward, Rewind, Next chapter, and more.

If you see “Button Already Learned” error message, this could mean either of the following two possibilities:

1. A different, previously learned remote, has a learned button with the same IR code as the current button that you want to program.

2. A previously learned button of the current remote has the same IR code as the current button that you are trying to program.

If you encounter either of these situations, you have two options. Either you can use a different button or you can delete the previously learned remote if it is not being used.

Did you find this procedure easy to follow? What is your feedback? Share it with us.

Source: iMore

Using Third Party Remote To Control Your Apple TV [TUTORIAL] is a post from: The Apple Bites

Those who have been reading our news reports about Fair, Reasonable, And Non Discriminatory (FRAND) terms of patents would have anticipated something like this long back.

Electronista has reported that Apple has just a complaint with the European Commission (EC) regarding Motorola’s recent legal actions. Motorola had won an injunction in Germany last month that resulted in the temporary ban on the sales of some Apple products.

However, Apple has maintained that the patents that Motorola is asserting against it are industry standard, and therefore fall under FRAND jurisdiction. Apple went to the EC as it felt that Motorola did not want to give a FRAND license to Apple.

According to the report, a recent SEC filing revealed that Motorola received a letter from EC that notified them of Apple’s inquiry. The details of the complaint have not been made public yet. We are assuming that it has something to do with the recent Germany injunction.

The lawsuits that Apple lodged against Samsung and many Android partners are software and design-oriented. On the other hand Motorola’s lawsuit involves patents on hardware that is necessary to the function of any smartphone and would be difficult to work around.

That is why Apple called it FRAND abuse, because under the terms of FRAND, companies holding industry-standard patents must offer reasonable licensing terms on those patents to other companies. And Motorola’s licensing offer to Apple was not reasonable.

Apple might score victory over Motorola here. EU officials have already started initial antitrust investigations into both Motorola and Samsung due to their legal actions regarding their FRAND patents. Now with European Commission involved in this matter, if Apple has its way, then Motorola will either have to abandon its lawsuit against Apple, or lower its licensing fee.

Source: iDownload Blog

Apple Accuses Motorola Of FRAND Abuse is a post from: The Apple Bites

We told you earlier that Apple had neither announced the official name for the next generation iPad, nor a release date. However, fans named it iPad 3.

When the rumors of an advanced processor to come with iPad 3 started flaying, Apple fanboys eagerly named it as A6 processor.

Now it is time to be proved wrong as it seems that the advanced processor will be called as A5X instead of A6.

This assumption is being made on the basis of Apple’s recent history. The iPhone 4 has the A4 processor. Both the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S have the A5 processor. So the name of processor for iPad 3 as A6 makes sense.

However, according to a leaked image on Chinese forum WeiPhone, the iPad 3 will have an A5X processor, rather than A6.

There are rumors that the upgraded processor will be a quad-core processor, while some reports have said dual-core.

Some online rumors point out that the code “1146? on the A5X processor indicates that the processor was manufactured 14th-20th November 2011. There is a possibility that it was a prototype.

The logic board looks similar to that of iPad 2, specifically around the power management chips. There are also 16 GB flash memory chips from Hynix.

At the moment, it is not clear if Apple will use an A5X processor rather than an A6. However, this leak certainly seems to indicate that. There are rumors that Apple will announce iPad 3 on 7 March 2012 and the launch will follow few days later. The tablet is also rumored to have a Retina display, LTE chip, and upgraded cameras.

What do you think about all the theories related to iPad 3 and what do you expect from iPad 3? Post your comments.

Source: iDownload Blog

A5X Processor In iPad 3? is a post from: The Apple Bites

As a technology becomes advanced, one desires to find out something that can make the procedure more advanced. Now Apple is working on a new method to detect water damage to iOS devices.

Like other electronic items, most of Apple’s devices have liquid contact indicators that change colors when the device comes in contact with excessive moisture.

The problem with these indicators is that sometimes, they can change colors without ever being submerged in water. For example, even heavy humidity in atmosphere can also cause a device to appear as if it has suffered severe water damage. So Apple is looking to change things.

AppleInsider has discovered a new patent application in which, Apple has discussed a new method for detecting water damage in its mobile devices. The filing is called ‘Mechanisms for detecting exposure to water in an electronic device.’

Apple started off by explaining that vendors were not generally qualified to determine whether a device had failed due to water damage or not. This can cause two major problems. For one, devices that have suffered extreme water damage could get improperly replaced under warranty free of charge. Assuming that this would happen only happened once a week, per Apple Store, at an average of $500 per device Apple would lose around $200,000 every 7 days. The second problem is that devices that were not failing due to water damage could get denied a warranty replacement due to falsely activated indicators.

To avoid these issues, Apple suggested that an immersion detection system should be imbedded on one of the internal components of a device. Apple planned to cover this sensor in a moisture-solubable glue, which would immediately dissolve in water or other liquids.

Theoretically, this method is beneficial as Apple could build a pane into the Settings app in iOS that would reflect the status of the sensor. It would be easy to determine whether a device suffered water damage or not.

Instead of going through all this lengthy brain-storming and experiments, Apple could simply build water-proof devices as there are rumors that iPhone 5 would be water-proof. At the moment, nobody knows whether Apple would do that or not.

Source: iDownload Blog

Apple Trying To Find New Methods To Detect Water Damage In iOS Devices is a post from: The Apple Bites

Tags:

• proof of false liquid indicator in apple devices

We have been informing you about the legal conflicts that Apple has had with Samsung and Motorola on regular basis. You may find it difficult to keep a track but Apple has also been locking horns with HTC as well and scarring victories over HTC.

The International Trade Center (ITC) has dismissed HTC’s final complaint against Apple. Unless the manufacturer from Taiwan (HTC) wins an appeal, this is the end of a two year lawsuit involving HTC and Apple.

FOSSPatents reported:

“In October 2011, an Administrative Law Judge made an initial determination that identified no violation [from Apple] of four of HTC’s asserted patents. HTC had originally also asserted — but meanwhile withdrawn — a fifth patent. HTC asked the Commission, the six-member decision-making body at the top of the ITC, to review the ALJ’s preliminary ruling. In December, the Commission granted a review, but with respect to only one of the patents.

Today’s ruling terminates the investigation with respect to the sole remaining patent. HTC could appeal the ITC’s final decision to the Federal Circuit, but that may not be a good use of its resources because it looks that this case is fundamentally weak.”

This lawsuit had been filed in in response to Apple’s original patent infringement suit that it filed against HTC back in 2010. Since then, the legal battle between Apple and HTC has been going on and on and on.

Right now, HTC should focus on boosting the sales of it handsets that has been declining lately. By the way, HTC’s Chief Financial Officer Winston Yung has admitted indirectly that iPhone is better than android phone.

Source: iDownload Blog

ITC Awards Apple Another Victory Against HTC is a post from: The Apple Bites