Sources: Apple's 2015 'iPhone 6s' models to gain Force Touch but no dual ... - Apple Insider

Exclusive

By Kasper Jade

Saturday, February 28, 2015, 07:18 am PT (10:18 am ET)

Apple's 2015 family of iPhones are expected to adopt features first introduced in other Apple products, such as the dynamic Force Touch input found on the Apple Watch, but won't include a recently-rumored multi-camera system, AppleInsider has been advised.

People familiar with development of Apple's next-generation handsets — internally codenamed "N71" for the 4.7-inch model and "N66" for the 5.5-inch version — say they're bound to hit the market under the expected "iPhone 6s" naming convention and retain the same two screen sizes and casing enclosure designs first introduced this past September in the iPhone 6 lineup. Those customers clamoring for a return to a smaller iPhone in the 4-inch range won't hear their cries answered — this year, at least.

Instead, those familiar with existing prototypes say Apple's current plans call for both the new 4.7-inch model (N71) and the 5.5-inch "iPhone 6s Plus" (N66) to gain Force Touch, a capability Apple debuted with the Apple Watch when it was announced in September. Their arrival on the iPhone product line would come roughly one year later, falling in line with the company's historical pattern of first debuting new cutting edge technology on one iOS device (iPhone) before extending it to another (iPad) the following year.

Apple's 2015 iPhones — internally codenamed "N71" for the 4.7-inch model and "N66" for the 5.5-inch version — are to adopt Force Touch, sources sayWith variable forces, a message notification might trigger a tapping sensation, while pressing down on the Watch's digital crown or screen to trigger Force Touch would invoke completely different tactile sensation. How Apple might implement the dynamic new touch input method on the iPhone — whether paired with its haptic feedback engine or otherwise —�is unclear.

Apple has called Force Touch its "most significant new sensing capability since Multi-Touch," lending some amount of credence to the idea that it could expand beyond the Apple Watch. Such a move could also require a corresponding switch to a flexible display material, however — electrodes surrounding the Apple Watch's OLED display detect the level of deformation caused by the user's press, a measurement not possible with rigid displays.

One person — who has recently proven extremely knowledgable regarding Apple's forward-looking plans — said the company toyed with putting Force Touch in the iPhone 6 last year, but "calibration" issues led to the feature being pulled from the device during its development cycle. With the Apple Watch release imminent, any issues preventing a potential iPhone debut have presumably been resolved, as the company's current roadmap calls for its extension to the 2015 iPhones.

People familiar with the ongoing development of N71 and N66 have also dismissed the notion of a two-camera system in the "iPhone 6s" lineup, explaining that doing so would require a major redesign of the chassis of the handset. As in years past, this year's "s" upgrades are expected to look largely identical to their predecessor, with the most significant updates coming in the form of hidden internal upgrades and Force Touch.

A rumor popped up in November claiming Apple's next-generation iPhone will employ a "two-lens system" to capture DSLR-quality images. Existing smartphones and small form factor devices, like HTC's One M8, already sport secondary imager for calculating depth data.

There are obvious hurdles to cramming another lens — and presumably camera sensor — into an already cramped iPhone 6 chassis. From a design perspective, tacking on another imager may not be ideal considering the current iPhone chassis is thinner than its camera module. A small controversy erupted when Apple unveiled iPhone 6 with a camera "bump" that breaks up the handset's otherwise clean lines.

Apple SVP of Design Jony Ive, who has a knack for creating simplistically beautiful products, also seemed disappointed with the protrusion. In an interview with The New Yorker earlier this month, he said the decision to keep the protruding camera lens was "a really very pragmatic optimization."

With internal real estate at a premium, packing in an extra camera would require a modification of iPhone's housing, which will not happen this year, those familiar with the matter say.

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MEGA PATENT DUMP! Ericsson, Smartflash blitz Apple: iPhone, iPad menaced ... - The Register

Linkfest Emboldened by its $533m patent-infringement win against Apple just a few days ago, Smartflash is suing the iPhone maker AGAIN – and Ericsson is joining the fray.

Ericsson v Apple

The Swedish telecoms giant has filed two complaints to the US International Trade Commission (ITC) – one accusing Apple handhelds of ripping off Ericsson's patents on 2G and 4G mobile broadband connectivity, and the other claiming the California giant is using Ericsson's patents on Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, radio electronics, and other technology without permission.

Ericsson wants the ITC to ban imports of Apple's China-built iPhones and iPads, which are allegedly infringing the Swedes' patents, into America. The Euro giant has sued Apple in the patent-holder-friendly eastern district court of Texas in the US, again alleging patent infringement, demanding jury trials, and calling for injunctions against Apple hardware.

The 2G/4G patents are so-called essential patents, meaning they describe technology that everyone has agreed is needed for modern communications, and are thus supposed to be licensed on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms to all manufacturers.

Ericsson, which has offices in Texas, says Apple had coughed up cash to license its patented technology, but that agreement, we're told, expired and wasn't renewed by Apple. Now Ericsson's upset iPhones and iPads continue to roll into America without permission and with no royalties checks in the mail to Ericsson. Thus the Swedes want damages from Apple, and a ban on imports until the matter is settled.

Here's the list of the complaints filed to the Texas court, including the patents allegedly infringed:

• 2:15-cv-17 : Ericsson alleges breach of contract, claiming Apple...
  

  globally licensed Ericsson Essential Patents in 2008, but its license has now expired. During the past two years of negotiations for a renewal agreement, Ericsson extended multiple offers to Apple to renew its portfolio license on FRAND terms. These negotiations have been unsuccessful for the simple reason that Apple refuses to pay a FRAND royalty for a license to Ericsson’s Essential Patents.

  
  


• 2:15-cv-288 : Ericsson claims Apple infringed the following:
  
  
  
  • US patent 6,037,798: "Line Receiver Circuit Having Termination Impedances with Transmission Gates Connected in Parallel."
  
  
  • US patent 6,100,770: "MIS Transistor Varactor Device and Oscillator Using Same"
  
  
  • US patent 6,597,787: "Echo Cancellation Device For Cancelling Echos in a Transceiver Unit"
  
  
  • US patent 7,151,430: "Method of and Inductor Layout for Reduced VCO Coupling"
  
  
  • US patent 7,580,683: "Radio Transceiver on a Chip"
  
  
  • US patent 8,626,086: "Radio Transceiver on a Chip"
  
  
  
  


• 2:15-cv-289 : Ericsson claims Apple infringed the following:
  
  
  
  • US patent 6,026,293: "System for Preventing Electronic Memory Tampering"
  
  
  • US patent 6,400,376: "Display Control for Hand-Held Data Processing Device"
  
  
  • US patent 6,857,068: "System and Method for Data Processing by Executing a Security Program Routine Initially Stored in a Protected Part of Irreversibly Blocked Memory Upon Start-Up"
  
  
  • US patent 6,901,251: "Portable Communication Apparatus Having a Man-Machine Interface and a Method for its Operation:
  
  
  • US letters patent RE43,931: "Radiotelephones Having Contact-Sensitive User Interfaces and Methods of Operating Same"
  
  
  
  


• 2:15-cv-290 : Ericsson claims Apple infringed the following:
  
  
  
  • US patent 6,360,102: "System and Method for Defining A Subscriber Location Privacy Profile"
  
  
  • US patent 6,433,735: "Mobile Terminal and System and Method for Determining the Geographic Location of a Mobile Terminal"
  
  
  • US patent 6,535,815: "Position Updating Method for a Mobile Terminal Equipped with a Positioning Receiver"
  
  
  • US patent 6,553,236: "On Demand Location Function for Mobile Terminal"
  
  
  • US patent 6,993,325: "Method for Facilitating Electronic Communications"
  
  
  • US patent 7,149,534: "Peer to Peer Information Exchange for Mobile Communications Devices"
  
  
  
  


• 2:15-cv-291 : Ericsson claims Apple infringed the following:
  
  
  
  • US patent 7,149,510: "Security Access Manager in Middleware"
  
  
  • US patent 7,286,823: "Mobile Multimedia Engine"
  
  
  • US patent 7,415,270: "Middleware Services Layer for Platform System for Mobile Terminals"
  
  
  • US patent 7,536,181: "Platform System for Mobile Terminals"
  
  
  • US patent 7,707,592: "Mobile Terminal Application Subsystem and Access Subsystem Architecture Method and System"
  
  
  • US patent 8,079,015: "Layered Architecture for Mobile Terminals"
  
  
  
  


• 2:15-cv-292 : Ericsson claims Apple infringed the following:
  
  
  
  • US patent 6,433,512: "Power Consumption Reporting by an Accessory of an Electronic Device"
  
  
  • US patent 6,763,247: "Portable Telecommunication Apparatus for Controlling an Electronic Utility Device"
  
  
  • US patent 6,968,365: "Device and a Method for Operating an Electronic Utility Device From a Portable Telecommunication Apparatus"
  
  
  • US patent 8,170,472: "Arrangement and a Method in a Telephony System"
  
  
  
  


• 2:15-cv-293 : Ericsson claims Apple infringed the following:
  
  
  
  • US patent 6,633,550: "Radio Transceiver on a Chip"
  
  
  • US patent 6,157,620: "Enhanced Radio Telephone for Use In Internet Telephony"
  
  
  • US patent 6,029,052: "Multiple-Mode Direct Conversion Receiver"
  
  
  • US patent 8,812,059: "Radiotelephones Having Contact-Sensitive User Interfaces and Methods of Operating Same"
  
  
  • US patent 6,291,966: "Method and an Apparatus For Storing and Communicating Battery Information"
  
  
  • US patent 6,122,263: "Internet Access For Cellular Networks"
  
  
  
  


• 2:15-cv-287 : Ericsson claims Apple infringed the following:
  
  
  
  • US essential patent 8,102,805: "HARQ in Spatial Multiplexing MIMO System"
  
  
  • US essential patent 8,331,476: "Method for Detecting Transmission Mode in a System Using Multiple Antennas"
  
  
  • US essential patent 6,301,556: "Reducing Sparseness in Coded Speech Signals"
  
  
  • US essential patent 8,607,130: "Computationally Efficient Convolutional Coding With Rate-Matching"
  
  
  • US essential patent 8,717,996: "Uplink Scrambling During Random Access"
  
  
  • US essential patent 8,660,270: "Method and Arrangement in a Telecommunication System"
  
  
  • US essential patent 8,837,381: "Using an Uplink Grant as Trigger of First or Second Type of CQI Report"
  
  
  • US essential patent 6,058,359: "Speech Coding Including Soft Adaptability Feature"
  
  
  
  

"Apple's products benefit from the technology invented and patented by Ericsson's engineers," said Ericsson chief intellectual property officer Kasim Alfalahi.

"Features that consumers now take for granted - like being able to livestream television shows or access their favorite apps from their phone - rely on the technology we have developed."

The two companies have been at a legal impasse for some time. Apple has accused Ericssson of demanding excessive payments for the use of its patents, while Ericsson maintains it is only seeking fair compensation.

Smartflash v Apple

Meanwhile, Texan patent-hoarder Smartflash has filed a lawsuit in the eastern district of Texas, US, against Apple accusing the iTunes goliath of infringing its patents, a day after landing a $500m judgment against the Cupertino moneybags.

The new suit [PDF] alleges that Apple's iTunes infringes seven Smartflash patents relating to the processing of payments and the download of music files from an online service. The specific patents allegedly infringed are:

• US patent 7,334,720: "Data Storage and Access Systems"


• US patent 7,942,317: "Data Storage and Access Systems"


• US patent 8,033,458: "Data Storage and Access Systems"


• US patent 8,061,598: "Data Storage and Access Systems"


• US patent 8,118,221: "Data Storage and Access Systems"


• US patent 8,336,772: "Data Storage and Access Systems"


• US patent 8,794,516: "Data Storage and Access Systems"

"Apple’s acts of infringement have caused damage to the plaintiffs ... as a result of Apple’s wrongful acts," Smartflash's court documents allege. Smartflash wants a judge-granted injunction banning Apple from shipping any more software and/or hardware allegedly infringing Smartflash' patents – plus damages.

Apple refuses to comment to The Register. ®

Sponsored: Are cybercriminals hiding in your SSL traffic?

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NERDGASM as Apple announces 'special event' - The Register

Apple's hype machine has creaked into life again, with media outlets on Cupertino's “nice” list^* reportedly showered with a new invitation to pay homage to the company on March 9th. The company's also updated its live events page with news of a to-be-streamed event on the same day.

It's widely held the event will reveal more details of the Apple Watch. But of course nobody knows just what Cupertino will reveal on the stage of San Francisco's Yerba Buena Centre for the Arts.

Recent Apple rumours suggest it is making a car, or could buy Tesla, or might be about to send the price of gold through the roof by buying lots of it to make watches.

All that Apple's saying is that a “special event” is in prospect. Which hasn't stopped a metric kazillion pieces of nerdgasm speculation hitting the world's blogs.

If Apple's true to form we'll be treated to an announcement about full features of the Watch, plus prices and availability dates. Sales in Apple stores will kick off about a fortnight after the announcement. Customer complaints about minor flaws will kick off about 48 hours after that. Vulture South predicts discolorations of the watches caused by sweat, plus lousy battery life. After a week or so narky reviews will point out the timepieces' software isn't perfect and beautiful. About a month later we'll hear about people being mugged for their Apple Watches. By then the world will move on to hype about the iPhone 7 and ColossoPad for business.

We're in a great business, aren't we? ®

^* Apple doesn't do PR in El Reg's direction, on the basis of ancient grudges about our predilection for colourful language and not being gushy about everything it does.

Sponsored: Are cybercriminals hiding in your SSL traffic?

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Here's What You Need To Watch Apple's 'Spring Forward' Event On March 9 - Tech Times

Apple fans can view the livestream of Apple’s Spring Forward event on Monday, March 9, at 1 p.m. Eastern Time on Apple’s dedicated live events page. They can also stream the event to their TVs via a second- or third-generation Apple TV set-top box.

(Photo : Apple)

Apple will be livestreaming its upcoming Spring Forward event on Monday, March 9, via its dedicated events website to allow hordes of Apple fans to watch the event online as it happens live in San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

As Apple had already done in the past, the event will be streamed live via www.apple.com/live/ at 10 a.m. Pacific Time or 1 p.m. Eastern Time. Viewers will need to have a Mac computer running on OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.8 or newer and will need to install Safari 5.1.10 or later. Those who prefer to watch on their iPhones or iPads will need to have at least iOS 6 or newer versions of the mobile OS.

And for people who say viewing on an iPhone, an iPad, or a Mac means squinting at the screen, they can also stream the event to their living room TVs via a second- or third-generation Apple TV set-top box running on Apple TV OS 6.2 or higher.

On Thursday, Apple sent out invitations for its Spring Forward event. And as typical as Apple, it did not mention exactly what the event will be for, but the speculations have already started. The most common hypothesis is Apple will be revealing more details about the Apple Watch, which is expected for release in April.

Last year, Apple revealed it was working on a smartwatch that is largely believed to make the smartwatch industry mainstream, but Cupertino left out plenty of important details that fans avidly looking out for the Apple Watch would like to know, such as pricing and battery life.

Apple announced the entry-level model will cost $350 but did not mention the price for higher-end editions, which naturally led to analysts and enthusiasts conjecturing that the top-of-the-line Gold Edition will cost somewhere above $1,000. Battery life is also vague, although CEO Tim Cook earlier said that the Apple Watch will need to be charged every night.

To date, the most successful smartwatch is the indie darling Pebble Watch, an e-ink display smartwatch that runs on average seven days on a single charge. While the combined forces of Google, LG, Samsung, and other smartwatch makers that have released devices running on Android Wear could not even push sales up to 1 million units, Pebble announced that it has shipped 1 million Pebble Watch and Pebble Steel units to customers.

The Apple Watch, in comparison, is predicted to sell 20 million units by the end of the year.

© 2015 Tech Times, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

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Apple iPhone import ban sought by suit - CNNMoney

The iPhone evolved

Networking giant Ericsson is trying to stop Apple from importing iPhones and iPads to the United States. It's part of a prolonged patent dispute between the two companies that has recently landed in several courts.

Up until last month, Apple (AAPL , Tech30) had been paying Ericsson patent licensing fees in exchange for using its critical cell phone technology. Ericsson's (ERIC ) patents cover crucial cell phone functions, including making and receiving calls, GPS location and some software that controls apps.

The licensing agreement ended in January without a new deal, and Apple simply stopped paying for the patents. Ericsson says it has been trying unsuccessfully to negotiate terms with Apple for the past two years. Apple says that Ericsson is trying to charge the company too much and apply its patents too broadly to cover unrelated Apple technology.

In turn, Ericsson filed seven lawsuits against Apple in the United States in addition to two international lawsuits. Ericsson is seeking unspecified damages and a sales ban for the iPhone and iPad.

As part of the international suits filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission, Ericsson is seeking a ban on shipments of iPhones and iPads to the United States. Most Apple products are assembled in China. The ITC has the ability to ban imports of goods deemed to infringe on patents.

Related: Apple ordered to pay $533 million in iTunes patent lawsuit

The lawsuits cover 41 patents, which Ericsson claims include the 2G and 4G radios, processor components, user interface software, location services and even the iOS operating system found within the iPhone and iPad.

"Apple's products benefit from the technology invented and patented by Ericsson's engineers," said Kasim Alfalahi, chief intellectual property officer at Ericsson, in a statement. "Features that consumers now take for granted -- like being able to livestream television shows or access their favorite apps from their phone -- rely on the technology we have developed."

Alfalahi said Ericsson has "acted in good faith to find a fair solution," but Apple "has refused all attempts" to arrive at a licensing deal.

Apple sees the situation differently.

"Ericsson seeks to exploit its patents to take the value of these cutting-edge Apple innovations, which resulted from years of hard work by Apple engineers and designers and billions of dollars of Apple research and development -- and which have nothing to do with Ericsson's patents," Apple said in its complaint filed last month in U.S. District Court in California.

"We've always been willing to pay a fair price to secure the rights to standards essential patents covering technology in our products," said Kristin Huguet, spokeswoman for Apple. "Unfortunately, we have not been able to agree with Ericsson on a fair rate for their patents so, as a last resort, we are asking the courts for help."

Patent disputes between tech giants are common, particularly when they cover technology used in the lucrative smartphone market. Some rulings have come down for multiple billions of dollars, and the ITC has been known to issue import bans.

But the cases are typically so prolonged and appealed so many times that by the time the bans are actually imposed, the smartphone maker no longer sells the phones in question.

Related: Apple accused of stealing employees from battery maker

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Sources: Apple's 2015 'iPhone 6s' models to gain Force Touch but no dual ... - Apple Insider

Exclusive

By Kasper Jade

Saturday, February 28, 2015, 07:18 am PT (10:18 am ET)

Apple's 2015 family of iPhones are expected to adopt features first introduced in other Apple products, such as the dynamic Force Touch input found on the Apple Watch, but won't include a recently-rumored multi-camera system, AppleInsider has been advised.

People familiar with development of Apple's next-generation handsets — internally codenamed "N71" for the 4.7-inch model and "N66" for the 5.5-inch version — say they're bound to hit the market under the expected "iPhone 6s" naming convention and retain the same two screen sizes and casing enclosure designs first introduced this past September in the iPhone 6 lineup. Those customers clamoring for a return to a smaller iPhone in the 4-inch range won't hear their cries answered — this year, at least.

Instead, those familiar with existing prototypes say Apple's current plans call for both the new 4.7-inch model (N71) and the 5.5-inch "iPhone 6s Plus" (N66) to gain Force Touch, a capability Apple debuted with the Apple Watch when it was announced in September. Their arrival on the iPhone product line would come roughly one year later, falling in line with the company's historical pattern of first debuting new cutting edge technology on one iOS device (iPhone) before extending it to another (iPad) the following year.

Apple's 2015 iPhones — internally codenamed "N71" for the 4.7-inch model and "N66" for the 5.5-inch version — are to adopt Force Touch, sources sayWith variable forces, a message notification might trigger a tapping sensation, while pressing down on the Watch's digital crown or screen to trigger Force Touch would invoke completely different tactile sensation. How Apple might implement the dynamic new touch input method on the iPhone — whether paired with its haptic feedback engine or otherwise —�is unclear.

Apple has called Force Touch its "most significant new sensing capability since Multi-Touch," lending some amount of credence to the idea that it could expand beyond the Apple Watch. Such a move could also require a corresponding switch to a flexible display material, however — electrodes surrounding the Apple Watch's OLED display detect the level of deformation caused by the user's press, a measurement not possible with rigid displays.

One person — who has recently proven extremely knowledgable regarding Apple's forward-looking plans — said the company toyed with putting Force Touch in the iPhone 6 last year, but "calibration" issues led to the feature being pulled from the device during its development cycle. With the Apple Watch release imminent, any issues preventing a potential iPhone debut have presumably been resolved, as the company's current roadmap calls for its extension to the 2015 iPhones.

People familiar with the ongoing development of N71 and N66 have also dismissed the notion of a two-camera system in the "iPhone 6s" lineup, explaining that doing so would require a major redesign of the chassis of the handset. As in years past, this year's "s" upgrades are expected to look largely identical to their predecessor, with the most significant updates coming in the form of hidden internal upgrades and Force Touch.

A rumor popped up in November claiming Apple's next-generation iPhone will employ a "two-lens system" to capture DSLR-quality images. Existing smartphones and small form factor devices, like HTC's One M8, already sport secondary imager for calculating depth data.

There are obvious hurdles to cramming another lens — and presumably camera sensor — into an already cramped iPhone 6 chassis. From a design perspective, tacking on another imager may not be ideal considering the current iPhone chassis is thinner than its camera module. A small controversy erupted when Apple unveiled iPhone 6 with a camera "bump" that breaks up the handset's otherwise clean lines.

Apple SVP of Design Jony Ive, who has a knack for creating simplistically beautiful products, also seemed disappointed with the protrusion. In an interview with The New Yorker earlier this month, he said the decision to keep the protruding camera lens was "a really very pragmatic optimization."

With internal real estate at a premium, packing in an extra camera would require a modification of iPhone's housing, which will not happen this year, those familiar with the matter say.

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MEGA PATENT DUMP! Ericsson, Smartflash blitz Apple: iPhone, iPad menaced ... - The Register

Linkfest Emboldened by its $533m patent-infringement win against Apple just a few days ago, Smartflash is suing the iPhone maker AGAIN – and Ericsson is joining the fray.

Ericsson v Apple

The Swedish telecoms giant has filed two complaints to the US International Trade Commission (ITC) – one accusing Apple handhelds of ripping off Ericsson's patents on 2G and 4G mobile broadband connectivity, and the other claiming the California giant is using Ericsson's patents on Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, radio electronics, and other technology without permission.

Ericsson wants the ITC to ban imports of Apple's China-built iPhones and iPads, which are allegedly infringing the Swedes' patents, into America. The Euro giant has sued Apple in the patent-holder-friendly eastern district court of Texas in the US, again alleging patent infringement, demanding jury trials, and calling for injunctions against Apple hardware.

The 2G/4G patents are so-called essential patents, meaning they describe technology that everyone has agreed is needed for modern communications, and are thus supposed to be licensed on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms to all manufacturers.

Ericsson, which has offices in Texas, says Apple had coughed up cash to license its patented technology, but that agreement, we're told, expired and wasn't renewed by Apple. Now Ericsson's upset iPhones and iPads continue to roll into America without permission and with no royalties checks in the mail to Ericsson. Thus the Swedes want damages from Apple, and a ban on imports until the matter is settled.

Here's the list of the complaints filed to the Texas court, including the patents allegedly infringed:

• 2:15-cv-17 : Ericsson alleges breach of contract, claiming Apple...
  

  globally licensed Ericsson Essential Patents in 2008, but its license has now expired. During the past two years of negotiations for a renewal agreement, Ericsson extended multiple offers to Apple to renew its portfolio license on FRAND terms. These negotiations have been unsuccessful for the simple reason that Apple refuses to pay a FRAND royalty for a license to Ericsson’s Essential Patents.

  
  


• 2:15-cv-288 : Ericsson claims Apple infringed the following:
  
  
  
  • US patent 6,037,798: "Line Receiver Circuit Having Termination Impedances with Transmission Gates Connected in Parallel."
  
  
  • US patent 6,100,770: "MIS Transistor Varactor Device and Oscillator Using Same"
  
  
  • US patent 6,597,787: "Echo Cancellation Device For Cancelling Echos in a Transceiver Unit"
  
  
  • US patent 7,151,430: "Method of and Inductor Layout for Reduced VCO Coupling"
  
  
  • US patent 7,580,683: "Radio Transceiver on a Chip"
  
  
  • US patent 8,626,086: "Radio Transceiver on a Chip"
  
  
  
  


• 2:15-cv-289 : Ericsson claims Apple infringed the following:
  
  
  
  • US patent 6,026,293: "System for Preventing Electronic Memory Tampering"
  
  
  • US patent 6,400,376: "Display Control for Hand-Held Data Processing Device"
  
  
  • US patent 6,857,068: "System and Method for Data Processing by Executing a Security Program Routine Initially Stored in a Protected Part of Irreversibly Blocked Memory Upon Start-Up"
  
  
  • US patent 6,901,251: "Portable Communication Apparatus Having a Man-Machine Interface and a Method for its Operation:
  
  
  • US letters patent RE43,931: "Radiotelephones Having Contact-Sensitive User Interfaces and Methods of Operating Same"
  
  
  
  


• 2:15-cv-290 : Ericsson claims Apple infringed the following:
  
  
  
  • US patent 6,360,102: "System and Method for Defining A Subscriber Location Privacy Profile"
  
  
  • US patent 6,433,735: "Mobile Terminal and System and Method for Determining the Geographic Location of a Mobile Terminal"
  
  
  • US patent 6,535,815: "Position Updating Method for a Mobile Terminal Equipped with a Positioning Receiver"
  
  
  • US patent 6,553,236: "On Demand Location Function for Mobile Terminal"
  
  
  • US patent 6,993,325: "Method for Facilitating Electronic Communications"
  
  
  • US patent 7,149,534: "Peer to Peer Information Exchange for Mobile Communications Devices"
  
  
  
  


• 2:15-cv-291 : Ericsson claims Apple infringed the following:
  
  
  
  • US patent 7,149,510: "Security Access Manager in Middleware"
  
  
  • US patent 7,286,823: "Mobile Multimedia Engine"
  
  
  • US patent 7,415,270: "Middleware Services Layer for Platform System for Mobile Terminals"
  
  
  • US patent 7,536,181: "Platform System for Mobile Terminals"
  
  
  • US patent 7,707,592: "Mobile Terminal Application Subsystem and Access Subsystem Architecture Method and System"
  
  
  • US patent 8,079,015: "Layered Architecture for Mobile Terminals"
  
  
  
  


• 2:15-cv-292 : Ericsson claims Apple infringed the following:
  
  
  
  • US patent 6,433,512: "Power Consumption Reporting by an Accessory of an Electronic Device"
  
  
  • US patent 6,763,247: "Portable Telecommunication Apparatus for Controlling an Electronic Utility Device"
  
  
  • US patent 6,968,365: "Device and a Method for Operating an Electronic Utility Device From a Portable Telecommunication Apparatus"
  
  
  • US patent 8,170,472: "Arrangement and a Method in a Telephony System"
  
  
  
  


• 2:15-cv-293 : Ericsson claims Apple infringed the following:
  
  
  
  • US patent 6,633,550: "Radio Transceiver on a Chip"
  
  
  • US patent 6,157,620: "Enhanced Radio Telephone for Use In Internet Telephony"
  
  
  • US patent 6,029,052: "Multiple-Mode Direct Conversion Receiver"
  
  
  • US patent 8,812,059: "Radiotelephones Having Contact-Sensitive User Interfaces and Methods of Operating Same"
  
  
  • US patent 6,291,966: "Method and an Apparatus For Storing and Communicating Battery Information"
  
  
  • US patent 6,122,263: "Internet Access For Cellular Networks"
  
  
  
  


• 2:15-cv-287 : Ericsson claims Apple infringed the following:
  
  
  
  • US essential patent 8,102,805: "HARQ in Spatial Multiplexing MIMO System"
  
  
  • US essential patent 8,331,476: "Method for Detecting Transmission Mode in a System Using Multiple Antennas"
  
  
  • US essential patent 6,301,556: "Reducing Sparseness in Coded Speech Signals"
  
  
  • US essential patent 8,607,130: "Computationally Efficient Convolutional Coding With Rate-Matching"
  
  
  • US essential patent 8,717,996: "Uplink Scrambling During Random Access"
  
  
  • US essential patent 8,660,270: "Method and Arrangement in a Telecommunication System"
  
  
  • US essential patent 8,837,381: "Using an Uplink Grant as Trigger of First or Second Type of CQI Report"
  
  
  • US essential patent 6,058,359: "Speech Coding Including Soft Adaptability Feature"
  
  
  
  

"Apple's products benefit from the technology invented and patented by Ericsson's engineers," said Ericsson chief intellectual property officer Kasim Alfalahi.

"Features that consumers now take for granted - like being able to livestream television shows or access their favorite apps from their phone - rely on the technology we have developed."

The two companies have been at a legal impasse for some time. Apple has accused Ericssson of demanding excessive payments for the use of its patents, while Ericsson maintains it is only seeking fair compensation.

Smartflash v Apple

Meanwhile, Texan patent-hoarder Smartflash has filed a lawsuit in the eastern district of Texas, US, against Apple accusing the iTunes goliath of infringing its patents, a day after landing a $500m judgment against the Cupertino moneybags.

The new suit [PDF] alleges that Apple's iTunes infringes seven Smartflash patents relating to the processing of payments and the download of music files from an online service. The specific patents allegedly infringed are:

• US patent 7,334,720: "Data Storage and Access Systems"


• US patent 7,942,317: "Data Storage and Access Systems"


• US patent 8,033,458: "Data Storage and Access Systems"


• US patent 8,061,598: "Data Storage and Access Systems"


• US patent 8,118,221: "Data Storage and Access Systems"


• US patent 8,336,772: "Data Storage and Access Systems"


• US patent 8,794,516: "Data Storage and Access Systems"

"Apple’s acts of infringement have caused damage to the plaintiffs ... as a result of Apple’s wrongful acts," Smartflash's court documents allege. Smartflash wants a judge-granted injunction banning Apple from shipping any more software and/or hardware allegedly infringing Smartflash' patents – plus damages.

Apple refuses to comment to The Register. ®

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NERDGASM as Apple announces 'special event' - The Register

Apple's hype machine has creaked into life again, with media outlets on Cupertino's “nice” list^* reportedly showered with a new invitation to pay homage to the company on March 9th. The company's also updated its live events page with news of a to-be-streamed event on the same day.

It's widely held the event will reveal more details of the Apple Watch. But of course nobody knows just what Cupertino will reveal on the stage of San Francisco's Yerba Buena Centre for the Arts.

Recent Apple rumours suggest it is making a car, or could buy Tesla, or might be about to send the price of gold through the roof by buying lots of it to make watches.

All that Apple's saying is that a “special event” is in prospect. Which hasn't stopped a metric kazillion pieces of nerdgasm speculation hitting the world's blogs.

If Apple's true to form we'll be treated to an announcement about full features of the Watch, plus prices and availability dates. Sales in Apple stores will kick off about a fortnight after the announcement. Customer complaints about minor flaws will kick off about 48 hours after that. Vulture South predicts discolorations of the watches caused by sweat, plus lousy battery life. After a week or so narky reviews will point out the timepieces' software isn't perfect and beautiful. About a month later we'll hear about people being mugged for their Apple Watches. By then the world will move on to hype about the iPhone 7 and ColossoPad for business.

We're in a great business, aren't we? ®

^* Apple doesn't do PR in El Reg's direction, on the basis of ancient grudges about our predilection for colourful language and not being gushy about everything it does.

Sponsored: Are cybercriminals hiding in your SSL traffic?

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Here's What You Need To Watch Apple's 'Spring Forward' Event On March 9 - Tech Times

Apple fans can view the livestream of Apple’s Spring Forward event on Monday, March 9, at 1 p.m. Eastern Time on Apple’s dedicated live events page. They can also stream the event to their TVs via a second- or third-generation Apple TV set-top box.

(Photo : Apple)

Apple will be livestreaming its upcoming Spring Forward event on Monday, March 9, via its dedicated events website to allow hordes of Apple fans to watch the event online as it happens live in San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

As Apple had already done in the past, the event will be streamed live via www.apple.com/live/ at 10 a.m. Pacific Time or 1 p.m. Eastern Time. Viewers will need to have a Mac computer running on OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.8 or newer and will need to install Safari 5.1.10 or later. Those who prefer to watch on their iPhones or iPads will need to have at least iOS 6 or newer versions of the mobile OS.

And for people who say viewing on an iPhone, an iPad, or a Mac means squinting at the screen, they can also stream the event to their living room TVs via a second- or third-generation Apple TV set-top box running on Apple TV OS 6.2 or higher.

On Thursday, Apple sent out invitations for its Spring Forward event. And as typical as Apple, it did not mention exactly what the event will be for, but the speculations have already started. The most common hypothesis is Apple will be revealing more details about the Apple Watch, which is expected for release in April.

Last year, Apple revealed it was working on a smartwatch that is largely believed to make the smartwatch industry mainstream, but Cupertino left out plenty of important details that fans avidly looking out for the Apple Watch would like to know, such as pricing and battery life.

Apple announced the entry-level model will cost $350 but did not mention the price for higher-end editions, which naturally led to analysts and enthusiasts conjecturing that the top-of-the-line Gold Edition will cost somewhere above $1,000. Battery life is also vague, although CEO Tim Cook earlier said that the Apple Watch will need to be charged every night.

To date, the most successful smartwatch is the indie darling Pebble Watch, an e-ink display smartwatch that runs on average seven days on a single charge. While the combined forces of Google, LG, Samsung, and other smartwatch makers that have released devices running on Android Wear could not even push sales up to 1 million units, Pebble announced that it has shipped 1 million Pebble Watch and Pebble Steel units to customers.

The Apple Watch, in comparison, is predicted to sell 20 million units by the end of the year.

© 2015 Tech Times, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

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Apple iPhone import ban sought by suit - CNNMoney

The iPhone evolved

Networking giant Ericsson is trying to stop Apple from importing iPhones and iPads to the United States. It's part of a prolonged patent dispute between the two companies that has recently landed in several courts.

Up until last month, Apple (AAPL , Tech30) had been paying Ericsson patent licensing fees in exchange for using its critical cell phone technology. Ericsson's (ERIC ) patents cover crucial cell phone functions, including making and receiving calls, GPS location and some software that controls apps.

The licensing agreement ended in January without a new deal, and Apple simply stopped paying for the patents. Ericsson says it has been trying unsuccessfully to negotiate terms with Apple for the past two years. Apple says that Ericsson is trying to charge the company too much and apply its patents too broadly to cover unrelated Apple technology.

In turn, Ericsson filed seven lawsuits against Apple in the United States in addition to two international lawsuits. Ericsson is seeking unspecified damages and a sales ban for the iPhone and iPad.

As part of the international suits filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission, Ericsson is seeking a ban on shipments of iPhones and iPads to the United States. Most Apple products are assembled in China. The ITC has the ability to ban imports of goods deemed to infringe on patents.

Related: Apple ordered to pay $533 million in iTunes patent lawsuit

The lawsuits cover 41 patents, which Ericsson claims include the 2G and 4G radios, processor components, user interface software, location services and even the iOS operating system found within the iPhone and iPad.

"Apple's products benefit from the technology invented and patented by Ericsson's engineers," said Kasim Alfalahi, chief intellectual property officer at Ericsson, in a statement. "Features that consumers now take for granted -- like being able to livestream television shows or access their favorite apps from their phone -- rely on the technology we have developed."

Alfalahi said Ericsson has "acted in good faith to find a fair solution," but Apple "has refused all attempts" to arrive at a licensing deal.

Apple sees the situation differently.

"Ericsson seeks to exploit its patents to take the value of these cutting-edge Apple innovations, which resulted from years of hard work by Apple engineers and designers and billions of dollars of Apple research and development -- and which have nothing to do with Ericsson's patents," Apple said in its complaint filed last month in U.S. District Court in California.

"We've always been willing to pay a fair price to secure the rights to standards essential patents covering technology in our products," said Kristin Huguet, spokeswoman for Apple. "Unfortunately, we have not been able to agree with Ericsson on a fair rate for their patents so, as a last resort, we are asking the courts for help."

Patent disputes between tech giants are common, particularly when they cover technology used in the lucrative smartphone market. Some rulings have come down for multiple billions of dollars, and the ITC has been known to issue import bans.

But the cases are typically so prolonged and appealed so many times that by the time the bans are actually imposed, the smartphone maker no longer sells the phones in question.

Related: Apple accused of stealing employees from battery maker

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Sources: Apple's 2015 'iPhone 6s' models to gain Force Touch but no dual ... - Apple Insider

Exclusive

By Kasper Jade

Saturday, February 28, 2015, 07:18 am PT (10:18 am ET)

Apple's 2015 family of iPhones are expected to adopt features first introduced in other Apple products, such as the dynamic Force Touch input found on the Apple Watch, but won't include a recently-rumored multi-camera system, AppleInsider has been advised.

People familiar with development of Apple's next-generation handsets — internally codenamed "N71" for the 4.7-inch model and "N66" for the 5.5-inch version — say they're bound to hit the market under the expected "iPhone 6s" naming convention and retain the same two screen sizes and casing enclosure designs first introduced this past September in the iPhone 6 lineup. Those customers clamoring for a return to a smaller iPhone in the 4-inch range won't hear their cries answered — this year, at least.

Instead, those familiar with existing prototypes say Apple's current plans call for both the new 4.7-inch model (N71) and the 5.5-inch "iPhone 6s Plus" (N66) to gain Force Touch, a capability Apple debuted with the Apple Watch when it was announced in September. Their arrival on the iPhone product line would come roughly one year later, falling in line with the company's historical pattern of first debuting new cutting edge technology on one iOS device (iPhone) before extending it to another (iPad) the following year.

Apple's 2015 iPhones — internally codenamed "N71" for the 4.7-inch model and "N66" for the 5.5-inch version — are to adopt Force Touch, sources sayWith variable forces, a message notification might trigger a tapping sensation, while pressing down on the Watch's digital crown or screen to trigger Force Touch would invoke completely different tactile sensation. How Apple might implement the dynamic new touch input method on the iPhone — whether paired with its haptic feedback engine or otherwise —�is unclear.

Apple has called Force Touch its "most significant new sensing capability since Multi-Touch," lending some amount of credence to the idea that it could expand beyond the Apple Watch. Such a move could also require a corresponding switch to a flexible display material, however — electrodes surrounding the Apple Watch's OLED display detect the level of deformation caused by the user's press, a measurement not possible with rigid displays.

One person — who has recently proven extremely knowledgable regarding Apple's forward-looking plans — said the company toyed with putting Force Touch in the iPhone 6 last year, but "calibration" issues led to the feature being pulled from the device during its development cycle. With the Apple Watch release imminent, any issues preventing a potential iPhone debut have presumably been resolved, as the company's current roadmap calls for its extension to the 2015 iPhones.

People familiar with the ongoing development of N71 and N66 have also dismissed the notion of a two-camera system in the "iPhone 6s" lineup, explaining that doing so would require a major redesign of the chassis of the handset. As in years past, this year's "s" upgrades are expected to look largely identical to their predecessor, with the most significant updates coming in the form of hidden internal upgrades and Force Touch.

A rumor popped up in November claiming Apple's next-generation iPhone will employ a "two-lens system" to capture DSLR-quality images. Existing smartphones and small form factor devices, like HTC's One M8, already sport secondary imager for calculating depth data.

There are obvious hurdles to cramming another lens — and presumably camera sensor — into an already cramped iPhone 6 chassis. From a design perspective, tacking on another imager may not be ideal considering the current iPhone chassis is thinner than its camera module. A small controversy erupted when Apple unveiled iPhone 6 with a camera "bump" that breaks up the handset's otherwise clean lines.

Apple SVP of Design Jony Ive, who has a knack for creating simplistically beautiful products, also seemed disappointed with the protrusion. In an interview with The New Yorker earlier this month, he said the decision to keep the protruding camera lens was "a really very pragmatic optimization."

With internal real estate at a premium, packing in an extra camera would require a modification of iPhone's housing, which will not happen this year, those familiar with the matter say.

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MEGA PATENT DUMP! Ericsson, Smartflash blitz Apple: iPhone, iPad menaced ... - The Register

Linkfest Emboldened by its $533m patent-infringement win against Apple just a few days ago, Smartflash is suing the iPhone maker AGAIN – and Ericsson is joining the fray.

Ericsson v Apple

The Swedish telecoms giant has filed two complaints to the US International Trade Commission (ITC) – one accusing Apple handhelds of ripping off Ericsson's patents on 2G and 4G mobile broadband connectivity, and the other claiming the California giant is using Ericsson's patents on Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, radio electronics, and other technology without permission.

Ericsson wants the ITC to ban imports of Apple's China-built iPhones and iPads, which are allegedly infringing the Swedes' patents, into America. The Euro giant has sued Apple in the patent-holder-friendly eastern district court of Texas in the US, again alleging patent infringement, demanding jury trials, and calling for injunctions against Apple hardware.

The 2G/4G patents are so-called essential patents, meaning they describe technology that everyone has agreed is needed for modern communications, and are thus supposed to be licensed on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms to all manufacturers.

Ericsson, which has offices in Texas, says Apple had coughed up cash to license its patented technology, but that agreement, we're told, expired and wasn't renewed by Apple. Now Ericsson's upset iPhones and iPads continue to roll into America without permission and with no royalties checks in the mail to Ericsson. Thus the Swedes want damages from Apple, and a ban on imports until the matter is settled.

Here's the list of the complaints filed to the Texas court, including the patents allegedly infringed:

• 2:15-cv-17 : Ericsson alleges breach of contract, claiming Apple...
  

  globally licensed Ericsson Essential Patents in 2008, but its license has now expired. During the past two years of negotiations for a renewal agreement, Ericsson extended multiple offers to Apple to renew its portfolio license on FRAND terms. These negotiations have been unsuccessful for the simple reason that Apple refuses to pay a FRAND royalty for a license to Ericsson’s Essential Patents.

  
  


• 2:15-cv-288 : Ericsson claims Apple infringed the following:
  
  
  
  • US patent 6,037,798: "Line Receiver Circuit Having Termination Impedances with Transmission Gates Connected in Parallel."
  
  
  • US patent 6,100,770: "MIS Transistor Varactor Device and Oscillator Using Same"
  
  
  • US patent 6,597,787: "Echo Cancellation Device For Cancelling Echos in a Transceiver Unit"
  
  
  • US patent 7,151,430: "Method of and Inductor Layout for Reduced VCO Coupling"
  
  
  • US patent 7,580,683: "Radio Transceiver on a Chip"
  
  
  • US patent 8,626,086: "Radio Transceiver on a Chip"
  
  
  
  


• 2:15-cv-289 : Ericsson claims Apple infringed the following:
  
  
  
  • US patent 6,026,293: "System for Preventing Electronic Memory Tampering"
  
  
  • US patent 6,400,376: "Display Control for Hand-Held Data Processing Device"
  
  
  • US patent 6,857,068: "System and Method for Data Processing by Executing a Security Program Routine Initially Stored in a Protected Part of Irreversibly Blocked Memory Upon Start-Up"
  
  
  • US patent 6,901,251: "Portable Communication Apparatus Having a Man-Machine Interface and a Method for its Operation:
  
  
  • US letters patent RE43,931: "Radiotelephones Having Contact-Sensitive User Interfaces and Methods of Operating Same"
  
  
  
  


• 2:15-cv-290 : Ericsson claims Apple infringed the following:
  
  
  
  • US patent 6,360,102: "System and Method for Defining A Subscriber Location Privacy Profile"
  
  
  • US patent 6,433,735: "Mobile Terminal and System and Method for Determining the Geographic Location of a Mobile Terminal"
  
  
  • US patent 6,535,815: "Position Updating Method for a Mobile Terminal Equipped with a Positioning Receiver"
  
  
  • US patent 6,553,236: "On Demand Location Function for Mobile Terminal"
  
  
  • US patent 6,993,325: "Method for Facilitating Electronic Communications"
  
  
  • US patent 7,149,534: "Peer to Peer Information Exchange for Mobile Communications Devices"
  
  
  
  


• 2:15-cv-291 : Ericsson claims Apple infringed the following:
  
  
  
  • US patent 7,149,510: "Security Access Manager in Middleware"
  
  
  • US patent 7,286,823: "Mobile Multimedia Engine"
  
  
  • US patent 7,415,270: "Middleware Services Layer for Platform System for Mobile Terminals"
  
  
  • US patent 7,536,181: "Platform System for Mobile Terminals"
  
  
  • US patent 7,707,592: "Mobile Terminal Application Subsystem and Access Subsystem Architecture Method and System"
  
  
  • US patent 8,079,015: "Layered Architecture for Mobile Terminals"
  
  
  
  


• 2:15-cv-292 : Ericsson claims Apple infringed the following:
  
  
  
  • US patent 6,433,512: "Power Consumption Reporting by an Accessory of an Electronic Device"
  
  
  • US patent 6,763,247: "Portable Telecommunication Apparatus for Controlling an Electronic Utility Device"
  
  
  • US patent 6,968,365: "Device and a Method for Operating an Electronic Utility Device From a Portable Telecommunication Apparatus"
  
  
  • US patent 8,170,472: "Arrangement and a Method in a Telephony System"
  
  
  
  


• 2:15-cv-293 : Ericsson claims Apple infringed the following:
  
  
  
  • US patent 6,633,550: "Radio Transceiver on a Chip"
  
  
  • US patent 6,157,620: "Enhanced Radio Telephone for Use In Internet Telephony"
  
  
  • US patent 6,029,052: "Multiple-Mode Direct Conversion Receiver"
  
  
  • US patent 8,812,059: "Radiotelephones Having Contact-Sensitive User Interfaces and Methods of Operating Same"
  
  
  • US patent 6,291,966: "Method and an Apparatus For Storing and Communicating Battery Information"
  
  
  • US patent 6,122,263: "Internet Access For Cellular Networks"
  
  
  
  


• 2:15-cv-287 : Ericsson claims Apple infringed the following:
  
  
  
  • US essential patent 8,102,805: "HARQ in Spatial Multiplexing MIMO System"
  
  
  • US essential patent 8,331,476: "Method for Detecting Transmission Mode in a System Using Multiple Antennas"
  
  
  • US essential patent 6,301,556: "Reducing Sparseness in Coded Speech Signals"
  
  
  • US essential patent 8,607,130: "Computationally Efficient Convolutional Coding With Rate-Matching"
  
  
  • US essential patent 8,717,996: "Uplink Scrambling During Random Access"
  
  
  • US essential patent 8,660,270: "Method and Arrangement in a Telecommunication System"
  
  
  • US essential patent 8,837,381: "Using an Uplink Grant as Trigger of First or Second Type of CQI Report"
  
  
  • US essential patent 6,058,359: "Speech Coding Including Soft Adaptability Feature"
  
  
  
  

"Apple's products benefit from the technology invented and patented by Ericsson's engineers," said Ericsson chief intellectual property officer Kasim Alfalahi.

"Features that consumers now take for granted - like being able to livestream television shows or access their favorite apps from their phone - rely on the technology we have developed."

The two companies have been at a legal impasse for some time. Apple has accused Ericssson of demanding excessive payments for the use of its patents, while Ericsson maintains it is only seeking fair compensation.

Smartflash v Apple

Meanwhile, Texan patent-hoarder Smartflash has filed a lawsuit in the eastern district of Texas, US, against Apple accusing the iTunes goliath of infringing its patents, a day after landing a $500m judgment against the Cupertino moneybags.

The new suit [PDF] alleges that Apple's iTunes infringes seven Smartflash patents relating to the processing of payments and the download of music files from an online service. The specific patents allegedly infringed are:

• US patent 7,334,720: "Data Storage and Access Systems"


• US patent 7,942,317: "Data Storage and Access Systems"


• US patent 8,033,458: "Data Storage and Access Systems"


• US patent 8,061,598: "Data Storage and Access Systems"


• US patent 8,118,221: "Data Storage and Access Systems"


• US patent 8,336,772: "Data Storage and Access Systems"


• US patent 8,794,516: "Data Storage and Access Systems"

"Apple’s acts of infringement have caused damage to the plaintiffs ... as a result of Apple’s wrongful acts," Smartflash's court documents allege. Smartflash wants a judge-granted injunction banning Apple from shipping any more software and/or hardware allegedly infringing Smartflash' patents – plus damages.

Apple refuses to comment to The Register. ®

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Here's What You Need To Watch Apple's 'Spring Forward' Event On March 9 - Tech Times

Apple fans can view the livestream of Apple’s Spring Forward event on Monday, March 9, at 1 p.m. Eastern Time on Apple’s dedicated live events page. They can also stream the event to their TVs via a second- or third-generation Apple TV set-top box.

(Photo : Apple)

Apple will be livestreaming its upcoming Spring Forward event on Monday, March 9, via its dedicated events website to allow hordes of Apple fans to watch the event online as it happens live in San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

As Apple had already done in the past, the event will be streamed live via www.apple.com/live/ at 10 a.m. Pacific Time or 1 p.m. Eastern Time. Viewers will need to have a Mac computer running on OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.8 or newer and will need to install Safari 5.1.10 or later. Those who prefer to watch on their iPhones or iPads will need to have at least iOS 6 or newer versions of the mobile OS.

And for people who say viewing on an iPhone, an iPad, or a Mac means squinting at the screen, they can also stream the event to their living room TVs via a second- or third-generation Apple TV set-top box running on Apple TV OS 6.2 or higher.

On Thursday, Apple sent out invitations for its Spring Forward event. And as typical as Apple, it did not mention exactly what the event will be for, but the speculations have already started. The most common hypothesis is Apple will be revealing more details about the Apple Watch, which is expected for release in April.

Last year, Apple revealed it was working on a smartwatch that is largely believed to make the smartwatch industry mainstream, but Cupertino left out plenty of important details that fans avidly looking out for the Apple Watch would like to know, such as pricing and battery life.

Apple announced the entry-level model will cost $350 but did not mention the price for higher-end editions, which naturally led to analysts and enthusiasts conjecturing that the top-of-the-line Gold Edition will cost somewhere above $1,000. Battery life is also vague, although CEO Tim Cook earlier said that the Apple Watch will need to be charged every night.

To date, the most successful smartwatch is the indie darling Pebble Watch, an e-ink display smartwatch that runs on average seven days on a single charge. While the combined forces of Google, LG, Samsung, and other smartwatch makers that have released devices running on Android Wear could not even push sales up to 1 million units, Pebble announced that it has shipped 1 million Pebble Watch and Pebble Steel units to customers.

The Apple Watch, in comparison, is predicted to sell 20 million units by the end of the year.

© 2015 Tech Times, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

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NERDGASM as Apple announces 'special event' - The Register

Apple's hype machine has creaked into life again, with media outlets on Cupertino's “nice” list^* reportedly showered with a new invitation to pay homage to the company on March 9th. The company's also updated its live events page with news of a to-be-streamed event on the same day.

It's widely held the event will reveal more details of the Apple Watch. But of course nobody knows just what Cupertino will reveal on the stage of San Francisco's Yerba Buena Centre for the Arts.

Recent Apple rumours suggest it is making a car, or could buy Tesla, or might be about to send the price of gold through the roof by buying lots of it to make watches.

All that Apple's saying is that a “special event” is in prospect. Which hasn't stopped a metric kazillion pieces of nerdgasm speculation hitting the world's blogs.

If Apple's true to form we'll be treated to an announcement about full features of the Watch, plus prices and availability dates. Sales in Apple stores will kick off about a fortnight after the announcement. Customer complaints about minor flaws will kick off about 48 hours after that. Vulture South predicts discolorations of the watches caused by sweat, plus lousy battery life. After a week or so narky reviews will point out the timepieces' software isn't perfect and beautiful. About a month later we'll hear about people being mugged for their Apple Watches. By then the world will move on to hype about the iPhone 7 and ColossoPad for business.

We're in a great business, aren't we? ®

^* Apple doesn't do PR in El Reg's direction, on the basis of ancient grudges about our predilection for colourful language and not being gushy about everything it does.

Sponsored: Today’s most dangerous security threats

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Apple iPhone import ban sought by suit - CNNMoney

The iPhone evolved

Networking giant Ericsson is trying to stop Apple from importing iPhones and iPads to the United States. It's part of a prolonged patent dispute between the two companies that has recently landed in several courts.

Up until last month, Apple (AAPL , Tech30) had been paying Ericsson patent licensing fees in exchange for using its critical cell phone technology. Ericsson's (ERIC ) patents cover crucial cell phone functions, including making and receiving calls, GPS location and some software that controls apps.

The licensing agreement ended in January without a new deal, and Apple simply stopped paying for the patents. Ericsson says it has been trying unsuccessfully to negotiate terms with Apple for the past two years. Apple says that Ericsson is trying to charge the company too much and apply its patents too broadly to cover unrelated Apple technology.

In turn, Ericsson filed seven lawsuits against Apple in the United States in addition to two international lawsuits. Ericsson is seeking unspecified damages and a sales ban for the iPhone and iPad.

As part of the international suits filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission, Ericsson is seeking a ban on shipments of iPhones and iPads to the United States. Most Apple products are assembled in China. The ITC has the ability to ban imports of goods deemed to infringe on patents.

Related: Apple ordered to pay $533 million in iTunes patent lawsuit

The lawsuits cover 41 patents, which Ericsson claims include the 2G and 4G radios, processor components, user interface software, location services and even the iOS operating system found within the iPhone and iPad.

"Apple's products benefit from the technology invented and patented by Ericsson's engineers," said Kasim Alfalahi, chief intellectual property officer at Ericsson, in a statement. "Features that consumers now take for granted -- like being able to livestream television shows or access their favorite apps from their phone -- rely on the technology we have developed."

Alfalahi said Ericsson has "acted in good faith to find a fair solution," but Apple "has refused all attempts" to arrive at a licensing deal.

Apple sees the situation differently.

"Ericsson seeks to exploit its patents to take the value of these cutting-edge Apple innovations, which resulted from years of hard work by Apple engineers and designers and billions of dollars of Apple research and development -- and which have nothing to do with Ericsson's patents," Apple said in its complaint filed last month in U.S. District Court in California.

"We've always been willing to pay a fair price to secure the rights to standards essential patents covering technology in our products," said Kristin Huguet, spokeswoman for Apple. "Unfortunately, we have not been able to agree with Ericsson on a fair rate for their patents so, as a last resort, we are asking the courts for help."

Patent disputes between tech giants are common, particularly when they cover technology used in the lucrative smartphone market. Some rulings have come down for multiple billions of dollars, and the ITC has been known to issue import bans.

But the cases are typically so prolonged and appealed so many times that by the time the bans are actually imposed, the smartphone maker no longer sells the phones in question.

Related: Apple accused of stealing employees from battery maker

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Sources: Apple's 2015 'iPhone 6s' models to gain Force Touch but no dual ... - Apple Insider

Exclusive

By Kasper Jade

Saturday, February 28, 2015, 07:18 am PT (10:18 am ET)

Apple's 2015 family of iPhones are expected to adopt features first introduced in other Apple products, such as the dynamic Force Touch input found on the Apple Watch, but won't include a recently-rumored multi-camera system, AppleInsider has been advised.

People familiar with development of Apple's next-generation handsets — internally codenamed "N71" for the 4.7-inch model and "N66" for the 5.5-inch version — say they're bound to hit the market under the expected "iPhone 6s" naming convention and retain the same two screen sizes and casing enclosure designs first introduced this past September in the iPhone 6 lineup. Those customers clamoring for a return to a smaller iPhone in the 4-inch range won't hear their cries answered — this year, at least.

Instead, those familiar with existing prototypes say Apple's current plans call for both the new 4.7-inch model (N71) and the 5.5-inch "iPhone 6s Plus" (N66) to gain Force Touch, a capability Apple debuted with the Apple Watch when it was announced in September. Their arrival on the iPhone product line would come roughly one year later, falling in line with the company's historical pattern of first debuting new cutting edge technology on one iOS device (iPhone) before extending it to another (iPad) the following year.

Apple's 2015 iPhones — internally codenamed "N71" for the 4.7-inch model and "N66" for the 5.5-inch version — are to adopt Force Touch, sources sayWith variable forces, a message notification might trigger a tapping sensation, while pressing down on the Watch's digital crown or screen to trigger Force Touch would invoke completely different tactile sensation. How Apple might implement the dynamic new touch input method on the iPhone — whether paired with its haptic feedback engine or otherwise —�is unclear.

Apple has called Force Touch its "most significant new sensing capability since Multi-Touch," lending some amount of credence to the idea that it could expand beyond the Apple Watch. Such a move could also require a corresponding switch to a flexible display material, however — electrodes surrounding the Apple Watch's OLED display detect the level of deformation caused by the user's press, a measurement not possible with rigid displays.

One person — who has recently proven extremely knowledgable regarding Apple's forward-looking plans — said the company toyed with putting Force Touch in the iPhone 6 last year, but "calibration" issues led to the feature being pulled from the device during its development cycle. With the Apple Watch release imminent, any issues preventing a potential iPhone debut have presumably been resolved, as the company's current roadmap calls for its extension to the 2015 iPhones.

People familiar with the ongoing development of N71 and N66 have also dismissed the notion of a two-camera system in the "iPhone 6s" lineup, explaining that doing so would require a major redesign of the chassis of the handset. As in years past, this year's "s" upgrades are expected to look largely identical to their predecessor, with the most significant updates coming in the form of hidden internal upgrades and Force Touch.

A rumor popped up in November claiming Apple's next-generation iPhone will employ a "two-lens system" to capture DSLR-quality images. Existing smartphones and small form factor devices, like HTC's One M8, already sport secondary imager for calculating depth data.

There are obvious hurdles to cramming another lens — and presumably camera sensor — into an already cramped iPhone 6 chassis. From a design perspective, tacking on another imager may not be ideal considering the current iPhone chassis is thinner than its camera module. A small controversy erupted when Apple unveiled iPhone 6 with a camera "bump" that breaks up the handset's otherwise clean lines.

Apple SVP of Design Jony Ive, who has a knack for creating simplistically beautiful products, also seemed disappointed with the protrusion. In an interview with The New Yorker earlier this month, he said the decision to keep the protruding camera lens was "a really very pragmatic optimization."

With internal real estate at a premium, packing in an extra camera would require a modification of iPhone's housing, which will not happen this year, those familiar with the matter say.

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MEGA PATENT DUMP! Ericsson, Smartflash blitz Apple: iPhone, iPad menaced ... - The Register

Linkfest Emboldened by its $533m patent-infringement win against Apple just a few days ago, Smartflash is suing the iPhone maker AGAIN – and Ericsson is joining the fray.

Ericsson v Apple

The Swedish telecoms giant has filed two complaints to the US International Trade Commission (ITC) – one accusing Apple handhelds of ripping off Ericsson's patents on 2G and 4G mobile broadband connectivity, and the other claiming the California giant is using Ericsson's patents on Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, radio electronics, and other technology without permission.

Ericsson wants the ITC to ban imports of Apple's China-built iPhones and iPads, which are allegedly infringing the Swedes' patents, into America. The Euro giant has sued Apple in the patent-holder-friendly eastern district court of Texas in the US, again alleging patent infringement, demanding jury trials, and calling for injunctions against Apple hardware.

The 2G/4G patents are so-called essential patents, meaning they describe technology that everyone has agreed is needed for modern communications, and are thus supposed to be licensed on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms to all manufacturers.

Ericsson, which has offices in Texas, says Apple had coughed up cash to license its patented technology, but that agreement, we're told, expired and wasn't renewed by Apple. Now Ericsson's upset iPhones and iPads continue to roll into America without permission and with no royalties checks in the mail to Ericsson. Thus the Swedes want damages from Apple, and a ban on imports until the matter is settled.

Here's the list of the complaints filed to the Texas court, including the patents allegedly infringed:

• 2:15-cv-17 : Ericsson alleges breach of contract, claiming Apple...
  

  globally licensed Ericsson Essential Patents in 2008, but its license has now expired. During the past two years of negotiations for a renewal agreement, Ericsson extended multiple offers to Apple to renew its portfolio license on FRAND terms. These negotiations have been unsuccessful for the simple reason that Apple refuses to pay a FRAND royalty for a license to Ericsson’s Essential Patents.

  
  


• 2:15-cv-288 : Ericsson claims Apple infringed the following:
  
  
  
  • US patent 6,037,798: "Line Receiver Circuit Having Termination Impedances with Transmission Gates Connected in Parallel."
  
  
  • US patent 6,100,770: "MIS Transistor Varactor Device and Oscillator Using Same"
  
  
  • US patent 6,597,787: "Echo Cancellation Device For Cancelling Echos in a Transceiver Unit"
  
  
  • US patent 7,151,430: "Method of and Inductor Layout for Reduced VCO Coupling"
  
  
  • US patent 7,580,683: "Radio Transceiver on a Chip"
  
  
  • US patent 8,626,086: "Radio Transceiver on a Chip"
  
  
  
  


• 2:15-cv-289 : Ericsson claims Apple infringed the following:
  
  
  
  • US patent 6,026,293: "System for Preventing Electronic Memory Tampering"
  
  
  • US patent 6,400,376: "Display Control for Hand-Held Data Processing Device"
  
  
  • US patent 6,857,068: "System and Method for Data Processing by Executing a Security Program Routine Initially Stored in a Protected Part of Irreversibly Blocked Memory Upon Start-Up"
  
  
  • US patent 6,901,251: "Portable Communication Apparatus Having a Man-Machine Interface and a Method for its Operation:
  
  
  • US letters patent RE43,931: "Radiotelephones Having Contact-Sensitive User Interfaces and Methods of Operating Same"
  
  
  
  


• 2:15-cv-290 : Ericsson claims Apple infringed the following:
  
  
  
  • US patent 6,360,102: "System and Method for Defining A Subscriber Location Privacy Profile"
  
  
  • US patent 6,433,735: "Mobile Terminal and System and Method for Determining the Geographic Location of a Mobile Terminal"
  
  
  • US patent 6,535,815: "Position Updating Method for a Mobile Terminal Equipped with a Positioning Receiver"
  
  
  • US patent 6,553,236: "On Demand Location Function for Mobile Terminal"
  
  
  • US patent 6,993,325: "Method for Facilitating Electronic Communications"
  
  
  • US patent 7,149,534: "Peer to Peer Information Exchange for Mobile Communications Devices"
  
  
  
  


• 2:15-cv-291 : Ericsson claims Apple infringed the following:
  
  
  
  • US patent 7,149,510: "Security Access Manager in Middleware"
  
  
  • US patent 7,286,823: "Mobile Multimedia Engine"
  
  
  • US patent 7,415,270: "Middleware Services Layer for Platform System for Mobile Terminals"
  
  
  • US patent 7,536,181: "Platform System for Mobile Terminals"
  
  
  • US patent 7,707,592: "Mobile Terminal Application Subsystem and Access Subsystem Architecture Method and System"
  
  
  • US patent 8,079,015: "Layered Architecture for Mobile Terminals"
  
  
  
  


• 2:15-cv-292 : Ericsson claims Apple infringed the following:
  
  
  
  • US patent 6,433,512: "Power Consumption Reporting by an Accessory of an Electronic Device"
  
  
  • US patent 6,763,247: "Portable Telecommunication Apparatus for Controlling an Electronic Utility Device"
  
  
  • US patent 6,968,365: "Device and a Method for Operating an Electronic Utility Device From a Portable Telecommunication Apparatus"
  
  
  • US patent 8,170,472: "Arrangement and a Method in a Telephony System"
  
  
  
  


• 2:15-cv-293 : Ericsson claims Apple infringed the following:
  
  
  
  • US patent 6,633,550: "Radio Transceiver on a Chip"
  
  
  • US patent 6,157,620: "Enhanced Radio Telephone for Use In Internet Telephony"
  
  
  • US patent 6,029,052: "Multiple-Mode Direct Conversion Receiver"
  
  
  • US patent 8,812,059: "Radiotelephones Having Contact-Sensitive User Interfaces and Methods of Operating Same"
  
  
  • US patent 6,291,966: "Method and an Apparatus For Storing and Communicating Battery Information"
  
  
  • US patent 6,122,263: "Internet Access For Cellular Networks"
  
  
  
  


• 2:15-cv-287 : Ericsson claims Apple infringed the following:
  
  
  
  • US essential patent 8,102,805: "HARQ in Spatial Multiplexing MIMO System"
  
  
  • US essential patent 8,331,476: "Method for Detecting Transmission Mode in a System Using Multiple Antennas"
  
  
  • US essential patent 6,301,556: "Reducing Sparseness in Coded Speech Signals"
  
  
  • US essential patent 8,607,130: "Computationally Efficient Convolutional Coding With Rate-Matching"
  
  
  • US essential patent 8,717,996: "Uplink Scrambling During Random Access"
  
  
  • US essential patent 8,660,270: "Method and Arrangement in a Telecommunication System"
  
  
  • US essential patent 8,837,381: "Using an Uplink Grant as Trigger of First or Second Type of CQI Report"
  
  
  • US essential patent 6,058,359: "Speech Coding Including Soft Adaptability Feature"
  
  
  
  

"Apple's products benefit from the technology invented and patented by Ericsson's engineers," said Ericsson chief intellectual property officer Kasim Alfalahi.

"Features that consumers now take for granted - like being able to livestream television shows or access their favorite apps from their phone - rely on the technology we have developed."

The two companies have been at a legal impasse for some time. Apple has accused Ericssson of demanding excessive payments for the use of its patents, while Ericsson maintains it is only seeking fair compensation.

Smartflash v Apple

Meanwhile, Texan patent-hoarder Smartflash has filed a lawsuit in the eastern district of Texas, US, against Apple accusing the iTunes goliath of infringing its patents, a day after landing a $500m judgment against the Cupertino moneybags.

The new suit [PDF] alleges that Apple's iTunes infringes seven Smartflash patents relating to the processing of payments and the download of music files from an online service. The specific patents allegedly infringed are:

• US patent 7,334,720: "Data Storage and Access Systems"


• US patent 7,942,317: "Data Storage and Access Systems"


• US patent 8,033,458: "Data Storage and Access Systems"


• US patent 8,061,598: "Data Storage and Access Systems"


• US patent 8,118,221: "Data Storage and Access Systems"


• US patent 8,336,772: "Data Storage and Access Systems"


• US patent 8,794,516: "Data Storage and Access Systems"

"Apple’s acts of infringement have caused damage to the plaintiffs ... as a result of Apple’s wrongful acts," Smartflash's court documents allege. Smartflash wants a judge-granted injunction banning Apple from shipping any more software and/or hardware allegedly infringing Smartflash' patents – plus damages.

Apple refuses to comment to The Register. ®

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