MacRumors

Apple has filed a lawsuit against Mobile Star LLC, accusing the firm of infringing upon its registered trademarks and copyrights by selling counterfeit 5W USB Power Adapters and Lightning to USB cables on Amazon and Groupon, according to court documents published electronically this week.

Apple said the counterfeit power products pose a significant danger to consumer safety because, among other things, they lack adequate insulation and/or have inadequate spacing between low voltage and high voltage circuits, creating risks of overheating, fire, and electrical shock.

The safety of Apple’s customers is of paramount importance to Apple, and Apple devotes significant resources to ensuring its power products meet industry safety standards and are subjected to rigorous testing for safety and reliability. Apple brings this suit to stop Mobile Star from any further distribution of counterfeit Apple products to the public.

The legal complaint says the products, shipped and sold by Amazon through its Fulfilled by Amazon program, were listed as genuine Apple products, often using the company's copyrighted marketing images. Apple said Mobile Star's counterfeit products hurt its sales and damage its reputation.

Apple determined at least a portion of Mobile Star LLC's chargers and cables were counterfeit upon purchasing them as part of its routine efforts to combat the distribution and sale of knockoff products. It then alerted Amazon, which subsequently removed Mobile Star's selling privileges.

Takedown notices are standard procedure for Apple, which found that almost 90% of so-called genuine Apple products and accessories it purchased from Amazon over the last nine months were actually counterfeit.

Over the last nine months, Apple, as part of its ongoing brand protection efforts, has purchased well over 100 iPhone devices, Apple power products, and Lightning cables sold as genuine by sellers on Amazon.com and delivered through Amazon’s “Fulfillment by Amazon” program. Apple’s internal examination and testing for these products revealed almost 90% of these products are counterfeit.

Apple went one step further and filed a lawsuit in this case because it said Mobile Star's distribution of counterfeit Apple products "brazenly continues" and extends beyond Amazon, including Groupon and direct sales. Mobile Star has also allegedly failed to cooperate with Apple upon being contacted.

Mobile Star’s distribution of counterfeit Apple products is ongoing and extends beyond Amazon.com as shown by Apple’s purchase of 10 counterfeit Apple products directly from Groupon in December 2015. […]

In addition, an Apple investigator recently purchased counterfeit Apple EarPods headphones and Lightning cables directly from Mobile Star, showing that Mobile Star is brazenly continuing to sell counterfeit Apple products even after learning that Apple was on to it.

Apple is seeking damages of up to $150,000 for each registered copyright infringed, in addition to damages of up to $2 million per trademark infringed. Apple has demanded a jury trial in the case, titled Apple Inc. v. Mobile Star LLC, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

Update: Amazon tells MacRumors it has "zero tolerance for the sale of counterfeits" on its website. "We work closely with manufacturers and brands, and pursue wrongdoers aggressively," it said.

The FCC today announced it has reached a $48 million settlement with T-Mobile, including a $7.5 million fine and $35.5 million in consumer benefits, following an investigation into whether the carrier adequately disclosed speed and data restrictions for its so-called "unlimited" data plan subscribers.

FCC investigators determined that ads and other disclosures from T-Mobile, and its prepaid brand MetroPCS, failed to adequately inform customers about its policy that de-prioritizes the top 3% of its heaviest data users during times of network contention or congestion, resulting in slower network speeds.

“Consumers should not have to guess whether so-called ‘unlimited’ data plans contain key restrictions, like speed constraints, data caps, and other material limitations,” said FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief Travis LeBlanc. “When broadband providers are accurate, honest and upfront in their ads and disclosures, consumers aren’t surprised and they get what they’ve paid for. With today’s settlement, T-Mobile has stepped up to the plate to ensure that its customers have the full information they need to decide whether ‘unlimited’ data plans are right for them.”

As part of the settlement, eligible T-Mobile and MetroPCS subscribers will automatically receive an additional 4GB of 4G LTE data for one month in December and be offered 20% off any single accessory at participating T-Mobile stores with a promo code to be sent via text message in December.

Apple is partnering with various building companies to integrate its HomeKit platform directly into homes from the get-go, with the hopes that such ingrained smart home features will convince prospective buyers into sticking with the Apple ecosystem for the long haul. The news comes in a report by Bloomberg, which looked specifically at a four-bedroom stucco house in Alameda, California as one of Apple's many HomeKit-enabled properties coming to the market.

David Kaiserman, president of the technology division at construction company Lennar Corporation, walked Bloomberg through the potential advantages of buying a smart home from the start, mainly centering around the sometimes frustrating installation of devices like smart blinds and locks. In the home in Alameda, Siri responded to "Good Morning" light requests, while Apple's new Home app played music from connected speakers, and even ran a bath. All told, $30,000 worth of connected technology was integrated into the house.

The gamble is that pricey wireless home devices will be an easier sell when bundled into the home itself. Builders market granite countertops and brushed-nickel fixtures at thousands of models homes across the U.S. Why not video doorbells?

“We want to bring home automation to the mainstream,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of product marketing. “The best place to start is at the beginning, when a house is just being created.”

Purchasing a house with smart devices already installed doesn't appear to come at a discount, however. The $30,000 worth of products inside the Alameda home included devices like Lutron's automated shading system, which starts at $349, and the Schlage Connect Touchscreen Deadbolt, which retails for $199. As Bloomberg pointed out, "a regular deadbolt fetches $32 at Home Depot -- and there’s always hiding a key under the flower pot."

Apple is said to be working with other builders besides Lennar, including Brookfield Residential Properties Inc., but neither company said when the smart homes would actually go up for sale. Kaiserman mentioned that he hopes working with Apple in the smart home market will produce a “halo effect,” in any neighborhood that the homes sell in, convincing potential buyers that the new home has a "cool" factor that other properties nearby lack.

All the same, some people watching the rise in connected home devices believe "the hype may be getting ahead of the reality," with examples given centering around products like a wireless onesie for a baby that can turn on lights and play soothing music when the child stirs. Likewise, IDC analyst Jonathan Gaw cited "useless" products like the recently announced smartphone-controlled candle LuDela, which "only hurts the message. It tells people that we have gone too far. There’s too much crap out there, it’s only diluting stuff that’s really cool.”

For people interested in smart home tech, it's predicted that a total of $24 billion will be spent on home automation in 2016. While it may take a while for its popularity to catch on, research firm Strategy Analytics believes that number will jump to over $40 billion by 2020, potentially with the help of companies like Apple leading the way into whole-home integration of the technology.

Check out the full Bloomberg report here.

In an ongoing story surrounding the alleged talks between Apple and Australian startup Sonder, The Wall Street Journal is today adding its own set of "people familiar with the plans" to the report. The new article reiterates a 2018 launch window for customizable e-ink keyboards on Apple's MacBook line, which was mentioned in a now-deleted Reddit post that began the rumors last week.

In response to the increasing amount of rumors surrounding Apple and Sonder, the latter company this week has confirmed that it never met with Apple during Tim Cook's travels in China and Japan, suggesting that any talk of Apple's acquisition of Sonder is false.

In a press release, Sonder CEO Francisco Serra-Martin stated that the original article by The Guardian -- which ignited the story on the back of the Reddit post -- "contains a number of factual errors." Serra-Martin confirmed that he "did not meet Tim Cook on Wednesday 12th October 2016," which The Guardian story said he did, without providing specifics of the meeting and its potential relation to acquisition talks.

The Guardian’s article “Apple in talks to acquire Australian startup Sonder” contains a number of factual errors. Sonder founder Francisco Serra-Martins did not meet Tim Cook on Wednesday 12th October 2016, although we would very like the opportunity to in the future.

The team at Sonder is pleased with the incredible response from the industry as we continue to present our story. We are not able to comment further on information on any single company or customer. Sonder’s E Ink keyboard provides infinite possibilities right at your fingertips and releases later this year.

With Serra-Martin's direct confirmation of the original story's lack of veracity, it appears that, for now, Apple's plans aren't immediately related to introducing the customizable e-ink technology into MacBooks or Magic Keyboards. Sonder's own e-ink "Sonder Keyboard" is launching later this year for $199.

The first round of reviews of Google's new Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones appeared online this morning. Most sites have come away with largely positive impressions of the devices, hailing in particular the Pixel's camera performance compared to the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.

The Verge called the Pixel a "home run" for Google, noting that while it looks like an iPhone from afar, "there are a lot of differences" in design details, such as the glass shade on the upper third of the back of the phone where the fingerprint ID sits, the "subtle wedge shape" of the handset, and the lack of a camera bump.

This is Google's first phone, and for a first effort it is remarkably good. By almost every metric I can think of — speed, power, camera, smart assistant, you name it — it matches or exceeds the best phones available on the market today.

TechCrunch said Google had delivered a "terrific photo and video experience" on the Pixel, noting that its video stabilization works "astonishingly well". Testing the Pixel camera side-by-side with the iPhone 7 Plus, the latter was considered to deliver more accurate colors outdoors, but overall picture quality was said to be "so close that it's impossible to call, except by personal preference".

Wired said the Pixel's built-in AI was "the best voice assistant yet", while overall the device "has a look and competence of an iPhone, with a truly great camera and loads of innovative software and services".

The immediate joke everyone, including me, made on Twitter after the Pixel launch was that Google made an iPhone. Well, that's true. As it turns out, an iPhone running Android is exactly what I've been waiting for.

CNET performed a direct comparison of the iPhone 7 and Pixel's camera capabilities, and came away with the impression that the Pixel achieved brighter colors, sharper detail in backgrounds of photos and on-par low-light photography.

In contrast to the general consensus, The New York Times was less flattering in its overall estimation of Google's phone, calling the Pixel "mediocre". Photos shot with the camera "don't look as good as the iPhone's", while Google's built-in AI personal assistant was said to be "fairly dumb".

For those interested, Pixel is available in 32GB and 128GB options as a Verizon exclusive in the United States, but is also available unlocked for $649 on the Google Store. Each phone comes in "Very Silver," "Quite Black," and "Really Blue" colorways.

Apple will introduce new Macs at an event that's set to take place on Thursday, October 27, reports Recode. The event will be held "at or near" Apple's Cupertino campus instead of in San Francisco, suggesting it will perhaps be at the company's Town Hall conference center.

Recode does not detail which Macs will receive a refresh at the event, but Apple's entire Mac lineup, aside from the Retina MacBook, is in need of a refresh.

New MacBook Pro models will likely headline the event, as rumors suggest a major update is in the works. The new MacBook Pro is said to include a redesigned, thinner body with a flatter MacBook-style keyboard, an OLED touch panel that replaces the physical function keys at the top of the keyboard, and Touch ID support.

It is expected to do away with the USB-A port, HDMI port, and SD card slot, featuring just four USB-C ports based on part leaks, and it is said to include support for USB 3.1 and Thunderbolt 3.

A recent rumor from Japanese site Mac Otakara suggests Apple will also be introducing a new 13-inch MacBook Air, also featuring USB-C and Thunderbolt 3. Other products that could potentially see refreshes include the iMac, the Mac Pro, and the Mac mini.

With an event set to take place on October 27, media invites should be going out later this week.

While full-device skins can be a good solution for iPhone owners looking for scratch protection without using a full case, those with Jet Black models should exercise caution when applying or removing the plastic wrap.

A small number of iPhone 7 Plus owners with Jet Black models have noticed the text printed on the back of the device, such as "Designed by Apple in California," becomes transposed onto the skin upon being removed from the device.

MacRumors forum member ksyu found out the hard way when he removed a full-device skin from his iPhone 7 Plus and noticed the letters transferred onto the plastic. Under bright light, all of the rear markings, including "iPhone" and the required regulatory labels, are easily distinguishable.

"I had a normal protector on for about 1 minute and took it off," he said. "The writing peels right off."

MacRumors reader Keith experienced a similar situation when removing a Slickwraps from his iPhone 7 Plus:

The writing actually came off onto the clear Slickwraps just like pulling silly putty off of a newspaper comic strip. If you're one of the people hoping to keep their phone in brand new out of the box condition this might cause a problem for you. I don't know if the writing came off because the wrap is sticky or because it was a wet install meaning getting your phone wet then drying the phone could lead to the writing rubbing off.

The fine print does not completely come off the iPhone, but it does become faded. This type of issue has not affected previous iPhone models, nor does it appear to affect Black, Gold, Rose Gold, or Silver colors.

Apple says the high-gloss Jet Black finish is achieved through a precision nine-step anodization and polishing process, but it remains unclear why the letters are rubbing off for some users. Fortunately, the problem does not appear to be widespread, but full-skin aficionados should be extra careful.

WikiLeaks has leaked yet another email from Hillary Clinton presidential campaign chairman John Podesta that reveals Apple CEO Tim Cook was among a list of candidates for Vice President of the United States, alongside Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, and dozens of others.

In August, Cook hosted a fundraising event for the Hillary Victory Fund, a committee that contributes to the Clinton campaign, the Democratic National Committee, and 38 state parties. Cook, along with Apple environmental chief Lisa Jackson, acted as private citizens, not as representatives of Apple. Cook has demonstrated support for both Democrats and Republicans.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.