MacRumors

Bloomberg Businessweek publishes a cover story on the ongoing patent war between Apple and Android, outlining the history of the disputes between Apple and Android manufacturers such as HTC, Samsung and Motorola.

The report notes that Apple has actually experienced only limited success in its legal efforts, suggesting that Steve Jobs' vow to wage "thermonuclear war" against Android may be backfiring somewhat with Apple's soaring legal costs and retaliatory actions from its targets subjecting the company to risk while the benefits remain meager.

Corroborating claims from earlier this month regarding Apple's willingness to settle with the Android device manufacturers it has filed suit against, Bloomberg Businessweek reports that Apple and Samsung have "communicated lately" about settlement possibilities. The report suggests that settlement has become a more feasible option now that Apple is led by Tim Cook.

People familiar with the situation, however, note that top-level executives at both Apple and Samsung have communicated lately about potential settlement options. Apple CEO Tim Cook does not seem to share his predecessor’s passion about laying all foes to waste. Cook appears to view litigation as a necessary evil, not a vehicle of cosmic revenge.

Stanford University law professor Mark Lemley notes that the patent war has cost Apple and its opponents over $400 million over the past few years, and it is unclear just what benefits they have received for that massive sum of money. Lemley predicts that there will eventually be a major cross-licensing deal to bring the majority of the legal disputes to an end, but in the meantime the war continues to escalate as all sides continue to file new suits.

The latest data from Nielsen suggests that between the two of them, Android and Apple's iOS have relegated other smartphone operating systems to sub-single digit market share. The closest competitor -- RIM's Blackberry -- counted only 5% of U.S. smartphone purchases in the past three months. Other operating systems, including Windows Phone, Symbian, HP/Palm's WebOS and others, added up to only 4% share combined.

Overall, Android continues to lead the smartphone market in the U.S., with 48 percent of smartphone owners saying they owned an Android OS device. Nearly a third (32.1%) of smartphone users have an Apple iPhone, and Blackberry owners represented another 11.6 percent of the smartphone market. Among recent acquirers who got their smartphone within the last three months, 48 percent of those surveyed in February said they chose an Android and 43 percent bought an iPhone.

Android's performance is pretty constant, with 48% of existing smartphone owners and 48% of new smartphone purchasers choosing Android phones.

Apple's iPhone has been more popular of late, with the recent release of the iPhone 4S. The iPhone is the device of choice for 32% of current smartphone owners, but has made up 43% of recent smartphone purchases -- entirely at the expense of BlackBerry and the other small-share operating systems.

Apple appears to be working on plans to open its largest retail store yet, advertising a forthcoming store in the main Century City shopping district of Dalian, China. M.I.C. gadget posts a photo showing promotional signage in a shopping center there calling the forthcoming store the "world's biggest".

Interestingly, the article also reports on an incident that has brought Apple some additional attention, with other stores in the area complaining about new barricades for construction of the Apple retail store encroaching too far onto a public plaza.

The dispute quickly escalated just minutes after the barricades were erected yesterday, with security officers working on behalf of a neighboring business facing off with Apple-hired security guards and ultimately forcibly dismantling the barricades. A portion of the glass curtain wall on the Parkland shopping center was also smashed in the process, and police were called to the scene to address the situation.

M.I.C. gadget's report suggests that the dispute stemmed from jealously between shopping centers over Apple's choice of venue for its store, but our reading of the source article from We54.com [Google translation] indicates that the controversy is more about encroachment upon public spaces that other retailers fear will impact their business during the construction process.

Dailan, a city of 3.5 million people with a total of over 6 million people in the region, is located on the Liaodong Peninsula separating the Bohai Sea from Korea Bay in northeastern China. It is a major seaport, financial center, and tourist magnet for the region, drawing significant numbers of visitors from China, Japan, and Korea.

Following his appearance at the Xidan Joy City retail store in Beijing and meetings with Chinese government officials earlier this week, Bloomberg now reports that Apple CEO Tim Cook has also toured a new iPhone production facility in Zhengzhou, China.

Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook visited Foxconn Technology Group’s newly built manufacturing facility for the iPhone in Zhengzhou, China, as the U.S. company seeks to improve working conditions.

The iPhone production line is at the new Foxconn Zhengzhou Technology Park, which employs 120,000 people, Carolyn Wu, a Beijing-based Apple spokeswoman, said in an e-mail today. She didn’t provide other details on Cook’s visit or say how much longer he’ll be in China after having held high-level talks in Beijing earlier this week.

China is a key location for Apple for a number of reasons, including its role in manufacturing and assembly, a desire to focus on expansion in the market there, and intellectual property issues. Cook's trip appears to be addressing most of these aspects, demonstrating continued concern over working conditions in its manufacturing partners' plants while also working to build relationships with key political and business figures in the country.

In line with the settlement announced last month over antenna issues on the iPhone 4, certain owners are now receiving notices instructing them how to claim their $15 settlement payment from Apple. The settlement is limited to those customers who experienced issues but who were unable to return their devices and who opted not to receive a free bumper case from Apple.

Apple will provide a $15 cash payment to Class Members who send in a valid claim form. The claim form will require you to declare that you: (a) experienced antenna or reception issues with your iPhone 4; (b) were unable to return your iPhone 4 without incurring any costs; (c) were unwilling to use a case or free bumper for your iPhone 4; and (d) completed certain troubleshooting steps or are unable to complete the troubleshooting steps because you no longer own your iPhone 4.

Apple is still offering free bumpers to those who specifically request them, but the cash settlement provides an alternative method of compensation for those who do not wish to utilize an Apple bumper or who no longer own the affected device and did not originally receive a free bumper.

Users eligible for the $15 settlement payment have until August 28 to file their claim forms, and must file any objections to the settlement by June 15. A court hearing on July 13 will consider the settlement for final approval. Any parties wishing to exclude themselves from the class action settlement and pursue their own remedies also have until June 15 to register their removal from the class action group. Additional details are available at the official settlement site.

Digitimes claims that Apple will be ramping up production of the new 15" MacBook Pro in April, but with the new 13.3" model not ramping up until June:

As Apple will start mass producing its 15-inch MacBook Pro in April, sources from the upstream supply chain have pointed out that the company's orders for the 13.3-inch model are far higher than those of the 15-inch, indicating that Apple is more focused on the 13.3-inch notebook segment. However, the 13.3-inch MacBook Pro will not start mass production until June.

Digitimes also notes that the orders for the 13.3" MacBook Pro is "far higher" than those of the 15" model, though without a frame of reference for the typical mix of Apple notebook sales, it's hard to gauge the significance of this observation.

The April timing falls nicely with reports of new Intel Ivy Bridge chips that would be suitable for use in the new MacBook Pros.

Digitimes, however, doesn't provide any explanation for the discrepancy in the production dates between the 13" and 15" models. It's seems possible that Intel CPU availability may have something to do with the timetable as it was reported the very low power Ivy Bridge CPUs also won't be ready until June. Apple has typically only used these low power CPUs in the MacBook Air line, but the MacBook Pro has been rumored to be adopting a thinner and more Air-like appearance.

Previous reports claimed that the new MacBook Pros will feature a thinner design without an optical drive. We've been hearing whispers about this kind of Macbook Air inspired design since April of last year.

Apple has issued a version update for iTunes which addresses a number of bugs:

iTunes 10.6.1 provides a number of improvements, including:

- Fixes several issues that may cause iTunes to unexpectedly quit while playing videos, changing artwork size in Grid view, and syncing photos to devices.
- Addresses an issue where some iTunes interface elements are incorrectly described by VoiceOver and WindowEyes.
- Fixes a problem where iTunes may become unresponsive while syncing iPod nano or iPod shuffle.
- Resolves an ordering problem while browsing TV episodes in your iTunes library on Apple TV.

The update is available through OS X's Software Update.

A new survey commissioned by CNBC is as good a reason as any of why Apple's stock price has been on such a tear in recent years. More than half of all US homes own an Apple product, according to CNBC's All-America Economic survey -- and 1 in 10 homes that don't own any Apple products plan to purchase one in the next year.

“It's a fantastic business model — the more of our products you own, the more likely you are to buy more,” says Jay Campbell, a vice president of Hart Research Associates, which conducts the CNBC survey along with Bill McInturff. “Planned obsolescence has always been a part of the technology industries sales model, but Apple has taken it to a whole new level.”

Among other findings in the survey:

- Income level is a strong indicator of Apple product ownership: 28% of those making under $30k/year own one, while 77% of those making more than $75k/year do.

- 63% of those aged 18-34 and 35-49 own Apple products, while only 50% of the 50-64 group do, and 26% among those 65 and older.

- 61% of households with children own an Apple product, versus 48% in those without kids.

- The average home in the South owns 1.2 Apple products, the smallest in any region. The average household in the country owns 1.6 devices.

CNBC noted that "the poll of 836 Americans was conducted by landline and cellphone from March 19 to 22 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percent."

Business Insider reports on a new research note from Hong Kong-based research firm CLSA claiming that Apple's much-rumored television set is likely to debut in 2013 rather than the late 2012 timeframe that has been suggested by several other reports. CLSA is also one of a number of analyst firms that believe Foxconn's investment in Sharp is likely tied to potential for an Apple television.

We continue to view Apple TV hardware as a 2013 event.

The timing of Hon Hai/Foxconn's equity stake and partnership with Sharp along with Hon Hai Chairman Terry Gou's separate 46.5% investment in Sharp's Sakai City plant lends further credibility that Apple TV is in the works. This also follows reports that Apple is investing ~$1.3bn in equipment destined for Sharp facilities.

CLSA does not offer a specific rationale for its belief that the Apple television won't debut until next year, but a number of rumors from last year suggested that it could appear in either late 2012 or early 2013. More recent reports have claimed that component suppliers have already begun moving parts for the Apple television, with a launch potentially coming in the fourth quarter of this year.

CLSA does not have a particularly prolific track record, but the only previous report we have on record from the firm is an incorrect one from June 2011 claiming that an LTE-equipped iPad would launch ahead of the 2011 holiday season. The new iPad with LTE support of course didn't launch until earlier this month.

Network World reports on a keynote speech given in Chicago yesterday by Siri co-founder Dag Kittlaus in which he described some of the early developments that ultimately led to Apple acquiring the company and folding the technology into the iPhone 4S. According to Kittlaus, Steve Jobs personally contacted him just three weeks after Siri launched its iPhone app back in 2010 to set up a meeting that started their relationship.

And he wanted me to come over to his house the next day, and I did, and I spent 3 hours with him in front of his fireplace having this surreal conversation about the future.

And, you know, he talked about why Apple was going to win, and we talked about how Siri was doing. And he was very excited about the fact that.. you know, he was very interested in this area in general but, you know, they're patient, they don't jump on anything until they feel they can go after something new and he felt that we cracked it. So that was his attraction.

Kittlaus noted that Jobs initially wasn't enamored with the "Siri" name, but under persistent support from Kittlaus and with a failure to come up with an alternative he liked better, Jobs eventually decided to keep the name when the feature launched on the iPhone 4S last October.

Siri's iPhone app launched in February 2010, and Apple acquired the company less than three months later. Kittlaus worked at Apple until last October, when he left to pursue other opportunities and be closer to his family in Chicago.

Earlier this week, we reported that Apple CEO Tim Cook has shown up in Beijing, posing for photos with customers at the company's Xidan Joy City retail store as part of a trip to meet with unspecified "Chinese officials" as disclosed by an Apple spokesperson.

Over the past several days, media reports have revealed that Cook has been meeting with several government officials in China, with IDG News Service reporting yesterday that Cook had met with Beijing mayor Guo Jinlong to discuss further cooperation.

Beijing mayor Guo Jinlong, who met Cook on Monday afternoon, said he hoped Apple and Beijing could take further steps to deepen the company’s cooperation with the capital. Beijing’s top schools, rich talent, and market potential, makes the city ideal to develop the IT industry, he added.

The brief report from the Beijing Daily did not elaborate more on Apple’s cooperation with Beijing.

The Wall Street Journal also reports that Cook met with Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang, discussing intellectual property issues and other topics of mutual interest.

Apple Inc. Chief Executive Tim Cook met with Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang to discuss intellectual-property issues and greater cooperation, according to state media report. It was the strongest signal yet that the company is strengthening ties in a market it long neglected.

The executive met with Mr. Li, who is expected to be named premier next year, on Tuesday, state radio and television reported. "China will create a good environment for and strengthen the protection of intellectual-property rights for fair competition among various enterprises including foreign and domestic ones, according to the Chinese law," Mr. Li said, according to Wednesday's report.

With intellectual property issues being one of the highlighted topics of discussion between Cook and Li, it seems likely that the two addressed the ongoing iPad trademark dispute that has seen Proview seeking up to $2 billion from Apple in exchange for the Chinese rights to the name. Apple claims that it already legally acquired the trademark in a broader rights deal and that Proview and its subsidiaries are colluding to extort considerably more money from Apple for the Chinese rights.

Update: Sources have indicated to AllThingsD that Cook also met with executives at China Mobile, the world's largest carrier. Apple has yet to launch the iPhone on the carrier, likely due at least in part due to the need for specialized hardware to run on its 3G network.

Sources say Cook visited China Mobile’s Beijing offices, and while they offered no details beyond that, it’s not much of a leap to conclude that he was there to talk about the iPhone, which is currently offered by China Mobile rivals China Unicom and China Telecom.

Apple and China Mobile have been in discussions for several years, and Cook was seen at the carrier's headquarters last June, but no deal has yet been struck.

CPU World reports that Intel will be introducing a number of its new Ivy Bridge processors for desktop and mobile systems during the week of April 22-28, with availability set for April 29. The date had previously been cited as the launch for quad-core desktop chips, but the latest rumors indicate that several quad-core mobile chips will be making their debuts at the same time.

The new chips launching on April 29 seem to give Apple a number of options for upgrading its higher-end Mac lineup, including the iMac and MacBook Pro. But lower-power chips suitable for the MacBook Air will not arrive until June 3 based on the claimed timetable.

Ivy Bridge processors will be announced in the 4th week of April, between April 22 and April 28. The announcement will include only quad-core models: mobile Core i7 and Core i7 Extreme families, desktop Core i7, Core i5-3570K, i5-3570T, i5-3550, i5-3550S, i5-3450 and i5-3450S. The announced chips will be available for sale on April 29, and the reviews and benchmarks should be published on the same day.

On the MacBook Pro side, the Core i7-3720QM and 3820QM chips appearing on April 29 would appear to be the natural successors to the processors found in the current high-end 15-inch and 17-inch MacBook Pro models. Apple is, however, reportedly slimming down its 13-inch and 15-inch models, and it is unclear how those design changes will impact the company's selection of processors in the smaller models.

The June 3 launch will bring a significant expansion of availability for mobile computers, adding six dual-core mobile Core i5 and Core i7 processors and a pair of ultra-low voltage dual-core chips. Lower-end Core i3 chips are scheduled to follow in the third quarter of the year.

Yesterday, we noted that Australian regulators are targeting Apple over its "misleading" marketing of the new iPad as a "4G" device in the country despite the fact that the device is incompatible with LTE networks being rolled out there. In response, Apple has offered refunds to customers who feel they were misled by the marketing.

Concerns over the 4G marketing are now getting the attention of regulators in several European countries as well, with The Wall Street Journal noting that the Swedish Consumer Agency is also considering launching an investigation into the matter.

Marek Andersson, a lawyer at the authority whose task is to safeguard consumer interests in Sweden, said the consumer agency has received several complaints from consumers over marketing which touts the new iPad as having 4G connectivity. [...]

“One may rightfully ask if the marketing of the new iPad is misleading,” Mr. Andersson said. While iPad is equipped with 4G connectivity, it will only work in the U.S. and Canada.

“The question is whether this information is clear enough in Apple’s marketing,” he added.

Meanwhile, Pocket-lint reports that a similar situation is playing out in the United Kingdom, where the Advertising Standards Authority is also fielding complaints from customers about the issue.

“We are aware of the news from Australia regarding the iPad 4G marketing claim,” an ASA spokeswoman told us. “Without going through due process we can't say whether the (UK) ad is likely to be problematic. If anyone has concerns about the iPad ad then they can lodge a complaint with us and we will establish whether or not there is a problem under the Code.”

The UK has strict regulation of advertising claims, and Apple's marketing has been the subject of several decisions from the ASA. In 2008, the agency banned an iPhone ad over misleading claims, while a more recent decision regarding claims of the world's thinnest smartphone came down in Apple's favor. The ASA also ruled in Apple's favor last month in a dispute over advertising for Siri on the iPhone 4S.

Rumors of an "iPad mini" have been persistent over the past couple of years, despite an early dismissal of the 7" tablet form-factor by Apple's Steve Jobs:

There are clear limits to how close elements can be on the screen before users can't touch accurately. We believe 10-inch screen is minimum necessary.

Jobs' dismissal centers around an interface issue that a 10-inch screen is believed to be the minimum necessary to provide a good user interface.

Still, rumors of a smaller iPad have persisted with the latest rumors pinpointing a 7.85" screen for such a device. Apple has reportedly received samples of 1024x768 7.85" screens with rumors of mass production of the device sometime this fall.

AppAdvice digs into this exact screen size and reveals why the 7.85" size is not as arbitrary as it might seem.

The site calculates the points per inch (PPI) of such an imaginary 7.85" 1024x768 display and finds it to be 163 PPI. This is the exact same pixel density as the original iPhone and iPod Touch before the Retina Display. Apple's human interface guidelines for iOS development for both iPad and iPhone outline that the minimum size for tappable user interface elements at 44 x 44 points (0.27 x 0.27 inches on the original iPhone screen).

This 44 x 44 point size recommendation is true for the original iPhone and the original iPad, even though the original iPad was slightly less pixel-dense. (On Retina-enabled displays, the recommendation remains at 44 x 44 points, but with each point represented by 2 pixels)

What this means is that any iPad application that was designed with these guidelines in mind would never drop below Apple's recommended 44 x 44 point (0.27 x 0.27 inches) when displayed on a 7.85" miniaturized iPad. As we noted in our paper mockup of a iPad mini, that the user interface elements seemed perfectly usable on the smaller screen, and this would explain why. iPad apps would run without modification on a 7.85" iPad without any elements dropping below what Apple considers the minimal tappable size.

None of this means that Apple will definitely be producing such a device, but does show the 7.85" size is not an arbitrary decision. Existing iPad apps would run reasonably well without modification on such a device.