Legal

Apple recently removed GV Mobile and Voice Central from the App Store and barred Google from bringing its own Google Voice App to the iPhone. However, the FTC is investigating the squabble.

The FTC has sent out memos to Apple, AT&T and Google about why Google Voice compatible Apps. The memos inquire about Apple and AT&T’s relationship in the App approval process and whether or not Google can bring Google Voice to the iPhone through alternate means such as making it a web enabled App accessible through Safari. AT&T however, has denied involvement with Apple’s process for approving Apps:

“AT&T does not manage or approve applications for the App Store. We have received the letter and will, of course, respond to it.”

The irony is AT&T has previously prevented Apple from approving Apps that consume massive amounts of data

Via: Macworld

In a game of cat and mouse, Palm has pushed out an update that brings back iTunes syncing to the Palm Pre after Apple disabled the feature with a small update to iTunes. Ironically however, Palm has filed a complaint against Apple.

Palm has reported Apple to the USB Compliance Organization for misusing the USB Vendor ID. The basis of Palm’s complaint contradicts its stance against Apple due to the Palm spoofing the Pre’s USB ID to appear as an iPod.

“Palm has released webOS 1.1, which, along with offering more robust EAS support for business users, re-enables Palm media sync,” said company spokesperson Lynn Fox. “Palm believes that openness and interoperability offer better experiences for users by allowing them the freedom to use the content they own without interference across devices and services, so on behalf of consumers, we have notified the USB Implementers Forum of what we believe is improper use of the Vendor ID number by another member.”

It will be interesting to see how this plays out considering Palm is making a bold step by spoofing Apple’s Vendor ID and crying foul over Apple’s supposed misuse of… more...

Popular Australian Mac news site, Mactalk, has been hit with a cease and desist over an iPhone rumor posted on their Blog. The take down notice gives more and more proof towards a revamp to the iPhone.

The rumor, Apple’s 16GB iPhone was being discontinued and declared “end of life,” was enough to catch the eye of a firm (whose identity won’t be revealed according to Mactalk) and issue the cease and desist letter albeit two weeks too late. While you can still access the post via Google’s Caching mechanism, the rumor has already taken off across the Blog-o-sphere.

Via: Macworld

As we loom closer to the public debut of Firmware 3.0 for the iPhone and the new App Store policies that follow, we’re already seeing some of those changes take effect. Notably, Apple’s App review policy is making a drastic change but also a limit is being placed on how Apps can be downloaded.

Previously, you could download an App and redownload it free of cost after you’ve deleted it but now, Apple will be charging you. However, you’re given the option to download said App in iTunes on your computer. The only reasonable explanation is Apple’s fear of “piracy” as iPhone owners could log in to multiple iTunes accounts and download Apps for free that were already bought by their friends in Firmware 3.0.

Via: The iPhone Blog

After U2 ditched Apple to buddy up with RIM, you’d think the crazy sponsorship and marketing promotions would’ve stopped. For us, it just began as Roger McNamee informed us of an apocalyptic scenario for the iPhone following its two year anniversary as everyone would jump ship to hop aboard Palm’s and ride the waves, Pre in hand. Following such lunacy, Palm issued a back track on McNamee’s statements and reassured us that not everyone and their mother would ditch their iPhone just for a Palm Pre come June 29 of this year.

McNamee, an investor for Elevation Partners, a huge backer of Palm and responsible for financing the development of the Pre got overly excited about the Palm Pre on live TV. Like anyone overly enthusiastic about a product, McNamee got carried away and his verbal victim, the iPhone, bore his oddly predicted doomsday scenario. His reasoning behind the massive switch of iPhone users to the Palm Pre? Well, not only is the Pre godly awesome but many first generation iPhone users’ contracts will expire that day which is justification enough to immediately dump AT&T in… more...

The EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) has proposed and exemption to the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) to allow jailbreaking of the iPhone. A move Apple opposes. The EFF is now being backed by two semi heavy hitters in the software world: Mozilla and Skype.

Mozilla and Skype obviously have reasons to want the iPhone to be open. In the case of Mozilla the company would like to see Firefox on the iPhone and Skype wouldn’t mind giving iPhone users a low cost way of making calls. That the motives aren’t purely altruistic noted bith companies have rousted the legal dogs and put together comments for the copyright office. (Mozilla’s pro jailbreak PDF, Skype’s pro jailbreak PDF)

via Macworld

If you’re an iPhone developer EFF wants your help. No they don’t need help moving a couch or anything, they’re looking for developers to back their proposal to make jailbreaking the iPhone exempt from the DCMA (Digital Copyright Millennium Act). Specifically EFF is requesting that the copyright office grant a three year exemption on bypassing the software that prevents people from installing non Apple approved programs on the iPhone.

At this point you’re thinking that it doesn’t matter wither way and people jailbreak their iPhones all the time without repercussion. That much is true but Apple could, at some point, argue that the jailbreakers are in fact lawbreakers because they bypassed software installed on the iPhone. The reasoning behind the DCMA is all about piracy prevention but the iPhone is a pretty closed system, you’re not going to be running iPhone apps on anything but your iPhone and iPod touch.

Hence, the lock on third party applications looks to many more like a cash grab and control ploy by Apple than a legitimate method of preventing piracy. If you’re a developer and you feel similarly to EFF share your thoughts… more...

It just never stops. The more popular the iPhone becomes the bigger target Apple is. Today’s lawsuit concerns the abilty of the iPhone to reformat websites according to the size of the iPhone’s screen. Or, in legalese:

“The ‘196 patent claims cover the display of Internet content reformatted from HTML to XML on mobile devices—the industry standard currently displayed by the iPhone,” EMG adviser Stanley Gibson said in a press release announcing the lawsuit.

CNet wonders why Apple is getting sued when this is standard stuff for smartphones:

It’s not clear why EMG is going after Apple, given that many companies have similar technology in the market, although EMG says the patent also covers “the technology for manipulating a region of the screen for zooming and scrolling.”

Because you sue the folks with the most money? Take the next few moments and think of any patents you have and try to imagine a manner in which the iPhone infringes upon said patents. File quick, we’ll need a new story for next Tuesday.

It’s Wednesday and I bet you’re a little bored. Not enough of the week left to start a new project and not quite enough time left to feel pressured to meet a Friday deadline. So what should you do? Suggestion: Sue Apple over the iPhone. Why not? Everyone else seems to do it.

The lawsuit of the moment? One accusing Apple of slower than advertised browsing speed and cracking cases. From the complaint:

“Although Apple was and is aware that the handsets were and are defective, and that consumers have experienced repeated instances of cracked housings, Apple has nevertheless allowed the defectively designed iPhones to be sold to the public”

Cracking cases? Just how much cracking? Research indicated that some people are reporting hairline cracks but I couldn’t find any reports of a suddenly disintegrating housing rendering the iPhone inoperable. Not to say hair line cracks aren’t annoying but functionality should trump looks. I suspect if you have an iPhone with serious cracks and take it back to the Apple store you’ll get a replacement. In fact I’ve got a single case of exactly that happening. I dropped my iPhone and it landed flush… more...

Cell phones are a confusing business in the United States. You can get something pretty cheaply if you’re willing to sign a contract but that and the fact you’re going to end paying for stuff you don’t use or don’t want are the only certain things. If you find yourself in that hazy area between the time you want a new iPhone but before your old contract is history getting an iPhone can be a b**** because AT&T might just refuse to sell you one… At any price. To the average person that seems like the brink of lunacy. You have money, you want an iPhone and AT&T says: Sorry, we’re not here to sell things for money.

Once AT&T says “no” are you hopelessly screwed? Nope, thanks to the efforts of Mike Elgan at Computerworld. It turns out AT&T will sell you an iPhone. You just have to be prepared to jump through some hoops. The chances are that your local AT&T doesn’t know the entire skinny about getting an iPhone so you may have to resort to more drastic measures. If this is you, read what Mike wen through to get an… more...