Apple officially dumps Google in Siri… wants Bing and Siri to be cozy instead

by Roy Alugbue on Jun 11th 2013, 9:52am
tagged apple, Bing, Google, microsoft, Siri

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past 24 hours, you’re probably well-aware that Apple currently has its always-exciting WWDC event underway. While most folks out there walked away largely impressed (or for some of you, thankful that Apple has finally decided to catch up to the Android platform in some regards), there is something noteworthy that no doubt an eye-opener: Apple’s decision to roll with Microsoft’s Bing as the default search engine, instead of Google for the forthcoming iOS 7 update. Despite the public’s overwhelming preference for Google as a search engine (it holds a stunning 66.5% share in the U.S. according to comScore), Bing will be integrated into Siri searches instead… despite its ho-hum 17.3% share web search share. There is a minor workaround to this as Siri users also can still utilize Google for search results by asking Siri to “search Google” for a unique request. But yes friends, Apple is just about finished with Anything that can be perceived as a threat to its brand (Samsung, Apple, etc.)…

… Yet despite Bing being the default search engine when used with Siri, Apple hasn’t quite lost its senses just yet as Google will remain the default web search engine in the Safari Web browser for iOS devices. So at least all is not quite lost for the minority of Apple + Android users out there.

source: Wall Street Journal Blog

Washington Post poll results: Google favored over Apple and Facebook

by Harrison Kaminsky on Jun 6th 2013, 10:14pm
tagged Android, apple, Facebook, Google, poll

In a recent poll conducted by the Washington Post and ABC News by telephone, it was found that as a company, Google is favored by consumers over Apple and Facebook. Overall, 83% found Google favorable, while 10% found it unfavorable, and 7% had no opinion. 72% found Apple favorable, while 16% found it unfavorable, and 12% had no opinion. Surprisingly, only 60% found Facebook favorable, while 30% found it unfavorable, and 10% had no opinion.

The poll used a sample of 1,007 adults, using both conventional and cellular phones, and was conducted from May 29 to June 2, 2013.

Are any of you surprised by these results? Not surprised? Let us know what you think in the comments!

Source: Washington Post

Samsung outsells Apple for the first time since iPhone 5 launch

by Jared Peters on Jun 5th 2013, 11:25pm
tagged apple, galaxy s 4, sales, Samsung

We already knew Samsung was selling the Galaxy S 4 by the truckload, but more numbers have come in that solidify Samsung’s place in the smartphone market. According to Canaccord Genuity analyst Michael Walkley, Samsung outsold Apple in the month of May, thanks largely to the Galaxy S 4. On three of the four major carriers, (Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile) The S 4 was the top selling smartphone for the month. On AT&T, it was still outsold by the iPhone 5, but three out of four isn’t bad, right? Those numbers are also fairly impressive because Verizon didn’t even offer the S 4 until late May.

According to Walkley, strong marketing, as well as support from the SIII and Note II, helped bump Samsung up to the number one spot. This marks the first time Samsung has taken that spot since Apple debuted their iPhone 5 at the end of last year.

source: Business Insider

The latest comScore results are in folks, Android platform still reigns supreme, but Apple continues it’s quiet upward trend

by Roy Alugbue on Jun 5th 2013, 10:56am
tagged apple, blackberry, comscore, data, HTC, Samsung

It’s the first week of June gang— so it’s time for us to go through the latest comScore report with you all. Based off the the latest data, Apple continues to hold steady as the world’s largest smartphone manufacturer with a 39% market share (a minor increase from the previous month-end period), followed by Samsung at 22% and HTC at 8.9% (a 0.8% decline from the previous period). Despite Apple’s cemented status as the top dog in smartphone manufacturing king, it’s the Android platform that is still the overwhelming leader in the mobile world. Google’s popular platform currently holds over half of the overall smartphone market with a comfortable 52% share, followed by Apple (with a 1.4% increase in the market) at a 39.2% share and Blackberry at 5.1%.

» Read the rest

Samsung wins U.S. sales ban of several older Apple devices

by Jeff Causey on Jun 4th 2013, 10:55pm
tagged apple, lawsuits, litigation, patents, Samsung

Samsung scored a point today in their ongoing legal volleys with Apple as the U.S. International Trade Commission ruled Apple violated a Samsung patent. In prevailing, the ITC awarded Samsung an import and sales ban on AT&T models of the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad 3G and iPad 2 3G. You may recall a while back when ads were running showing Apple device owners using their iOS powered devices performing several functions at one time, like talking on the phone will placing an online order via the web browser. It was this ability to stream multiple data streams that triggered Samsung’s action. » Read the rest

Dutch Supreme Court rules that Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 design doesn’t infringe upon iPad

by Aditya Thawardas on May 31st 2013, 8:07pm
tagged apple, galaxy tab, ipad, Samsung

The Supreme Court of the Netherlands ruled this week that the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1′s design doesn’t infringe on design elements of the Apple iPad. This stalls Apple’s plans of trying to get the Galaxy Tab 10.1′s off the shelves in the Netherlands. Apple says that Samsung infringed on the registration of a 2004 “community design” of the iPad. A “community design” in the European Union is a form of intellectual property right that prevents businesses from copying the aesthetics of products.

The court dismissed the case, explaining that while Apple’s design patents were valid, there isn’t much of a case to be made against the Galaxy Tab since numerous other products have also implemented similar designs. The court also noted that the Galaxy Tab is different enough from the iPad to be unique in the eyes of an informed consumer. Samsung responded to the ruling with a zinger, stating “Apple was not the first to design a tablet with a rectangular shape and rounded corners.”

Source: PC World

Google passes IBM to become second most valuable brand, still behind Apple

by Harrison Kaminsky on May 22nd 2013, 11:52am
tagged apple, Brands, BrandZ, Google, ibm

According to the 2013 BrandZ list of top global brands, Google ranks second, valued at $113.669 billion. Although the company is still short of Apple’s value of $185.536 billion, they still passed by IBM, who currently rank third at $112.536 billion.

One notable name is Samsung, which is currently ranked at number 30, having jumped up a whole 25 places. This can clearly be pointed to their increased advertising on their Galaxy line and exploding sales figures.

Google’s second-place ranking shows steady growth for the company, but their spot behind Apple says that they’re still the company to beat. Google looks to continue closing in on Apple in the current year.

Source: Marketing Week

Apple preparing to wage war once again with Samsung, adds Samsung Galaxy S 4 to list of patent infringements

by Harrison Kaminsky on May 14th 2013, 2:14pm
tagged Android, apple, galaxy s 4, iphone, lawsuit, Samsung

Apple is currently preparing for its second patent infringement trial against Samsung scheduled for spring 2014, and plans to present 22 products that it believes infringe iOS user interface patents. Unsurprisingly, yesterday Apple announced that it has analyzed the Samsung Galaxy S 4 after its release and has since “concluded that it is an infringing device and accordingly intends to move for leave to add the Galaxy S 4 as an infringing product.”

In order to add the Galaxy S 4 to this list, Apple will be forced to eliminate another Samsung product from the list, as Judge Lucy Koh has ordered the company to limit the number of patent claims and infringing devices ahead of the trial.

There really isn’t any specific information pertaining to why exactly Apple believes the Galaxy S 4 infringes upon their own UI patents, but we’re sure some more information will be released as we come closer to the beginning of the trial.

Source: SB Nation

Apple wants source code records in Samsung trial and looks in Google’s direction in the process

by Spencer McClendon on May 8th 2013, 4:25pm
tagged apple, Lawsuite, Samsung, trial

Apple is trying to bring Google into their lawsuit with Samsung in a roundabout way. Apple wants a judge to ask Google to turn over documents related to the Android OS. Apple argues that by having a judge force Google to turn over the documents, it will help prove their case of Samsung’s alleged infringement. Android runs in all of Samsung’s devices that Apple has a problem with and Apple argues that Android “provides much of the accused functionality“.

A lawyer for Apple claims that Google is not doing a full search for said documents, but the lawyer representing Samsung in this case and who also represents Google as well, said that this was part of Apple’s “strategic decision… to keep Google off the complaint” in this case. By not listing Google as part of the complaint, Google is not entitled to the same reciprocal discovery process as Apple and Samsung. If a judge orders this evidence to be turned over Apple, they could possibly be handed something they could use to try and come after Google, that they would not have got without a judges order.

This is the second trial for Samsung and Apple. The first one didn’t go as well as Samsung had hopped, having received a judgment of $1.05 billion which was later reduced to $639.4 million by the same judge, who also order a new trial. As always we will keep an eye on any developments in this case and bring them to you as soon as we hear them.

Source: Bloomberg

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