Apple Preemptively Sues 'Patent Troll' to Address Threats Over USB-Related Power Patents

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Apple on Tuesday filed suit against Fundamental Innovation Systems International (FISI), preemptively asking a California court to declare that Apple has not infringed upon a number of USB power patents held by FISI.


FISI, described by Apple as a patent assertion entity formed for the sole purpose of generating revenue through patent litigation, acquired a portfolio of charging-related patents from BlackBerry that it has asserted against several tech giants, including LG, Samsung, and Huawei, who are now listed as FISI licensees.

Apple believes it could be sued next and is seeking a declaration of non-infringement in advance, according to the complaint:

Defendants have claimed, through letters, claim charts, telephone calls and in-person meetings with Apple personnel in this District, that certain Apple products infringe the Patents-in-Suit and that Apple requires a license to the Patents-in-Suit. However, Apple's products do not infringe the Patents-in-Suit.

This Court should not allow the threat of a future lawsuit to harm and cause uncertainty to Apple's business.

The former BlackBerry patents generally relate to USB-based charging protocols, systems, and methods dating back to the early 2000s.

Apple believes none of its products violate the patents, including its power adapters. One of Apple's consistent defenses throughout its complaint is that its devices and power adapters rely on its proprietary Lightning connector rather than adhering to the USB 2.0 protocols described in the patents.

Apple has demanded a jury trial in the U.S. District Court of Northern California. Beyond a declaration of non-infringement, Apple is seeking legal fees and any other relief which Apple may be entitled to as deemed appropriate by the court.

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Tag: lawsuit

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Best iPhone XS and iPhone X screen protectors

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The iPhone XS display shares a 5.8-inch screen size with the iPhone X but with improved contrast and a stunning dynamic range. Keep that beautiful screen safe with multi-layered, curved edge tempered glass protection. Here are the best screen protectors for the iPhone XS, many of which are available for the iPhone X too.

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[Exclusive] Here’s the First Clear Look at the Vivo V15 Pro Showing Triple Cameras, Gradient Design

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Apple Maps Launches Revamped Data Collection Website

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As part of its efforts to rebuild Apple Maps "from the ground up," Apple has been collecting street-level data with LiDAR-equipped vehicles for over three years. Apple also deployed employees wearing LiDAR-equipped backpacks to collect pedestrian-based data starting in California late last year.


As these efforts expand around the world, Apple recently transitioned to a revamped Apple Maps image collection website with a list of locations it will be surveying both in vehicles and on foot in the upcoming months.

The page reveals a few new pieces of information, including that pedestrian-based data collection has expanded to Hawaii and Nevada through February. Vehicle-based data collection will also be expanding to the tiny European country of Andorra, landlocked between France and Spain, in April 2019.

The new page, which replaces the previous Apple Maps vehicles list, also indicates that Apple will "periodically revisit some locations to gather new data in an effort to maintain a high-quality, up-to-date map."

Apple Maps vehicles have been collecting mapping data in the United States since 2015, with over 45 states at least partially surveyed to date. The vehicles have also surveyed parts of Croatia, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, according to Apple.

Back in June 2018, Apple said the revamped mapping data would roll out section by section across the rest of the United States over the following year. The improvements first rolled out in Northern California in iOS 12 and have extended to Hawaii and Southern California over the past few months.


The overall look and feel of Apple Maps is mostly the same, but zooming and panning reveals more details like grass, trees, sports fields, and parking lots. Apple also said search results would become more relevant.

Tags: Apple Maps, Apple Maps vehicles

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Spotify Reaches 96M Paid Subscribers Compared to Apple Music's 'Over 50 Million'

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Spotify today shared its Q4 2018 earnings report, detailing a 36 percent growth in Spotify Premium subscribers from the year-ago quarter. Specifically, Spotify now has 96 million paid subscribers around the world as of the end of 2018, compared to Apple Music's over 50 million paid subscribers.


According to Spotify, there were a few factors that bumped up subscriber numbers in 2018, including a promotion where Family Plan account holders in the United States were able to claim a Google Home mini free of charge. The company also pointed towards its year-end "Spotify Wrapped" event as a major factor for its Q4 subscriber boost.

In December, we also launched our annual Wrapped Holiday brand campaign where existing users were able to explore stats about their listening habits throughout the year. The campaign saw the highest traffic ever to the Wrapped site spotifywrapped.com, with 28 million users visiting the site in just one week (up from 20 million last year total.)

The Holiday campaign became the #1 trending topic on Twitter globally and generated over 5 billion streams of the “Your Top Songs 2018” playlist, now the fastest growing personalized playlist in Spotify history.

In total, Spotify has grown to 207 million monthly active users (also counting those on its ad-supported tier), a growth of 29 percent year-over-year. Thanks to all of this, Spotify had major milestones in Q4 2018, reporting operating income, net income, and free cash flow as all positive, marking the first time that Spotify has operated at a profit in its history. The company said that operating expenses of €305 million were down by 17 percent compared to the year-ago quarter, resulting in an operating profit of €94 million.


Spotify today also announced that it has acquired two podcasting companies: Gimlet and Anchor. Spotify first announced its strong push into podcasts in July 2017, when a Bloomberg article claimed that the streaming music company was "coming after" Apple Podcasts. It has since added more and more podcasts into its catalog, and will now gain the advantages of the shows and technology offered by Gimlet and Anchor.

Gimlet is a content creation company that is the home to notable podcasts like Homecoming and Reply All (Homecoming was recently adapted into an Amazon Prime original series starring Julia Roberts). Anchor focuses more on the technical side of podcasts, offering users a place to record, host, distribute, and monetize their podcasts, with full analytics on each episode once they go live.

Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said that with the acquisitions, Spotify will focus on the curation and customization aspect of the service that it already uses for music streaming. "These acquisitions will meaningfully accelerate our path to becoming the world's leading audio platform, give users around the world access to the best podcast content, and improve the quality of our listening experience while enhancing the Spotify brand," Ek explained.

Tag: Spotify

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Apple Lists New 'Neymar Jr. Custom Edition' Beats Studio3 Wireless Headphones

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Apple has added a listing for a new custom-designed pair of Beats Studio3 Wireless headphones that celebrate the 27th birthday of Brazilian soccer star Neymar Jr.


The Neymar Jr. Custom Edition headphones feature graffiti-style decals over the outside of the ear cups and headband that hark back to the soccer player's childhood roots in the streets of São Paulo and pay homage to his famous "Shhh..." tattoo.

The headphones also feature a number 10 inside the headband, representing the Paris Saint-Germain player's shirt number and 10-year professional soccer career.

Inspired by the graffiti-writing style from the São Paulo streets where it all began, the Beats Studio3 Wireless – Neymar Jr. Custom Edition honors Neymar’s strength of character. The design is a tribute to his famous "Shhh…" tattoo, representing his ability to adapt to anything, on and off the field, staying true to himself.

Priced at $349.95, the new Beats Studio3 custom-designed headphones are listed by Apple as "coming soon," but anyone interested in picking up a pair shouldn't have to wait too long, as Neymar Jr's birthday was just yesterday.


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Samsung Galaxy S10, S10+, S10e India Launch, Pre-order & Sale Dates Leaked; Price to Start At Rs.50,000

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