A battle between corporations, a minor beta release, and a really expensive cruise are all in today’s Apple news.
- Qualcomm is seeking a ban on imports of the iPhone as a battle between it and Apple intensifies
- The fifth developer beta of tvOS 10.2.2 slipped out of Cupertino today
- Want to go on a 24-day cruise to Antarctica with Woz? You can, but you might choke at the fares…
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Text Version
This is Steve Sande for Apple World Today, and you’re listening to the AWT News Update for July 6th, 2017.
A battle between Apple and Qualcomm has just turned nasty. Qualcomm officially filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Apple seeking a ban on imports of the iPhone from China to America. Qualcomm says that Apple has infringed on six of its patents in order to improve the battery life of iPhones, with Qualcomm vice president and general counsel Don Rosenberg alleging that Apple is using Qualcomm technology without paying for it. In a statement, Rosenberg said ““Qualcomm’s inventions are at the heart of every iPhone and extend well beyond modem technologies or cellular standards. The patents we are asserting represent six important technologies, out of a portfolio of thousands, and each is vital to iPhone functions. Apple continues to use Qualcomm’s technology while refusing to pay for it. These lawsuits seek to stop Apple’s infringement of six of our patented technologies.” This started earlier this year when the US Federal Trade Commission alleged that Qualcomm was forcing Apple to use its baseband chips at a higher royalty rate than other companies. Apple looked into it, and followed up with a $1 billion lawsuit against Qualcomm. Apple then started withholding royalty payments, and Qualcomm countersued Apple before filing today’s lawsuit. This is sure to get nasty, but it shouldn’t affect the release of new iPhones later this year. Apple is reportedly looking at other cellular processor manufacturers to provide the technology in Qualcomm’s products at a much lower royalty rate.
Apple today released the fifth developer beta of tvOS 10.2.2. It’s expected that the final release of tvOS 10.2.2 will come soon, along with iOS 10.3.3, macOS 10.12.6 and watchOS 3.2.3. These are also expected to be the last bug fix and security updates prior to the release later this fall of all new operating systems.
If for some warped reason you’ve always wanted to spend 24 days with Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak, your ship has come in — literally. Wozniak will make a presentation during a 24-day cruise to Antarctica this December that starts in Valparaiso, Chile and ends in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The trip is on the Seabourn Quest, a small luxury cruise ship with a maximum capacity of 458 guests. As usual with cruises, you’ll spend a number of days at sea, with stops at various ports and scenic locations. You’ll need to spend a few bucks to get on this cruise, with Ocean View and Veranda Suites starting at $14,499 per person with double occupancy, Penthouse suites at $32,999 per person, and Owner’s suites that are priced out of the realm of reality. Each person is also charged $697 additionally for taxes, fees and port expenses. Start saving your money today.
That’s all for today ; I’ll be back tomorrow afternoon with another edition of the AWT News Update.
