If you thought Apple would just dash off its iPhone 5 commercial at the last moment, then you don’t know Apple, my friend. Meanwhile, the Netherlands weighs in on the Apple vs. Samsung case, iTunes gains share for digital movie downloads, and Windows 8 provides more information than you require. Stay on target for the remainders for Wednesday, August 24, 2011.
Apple starts work on iPhone 5 ad spots, won’t finish till October – sources (AppleInsider)
We’ve moved on from iPhone 5 rumors to rumors of…ads for the iPhone 5. Which, when you think about it, is itself kind of like an ad for the iPhone 5. Filming for the national campaign is reportedly taking place in Los Angeles as we speak, to air concurrent with the new phone’s release. Just in case it isn’t too late, let me pitch the perfect spokesman and motto: The iPhone 5…is alive!
Netherlands judge rules that Samsung Galaxy S, S II violate Apple patents, bans sales (Engadget)
Because we know you hang on every development in the Apple legal realm, here’s the latest: A court in the Netherlands has declared that Samsung’s infringement of an Apple patent—specifically, the look of Android’s Gallery app—is grounds for banning the sale of the company’s smartphones (but not its tablet) in the country. Samsung, however, says it will replace the offending software, which may allow them to keep selling the phones. Meanwhile, an Apple patent on the iPhone’s slide-to-unlock feature has been invalidated, thanks to prior art in a little known Hans Christian Andersen fairytale Hans Brinker Returns! The Silver Slide to Unlock.
iTunes Gains Share in Online Movies in First Half of 2011 (iSuppli)
According to a report by iSuppli, the iTunes Store has posted its first gain in digital movie market share in two years. Why now? The introduction of AirPlay, it would seem. Apple’s wireless playback feature has apparently made iTunes content far more attractive to consumers, bringing Apple to 65.8 percent of the market for the first half of 2011. Also potentially helpful? The availability of better movies.
Microsoft previews smarter file copying in Windows 8 (GeekWire)
When Windows 8 arrives, the venerable OS’s user interface will see an overhaul in one key location: its move and copy dialog boxes. While multiple moves and copies will now be grouped together, the dialog boxes also have an option for more details, which reveals a graph of data throughput. Just what users have been clamoring for forever.
Product News:
Goodreads 1.4 – The latest update to the iOS client for the book-tracking online service adds a native interface for the iPad and improvements to barcode scanner performance. Free.
SousChef 2.0 – Acacia Tree Software has brought its recipe storage and sharing app to version 2.0, adding an iPhone interface and support for Dropbox, to allow users to share recipes between the iPad, iPhone, and Mac versions of the program. It also now sports a recipe search feature and the ability to create grocery lists. $5.