#Apple snags MagSafe #patent for #iOS devices -- Engadget

Cupertino was awarded a patent yesterday to integrate the magnetic (trip-safe) cord into future iOS devices like the iPad, potentially solving the dilemma for good. The Haus of Jobs also snagged patents for magnetic assembly and a 'securing system,' whatever that means.

iOS devs pay $50,000 for collecting children's info in apps

The parent company of Broken Thumbs Apps—a prominent iOS app maker responsible for games like Zombie Duck Hunt, Truth or Dare, and Emily's Dress Up—has today settled with the Federal Trade Commission over its apparent collection of children's personal data in its iPhone and iPod touch apps. Though the FTC has gone after other companies for similar violations, this case is the first focused on mobile apps.

Updated #Apple 's #iOS device and OS version stats

The biggest differences from five months ago:

• The #iPad 2 has sold incredibly well, with its numbers now almost identical to the iPad 1’s among my customers. It wouldn’t surprise me if 40 million iPads have sold already.
• iPad usage has grown from 47% to 56% of my customers.
• Adoption of iOS 4.3 has jumped from 65% to 82%.
• Adoption of iOS 4.0 has risen from 98.1% to 98.4%. I expect this to increase significantly in the next few months as a lot of iPhone 3G owners upgrade to the next iPhone.

#Android trounces #Symbian, #iOS in Q2, study finds | The Digital Home - CNET News

According to the research firm, 46.8 million Android #smartphones were sold to end users worldwide in the second quarter, helping the platform secure 43.4 percent of the market. Last year, Android sales hit 10.7 million, giving the platform 17.2 percent ownership of the market.

Last year, it was Symbian that dominated the smartphone space with 25.4 million unit sales and 40.9 percent share. But in just 12 months, that platform's market share has dropped to 22.1 percent on 23.9 million unit sales during the last quarter, Gartner found. Apple's iOS platform came in third with 18.2 percent market share on 19.6 million units sold.

Gartner: #Smartphones boom, overall #mobile sales drop - Computerworld

Mobile phone sales floundered during the second quarter in the wake of the earthquake in #Japan. But smartphone sales continued to grow, as #Android extended its lead in the operating system race, according to market research company Gartner.

Overall sales of mobile devices to end users totaled 428.7 million units in the second quarter of 2011, a 16.5% increase compared to the same period in 2010, but a 4.4% decrease from the previous quarter, as the availability of components was affected by the earthquake in Japan.

#Nokia Still Top #Smartphone Maker - #Apple, #Android

Gartner, which counts sales of mobile handsets to end users rather than units shipped by individual handset makers, said Nokia sold a total of 97.87 million smartphones in the second quarter compared with 111.47 million units a year earlier, and had a total market share of 22.8%, down from 30.3%. 

Apple Inc. was the world's fourth largest handset vendor and third largest smartphone vendor, with a 18.2% smartphone market share for its iOS operating system, up from 14.1% a year earlier. Smartphones running Google Inc.'s Android operating system more than doubled their market share to 43.4% from 17.2% last year. 

#Microsoft ’s biggest #mobile failure and success: #Android

Back in 2007, when #Apple released the first #iPhone, anyone could have told you it had the potential change the mobile business as we knew it. The intuitive, visual and app-centric platform was in stark contrast to the text-based, bland and bulky smart-phone systems from Nokia and Microsoft.

But Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, in an interview with CNBC (embedded below), laughed at the iPhone, balking at its $500 price tag and writing it off as a business option because it didn’t have a keyboard.

“Right now we’re selling millions and millions and millions of phones a year; right now, Apple’s selling zero phones a year. In six month’s they’ll have the most expensive phone by far ever in the marketplace. And, we’ll see,” Ballmer said with an amused grin. “Let’s see how the competition goes.”

http://blog.seattlepi.com/microsoft/2011/08/10/microsofts-biggest-mobile-failure-and-success-android/

The fate of #mobile phone brands

The violence with which new platforms have displaced incumbent mobile vendor fortunes continues to surprise.

• Nokia’s Symbian platform has gone from 47% share to 16% in three years 

• Microsoft’s phone platforms have gone from 12% to 1% 

• Other platforms have gone from 21% to zero 

• Although far less dramatic, RIM’s decline from 17% to 12% is causing acute pain and anxiety 

This while entrants have grown share in spectacular fashion:

• Android from zero to 48% (A two year period) 

• iOS from 2% to 19% 

• Bada from zero to 4% (two quarters only)

http://www.asymco.com/2011/08/08/the-fate-of-mobile-phone-brands/ 

iOS devs put out a call to unite against Lodsys, other patent trolls

iOS devs put out a call to unite against Lodsys, other patent trolls:

Move over Apple: some independent app developers plan to begin banding together to fight off lawsuits brought by Lodsys and its ilk on their own. On Monday, renowned iOS developer Mike Lee announced the Appsterdam Legal Defense Team, which will be made up of indie developers fighting patent trolls as a single unit and funded by contributions from participating companies. The goal, aside from the obvious one of being free from frivolous patent lawsuits, is to become 'the ants of East Texas, minding their business until someone invades their anthill.'

Android Leaves Apple iOS In The Dust

Android Leaves Apple iOS In The Dust:

Google Android is now well ahead of Apple's iOS for iPhone in the race for market share in mobile operating systems, new data released Thursday showed.

Android's total U.S. share for June came in at 39%, compared to 28% for Apple, according to data compiled by market watcher Nielsen. RIM's BlackBerry OS was in third place with 20% of the market. Meanwhile, Microsoft's fledgling Windows Phone 7 operating system, along with the remnants of the Windows Mobile OS, picked up 9% of the total market.

Android's gains appeared mostly to come at the expense of RIM. Android's share was up 8.3%, compared to April, while RIM's share fell 13%. iOS's share was up 7.6% over the same period.