Editor’s Note: Related Tickers: Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY), Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK), Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB), Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)
Apple envisions ways to find and start your car with your iPhone (CNET)
Those of us who can never find our cars in a crowded parking garage may one day get a helping hand from Apple. Published Thursday by the U.S. Trade and Patent Office, an Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) patent application called”Method for locating a vehicle” describes a technology in which your mobile device can talk to your car through a Bluetooth connection to confirm that it’s parked somewhere nearby. The parking garage itself would also have its own wireless system to pinpoint the exact location of your car. A map would then display on your phone to lead you to your car, similar to the way current GPS system lead you to a specific address.
Messaging applications Skype and Whatsapp have both arrived on the Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) Q10, just days ahead of its release in the UK. Up until now Blackberry 10, in particular the Q10, has been somewhat lacking in big name applications, minus games like Angry Birds and social networking apps such as Facebook and Twitter. However, overnight, both Skype and Whatsapp have arrived on the mobile operating system. Both are available globally, and both are free to download from Blackberry World. We’ve managed to download both onto our Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) Q10 smartphone, though Skype has revealed that its BB10 app that currently is in preview form isn’t yet compatible with the Blackberry Z10.
Smartphone Wars Flare Again As Nokia, HTC Tussle (Wall Street Journal)
Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK) and HTC Corp. both spent years tied up in patent battles with Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL). The Finnish and Taiwanese smartphone firms have since settled with the iPhone maker, but they are still very much in the courtroom—with each other. On Monday, Nokia got an Amsterdam district court to issue a preliminary injunction against component maker STMicroelectronics N.V. (ADR) (NYSE:STM), effectively halting supply of microphones for HTC’s new flagship smartphone, the HTC One. The issue was not patent infringement, but an exclusivity agreement between STMicroelectronics and Nokia. HTC hit back with a win on Tuesday, announcing that a German court had dismissed Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK)’s complaint that HTC had infringed on a patent related to how its phone accesses the Internet.
Facebook: Audit finds privacy practices sufficient (Philippine Star)
Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) says that an independent audit found its privacy practices sufficient during a six-month assessment period that followed a settlement with federal regulators. Facebook Inc. said it submitted the findings to the Federal Trade Commission on Monday evening. The audit was a required part of the social networking company’s settlement with the FTC last summer. The settlement resolved charges that Facebook exposed details about its users’ lives without getting the required legal consent.
Google Agrees to Change How It Displays Search Results in Europe (TIME)
Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) has agreed to change how it displays search results in Europe – including a better labeling of its promoted content and displaying links to competitors – to appease concerns it might be abusing its dominant market position, the European Union’s antitrust body said Thursday. Google’s search engine, which is the world’s most influential gateway to online information and commerce, enjoys a near-monopoly in Europe. The EU Commission, which acts as the 27-nation bloc’s antitrust authority, has since 2010 been investigating whether the company is unfairly stifling competition. It pointed out several areas of concern that Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) is now trying to address through the proposed concessions.
Is Apple the Next Dell? (Forbes)
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s latest earnings report demonstrates a shift in its locus of innovation — from new products, to placating Wall Street. And its imminent debt offering is just a part of what makes me wonder whether Apple could become the next Dell Inc. (NASDAQ:DELL). On April 23, Apple posted results that were slightly better than expected. Its revenues were up 11% and its net income fell 18%. But the real action was…
