Apple and Samsung Suits and Countersuits, Apple's Low Environmental Ranking and a New Patch App

Every week, Apple makes news with technology developments, business deals and sometimes controversies.

Today, Cupertino Patch kicks off the first of a weekly "Core Bytes" column on Apple. We’ll relay the past week’s news highlights from our favorite backyard tech giant.

Controversies

• Apple sued Samsung, and Samsung retaliated. Apple sued the fellow tech company a week ago over the “look and feel” of the Galaxy phone and tablet series. “Samsung chose to copy Apple's technology, user interface and innovative style in these infringing products,” the company stated in a 38-page suit, filed April 15 in the District Court of Northern California. Samsung then counter-sued the company, stating that its iPod and iPad infringe Samsung’s 10 mobile technology patents.

• Apple consistently prides itself on being environmentally conscious, even hosting an environmental awareness campaign for its products. Yet Greenpeace’s “How Dirty is Your Data?” report, released for Earth Day, put Apple at the bottom of its Clean Energy Index. Yahoo! scored the highest (55.9 percent) in the ranking that compared companies such as Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Twitter. Apple was also the worst offender for “coal intensity,” scoring 54.5 percent.

New Apps and Product Launches

• Patch last Friday on Apple’s iPhone, and featured our very own Cupertino Patch in its ad. Now you can stay up to date on the latest local news, events and editor tweets. The application highlights details from restaurant reviews to whether you can expect to receive some sun on your hike this weekend.

• In slightly over 140 characters: The Iconfactory launched version 4.1 of its Twitterriffic client. The app, available for download on iTunes, allows users to manage several Twitter accounts at once.

• Apple will begin producing an updated “Thunderbolt MacBook Air” next month, hoping to keep riding on the popularity of the Airs released last October. Apple manufactured 1 million of the 11.6- and 13.6-inch computers in only the first quarter, which have all the same functions as a normal MacBook but weigh half as much.

Business Deals

• Apple has finalized work on a cloud-based computing service, which would allow users to access their entire iTunes collection anywhere. The company signed a deal today with Warner Music Group, the third largest of four major labels. Quoting anonymous sources, a Reuters report said the company is a step ahead of Google in its plans to launch the new digital media platform, which some are referring to as a music locker.