Every week, makes news with technology developments, business deals and, more often than not, controversies.
That’s where our weekly "Core Bytes" column on Apple comes in. We’ll relay the past week’s news highlights from our favorite backyard tech giant.
Controversies
‘Quit bickering’ was the gist of a Chinese court's message trying to get Apple and Proview Technology (Shenzhen) to settle a dispute over an Apple trademark in the country. Proview, a now defunct maker of computer displays, claims that they own the iPad tablet trademark in the mainland. They have filed separate complaints stating that Apple’s sale of iPad tablets in China infringes intellectual property laws.
The trademark wars continue for Apple in Germany, where it’s pursuing a ban on Samsung’s Galaxy Tablet. A regional court already put a halt to the device in question last year, and Samsung altered the device’s design to circumvent the injunction. Yet Apple says the move wasn’t good enough, and will protest in court on June 5.
New Products
Silicon Valley techies, listen up: Apple launched an ‘iPhone in Business’ website for enterprise users. It provides an in-depth look at how the phone can aid a company in streamlining its operations. The site is broken up into five sub-sections: iPhone at Work, Integration, Apps for Business, Profiles and Resources.
Greenpeace claims Apple is not so environmentally friendly, stating it generates most of its energy from coal. Yet the company says otherwise, vowing to build a “100% renewable energy” data center. It’s already broken ground on the center in Prineville, Oregon, which will boast a biogas fuel-cell plant when complete as well as a solar array that will generate 12 megawatts of energy.
Business Deals and Developments
The Mac may no longer live up to its invincible reputation. Apple had a higher number of software vulnerabilities during the first three months of 2012, a whopping 91 vulnerabilities ahead of all other OS and software vendors. Apple additionally had a record-number of patches to its Safari 5 web browser in March.
Apple is expanding its operations in Cork, Ireland, and creating upwards of 500 new jobs in the process. Over the next 18 months, Apple will be building a new office block to make way for the new hires. Cork, the European headquarters of Apple for almost 30 years, already employees 2,800 people.
