Apple clarifies “4G” iPad marketing in Australia, warranty coverage options in the EU

Apple’s doing lots of clarifying lately, that much is clear. Just this day, the company finally tweaked the problematic “4G” wording for the new iPad in Australia and clarified warranty coverage options in the European Union.

In both these instances, Apple moved only following regulatory pressure or when threatened with class-action lawsuits.

So, if you live in Australia and felt misled with Apple’s “4G” iPad marketing in the country, you’re in for a treat. Hop over to the iPad specs page on the Australia online Apple store and see an added line stating the device “is not compatible with current Australian 4G LTE networks and WiMAX networks”.
And in the European Union, Apple now provides a new page on its website that seeks to educate customers on the differences between the AppleCare coverage and statutory warranty requirements imposed by the European Union.

These include a one-year standard AppleCare warranty coverage versus a two-year requirement in the EU and the fact that Apple’s warranty covers only their own products, while EU consumer protection laws require sellers to provide coverage for both first- and third-party products.

FireCore releases iOS 5.1 jailbreak for Apple TV 2

Well that was fast. Not even 10 minutes after we published our post on the state of the iOS 5.1 Apple TV jailbreak, FireCore released a new version of its Seas0nPass utility that is compatible with the new software.

This means that folks with an Apple TV 2 can upgrade (if you haven’t already) to the latest ATV firmware, which features the new user interface, and still keep their ability to jailbreak…
Now at the moment, it’s only a tethered jailbreak — meaning that you’ll need to connect the ATV to a Mac or PC anytime you want to restart it. But given the fact that the Apple TV is rarely powered off, this shouldn’t be too big of a deal.

Unlike iOS 5.1 for other devices, the software update actually includes a host of new features for the ATV such as the new icon-based user interface, support for iCloud movie playback, and new screensaver photos.

No, the new version of Seas0nPass isn’t compatible with the third-gen Apple TV. But those with an ATV 2 can head on over to our Downloads page and grab the app. If you need help, stay tuned to iDB for our full step-by-step tutorial.

P.S. It’s worth noting that not all jailbreak apps are compatible with the new software yet. Overflow, Plex, Remote HD, Rowmote, and XBMC are currently listed as not working. We’ll let you know when these are updated.

RIM accuses Apple of dirty tricks as ETSI postpones vote on Nano SIM

Apple’s push for a new SIM card standard dubbed Nano SIM is in troubled waters as BlackBerry maker Research in Motion has sent a letter out suggesting that foul play may be afoot. Meanwhile, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) has postponed vote on Nano SIM due to a dispute between Apple and Nokia over Nano SIM patents.

RIM’s letter claims Apple’s own personnel register themselves as working for the competition in order to try and rig a vote that will decide the outcome of a bid to make the Nano SIM a new standard.

The Canadian firm believes that members of Apple’s team have registered to vote claiming to work for Bell Mobility, SK Telekom and KT Corp. If true, Apple may have some answering to do…
RIM, itself on a death spiral these days, is now asking ETSI to ensure that proxy voting is not allowed when the vote takes place in around 30-days, with an aim to ensuring that Apple cannot rig the outcome.

RIM’s letter is available over at CNET and it even goes so far as to name the people involved. Three appear to work for Apple (UK), whilst one is listed as having worked for Vodafone before switching to Telekom Austria.

If Apple is indeed trying to rig proceedings and has thus been found out by RIM, this would be an interesting development in a quest for Nano SIMs.

Apple is pushing its Nano SIM variant that is a third smaller than the Micro SIM and requires a tray. It should help make future iPhones smaller and lighter as even the already miniature Micro SIM is too bloated by Apple’s standards.

No matter how much they want it, though, fixing votes (if true) just ain’t cool, man.

iTunes is the target of a new lawsuit

Apple is today finding itself on the wrong end of another lawsuit, with iTunes this time feeling the full force of America’s somewhat broken patent system. As is the done thing these days, someone claiming to own a patent that may be infringed upon by a large company is seeking damages for said infringement.

According to a report in Computer World, a man named Benjamin Grobler believes that iTunes, along with Sony’s PlayStation Network, infringes upon a patent he owns which covers a “data vending system.”

This system allows the central hosting of apps, movies or music, with information on what a customer has already purchased already also being part of the system. Sound familiar? Yup, that’s iTunes in the Cloud, then…
The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, asks for a ruling that Apple infringed upon, and continues to infringe upon Grobler’s patent. Unsurprisingly, the patent owner is also asking for damages. Shocker.

The patent in question is No. 6,799,084, for those still playing along with “patent bingo.”

While the patent does appear to describe the kinds of features we have become accustomed to in both iTunes and the PlayStation Network, things are never quite as simple as that where a patent lawsuit is concerned. We’ll just have to wait and see where this one goes, but would you want to go up against both Apple and Sony at once?

We know we wouldn’t.