The Saga Continues: Apple Looking to Expand U.S. Sales Ban on Samsung Products, Seeking $707 Million in Damages

In a court motion filed late Friday, Apple requested a permanent sales ban on any Samsung products that are similar to the devices already found to be infringing upon its patents. Apple is also seeking damages that total $707 million from Samsung, on top of the over $1 billion settlement that the South Korean company was ordered to pay Apple based on the jury verdict in last month’s landmark trial between the two smartphone makers.

Apple sought a further $400 million damage award for design infringement by Samsung; $135 million for willful infringement of its utility patents; $121 million in supplemental damages based on Samsung’s product sales not covered in the jury’s deliberation; and $50 million of prejudgment interest on damages through December 31.

Apple and Samsung have been engaged in a head-to-head battle over smartphone supremacy, with each company promoting its iPhone and Galaxy S III devices respectively ahead of the holiday shopping season.

Samsung in particular has taken an aggressive approach to its Galaxy S III marketing campaign, with slogans such as “it doesn’t take a genius” and “the next big thing is already here” that are intended to trivialize the iPhone.

Samsung has filed with the U.S. court asking for a new trial to be held, noting that time constraints in the previous jury trial were unfair and did not allow for Samsung to adequately present its case in response to Apple’s claims. The South Korean handset maker added that it’s unfair that one company can be given a monopoly over rectangular devices with round corners.

Christina Aguilera Says She’s Gonna Miss Adam Levine When She Leaves The Voice!

Even though Christina Aguilera had her fair share of feuds with Adam Levine over her tenure at The Voice, she says she’s actually gonna miss the man.
She reveals their secret fun times and says:
“When me and Adam are on breaks backstage, you know, we’re writing profanity with my red lipstick all over Blake’s trailer while he’s napping inside. It’s like we have definitely become like brother and sister. We goof around and play around. I’m going to miss it.”
Welp! There’s always Twitter!
And besides, Xtina’s already hinted she could be back. Soo…

5 Tricks To Make Your Blog Popular In 2012

Every blogger wants to have the most popular blog but it doesn’t always happen for them. This year needs to be different, you need to do all you can to make your blog more popular now than ever before.
So, how do you make your blog popular.
There are several things that you can do to make your blog popular but one thing is to just keep blogging. A lot of people fail because they don’t see traffic coming to their blog as fast as they would like and therefore they just stop writing. Do yourself a huge favor and make sure you set a blogging schedule for yourself and stick to it. Trust me, a blogging schedule will work better than you think.
Ok, lets get right to it.
5 Tricks To Make Your Blog Popular.

Weekend Blogging

Something that I am currently contemplating is doing a little weekend blogging. Whether this would mean publishing posts on this blog or on other blogs for guest posts doesn’t matter, all that matters is that I am doing something to help build my community. I love publishing posts here but the fact of the matter is that doing a guest post will bring in more traffic. If getting your blog the popularity that it deserves is something that you really want to do, then guest posting is what you should be doing. Just know that with guest posts there really isn’t a way get penalized because Google loves to see authoritative links back to your blog.
Email Other Bloggers

Have you ever email another blogger to let them know about your blog? If you have never done this, then it is about time. The entire point of doing this is to get the gurus and other big name bloggers to come and check out your site so that they mention it in a post of their own. Where the bigger bloggers benefit the most is from people reading a post they just wrote and then mentioning it on their blog. Think about it, how easy is this if all you have to do is write a post and the other bloggers do everything for you? My advice is not to just spam the bloggers though, you should read their latest blog post and then comment on it before you send them an email. I know it might seem like a little more work but the bigger bloggers will like this much better.
Increase Your Social Media Following

How many fans and followers do you have on Facebook and Twitter? Are you starting to grow your circle on Google+? I ask this because in order to become more popular you will need the help of other people. One of the best ways to make your blog popular in 2012 is going to be with social media. With Facebook and Google+ on the rise there is no reason as to why you should not be using them to get more traffic and spread the word about your blog posts.
Tip: I would highly recommend setting a goal for yourself as to how many more followers you would like to get each month. I did this last year and the results really paid off. The trick is to do everything you can to ensure that your following keeps growing no matter if you get 50 new followers or 500 each month.
Information Is The Key

Are you creating epic blog posts? Do you write posts that people have to come back and read more later because there is just so much information? In order to make your blog popular in 2012 you will need to spend a lot more time working on your content. I am not saying that you need to spend a week writing one blog post but it should take you longer than 20 minutes. Where a lot of bloggers make the mistake is they just try to get the most information on their blog as opposed to the best information. Check out Problogger.net and see how Darren write his posts, some of them are short and some are a little longer. He does this because it doesn’t always require 2,000 words to get his point across.
Tip: In my experience a good post length is between 800-1500 words. If you are trying to do more of a pillar style post, then I would recommend writing one that is at least 1,500.
Establish Yourself

When I say establish yourself, I mean you need to establish yourself as an expert in your field. The reason I highly recommend doing this is because once you become an expert in your field then people will start to notice you even more. Not only that but you could make the pages of local newspapers, national magazines and possibly be seen on T.V. There are a lot of bloggers out there that have been on T.V. talking about what they do and why they do it. Just think, this could be you at some point.
Do you see how these 5 tricks can help you make your blog popular in 2012? There are a lot of things that you can do to make your blog popular but I would start right here with these. The last thing I want you to know is that the best thing you can do is guest posting and if you can fill up your weekends with these, then you will see a huge jump in this years popularity.

iPhone 5 Already Jailbroken in Less Than 24 Hours

iOS hacker Grant Paul (@chpwn) has tweeted a screenshot of his new iPhone 5 with a Cydia icon on the home screen. Yes, this means there is already a jailbreak for the iPhone 5 just hours after it launched. A public release is not yet available — nor is it guaranteed to ever be  — but we’ll update this post as we learn more details.

Do You Find Your iPhone 5 is Prone to Scratches?

While response to the iPhone 5 has been overwhelmingly positive, a number of early adopters  have discovered that the aluminum unibody design on the back of the handset is more susceptible to scratches and scuffs over previous iPhone models. I have yet to encounter any scratches on my new iPhone 5, but do you find that your handset is or could be vulnerable to scratches as a result of daily use? Will you be purchasing a case or sleeve for your iPhone 5 to combat those blemishes from occurring?

ROLAND MOURET IS LAUNCHING HIS FIRST BEAUTY PRODUCT

If you love fashion and good, quality beauty products, you will be happy to find out that the designer Roland Mouret is launching his first beauty product. It is a body serum that he has developed in collaboration with Aromatheray Associates, which “brings a velvet touch on the skin of a woman”, as Mouret said.

The Final Finish Body Serum is meant smooth your arms, legs and décolletage, and to give you a very soft, glowing finish, after you put on a dress. The new product combines essential oils and natural ingredients such as evening primrose, jojoba, rose and vanilla.

Mouret said that he truly loves women, and this is why he thought about creating a product to enhance their skin beauty:
 “I truly love women, all women. By the time a woman puts on one of my dresses we’re already into the second part of our relationship. Final Finish is yet another touch on the skin of a woman.”

The serum will be launched on September 24 and will be priced at 52,26 €. You will be able to find it on aromatherapyassociates.com.

 

New TV Ads For iPhone 5

Apple has added a series of three new TV ads for the iPhone 5 to its official YouTube channel as launch day for the device comes to a close. There has been overwhelming demand for the iPhone 5 since its debut, with Apple receiving two million pre-orders for the device in the first 24 hours alone. With an effective marketing campaign, Apple should be able to carry that sales momentum through the holiday shopping season. The ads can be found just ahead.

Opinion: The Importance of Maps

Apple’s had a fantastic week, launching two major new products and having both roll out smoothly and met with phenomenal success. There is a detractor, though – a stain on the blanket of Apple’s success. That stain has been well publicized (to the point that Samsung is already making and sending ads about it). This is, of course, Apple Maps.

Right now, they are a disappointment. But, if Apple is able to craft them in to something that is competitive with Google’s offerings, it could signify a great deal about everything from Apple’s ability to deploy online services, and even Apple’s ability to move in to a completely new market post-Jobs.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way: The maps will improve. Maps can only get so much better in captivity: for various features to be added, and even the overall accuracy of the maps to improve, users have to use them. Apple Maps will improve, just as Google Maps continuously do (there’s a reason why Google’s offering is still in beta, even after literally  half a decade of being available to the public). Secondly, Apple Maps aren’t “useless” – in many cases, they’re pretty great. Are they as great as Google Maps? Well, maybe, though the times that they are seem to be few and far between. One thing is for certain, though: on iOS, Apple Maps is far more extensible than the old Maps app would have ever been as long as Google held the reins.

But, as mentioned earlier, they are disappointing. The directions are generally accurate, though I have heard and seem some instances that argue the contrary, and the maps are definitely more visually appealing – that’s a typical Apple move, but it’s a legitimate point against Google. However, the product feels incomplete, with various features missing, and even certain areas not being fully mapped-out, or having slightly inaccurate directions.

 

That has to be fixed – and soon. In my mind, if Apple is able to fix these high-profile issues, and build Apple Maps in to a true competitor against Google, Nokia, and Microsoft’s offerings, then Apple will have finally reached the class of a company that can build off the internet. Apple has iCloud (and before that the disaster known as MobileMe, which replaced .Mac). However, this service has had internal issues: Maps can’t have these issues. Apple Maps is something that can’t go down. Not only can’t it go down, it has to continuously get better. It has to be updated, maintained, improved – all independent of iOS’ updating cycle. Everything has to be done on the back end, and there is very little room for error: having half a billion devices without a mapping application, even if it’s just for an hour, would be a huge stain on Apple’s badge of quality. If it goes down, it’s all on Apple – it will take a company that is able to go toe-to-toe with Google, the internet juggernaut, to keep this service reliable, and to reliably improve it.

Apple has never done Maps. Online mapping services are difficult: there’s a reason why startups aren’t clambering over each other to provide the new “hipster” maps that only highlight great coffee places and record shops. They require massive monetary investments, they require time to develop the back end, and (most importantly) they require the patience and perseverance to keep working, to keep molding the product in to the best that it can be. Apple has never done Maps – this is a whole new field of competition for them, and (for the first time since the iPhone), they aren’t the one inventing the product. The product, online maps, has existed for years and years, and the dominant power – Google – is doing very well. As Dan Frommer of SplatF wrote, Apple maps is now Apple’s most exciting product. This is a Jobsian transition, one that could highlight the errors in management and corporate structure of Apple as a whole, or one that could be Tim Cook’s highest honor: if he can facilitate the creation of an online service that is used by millions of people every second without ever going down, all the while making it better and better every day, he will have done what Jobs couldn’t.

BEST OF MILAN FASHION WEEK S/S 2013 (I)

Gucci

“I love to play with colours for spring”, Frida Giannini stated backstage, before the start of the Gucci Spring/Summer 2013 show.

Thus, colours exploded all over the runway, in the form of tunics over straight-cut trousers, daytime dresses with ruffles at the shoulders and cuffs, elegant nighttime looks with sensual silhouettes, cocktail dresses with a myriad oversize ruffles and long jackets, perfect for a spring day out on the town. And if within the first part of the show, the entire colour spectrum of the rainbow took over the runway, from coral red, to cobalt blue, citrus yellow, turquoise and vibrant green, the last part of the presentation was reserved for the black and white looks, for a dramatic finale.

Emporio Armani

Named simply “Neat”, Giorgio Armani’s collection for Emporio Armani Spring/Summer 2013 honoured its name, thanks to its fresh, youthful vibe.

The short trousers paired with sharp jackets and blazers, the mini skirts in fine silk, the short dresses with asymmetric hems and the ones with deep V-necks perfectly encapsulated the air of the entire collection, aimed towards a younger audience than the designer’s usual public.

Prada

Just like each season, Miuccia Prada is the one to dictate trends, and for this spring, she has decided that nostalgia is back in fashion.

Miuccia’s melancholy isn’t however at all gloomy and sombre, heavily leaning instead towards romanticism: nearly every look was punctuated by floral accents, be it in the form of printed flowers on tops, dresses and coats, an explosion of painted flowers on fur coats or in the form of floral appliqués on the origami-like pleats of Japanese-inspired satin pieces.

Accessories played an important role in the collection as well. Bags and wide-rimmed sunglasses with floral appliqués and sky-high platform sandals inspired by traditional Japanese footwear brought a dose of freshness and a playful tone to the collection.

Blumarine

“An ode to a never-forgotten elegance” – this is how Anna Molinari imagined the Blumarine Spring/Summer 2013 collection.

Fluid silhouettes with bare shoulders and breezy, seemingly weightless skirts, pastel colours, degradées, Art Deco embroidery with stones, crystals and shimmering paillettes, tulle and lace dresses embellished with fine metallic chains, iridescent colours, floral prints on chiffon and silk – all came together to create a collection abounding with femininity and romanticism, fit for the ethereal wardrobe of a fairy.

 

New to iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad? Here are the Basics !!!

Just unwrap a new iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad? Of course you’ve heard of the products, but now that you have a real, physical unit in your hands, what’s next? Here, we cover nearly every single aspect of iOS and the iDevice world to get you up and running, and include some useful tips as well!

Starting with iOS 5 your device is now PC free which includes an on-device setup process. When you power on your new device, you’ll now be presented with a screen that says either iPhone, iPad touch, or iPad depending on your device. Just swipe to set up and you’ll be greeted in many different languages. Select your language or tap the arrow to see other languages. You then need to do the same when choosing the region. Hit the blue ‘Next’ button to move forward.

Once you chosen your language and region you’ll be asked if you wish to enable Location Services which use helps determine the location of your device. Hit the blue ‘Next’ button to move forward. You will now need to connect to a wireless network in order to activate your device. Select your network and enter in the password (if you have one, which you should). If you do not have a Wi-Fi network, connect your device to iTunes to continue. Hit the blue ‘Next’ button to move forward if you have a Wi-Fi network. The device will now activate through Apple which could take up to three minutes.

Once the device is activated you will have the option to:
Set up as a new device – Self explanatory, but we’ll help you get started!
When you select to set up as a new device will you need to configure your Apple ID. You can create a free Apple ID when you’ve selected this option or you can sign into an existing Apple ID account that was previously created. You can skip this step.
Restore from iCloud – Restore to a backup that you made previously on another iOS device via iCloud.
The option will restore your brand new iOS device to a previous backup. Be patient as this can take a while. You will need to sign with your Apple ID which houses the backup.
Restore from iTunes – Restore to a backup that you made previously on another iOS device via iTunes.
If you didn’t backup with iCloud on your previous device you can plug your device into iTunes and restore from a backup.
Once you’ve configured your device either restoring from a backup or signing in with a newly created Apple ID you’ll be asked to use iCloud and then from there your location for a backup (iCloud or your computer). You can then enable Find My iPhone which is used to locate your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch if lost or stolen. Moving forward you can disallow iOS from sending diagnostic & usage reports back to Apple from here or you can go to disable go to Settings > General > About > Diagnostic & Usage > and set it to ‘Don’t Send’ if you wish to adjust this later. You’re done here.

iTunes

Regardless of if you want it, you’ve gotta have it; literally, you will be lost without a PC or Mac to sync your iDevice to. iTunes is, luckily, very easy to use, and for the most part, requires little effort on your part. Here’s what you have to do:
Download/ update iTunes: If you are on Windows, go here and simply download iTunes by selecting your operating system, and clicking ‘Download.’ If you already have iTunes on a Mac or PC, simply find the Apple Software Update utility, and check for updates. Download the new version (if available), agree to any licenses that may pop up, and let it install.
Connect your device: In that box that your shiny new iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad came in, there should be a cable with a USB connector on one end. The other should have a thinner, elongated side that connects to the iPod, iPad, or iPhone (note: this is what we call a ’30-pin dock connector’). Simply connect the USB side to a port on your computer, and the other side to the bottom of your iDevice.
Create an iTunes account: You now have an Apple product, and you will need an iTunes account to access the universe of apps, music, and videos awaiting you. A credit card or iTunes gift card (redeemable in the iTunes). is required to be able to buy free apps and other media until you have purchased an iTunes gift card. Alternatively if you do not have a credit card or iTunes gift card there are instructions on the bottom of this post.
Let iTunes do its thing: This is where your new iPod, iPad, or iPhone will be set up so that you can use it for daily use. When you connected your device, iTunes should have automatically recognized it and brought up a screen saying that you need to set it up. For different devices, this process will be different. Basically, read through what iTunes is asking you, and don’t sweat it… Apple didn’t get their ‘easy to use’ reputation for nothing!
The initial sync will range from 1 minute to 1 hour, as it is completely dependent on how much media and apps you have in your library. After it is over, you should be all set up and able to download new apps, music, play games, browse the web, and enjoy all the new features of your new iDevice.
If you have any media on your computer from ripped CDs, or from the various stores like Amazon, etc. you’ll have to add them manually. Luckily, it isn’t very difficult:
Select ‘File’ from the top
Select ‘Add file to library’ if you are only looking to add single files of media such as .MP3s, PDFs or ‘Add folder to library’ if you are only looking to media folders.
Browse to the file that you are looking for and click it
That’s it! You may want to double check, just to be sure that it did indeed get added. You can repeat this procedure for as many times as you need to add media.
If you have any music CDs laying around that you’d like to rip to your computer using iTunes:
Pop in a music CD into the CD/DVD drive.
A dialog will appear ‘Would you like to import the CD “name of CD” into your iTunes library?’
Click Yes.
If the dialog did not appear, click on the CD and click “Import CD” button. The CD will begin importing your tracks.
You’ll see a green check mark next to tracks it’s finished importing. The track it’s currently importing will have an orange circle next to it.
That’s it! You may want to double check, just to be sure that it did indeed get added. You can repeat this procedure for as many times as you need to add media.
To create a free Apple ID without a credit card on your Mac or PC

1. You’ll need to download iTunes from Apple.com/iTunes and then open iTunes on your Mac or PC.
2. Once downloaded, install the application and open iTunes.
3. Click on the grey bag called ‘Store’ and locate a free Podcast, Application, Song, Video or anything in the store that is free. We’ll be using the free iBooks app for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad to create our Apple ID.
4. Click “Free” then select “Download.”
5. You’ll be asked to login select “Create Account” at the bottom right coroner.
6. You’ll need to agree to the Terms and Conditions. Once you’ve read and agreed to the Terms and Conditions, click the checkbox next to ‘I have read and agree to these terms and conditions’ to and click ‘Continue.’
7. You will now need to enter in:
A valid email address as this will be your Apple ID.
Your date of birth and security questions.
A password of at least 8 characters in length that contains numbers, capital letters and doesn’t repeat the same letter 3 times after each other for a more secure password. You can generate a password here.
8. Once you’ve filled out the form, click ‘Continue.’
9. Under payment select “None.” You can only use iTunes Store gift cards to make purchases in iTunes. You can redeem an iTunes gift card now if you have on at hand. You can always enter in a credit card later.
10. Enter in your address and phone number.
11. You will need to verify your email address. Check your email inbox for a verification email from Apple.
12. In the verification email you receive from Apple, click the ‘Verify Now’ link.
13. You’ll new Apple ID will be activated.
14. Enter your email address and the password you’ve just used to create your Apple ID to begin to make free purchases in iTunes.

To create an free Apple ID on your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch

1. Open up the App Store or iTunes Store and locate a free Podcast, Application, Song, Video or anything in the store that is free. We’ll be using the free Hero’s Call app for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad to create our Apple ID.
4. Click “Free” then select “Install App”.
5. You’ll be asked to login select “Create Account” at the bottom.
6. Select the country in which you are located and tap ‘Done’ then tap ‘Next’ to continue.
Note: you can create a US Apple ID even if you don’t live in the states. Works for all countries.
7. You’ll need to agree to the Terms and Conditions. Once you’ve read and agreed to the Terms and Conditions, click the check box next to ‘I have read and agree to these terms and conditions’ to and click ‘Continue.’
8. Enter your email address as this will be your Apple ID and a password of at least 8 characters in length that contains numbers, capital letters and doesn’t repeat the same letter 3 times after each other for a more secure password. You can generate a password here. Once that is all done tap ‘Next’ to continue.
9. Fill in your date of birth and security questions, tap ‘Next’ to proceed.
10. Under payment select “None.” You can only use iTunes Store gift cards to make purchases in iTunes. You can always enter in a credit card later. Tap ‘Next’ to continue.
11. Enter in your address, first and last name, phone number and other personal details to continue, tap ‘Next’ to continue.
12. You will need to verify your email address. Check your email for a verification email from Apple. Tap ‘Done’ to finish up.
13. In the verification email you receive from Apple, click the ‘Verify Now’ link.
14. You’ll new Apple ID will be activated.
15. Enter your email address and the password you’ve just used to create your Apple ID to begin.
iMessage

This is an official application designed by Apple that allows you to send text messages to other iOS devices over Wi-Fi or 3G. It’s compatible with any iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad that is able to be upgraded to iOS 5 and Mac OS 10.8. This is another new iOS feature that his strikingly resemblance to another company’s features, this time it being RIM’s BlackBerry Messenger (BBM). To set up iMessage:
Open up Settings.
Select Messages.
Turn the toggle switch for iMessage to on.
A new box will open asking you for an Apple ID, enter in your Apple ID.
You should see a message saying “Activating”.
iMessage will be activated, so you can send messages to your friends with other iOS devices.
FaceTime

Apple’s video calling service used to communicate with other iOS devices. FaceTime Requires Wi-Fi and is currently only supported via phone number on iPhone and Apple ID email address on iPod touch 4th, iPad 2, 3 and Macintosh. To set up FaceTime:
Open up the FaceTime app on your home screen or open Settings and tap the FaceTime panel.
You should see a “Getting Started” screen, tap the “Get Started” button to get started. This will take you through the process of setting up FaceTime by signing in with your Apple ID.
If you do not have a Apple ID you can create one here.
FaceTime will activate with Apple.
You will then be asked to specify the email address you wish to use as your FaceTime address. Its default set to your email address associated with your Apple ID, but you can choose to use any other email address that which may not be associated with another Apple ID.
You can continue to add add additional email addresses to use as your FaceTime address.
Game Center

Apple’s gaming portal, similar to Xbox Live or PSN where you can discover new games and share your game’s scores, and gain achievements with friends from around the globe. To set up Game Center:
Tap on the icon to open Game Center.
Sign in with your Apple ID if you have one.
If you don’t you can create one here too.
Onced you’ve signed in your enter in your Nickname. This is how other people will find you within Game Center, so you can play multiplayer games with each other.
You can continue to add add additional email addresses to use as your Game Center address which will help other find you on Game Center.