MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - iOS Blog

'iBank Access' Seeking to Remake Personal Finance on the iPad

Eric Slivka — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:26:50 PST

As Intuit's Quicken options for Mac users continue to falter in the wake of a stripped-down Quicken Essentials release and the company's ongoing efforts to make the more fully-functional Quicken 2007 compatible with OS X Lion, other personal finance software firms have attempted to step into the void.

One of the more successful companies has been IGG Software with its iBank software, which is available as both a Mac application and a companion iPhone app. IGG Software has been teasing a few tidbits about its work on an iPad application over the past few months, and as noted in a new blog post today, the company appears to be making significant progress in moving toward the release of iBank Access for iPad. The forthcoming app will serve double duty as either a companion app to iBank for Mac or as a standalone personal finance app.

Among the most significant features of iBank Access is "Direct Access", IGG's new service that will provide users with significantly more options for automatically importing account data from their financial institutions.

After you enter valid credentials to log in to the bank’s website, you are given a list of accounts that you have at that financial institution – with the option of choosing which accounts you actually want in iBank. For example, many folks might have a checking, savings and even credit card all at the same bank and in the last screen you would be given the option to choose which of these you might not want to import. Most users will link all of the accounts. When the accounts are created, iBank imports available historical transactions associated with each account and even does some automatic categorization.

Here is where the beauty of our new aggregation system really begins to shine. Each time you launch the app, it goes out and fetches any new transactions. Unlike iBank for Mac, however, there is no separate window that appears where you have to manually verify which transactions to import. The new transactions just automatically appear conveniently marked.

In an effort to learn more about iBank Access and IGG's broader iBank efforts, MacRumors spoke with IGG's chief architect James Gillespie, a nearly 15-year veteran of Intuit who joined his brother Ian's company in 2008 to oversee iBank and other projects.

With the change to Direct Access for automatic syncing of information from over 5,000 financial institutions, iBank Access represents a paradigm shift for IGG in that it will require a small monthly fee ("in the range of a fancy cup of coffee") in order for users to take advantage of the service. Users who choose to manually import their transactions will not need to pay the monthly fee, but IGG believes that many will find the service worthwhile. Gillespie says:

Internally, people who have used it are very excited and love the experience. We plan on offering some sort of free trial so that everyone who wants to, can try it out. If people like it, then great - they can sign up, if they don't, then that is fine too. This is not something we are pushing for everyone, just for the people that want to import from their banks and not go through the Mac.

The new Direct Access capabilities will also eventually be making their way to iBank for Mac, increasing by tenfold the number of financial institutions able to feed data directly into iBank. For those users who prefer the existing OFX import solution, it will remain available.

Gillespie also notes that IGG is working on iCloud compatibility for its iBank products. MobileMe's iDisk service has been a popular method for iBank users to keep their data in sync, and IGG will continue to support iDisk syncing until Apple discontinues the service at the end of June. The transition to iCloud will be a relatively straightforward coming from iDisk, but will enable IGG to make further enhancements to syncing capabilities down the road.

We also asked Gillespie about the impact of the Mac App Store on iBank sales. iBank has been available in the Apple's marketplace for Mac software essentially from day one, and Gillespie notes that it has become the second-largest distribution channel for iBank, behind the boxed software and ahead of IGG's own download store. But sales have been increasing across the board, suggesting that Mac App Store sales are not cannibalizing other distribution channels and may indeed be helping to bring increased visibility for the company.

Finally, Gillespie shared details on some of IGG's recent hires, which have included two former Intuit employees who were core members of the team that led Mac software development and TurboTax for iPad development during their time there. With IGG providing them with a new home focused solely on Mac and iOS applications, the company believes that it has the right team in place to continue challenging Intuit in the personal finance software market.

iBank Access for iPad is still under development and IGG has not yet promised a release date, but the company is intending for it to launch sometime this summer.

The Best Superbowl Ad Was for the iPhone

Jordan Golson — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:53:41 PST

More than fifty commercials aired during the Super Bowl this past Sunday, including one from Samsung that again poked fun at Apple's customers.

Apple didn't run any ads during the Super Bowl, at least not officially -- a fact that puzzled some commentators. But, as investment guru Jim Cramer points out, Apple did have an advertisement of sorts air during the Super Bowl.

After the game was over, Colts hall of gamer Raymond Berry carrier the Vince Lombardi Trophy along a long line of New York Giants players. Players took turns touching or kissing the trophy, all the while taking photos and videos of the event. By far the most common device used to record the moment was the iPhone -- an event seen by millions.

Jim Cramer:

And I said to myself, there it is, not some pet dangling a bag of chips or some headlights killing vampires or King Elton getting trapdoored. Nope, there was an ad worthy of Steve Jobs and the company he built.

Of course, it wasn't an ad. It was just a collection of the most cool, most idolized competitors in the world whipping out their favorite device, which they had on the field, ready for action.

[...]

In the end, it didn't matter. To me, the endorsement of Apple by real athletes who were not paid, especially when contrasted with the gift of the GM Corvette that Eli Manning didn't even seem to care about -- "Eli, the keys, the keys, don't forget the keys!" -- said it all.

A 30-second spot during the game cost advertisers $3.5 million. For 1 minute and 20 seconds, Giants players used their iPhones to capture a once-in-a-lifetime moment that tens of millions watched on television. Cramer believes that this, more than any anything else, was the best advertisement of the Super Bowl.

via Daring Fireball

Apple Now Requiring iPhone Developers to Submit Retina Screenshots

Eric Slivka — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:40:33 PST

Apple today notified members of its iOS Developer Program of a new requirement that all screenshots being submitted for iPhone and iPod touch apps in the App Store must meet Retina resolution requirements, which come in at 960x640 on those devices. Any updates to existing apps must also include Retina screenshots, if they are not already present, before the updates will be approved by Apple.

Required iPhone & iPod touch Screenshot Upgrade for Retina Display

When you create or update your apps in iTunes Connect, you must upload screenshots that are high-resolution. We require your screenshots as high-resolution images so that your app is optimized for the Retina display.

The requirements for high-resolution images are 960 x 640, 960 x 600, 640 x 960, or 640 x 920 pixels. Images must be at least 72 dpi, in the RGB color space, and the file must be .jpeg, .jpg, .tif, .tiff, or .png. You can update your screenshot files at any time in iTunes Connect.

Apple has long supported the inclusion of Retina screenshots for iPhone and iPod touch apps but has not required them, instead allowing developers to continue using non-Retina 480x320 screenshots that are then scaled up for viewing up on Retina devices. But with Retina displays having been included in the iPhone and iPod touch since 2010, the company clearly feels that developers should have already moved to the higher resolution and will not allow developers to update their apps going forward without making the necessary screenshot changes.

The iPad 3 is expected to appear within the next few months carrying a higher-resolution display that will utilize the same ideas as with the iPhone and iPod touch, doubling the display resolution in each dimension to 2048x1536 to allow for sharper content while easily maintaining compatibility with lower-resolution apps using pixel doubling. Apple is of course not yet soliciting developers for high-resolution versions of their existing iPad app screenshots, but enforcement of higher-resolution iPhone and iPod touch screenshot requirements will also make those App Store images appear sharper on both current and future iPads.

iPhone and iPod Engineering VP David Tupman Leaves Apple

Eric Slivka — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:55:12 PST

Apple's vice president for iPhone and iPod engineering David Tupman has left the company, according to 9to5Mac. While not a member of the senior executive team, Tupman spent a decade at Apple and has been considered to be one of the key iOS hardware executives reporting to senior vice president Bob Mansfield.

Weeks before the introduction of the first iPod, Apple hired Tupman, and he soon became Apple’s vice president of iPod engineering.

He had a big hand in the development and success of every iPod released to date, and when it was time to build the iPhone, Tupman joined the team behind that product, too. As Apple shifted its engineering resources to its mobile line of products, Tupman was named Vice President of iPod and iPhone Engineering— a major role at Apple. Besides playing a major part in growing Apple’s mobile device business into one of the most successful businesses ever, Tupman has his name on at around 70 Apple technology patents, such as power and battery life management, noise-canceling ear buds, Apple’s tiny iPhone power adapters, and mobile device interaction with accessories.

Tupman's future plans remain unknown, although we understand that he has been taking some personal time following his long term of service at Apple.

Apple is said to be searching internally for Tupman's replacement, but has apparently not yet named a successor.

Motorola Requested 2.25% Patent Licensing Royalty on iPhone Purchases

Jordan Golson — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:18:59 PST

Late last year, Motorola Mobility requested Apple pay a potential royalty of 2.25% on its iPhone sales in recently unsealed litigation from last year. The royalty would amount to more than $1 billion in 2011 alone, though there is no indication which specific iPhone models would be covered by the license nor if it would be retroactive to the initial launch of the iPhone in 2007.

The patents appear to be covered under the FRAND standard, which requires patents to be licensed for "fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory terms". The 2.25% request that Motorola offered was in response to a demand for a FRAND pricing offer from Apple.

Florian Mueller, writing about the issue, offers some additional insight:

I assume this relates to Apple's sales and to all of MMI's standard-essential patents, though the context is only one patent (the one over which Motorola has already forced Apple, temporarily, to remove certain products from its German online store. Assuming in Motorola's favor that this was a license to all standard-essential wireless patents, the amount still appears excessive to me given how many companies hold patents on such standards and what royalty rate this would lead to in the aggregate.

A quote in the Wall Street Journal from the chief executive of the Epicenter IP group, which helps companies license patents, noted that "there is no debate that Motorola was the inventor of the mobile phone" and its patents could be broad and necessary for a phone maker.

This is only one more step in the long and drawn-out patent battle between the two companies, but the licensing rate for patents is typically a closely held competitive secret. The 2.25% rate would be a significant amount of money, given the tremendous sales Apple is generating from its iPhone business.

Apple Releases iBooks 2.0.1 to Address Issue with Textbooks Not Opening

Eric Slivka — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:32:18 PST

Apple today updated iBooks [App Store] to version 2.0.1, bringing a fix for an issue that resulted in some iBooks Textbooks not opening in the application.

Apple is not terribly specific about the issue, but it may be related to a complaint shared by USA Today almost immediately after the iBooks 2.0 launch and for which Apple had promised a fix.

We're aware of a small number of iBooks 2 users having issues with the playback of the introduction movies when opening iBooks textbooks. It will be fixed soon in an upcoming software update.

iBooks 2.0.1 is of course a free update to the already-free iBooks applications. A handful of iBooks Textbooks have launched, with most priced at Apple's maximum allowable price of $14.99.

'The Daily' Reports 100,000 Paying Subs on One-Year Anniversary

Jordan Golson — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:25:37 PST

One year ago today, News Corp. launched its iPad-only newspaper called The Daily. It was the first app to take advantage of the "In-App Subscription" feature that Apple launched the same day.

The Daily is available to subscribers for $0.99/week or $39.99/year and Mashable reports that the newspaper currently has more than 100,000 paid subscribers on the iPad alone. Rupert Murdoch, head of The Daily's parent company News Corp. said when the paper launched that it would take 500,000 paying readers to break even, though publisher Greg Clayman told Mashable that profitability is in sight:

From what I’ve seen, the average time it takes for a new magazine publication to get profitable is five to seven years. We’re on track to be ahead of that, which is great. When you calculate magazine profitability, you have to take into account the rising costs of paper and ink. We don’t have any of those costs. We’re in a very good place.

The Daily recently launched its first Android edition for Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablets, and is preparing to release a version for iPhone and Android phones "in the next month or two".

The Daily for iPad is a free download on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Apple Grabs Another Gaming PR Executive for App Store

Eric Slivka — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:38:51 PST

MCV reports (via The Next Web) that Apple has nabbed yet another gaming PR executive, this time hiring Microsoft's European chief of Xbox Live marketing Robin Burrowes to oversee App Store marketing in Europe.

Burrowes worked at Xbox for seven years, and was in charge of Xbox Live. He was one of the execs promoting the latest Xbox dashboard update, even attending London Games Conference and Gamescom last year.

Prior to Xbox, he has worked for MSN and HMV. He joins Apple this year in charge of marketing the App Store for iTunes Europe.

Apple has been drawing PR and marketing talent from the gaming industry for some time now as it seeks to bolster iOS's positioning as a competitive gaming platform. Last year, the company poached longtime Nintendo executive Rob Saunders as well as Nick Grange, who came from Activision after stints at Microsoft and EA.

Dexim Visible Green iPhone Cable Makes Charging More Visible

Jordan Golson — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:50:45 PST

While most USB-charged Apple products like the iPhone and iPad come with a USB charging cable in the box, there is a thriving third-party market for these easily lost accessories. Dexim's $20 Visible Green USB-Dock Connector cables have a distinctive twist: they use electroluminescence to "visibly show the electrical current flowing through the cable". Completing the illusion is the fact that there are multiple speeds that the current can "flow", adjusting with the battery life of the device it's charging.

While perhaps not the most practical iPhone charger, particularly for bedside nighttime charging, the Visible Green cable is certainly the coolest.

Dexim's Visible Green cables are available via a number of retailers, including Amazon and others.

Steam Companion iPhone App Now Available to All Users

Jordan Golson — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:22:20 PST

Launched in beta last week, Valve has opened up its Steam iPhone companion app to all users.

The app allows Steam users to view their Steam friends list, see what games their friends are playing, and chat with players in-game.

Gamers can also browse and purchase from the Steam library of titles from the iPhone, to play later on a PC or Mac. However, there is no purchasing of iOS games through the app, something that, aside from the fact that Steam doesn't support any iOS games, Apple would surely frown upon.

Steam Mobile for iPhone is available free on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Explore Strange New Worlds With Sir Benfro's Brilliant Balloon

Jordan Golson — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:58:05 PST

Sir Benfro's Brilliant Balloon is a one-button side-scroller in the vein of the Helicopter Game or Jetpack Joyride, but with its own unique twist. Players take control of Sir Benfro and his balloon as they explore strange and fantastic worlds filled with weird creatures, complete with wonderful sound effects and soundtrack.

Travel with inquisitive explorer Sir Benfro as he flies through fantastical new worlds filled with weird and wonderful creatures. Float into forests, across oceans and down to the centre of the Earth. But take care - you’re never far from bumping into the next bizarre beast.

Sir Benfro’s Brilliant Balloon features four adventures. Magical fireflies named Light Emitting Daves power Sir Benfro’s balloon. You must fly as fast as you can to keep collecting the Daves and reach the end of each adventure. It’s a game for all ages with three difficulty settings to delight everyone from beginners to master balloonists.

Drawing inspiration from Victorian botanical illustration, puppet theatres, Terry Gilliam’s animations for Monty Python, the stylings of Studio Ghibli and Yimou Zhang’s film Hero, Sir Benfro’s Brilliant Balloon doesn’t look like any other game on the App Store.

A companion children's book called Sir Benfro’s Travels will be published by Thames & Hudson this autumn.

Sir Benfro's Brilliant Balloon is available for $0.99 for iPhone and iPad on the App Store. [Direct Link]

NASA Releases "Sector 33" Air Traffic Control Game

Jordan Golson — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:54:46 PST

NASA, the U.S. space agency has released a new iOS game called Sector 33. The educational title aims to teach youngsters math and reasoning skills as they act the role of an air traffic controller in charge of ATC Sector 33 as they guide planes to San Francisco International Airport from the East over California and Nevada.

Players adjust multiple planes' path and speed to safely reach a target location in the sky in the fastest time possible while keeping the plans a safe distance apart.

"Our hope is that Sector 33 will give students a sense of the importance of math in managing our nation's air traffic and, at the same time, interest them in pursuing a career in aeronautics," said Jaiwon Shin, NASA's associate administrator for aeronautics research in Washington.

The math-focused game also aligns with the NASA Office of Education's mission to engage students in activities related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

"Today's students respond positively to experiential learning," said Leland Melvin, NASA's associate administrator for education. "Using an interactive game to spark their interest, while at the same time teaching them fundamental math concepts, is a win-win scenario. It is a perfect way to help cultivate the next generation of engineers and technologists."

NASA is no stranger to iOS apps, having launched an iPhone app in 2009 to help users stay on top of the latest NASA news.

Sector 33 is available free for iPhone and iPad from the App Store. [Direct Link]

Spigen Protects the iPhone's Screen With More Glass

Jordan Golson — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:07:34 PST

The iPhone's glass screen may be made of Corning's advanced Gorilla Glass, but, contrary to Steve Jobs' assertion, that doesn't mean it is scratch proof. Many products exist to solve this problem, including ZAGG's InvisiShield or rugged cases like Otterbox's Defender. Both solutions work well, but the feel of screen protector films bother some users, and though the Otterbox solidly protects the iPhone, it hardly maintains the svelte qualities that Jony Ive and his team worked so hard to create.

As an alternative, Spigen has released a tempered glass screen protector to give an added layer of protection to the iPhone 4S. The 0.4mm thick glass protector completely covers the front glass of the iPhone, protecting it from damage and scratches. Spigen claims the glass is specially reinforced to increase shock absorbency and is three times stronger than standard protective PET film. As it's tempered glass, if broken, it breaks into smaller pieces that aren't sharp.

The SGP GLAS.t iPhone 4 Screen Protector is available for $27.99 plus shipping on Spigen's website.

Spin Doctor Brings Retro Mac Gaming to the iPhone

Jordan Golson — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:29:33 PST

In the early 90's, a small software company called Callisto Corporation released a number of games for the Macintosh, along with a few other productivity applications. One of those games was Spin Doctor, which some long-ago Mac Performa owners may remember because Apple licensed a 10-level Spin Doctor Challenger edition for bundling with "about a million" Performas, according to developer Seth Lipkin.

Lipkin has since ported Spin Doctor, which was sold "in a big box" for $40 when it was first released in 1994, to the iPhone. The game is a bit like chess in the sense that it is easy to learn and difficult to master. It consists of a glowing wand making its way from dot-to-dot through a literal minefield of doors, switches, acid, fuses, bombs, and more. The user controls the direction of the wand -- which never stops moving -- as it moves its way across the map over more than 100 levels with several difficulty modes.

Spin Doctor for iPhone is $0.99 on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Mujjo's Conductive Gloves Swipe to Unlock on a Cold Day

Jordan Golson — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:47:47 PST

One of the biggest issues with the iPhone, especially amongst those who live in colder climes, is the tricky question of how best to answer the phone while wearing gloves. Hip-Hop producer Will.I.Am noted on the car show Top Gear that he wears fingerless gloves in order to use all his touchscreen devices, and claimed that capacitive touch gloves weren't fashionable.

Fashionable or not, a Dutch company has created a set of gloves knitted with silver-coated nylon fibers in the fabric. The silver in the Mujjo gloves makes them conductive and touchscreen compatible, and, according to TechCrunch, they work as designed.

I tried these during a few colder Brooklyn afternoons and, like most gloves, they kept my hands warm. Unlike most gloves, I could use them to tap my iPhone screen. Could they be used to tap your iPhone screen with your knuckle? Sure. They’re full of conductive thread so smack away.

Mujjo's touchscreen gloves come in only two sizes, but stretch to accommodate the largest of hands. They are available from Mujjo's website for €24.95 (about US$33) plus shipping. These aren't the only touchscreen gloves on the market, but Mujjo's pair work as advertised.

Sprint Joins AT&T and Verizon Offering Account Management iPhone Apps

Jordan Golson — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:38:49 PST

Three months after the iPhone arrived on Sprint, the carrier has launched an app allowing customers easy access to their account and to iPhone and Sprint customer support information.

In the US, AT&T and Verizon, the other two iPhone carriers, both have existing account management apps. They all work similarly, allowing customers to pay their bill, track usage, and get contact information for stores and customer support.

Sprint Mobile Zone is available free for the iPhone on the App Store. [Direct Link]

MyAT&T [Direct Link] and My Verizon Mobile [Direct Link] are also available free from the App Store.

Thanks Mike!

T-Mobile to Offer Additional Support for iPhone Users on Its Network

Jordan Golson — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:39:46 PST

U.S. carrier T-Mobile has decided to offer "additional support" to customers using the iPhone on its network, reports TmoNews. While T-Mobile doesn't sell the iPhone, it reports that more than 1 million unlocked iPhones are used on its network and the additional support will be useful to T-Mobile's less tech-savvy iPhone users.

T-Mobile will support users who have questions about "common procedures, information about feature and specifications and other basic device questions." Most T-Mobile iPhone users are limited to T-Mobile's slower EDGE network due to the iPhone's incompatibility with the 1700/2100 MHz bands used by the carrier for its faster data networks. Late last year, though, some of T-Mobile's towers were adjusted for its faster HSPA+ network, moving them to the iPhone-accessible 1900MHz band in some "pockets" of the country.

Earlier this month, T-Mobile claimed the next iPhone chipset could be capable of supporting the carrier's Advanced Wireless Spectrum, but noted that it didn't have any specific knowledge of Apple's future products.

Valve Releases Steam Companion App for iPhone

Jordan Golson — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:41:22 PST

Valve, the company behind the popular gaming platform Steam, has released a new companion app for iPhone called Steam Mobile as a closed beta. The app allows Steam users to view their Steam friends list, see what games their friends are playing, and chat with players in-game.

Gamers can also browse -- and apparently purchase, though the app descriptions are a little fuzzy on that point -- the Steam library of titles from the iPhone. However, there is no purchasing of iOS games through the app, something that, aside from the fact that Steam doesn't support any iOS games, Apple would surely frown upon.

"The Steam app comes from many direct requests from our customers," said Gabe Newell, co-founder and president of Valve. "Seeing which of your friends are online and playing a game, sending quick messages, looking at screenshots for an upcoming game, or catching a sale - these are all features customers have requested. Mobile is changing way people interact, play games and consume media, and the Steam app is part of our commitment to meet customer demands and expand the service functionality of Steam to make it richer and more accessible for everyone."

While it has been released as a "closed beta", users sign up to be included via the app itself.

Steam Mobile for iPhone is available free on the App Store. [Direct Link]

When iPhone Apps Are Reduced In Price, Sales Go Up 22%

Jordan Golson — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 09:36:17 PST

In what seems like a logical result of economic pricing strategies, iPhone app developers who put their apps on sale see an average increase in revenue of 41% on the first day, and total increases of 22% after 15 days. App store analytics provider Distimo shared the findings in a new research report.

TechCrunch writes:

When a developer decides to put an application on sale, there’s a delicate balance that has to be achieved. The sale price has to be low enough to encourage more downloads, obviously, but it also needs to be low enough that it encourages enough download volume to make up for the lost revenue.

To examine what happens during when apps go on sale, Distimo examined the 100 top grossing apps in the iPhone App Atore, iPad App Store and Android Market. On the first day of the sale, the average revenue increase by +41% in the iPhone App Store, and by 15 days in, was up by +22%. On the iPad App Store, the day one effect was even greater: up +52% on day one and up +19% by day 15.

All this is well and good, but not all developers see such impressive results. 44% of iPhone apps lose revenue during the sale, with 23% of devs seeing a drop in revenue of more than 20%. In general, offering a small discount from $7.99 to $6.99 doesn't increase revenue as much as a larger drop from $7.99 to $4.99.

The full report from Distimo goes into much greater detail, with additional details about average app pricing and more information about the impact of different price cuts on revenue.

Google Signs Off on Motorola Lawsuit Seeking Injunction Against iPhone 4S and iCloud

Jordan Golson — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:47:39 PST

Motorola Mobility has filed a new lawsuit in the Southern District of Florida against Apple, asserting six patents against the iPhone 4S and iCloud. As noted by FOSS Patents, the merger agreement between Google and Motorola Mobility requires the company to get Google's permission before asserting "any Intellectual Property Right in any new Action". As a result, this lawsuit is the closest Apple and Google have come to direct litigation.

All six patents are asserted against the iPhone 4S, with four ('119, '006, '531, and '161) asserted against iCloud. The patents Apple is charged with violating, as assembled by FOSS Patents, are:

U.S. Patent No. 5,710,987 on a "receiver having concealed external antenna"

U.S. Patent No. 5,754,119 on a "multiple pager status synchronization system and method"; Motorola is asserting the European equivalent of this patent against Apple in Mannheim, with a decision (that will likely be favorable for Motorola) scheduled for Friday of next week (February 3, 2012)

U.S. Patent No. 5,958,006 on a "method and apparatus for communicating summarized data"

U.S. Patent No. 6,101,531 on a "system for communicating user-selected criteria filter prepared at wireless client to communication server for filtering data transferred from host to said wireless client"

U.S. Patent No. 6,008,737 on an "apparatus for controlling utilization of software added to a portable communication device"

U.S. Patent No. 6,377,161 on a "method and apparatus in a wireless messaging system for facilitating an exchange of address information"

On its face, the lawsuit is fairly unexceptional -- one of many lawsuits flying around the mobile sector -- but as Google needed to sign off before it could be filed, it could be a signal of the direction Google intends to head if its proposed acquisition of Motorola Mobility is successful.