Twitter app updated with improved search and account management

Hot on the heels of Facebook issuing an update to its mobile apps, Twitter has done the same for its official iOS clients. The update brings the Twitter app to version 5.1, and includes some nice enhancements like an improved search and Discovery tab, and new account management features…

From the release notes:

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WSJ: Google putting finishing touches on iOS Maps app

Since Apple replaced Google Maps in iOS 6 with its own mapping solution, there’s been a lot of talk regarding Google making its own Maps app for the platform. Rumors have persisted that such an app is in development.

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Facebook app updated with new sharing features and emoji

Facebook has released an update for its mobile app this afternoon, bringing the iOS app to version 5.2. The update comes less than two weeks after its big 5.1 update, which included new messaging and photo-sharing features.

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Battery Status provides spoken and pop-up battery alerts

Battery Status is a jailbreak tweak that will keep you informed about the status of your iOS device’s battery. Battery Status provides either a spoken or pop-up alert, or a combination of the two — with both outlaying your current battery life situation.

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iPad mini gets the 24kt gold treatment

If you though the iPad mini was overpriced at $329, wait until you see the tablet dipped in gold. As it does with all new Apple products, the folks over at Gold & Co. have given the new mini the 24kt gold treatment. And although it’s the definition of ostentatious, we have to say that it looks magnificent

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Apple the target of new lawsuit over iOS location services

Hot on the heels of last week’s screen rotation lawsuit comes another infringement claim aimed at Apple. NovelPoint Tracking, which fits the usual patent troll description, filed a lawsuit against the Cupertino company yesterday in the troll-friendly Texas Eastern District Court regarding its location-based patent

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Despite Android growth, iOS accounts for 60 percent of mobile videos

More evidence that our hunch was right: most mobile video traffic comes from iOS devices. Indeed, a new study finds that 60 percent of video not shown on PCs appear on iPad or iPhone screens. This despite a growing number of Android devices becoming a third screen for video consumers.

The news follows an earlier study in May by the same video monetization firm Freewheel. That research found iOS devices displayed 80 percent of mobile videos, hinting at inroads made by Android players

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Apple and HTC reach global settlement on patent litigation

So this is huge. Apple and HTC have both announced this evening that they have reached a global settlement on all patent litigation, effectively dismissing all patent-related lawsuits between the two companies. Additionally, the two handset-makers have also agreed to a 10 year cross-licensing deal for all current and future patents

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Apple paid $20 million for iPad Clock design rights

Remember legal brouhaha involving Apple and iPad Clock app in iOS 6 on one side and Swiss Federal Railways, which holds rights to the iconic timepiece design, on the other? We praised Apple for doing the right thing after it was reported the intellectual property dispute ended by Apple agreeing to license the SBB station clock design for use on iPads and iPhones. Neither Apple nor the Swiss Federal Railways SBB commented on financial terms of the licensing agreement at the time, but sources now claim Apple paid to the tune of $20 million, or 16.5 million euros, for design IP

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Patent troll hits Apple with iPhone screen rotation suit

A Boston University study from July pegged the cost of lawsuits filed last year by nonpracticing entities – that’s the code word for patent trolls – at an unbelievable $29 billion. Patents and lawsuits are their ‘products’ and Apple is among their favorite targets. You need look no further than Lodsys or VirnetX, which has expanded claims against Apple after winning $368 million in FaceTime case damages.

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