Wednesday Apple Rumors: Apple GUI Patent Could Be ‘Lethal’

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daily apple rumors AAPLHere are your Apple rumors and AAPL news items for today:

Apple Gets Momentous Patent: Amongst a slew of patents awarded to Apple yesterday is one that gives Apple virtual ownership of smartphone graphical user interfaces, Fortune notes. The patent in question – No. 8,223,134– refers to “portable electronic device, method, and graphical user interface for displaying electronic lists and documents.” Online advocates of Google‘s (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android operating system called it the “mother of all smartphone software patents,” and warned that its effect could be “swift and lethal” to rival smartphone makers. Apple is currently embroiled in patent infringement lawsuits, in courts all over the world, with Samsung, HTC and Google’s Motorola over claims those companies developed products that copied Apple’s patented designs.

Foxconn Hiring Surges: According to Chinese media sources, thousands of people stood on line in outside Foxconn’s manufacturing plant in Chengdu, China, as the company looks to boost its workforce as production ramps up on the next generation iPhone, Apple Insider says. Foxconn is looking for workers that have good eyesight to build the new iPhone, and possible iPad Mini, at the Chengdu plant. It’s factory in Zhengzhou, China, is also said to be hiring for production of the new iPhone and has already begun limited test production runs.

The iPad Did Precede the iPhone: Documents and testimony from court filings show that Apple designed a prototype tablet computer between 2002 and 2004, Network World reports. The iPad forerunner looked similar to the design that debuted in 2010, but was much thicker and lacked the iPad’s home button. Pictures of the prototype support Steve Jobs’ 2010 claim that Apple designers developed the tablet first. Jobs said that when he saw the scrolling user interface on the tablet, he realized the potential for a touchscreen smartphone and put the tablet on hold while the design team worked on the iPhone.

For more about the company, check out our previous Apple Rumors stories.


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