June 24 - 5:45pm EDT   A number of Sharp LCD TVs have been banned from unlicensed import to the US, as part of a ruling resulting from a patent dispute with Samsung, according to Bloomberg. The two electronics manufacturers have been battling over technology used in the displays, specifically "apertures formed in the conductive layer comprising the electrode." The technology is utilized in LCD panels with wide viewing angles. [full story]

June 4 - 2:25pm EDT   A patent filing submitted by Apple describes technology for transferring media content between mobile devices. While the iPhone is already capable of sending a variety of data, the patent specifically outlines methods to transfer media while the user is still in the middle of a phone call. The technology would eliminate the need for users to end a call to share media with the person on the other end of the connection. [full story]

May 18 - 3:40pm EDT   A recently-surfaced patent application outlines technology Microsoft describes as a 'magic wand.' The concept could integrates a variety of sensors, such as gyroscopes, accelerometers, range-finders and biometric sensors. Possible input/output components include a keyboard, keypad, buttons, touchpad, display, or speaker, among others. The claims also outline a system for providing instruction based on the wand orientation or other factors. [full story]

April 23 - 8:55pm EDT   OPTi on Thursday won a patent infringement suit against Apple, including $19 million in damages. The patent involved "predictive snooping" of cache memory for transferring information between a CPU, memory and other components. The jury ruled that Apple willingly infringed on OPTi's patent. Apple attempted to bring doubt to the patent's validity, but the jury ruled the patent to be valid. [full story]

March 24 - 5:55pm EDT   A Swiss company, MONEC Holding AG, has targeted Apple in yet another lawsuit involving the iPhone. The company claims the handset violates a patent entitled "Electronic device, preferably an electronic book." MONEC seeks triple compensatory damages, including lost profits, interest, attorneys fees and costs. The company also aims to receive royalties, along with the assessed value of Apple's gains, profits or benefits resulting from the patent infringement. [full story]

February 24 - 8:45pm EST   Contour 1.1 ($50) is a story development tool that can help with the process of turning a movie idea into a full outline. The software uses a fill-in the-blanks approach where the user is asked series of questions on topics like loglines, the protagonist's growth and the beats to be used in each of four acts. The update has added new sample content and allows users to enter Contour XML files form the File menu. Version 1.1 also includes several small interface enhancements and bug fixes. [Download - 4.6MB] [full story]

February 4 - 9:20pm EST   Adding fuel to the recent rumors of an Apple tablet computer, the company has been awarded several patents for components that could be used in such a device. Both filings carry the title "Display Housing for Computing Device" and describe several different configurations, with the noteworthy design integrating the computing components directly behind the screen. [full story]

November 18 - 4:05pm EST   Reseller of consolidated patent license portfolios MPEG LA on Monday announced flat panel HDTV maker VIZIO has entered into an MPEG-2 Patent Portfolio License with the company. As a direct result of the new agreement, a few other clients of MPEG LA with essential MPEG-2 patents have dropped their lawsuits against VIZIO. Filed in the summer of 2008 in New York, the lawsuits allege VIZIO failed to enter into a licensing agreement for MPEG-2 video compression technology necessary for its HDTVs. [full story]

October 8 - 10:00pm EDT   Apple has finally obtained a patent on the Dock – a holder for open or commonly used applications, documents, folders, and more in Mac OS X – according to a new document found by AppleInsider. The patent, titled "User interface for providing consolidation and access," was originally filed on December 20th, 1999, and covers actions such as fade-in rates, icon and cursor positioning, as well as the magnification factor when the cursor hovers over icons present in the dock. [full story]

June 3 - 5:10pm EDT   Sena Cases has announced four new slim designer notebook cases made specifically for the MacBook Air. Styles include the patent-pending Pullino Designer Case for the MacBook Air and the LeatherSkin Case which offers an ultra-slim design, and allows the device to be fully functional without removing the notebook from the case. All the cases are designed from Italian Napa Leather. The Senna Pullino Designer Case for the MacBook Air features pull-out strap for easy release of the MacBook Air and includes velvet lining to protect the device from scratches and damage. It's priced at $240. [full story]

May 9 - 11:45am EDT   A federal judge has reinstated one of two dismissed patent disputes against Microsoft and Dell from French-American telecommunications partnership Alcatel-Lucent. CNN Money writes that the San Diego district court made an error when deciding the definition of a "terminal device", so the case is being presented again to the federal court system. The dispute is situated over a communication protocol that allows a computer and a device to exchange information. [full story]

April 26 - 2:20pm EDT   Apple may be looking to license haptic technology from another company, as the industry looks to develop and incorporate more touch feedback technology into devices. Immersion Corporation, a patent-driven digital technology company, has reportedly hired a former Apple executive and has had talks this week to license the haptic technology for in Apple's iPhone. On Thursday, Immersion Corporation announced that it had appointed former Apple executive Clent Richardson to the position of President and CEO and a new report claims that Apple this week began talking to Immersion about a potential licensing agreement for its technology. [corrected] [full story]

April 23 - 12:25am EDT   Sony is making movement to finally unveil Socratto, its in-house answer to Apple's Shake software, which it acquired from then-startup Nothing Real. A European patent application indicates that Sony is close to realizing its long-discussed video effects software, after ironically losing control of the Shake project when members of the company who worked on the project were hired by Nothing Real. The move comes after Tim Schaaff, a former senior Apple executive, joined the effort in 2006. [full story]

April 18 - 2:50pm EDT   It appears Samsung is trying to leapfrog the iPhone's touch display and go straight to a touch-free interface in its future mobile phones. The company has reportedly filed a patent for an interface based on hand signals. The phone's integrated camera will recognize users' hand gestures as commands and execute them. [full story]

April 11 - 8:40pm EDT   In response to the ruling against the Dish Network, the company writes that it is disappointed with the court's rejection for an appeal, but that it will not affect current or future customers. According to the note, EchoStar has already developed and deployed a new version of the DVR software to customers as an automatic download. Dish claims the new software does not infringe on patents held by Tivo Inc. [full story]