Weekly Mobile News Roundup – 10 May 2013

  Once again the week is coming to an end and that means it’s time for a roundup of the past weeks news!

Will Apple Top Facebook’s $1 Billion Bid for Waze? – Facebook is in talks to buy Israeli crowdsourced traffic and navigation app, Waze, for $1 billion. But should Apple get back into the bidding?

14-Year-Old Discovers iPad Smart Cover Magnets Can Shut Off Pacemakers – A fourteen-year-old has discovered that the tiny magnets inside the iPad can inadvertently shut off pacemakers if the device is left on the chest, such as might happen if the user falls asleep with the iPad lying on them.

Apple demands Android source code in Samsung patent spat – In the next step of the Apple V. Samsung battle, Apple has asked a judge to make Google hand over documents related to the Android operating system.

Apple strikes iRadio deal with Universal Music – The company has reached a licensing deal with the world’s largest music label, Universal Music Group, according to people familiar with the situation. Apple is still in deep negotiations with Warner Music Group on some specifics. It also still needs an agreement with Sony Music, which has been tougher for Apple to get on board.

Apple pushes App Store promotion as 50 billionth download mark approaches – Thursday saw Apple increasing promotion for the forthcoming 50 billion download on its App Store, publicizing the approaching mark with a prime spot on the company’s homepage.

iOS 7 Mobile Traffic Spikes On Both iPhone And iPad Ahead Of Apple’s WWDC, According To Onswipe – Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference is only around a month away, and while we’re already expecting to see iOS 7 at least previewed at the event, now we have some actual data to back up that supposition.

Pixelmator 2.2 Available Now With More Than 100 New Features & Improvements – Pixelmator 2.2 just hit the Mac App Store, bringing more than 100 new features and improvements to one of the finest image editors on OS X. The update includes smart shape tools, a new light leak effect, a custom shapes palette, and lots more.

Adobe’s Project Mighty Input Tools Look Pretty Awesome – Color me impressed! I figured the next generation of designer-relevant input devices would come from Apple or Wacom, but surprise—it’s Adobe. The software giant is venturing into hardware, and their resultant Project Mighty looks pretty damn wicked so far.

Apple grabs No. 5 spot in growing Chinese smartphone market – At three times the size of the U.S. market, China has become one of the most important battlegrounds in the smartphone industry, and Apple’s iPhone is now the fifth-largest smartphone seller in the country.

A cheaper iPhone doesn’t necessarily mean a “cheap” iPhone – For a product that has been around a scant six years—an eternity in the field of consumer electronics—the iPhone has had a remarkable run. It has changed the way we think about computing, conquered the mobile market, and transformed Apple from a relative underdog in the PC industry into one of the planet’s most profitable and influential enterprises.

In Nook, Microsoft sees a chance to compete against Amazon and Apple – Microsoft already has a stake in Nook Media, and now it is reportedly seeking to buy out the entire company. In Nook, Microsoft sees a shot at competing against Amazon and Apple — in a way it might not be able to do from scratch.

Netflix for iOS update features auto-play for TV shows, adds movie recommendations – Netflix today updated its iOS app with some features that will undoubtedly please all you TV lovers out there. First and foremost, the app update includes a post-play feature which immediately starts the beginning of a new TV episode once a user finishes watching the previous one.

New Disney ‘Story’ App Uses Your Photos, Videos to Tell Tales – Disney’s long been known as the go-to maker of family films, but with Disney Interactive’s new Story app for the iPhone and iPod Touch, they’re hoping families will make some short films of their own.