Lodsys is a company on a mission. They have been determined to sue iOS developers who are, in their eyes, illegally using their own patents. But it’s more complicated than that. Apple licensed these patents and, in some cases, require them to be used by iOS developers. So who is responsible here in the impending legal battles? That’s what we’re all trying to figure out. After an initial round of legal threats were presented to various iOS developers on behalf of Lodsys, Apple remained quiet while the world reacted. But the overall consensus seemed to be that Apple should stick up for their third-party…

Apple is suing Samsung for allegedly infringing on some of Apple’s patents — you know, that whole iPhone idea? — and Samsung, in response, is threatening litigation of its own, stating that Apple is allegedly infringing on some of Samsung’s wireless technology patents. This sounds typical, but this one is different. From the outside looking in, it might be acceptable to call Apple and Samsung close partners in the tech industry. Apple has purchased $5.7 billion worth of electronic parts from Samsung in 2010. That is a serious investment that can’t be overlooked. Both companies seemingly…

Make no mistake. Google doesn’t care about most of the things they patent. In a world of “defensive patenting,” Google’s recent bid to buy Nortel’s patent portfolio is simply designed to give them more bulk and ability to move forward with emerging products. Patent trolls have been emerging over the past couple of decades as a way of making money. They file patents, sit on them, and wait for a larger company to go about building whatever it is that they filed. After it reaches a point where they feel they can make money out of a settlement, they file a claim and attempt to get whatever money they can out…

Antennagate sure was a mess, wasn’t it? Maybe ‘mess’ is the wrong word. All things considered, it was pretty tidy mess, and even included sweet pictures of Apple’s underground antenna testing crypts. Was it the biggest case of mass hysteria the tech world has ever seen? Could’ve been – but either way, according to this new patent, it seems Apple isn’t taking any chances. The patent details a new design that would apparently render the Apple logo itself as a functional antenna in both iOS and Mac devices – a move that could more or less end any to all interference by our fat, sausagey fingers. How well…

Apple has a host of patents to its name, and rifling through them can offer some fascinating insights into the potential future of technology and the possibilities that are open to the company as it executes its vision for the future convergence culture. We’ve taken a look at some of the most recently published Apple patents and chosen six of the most exciting to tell you all about. 1. iSpecs: an advanced head-mounted display system for the iPhone or iPod This system (above) may even host its own video camera or be able to communicate with the camera that’s already inside the iPod touch or iPhone….

It looks like the iPhone, already a kind of digital swiss army knife, will someday have walkie-talkie capabilities and be able to serve as a kind of spontaneous hub where information can be sent automatically to everyone in the group. Patents dating as late as last November, but only unearthed this week, describe the new functions….