Apple Becomes Both Smaller and Bigger; Netflix Tops Apple in Online Video Sales

Every week, makes news with technology developments, business deals and, more often than not, controversies.

That’s where our weekly "Core Bytes" column on Apple comes in. We’ll relay the past week’s news highlights from our favorite backyard tech giant.

Controversies

On Thursday, Apple was slammed with another lawsuit, this time from Delaware-based Cathas Advanced Technologies. The company alleges in the suit that the iOS Developer Program infringes on its “Web-Based Design Software for Keep-Alive Boards”. 

New Products

Smaller and bigger. It’s a paradox that Apple is hoping to pull off when it introduces the iPhone 5, likely later this year. The much-anticipated phone will be thinner, thanks to a micro-SIM that’s 40 percent smaller than those in current devices, but with a larger frame. 

This week, Apple has patented a “fault monitoring battery” which—as the name connotes—alerts the user if there’s a flaw in the battery pack. How so? The device will either generate an alarm or change colors—or both. It may also simply disable the use of the device carrying the battery, making it impossible for the user to ignore the warning. 

Business Deals and Developments

Netflix is making a comeback, topping Apple in market share for online video. In 2011, it accounted for 45 percent of all online video sales, according to a report released this week. Apple, on the other hand, saw its sales drop to 32 percent from the previous 61 percent. 

Apple is making its transition to the iCloud, shutting down its mobileMe service for good on June 30. Users who want to make sure all their data is transferred can follow Cnet’s helpful steps before the deadline. 

Interested in being the proud owner of one of Apple’s first computers, the 1976 Apple 1? Now Apple junkies able to dish out $180,000 (or more) can join the bidding wars at Sotheby’s in New York on June 15. The comp’s claim to fame? It was the first commercial order for a PC, and allowed users to type on a screen for the first time.

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