Apple’s claim to the letter “i” has come to a screeching halt as a trademarks tribunal has rejected the company’s bid to stop a small company from using their favorite letter of the alphabet.

This particular company wanted to name it’s cases for Apple products DOPi, which is iPod spelled backwards. Apple’s argument was that the DOPi name resembled their own products too closely and that it had potential to confuse consumers that they were purchasing a Apple product.

Now if you stop and think about it there are currently other products on the market that use the letter “i” that Apple has not gone after – iSkin or iSoft anyone? So that must mean Apple is protecting the name iPod simply spelled backwards but intellectual property lawyer Trevor Choy has a explanation for that.

“A competitor can sometimes get away with registering the reverse spelling of a registered trade mark – iPOD and DOPi. Here, they said that DOPi stands for ‘Digital Options and Personalised Items’,”

We will let our readers decide this case. Should Apple have a case or is this another case of the company simply trying to throw it’s weight around? Sound off in the comments below!

[Thanks for the tip robert! Via smh.com.au]

Apple’s Claim to the Letter “i” – Rejected is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Tony Hawk for iPhone? Let’s just him do the tweeting… er… talking:

In the PR world, this is considered “going rogue,” but I’m too excited to contain it. This is real & dropping soon.

Happy?

Tony Hawk for iPhone “Real” and “Dropping Soon” is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

Something has changed on Apple.com’s revamped iPad specs page — the mute switch is gone and in its place, a physical hardware button for “screen orientation lock”. That’s right, now you can sit or lounge without fear of the iPad spinning around willy-nilly every time you shift one way or ‘tother. However, you can’t quickly turn the sound off. (We’re guessing you’re supposed to hold down the volume rocker for that function now).

We’ve long hoped for a Settings option for that, but hardware is certainly more convenient to rapidly turn it on and off at whim. Sacrificing the mute button though? Couldn’t it be (will it be?) user assignable like the home button? And what’s with the last minute change? Focus groups give feedback, or did Steve Jobs get tired of his screen flipping around, stormed down to the underground lab, and demand the change? Will it be confusing to have orientation lock on the iPad where mute is on the iPhone? Or will the 4th generation iPhone get the same change?

Are we reading too much into this, or is Apple not reading enough into what’s being hailed as the next great leap forward in personal computing?

[via the Loop]

Goodbye iPad Mute Switch, Hello iPad Orientation Lock Switch is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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iPod + iTunes is dead on the Apple.com menu, long live iPod | iPhone | iPad | iTunes. (And yes, Mac is still there too).

The all new iPad section coincides with the launch of pre-orders and pickups today, and links to all the content previously available at apple.com/ipad via the homepage. The broken out iPod and iTunes section lets Apple focus on the devices (with the iPod touch front and center) on the former, and the iTunes software and store on the latter.

So what do you think of the new navigation, cheers or jeers? And is iPhone, iPad, iPod, and iTunes taking the place over?

Apple.com Adds iPad to Menu, iPod and iTunes Now Separate is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Not in the US, can’t pre-order an iPad via store.apple.com/us, willing to travel by plane, train, or automobile to the closest Apple Retail Store on April 3? Then reserve your iPad for pick-up now and be sure get one when you get there!

You’ll need an Apple Online Store ID to reserve one, but my Canadian Apple Online Store ID worked just fine. If yours works too, let us know in the comments!

Note: If you buy an iPad from the US, you’ll likely need to have to go back to the US for any warranties or repairs. Keep that in mind.

International and Want an iPad on April 3? Reserve for Pickup and Get Traveling! is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Attention US shoppers, the iPad in both Wi-Fi and 3G flavors are now available for pre-order. Just head on over to the Apple Online Store and you can arrange to have your very own iPad Wi-Fi in 16GB, 32GB, and/or 64GB shipped to you or made ready for pickup at your local Apple Retail Store on April 3. iPad 3G 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB are also available for pre-order but won’t ship until late April.

Did you pre-order? If so, which one did you get?

Apple iPad Wi-Fi + 3G Now Available for Pre-Order in the US is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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The US Apple Online Store is down in advance today’s US iPad pre-order kick off. It should be back up by 5:30am Pacific, 8:30am Eastern so shoppers around the country can nab themselves a magical new iPad for delivery or pick-up on April 3. We’ll post the direct link as soon as it’s live.

Now Apple Online Stores in other countries like Canada and the UK… well we’re not sure why they’re down since they’re not getting iPad pre-orders (or iPads until “late April”) so keep your eyes peeled and let us know what they come back with… if anything.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Apple Online Store Down! US iPad Pre-Orders Imminent! International… iWhat Now? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Live from GDC 2010, Rene talks with Jonathan Kromrey, General Manager of Apple Games at Namco about Pool Pro Online 3 [$4.99 - iTunes link] for iPhone and iPod touch… and coming to the iPad as well!

Namco’s Apple group, known as Order of Magnitude, started with the iPhone version but since much of the game runs server side, and they’ve got high resolution art for the PC and Mac versions, moving it over to the iPad is something they can do very quickly. (It will also allow them to bring it to Android — already in beta — and other platforms). Due to the server-side nature of the game, you can also play it across platforms with your settings and customizations linked to your username. That means if you play on the iPhone now, when you get the iPad you can log in and just keep playing.

Multiplayer is supported over Wi-Fi and bluetooth and you can chat (i.e. trash-talk) in any language supported by the iPhone via their Unite SDK, the same system that allows cross-platform challenges to be sent and received. (And you can wager with virtual cash to make it a little more interesting).

We’ve been promised this kind of multi-player, multi-platform gaming for a long time now but Namco looks like they’re delivering. The performance and real-time rendering are slick and swift and the controls and customization are precise and robust.

Check out the video below, and if you’re playing Pool Pro Online 3 let us know how you’re liking it!

YouTube link

TiPb Apps 4.5: Pool Pro Online 3 for iPhone (GDC 2010) is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Tapped on App Store and what did I see? Updates for Tweetie, Loopt, Foursquare, and Flickr — and a couple of those say iPhone OS 3.2 (aka iPad) right there in the What’s New listing. (Yeah, that doesn’t mean 3.2 is coming to the iPhone or these are 1024×768 versions, likely just that they’re built using that SDK for maximum blackboxing on the iPad).

Tweetie [$2.99 - iTunes link] has just hit version 2.1.1 and brings iPhone OS 3.2 compatibility(!), Foursquare (4sq.com) integration, Vodpod video uploads, Post ‘message’ parameter to TwitPic, and Instapaper Mobilizer. See our previous Tweetie coverage for more on the app.

Loopt [Free - iTunes link] expands the product's Pulse feature to include tens of thousands of local events, and allows check-in to events, public Tips, and the ability to RSVP to events posted on Facebook. It’s also got you covered for SXSW, and adds content from SonicLiving, Zvents and Metromix.

Foursquare [Free - iTunes link] brings a whole new look and feel (see below), faster, better checkin, and categories for Places view. Also, it has history for Places, and uses Tweetie-style pull-to-refresh.

Flickr [Free - iTunes link] iPhone OS 3.2 support (!)

Quick App Updates: Tweetie, Loopt, Foursquare, Flickr — Including iPhone 3.2 Compatibility(!) is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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SinSearch [$1.99 (sale is over!) - iTunes link] is a very bad iPhone app. Not bad as in badly done by any means — bad as in it helps you find things that are bad for your health, bad for your wallet, and/or bad for any chance at a career in public office should they be discovered. (Which means, of course, it should be wildly popular):

SinSearch uses your GEOlocation (GPS) to pinpoint bars, clubs, taxis, spirits, wine bars and many more locations nearest your current location. Scroll through a list of results and click to find locations organized by distance away from you. Address, phone number, map and directions are all provided within the app. Perfect for those of you looking to have a memorable night of fun in a new town or in your very own backyard! It will not only help you find fun but help you get out of trouble with searches for lawyers, churches, hospitals and more!

Nice little shot of redemption there at the end! If you give it a try, let us know what you think!

Note: the launch day give-away (free) has ended and the app is now $1.99.

TiPb After Dark: SinSearch Brings Bad Things to Your iPhone is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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