Bite by bite: Authorities have seized iPads from retailers in more Chinese cities in an escalating dispute between Apple and a struggling local company over the trademark for the popular tablet computer, according to various news reports. The Chinese company, Shenzhen Proview Technology, announced earlier this week it would ask customs officials to stop imports and exports of iPads, a move that might disrupt global sales because the tablets are manufactured in China. iPads were seized in the central city of Zhengzhou and the eastern port of Qingdao, according to China Business News. Seizures were reported earlier in the cities of Shijiazhuang and Xuzhou. The Associated Press has the full story here.
Rank and file: Microsoft is hooking up MSN.com with a hipper sidekick to broaden its appeal and stay on top of the Internet’s hottest topics. The trend-tracking service, called “msnNOW,” tunes into the buzz by sifting through millions of Internet searches and links circulating among the hordes on Facebook and Twitter. The chatter is then distilled into the equivalent of a digital water cooler—a place where people can go to keep in touch without spending much time. After months of development, the new feature debuts today here.
Still in the freezer: You can add Motorola to the growing list of Android gadget-makers waiting until the second half of the year to update the majority of its devices to Ice Cream Sandwich—the latest version of the Google-built operating system—The Los Angeles Times reports. Motorola says its road map for upgrades to Android Ice Cream Sandwich will have to wait until the third quarter, except for the Motorola Xoom tablet and the non-U.S. versions of the Razr smartphone. Ice Cream Sandwich made its debut in December on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphone, and even Samsung is taking its time updating devices to the latest flavor of Android. Phone makers HTC, Sony and LG are, too. Check out the full story and see a chart of all expected updates for the year here.
