Washington, Nov 26 (AP/UNB)  — Apple is at the Supreme Court to defend the way it sells apps for iPhones against claims by consumers that the company has unfairly monopolized the market.

The justices are hearing arguments Monday in Apple's effort to end an antitrust lawsuit that could force the iPhone maker to cut the 30 percent commission it charges software developers whose apps are sold exclusively through Apple's App Store. A judge could triple the compensation to consumers under antitrust law if Apple ultimately loses the lawsuit.

Apple says it doesn't own the apps or sell them. That's the responsibility of software developers.

But the lawsuit says the Cupertino, California-based company exerts a lot of control over the process, including a requirement that prices end in .99. And iPhone apps are only available through the App Store.

The issue for the Supreme Court is whether Apple can even be sued about the apps, given prior high court rulings in antitrust cases. In other cases, the justices have said there must be a direct relationship between the seller and a party complaining about unfair, anticompetitive pricing.

Consumers can choose from among more than 2 million apps, up from the 500 apps that were available when Apple created the App Store in 2008. "The phrase 'there's an app for that' is now part of the popular lexicon," Chief Justice John Roberts noted in a 2014 decision limiting warrantless searches of cellphones by police. Apple has trademarked the phrase.

But the company says the popularity of software for iPhones and its App Store shouldn't obscure that consumers buys apps from developers, not Apple.

"Apple is a sales and distribution agent for developers," Apple's lawyers said in a Supreme Court filing. "Apple's core argument has always been that any injury to consumers necessarily depends on developer pass-through decisions, since Apple does not set apps prices."

Apple takes a 30 percent commission on the sale of apps, but it says any complaints about its pricing structure should come from developers, not consumers, since it's the developers who pay the commission. The Trump administration is backing Apple at the high court.

A trial court initially dismissed the lawsuit, but the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals revived it.

Lawyers for the consumers urged the high court to allow the lawsuit to proceed.  Consumers "pay the monopoly prices for apps directly to Apple through its App Store," the lawyers wrote in their Supreme Court brief. That direct relationship makes Apple the proper target of an antitrust lawsuit, they said.

A victory for Apple could severely restrict consumers' ability to sue over antitrust violations even though Congress envisioned such lawsuits "would form a central component of enforcement of the antitrust laws," warned 18 scholars of antitrust law in a Supreme Court filing.

A decision in Apple Inc. v Pepper, 17-204, is expected by late spring.

Dhaka, Nov 18 (UNB)- Robi-10 Minute School, country’s largest online educational platform with its skill development, academic and inspirational topics, has made the learning more enjoyable and innovative.

Robi-10 Minute School (www.robi10minuteschool.com), has so far published a total of 786 blogs on countless academic topics, inspirational stories, skill development, career and creative life hacks to make the learning more fun.

The site is also one of its kinds to have a growing number of over 148 skill development blogs that teaches students important skills such as making a CV, giving an interview or a presentation, and many more topics that are very crucial for students these days.

The platform also has a number of blog categories that include career skills, life hacks, book reviews and a miscellaneous category that covers a wider range of learning content, making it the largest and most unique educational blog of the country.

Dhaka, Nov 10 (UNB) - Huawei Consumer Business Group (Bangladesh) offers discounts on two popular smartphones for Bangladeshi consumers.

Nova 3i featuring four artificial intelligence (AI) cameras will be available at a discount of Tk 2,000, while the price of Huawei Y9 2018 phone featuring four cameras, Huawei full-view display and 3 cards will be discounted by Tk 1,600.

According to the revised price, Nova 3i will be sold for Tk 26,990 and Y9 2018 for Tk 17,990.

This phone sets will be available at all Huawei brand shops and authorized mobile outlets across the country with the discounted price.

Huawei Nova 3i phone features 6.3-inch full-view Notch Display, Dual Facing Camera with 24-megapixel primary sensor, 2 megapixel sensor, 16-megapixel primary sensor, and a rear camera with 2-megapixel secondary sensor. It is also provided with 4-GB RAM and 128-GB ROM.

On the other hand, Y9 2018 phone features 5.9-inch Huawei full-view display, 4000-milliampere powerful battery, 3-GB RAM, and 32-GB ROM. Moreover, the handset is equipped with 3 card slots facilitating the option for up-to-256GB micro-SD card in addition to dual SIM.
 

San Francisco, Nov 8 (AP/UNB) — For the past few years, the smartphone industry has been searching for a breakthrough to revive a market mired in an innovation lull and a sales slump. A potential catalyst is on the horizon in the form of flexible screens that can be folded in half without breaking.

Samsung and several rivals are preparing to roll out such screens to make devices more versatile for work and pleasure. The foldable screens could increase display space to the size of a mini-tablet, but fold like a wallet so they revert to the size of regular phones. But there are questions about price and durability.

If the new phones fulfill their makers' ambitions, they will become a leap ahead for an industry whose origins can be traced to the old flip phones that consumers once embraced as cool and convenient. Foldable-screen phones, though, won't need hinges because they have continuous displays that can bend.

In an indication of how difficult it is to make a flexible screen that's also durable, Samsung first announced plans to build a folding-screen phone five years ago. It wasn't until Wednesday, though, that Samsung finally provided a glimpse at what it's been working on.

"We have been living in a world where the size of a screen could only be as large as the device itself," said Justin Denison, Samsung's senior vice president of mobile product marketing. "We have just entered a new dimension."

Except for a fleeting look at a device he held in a hand, Denison provided scant information about the phone. Samsung says it will be ready to hit the market at some point next year.

Smartphone makers are looking for something to excite consumers as they replace phones less often because new models are pricey and aren't that much different from their predecessors beyond slightly better cameras and batteries.

That's the main reason worldwide smartphone sales have fallen from the previous year for four consecutive quarters, according to IDC. Add it all up, and smartphone sales declined by 4 percent during 12 months ending in September. Samsung, the world's leading seller of smartphones, suffered a 7 percent decline in shipments during that period, based on IDC's calculations.

But it's not clear whether flexible-screen phones will have mass appeal, especially when the bendy devices are expected to cost more than $1,000. Royole Corp., a small Silicon Valley company, is hoping to sell early versions of its FlexPai foldable-screen phone for $1,300 to $1,500 once it comes to the U.S. — something that won't happen until next year, at the earliest. For now, it will be available in China starting next month, at a price equivalent to about $1,300.

While the idea of a device being able to bend into different shapes may sound good, IDC analyst Ramon Llamas is skeptical about how practical and durable they will be. One of the biggest questions is whether the quality of the screens will degrade as they get repeatedly folded. "Are people really going to want to watch a Netflix show on these devices if there is a crease down the middle of it?" Llamas said.

Royole said its FlexPai can be bent more than 200,000 times without deteriorating.

Other foldable-screen phones running Google's Android software are expected to be available, too. Huawei confirmed last month that it is working on a phone with a flexible screen. LG Electronics is widely expected to unveil one at the CES gadget show in Las Vegas in January. LG didn't respond to a request for comment.

"Everyone has been thinking about the same question: 'What's next? Is there nothing more from a smartphone?'" Royole CEO Bill Liu said.

Dhaka, Nov 1 (UNB) – Grameenphone handed over the first ‘iPhone Xs’ and ‘iPhone Xs Max’ on Thursday to the customers who had pre-ordered their handsets.

Micheal Foley, CEO, Grameenphone and brand ambassador of the company Tahsan Rahman Khan handed over the handsets at the Grameenphone Lounge in Gulshan, said a press release.

Sardar Showkat Ali, Head of Device, of Grameenphone along with other officials were present on the occasion.

The iPhone Xs and Xs Max are the newest additions to Apple phone series and are powered with the smartest and the most powerful chips available on a smartphone.

Both models are available in Grameenphone Centers, GP Online shops and enterprise channels from today onwards across the country.