Apple Adding Earthquake Warnings for iOS 5 in Japan

After a devastating 8.9-magnitude earthquake ravaged Japan in March, Apple has opted to add a potentially lifesaving feature to iOS 5. The Japanese version of the updated operating system will include the option to connect to Japan’s earthquake early warning system, according to 9to5Mac.

TouchPad’s demise a cautionary tale for iPad competitors

The HP TouchPad tablet computer’s packaging shows a hefty dose of bravado from a company that had hoped to topple the dominant Apple iPad.
But in light of recent developments, it’s just kind of sad: “Now comes the fun part,” it announces in simple white text.
In a stunning move late last week, HP said it would discontinue the TouchPad and its entire line of smartphones after dismal sales and weak customer reception .

Apple Reportedly Still Uninterested in OLED Technology for iOS Devices and Potential Televisions

One of the most popular long-standing rumors regarding Apple’s future product plans has centered around television sets. Several analysts have been strong proponents of the idea that Apple is working such a product, and unreliable Australian site Smarthouse reported last month that Apple had been rumored to be in discussions with LG about producing a panel for a 55-inch TV based on organic light emitting diode (OLED) technology.

HP: TouchPads Sold Out, But ‘More Coming’

It was a big weekend for HP, but for all the wrong reasons. Shoppers overloaded the HP servers and rushed to their local Best Buy stores in the hopes of nabbing a TouchPad tablet at rock-bottom prices. But unfortunately for HP, it was just getting rid of existing inventory; those discounts are not likely to help its bottom line.

“All this clamoring for the TouchPad, kind of bittersweet,” Bryna Corcoran, HP’s social media manager, tweeted last night. “For those of you who end up with one in the end of all this, I want tweets and pics of how much you love it b/c I know you will.”

New BlackBerry Curve Models Coming This Month!

Research in Motion, the maker of the popular BlackBerry line of smartphones, has announced the latest additions to its product lineup: The Curve 9350, Curve 9360, and Curve 9370. The new devices will run BlackBerry 7, the company’s latest mobile operating system, and become available in September.

The smartphones will offer GPS and Wi-Fi support, a 5MP camera (with flash and video recording capabilities), and a MicrosSD/SDHS slot with support for memory cards up to 32 GB.

Motorola Xoom Android 3.1 update now out in Canada

The Android 3.1 update for the Motorola Xoom is now rolling out in Canada, the company has announced via Twitter earlier. It’s unclear why it took this long for Motorola to release an update that’s been available in the US since May. What’s more, in the US the Xoom has already been updated to Android 3.2, and who knows when Canadian Xoom owners should expect that to come their way.

Best Buy is Returning Unsold HP TouchPads

Best Buy is reportedly refusing to keep the huge, unsold stocks of HP TouchPad tablets it has in its warehouses, with the retailer said to have sold less than 10-percent of the 270,000 units it initially ordered. The company has apparently told HP that it wants to return some of that stock, AllThingsD‘s sources tell them, with sales that have only amounted to around 25,000 of the tablets. Another source said the estimate was on the “charitable” side and that, even with recent discounts and what has now become a permanent $100 price cut, sales are still underwhelming.

HTC Seeks Apple Import Ban

At this rate, it soon won’t be possible to buy a cellphone at all, and we’ll all be reduced to tin cans and string.
The latest move in what’s become a cats-cradle of tangled patent lawsuits is an attempt by HTC to block US imports of Apple’s iPhone, iPad and Mac.
HTC has filed lawsuits in Delaware and with the International Trade Commission aiming to ban imports of the Apple devices. The company’s already had some success with the ITC, which last month ruled that Apple’s computers – though not its mobile devices – infringed HTC patents.

iPad Resurrects Google Catalog Search for Shoppers

Google Catalogs offers consumers a new way to browse and shop for products through digital catalogs on Apple’s iPad. No Android “Honeycomb” version available yet.

Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) is giving catalog search another shot, a move made possible by the more than 30 million iPads Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) has sold.