Did Apple Really “Steal” Their iPhone Design From Samsung? [Pot, Meet Kettle]

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Take a look at this picture. Take a good look at it. On the right? an iPhone. (I’m not sure which revision, really.They all look the same to me.) On the left? Well that’s a little fellow from Samsung known as the Samsung F700. The image alleges that the phone was announced in 2006 and released in February 2007, but only the latter is fact. The iPhone was announced and released in 2007.

So that begs the question: who’s really stealing from who? (If you didn’t know, Samsung is being sued by Apple for the Galaxy S’ resemblance to the iPhone.) Samsung clearly had something going with this design way before they thought up the Samsung Galaxy S and before we even knew of the iPhone’s existence. And the user interface isn’t looking too much different form iOS, either. (If we’re just talking about grid-based layouts.)

The answer: no one is stealing from anyone. Apple didn’t invent icons, nor did they invent the grid in which they sit. They didn’t invent the rectangle. They didn’t invent the touchscreen. They surely didn’t invent the nice looking button sitting at the bottom. And last, but not least, they didn’t invent phones.

And all of the same applies to Samsung and any other OEM. This image should serve as a good reminder that with innovation comes imitation. A standard is always set and manufacturers will always look to meet or surpass that standard. Apple can’t go around suing everybody because their phone was the first one that looks like it to be successful. Fall back, Apple – you really have no case here. [Thanks, Suriv!]

PS: Feel free to use this as ammunition in your court battles, Samsung – we’re on your side.

[Note]: Yes, we’ve seen the debunk article at Apple Insider. Even if Samsung did release the F700 a month after Apple showed the iPhone, it takes months for a design of any product to be finalized. Unless Samsung had some insiders at Apple leaking design information and documents, then it’s not right to say that the F700 copied the iPhone.

What You See vs. What Your Kids See [7 Pics]

If you are a parent, you have most likely smiled more than once while thinking about how your child views the world. Whether it’s looking up at a cloud and seeing an elephant, laughing because they hear Santa Claus on the roof, or crying because they see a monster under the bed, kids definitely live in a different world than adults.

And, who’s to say they are wrong? There are many days when I want to regress to that world, and to live that life of innocence and simplicity again. It’s a world where nothing is right or wrong, it just is. Up until now, I’ve always thought it is the vivid imagination of children that allows them to perceive things differently, but it turns out, there is more to it than that.

According to a study on New Science by Dr. Jim Stone at the University of Sheffield, UK, children really do see things differently. Apparently children do not see objects in a fully grown-up way until they are about 13 years old. There are many things that are learned about how we interpret what we see visually. You can read more about this study on New Scientist.

Jeff Wysaski knows all about how kids view things differently than adults. His adult vs. kid comparisons on pleated-jeans really made me laugh. It’s amazing how seeing pictures like this can bring back so many memories. If you would like to see the whole collection, go to What We See vs. What Kids See. Suddenly I have the urge to go jump on the bed.

Kids See Things Differently

Kids See Things Differently

Kids See Things Differently

Kids See Things Differently

Kids See Things Differently

Kids See Things Differently

Kids See Things Differently

Header Image Credit: [GLUE STOCK / Shutterstock]

Two White Girls Become Cunning Linguists via Google Translate

I can’t say I’m always the most confident Urdu speaker. When my mother’s younger siblings came from Pakistan a few years ago,with a slew of adorable baby cousins (okay, it was three), I was happy to once again immerse myself in the language. But nowadays it’s rare that I have the chance to practice Urdu, which is why this video made me giggle. Two girls decide they want to order Indian food — but in Hindi. So of course they turn to the Interwebs for help. Because on the Internet, nobody knows you’re brown. Using Google Translate, they successfully order themselves some takeout. I like the part at the end where the dude on the phone is like, “Will there be anything else?” And the girls just keep “saying” the address instead.

Alas, the English-Urdu translation tool doesn’t narrate the translation for you. But maybe someday. A girl can dream. Then maybe I can impress the local kebab-wala with my fluent Urdu.

Hat Tip: Kunjan

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