As noted by Engadget, Apple has informed customers that Push email service has been suspended for iCloud and MobileMe customers in Germany due to successful patent litigation by Motorola Mobility. Affected customers will still receive iCloud and MobileMe email, but new messages will be downloaded to their devices when the Mail app is opened, or when their device periodically fetches new messages as configured in iOS Settings. Push email service on desktop computers, laptop computers, and the web is unaffected, as is service from other providers such as Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync

Reuters reports that the dispute over the iPad trademark in China has taken an interesting turn, with Proview Technology filing suit against Apple in the United States over alleged deception related to the deal between the two companies.

iMore claims that Apple may be transitioning away from the standard 30-pin dock connector to something more compact in the very near future. An updated “micro dock” could make room for bigger batteries, 4G radios, and other components far more important to the iPhone and iPad in a PC free world. As the site points out, Apple has worked hard to miniaturize other components in their iOS devices.

Apple is acquiring three-year old startup Chomp and plans to use the company's technology and expertise to improve the App Store's search and app discovery technology, according to a report from TechCrunch .

Last week, we reported that we had been able to obtain a 9.7-inch display claimed to be for the iPad 3, confirming through microscopic analysis that the display offers twice the linear resolution and four times the total number of pixels as the iPad 2. iFixit's comparison of iPad 2 and iPad 3 display pixels We've since shared the display with our friends at iFixit to see if they could power the screen and otherwise take a closer look at it

Qualcomm today announced the launch of its fifth-generation Gobi reference platform that seeks to pack support for nearly all of the major worldwide mobile standards into a single chip. While the reference platform is not ready in time for inclusion in the iPad 3, it does pave the way for future world-mode iOS devices and is targeted at ultra-thin notebooks and tablets. Based on Qualcomm’s Gobi 4G LTE wireless baseband modems, the MDM9615™ and MDM9215™, the technology delivers fast LTE connectivity on FDD and TDD networks worldwide, with backwards compatibility to both HSPA+ and EV-DO networks.

While Apple's partnership with the Fair Labor Association to conduct independent audits of working conditions at factories in Apple's supply chain has been gaining headlines in recent weeks, USA Today reports that Apple is also gearing up for independent environmental audits of several suppliers. The news comes as Apple yesterday released its annual environmental report , touting a number of new initiatives and improvements, including significant investments in alternative energy at its new North Carolina data center. Ma Jun, founder of the Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs, told USA TODAY in a phone interview Monday that Apple agreed to the independent reviews in late January in response to two reports that IPE and other environmental groups released last year documenting hazardous-waste leaks and the use of toxic chemicals at suspected Apple suppliers.

The Daily claims to have had hands-on time with a working prototype of a version of Microsoft Office for the iPad (via TheVerge ). The Daily had previously reported that Microsoft was actively working on bringing Microsoft Office to the iPad. The version (pictured above) is said to allow the creation and editing of Word, Excel and PowerPoint files both locally and online.

As has been long rumored , China Telecom announced today that it has signed an agreement with Apple Inc to sell iPhones in China. China Telecom will start taking preorders for iPhone 4S on March 2nd with sales beginning on March 9th.

Japanese blog Macotakara today reports that it has learned from a "reliable" source that Apple is targeting another September or October release for the iPhone this year, continuing a shift away from the mid-year launches seen prior to 2011 and yielding an approximately 12-month upgrade cycle for the iPhone 4S. The report also claims that Apple intends for the later timeframe to be part of Apple's long-term plans for iPhone launches. According to Asian reliable source, next iPhone will be released in September or October , and this cycle seems to be kept for years