Stefan Mileschin

It would appear that Apple and Google, which have been involved in a patent "thermo-nuclear war", are starting to get friendly again.

The relationship soured when Google became involved in the smartphone business with its Android operating system, and Apple started a patent war to stop it.

Now, according to Google's executive chairman Eric Schmidt, the relationship has improved in the last year.

According to the Times of India, Schmidt did not say what the meetings are about, but it is fairly clear that things are starting to change on the mobile phone front and Apple and Google are not really enemies.

Apple's main problem is Samsung and Google is having difficulty now that its hardware partners are seriously considering ditching its operating system for their own flavour of Linux that they have more control over.

Schmidt said that the two companies are in "constant business discussions on a long list of issues" which implies that they are trying to draft a non-aggression pact so that they can focus on the things which really bother them.

The war has meant Apple has tried to lessen its reliance on Google's online services. Last year it dumped Google's Maps product in favour of its own mapping software which was not up to scratch.

Apple would prefer not to have to do that again and could then concentrate on coming up with something new for the iPhone.

http://news.techeye.net/mobile/apple...hing-things-up