
Apple script resizes iPad banner and pushes Samsung verdict out of view - josteink
https://ssl.apple.com/v/home/n/scripts/hero_resize.js
======
archgrove
This behaviour is the same on apple.de or apple.jp, so it's not just the UK
site. Moreover, it was added only 2 days after the judgement was upheld:

    
    
        HEAD /v/home/n/scripts/hero_resize.js HTTP/1.1
        Host: www.apple.com
        
        HTTP/1.1 200 OK
        Server: Apache
        **Last-Modified: Sun, 21 Oct 2012 19:31:51 GMT**
        Accept-Ranges: bytes
        Content-Length: 632
        Content-Type: application/x-javascript
        Cache-Control: max-age=600
        Expires: Sat, 03 Nov 2012 17:04:23 GMT
        Date: Sat, 03 Nov 2012 16:54:23 GMT
        Connection: keep-alive
    
    

I believe this was _before_ the homepage was altered to display the ruling.
Moreover, this was also just 2 days before the iPad mini was announced. Far
more likely this is just related to new product announcements than any
nefarious scheme.

~~~
revelation
Well, theres a screenshot here:

<http://i.imgur.com/KH555.jpg>

They fudged with the sizes, through this script here or not.

~~~
archgrove
This only seems to occur on apple.com. The resizing behaviour happens on all
country specific sites I've tried.

------
w1ntermute
I really hope they get reamed by the judge again for this. It would be great
to see them forced to place the verdict at the top of the page. Unfortunately,
the judge probably has no idea what JS is.

~~~
theboywho
I think you too have no idea what JS is. The script basically resizes the
window based on weather you're on a touch device or not. It has nothing to do
with the Samsung apology.

~~~
w1ntermute
> I think you too have no idea what JS is. The script basically resizes the
> window based on weather you're on a touch device or not.

Actually, you're the one who has no idea what JS is. I just resized a Chrome
window with <http://www.apple.co.uk/> loaded in it on my Windows desktop PC.
As I changed the height of the window, the content above the Samsung apology
was resized so that the apology would be hidden unless I scrolled down. It is
most definitely not restricted to touch devices.

~~~
spazmaster
Same here, 1440x900px screen. You have to make the content tiny before you see
the statement above the fold.

------
mcpoulet
This script was already used in september for the iPhone 5 homepage. This is
simply called vertical responsive design. See these screenshots for exemple :
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/shawnblanc/7980347228/in/photos...](http://www.flickr.com/photos/shawnblanc/7980347228/in/photostream)

It has nothing to do with the Samsung trial's verdict.

~~~
leddt
It is not used on the US site which does not feature the statement.

If it did I might agree with you, but in the current state of affairs it looks
really fishy.

~~~
msbarnett
> It is not used on the US site which does not feature the statement.

But the resize _is_ used on apple.de, apple.co.jp, apple.ca, and a lot of othe
country-specific sites, none of which display the statement.

------
fludlight
I don't see what the big deal is. When I go to <http://apple.co.uk> I see a
statement about Samsung in reasonably sized, clear print:

"On 25 October 2012, Apple Inc. published a statement on its UK website in
relation to Samsung's Galaxy tablet computers. That statement was inaccurate
and did not comply with the order of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales.
The correct statement is at Samsung/Apple UK judgement."

Screenshot, in case you see something else: <http://imgur.com/79bBm>

Edit: Oh, I see...the statement gets pushed below the first visible page so
you have to scroll to see it, which most people don't. Still, so what? Where
did you guys expect them to put it? Tattooed on Tim Cook's forehead? Joe the
plumber doesn't care about intellectual property disputes between electronics
companies.

~~~
tankenmate
Joe the plumber may not care, but then Joe can't hold Apple in contempt.

~~~
sigzero
Neither can the Judge. The exact wording is right there. So what if you have
to scroll to see it. That isn't contempt.

~~~
tankenmate
If the intent is for it to be readily visible, then it may be contempt; they
could have set the text colour to be #FFFFFF and it would still be the right
words on the front page....

------
sek
This stuff makes this company so incredibly unlikable.

Maybe some uninformed consumers don't see it, but for informed people Apple
loses sympathy every day with this behavior.

~~~
TillE
As someone who _wants_ to like Apple (and owns a bunch of iOS gear), I agree.
But the fanboys are loving it. I'll never understand that kind of corporate
partisanship.

Realistically, 99% of potential customers won't even know about this sort of
thing. But sometimes I do wish Apple would just make the tiny bit of effort to
step on to the moral high ground.

~~~
Osmium
>I'll never understand that kind of corporate partisanship.

It's no different from sport and patriotism. It's exactly the same mentality.
Everyone* has their team.

~~~
TillE
But with sports, at least there's a purpose. It's not very interesting if you
don't care about the outcome, so you pick teams to support. Preferably local
ones so you can go to games. And it's fun.

With companies, you gain absolutely nothing by "supporting" them in the same
way. You're just ceding objectivity that's useful when making purchasing
decisions.

------
jsnk
Just for the record.

var
HeroResize=AC.Class({initialize:function(b){this._height=null;this._hero=$(b);
AC.Object.synthesize(this);this.__boundResizeHero=this.resizeHero.bindAsEventListener(this);
if(typeof
window.ontouchstart==="undefined"){this.resizeHero();Event.observe(window,"resize",this.__boundResizeHero)
}},setHeight:function(b){this._height=(b<0)?0:b;return
this._height},resizeHero:function(){this.setHeight(parseInt(window.innerHeight||(window.document.documentElement.clientHeight||window.document.body.clientHeight),10)-310);
this.hero().style.height=this.height()+"px"}});Event.onDOMReady(function(){var
b=new HeroResize("billboard") });

~~~
jrajav

        var HeroResize = AC.Class({
            initialize: function (b) {
                this._height = null;
                this._hero = $(b);
                AC.Object.synthesize(this);
                this.__boundResizeHero = this.resizeHero.bindAsEventListener(this);
                if (typeof window.ontouchstart === "undefined") {
                    this.resizeHero();
                    Event.observe(window, "resize", this.__boundResizeHero)
                }
            },
            setHeight: function (b) {
                this._height = (b < 0) ? 0 : b;
                return this._height
            },
            resizeHero: function () {
                this.setHeight(parseInt(window.innerHeight || (window.document.documentElement.clientHeight || window.document.body.clientHeight), 10) - 310);
                this.hero().style.height = this.height() + "px"
            }
        });
        Event.onDOMReady(function () {
            var b = new HeroResize("billboard")
        });

------
Breakthrough
Man, this just keeps getting better... You think after the first time they
would just have accepted the loss, put up the message, and gone on with
things. It's amazing the extent they are willing to go to subvert the verdict.
Of course, this is only if the script is indeed meant to push the ruling out
of view...

~~~
rhizome
I think even without the script story it's plain that Apple is acting like a
child here.

------
lignuist
I guess the judge will soon design the Apple frontpage himself with MS Paint,
if Apple doesn't stop this behaviour in the next few days.

------
alextingle
They've still got the deliberate line break between "do not" and "infringe".
That trick is designed to blunt the impact of the message:

    
    
        do not</span> <span class="nowrap">infringe

------
jimrandomh
Additionally, there is a script to measure what fraction of people scroll
down. That script is not new; Apple knows exactly how many people this will
prevent from seeing the notice.

------
Cbasedlifeform
This whole thing is turning into a PR disaster for Apple... Some variation on
the Streisand Effect.

When Apple first posted the "apology" Gruber et al all whooped up how clever
Apple was. A bit of blowback now.

~~~
shinratdr
> Some variation on the Streisand Effect.

In this case, the variation is "a bunch of nerds try desperately to make a
mountain out of a molehill and nobody cares except themselves".

Maybe we should come up with a new name.

~~~
Cbasedlifeform
The "Kardashian Effect"?

After all, nobody gives a fuck about her :)

------
jason_slack
Can someone explain though, non-code, under what conditions is the resizing
taking place?

~~~
NoahSussman
The onresize event fires whenever you change the sized of your browser window.
Eg it occurs when you maximize the window or when you click-and-drag on the
corner of the window in order to make it smaller or larger. See also
<https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/DOM/window.onresize>

~~~
Heliosmaster
and when you zoom out.

------
rogerb
Do we know whether or not this was the behavior on the site prior to them
having to post this ?

~~~
______
Judging from the fact that this same behavior does _not_ occur on the
apple.com site, which is running the same exact promo of the iPad mini, my
guess is that this is something new and not the existing behavior.

------
RKearney
Unfortunately in trying to be clever, they destroyed the page when trying to
zoom in and out.

<http://i.imgur.com/ssKsU.png>

So they sacrificed accessibility for what, trying to be childish and clever in
the execution of a court order?

------
kami8845
The statement can be found on <http://www.apple.co.uk> for anyone wondering.

------
tnuc
What page of the apple site should I be looking at to see this script in
action?

~~~
manojlds
apple.co.uk

~~~
tnuc
Thank you.

------
frugalmail
The sleezy-ness of Apple is completely unacceptable as of late

------
MattDL
I could have seen this being unrelated and just a UX polishing touch, but then
they didn't think to put it on the other versions of the site to at least try
and make it less suspicious.

Pushing past the limits of acceptability now, they should face some fairly
serious punishment for this.

------
radley
This post's title is a little off.

Apple is using a script to push the verdict "below the fold".

------
metatronscube
I went to the page to see what all the bother was about and ended up buying an
iPad mini (to replace nexus 7). Thanks Samsung. You can't pay for this
publicity.

------
msg
Plausible deniability or no, Apple was very dumb not to put themselves above
reproach here.

If a CSS/JS behavior interferes with your ability to comply with a court
order, that just means you have two problems.

I for one don't believe Apple is being contrite and forthright about the harm
they were judged to do to Samsung in the marketplace. These judges will
clearly lean on Apple until they get the message.

------
kbs
They are also using a 'sosumi' comment, guess they still want to tweak
someone's nose.

    
    
        $ curl -s www.apple.com/uk/ | grep -A 1 /sosumi
        </div><!--/sosumi-->
        <p class="statement">On 25 October 2012, Apple Inc. published a statement on its UK website...

~~~
swang
That's actually for the div for Apple's copyright notice, which has a
classname of sosumi.

------
pfortuny
They are really playing with fire...

------
orionblastar
This is just a trick by Apple who don't want to admit to doing anything wrong.
Expect the judge to notice this and issue another order that the text must be
readable and not covered up with Javscript tricks.

------
Tyr42
I don't see the Samsung verdict anywhere on the page or in the source.

~~~
Breakthrough
It only shows up on <http://www.apple.co.uk>, since the ruling was made in the
UK.

~~~
kordless
I wonder if I go to <http://www.apple.com/> if it redirects to the UK site if
I'm in the UK?

~~~
Osmium
It doesn't, but this has always been the case. Apple didn't even own
apple.co.uk until recently; the official site was apple.com/uk

------
aggarwalachal
Did they just update the homepage on apple.com? Shows the iPad 4th gen now.

------
mamby
unfair!

------
drivebyacct2
While a bit deceptive, I think it's rather funny and cute. I almost get the
impression that Apple is intentionally mocking the court. I know it doesn't
make business sense, but it seems like they had to know they're taking a bit
of a risk in not complying in full-faith.

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whoisstan
Samsung is a soul less copy cat. Of course I push any word of them below the
fold.

