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iPad overheating lawsuit dismissed as Jobs' controversial mansion is razed

A lawsuit accusing Apple of falsely advertising the iPad has been dismissed due to lack of specificity, while CEO Steve Jobs has finally succeeded in having the historic Jackling mansion torn down, ending a decade-long personal struggle.

Class-action lawsuit

Court documents reveal that a federal judge has dismissed a class-action lawsuit, Gregg Keizer of Computerworld reports. The suit was filed in July of last year and alleged that Apple had failed to warn users that the iPad could overheat when used in direct sunlight and had falsely advertised that the tablet device functioned like a book.

"Using the iPad is not 'just like a reading book' at all since books do not close when the reader is enjoying them in the sunlight or in other normal environmental environments," the complaint read.

U.S. District Court Judge Jeremy Fogel issued the order last week. "The Court concludes that these allegations are insufficient," said Fogel. "At the least, Plaintiffs must identify the particular commercial or advertisement upon which they relied and must describe with the requisite specificity the content of that particular commercial or advertisement."

Plaintiffs Jacob Balthazar, Claudia Keller and John Browning have 30 days to refile an amended complaint with the required specifics.

Jackling mansion

According to local newspaper the Almanac, demolition of the Jackling mansion began earlier this week. A person knowledgeable about the operation said the house had been "essentially flattened," though complete destruction of the house will take approximately two weeks.

The razing of the 17,250-square-foot mansion puts an end to a decade long controversy between Jobs and preservationists. The Spanish colonial revival mansion, which was built by Copper baron Daniel Jackling in the 1920s, had attracted the attention of local historians, who argued that the house was historically significant.

Jobs purchased the mansion in 1984 and lived in it for roughly 10 years before renting it out. The home has stood vacant since 2000, in what critics have called "demolition by neglect."

After several back and forth filings involving the city of Woodside and preservation group Uphold our Heritage, Jobs finally received the permit last week authorizing demolition of the home.

Jobs reportedly plans to build a smaller, more private home in place of the dilapidated mansion.