Microsoft Corp., a 20-year stalwart of the annual Consumer Electronics Show, has decided to pull out of the largest trade show of its kind.
The company's chief executive often gave the keynote address, highlighting its own products and broader tech trends. But the company said it would stop doing so after the 2012 CES. It also will no longer have an exhibit.
CES is one of the world's largest trade shows and annually attracts more than 100,000 visitors to Las Vegas from all over the globe. This year the show will have close to 2,700 exhibitors and more than 1.8 million square feet of floor space.
But the show, once a marquee launchpad for some of the biggest new technologies, has struggled to stay in the headlines as big companies increasingly announce new products on their own timeline. In 2011, some observers questioned the show's relevance when no blockbuster new products were announced. Instead, most companies chose to introduce marginally improved televisions, tablets and smartphones that largely resembled existing products.
Apple Inc., arguably the industry's most popular and innovative company, does not participate in the show.
"Our industry moves fast and changes faster," Microsoft said in a statement. "And so the way we communicate with our customers must change in equally speedy ways."
The company said its decision came after it asked itself, "Are we doing something because it's the right thing to do, or because 'it's the way we've always done it'?"
Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer will give the final keynote Jan. 9.
david.sarno@latimes.com
Copyright © 2011, Los Angeles Times
Rabu, 21 Desember 2011
Verizon says it fixed network problem
Uh oh! It seems that it's not a good day to be a Verizon Wireless user. Based on an overwhelming number of reports in support forums, the cellular provider's customers are experiencing 3G and 4G data outages across the U.S. right now.
We've reached out to Verizon for more information about the issue and will update this story once we hear back, but in the meantime we're checking on the complaints in Verizon's own support forums.
Users are reporting trouble maintaining a steady data connection as well as misleading connectivity statuses (some devices are displaying icons which suggest connectivity, but no actual connection occurs). According to the folks at The Verge — who have been keeping track of the origins of the posts — the reports are coming in from "pretty much everywhere" including California, Rhode Island, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Nevada, New Jersey, and New York.
Are you a Verizon customer and experiencing issues with your data connection? Please let us know in the comments below.
Update: Verizon Wireless responded to us with a brief note stating that things should be getting back to normal:
Verizon Wireless 4G LTE service is returning to normal this morning after company engineers worked to resolve an issue with the 4G network during the early morning hours today. Throughout this time, 4G LTE customers were able to make voice calls and send and receive text messages. The 3G data network operated normally.
Wireless analyst Jeff Kagan chimed in to point out that it's not particularly surprising that an outage like this occurred in the first place. "As the wireless world becomes more about wireless data we can experience more of these outages," he says. He also offers some words of warning:
Expect wireless data traffic to explode during the holidays starting this week with Chanukah, then Christmas and the weeks following. We should brace for impact of all those users gobbling all that wireless data. Sounds like the right atmosphere for outages and slowdowns.
Updated at 6:45 p.m. ET: Verizon Wireless said it has fixed the data service problem, the second high-profile service problem this month for the company. The carrier said the problem with its 4G network was resolved by 2 p.m. ET, with data service restored for all customers of the 4G network late in the day. Verizon did not explain the cause of the problem. While some customers had complained online of problems with the older 3G service on Wednesday, company spokesman Tom Pica said 3G devices had not been affected. Verizon Wireless said that voice and text services had not stopped working — Reuters
We've reached out to Verizon for more information about the issue and will update this story once we hear back, but in the meantime we're checking on the complaints in Verizon's own support forums.
Users are reporting trouble maintaining a steady data connection as well as misleading connectivity statuses (some devices are displaying icons which suggest connectivity, but no actual connection occurs). According to the folks at The Verge — who have been keeping track of the origins of the posts — the reports are coming in from "pretty much everywhere" including California, Rhode Island, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Nevada, New Jersey, and New York.
Are you a Verizon customer and experiencing issues with your data connection? Please let us know in the comments below.
Update: Verizon Wireless responded to us with a brief note stating that things should be getting back to normal:
Verizon Wireless 4G LTE service is returning to normal this morning after company engineers worked to resolve an issue with the 4G network during the early morning hours today. Throughout this time, 4G LTE customers were able to make voice calls and send and receive text messages. The 3G data network operated normally.
Wireless analyst Jeff Kagan chimed in to point out that it's not particularly surprising that an outage like this occurred in the first place. "As the wireless world becomes more about wireless data we can experience more of these outages," he says. He also offers some words of warning:
Expect wireless data traffic to explode during the holidays starting this week with Chanukah, then Christmas and the weeks following. We should brace for impact of all those users gobbling all that wireless data. Sounds like the right atmosphere for outages and slowdowns.
Updated at 6:45 p.m. ET: Verizon Wireless said it has fixed the data service problem, the second high-profile service problem this month for the company. The carrier said the problem with its 4G network was resolved by 2 p.m. ET, with data service restored for all customers of the 4G network late in the day. Verizon did not explain the cause of the problem. While some customers had complained online of problems with the older 3G service on Wednesday, company spokesman Tom Pica said 3G devices had not been affected. Verizon Wireless said that voice and text services had not stopped working — Reuters
Research In Motion Gains on Report Saying Amazon Mulled Takeover
(Bloomberg) -- Research In Motion Ltd., maker of the BlackBerry smartphone, advanced in extended trading after a report said Amazon.com Inc. considered buying it.
Shares of Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM climbed as much as 7.3 percent on a Reuters report that said the company "turned down takeover overtures" from Amazon because RIM wants to fix its problems independently, citing unidentified people with knowledge of the matter.
RIM rose to as high as $13.44 after closing at $12.52 in New York.
Mary Osako, a spokeswoman for Seattle-based Amazon, declined to comment. Tenille Kennedy, a spokeswoman for RIM, didn't immediately return a message seeking comment.
To contact the reporter on this story: Tom Giles in San Francisco at tgiles5@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Tom Giles at tgiles5@bloomberg.net
Copyright Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Shares of Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM climbed as much as 7.3 percent on a Reuters report that said the company "turned down takeover overtures" from Amazon because RIM wants to fix its problems independently, citing unidentified people with knowledge of the matter.
RIM rose to as high as $13.44 after closing at $12.52 in New York.
Mary Osako, a spokeswoman for Seattle-based Amazon, declined to comment. Tenille Kennedy, a spokeswoman for RIM, didn't immediately return a message seeking comment.
To contact the reporter on this story: Tom Giles in San Francisco at tgiles5@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Tom Giles at tgiles5@bloomberg.net
Copyright Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Google boasts of 700,000 Android activations a day
INTERNET SEARCH OUTFIT Google has boasted that it now activates 700,000 Android devices per day.
The numbers were revealed by Andy Rubin in a Google Plus post as a brief note. "There are now over 700,000 Android devices activated every day
," wrote the Android operating system chief.
Later he clarified the statement and explained that each activation is a new one, as opposed to an old handset making its way into new hands.
"...and for those wondering, we count each device only once (ie, we don't count re-sold devices)," he said, adding, "and 'activations' means you go into a store, buy a device, put it on the network by subscribing to a wireless service".
This means that there might be uncounted handsets out there, but it's perhaps unlikely that there are many that have not connected to wireless services. Some might be lurking in Christmas stockings though, so perhaps the new year will see an updated post from Rubin.
In July the company said that it was seeing 550,000 activations each day, and earlier, 400,000.
(theinquirer.net)
The numbers were revealed by Andy Rubin in a Google Plus post as a brief note. "There are now over 700,000 Android devices activated every day
," wrote the Android operating system chief.
Later he clarified the statement and explained that each activation is a new one, as opposed to an old handset making its way into new hands.
"...and for those wondering, we count each device only once (ie, we don't count re-sold devices)," he said, adding, "and 'activations' means you go into a store, buy a device, put it on the network by subscribing to a wireless service".
This means that there might be uncounted handsets out there, but it's perhaps unlikely that there are many that have not connected to wireless services. Some might be lurking in Christmas stockings though, so perhaps the new year will see an updated post from Rubin.
In July the company said that it was seeing 550,000 activations each day, and earlier, 400,000.
(theinquirer.net)
Galaxy Nexus: First Android 4 smartphone triumphs -- almost
At long last, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is here, the first smartphone to run Google's Android 4 "Ice Cream Sandwich" release. There's no question: When you first get your hands on the Galaxy Nexus, available in a 4G LTE version in the United States on the Verizon Wireless network and in 3G GSM models in Canada and the United Kingdom, you'll likely drool over the huge, bright screen. It makes the 3.5-inch screen of the iPhone feel tiny and cramped, and argues that it's time for Apple to make an iPhone with at least a 4-inch screen.
But spend a bit of time with the Galaxy Nexus, and you start to discover some of the cracks in both the hardware and the Android 4 OS that keep the Galaxy Nexus from topping the iPhone 4S as the best smartphone for business users. It's really too bad that Google and its hardware partners continue to skimp on quality assurance and holistic design, focusing on gloss instead.
The Galaxy Nexus surpasses in many respects our previous picks among Android smartphones, the previous generation's Motorola Mobility "business-ready" series, such as the Photon 4G and Droid Razr. If you don't want an iPhone 4S, the Galaxy Nexus may be the smartphone for you. But you might want to wait until a few more Android 4 smartphones come on the market before taking the plunge.
Hardware
Before looking at the changes brought by Android 4, let's look at the Galaxy Nexus hardware itself. As I mentioned, the screen is huge and vivid, thanks to its 4.65-inch Super AMOLED display, yet it still fits in a shirt pocket. Well, mostly -- it sticks out the top a bit, so be careful when bending forward. It has a typical processor for current-generation devices: a 1.2GHz dual-core ARM chip.
A big reason to wait for more Android 4 competitors to emerge is the Galaxy Nexus's poor battery life. It eats up power quickly, giving you four to six hours of life when using a lot of network access, such as for downloading apps, surfing the Web, and loading information through apps, whether they be social networking or multiuser games. Even when the Galaxy Nexus sits unused (but connected to Wi-Fi), the battery runs down within 36 hours. Except for that small minority of iPhone 4S users who've had battery-life issues, iPhone owners can get a good workday out of their smartphones and several days in standby mode. Complaints about poor Galaxy Nexus battery life are all over the Web, both in formal reviews and user complaints, so the issue appears to be widespread. You can stretch an Android device's battery life by using a third-party utility, but a smartphone should be able to go at least one full workday on its own.
The Galaxy Nexus comes with a 5-megapixel rear camera capable of still and video photography, as well as a flash, with autofocus, panoramic stitching, 1080p video resolution, and low-light image-capture sensors -- par for the course with current smartphones in the $200-and-up contract price range. But it's not as capable as the 8-megapixel, high-precision-optics camera in the iPhone 4S. The front camera is also typical, with 1.3-megapixel resolution.
The fact that the rear camera is centered horizontally does make snapping photos -- especially tight close-ups and bar-code scans -- easier compared to using the iPhone's offset camera. Note that if you use a PIN- or password-protected lock screen -- required by many businesses' Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) security policies, there's no way to take pictures on the Galaxy Nexus without logging in, as the iPhone's iOS 5 allows. You also don't get music playback controls from the lock screen, as on an iPhone. Your notification tray is unavailable as well, which can be annoying but is very secure.
The Verizon version of the Galaxy Nexus comes with 32GB of internal storage, the same as the same-price iPhone 4S ($649 without contract, $299 with two-year contract). And like the iPhone 4S (and unlike some other Android models), the Galaxy Nexus has no SD slot for storage expansion. For most users, 32GB is fine. Do note that the Canadian and British GSM models have just 16GB of internal RAM, which is too skimpy.
(infoworld.com)
But spend a bit of time with the Galaxy Nexus, and you start to discover some of the cracks in both the hardware and the Android 4 OS that keep the Galaxy Nexus from topping the iPhone 4S as the best smartphone for business users. It's really too bad that Google and its hardware partners continue to skimp on quality assurance and holistic design, focusing on gloss instead.
The Galaxy Nexus surpasses in many respects our previous picks among Android smartphones, the previous generation's Motorola Mobility "business-ready" series, such as the Photon 4G and Droid Razr. If you don't want an iPhone 4S, the Galaxy Nexus may be the smartphone for you. But you might want to wait until a few more Android 4 smartphones come on the market before taking the plunge.
Hardware
Before looking at the changes brought by Android 4, let's look at the Galaxy Nexus hardware itself. As I mentioned, the screen is huge and vivid, thanks to its 4.65-inch Super AMOLED display, yet it still fits in a shirt pocket. Well, mostly -- it sticks out the top a bit, so be careful when bending forward. It has a typical processor for current-generation devices: a 1.2GHz dual-core ARM chip.
A big reason to wait for more Android 4 competitors to emerge is the Galaxy Nexus's poor battery life. It eats up power quickly, giving you four to six hours of life when using a lot of network access, such as for downloading apps, surfing the Web, and loading information through apps, whether they be social networking or multiuser games. Even when the Galaxy Nexus sits unused (but connected to Wi-Fi), the battery runs down within 36 hours. Except for that small minority of iPhone 4S users who've had battery-life issues, iPhone owners can get a good workday out of their smartphones and several days in standby mode. Complaints about poor Galaxy Nexus battery life are all over the Web, both in formal reviews and user complaints, so the issue appears to be widespread. You can stretch an Android device's battery life by using a third-party utility, but a smartphone should be able to go at least one full workday on its own.
The Galaxy Nexus comes with a 5-megapixel rear camera capable of still and video photography, as well as a flash, with autofocus, panoramic stitching, 1080p video resolution, and low-light image-capture sensors -- par for the course with current smartphones in the $200-and-up contract price range. But it's not as capable as the 8-megapixel, high-precision-optics camera in the iPhone 4S. The front camera is also typical, with 1.3-megapixel resolution.
The fact that the rear camera is centered horizontally does make snapping photos -- especially tight close-ups and bar-code scans -- easier compared to using the iPhone's offset camera. Note that if you use a PIN- or password-protected lock screen -- required by many businesses' Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) security policies, there's no way to take pictures on the Galaxy Nexus without logging in, as the iPhone's iOS 5 allows. You also don't get music playback controls from the lock screen, as on an iPhone. Your notification tray is unavailable as well, which can be annoying but is very secure.
The Verizon version of the Galaxy Nexus comes with 32GB of internal storage, the same as the same-price iPhone 4S ($649 without contract, $299 with two-year contract). And like the iPhone 4S (and unlike some other Android models), the Galaxy Nexus has no SD slot for storage expansion. For most users, 32GB is fine. Do note that the Canadian and British GSM models have just 16GB of internal RAM, which is too skimpy.
(infoworld.com)
Motorola violated Microsoft patent, rules judge
The International Trade Commission has ruled that Motorola Mobility has violated six of Microsoft's smartphone patents, in a decision claimed as a victory by both companies.
The patent concerned is one of seven Windows Phone and Windows Mobile patents which Microsoft claimed was being infringed. US Patent No. 6,370,566 covers 'generating meeting requests and group scheduling from a mobile device'. Offending handsets include the Droid 2, Droid X, Cliq XT, Devour and Backflip.
In the event, the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ruled that the other six patents weren't being violated.
"We are very pleased that the majority of the rulings were favorable to Motorola Mobility," says Scott Offer, senior vice president and general counsel of Motorola Mobility.
"The ALJ’s initial determination may provide clarity on the definition of the Microsoft 566 patent for which a violation was found and will help us avoid infringement of this patent in the US market."
However, the patent that was upheld appears to cover the ability to schedule meeting requests from mobile devices - a pretty basic feature for business users in particular.
"If they're on travel or even just at lunch or in a meeting room, they want to be able to schedule meetings without having to go back to their office. Scheduling meetings is also increasingly popular on some social networks, so it's probably a feature for both enterprise users and consumers," says patent expert Florian Mueller.
"It remains to be seen how Motorola will address this issue as well as any other Android patent issues that will present themselves along the way, with many other cases and dozens of other patents still waiting for a decision."
With Motorola Mobility already in Google's shopping cart, the search giant must be worried. it's buying Motorola Mobility specifically to protect Android vendors from patent lawsuits such as this.
The patent concerned is one of seven Windows Phone and Windows Mobile patents which Microsoft claimed was being infringed. US Patent No. 6,370,566 covers 'generating meeting requests and group scheduling from a mobile device'. Offending handsets include the Droid 2, Droid X, Cliq XT, Devour and Backflip.
In the event, the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) ruled that the other six patents weren't being violated.
"We are very pleased that the majority of the rulings were favorable to Motorola Mobility," says Scott Offer, senior vice president and general counsel of Motorola Mobility.
"The ALJ’s initial determination may provide clarity on the definition of the Microsoft 566 patent for which a violation was found and will help us avoid infringement of this patent in the US market."
However, the patent that was upheld appears to cover the ability to schedule meeting requests from mobile devices - a pretty basic feature for business users in particular.
"If they're on travel or even just at lunch or in a meeting room, they want to be able to schedule meetings without having to go back to their office. Scheduling meetings is also increasingly popular on some social networks, so it's probably a feature for both enterprise users and consumers," says patent expert Florian Mueller.
"It remains to be seen how Motorola will address this issue as well as any other Android patent issues that will present themselves along the way, with many other cases and dozens of other patents still waiting for a decision."
With Motorola Mobility already in Google's shopping cart, the search giant must be worried. it's buying Motorola Mobility specifically to protect Android vendors from patent lawsuits such as this.
Selasa, 20 Desember 2011
Samsung Galaxy S II and Galaxy Note to Receive Android 4 in Q1 2012
Samsung’s Galaxy line of smartphones and tablets will receive an upgrade to Android 4 or Ice Cream Sandwich in early 2012, the company has announced.
The first two devices (as previously announced) to receive the upgrade will be Samsung Galaxy S II and Samsung Galaxy Note, and this should occur sometime in the first quarter of 2012.
Other devices will “soon follow,” says Samsung. The full lineup of ICS-upgradeable devices at this point includes the Galaxy S II, Galaxy S II LTE, Galaxy Note, Galaxy R, Galaxy Tab 10.1, Galaxy Tab 8.9, Galaxy Tab 7.7, and Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus.
Samsung will give out separate announcements for each device, detailing OS update schedule for individual markets.
Other manufacturers have announced ICS upgrades for their flagship smartphones as well. HTC recently announced that Ice Cream Sandwich is coming to several of its smartphones in early 2012. Motorola’s Droid Razr will get to the latest version of Android in early 2012.
(mashable.com)
The first two devices (as previously announced) to receive the upgrade will be Samsung Galaxy S II and Samsung Galaxy Note, and this should occur sometime in the first quarter of 2012.
Other devices will “soon follow,” says Samsung. The full lineup of ICS-upgradeable devices at this point includes the Galaxy S II, Galaxy S II LTE, Galaxy Note, Galaxy R, Galaxy Tab 10.1, Galaxy Tab 8.9, Galaxy Tab 7.7, and Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus.
Samsung will give out separate announcements for each device, detailing OS update schedule for individual markets.
Other manufacturers have announced ICS upgrades for their flagship smartphones as well. HTC recently announced that Ice Cream Sandwich is coming to several of its smartphones in early 2012. Motorola’s Droid Razr will get to the latest version of Android in early 2012.
(mashable.com)
HTC faces US smartphone ban
HTC has been ordered to withdraw Android phones from the US market, following a ruling from the International Trade Commission that the company's violating a patent held by Apple.
Still, it could have been much worse for HTC: the initial complaint covered 10 patents, of which only one has been upheld. This relates to a feature known as data tapping, which allows users to grab embedded information such as a phone number and use it, say by making a call.
HTC will now attempt to remove the feature from its phones by the 19 April 2012 deadline, or face having the phones pulled from the shelves.
Rather sweetly, HTC's claiming the decision was actually a victory, on the grounds that only one patent infringement claim was upheld - and it may have a point.
"This ruling falls far short of anything would force HTC out of the US market in the near term. Also, out of ten patents originally asserted, Apple finally prevailed on only one," says patent expert Florian Mueller.
"Apple will need a higher 'hit rate' in the future, and it will have to enforce patents that are greatly more impactful than this one. Out of ten patents originally asserted, Apple finally managed to enforce one, and it's one of medium value."
Some of the other patent infringements originally asserted, says Mueller, would have had a far greater impact on HTC if upheld - one covering real-time signal processing, for example.
"Apple needs to find several more patents of the 'data tapping' kind - or, alternatively, one or two fundamental patents for which there's no viable workaround - in order to really have competitive impact with its many litigations targeting Android."
(tgdaily.com)
Still, it could have been much worse for HTC: the initial complaint covered 10 patents, of which only one has been upheld. This relates to a feature known as data tapping, which allows users to grab embedded information such as a phone number and use it, say by making a call.
HTC will now attempt to remove the feature from its phones by the 19 April 2012 deadline, or face having the phones pulled from the shelves.
Rather sweetly, HTC's claiming the decision was actually a victory, on the grounds that only one patent infringement claim was upheld - and it may have a point.
"This ruling falls far short of anything would force HTC out of the US market in the near term. Also, out of ten patents originally asserted, Apple finally prevailed on only one," says patent expert Florian Mueller.
"Apple will need a higher 'hit rate' in the future, and it will have to enforce patents that are greatly more impactful than this one. Out of ten patents originally asserted, Apple finally managed to enforce one, and it's one of medium value."
Some of the other patent infringements originally asserted, says Mueller, would have had a far greater impact on HTC if upheld - one covering real-time signal processing, for example.
"Apple needs to find several more patents of the 'data tapping' kind - or, alternatively, one or two fundamental patents for which there's no viable workaround - in order to really have competitive impact with its many litigations targeting Android."
(tgdaily.com)
Sony PS Vita sales fall shy of 3DS launch volume
Mobile-mad Japanese gamers bought 321,400 PS Vita handheld consoles this past weekend, local market watcher Enterbrain has revealed.
A lot of units, to be sure, but behind Nintendo's 3DS launch, which saw 371,000 units snapped up in a similar two-day period.
The original PSP clocked up two-day launch sales of 166,000 units back in 2004.
Nintendo shouldn't get cocky. The 3DS has arguably a broader appeal than the Vita. Yet 3DS sales plunged quickly once eager fans had acquired the device. It has largely failed to build a more mainstream audience.
Sony hopes the Vita will reach beyond its core fanbase. But it faces an uphill struggle persuading folk who already game on smartphones to buy a second device.
Hardcore gamers won't mind carrying two gadgets, knowing that the Vita delivers a better gaming experience than a phone, but more casual gamers may favour single-device convenience.
The PS Vita goes on sale over here at the end of February 2012. You can read Reg Hardware's preview of the PS Vita, based on a play with some of the launch titles, here.
(reghardware.com)
A lot of units, to be sure, but behind Nintendo's 3DS launch, which saw 371,000 units snapped up in a similar two-day period.
The original PSP clocked up two-day launch sales of 166,000 units back in 2004.
Nintendo shouldn't get cocky. The 3DS has arguably a broader appeal than the Vita. Yet 3DS sales plunged quickly once eager fans had acquired the device. It has largely failed to build a more mainstream audience.
Sony hopes the Vita will reach beyond its core fanbase. But it faces an uphill struggle persuading folk who already game on smartphones to buy a second device.
Hardcore gamers won't mind carrying two gadgets, knowing that the Vita delivers a better gaming experience than a phone, but more casual gamers may favour single-device convenience.
The PS Vita goes on sale over here at the end of February 2012. You can read Reg Hardware's preview of the PS Vita, based on a play with some of the launch titles, here.
(reghardware.com)
HTC: ITC Apple decision “is a win for HTC”
HTC may have been banned from importing some of its smartphones into the US, but the company is still describing the outcome of its patent suit with Apple as a success. The US ITC “declared an actual victory for HTC” the company told the FT, because out of the ten infringements Apple alleged, only one was found to be valid. Meanwhile half of the claims on a previous ruling have also been rejected.
HTC has until April 19 to comply with the decision of the ITC, which either means modifying offending products or ceasing import of them by that point. It seems from the company’s reaction to the ruling that it will be opting to tweak Android to bring it in line, something HTC claims will demand little effort.
“Since the infringing elements identified by the ITC involve and impact only a very minimal part of the user interface” HTC said in a statement to the Taiwanese stock exchange, “we will remove it as soon as possible and sell non-infringing products.”
Although we’ve seen bizarrely upbeat reactions to apparently negative rulings from companies in the past, IP opinion seems to be leaning on the side of HTC with this particular judgement. “If I’m HTC – and particularly if I’m Google – I’m feeling a lot better today than if I’m Apple” former ITC vice-chairman Ron Cass has said, the elements the Cupertino company failed to persuade the court on being arguably more important than what, exactly, it did convince about.
Still, HTC faces more challenges than simply legal complaints. The company’s recent revenues took a nose-dive as its late 2011 line-up failed to hold up to the competition, with HTC saying it will “focus on the product” next year to turn its fortunes around. That could include a pair of flagship devices, one Windows Phone and the other Android, details of which leaked yesterday.
(slashgear.com)
HTC has until April 19 to comply with the decision of the ITC, which either means modifying offending products or ceasing import of them by that point. It seems from the company’s reaction to the ruling that it will be opting to tweak Android to bring it in line, something HTC claims will demand little effort.
“Since the infringing elements identified by the ITC involve and impact only a very minimal part of the user interface” HTC said in a statement to the Taiwanese stock exchange, “we will remove it as soon as possible and sell non-infringing products.”
Although we’ve seen bizarrely upbeat reactions to apparently negative rulings from companies in the past, IP opinion seems to be leaning on the side of HTC with this particular judgement. “If I’m HTC – and particularly if I’m Google – I’m feeling a lot better today than if I’m Apple” former ITC vice-chairman Ron Cass has said, the elements the Cupertino company failed to persuade the court on being arguably more important than what, exactly, it did convince about.
Still, HTC faces more challenges than simply legal complaints. The company’s recent revenues took a nose-dive as its late 2011 line-up failed to hold up to the competition, with HTC saying it will “focus on the product” next year to turn its fortunes around. That could include a pair of flagship devices, one Windows Phone and the other Android, details of which leaked yesterday.
(slashgear.com)
HTC: ITC Apple decision “is a win for HTC”
HTC may have been banned from importing some of its smartphones into the US, but the company is still describing the outcome of its patent suit with Apple as a success. The US ITC “declared an actual victory for HTC” the company told the FT, because out of the ten infringements Apple alleged, only one was found to be valid. Meanwhile half of the claims on a previous ruling have also been rejected.
HTC has until April 19 to comply with the decision of the ITC, which either means modifying offending products or ceasing import of them by that point. It seems from the company’s reaction to the ruling that it will be opting to tweak Android to bring it in line, something HTC claims will demand little effort.
“Since the infringing elements identified by the ITC involve and impact only a very minimal part of the user interface” HTC said in a statement to the Taiwanese stock exchange, “we will remove it as soon as possible and sell non-infringing products.”
Although we’ve seen bizarrely upbeat reactions to apparently negative rulings from companies in the past, IP opinion seems to be leaning on the side of HTC with this particular judgement. “If I’m HTC – and particularly if I’m Google – I’m feeling a lot better today than if I’m Apple” former ITC vice-chairman Ron Cass has said, the elements the Cupertino company failed to persuade the court on being arguably more important than what, exactly, it did convince about.
Still, HTC faces more challenges than simply legal complaints. The company’s recent revenues took a nose-dive as its late 2011 line-up failed to hold up to the competition, with HTC saying it will “focus on the product” next year to turn its fortunes around. That could include a pair of flagship devices, one Windows Phone and the other Android, details of which leaked yesterday.
(slashgear.com)
HTC has until April 19 to comply with the decision of the ITC, which either means modifying offending products or ceasing import of them by that point. It seems from the company’s reaction to the ruling that it will be opting to tweak Android to bring it in line, something HTC claims will demand little effort.
“Since the infringing elements identified by the ITC involve and impact only a very minimal part of the user interface” HTC said in a statement to the Taiwanese stock exchange, “we will remove it as soon as possible and sell non-infringing products.”
Although we’ve seen bizarrely upbeat reactions to apparently negative rulings from companies in the past, IP opinion seems to be leaning on the side of HTC with this particular judgement. “If I’m HTC – and particularly if I’m Google – I’m feeling a lot better today than if I’m Apple” former ITC vice-chairman Ron Cass has said, the elements the Cupertino company failed to persuade the court on being arguably more important than what, exactly, it did convince about.
Still, HTC faces more challenges than simply legal complaints. The company’s recent revenues took a nose-dive as its late 2011 line-up failed to hold up to the competition, with HTC saying it will “focus on the product” next year to turn its fortunes around. That could include a pair of flagship devices, one Windows Phone and the other Android, details of which leaked yesterday.
(slashgear.com)
Senin, 19 Desember 2011
Google hands out custom Galaxy Nexus to workers
Apparently, all the folks that work for Google in the London and Zurich offices are getting a really nice Christmas gift from the search giant. The workers in the locations are being given a customized version of the Galaxy Nexus smartphone. The customization isn’t just software on the phone. The custom Google phones have a special back plate that has Android and G+ icons all over it.
All the workers had to get in a line to get hands on their new smartphones. I wonder if Google is covering the mobile service as well. It’s not clear at this point if all Google employees everywhere are getting the Galaxy Nexus, but that is the assumption.
The backplate is extra geeky. I wonder how many of these smartphones will turn up on eBay in a few months. These are cool Christmas gifts, yet another reason working at Google would be really cool.
(slashgear.com)
All the workers had to get in a line to get hands on their new smartphones. I wonder if Google is covering the mobile service as well. It’s not clear at this point if all Google employees everywhere are getting the Galaxy Nexus, but that is the assumption.
The backplate is extra geeky. I wonder how many of these smartphones will turn up on eBay in a few months. These are cool Christmas gifts, yet another reason working at Google would be really cool.
(slashgear.com)
Platform Nation’s Games Of The Year: PlayStation 3
That’s right my fellow PlayStation 3 fans, another year of triple A title releases and gaming is coming to a close, and it is time for us here at P*N to tell you what we thought of it all. It can be a difficult task to determine a game of the year, especially when you have so many great titles being released all throughout; earlier titles can easily slip away and be forgotten in the animal soup of time. After reviewing the long list of possible contenders, our writing and editing staff have cast their votes and come up with a top three list for each major console or peripheral, along with a overall top ten list that we will be revealing at the end. Today, I have taken a break from studying for finals (and a little bit of Skyrim) to bring you our top three picks for the Sony PlayStation 3. So without further adieu, lets get started.
1. Portal 2
After the huge success of the original, the geniuses over at Valve (the brilliant minds behind 2004′s Half Life 2) brought us the second installment to their unique first person puzzle game back in April. Aside from attracting one of the largest cult followings in gaming today, Portal 2 featured a lengthy campaign mode that was full of Aperture Science history and engaging environments, along with a memorable co-op multiplayer experience. I have seen more chicks dressed up as Chell at gaming conventions than any other character this year (and some of them weren’t bad looking either).
Valve had Ellen McLain return as the comical and beloved voice of GLaDOS, but the studio also managed to keep the game fresh with new puzzle types and game mechanics, such as the different colored gels/goo. As an added bonus, the PlayStation 3 version came with a free PC and Mac version of the game for you to link up with your Steam account; which is part of the reason we picked Portal 2 for this category. If you haven’t played through Portal 2 yet, then you have been living under a rock. Or you just don’t like video games… which begs to question why you would be reading this.
2. Little Big Planet 2
Speaking of games that came out earlier in the year, we haven’t forgotten the sequel to Media Molecule’s platforming sandbox, Little Big Planet 2, which came out back in January. This second installment brought some great additions to the world of LBP, such as 2-D side scrolling options, vehicles, grappling hooks, move support, plus options which allowed players to create their own complete games, rather than stand alone levels. Little Big Planet 2 also brought along the three million plus player designed levels from the original game for fans to enjoy and expand on. While personally, I have never been interested in spending countless hours creating content for others to play through, this option is what not only makes the Little Big Planet games unique, it also adds to its lasting value. Most gamers today (including myself) fail to be captivated by titles that involve little more than moving across the screen and pressing one button to jump over gaps, dodge obstacles, or land on top of an enemy’s head, but the constant flow of levels being added every day to Little Big Planet 2 by the community makes it one of those games you can keep around forever. You would be amazed by what some people have been able to create in that game.
Aside from the level design and lasting value, the game was also a lot of fun, the graphics were just as impressive as before, and the campaign mode even seemed to have at least a mild sense of continuity to it. If you own a PlayStation 3, the Little Big Planet games are a must have that I would only place below God of War III and the Uncharted series. Plus, it can be a great game to sit and play with your significant other. There aren’t many couch games these days, but this can still be counted amongst the few.
3. Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Naughty Dog, the creators of Crash Bandicoot and Jak, have been one of the top in the industry ever since their first release of the original Uncharted. People love to hate on the generic, always fearless, unrealistic, B-movie style character of Nathan Drake, but there is simply no denying that these games are a blast to play. For those of you that read my review back in early November, you know fully well that this game blew me away. Each new installment in the Uncharted series has brought us incredible visuals that create a cinematic experience rarely seen in video games, an addictive style of gameplay, powered by cutting edge game design and mechanics. Everything from the game’s trademark physics, to the new 3-D visuals are all standing firmly on the bleeding edge of your PS3′s capability.
Uncharted 3 brought together everything from the previous games and refined it into one of the most engaging and jaw dropping single player and multiplayer experiences of the year. Infamous 2 made a decent splash in the PlayStation community, but Uncharted 3 went for the fat boy cannon ball that would have made Patrick Renna proud. There is a lot of fun to be had with this game, and the visuals are something that every gamer should see first-hand.
That is it for the P*N PlayStation 3 picks; if you have anything you would like to add, please feel free to add it in the comments. What would have been your first pick? We love to hear from everyone out there in our community, so don’t be shy. It has been a great year, and we at P*N would like to thank you for being a part of it with us. United we game.
(platformnation.com)
1. Portal 2
After the huge success of the original, the geniuses over at Valve (the brilliant minds behind 2004′s Half Life 2) brought us the second installment to their unique first person puzzle game back in April. Aside from attracting one of the largest cult followings in gaming today, Portal 2 featured a lengthy campaign mode that was full of Aperture Science history and engaging environments, along with a memorable co-op multiplayer experience. I have seen more chicks dressed up as Chell at gaming conventions than any other character this year (and some of them weren’t bad looking either).
Valve had Ellen McLain return as the comical and beloved voice of GLaDOS, but the studio also managed to keep the game fresh with new puzzle types and game mechanics, such as the different colored gels/goo. As an added bonus, the PlayStation 3 version came with a free PC and Mac version of the game for you to link up with your Steam account; which is part of the reason we picked Portal 2 for this category. If you haven’t played through Portal 2 yet, then you have been living under a rock. Or you just don’t like video games… which begs to question why you would be reading this.
2. Little Big Planet 2
Speaking of games that came out earlier in the year, we haven’t forgotten the sequel to Media Molecule’s platforming sandbox, Little Big Planet 2, which came out back in January. This second installment brought some great additions to the world of LBP, such as 2-D side scrolling options, vehicles, grappling hooks, move support, plus options which allowed players to create their own complete games, rather than stand alone levels. Little Big Planet 2 also brought along the three million plus player designed levels from the original game for fans to enjoy and expand on. While personally, I have never been interested in spending countless hours creating content for others to play through, this option is what not only makes the Little Big Planet games unique, it also adds to its lasting value. Most gamers today (including myself) fail to be captivated by titles that involve little more than moving across the screen and pressing one button to jump over gaps, dodge obstacles, or land on top of an enemy’s head, but the constant flow of levels being added every day to Little Big Planet 2 by the community makes it one of those games you can keep around forever. You would be amazed by what some people have been able to create in that game.
Aside from the level design and lasting value, the game was also a lot of fun, the graphics were just as impressive as before, and the campaign mode even seemed to have at least a mild sense of continuity to it. If you own a PlayStation 3, the Little Big Planet games are a must have that I would only place below God of War III and the Uncharted series. Plus, it can be a great game to sit and play with your significant other. There aren’t many couch games these days, but this can still be counted amongst the few.
3. Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Naughty Dog, the creators of Crash Bandicoot and Jak, have been one of the top in the industry ever since their first release of the original Uncharted. People love to hate on the generic, always fearless, unrealistic, B-movie style character of Nathan Drake, but there is simply no denying that these games are a blast to play. For those of you that read my review back in early November, you know fully well that this game blew me away. Each new installment in the Uncharted series has brought us incredible visuals that create a cinematic experience rarely seen in video games, an addictive style of gameplay, powered by cutting edge game design and mechanics. Everything from the game’s trademark physics, to the new 3-D visuals are all standing firmly on the bleeding edge of your PS3′s capability.
Uncharted 3 brought together everything from the previous games and refined it into one of the most engaging and jaw dropping single player and multiplayer experiences of the year. Infamous 2 made a decent splash in the PlayStation community, but Uncharted 3 went for the fat boy cannon ball that would have made Patrick Renna proud. There is a lot of fun to be had with this game, and the visuals are something that every gamer should see first-hand.
That is it for the P*N PlayStation 3 picks; if you have anything you would like to add, please feel free to add it in the comments. What would have been your first pick? We love to hear from everyone out there in our community, so don’t be shy. It has been a great year, and we at P*N would like to thank you for being a part of it with us. United we game.
(platformnation.com)
Windows 8 to feature image sign-on system
Using Windows 8 devices could involve signing on by tapping, circling or touching images.
Microsoft has revealed details of a login system for the next version of Windows based around pictures a user stores on a touchscreen device.
Only when parts of an image are tapped or touched in the right order will a user be able to access a device.
Experts said it might stop people using weak passwords but could lead to other loopholes that are harder to solve.
Press here
Microsoft aired the idea of using images to sign on to a device via a blog written by engineers working on Windows 8 - the next version of the Windows operating system expected to be released in late 2012.
Windows 8 is designed for touchscreen devices such as tablets and the novel sign-on systems makes use of the sensitive displays they are likely to sport.
The familiar process of getting to use a desktop PC or laptop by typing in a password made of up lower and upper case letters as well as numbers was felt to be too "cumbersome" for tablets, wrote Microsoft engineer Zach Pace on the blog.
The replacement system proposed by Microsoft employs a picture chosen by a user from their collection of images on a device.
On this image, users are encouraged to tap on, underline or circle the parts that are important to them. The sequence of gestures, including start and end positions and orientation act as a key to unlock the device.
'Interesting and cute'
User-testing suggests that the image-based system can grant access to a portable gadget far faster than was possible through text-based passwords, wrote Mr Pace.
He stressed that the system would work alongside text-based passwords rather than replace them. If a user failed to properly reproduce the correct gestures fives times in a row they would be prompted for the password they set up when they first used the device.
Graham Cluley, senior security researcher at Sophos, said the research was "interesting and cute" but may introduce more security problems than it solves.
It could, he said, make people vulnerable to "shoulder surfing" - a practice better known from cash machines where crooks try to spot a victim's Pin number as they tap it into a number pad.
"With normal password entry, what you're doing is asterisked on the screen," said Mr Cluley. "With this gesture input, folks may find it easier to see the movements you are making."
There might be more value in operating systems encouraging people to use stronger passwords by refusing to let them use dictionary words or ones that are easy to crack, he added.
(bbc.co.uk)
Microsoft has revealed details of a login system for the next version of Windows based around pictures a user stores on a touchscreen device.
Only when parts of an image are tapped or touched in the right order will a user be able to access a device.
Experts said it might stop people using weak passwords but could lead to other loopholes that are harder to solve.
Press here
Microsoft aired the idea of using images to sign on to a device via a blog written by engineers working on Windows 8 - the next version of the Windows operating system expected to be released in late 2012.
Windows 8 is designed for touchscreen devices such as tablets and the novel sign-on systems makes use of the sensitive displays they are likely to sport.
The familiar process of getting to use a desktop PC or laptop by typing in a password made of up lower and upper case letters as well as numbers was felt to be too "cumbersome" for tablets, wrote Microsoft engineer Zach Pace on the blog.
The replacement system proposed by Microsoft employs a picture chosen by a user from their collection of images on a device.
On this image, users are encouraged to tap on, underline or circle the parts that are important to them. The sequence of gestures, including start and end positions and orientation act as a key to unlock the device.
'Interesting and cute'
User-testing suggests that the image-based system can grant access to a portable gadget far faster than was possible through text-based passwords, wrote Mr Pace.
He stressed that the system would work alongside text-based passwords rather than replace them. If a user failed to properly reproduce the correct gestures fives times in a row they would be prompted for the password they set up when they first used the device.
Graham Cluley, senior security researcher at Sophos, said the research was "interesting and cute" but may introduce more security problems than it solves.
It could, he said, make people vulnerable to "shoulder surfing" - a practice better known from cash machines where crooks try to spot a victim's Pin number as they tap it into a number pad.
"With normal password entry, what you're doing is asterisked on the screen," said Mr Cluley. "With this gesture input, folks may find it easier to see the movements you are making."
There might be more value in operating systems encouraging people to use stronger passwords by refusing to let them use dictionary words or ones that are easy to crack, he added.
(bbc.co.uk)
Apple Continues to Plot Assault on TV
CUPERTINO, Calif. – Apple is moving forward with its assault on television, following up on the ambitions of its late co-founder, Steve Jobs.
In recent weeks, Apple executives have discussed their vision for the future of TV with media executives at several large companies, according to people familiar with the matter.
Apple is also working on its own television that relies on wireless streaming technology to access shows, movies and other content, according to people briefed on the project.
In the recent meetings with media companies, the Apple executives, including Senior Vice President Eddy Cue, have outlined new ways Apple's technology could recognize users across phones, tablets and TVs, people familiar with the talks said.
In at least one meeting, Apple described future television technology that would respond to users' voices and movements, one of the people said. Such technology, which Apple indicated may take longer than some of its other ideas, might allow users to use their voices to search for a show or change channels.
Apple is still saying little about what specific software and devices it is working on. The people familiar with the meetings said the Cupertino, Calif., company was "vague" and that Apple hasn't made proposals to license shows for any new product offering.
Still, the talks -- some of which were made at the request of media companies seeking an update on Apple's plans -- suggest that Apple's TV strategy is advancing. The technology company often keeps its products and ideas, close to the vest until as late as possible.
Apple executives have given some specifics in its talks with media companies. The company, for example, has discussed new ways they could stream media companies' content, allowing a user to watch a video on a TV set, then pick up another device, such as a smartphone, and keep watching the video on the move, one of the people familiar said.
Another person familiar with the talks said the types of new services Apple and the media companies are discussing could be done with Apple's existing technologies, which include its Apple TV set-top box.
Around three months after it started selling a new, $99 version of the set-top box last year, Apple said it had sold more than a million but hasn't provided sales figures since.
Apple's uptick in talks with its media partners is part of the company's strategy to change the way consumers watch TV, just as the company transformed the music and cell phone industries. Jobs envisioned building a TV that would be controlled by Apple's mobile devices in order to be easier to use and more personalized, according to people familiar with the matter.
The company has worked on prototypes for years. Before his death in October, Jobs told biographer Walter Isaacson that he had "finally cracked it," according to Isaacson's book.
The TV device Apple is working on would use a version of Apple's wireless-streaming technology AirPlay to allow users to control it from iPhones and iPads, according to people briefed on the matter. When the company plans to start selling such a device and whether it would receive traditional broadcast or cable signals remains unclear, said these people, who say Apple may change its plans.
The technology could allow users to stream video from mobile devices to their televisions, without a set-top box. That process is already possible through its Apple TV set-top box, but it is cumbersome and some media companies, such as Time Warner Inc.'s cable channel HBO, prevent their apps from using the technology because they want closer control of how and where their content appears. An HBO spokesman says it hopes to use AirPlay once it is comfortable with the anti-piracy protection.
(foxnews.com)
In recent weeks, Apple executives have discussed their vision for the future of TV with media executives at several large companies, according to people familiar with the matter.
Apple is also working on its own television that relies on wireless streaming technology to access shows, movies and other content, according to people briefed on the project.
In the recent meetings with media companies, the Apple executives, including Senior Vice President Eddy Cue, have outlined new ways Apple's technology could recognize users across phones, tablets and TVs, people familiar with the talks said.
In at least one meeting, Apple described future television technology that would respond to users' voices and movements, one of the people said. Such technology, which Apple indicated may take longer than some of its other ideas, might allow users to use their voices to search for a show or change channels.
Apple is still saying little about what specific software and devices it is working on. The people familiar with the meetings said the Cupertino, Calif., company was "vague" and that Apple hasn't made proposals to license shows for any new product offering.
Still, the talks -- some of which were made at the request of media companies seeking an update on Apple's plans -- suggest that Apple's TV strategy is advancing. The technology company often keeps its products and ideas, close to the vest until as late as possible.
Apple executives have given some specifics in its talks with media companies. The company, for example, has discussed new ways they could stream media companies' content, allowing a user to watch a video on a TV set, then pick up another device, such as a smartphone, and keep watching the video on the move, one of the people familiar said.
Another person familiar with the talks said the types of new services Apple and the media companies are discussing could be done with Apple's existing technologies, which include its Apple TV set-top box.
Around three months after it started selling a new, $99 version of the set-top box last year, Apple said it had sold more than a million but hasn't provided sales figures since.
Apple's uptick in talks with its media partners is part of the company's strategy to change the way consumers watch TV, just as the company transformed the music and cell phone industries. Jobs envisioned building a TV that would be controlled by Apple's mobile devices in order to be easier to use and more personalized, according to people familiar with the matter.
The company has worked on prototypes for years. Before his death in October, Jobs told biographer Walter Isaacson that he had "finally cracked it," according to Isaacson's book.
The TV device Apple is working on would use a version of Apple's wireless-streaming technology AirPlay to allow users to control it from iPhones and iPads, according to people briefed on the matter. When the company plans to start selling such a device and whether it would receive traditional broadcast or cable signals remains unclear, said these people, who say Apple may change its plans.
The technology could allow users to stream video from mobile devices to their televisions, without a set-top box. That process is already possible through its Apple TV set-top box, but it is cumbersome and some media companies, such as Time Warner Inc.'s cable channel HBO, prevent their apps from using the technology because they want closer control of how and where their content appears. An HBO spokesman says it hopes to use AirPlay once it is comfortable with the anti-piracy protection.
(foxnews.com)
When it comes to Facebook apps, Android wins
The Facebook for Android app has just leapfrogged ahead of Facebook for iPhone in the number of daily active users.
The latest report from Appdata.com shows that the Android app is the more popular mobile Facebook option, making it the first time that has been the case.
To be specific, as of December 2011, Facebook for iPhone has 57.6 million daily active users while Facebook for Android has 58.8 million.
This metric is just the latest in a growing set of statistics that show Android is a more widely used platform than the iPhone.
When it comes to monthly active users, Facebook for iPhone is still the leader, but Android will assumedly catch up on that statistic over time as well.
Comparing numbers like this between the iPhone and Android has always come with a footnote, since Android is available throughout all carriers and on a wide range of devices, while the iPhone is carrier-restricted and only counts a handful of different models.
So it has become pretty black-and-white that Android is the more popular platform, but any one of the iPhones is a much more popular phone.
(tgdaily.com)
The latest report from Appdata.com shows that the Android app is the more popular mobile Facebook option, making it the first time that has been the case.
To be specific, as of December 2011, Facebook for iPhone has 57.6 million daily active users while Facebook for Android has 58.8 million.
This metric is just the latest in a growing set of statistics that show Android is a more widely used platform than the iPhone.
When it comes to monthly active users, Facebook for iPhone is still the leader, but Android will assumedly catch up on that statistic over time as well.
Comparing numbers like this between the iPhone and Android has always come with a footnote, since Android is available throughout all carriers and on a wide range of devices, while the iPhone is carrier-restricted and only counts a handful of different models.
So it has become pretty black-and-white that Android is the more popular platform, but any one of the iPhones is a much more popular phone.
(tgdaily.com)
Minggu, 18 Desember 2011
BT Files Patent Suit Against Google
British Telecommunications has filed a civil suit in a Delaware court alleging that some Google products and services including Android, and its search, music, map, and location-based advertising infringe on one or more of six of its patents.
The British company entered a prayer on Thursday before the United States District Court for the District of Delaware for an injunction against Google, as well as unspecified damages, which could be tripled if proven that Google's alleged infringement of the patents was willful and deliberate. BT has also asked for a trial by jury.
The BT patents said to have been infringed include service provision system for communication networks, navigation information system, storage and retrieval of location based information in a distributed network of data storage devices, telecommunications apparatus and method, and communications node for providing network based information services.
Google Music and Android were cited by BT as examples of Google's violation of U.S. Patent No. 6,151,309 for service provision system for communication networks, also referred to in the suit as the Busuioc patent. This patent is "directed to systems and methods for accessing content in a mobile environment where network constraints vary across networks".
Intellectual property analyst Florian Mueller wrote in his blog that with so many major patent holders asserting their rights, obligations to pay royalties may force Google to change its Android licensing model and pass royalties on to device makers. Android is at the center of a number of patent disputes involving large companies including Oracle and Apple.
Google was not immediately available for comment on the suit.
(pcworld.com)
The British company entered a prayer on Thursday before the United States District Court for the District of Delaware for an injunction against Google, as well as unspecified damages, which could be tripled if proven that Google's alleged infringement of the patents was willful and deliberate. BT has also asked for a trial by jury.
The BT patents said to have been infringed include service provision system for communication networks, navigation information system, storage and retrieval of location based information in a distributed network of data storage devices, telecommunications apparatus and method, and communications node for providing network based information services.
Google Music and Android were cited by BT as examples of Google's violation of U.S. Patent No. 6,151,309 for service provision system for communication networks, also referred to in the suit as the Busuioc patent. This patent is "directed to systems and methods for accessing content in a mobile environment where network constraints vary across networks".
Intellectual property analyst Florian Mueller wrote in his blog that with so many major patent holders asserting their rights, obligations to pay royalties may force Google to change its Android licensing model and pass royalties on to device makers. Android is at the center of a number of patent disputes involving large companies including Oracle and Apple.
Google was not immediately available for comment on the suit.
(pcworld.com)
App makers rushing to beat Apple's holiday deadline
If you're an iOS app developer and you're hoping to get your new project in Apple's App Store in time for Christmas, you might want to stock up on Red Bull.
According to The New York Times, Apple's review team is quickly approaching its annual holiday shutdown. And that means that after Thursday, no one will be on hand to vet new iPhone or iPad apps until well after the holiday.
Christmas, writes Jenna Wortham in The Times,
is the biggest day of the year for app sales, which can mean big money for developers.
That is, if they manage to get their apps through Apple's review process and into the App Store before everyone at Apple goes on vacation.
Each year around Christmas, Apple stops accepting app submissions and updating its store for a while. This year the shutdown starts on Thursday and runs for eight days.
Anyone wanting to get a new app approved by Apple before Christmas has to finish by Thursday, when its reviewers go on an eight-day holiday. Christmas is the biggest day for app sales of the year, according to The New York Times
Unlike Android developers who can make apps available to the public any time--though those that appear in the official Android Marketplace have to be approved--anyone working on software for iOS devices must get Apple's approval. And that's what makes the Thursday deadline so crucial for those wanting to reap the potential rewards of a Christmas hit.
So if you have an unfinished app you just know is going to be the next Angry Birds, you'd better get cracking if you want to take advantage of the almost certain bonanza that could come by getting in the App Store before Santa arrives.
(cnet.com)
According to The New York Times, Apple's review team is quickly approaching its annual holiday shutdown. And that means that after Thursday, no one will be on hand to vet new iPhone or iPad apps until well after the holiday.
Christmas, writes Jenna Wortham in The Times,
is the biggest day of the year for app sales, which can mean big money for developers.
That is, if they manage to get their apps through Apple's review process and into the App Store before everyone at Apple goes on vacation.
Each year around Christmas, Apple stops accepting app submissions and updating its store for a while. This year the shutdown starts on Thursday and runs for eight days.
Anyone wanting to get a new app approved by Apple before Christmas has to finish by Thursday, when its reviewers go on an eight-day holiday. Christmas is the biggest day for app sales of the year, according to The New York Times
Unlike Android developers who can make apps available to the public any time--though those that appear in the official Android Marketplace have to be approved--anyone working on software for iOS devices must get Apple's approval. And that's what makes the Thursday deadline so crucial for those wanting to reap the potential rewards of a Christmas hit.
So if you have an unfinished app you just know is going to be the next Angry Birds, you'd better get cracking if you want to take advantage of the almost certain bonanza that could come by getting in the App Store before Santa arrives.
(cnet.com)
Top selling phones
APPLE'S long-awaited iPhone 4S and Samsung Electronic's fresh, broad offering are likely to stand out in this holiday season's smartphone sales which will otherwise be clouded by global economic uncertainty.
Apple, which lost its position as the world's largest smartphone maker to Samsung last quarter, could regain top spot as consumers rush to buy the latest iPhone after waiting 16 months since the previous model went on sale.
Like millions elsewhere , 36-year-old Vanessa Pigeon last week took up an offer from her telecom operator and replaced her aging Blackberry with the latest iPhone.
"I liked the design and I wanted to change for a long time," said Pigeon, a recruitment official in Paris.
In neighbouring Britain, which is often seen as the indicator for the rest of the European market, the iPhone took a whopping 43% market share in October, overtaking phones using Google Inc's Android platform, according to research firm Kantar WorldpanelComTech.
"It's really only the iPhone family and the (Samsung) Galaxy family flying off the shelves. Everyone else is just picking up the leftovers," said Neil Mawston, analyst at research firm Strategy Analytics in Milton Keynes, Britain.
HTC and Research In Motion - No.4 and No.5 smartphone vendors - have already warned of weak holiday sales. The year end is a key sales season for smartphone vendors as consumers often replace their models for the holidays. Vendors are expected to sell a total of 142 million smartphones in October- December, up 42% from a year ago, according to a poll of analysts.
"At this moment we're still doubtful on whether we'll see any seasonality this Christmas because the demand we see so far is very bad," said Bonnie Chang, analyst at Yuanta Securities in Taipei.
Overall phone sales have been shrinking in western Europe this year as consumers delay purchases in a tighter economy. Analysts expect sales of non-smartphones to stay on a par with year-ago numbers.
Smartphone sales growth, which is driven by swapping for more advanced models, has slowed over the year.
"For Europe, Q4 will not be the usual bonanza. The economy is pushing consumers to be pickier," said Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi, adding this played to the advantage of Samsung and Apple.
Sales of Apple's iPhone have surged since early October when the iPhone 4S model became available, and the company is expected to sell around 28 million iPhones in the quarter, a 70% surge from a year ago.
Samsung's handset sales this year broke a new annual record by the end of November, boosted by good demand for its flagship Galaxy S II model, whose sales reached 10 million units, the company said a week ago.
T he poll does not break out Samsung smartphone sales as the firm does not report the number, but five analysts forecast those sales should be similar to that of Apple.
Sales of Nokia products will also be closely watched in the quarter for first reactions to its Windows Phone models, although most Nokia smartphones are still powered by its own ageing Symbian software.
"I don't think Nokia joining the force can make a difference," said Yuanta Securitie's Chang, noting that HTC and Samsung models using latest Windows Phone software have not fared well.
Analysts expect Nokia's smartphones sales in the fourth quarter to fall 31% from a year ago to 19 million phones as the new Windows Phones will not yet compensate for diving Symbian sales. Still, that would be well ahead of HTC's 11 million and RIM's 14 million.
With the proliferation of touchscreens and half of all smartphones sold using Google's Android operating system, consumers are struggling to see the difference among the models.
"Everybody is just buying black plates with big screens," said Strategy Analytic's Mawston. Most top models also have 8 megapixel cameras among other similar features.
"If you look at the phones there is nothing particular really there," said Canalyst analyst Pete Cunningham. "It's a really tough market and it is going to get tougher." Chinese vendors ZTE and Huawei have started to win market share with their cheap smartphones using Android, and cut-price competition is set to continue with chipset supplier Spreadtrum unveiling last week a platform for $40 Android phones.
And the market seems to only be getting more crowded.
(moneyweb.com)
Apple, which lost its position as the world's largest smartphone maker to Samsung last quarter, could regain top spot as consumers rush to buy the latest iPhone after waiting 16 months since the previous model went on sale.
Like millions elsewhere , 36-year-old Vanessa Pigeon last week took up an offer from her telecom operator and replaced her aging Blackberry with the latest iPhone.
"I liked the design and I wanted to change for a long time," said Pigeon, a recruitment official in Paris.
In neighbouring Britain, which is often seen as the indicator for the rest of the European market, the iPhone took a whopping 43% market share in October, overtaking phones using Google Inc's Android platform, according to research firm Kantar WorldpanelComTech.
"It's really only the iPhone family and the (Samsung) Galaxy family flying off the shelves. Everyone else is just picking up the leftovers," said Neil Mawston, analyst at research firm Strategy Analytics in Milton Keynes, Britain.
HTC and Research In Motion - No.4 and No.5 smartphone vendors - have already warned of weak holiday sales. The year end is a key sales season for smartphone vendors as consumers often replace their models for the holidays. Vendors are expected to sell a total of 142 million smartphones in October- December, up 42% from a year ago, according to a poll of analysts.
"At this moment we're still doubtful on whether we'll see any seasonality this Christmas because the demand we see so far is very bad," said Bonnie Chang, analyst at Yuanta Securities in Taipei.
Overall phone sales have been shrinking in western Europe this year as consumers delay purchases in a tighter economy. Analysts expect sales of non-smartphones to stay on a par with year-ago numbers.
Smartphone sales growth, which is driven by swapping for more advanced models, has slowed over the year.
"For Europe, Q4 will not be the usual bonanza. The economy is pushing consumers to be pickier," said Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi, adding this played to the advantage of Samsung and Apple.
Sales of Apple's iPhone have surged since early October when the iPhone 4S model became available, and the company is expected to sell around 28 million iPhones in the quarter, a 70% surge from a year ago.
Samsung's handset sales this year broke a new annual record by the end of November, boosted by good demand for its flagship Galaxy S II model, whose sales reached 10 million units, the company said a week ago.
T he poll does not break out Samsung smartphone sales as the firm does not report the number, but five analysts forecast those sales should be similar to that of Apple.
Sales of Nokia products will also be closely watched in the quarter for first reactions to its Windows Phone models, although most Nokia smartphones are still powered by its own ageing Symbian software.
"I don't think Nokia joining the force can make a difference," said Yuanta Securitie's Chang, noting that HTC and Samsung models using latest Windows Phone software have not fared well.
Analysts expect Nokia's smartphones sales in the fourth quarter to fall 31% from a year ago to 19 million phones as the new Windows Phones will not yet compensate for diving Symbian sales. Still, that would be well ahead of HTC's 11 million and RIM's 14 million.
With the proliferation of touchscreens and half of all smartphones sold using Google's Android operating system, consumers are struggling to see the difference among the models.
"Everybody is just buying black plates with big screens," said Strategy Analytic's Mawston. Most top models also have 8 megapixel cameras among other similar features.
"If you look at the phones there is nothing particular really there," said Canalyst analyst Pete Cunningham. "It's a really tough market and it is going to get tougher." Chinese vendors ZTE and Huawei have started to win market share with their cheap smartphones using Android, and cut-price competition is set to continue with chipset supplier Spreadtrum unveiling last week a platform for $40 Android phones.
And the market seems to only be getting more crowded.
(moneyweb.com)
PlayStation Games for Xperia
Sony Ericsson mobile communications are “Xperia acro IS11S” of December 8, “Xperia arc SO-01C” of DoCoMo and “Xperia acro SO-02C”, and KDDI, the contents distribution service of PlayStation Store showed that use became possible from the same day. By accessing PlayStation Store from a correspondence terminal, the game of first PlayStation is downloadable (download requires Wi-Fi connection). In addition, by Xperia arc/acro, “GOLF 2 of everybody” is downloadable for free from December 8 to February 8, 2012.
In order to use PlayStation Store, the renewal of software provided with Xperia arc SO-01C and Xperia acro SO-02C from November 7, Xperia acro IS11S needs to download PlayStation pocket and a PlayStation Store application after carrying out renewal of software offered from November 10. For downloading an application the tap of “beginning PS Store” is carried out, and after downloading PlayStation pocket first, it is necessary to download PlayStation Store [ which is added to the tray ]Since the shortcut of “beginning PS Store” will disappear from a home screen if PlayStation Store is downloaded previously, it is necessary to re-download shortcut from http://www.playstation.com/pss/store/ja.html
In order to use PlayStation Store, the renewal of software provided with Xperia arc SO-01C and Xperia acro SO-02C from November 7, Xperia acro IS11S needs to download PlayStation pocket and a PlayStation Store application after carrying out renewal of software offered from November 10. For downloading an application the tap of “beginning PS Store” is carried out, and after downloading PlayStation pocket first, it is necessary to download PlayStation Store [ which is added to the tray ]Since the shortcut of “beginning PS Store” will disappear from a home screen if PlayStation Store is downloaded previously, it is necessary to re-download shortcut from http://www.playstation.com/pss/store/ja.html
Sony’s Vita Debuts Squeezed Between Nintendo Price, Smartphones
More than 100 game fans queued before 7 a.m. this morning outside a store in Tokyo’s Shibuya shopping district, awaiting the release of Sony Corp.’s PlayStation Vita.
“I can’t wait to open the box and play,” said Fumito Ito, 23, who was among the first to purchase the new game device. “I look forward to playing against others.”
Sony aims to revitalize its game business and lure consumers increasingly turning to Apple Inc.’s iPhones for entertainment. Success with Vita is critical for Sony in a gaming landscape reshaped by price cuts from larger Nintendo Co. and the growing popularity of Rovio Mobile Oy’s “Angry Birds” on smartphones, analysts said.
“Serious gamers may bolster Vita demand in the beginning, but what Sony needs is casual gamers to sustain sales,” said Satoru Kikuchi, a Tokyo-based analyst at Deutsche Bank AG. “Sony may need to cut the price as early as next year to keep attracting buyers. It’s a difficult time for console makers.”
Profit from the new portable console also is key to Chief Executive Officer Howard Stringer’s efforts to offset a slumping TV business that’s put the world’s No. 2 video-game maker on course for a fourth straight annual loss.
“The ultimate portable entertainment device is now available,” Executive Deputy President Kazuo Hirai said today at a press conference. “We would like to introduce a new way of gaming.”
A Wi-Fi version of the Vita, the first major overhaul of the handheld since the PlayStation Portable went on sale in 2004, costs 24,900 yen ($319 in Japan), while the 3G model costs 29,980 yen.
Sold Out
The device, with a 5-inch display using OLED, or organic light-emitting diode, technology and touch pads, already sold out in pre-ordering in Japan, said Andrew House, chief executive officer of Sony Computer Entertainment.
“There were lines to make reservations for the machine at retailers,” House told reporters in Tokyo on Dec. 15. He declined to provide sales figures.
House’s comments came the same day Sony, Japan’s biggest consumer-electronics exporter, had its rating cut to one level above junk by Fitch Ratings, which cited difficulties reviving the TV business and deals that won’t improve profit.
Loss
Tadayoshi Sugaya, who cooks pasta dishes at an Italian restaurant in Tokyo, wasn’t among the Vita’s customers.
“I’m happy playing games on my smartphone,” said the 39- year-old chef, who uses Samsung Electronics Co.’s Galaxy model to play mahjong and other games. “I don’t see much need to buy a game player.”
The Consumer Products and Services Group -- Sony’s biggest by revenue and maker of TVs, games and cameras -- had a loss of 34.6 billion yen in the quarter ended Sept. 30, compared with a loss of 35.5 billion yen a year earlier.
Sony rose 1.1 percent to 1,360 yen at the close in Tokyo trading. The stock has declined 54 percent this year, while the benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average has lost 18 percent.
Reviving demand is important to help Tokyo-based Sony recover from its worst hacker attacks in April, when intruders compromised more than 100 million customer accounts in the second-largest online data breach in U.S. history. Sony suspended those services until July and budgeted 14 billion yen in costs this year.
The device will miss this year’s shopping season in the U.S., where it will debut in February and is priced at $249.99 for the Wi-Fi version and $299.99 for the 3G model.
Nintendo 3DS
That’s more expensive than Nintendo’s competing 3DS after the world’s biggest maker of video-game machines slashed prices of the new 3-D handheld player to as low as $170 because of poor sales. Nintendo sold more than 795,000 of the 3DS portable units last month, the Kyoto, Japan-based company said Dec. 10, citing figures from researcher NPD Group Inc.
Sony has a “very good product” at a “very affordable price” and, therefore, won’t cut prices of the Vita in response to other companies, Hirai said in August.
Sony expects to sell 15 million of the PlayStation 3 consoles this fiscal year, up 4.9 percent from last fiscal year, after the company lowered prices in August.
Sony Strategy
The Vita is part of Sony’s strategy to link its TVs, Blu- ray players, game consoles and digital cameras via the Internet to movies, music and video games. Sony also is increasing online services, including the PlayStation Suite that allows users to download games on devices running on Google Inc.’s Android software.
There will be 24 titles available when the Vita goes on sale, Sony has said. They include the “Unchartered” adventure game, which costs 4,900 yen to download, and “Everybody’s Golf 6,” priced at 3,900 yen.
By comparison, Nintendo had eight titles when it began selling the 3DS in February. The 3DS allows users to see 3-D images without wearing special glasses.
“The number of titles is truly impressive, so there is no risk that people will wait to buy,” said Michael Pachter, a Los Angeles-based analyst at Wedbush Securities Inc. “The price point is the biggest obstacle.”
Apple Devices
The iPod Touch media player, the cheapest Apple device that can download and play games, costs $199 in the U.S. while the iPhone 3GS is free with a wireless contract. Apple sold 17.07 million iPhones and 11.12 million iPad tablet computers, which can also be used to play games, in its fiscal fourth quarter.
In a similar strategy, Sony is consolidating its multimedia devices. In October, the company agreed to buy Ericsson AB’s 50 percent stake in their mobile-phone venture to integrate the smartphone business with its gaming and tablets.
That still won’t entice Ai Takenaka, 28, to buy the Vita because she can get free titles from Apple’s AppStore and Google’s Android Market.
“I like to play simple games with my smartphone because they are all free,” the Tokyo restaurant worker said.
(businessweek.com)
“I can’t wait to open the box and play,” said Fumito Ito, 23, who was among the first to purchase the new game device. “I look forward to playing against others.”
Sony aims to revitalize its game business and lure consumers increasingly turning to Apple Inc.’s iPhones for entertainment. Success with Vita is critical for Sony in a gaming landscape reshaped by price cuts from larger Nintendo Co. and the growing popularity of Rovio Mobile Oy’s “Angry Birds” on smartphones, analysts said.
“Serious gamers may bolster Vita demand in the beginning, but what Sony needs is casual gamers to sustain sales,” said Satoru Kikuchi, a Tokyo-based analyst at Deutsche Bank AG. “Sony may need to cut the price as early as next year to keep attracting buyers. It’s a difficult time for console makers.”
Profit from the new portable console also is key to Chief Executive Officer Howard Stringer’s efforts to offset a slumping TV business that’s put the world’s No. 2 video-game maker on course for a fourth straight annual loss.
“The ultimate portable entertainment device is now available,” Executive Deputy President Kazuo Hirai said today at a press conference. “We would like to introduce a new way of gaming.”
A Wi-Fi version of the Vita, the first major overhaul of the handheld since the PlayStation Portable went on sale in 2004, costs 24,900 yen ($319 in Japan), while the 3G model costs 29,980 yen.
Sold Out
The device, with a 5-inch display using OLED, or organic light-emitting diode, technology and touch pads, already sold out in pre-ordering in Japan, said Andrew House, chief executive officer of Sony Computer Entertainment.
“There were lines to make reservations for the machine at retailers,” House told reporters in Tokyo on Dec. 15. He declined to provide sales figures.
House’s comments came the same day Sony, Japan’s biggest consumer-electronics exporter, had its rating cut to one level above junk by Fitch Ratings, which cited difficulties reviving the TV business and deals that won’t improve profit.
Loss
Tadayoshi Sugaya, who cooks pasta dishes at an Italian restaurant in Tokyo, wasn’t among the Vita’s customers.
“I’m happy playing games on my smartphone,” said the 39- year-old chef, who uses Samsung Electronics Co.’s Galaxy model to play mahjong and other games. “I don’t see much need to buy a game player.”
The Consumer Products and Services Group -- Sony’s biggest by revenue and maker of TVs, games and cameras -- had a loss of 34.6 billion yen in the quarter ended Sept. 30, compared with a loss of 35.5 billion yen a year earlier.
Sony rose 1.1 percent to 1,360 yen at the close in Tokyo trading. The stock has declined 54 percent this year, while the benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average has lost 18 percent.
Reviving demand is important to help Tokyo-based Sony recover from its worst hacker attacks in April, when intruders compromised more than 100 million customer accounts in the second-largest online data breach in U.S. history. Sony suspended those services until July and budgeted 14 billion yen in costs this year.
The device will miss this year’s shopping season in the U.S., where it will debut in February and is priced at $249.99 for the Wi-Fi version and $299.99 for the 3G model.
Nintendo 3DS
That’s more expensive than Nintendo’s competing 3DS after the world’s biggest maker of video-game machines slashed prices of the new 3-D handheld player to as low as $170 because of poor sales. Nintendo sold more than 795,000 of the 3DS portable units last month, the Kyoto, Japan-based company said Dec. 10, citing figures from researcher NPD Group Inc.
Sony has a “very good product” at a “very affordable price” and, therefore, won’t cut prices of the Vita in response to other companies, Hirai said in August.
Sony expects to sell 15 million of the PlayStation 3 consoles this fiscal year, up 4.9 percent from last fiscal year, after the company lowered prices in August.
Sony Strategy
The Vita is part of Sony’s strategy to link its TVs, Blu- ray players, game consoles and digital cameras via the Internet to movies, music and video games. Sony also is increasing online services, including the PlayStation Suite that allows users to download games on devices running on Google Inc.’s Android software.
There will be 24 titles available when the Vita goes on sale, Sony has said. They include the “Unchartered” adventure game, which costs 4,900 yen to download, and “Everybody’s Golf 6,” priced at 3,900 yen.
By comparison, Nintendo had eight titles when it began selling the 3DS in February. The 3DS allows users to see 3-D images without wearing special glasses.
“The number of titles is truly impressive, so there is no risk that people will wait to buy,” said Michael Pachter, a Los Angeles-based analyst at Wedbush Securities Inc. “The price point is the biggest obstacle.”
Apple Devices
The iPod Touch media player, the cheapest Apple device that can download and play games, costs $199 in the U.S. while the iPhone 3GS is free with a wireless contract. Apple sold 17.07 million iPhones and 11.12 million iPad tablet computers, which can also be used to play games, in its fiscal fourth quarter.
In a similar strategy, Sony is consolidating its multimedia devices. In October, the company agreed to buy Ericsson AB’s 50 percent stake in their mobile-phone venture to integrate the smartphone business with its gaming and tablets.
That still won’t entice Ai Takenaka, 28, to buy the Vita because she can get free titles from Apple’s AppStore and Google’s Android Market.
“I like to play simple games with my smartphone because they are all free,” the Tokyo restaurant worker said.
(businessweek.com)
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