Tech Roundup: Sept 1, 2012
The super-fast verdict in the Apple vs. Samsung case may have led to widespread speculations about Samsung's henceforth relation with Apple. But putting a kibosh to all such rumors, a recent article in Reuters makes it clear that their business relationship is not going to be affected by the ruling.
One Samsung executive refers the supply contract as a 'separate issue from the litigation and there'll be no change to it going forward'. Not in the least surprising given the fact that it's one of their most profitable businesses. It may be noted that Samsung is the largest supplier of chips to Apple for its iPhone and iPad and has been furthering the partnership by selling flash storage components for the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops.
Samsung may have ended up bruising itself in the patent assault against Apple but analysts are still weighing on the consequences of the US verdict. While majority opine that it could foster innovation in the long run, Jasper Kim of Asia-Pacific Global Research Group suggests otherwise. He fears Apple, which has enjoyed great support from South Koreans, may face a 'patriotic backlash' against its products and could affect its forthcoming iPhone 5 (or whatever!) sales. While this may sound as an overreach, the implications in general are unmistakably far-reaching.
It's no secret that Apple and Samsung are fighting over patent infringements in several courts across the globe. One week after Apple's big win against Samsung in the US, a Tokyo court has ruled that Samsung phones do not violate Cupertino's patent involving syncing of media files. Apple wanted a sales injunction and $1.25 million in damages, but the court has ruled otherwise. The verdict is a little boost to the South Korean company's prospects in an increasingly convoluted long-drawn-out legal battle.
Both the companies are also engaged in another patent tussle in the US over the Universal Search feature; the lawsuit that led to a temporary injunction on Galaxy Nexus. Apple has now modified the complaint to include four more devices including the Samsung Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note taking the total number of infringing handsets to 21. Samsung has strongly hit back saying the Cupertino 'continues to resort to litigation over market competition in an effort to limit consumer choice' adding '(w)e will continue to take the necessary legal measures to ensure the availability of our innovative products in the United States.' Will there be an end to this? At least not in the near future!
While Apple and Samsung are fighting each other, Google seems to be in a mood for reconciliation. CEO Larry Page and his Apple counterpart Tim Cook have had a phone conversation last week to discuss the ongoing patent disputes in light of Apple’s recent victory against Samsung, according to an exclusive report from Reuters. Though the conversation ‘did not result in any formal agreement’, ‘the two executives agreed to continue talking, according to one source’.
Back in May, HTC was found to be infringing Apple’s patent involving detecting a set of characters as phone numbers or email addresses and displaying them as links, which when clicked opened up a menu of options. Following an import ban from FTC, the Taiwanese company later came up with a workaround that directly opened the dialer or email client when the text is tapped. While the patent suit is still going on, HTC has said it’s in no mood to settle with Cupertino even after its recent victory over Samsung. "Samsung’s defeat does not mean that Google Inc.'s Android camp is defeated," a HTC spokesperson said adding “every company has good innovations.” Bravo HTC!
Boasting of a 4.8-inch screen and powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, the phone runs on the upcoming mobile operating system from Microsoft. Nokia is also gearing up for its big event scheduled on the fifth of next month and a new teaser video on its YouTube channel does hint something big is on the way. Though the announcements are just a week apart, the devices themselves won’t see the light of the day until WP8 is officially announced, which is now rumored to be three days after the launch of Windows 8 i.e. on October 29 according to ZDNet.
But aren't you interested to know what Nokia has in store for the September 5 event? According to latest leaks, the two rumored devices are the Lumia 920 (or ‘Phi’) with PureView camera and the mid-range Lumia 820 (or ‘Arrow’). While the former is said to have a 4.5-inch display, 820 will supposedly be a 4.3-incher. Meanwhile HTC Accord, the rumored WP8 device from the Taiwanese handset maker, has also got leaked in screenshots sporting an overall purplish color, including the user interface.
Among other announcements at IFA, Sony took to stage to unveil its latest smartphone trio, Xperia T, J and V, with Xperia T being the new flagship model. It is powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, a 13-MP camera and runs Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box. Slightly smaller than T, Xperia V almost has the same set of specs and is water resistant. Xperia J, on the other hand, is a budget phone with mid-range feature set. The J, though, will have a competitor from HTC Desire X; a new budget offering that’s likely to be priced below the One V. Sony has also launched its new tablet Xperia Tablet S running on Android. It notably features a cover with keyboard case that’s almost reminiscent of Surface’s Touch Cover.
Samsung too had a bevy of devices up its sleeve at IFA. The main thing was of course the Galaxy note II, a 5.5-inch phablet running on Jelly Bean with TouchWiz UI overlay. It functions on a 1.6Ghz quad-core Exynos processor and has a 3100mAh battery, sufficient enough to chug along for a day I hope. In addition, it also unveiled an Android Jelly Bean powered 16-MP camera, Galaxy Camera. Boasting of a massive 4.8-inch HD display, the camera has full mobile capabilities and is the second gadget after Nikon S800c to run on Android. Both Galaxy Note II and Galaxy Camera also come with a free 50GB Dropbox space for two years. All the devices are expected to hit the market in Q4 2012 except for Xperia T and Desire X which are to be available in the forthcoming weeks.
The first indication of that came from Amazon when it used Android for the 7-inch Kindle Fire, but had its own app store instead of Google Play. Now in a case of further estrangement, it is reportedly giving up Google Maps as a mapping solution on its upcoming tablet. Alternatively, it plans to use Nokia maps, according another exclusive scoop from Reuters. If the rumour turns out true and the tablet scores a hit, it is indeed a loss for Google!
In other news:
One Samsung executive refers the supply contract as a 'separate issue from the litigation and there'll be no change to it going forward'. Not in the least surprising given the fact that it's one of their most profitable businesses. It may be noted that Samsung is the largest supplier of chips to Apple for its iPhone and iPad and has been furthering the partnership by selling flash storage components for the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops.
Samsung may have ended up bruising itself in the patent assault against Apple but analysts are still weighing on the consequences of the US verdict. While majority opine that it could foster innovation in the long run, Jasper Kim of Asia-Pacific Global Research Group suggests otherwise. He fears Apple, which has enjoyed great support from South Koreans, may face a 'patriotic backlash' against its products and could affect its forthcoming iPhone 5 (or whatever!) sales. While this may sound as an overreach, the implications in general are unmistakably far-reaching.
It's no secret that Apple and Samsung are fighting over patent infringements in several courts across the globe. One week after Apple's big win against Samsung in the US, a Tokyo court has ruled that Samsung phones do not violate Cupertino's patent involving syncing of media files. Apple wanted a sales injunction and $1.25 million in damages, but the court has ruled otherwise. The verdict is a little boost to the South Korean company's prospects in an increasingly convoluted long-drawn-out legal battle.
Both the companies are also engaged in another patent tussle in the US over the Universal Search feature; the lawsuit that led to a temporary injunction on Galaxy Nexus. Apple has now modified the complaint to include four more devices including the Samsung Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note taking the total number of infringing handsets to 21. Samsung has strongly hit back saying the Cupertino 'continues to resort to litigation over market competition in an effort to limit consumer choice' adding '(w)e will continue to take the necessary legal measures to ensure the availability of our innovative products in the United States.' Will there be an end to this? At least not in the near future!
While Apple and Samsung are fighting each other, Google seems to be in a mood for reconciliation. CEO Larry Page and his Apple counterpart Tim Cook have had a phone conversation last week to discuss the ongoing patent disputes in light of Apple’s recent victory against Samsung, according to an exclusive report from Reuters. Though the conversation ‘did not result in any formal agreement’, ‘the two executives agreed to continue talking, according to one source’.
Back in May, HTC was found to be infringing Apple’s patent involving detecting a set of characters as phone numbers or email addresses and displaying them as links, which when clicked opened up a menu of options. Following an import ban from FTC, the Taiwanese company later came up with a workaround that directly opened the dialer or email client when the text is tapped. While the patent suit is still going on, HTC has said it’s in no mood to settle with Cupertino even after its recent victory over Samsung. "Samsung’s defeat does not mean that Google Inc.'s Android camp is defeated," a HTC spokesperson said adding “every company has good innovations.” Bravo HTC!
***
Last week’s Facebook iOS app update brought in the much needed speed improvements, but Android users of the world famous social network were left in the cold. What’s more, the standards of the Android app don’t even match up to its Apple counterpart although both apps have been decidedly sluggish. Now that its iOS app has been gaining a positive response, Facebook has turned its attention to Android. In an attempt to fix the issues, it has forced its employees to use the Android variant and has asked them to not use the iOS app till the former gets better. The sooner the realization, the better for the company, whose future is shrouded in uncertainty over its mobile strategies.
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LG may not be in the same league as Samsung or HTC in the Android war, but it really is trying to get better. The company has made its flagship phone Optimus G official and is available in South Korea next month with the global launch set for October / November. Running on Android 4.0, it is powered by a quad-core processor and has an array of impressive specs covering a 4.7-inch 1280x768 display, 13-MP camera, 2GB RAM and a 2100mAh battery. Sounds good on paper, but we shouldn’t be shooting our mouths off until the final product is out, should we?
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Microsoft has done away with the Start Menu option in Windows 8, but that doesn’t mean OEM’s are going to sit idle. According to Mashable, Samsung is planning to bundle a new S Launcher to its Windows 8 PCs that will mimic the Start Menu feature as a desktop widget.
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Motorola Mobility and Intel announced a joint partnership back at CES 2012 and now it seems it has borne fruition. Both the companies are sending out invites for a press event in London scheduled on September 18. An Intel inside Android phone on the way? We will know in another two weeks.
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Samsung can keep a secret after all! At the IFA event in Germany, the company did something which was totally unexpected and out of the blue – announcing the world’s first Windows Phone 8 smartphone beating the likes of Nokia. While the Galaxy Note II and Galaxy Camera were expected, rumors of the Windows Phone 8 device did not make rounds until The Verge managed to get a wind just hours ahead of the official launch.Boasting of a 4.8-inch screen and powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, the phone runs on the upcoming mobile operating system from Microsoft. Nokia is also gearing up for its big event scheduled on the fifth of next month and a new teaser video on its YouTube channel does hint something big is on the way. Though the announcements are just a week apart, the devices themselves won’t see the light of the day until WP8 is officially announced, which is now rumored to be three days after the launch of Windows 8 i.e. on October 29 according to ZDNet.
But aren't you interested to know what Nokia has in store for the September 5 event? According to latest leaks, the two rumored devices are the Lumia 920 (or ‘Phi’) with PureView camera and the mid-range Lumia 820 (or ‘Arrow’). While the former is said to have a 4.5-inch display, 820 will supposedly be a 4.3-incher. Meanwhile HTC Accord, the rumored WP8 device from the Taiwanese handset maker, has also got leaked in screenshots sporting an overall purplish color, including the user interface.
***
Apple's iPad Mini is the hotly anticipated gadget of the year, next to the iPhone. Now Bloomberg has corroborated earlier reports, including one from AllThingsD, that the device will have a 7.85-inch screen and is likely to arrive this October. With so many rumors buzzing around, Apple will put them all to rest hopefully on September 12 (which is also a rumor!).
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One noticeable thing about the IFA 2012 event at Berlin was an inundation of Windows 8 devices. Major manufacturers like HP, Sony, Samsung and Dell have all announced Windows 8 (or RT) based PCs, tablets and convertibles. Microsoft has its own tablet Surface, the company’s first entry into hardware, lined up for release and it’s good to see the competition heating up. Hope Surface raises the bar for better Windows 8 tablets.Among other announcements at IFA, Sony took to stage to unveil its latest smartphone trio, Xperia T, J and V, with Xperia T being the new flagship model. It is powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, a 13-MP camera and runs Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box. Slightly smaller than T, Xperia V almost has the same set of specs and is water resistant. Xperia J, on the other hand, is a budget phone with mid-range feature set. The J, though, will have a competitor from HTC Desire X; a new budget offering that’s likely to be priced below the One V. Sony has also launched its new tablet Xperia Tablet S running on Android. It notably features a cover with keyboard case that’s almost reminiscent of Surface’s Touch Cover.
Samsung too had a bevy of devices up its sleeve at IFA. The main thing was of course the Galaxy note II, a 5.5-inch phablet running on Jelly Bean with TouchWiz UI overlay. It functions on a 1.6Ghz quad-core Exynos processor and has a 3100mAh battery, sufficient enough to chug along for a day I hope. In addition, it also unveiled an Android Jelly Bean powered 16-MP camera, Galaxy Camera. Boasting of a massive 4.8-inch HD display, the camera has full mobile capabilities and is the second gadget after Nikon S800c to run on Android. Both Galaxy Note II and Galaxy Camera also come with a free 50GB Dropbox space for two years. All the devices are expected to hit the market in Q4 2012 except for Xperia T and Desire X which are to be available in the forthcoming weeks.
***
Twitter has announced a new advertising program where in advertisers can target users by their interests that cover 350 different categories. This is as part of the social network's effort to gather user interests based on their browsing habits and their followers etc. However, you can still disable the tracking option by going to your profile settings and unchecking ‘Tailor Twitter based on my recent website visits’ box.
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That Amazon is readying for a new announcement, possibly a Kindle Fire successor, is old news. To further reiterate what’s in store for the September 6 event, the company has trumpeted that Kindle Fire is completely sold out and that it has captured 22% of the US tablet market. The Kindle Touch was also announced to be out of stock days back. In today’s fast moving tech world, building a new OS from scratch could needlessly complicate matters; foremost being loss of time and foothold in the market. Skimming through the available options easily produces Android as the sole lucrative choice because Apple’s iOS is a closed wall, and so is Microsoft’s Windows Phone to some extent. But using Android doesn’t mean they will have to use whatever the OS throws up to them.The first indication of that came from Amazon when it used Android for the 7-inch Kindle Fire, but had its own app store instead of Google Play. Now in a case of further estrangement, it is reportedly giving up Google Maps as a mapping solution on its upcoming tablet. Alternatively, it plans to use Nokia maps, according another exclusive scoop from Reuters. If the rumour turns out true and the tablet scores a hit, it is indeed a loss for Google!
In other news:
- Official SkyDrive app for Android now available in the Google Play store.
- Samsung unveils media player Galaxy Player 5.8; has a humongous 5.8-inch screen (too big, no?).
- Firefox browser for Android tablets gets speed improvements and a revamped design.
- Popular iOS news reader app Flipboard crosses the 20 million user mark on the eve of its second anniversary; adding one new user a second on an average.
- Google+ adds business features; allows Hangout integration with Google Calendar.
- Google Now on Jelly Bean updated to give out movie showtimes and other emergency alerts.
- Facebook Camera app for iOS update allows you to create new albums and add photos to galleries amongst other improvements.
- Sony PlayStation firmware 1.80 update for PS Vita brings support for original PS games.
- Blizzard cuts access to online game World of Warcraft in Iran to comply with US trade sanctions.
- Samsung Galaxy S III to be available in more Nature themed colors – Amber Brown, Garnet Red, Sapphire Black and Titanium Grey. Interested in knowing the reasons behind those colors? Check out the link from Samsung blog.
- Twitter competitor App.net, a subscription based ad-free social network, gets its first Android app Hooha.
- IBM planning to bring its super-intelligent Watson to smartphones.
- Popular email client Sparrow for iPhone allows opening links in Chrome.
- Windows Phone 8 to have parental control features and Kid’s Corner – a separate environment that allows children to access games, apps, music and videos as set by the parent.
- US Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s campaign team becomes the first political campaign to buy a trending topic (#RomneyRyan2012) on Twitter.
- Adobe Flash Player resurfaces on Google Play Store UK following BBC’s request to support its iPlayer app.
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