Sunday, August 26, 2012

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Google Android News Android Forums

ASUS Transformer Pad TF700KL Heading to Germany On Vodafone’s LTE Network

Posted: 25 Aug 2012 10:00 AM PDT

A press release from Vodafone has confirmed the ASUS Transformer Pad TF700KL is heading to Germany, a Transformer Pad TF700 with 4G LTE connectivity. The new LTE Transformer will initially launch in Germany, but will soon be available in other Vodafone stores across Europe – with the exception of Italy, which has not yet upgraded their network infrastructure to support LTE.

Unlike its Transformer TF700 siblings the TF700KL will be powered by a more power efficient dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor clocked at 1.5GHz (rather than the quad-core 1.6GHz Nvidia Tegra 3), which was most likely chosen due to LTE’s demanding battery life. Its display will be covered in Corning’s Gorilla Glass 2 which will allow the device to be thinner, but will still support a dazzling full 1920 x 1080 HD resolution. Other specs remain identical such as 1GB RAM, storage options of 16GB, 32GB or 64G, and as always an expandable microSD card slot.

The top-of-the-line TF700KL 64GB model will be priced at a hefty €819 ($1025 USD) for non subsidized customers and €169 ($211 USD) with a contract.

Source: Engadget
via: Notebook Italia

Apple wins, consumers lose, and the USPTO should be ashamed

Posted: 25 Aug 2012 08:29 AM PDT

I’m not sure I can say that I’m shocked at yesterday’s verdict, but I can say I’m thoroughly outraged. Anyone reading this knows I’m on the Android side of the fence, but that has nothing to do with it. I’ve already stated that if things were reversed, I wouldn’t want to see Samsung win either. I know readers probably won’t believe that, but it’s true. Yes, I want Android to always be the leader, but never at the expense of innovation.

Now with that said, the jury isn’t at fault here. The verdict was correct based on the patents that Apple owns, and there’s no question that Samsung was guilty of infringing on them. In fact Samsung never had a chance to win this case, so I’m not sure why they invested so much trying to fight it. The problem is the patents themselves and the patent system as a whole. Samsung argued that Apple’s patents we are all based on previous innovations and therefore weren’t valid, but it was unlikely the jury would overturn what the United States Patent and Trademark Office already issued. Assuming that’s the case, the jury had no choice but to find that Samsung did in fact infringe on the patents. If anyone is guilty of any wrong-doing it’s the USPTO for issuing the patents in the first place.

In no way should any company own a patent for basic software related items or designs. With this kind of system, everyone is forced to apply for patents for every crazy thing. Apple claims Samsung was a “copycat”, but the only thing Samsung was guilty of was to be inspired by Apple. In every industry that I’m aware of, companies create products and competitors make similar versions that are sometimes better or worse. That’s how things work, but for some reason Apple thinks they are different.

Apple’s argument is that consumers will be confused with like products, but that is an issue in every industry or technology. Let’s take a look at automobiles. So many cars look alike because the manufacturers adopt similar designs.  Go up to a few strangers and point out a car and ask them if they know the brand and model. I guarantee you that most of them won’t know. How about TV’s and Laptops? All of them have similar designs. How many people can look at a TV from afar and know the brand of it? The only way to tell is to walk up to it and find the logo of the manufacturer.

As to software, every company takes elements from others and tweaks it in an attempt to improve on it. There’s no question that Samsung and other Android manufacturers have implemented things that Apple invented like pinch to zoom, but Apple is just as guilty for copying the competition. The swipe down for notifications that was introduced in iOS 5 is just one example. How about Apple’s new Maps app? Isn’t that a direct copy of Google Maps?

The patent system as we know it forces everyone to apply for meaningless patents, all at the cost of the consumers. So the only way to win is to apply for a patent for every little code that is written. Look at how many flashlight apps there are for both iOS and Android. I don’t know who actually created the very first app that utilized the camera flash as a flashlight, but whoever it is should probably have a patent so they can screw every other developer that tried to make a better version. Seems crazy, but that’s the system that’s in place. The same goes for hardware. Every little design needs to be patented. Every company now has to live in fear that one little curve on their hardware will infringe on someone else’s patent.

As I mentioned earlier the only thing Samsung was guilty of was inspiration, which is something that happens in every industry. To me a copycat product is a product that is a complete knock-off that is an exact replica down to the logo. These products are designed to fool the consumer. Samsung didn’t do that. Did their products look similar? Yes, but were they trying to fool the consumer? I can’t imagine there were too many consumers that brought their Galaxy S home thinking it was an iPhone. Even if they did, they would know pretty quickly once they realized they didn’t have access to iTunes.

As an Android fan, there’s no sense being frustrated with Apple. The current patent system is what allowed them to win this case, and Apple took full advantage of it. You can’t blame them, but on the other hand, they did say this case was about values, not money. If they were concerned with values, they would have never used these ridiculous patents to destroy innovation.

So where do things go from here? We have the appeals process and all that good stuff, but Samsung won’t be able to get out of this one. The question is how Google and the rest of Android will respond? Unless someone investigates the USPTO’s process, things will never change and will only get worse. How will anyone make cell phones or tablets moving forward without worrying that some little part of it resembles an Apple product (or someone else’s for that matter). Steve Jobs wanted to go thermonuclear on Android and this is one victory that I’m sure he would have loved to see. It’s a major victory indeed, and Apple fans will be throwing parties this weekend, but you have to wonder if Google and other Android OEM’s are planning a thermonuclear attack of their own. It’s a sad day folks, but far from over.

Maybe Tiered Data Plans Aren’t So Bad After All: Smartphone Users Generally Use Less Than 2GB Of Data Per Month

Posted: 25 Aug 2012 07:29 AM PDT

 

While you see a wireless carrier or two continue their commitment to offering shared data plans while wiping out those coveted unlimited data plans, it turns out consumers should be just fine with shared data plans. According to a study done by NPD Group, information collected from 1,000 Android smartphone users through an app that tracks data usage shows the vast majority of customers on a Big 4 network (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile) generally use less than 2GB of data per month. In another not-so-surprising fact, NPD also revealed that users with unlimited data plans didn’t even take advantage of being able to use unlimited data because those same users utilize WiFi networks more often than not.

In addition, not all customers of wireless carriers are the same. According to the findings, T-Mobile has the most data-hungry customers as 11% of customers use more than 3GB per month compared to 4% on AT&T/Sprint and 3% on Verizon. The reasoning? Analyst Eddie Hold believes: "T-Mobile consumers tend to be younger. Younger demographics are the ones we find hit the network harder by doing a little video and music streaming".

All in all, the article sounds about right and confirms both Verizon’s and AT&T’s reasoning for introducing the tiered data plans. How about you all? Do you agree with the study or not? We’d certainly love to hear your thoughts of your usage or of the findings from the recent study.

source: BGR
via: Phandroid

Samsung and Apple respond to jury’s decision, injunction hearing set for September 20th

Posted: 24 Aug 2012 08:31 PM PDT

With the jury’s official verdict of $1 billion already known, lawyers have shifted their focus to the aftermath. Both companies have issued official statements regarding today’s court ruling. Apple is claiming satisfaction with the jury’s decision, supporting the idea of original design and innovation. The Cupertino-based company hopes its statement sends “a loud and clear message that stealing isn’t right.” On the other side of things, Samsung fears the verdict hurts consumers, leaving them with “fewer choices, less innovation, and potentially higher prices.” 

Now that the trial is over, Apple is seeking a preliminary injunction on Samsung’s infringing products. The initial hearing is slated for September 20th, though Apple will have until the 29th to file the motion, giving Samsung 14 days to respond. As expected, it’s been confirmed that Samsung will be appealing today’s ruling, but in the meantime you can read official statements from both companies after the break.

Apple’s response:

We are grateful to the jury for their service and for investing the time to listen to our story and we were thrilled to be able to finally tell it. The mountain of evidence presented during the trail showed that Samsung’s copying went far deeper than even we knew. The lawsuits between Apple and Samsung were about much more than patents or money. They were about values. At Apple, we value originality and innovation and pour our lives into making the best products on earth. We make these products to delight our customers, not for our competitors to flagrantly copy. We applaud the court for finding Samsung’s behavior willful and for sending a loud and clear message that stealing isn’t right.

Samsung’s response:

Today’s verdict should not be viewed as a win for Apple, but as a loss for the American consumer. It will lead to  It is unfortunate that patent law can be manipulated to give one company a monopoly over rectangles with rounded corners, or technology that is being improved every day by Samsung and other companies. Consumers have the right to choices, and they know what they are buying when they purchase Samsung products. This is not the final word in this case or in battles being waged in courts and tribunals around the world, some of which have already rejected many of Apple’s claims. Samsung will continue to innovate and offer choices for the consumer.

Source: Engadget

ITC rules Apple did not violate Motorola wifi patent, case headed back to courtroom

Posted: 24 Aug 2012 06:25 PM PDT

Folks in Cupertino and Apple fans around the world are surely in a good mood going into this weekend with the recently announced results of the Apple v Samsung trial in which Apple has prevailed (at least for now). More good news for Apple came out of the ITC today in determining that Apple had not violated a Motorola patent on some wifi technology. The ITC commission also exonerated Apple with regard to two other patents.

An ITC judge had originally ruled in Motorola's favor and Apple was facing a ban of their devices had the commission's review not gone in their favor. The possibility of a ban still exists as the case has been sent back to the original judge for a new review regarding the possibility that Apple violated a non-standards-based patent. This will effectively "reset" the case, so it will likely drag on for at least another year. In the meantime, Motorola has started a new action against Apple alleging more patent violations.

source: Engadget
Posted by at 6:02 AM

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