Monday, November 19, 2012

Android Authority

Android Authority


Former Google lawyer Michelle Lee now head of new Silicon Valley Patent Office

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 03:07 AM PST

Image Credit: Dan Farber

Michelle Lee, once Google’s Head of Patents and Patent Strategy, is now in charge of the United States Patent Office Silicon Valley Branch. David Kappos, the director of the Patent and Trademark Office, told Reuters that Lee “understands the critical importance patents and trademarks play in our global economy”, which is a statement that be interpreted multiple ways. Some of you think that software patents should be banned, and that the only way for this industry to move forward is for companies to stop stockpiling thousands upon thousands of patents that they use like a pair of brass knuckles in case someone tries to compete. Other folks think patents have their place, but the way the system is currently setup is just laugh out loud broken and needs a total overhaul.

None of us are lawyers, so we can’t give you an educated opinion either way. That being said, we are consumers, and we hate reading about products being banned from entering certain markets because they have one or two features that exist in iOS. That’s just bullshit. No one is doubting that the first Android phones were painfully similar to the iPhone, but this is no longer the case. Google was “inspired” by iOS in much the same way Apple was “inspired” by XEROX Parc.

Today, Android looks absolutely nothing like iOS, meanwhile iOS looks exactly like it did in 2007. Oh yea, there’s a new notification center, but guess where they got that idea?

Circling back to the main topic of discussion, can Michelle Lee fix things? We certainly hope so. She knows what’s wrong with the patent system. Back in March 2009 she wrote a blog post titled “Patent reform needed more than ever“. Maybe now that she’s in a position of power, she’ll actually be able to do something about it!

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Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 LTE launched in Korea with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 02:44 AM PST

Although we were a bit disappointed to hear Samsung's plans to introduce the LTE version of the Galaxy Note 10.1 several months after the non-4G edition's release, we knew very well that the waiting was going to be worth it.

And not just due to that bump in connectivity speeds, but also because we suspected Sammy was going to launch the new tab with Jelly Bean on board. Now the Note 10.1 LTE has been released in Korea, and our guesses have proven spot on.

The new 10-incher is up for grabs on all three major South Korean operators, SK Telecom, KT and LG U+, and comes with Android 4.1, VoLTE support, as well as cool features like Multi-window, Air View and Easy Clip.

The S Pen support is of course still there to test your creativity, while the rest of the tech specs are no different from the international Wi-Fi and 3G models. That means you'll get your choice of on-board storage, ranging from 16 to 64 GB, a quad-core 1.4 GHz Exynos 4412 CPU, a 1280 x 800 pix res display, 2 GB of RAM, microSD support, Bluetooth 4.0, a 7,000 mAh battery, and dual 5 MP/1.9 MP cameras.

The LTE model of the GNote 10.1 is expected to be coming to other markets besides Korea by the end of the year, including the States, but for now all eyes are on Samsung to upgrade the existing tabs to Android 4.1. How about it, guys, what would you rather get first, the LTE Note 10.1′s release or the JB bump on non-LTE models?

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New UK mobile network The People’s Operator to give 25 percent of profits to charity

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 02:37 AM PST

Here's an interesting bid for your custom. A new mobile network is set to launch in the UK today and its USP is support for charity. The People's Operator or TPO is billing itself as an ethical alternative to the crowd. Will that be enough to allow it to muscle into the competitive UK market?

The basic idea is that 25 percent of TPO's profits will go into a special foundation and it will allocate funds to good causes that support local communities. Charities will be able to apply to the foundation for funds to support specific projects and funds will be awarded to causes deemed worthy. Customers of TPO will also be able to specify that 10 percent of their calls, text and data spend goes to a cause of their choosing. Cleverly, that 10 percent can also be collected by any charitable organization that helps to sign up any customer to TPO.

The People's Operator will be set up as a mobile virtual network operator or MVNO, which simply means it will be using EE's network infrastructure. It's starting off as a pay-as-you-go service, but there are plans to offer SIM-only contracts starting next year. Customers will be able to buy bundles of call minutes along with a text and data allowance. Calls and texts that are from TPO customers to TPO customers will be free. Launch costs on pay-as-you-go are 12.5p per minute for calls, 7.5p per text message, and 12.5p per Mb for data.

This is a real marriage of commerce and charity. The company does intend to generate a healthy profit, but the commitment to charity is more than a gimmick to attract custom. At least one of the founders has a background working with not-for-profit organizations and TPO has partnered with Childline and NSPCC already.

Could this be a win-win situation with charities gaining some extra income and TPO gaining a foothold in a tough market? Chairman Andrew Rosenfeld told The Next Web, "We don't see ourselves as a niche player – we see ourselves as a commercial operator first," and went on to say, "The more money we make, the more money can be given to good causes."

What do you think? Would this entice you to sign up? The pricing is competitive, EE's network is solid, and the charity donation is a strong differentiator in a crowded market. We can see this taking off.

It's not the first company to offer this kind of deal. In fact, Belgian operator, Ello Mobile, goes a lot further by offering 100 percent of its profits to charity.

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Imagination Technologies PowerVR G6630: This new GPU is 60x faster than anything currently on the market

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 01:59 AM PST

Imagination Technologies is a company that specializes in making graphics processors. They’re kind of like ARM, by that we mean they design processors that other companies then license and put on their chips. Take the chips that power Apple’s iOS devices for example, they all use GPUs from Imagination Technologies. Late last week, the company announced their latest creation, the PowerVR G6630. It’s the fastest GPU they’ve ever designed. They say it’s 60x faster than their previous generation cores. This is worth repeating: We didn’t say 60% faster, we said 60x faster!

How exactly does it work? To be perfectly honest, we have absolutely no idea. That being said, Imagination Technologies wants to emphasize energy efficiency with this new GPU. It has six processing cores that are smart enough to know when to turn off two or even four of those cores, depending on what’s being displayed on the screen. The G6630 also supports the latest graphics standards, including OpenGL ES 3.0/2.0/1.1, OpenGL 3.x/4.x, OpenCL 1.x, and DirectX 10.

Now for the important question: When will you we be able to buy a device that has this totally bad ass GPU inside? Imagination says it could happen next year, but our gut instinct tells us that’s not really going to happen. Experience has taught us that when companies announce new processors, it takes as much as two years for them to end up in retail hardware. That might upset some of you to hear, but it’s the truth.

Do we even need to have graphics processors that are this fast? Absolutely. There’s no such thing as “enough”, no matter how fast things get. The smartphone market today is like the PC market in the 90s. Every year we get products that are twice as fast as those from the previous generation. Performance improvements will slow down eventually, but right now it’s best to just buckle up and enjoy the ride.

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NC State students use software to boost WiFi performance by as much as 700%

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 01:27 AM PST

Students at North Carolina State University have come up with a clever way to increase the performance of WiFi networks by as much as 700%. How exactly did they do it? Say you’ve got one device, your laptop, connected to a WiFi network. The WiFi router feeding internet to your laptop has no problem handling all that traffic. But what happens when you’re at a conference and there are multiple people connected to the WiFi network, all trying to suck down as much data as possible? The WiFi router gets confused and doesn’t know who to prioritize, so it builds up a backlog of requests that takes time to process.

Here’s where the students’ work comes in. They invented something called “WiFox”, which is software that sits on the WiFi router that monitors how much traffic the network demands. When there’s a backlog of traffic, the router essentially tells all the devices on the network to shut up for a second while it pushes out all the requests it’s been given. Instead of the devices fighting over who gets packets first, the router is in charge and gives itself the highest priority on the network.

During testing, the students found a 400% improvement in speeds when 25 people were connected to the same WiFi network. Bump the number of users to 45, and that performance improvement hits 700%!

Again, we can’t emphasize how awesome this is because all manufacturers have to do is issue a software update that’ll enable “WiFox” support. When exactly will that happen? It depends. Bridging the gap between academia and the real world is often challenging, but we can imagine engineers at various networking firms have already reached out and asked to see just how reliable “WiFox” is and how easy it might be to implement.

Now we just want to know: Can similar methods be used on cellular networks?

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FingerSense from Qeexo enables more control via touch

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 01:20 AM PST

 

Touchscreens are very accessible and they're easy to use, but how do we take advantage of the technology to perform more complex interactions? Multi-touch and gestures have opened up new possibilities, but what if the screen could tell what was interacting with it? That's the idea behind Qeexo's FingerSense – the device can tell the difference between a fingertip, a fingernail, or a knuckle, as well as a stylus.

The technology behind this is about measuring vibrations using an acoustic sensor, or a smartphone's built-in microphone. By determining the difference between parts of the finger and parts of a stylus FingerSense can be used to create dedicated controls. A good example would be a knuckle tap serving the same function as a right mouse button and enabling a pop-up menu for options. The technology could also open up more possibilities for game control input or for art packages.

The great advantage here is to remove the necessity for menu systems and layers of choice by enabling simple one touch actions mapped to specific controls. A double knuckle tap could be a customizable shortcut for opening an email or a notepad app. The video below shows it off perfectly, so take a look.

Qeexo is a startup that developed out of a project at Carnegie Mellon University's Human-Computer Interaction Institute. The company is based in San Jose, California and it aims to have FingerSense rolling out on smartphones within a year. The range of potential applications for this just goes on and on so let's hope it rolls out soon.

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New Massachusetts rail train feature allows quicker ticket transactions via smartphones

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 11:17 PM PST

rail train
A lot of things are being done with smartphones these days. At first it was simple things, like sending emails. Now it has ballooned into so many things that it is impossible to list. Everything from banking to watching movies and creating spreadsheets are easy with smartphones. Now, Massachusetts rail train commuters can use their smartphones to buy tickets.

It’s actually a pretty neat concept. The Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MTBA) has implemented a new system where rail train riders can use their smartphones to purchase digital train tickets. By using a new application called mTicket, commuters can purchase their rail train tickets ahead of time. This leads to less waiting in line and more commuting.

Once the ticket is purchased via the app, rail train riders have a bar code appear on the screen. That bar code is scanned for verification and the commuter can then leave the station. The MBTA has reported that over 140 stations now support these new digital tickets.

So I buy the ticket on my smartphone, have is scanned, then ride the commuter rail train?

That’s pretty much how it’s done. No more worrying about losing a paper ticket. Definitely no more waiting in lines to buy a ticket. Just a few clicks, a scan, and you’re on your way. As The Verge points out, this is a trend that is catching on. The New York Waterway and Amtrack already have similar smartphone ticket systems in place.

If this catches on with a wider range of services, it could be a pretty big deal. While the current system of buying paper tickets works to a degree, there are many small issues that prevent it from being efficient. With a smartphone system in place, commuters can get to where they need to be in a much more efficient manner. Could you see this system working where you live? Let us know what you think.

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Google has invested $75M in a wind farm, over $1 billion in renewable energy

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 10:22 PM PST

wind farm
Google seems to have a hand in everything these days. Be it new technology in clothing accessories or their own wireless network, Google is everywhere. In Iowa, there is a much bigger Google presence as Google has invested $75 million in a local wind farm.

The investment went to a 50MW wind farm north of Des Moines, Iowa. It is known as the Rippey Project and it’s run by RPM Access. This is a pretty big move for Google, who has invested nearly a billion dollars in renewable energy already.

According to Google’s Official Blog, the project is to provide power to 15,000 Iowa homes. They’ll be selling the energy provided to the Central Iowa Power Cooperative, and then on to local customers. The wind farm itself is powered with turbines made by Nordex USA.

This is a really cool move by Google. Not only is investing in clean energy important, but Google is also investing in a number of companies with this project. The wind farm itself, the turbine makers, and even the energy company to an extent. All in the name of renewable energy.

Wait a second, why is Google investing in a wind farm in Iowa?

As The Next Web points out, Google has business in Iowa. They built a data center there a few years ago. They plan on building a second one there in the near future. As The Next Web explains, Google has poured quite a bit of funding into the area over the last few years.

In short, the wind farm is just the latest in a long line of improvements Google has helped fund in Iowa. However, it is definitely an important one, as this is a project that will be sustained for years to come. Is it a smart move for Google to be investing in renewable energy? More importantly, should more companies be investing in it? Let us know your standpoint in the comments.

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Beat Hazard Ultra now available in the Google Play Store

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 11:14 AM PST

If you like a little music with your shooting, or vice versa, Beat Hazard Ultra, which made its way to the Google Play Store on Friday, may just be the game for you.

Unlike most games, where music is simply a background element, Beat Hazard Ultra reacts to and builds its gameplay around the music. This is something we’ve seen before in music games, but not in action games. Plus, usually these games require certain types of specialized music files. Beat Hazard Ultra will work with any music you have available.

Beat Hazard Ultra will happily use music on your SD card or even internet radio stations. Unfortunately, users of Google Music who keep their music in the cloud won’t be able to use that music with Beat Hazard Ultra, but you can always download it to device and then use it.

The game features three game modes, two methods of control, and can provide fresh gameplay as long as you provide new music.  It’s available for devices running Android 2.3 and up for $1.99 in the Google Play Store. A demo version is also available.

Have you bought or tried out the demo for Beat Hazard Ultra yet? What do you think?

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Qualcomm acquires ultrasound tech for future Snapdragon chips

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 10:55 AM PST

Qualcomm subsidiary Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. (QTI) has acquired “certain assets” from EPOS Development, Ltd.,  a company whose main focus is on digital ultrasound technology. That may sound strange at first, but the company uses this technology for new input solutions like pen, stylus and even gesture based input. Once you realize what this could mean for smartphones, it gets a lot more interesting.

How Will This Benefit Android Devices?

This new technology could have a wide range of implications for future Snapdragon-powered devices. Early on, we could see S Pen-like styluses for more devices, even with more advanced features. Looking even further forward, it could mean touch-free interfaces for devices. Soon enough, you could be trading in your touchscreen for a touch-less screen.

In the press release announcing this acquisition, senior vice president of product management for QTI, Raj Talluri said that “EPOS' technology goes beyond the PC-era mouse and keyboard and enables touch-free gesture and pen interactions as user input mechanisms. Enabling this technology on Qualcomm's Snapdragon processor will allow devices that accommodate a more mobile and multimedia-centric lifestyle.”

Will This Be Expensive?

Qualcomm plans to use this technology for smartphones, tablet and e-readers. While it sounds like these new technologies could lead to even more expensive devices, that may not be the case. CEO for EPOS, Oded Turbahn, said in the press release that “Ultrasound technology provides device manufacturers a low-cost approach for integrating pen and stylus-based user interfaces into their products while gaining the benefit of a slew of new capabilities.”

While we have no idea how long it might take to see this new technology on the market, it certainly seems like it could bring some very interesting new ways of using our devices. For more information, see the press release below.

What do you think of the future possibilities for Snapdragon-powered devices now that Qualcomm has acquired this new technology? How long do you think it will take to see this technology in our hands?

Show full PR text

SAN DIEGO, Nov. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. (QTI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM), today announced that it has acquired certain assets of EPOS Development, Ltd. (EPOS), a leading developer of ultrasound technologies for input solutions, including pen, stylus and gesture recognition. The company, based in Hod Hasharon, Israel, has developed digital positioning technology that enables device manufacturers to integrate advanced user input capabilities into a wide range of consumer devices.

"As computing evolves beyond the PC, consumers are looking for intuitive new ways to interact with their mobile devices," said Raj Talluri, senior vice president, product management, QTI. "EPOS' technology goes beyond the PC-era mouse and keyboard and enables touch-free gesture and pen interactions as user input mechanisms. Enabling this technology on Qualcomm's Snapdragon processor will allow devices that accommodate a more mobile and multimedia-centric lifestyle."

The acquired assets will further strengthen and differentiate Qualcomm's Snapdragon processor, allowing unique and powerful next-generation user experiences for smartphones, tablets and e-readers. EPOS team members who are joining Qualcomm will be integrated into Qualcomm Israel's R&D team and will be focused on delivering new mobile device and service capabilities.

The EPOS technology is based on the digital transmission of ultrasonic waves, enabling precise tracking by a receiver to enable multiple applications.

"Ultrasound technology provides device manufacturers a low-cost approach for integrating pen and stylus-based user interfaces into their products while gaining the benefit of a slew of new capabilities," said Oded Turbahn, chief executive officer, EPOS. "Relative to other pen and stylus input solutions, the additional bill of material cost for the device is minimal as the technology does not require changes to the device's screen and is independent of screen size. The EPOS team is excited about joining Qualcomm in working to further the potential of digital ultrasound."

EPOS' ultrasound technology provides a differentiated, high-resolution user experience that works on screen and off screen, as well as in three dimensions. Qualcomm intends to provide digital pen/stylus reference designs to help accelerate adoption of this technology in the consumer, enterprise and education markets.

About EPOS Development, Ltd.

EPOS Development, Ltd. is a leading provider of advanced digital positioning technologies. Headquartered in Israel and backed by Jerusalem Venture Partners (JVP), Walden Israel Venture Capital and Tel-Ad, EPOS develops next-generation input solutions for consumer electronics and mobile devices.

About Qualcomm Technologies

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. (QTI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM), is redefining the way people incorporate wireless devices and services into everyday life. QTI and its subsidiaries operate substantially all of Qualcomm's research and development activities, and product and services businesses, including Qualcomm's semiconductor business, QCT. QTI's developments enable opportunities across the wireless and wired value chains by making devices and networks faster, content richer and communications more personal and affordable to people everywhere. For more information, go to www.qualcomm.com.

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Android Central

Android Central


Vizio Co-Star review

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 03:11 PM PST

Vizio Co-Star

Will anyone ever get Google TV right?

read more



ZTE Grand X Pro leaked, details remain a little scarce

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 07:15 AM PST

Android Central

It's been a busy week for those serial device leakers, @evleaks, with a vast array of devices to share with us. Granted, not all of said devices have been of interest to Android fans, but they're back with yet another that could well be. 

What we see here is the ZTE Grand X Pro. And, that's it. That's all we've got. No specs or carrier information this time, just a name and a render. That said, it's a nice looking render though. And if it proves to be an accurate render, we're looking at an edge-to-edge display. 

Like the original ZTE Grand X, it appears to be running almost stock Ice Cream Sandwich. But, unlike the original, no capacitive buttons to be found anywhere. 

The guys at @evleaks have a pretty good track record when it comes to devices they share with us, so we're relatively confident that we'll be seeing this one down the road somewhere in the future. But, we'll have to wait until that time -- or until it gets leaked again -- to find out what's under the hood, and such boring details as price and availability. 

Source: @evleaks



From the Editor's Desk: Droid DNA, Android 4.2, and other quick thoughts

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 05:59 AM PST

Phil Nickinson

We're inundated with a couple really new phones -- namely the Nexus 4 and the Droid DNA -- and that means it's a working weekend ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday here in the U.S. It's also decision time for a lot of people. Get a Nexus 4? Get a Droid DNA? What about the Galaxy S3 or the Galaxy Note 2? And AT&T's still powering ahead with the One X+ and One VX.

Some quick thoughts to send you on your way this week:

read more



16GB Samsung Nexus 10 showing in stock in U.S. Google Play Store

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 05:22 AM PST

Android Central

If you missed out on a Samsung Nexus 10 earlier this week during the Nexus day pandemonium, there may be another chance. While the 32GB version is still showing as sold out, the screen we see here greets us when we head over to the 16GB page. We haven't tried purchasing -- namely because this writer isn't based in the U.S. -- but it's there for all to see. It seems to be potentially isolated to the U.S. Play Store, as the UK is still showing both sizes out of stock, but it might be worth checking where you are.

But, if you were disappointed to miss out on a Nexus 10, head over and try and snag one now. Be sure to let us know in the comments if you were successful, equally if you find any outside of the U.S. They're not likely to be around for long. 

Source: Google Play

More: Samsung Nexus 10 Review, Nexus 10 Forums



Santa's going to be mad, Google forgot about December

Posted: 18 Nov 2012 04:58 AM PST

Android Central

We all know -- and hopefully accept -- that with any new version release of Android, there's bound to be a few little bugs hidden within. While Google will test, test and test again, there's always likely to be something that slips the net, many of which most users never come across. What we find in Android 4.2 however, definitely belongs on some kind of blooper reel. They forgot December. 

Google Calendar is unaffected, so we're all good on that front. But, when adding events to profiles within your People application, there is no option to add dates in December. Loved ones birthdays, Christmas, New Years Eve, all don't exist, at least in this part of Android 4.2 anyway. We've still got a Nexus 7 lying around with Android 4.1.2 on it, and indeed over there all is well. 

If nothing else, it's pretty embarrassing. The issue has been reported to the Android bug tracker, and we can imagine that a fix will be rolled out in the not too distant future.

Source: Android Police



Feeling nostalgic? Grab a Nexus One for $80 from Daily Deals

Posted: 17 Nov 2012 09:23 PM PST

Nexus One

The Nexus One's not LTE enabled, but it does have an SD card slot. And it will never get Jelly Bean. But if you've got $80 to spend on what many people think was the best built phone ever, you can find one at the source link.

Source: Daily Deals