| Samsung import ban goes into effect, White House will not intervene Oct 8th 2013, 20:41, by Nate Swanner In the midst of a US Government shutdown, Samsung has failed to obtain a presidential veto for an import ban levied against them. In a statement, US Trade Representative Michael Froman said "After carefully weighing policy considerations, including the impact on consumers and competition, advice from agencies, and information from interested parties, I have decided to allow." 
This all stems from an August import ban on some Samsung devices, which was instituted by the International Trade Commission. Those devices, which Apple said infringed on their design philosophy, are older Samsung models such as the Galaxy Tab 10.1.
The White House had 60 days to step in, but have decided to support the ITC on this matter. According to Bloomberg, The White House said corporate nationality — Samsung is a Korean entity, Apple is from California – "played no role in the review process." The White House did, however, overturn a similar ruling against Apple some time ago. Again, that sales ban was tied into the ongoing Apple-Samsung worldwide litigation. Those devices are said to infinge on patents relating to multi-touch features and a headphone jack sensor. "The order expressly states that these devices and any other Samsung electronic media devices incorporating the approved design-around technologies are not covered. Thus, I do not believe that concerns with regard to enforcement related to the scope of the order, in this case, provide a policy basis for disapproving it." said Froman.
Samsung is understandably disappointed in the decision, with spokesman Adam Yates saying "It will serve only to reduce competition and limit choice for the American consumer." We'll let you decide if a company with dozens of devices in the market is really damaged by not being able to sell a few older models.
|  | OUYA external storage update entering beta status next week Oct 8th 2013, 20:16, by Robert Nelson The OUYA team mentioned that external storage support was an item that was in the works. This news came back in September and while it was encouraging, there was little detail provided other than it being an item that was being worked on. As for a timeline it was simply listed as “coming.” Well, it looks like that time has arrived, for those who are willing to play in the beta space. 
Coming by way of the OUYA blog, external storage support will be arriving in closed beta next week. The team has said this is a feature they have been focused on and they are “just about ready to put external storage into a testing phase.” Further details here touch on why they chose the beta route. Basically, this is described as being a big feature. And on top of that, there are lots and lots of external storage options available. Using a closed beta will provide a bit more of a controlled testing group and allow the team to better work on any issues that arise. Otherwise, in addition to the upcoming external storage beta, there is a regular update just about ready to begin rolling out. Some of the other items that will be coming include the ability to download a game by pressing the U button while highlighting a game title as well as the promise of improved performance and some fixes and other tweaks. Some of the fixes include Download being changed to Free Download to ensure users realize all games have a free trial available, a new ‘forgot password’ option on the user sign-in screen, a fix for the HDMI wake up issue, videos and screenshots will now go full screen when enlarged (as opposed to simply getting bigger) and more. That all being said, those looking to get in on the external storage beta will need to fill out a form with OUYA and for that, follow the link sitting below. SOURCE: OUYA | | Motorola offers Jax headphones, Skip with Moto X order Oct 8th 2013, 19:46, by Nate Swanner Today only, all Moto X orders via the Moto Maker website will include a special bonus. Build your own Moto X, and Motorola will throw in a free pair of SOL Republic Jax headphones and Motorola Skip. That's a $60 savings, if you're keeping track. 
The offer is only good for today, and has a few caveats. As you probably know already, all Moto Maker orders are for AT&T devices only, so keep that in mind. Second, the free headphones are chalk white, and the Skip is plain black. The Skip will also come with Skip dots, which are basically NFC tags for you to place wherever you like.
The good part is, the two will automatically be tossed into your cart upon checkout, so you don't even have to try for freebies! The downside, of course, is that you don't get to customize your accessories. It's a great deal, and we can only hope this is a precursor to Moto Maker being opened up for other carriers. With the DVX and Quantum on their way as well, this could be a bit of a push to get more Moto X devices in the wild before some diversity hits the Motorola market.
| | Stitcher Radio update brings offline playback Oct 8th 2013, 19:42, by Robert Nelson Stitcher Radio has rolled out the latest Android app update. The changelog for this particular update is on the shorter side, however even with fewer items listed — it appears to be one that will be appreciated. This Stitcher update is adding support for offline listening and also adding a left-side navigation drawer. 
Beginning first with the offline mode. This is just as the name would imply — users will be able to cache music so they can listen when connectivity is not an option. This is ideal for traveling, such as when on an airplane. It could also prove useful for those who use a subway as part of their regular commute. Anyway, this offline mode will allow you to save any of your playlists. The playlists that are marked for offline mode will download to your device in the background using WiFi. And for those concerned with excessive mobile data use, worry not as the Stitcher app is set by default to only download over WiFi. Those looking to take advantage of this feature need only to look for the “Available Offline” option that sits towards the upper right. Shifting to the new left side navigation and we find an option that should serve to cut back on some navigation related tapping. This simply means that you will be able to swipe right from the left side of the screen to access the main menu. Otherwise, aside from these two new items, the changelog also mentions how “Stitcher is more reliable than ever, with improvements to playback and better management of memory.” SOURCE: Stitcher Blog, Google Play Store | |
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