Android Authority |
- Galaxy S should be more like the iPhone, 132-page 2010 Samsung report tells jurors
- Susan Kare testimony: iPhone vs Galaxy icons, visual impression and personal confusion
- Samsung’s component supplier is accused of exploiting underage workers
- Flexible batteries can bend and fold, yet their energy remains
- 8GB Nexus 7 tablet sells out in the Play Store
- UK Motorola Xoom users finally get their hands on Ice Cream Sandwich
- Samsung attacks Apple in court for destroying, tampering with evidence
- More Sony Xperia Mint / Xperia T photos revealed
- Microsoft lands a royalty deal with Sharp over the use of ExFat
- Spotify for Android app finally arrives on the Kindle Fire
| Galaxy S should be more like the iPhone, 132-page 2010 Samsung report tells jurors Posted: 08 Aug 2012 03:15 AM PDT We saw yesterday a Samsung internal memo in which it was detailed a February 2010 executive meeting. During the meeting, Samsung's chief of mobile JK Shin made it clear to everyone that the iPhone is the new enemy, not Nokia, and that Samsung should adapt to the new requirements and create flagship devices that are more like the iPhone, a product very popular with carriers and customers. At the time, the Galaxy S was not even announced yet – Samsung unveiled it weeks later, at CTIA 2010 – and Apple's flagship device was the iPhone 3GS, with the iPhone 4 launching in June of that year. While that piece of evidence, which Samsung fought hard to keep out of court but was ultimately admitted into evidence, did not say specifically that the iPhone has to be copied, it clearly doesn't help Samsung's defense case against Apple's copyright infringement claims. If that was not enough, we now have another piece of evidence that Samsung wanted to keep out of court but that was also admitted into evidence. We're looking at a 2010 132-page document that compares in great detail iPhone features with Galaxy S similar functionalities – at the time the Galaxy S was in testing, codenamed the S1. In her testimony yesterday, Dr. Sara Kare was not able to read to the jury certain slides taken from the document, but she was able to describe them, as Apple's counsel tried to show that Samsung was clearly inspired by the iPhone when designing the Galaxy S, and various other devices from the Galaxy S family. The full report proves that Samsung has looked at various iPhone features, compared them to its prototype, and found the Galaxy S still wanting – there are a lot of slides like the one above containing observations and recommandations. The report, embedded in full at the end of the post, shows that Samsung asked its designers and engineers to polish the look and feel of the device that was to become the Galaxy S – to make it more like the iPhone, Apple would argue. The report is quite interesting and deserves a good read, and, although you won't find a clear "copy the iPhone" instruction, it's clear that it hurts Samsung more than it helps it. Now that it has been admitted into evidence, it will provide more hours of fun from the U.S. Apple vs Samsung trial, which we’re covering thoroughly here at Android Authority. Here’s the full document: This article, Galaxy S should be more like the iPhone, 132-page 2010 Samsung report tells jurors , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
|
| Susan Kare testimony: iPhone vs Galaxy icons, visual impression and personal confusion Posted: 07 Aug 2012 05:00 PM PDT It's another day in the U.S. Apple vs Samsung trial and we have a new interesting testimony to look at, via The Verge which was once again on location. After Phil Shiller and Scott Forstall, both high-ranked Apple executives, took the witness box last week it's now time to look at a design expert's testimony regarding the graphic design similarities and differences between iPhone and Galaxy devices. We're talking about former Apple employee, Dr. Susan Kare – she was a Macintosh Artist between 1982 and 1986, and since then she worked with various companies including Microsoft and Facebook. Apple's counsel brought Kare in to show the similarities between iPhone default app icons and their counterparts found on several Galaxy-branded devices, while Samsung (obviously) tried to show that those similarities are there because of functional reasons. Apple examinationDuring the Apple examination of the witness, it was revealed that Kare was brought in by Apple to analyze the similarities and differences between iPhone screen graphics, and their counterparts on Samsung's competing Android-based smartphones. We have already seen a comparison between Apple and Samsung app icons, which show that Samsung was heavily inspired by Apple design. And Kare pretty much testified that Samsung made certain design choices based on what the iPhone had to offer. iPhone vs Galaxy app iconsDuring the testimony, Apple showed various Galaxy-branded or Galaxy-like devices to Kare, asking her to compare certain elements found on them against the same elements on the iPhone. The lists includes the Fascinate, Captivate, Continuum, Droid Charge, Epic 4G, Galaxy S 4G, Gem, Indulge, Infuse 4G, Mesmerize, Galaxy S Showcase and Vibrant. Kare pointed out that these devices look like the iPhone – she looked at various design elements including icons, dock, sans-serif font, applications grid arrangement, colors, overall visual impression, and more. Here are some of the most relevant quotes from Kare on the iPhone vs Galaxy app icons matter:
Visual impression and personal confusionKare said during her testimony that application screens from 11 different Samsung phones – mind you, not Home screens, and this is an important detail – are similar to the iPhone 3G's app grid, which is also found and used on all iPhones to date.  Samsung Fascinate What's more interesting to point out from her testimony is that she recollected a moment from a meeting with Apple lawyers in which she tried to make a point about the iPhone's design and ended up picking up a device from a table filled with smartphones that was not the iPhone which she expected to hold, but a turned-on Samsung device. Here are some of her quotes on these matters:
Alternate designsApple's counsel also inquired whether other designs in the smartphone business are possible, and Kare pointed out that it can be done, showing a BlacKBerry Torch design as proof that additional designs for touchscreen-based devices are possible. Here are some quotes:
Kare also described to the jury internal Samsung documents that revealed design suggestions for the original Galaxy S, directly compared against the iPhone (see below) – Apple wanted to show them to the jury but wasn't able to do it following an allowed Samsung objection. Samsung cross-examinationAs expected, Samsung's attorneys lead by Charles Verhoeven tried to show that Samsung's design choices are purely functional, and they are required in order to make a touchscreen-based device work. Verhoeven went into great detail when looking at various design elements with Kare, trying to obtain as many favorable comments as possible on his client's design choices for some of the smartphones that Apple is targeting with this lawsuit. There are differencesVerhoeven pointed out that Apple compared the Home screen of the iPhone with the Application screens of the phones in question and that the Home screens of those devices look different than the iPhone's. He also demonstrated how Samsung Android handsets boot up, an element that should help consumers differentiate Galaxy devices from iPhones. By going into great detail with icons for various apps including Messages, YouTube, Maps, Stock and others, he also tried to show the jury that the icons of those Samsung devices attacked by Samsung are not exactly identical, something Kare admitted to. Here are some of Kare's quotes, paired with some of Verhoeven's questions in some instances:
Verhoeven also tried to remind Kare that she testified in her deposition that triangle-shaped icons would not work on smartphones, although she said that she would change her answer if asked the same question again.  BlackBerry Torch $550 / hour, around $80,000 totalKare also acknowledged during her testimony that she is being paid by Apple $550 per hour for the work she does for the company during this trial, and that she got so far around $80,000 for her contribution. Apple's rebuttalFollowing Samsung's cross-examination of the witness, Apple came back to ask more design-related questions, highlighting certain design changes Samsung made to the original icons found on the original Galaxy S:
Samsung argued that changes were made to avoid confusion of a Galaxy S users when dealing with the icons found on the device, including the Message and Email icons, but Apple was quick to point out, via Kare, that Samsung changed the Message icon to show "'a speed bubble' […] in the color green. Just like Apple's SMS icon." With that, we close Kare's testimony, but we'll be back in the following days with more details on this Apple vs Samsung U.S. adventure. No related posts. This article, Susan Kare testimony: iPhone vs Galaxy icons, visual impression and personal confusion , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
|
| Samsung’s component supplier is accused of exploiting underage workers Posted: 07 Aug 2012 04:41 PM PDT Unless the name of the device starts with the word Nexus and ends with a Q, it is likely that your gadgets are made and assembled in the Far East. Then again, some good parts of the Nexus Q are not really made in America. In the past, there were some horror stories about Foxconn, one of the world's biggest electronic components manufacturers, whose major clients include Acer, Apple, and Amazon, and how they mistreated their workers. But the region is brimming with countless numbers of factories operated by lesser known firms that Foxconn may not be the worst perpetrator. Human rights group China Labor Watch is trying to raise the issue of unethical labor practices at HEG Electronics, a major supplier for Samsung, Motorola and LG. According to the group, HEG Electronic employs underage workers (under 16 years of age) to work at its factory. Initial investigation put the number down at seven, but later research reveals that up to 100 underage workers are possibly being employed by HEC, earning significantly less than older workers there. The underage workers reportedly only receive a monthly take home pay of 750 yuan, which translates to about $120. The average minimum wage in China is 950 yuan, which means HEG is potentially breaking yet another labor law, one that's admittedly not being forcefully enforced by the government. Other violations uncovered, as stated on China Labor Watch’s blog, include:
Compared to Foxconn that employs hundreds of thousands of workers, HEG Electronics is relatively minuscule – as it only employs 2,000 workers within a single factory. But size shouldn't matter when it comes to pointing out the truth about the possible exploitation of young workers. With Samsung's name being dragged into the controversy, the Korean company told Bloomberg that on-site inspections at HEG Electronics has been done on two separate occasions, where they found no irregularities. Following the finding by China Labor Watch, Samsung said that "[It] will conduct another field survey at the earliest possible time to ensure our previous inspections have been based on full information and take appropriate measures to correct any problems that may surface." No related posts. This article, Samsung's component supplier is accused of exploiting underage workers , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
|
| Flexible batteries can bend and fold, yet their energy remains Posted: 07 Aug 2012 02:48 PM PDT When it comes to the idea of flexible smartphones or wearable electronics, you have to remember that in order for everything to work all components must be truly flexible as well. While we’ve already seen demonstrations of flexible displays, it seems that Professor Keon Jae Lee from the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology has also created a flexible battery that can be folded, bent and distorted in a variety of ways without losing any of its energy or ability to maintain a charge. Apparently, these lith-ion batteries are actually made by printing them onto special film. This new technology could truly lead to many new types of flexible devices, though there has been no official talk about commercial adoption for the battery tech, at least not yet. Considering Samsung’s previous ambitions in the flexible field, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Korean-based company reaches out to Professor Keon Jae Lee and attempts to work out some kind of deal. Who knows, it could be only a matter of time before a bendable Samsung Galaxy hits the scenes. At least if such an event does occur, they finally won’t be accused of copying Apple this time around. No related posts. This article, Flexible batteries can bend and fold, yet their energy remains , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
|
| 8GB Nexus 7 tablet sells out in the Play Store Posted: 07 Aug 2012 02:41 PM PDT It seems the Nexus 7 is such a hot product that Google and Asus can barely keep making it before it sells out. Soon after it launched, the 16GB version sold out, and was unavailable for two weeks. That was surprising considering it was the more expensive and not-so-promoted version, compared to the $199 8GB Nexus 7 model. But maybe people wanted to be cautious in regard to the available storage they would have and that’s how the 16GB version sold out first. Now it seems the 8GB is the one that sold out. The 8GB Nexus 7 is now marked as “coming soon”, which is what the Google Play Store said when the 16GB version was out of stock. Fortunately, the 16GB model is still available for purchase, at least for now. The fact that the Nexus 7 is such a hot selling product is not much of a surprise, considering it has received some of the best reviews for a tech product in recent history, not to mention its incredible $200-$250 price tag despite not having to make that many compromises compared to more expensive tablets. Jelly Bean, the best Android version yet, which makes a huge difference in the actual experience of using the device, has played a big role in the selling out of the Nexus 7 as well. Moreover, other things like Google Now search and the richer notifications are very compelling features as well, that many people want to try for themselves. And for such an affordable price, why not buy it? No related posts. This article, 8GB Nexus 7 tablet sells out in the Play Store , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
|
| UK Motorola Xoom users finally get their hands on Ice Cream Sandwich Posted: 07 Aug 2012 02:16 PM PDT While U.S. users happily settle into Jelly Bean on their WIFI versions of the Motorola Xoom, the UK is just now finally getting its hands on an Ice Cream Sandwich update. The update brings the UK Motorola Xoom up to speed with Android 4.0.4, which is a big upgrade from Honeycomb, but still not nearly as satisfying as a jump to Jelly Bean would have been. So why the different release frames between the UK and the U.S.? In the States, the Motorola Xoom WIFI is sold as a Google Experience Device, meaning it gets similar ‘early dibs’ rights that you’d find with any other Nexus device, whereas the Xoom in the UK isn’t. I suppose it’s better late the never, though you have to wonder what version of Android U.S. users will be using by the time Motorola finally gets around to Jelly Bean. The new update is reportedly available for all versions of the Motorola Xoom in the UK. Any UK users manage to get their hands on the update yet? No related posts. This article, UK Motorola Xoom users finally get their hands on Ice Cream Sandwich , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
|
| Samsung attacks Apple in court for destroying, tampering with evidence Posted: 07 Aug 2012 02:08 PM PDT With just a few days to go until the U.S. Apple vs Samsung patent case kicked off, Samsung was awarded yet another unfavorable verdict in the region, as a Magistrate Judge granted Apple an "adverse inference" motion against the Korean company, which means that the jury had to be informed that Samsung destroyed evidence that may have been favorable to Apple in the case. Apple's motion referred to Samsung's email system which auto-deletes internal emails after a certain time in order to prevent unwanted leaks – we’ll note that the system doesn’t really work, since Samsung’s products are leaked more often than not. Specifically, the emails that Apple would have wanted to use in court may have contained discussions between Samsung employees regarding the design changes suffered by the Galaxy Tab 10.1 after the iPad 2 was unveiled – the Galaxy Tab 10.1 that Samsung eventually shipped was significantly different from the 10-inch device the company unveiled at MWC 2011, a few weeks ahead of the iPad 2 press event. Moreover, this was Samsung's second time in which it was found to have failed to preserve emails due to its internal email system. As for its U.S. case against Apple, this was Samsung's fourth penalty in the trial. But it looks like its lawyers are now firing back, accusing Apple to have also destroyed and tampered with evidence that could have benefited Samsung in the trial. The Tampering of Evidence ThingThe Verge reports that Samsung accused Apple of tampering with some of the icons of one of its phones – we showed you yesterday the similarities between some default iPhone app icons and icons for their corresponding Android apps on Samsung Galaxy-branded devices. Samsung lawyers focused on the Epic 4G Touch (Sprint's Galaxy S2 version) and said that Apple tampered with the icon layout. Samsung's lawyer showed that a picture of the handset taken last night reveals a different layout on the handset, "with a larger number of home screens." Judge Lucy Koh, who's presiding over the case, and has warned both parties when ruling on earlier motions to stop with the mind-games, then qusestioned the legitimacy of Samsung's own photo:
Judge Koh then asked Apple lawyers if they have tampered with the icon and after Apple answered with a simple "no," she overruled Samsung's objection. The Judge also decided that from now on, "both parties will have to agree together in advance on any images used for joint exhibits." The Destroying of Evidence ThingSamsung also accused Apple that it has deleted email of its own, and that the iPhone maker should also be admonished for its actions. Samsung's lawyers feel that the emails Apple turned in are not enough and believe that Apple destroyed emails. CNET notes:
Samsung argues that Apple has only turned in evidence starting with April 2011 – which is when Apple sued Samsung for the first time, while Samsung had to preserve evidence dating back to August 2010. On its part, Apple says that it doesn’t have an automated email deletion system, and, since Apple was already involved in other patent-based cases at the time it sued Samsung, its executives were already told they have to keep emails. A verdict on this matter is not available at this time. We'll be back with more Apple vs Samsung details in the future, as there are plenty hidden details left to discover for both companies. No related posts. This article, Samsung attacks Apple in court for destroying, tampering with evidence , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
|
| More Sony Xperia Mint / Xperia T photos revealed Posted: 07 Aug 2012 01:42 PM PDT While I think Sony has some of the best smartphone designs in the market right now, and I hope that it’s one of the companies that will make a Nexus phone this fall, so far Sony has always been at least a few months behind the competition in terms of hardware specs. I’m still not convinced that the upcoming Sony Xperia Mint will manage to catch up to the competition if it’s only going to be announced on August 29th, and released maybe a couple of months later. By then I’m sure at least some HTC and LG phones will be using the quad core S4 Pro chips, while the Sony Xperia Mint will be stuck on the original dual core S4 chip. The other specs of the Mint, such as the 13 MP camera, which is probably going to be the best camera of any Android phone to date, and the 4.3-inch HD Bravia Engine screen might make up for the device’s half-a-year-old processor. Also, Sony’s decision to unveil this phone on August 29th is puzzling, since Samsung plans to unveil the Galaxy Note 2 in the same day – and I’m pretty sure Samsung will steal its thunder that day. I also worry that the Sony Xperia Mint will arrive with Android 4.0 on board, instead of Android 4.1. While Sony has been pretty good at upgrading its older phones, not all of the new ones have arrived with the latest version of Android, and a good example of that are the recently launched Sony Xperia U and Sony Xperia P.             Design is very important, and I think Sony has been doing a pretty good job with its latest devices so far, although I think the company may be in danger of making many of them look too similar. If Sony really wants to be considered one of the best Android manufacturers, it really needs to be able to launch its flagship devices with the latest cutting edge processors and with the latest version of Android on board No related posts. This article, More Sony Xperia Mint / Xperia T photos revealed , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
|
| Microsoft lands a royalty deal with Sharp over the use of ExFat Posted: 07 Aug 2012 01:16 PM PDT In a somewhat ironic twist, Microsoft seems to profit much more from Android royalty deals than it ever has with its own mobile platform. During the second quarter of 2012 alone, Microsoft earned a staggering $800 million from Android royalties. Adding to the Android royalty dollars, Sharp has just agreed to a pay an undisclosed sum to Microsoft in order to license the use of the exFat file system, in which MS holds the patent rights. Why is exFat so crucial that companies like Sharp are willing to pay for the right to use it? Without the extended file allocation table format, the largest file size you could have would be 4GB while using FAT storage, a pretty big limitation when it comes to large media files and videos. Sharp is now part of a growing group of companies willing to pay MS to use the format, which contains members such as Canon, Panasonic, Sony Tom Tom and Aspen Avionics. Just how much profit MS has been able to make off of Android shows just how important Android is, companies aren’t jumping ship to alternative platforms like Microsoft’s own Windows Phone to avoid paying fees and instead are sticking with everyone’s favorite little android robot. No related posts. This article, Microsoft lands a royalty deal with Sharp over the use of ExFat , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
|
| Spotify for Android app finally arrives on the Kindle Fire Posted: 07 Aug 2012 12:52 PM PDT For music lovers, owning a Kindle Fire just became a whole lot sweeter with the addition of support for the vastly popular music-streaming service, Spotify. The service has graced iOS and Android for a while now, but has quickly started to show its virtual face in a wider range of devices including televisions and media players. Previously, those with a bit of technical skills managed to still get their musical groove on by side-loading the app onto their beloved Amazon tablets, but it’s great to finally have an official way to enjoy all that Spotify has to offer. With the overall popularity of the Amazon Store and the Kindle Fire, this announcement is welcomed, if not particularly surprising. Like the Spotify for Android app through Google Play, the new Amazon market app includes free streaming radio, social features and high quality 320kpbs streams. For those who don’t know much about Spotify, the service requires a subscription of $9.99, in the U.S. at least, in order to use the vast majority of its features – this includes offline playback of your music library on devices running Android 2.3 or higher, among other great features. For those that don’t want to pay the costs of a subscription, the app recently added full support for streaming mobile radio even for U.S.-only non-subscribers, as long as you are willing to put up with a few commercial breaks now and again. You can get your hands on the Kindle Fire app for free through the Amazon App Store. No related posts. This article, Spotify for Android app finally arrives on the Kindle Fire , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source.
|
| You are subscribed to email updates from Android Authority To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
No comments:
Post a Comment