| LG lobs a patent infringement lawsuit at Sammy over “stolen OLED tech” Posted: 27 Sep 2012 02:15 AM PDT 
Everyone wants a piece of Samsung these days, it seems. I’m not sure if it’s because of their skyrocketing status or just because everyone wants to copy Apple, but LG is the latest inhibitor to Samsung’s uncontrolled climb to Android dominance. The latest volley of attacks between the Korean-based companies is about none other than OLED panel design and LG’s “Narrow Bezel” technology. This is not without provocation, however, as Samsung filed a similar claim against LG a few weeks ago; six LG employees were fired in July before that even happened. To wit, LG said in an official statement, “This lawsuit has been filed both to enforce LG Display’s intellectual property rights and promote fair competition. Samsung Electronics and Samsung Display must stop using the patents without permission.”
Samsung officials had a curt answer: LG Display has consistently acquired our OLED technologies and other business secrets by inducing our researchers to transfer.
What this means in terms to consumers, is more showtime between LG and Samsung. The devices inferred in the filing, Samsung’s Galaxy S III, Galaxy S II, Galaxy S II HD, Galaxy Note, and Galaxy Tab 7.7, all carry an arbitrary reward of 7 billion won (about $6.26 million) if LG wins. Alternatively, if Samsung manages to pull off a win and beat all seven counts of patent infringement, they will acquire 1 billion won (about $880,000) per offense. Will LG’s countersuit do anything to slow down Samsung’s speed in bringing OLED tech to the masses? Do you think it’s possible both companies are “sharing” information with each other? Related PostsGerman court rules in favor of Motorola in patent infringement lawsuit by Apple, Apple vs Samsung: Sammy negligent on filing patent disclosures?, Sony shows off its flexible 9.9-inch OLED panel display (on a laptop screen)
This article, LG lobs a patent infringement lawsuit at Sammy over “stolen OLED tech” , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source. 
|
| LG officially announces the Optimus Vu II, and it’s just as confusing as the first one Posted: 27 Sep 2012 01:17 AM PDT 
When LG announced the Optimus Vu in February of this year, we were taken aback. The device was obviously intended to be a Samsung Galaxy Note clone, but LG’s key differentiator with the Vu was the screen. Whereas practically every phone on the market makes use of a 16:9 display, LG opted to go 4:3 with the Vu, which made it impossible to hold, much less slide into your pocket. Anyway, the Vu hit the Korean market one month later, in March, and then it finally came to America’s shores a couple of weeks ago on Verizon as the “LG Intuition”. Today LG is announcing the Vu II. And guess what? It’s got the same 5 inch 4:3 display as the original Vu. In fact, we’re having a tough time telling the Vu II apart from the first Vu. The only thing that’s different is the spec sheet. This new Vu has a 1.5 GHz dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 chip, 2 GB of RAM, and a stylus that’s supposed to be easier to hold. We have no idea when the Vu II will ship, but we do know how much it’s going to cost: roughly $865. So let’s recap: LG announced a 5 inch 4:3 smartphone in February, shipped it one month later in their home country, shipped it six months after that in America, and now there’s a new version. That’s just not cool. We understand that LG wants to compete with Samsung, but rushing subpar clones of Galaxy devices to market simply isn’t the way to prove your credibility with customers. In other news, later this year we’re expecting HTC to announce a 5 inch smartphone that uses a 1080p screen made by LG. This brings up the obvious question: Why didn’t LG make a phone using that screen? It would have attracted a hell of a lot more attention. Related PostsLG Optimus EX Officially Confirmed; Packs 1080p Powers, 1.2-GHz Dual-core CPU, T-Mobile officially announces the Samsung Galaxy S3, pricing to be revealed, Sony officially announces budget-oriented Xperia J
This article, LG officially announces the Optimus Vu II, and it’s just as confusing as the first one , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source. 
|
| Qualcomm announces new S4 Play chips, hopes to make quad core mainstream Posted: 27 Sep 2012 12:26 AM PDT 
Qualcomm has just announced two new chips, the MSM8225Q and the MSM8625Q. Both are quad core chips that will fall under the “S4 Play” brand, which means they’re meant for low end to midrange smartphones. How can a quad core chip be built to go inside bargin basement handsets? Easy, the “S4 Play” chips are vastly different from the “S4″ chips inside devices like the American HTC One X and the American Samsung Galaxy S3. Whereas a regular S4 is built with 28 nanometer transistors and uses Qualcomm’s incredibly advanced Krait processor cores, the cheaper S4 Play chips are built using 45 nanometer transistors and make use of ARM’s Cortex A5 processor cores. In other words, by adding the term “Play” to the well known “S4″ brand, Qualcomm has managed to confuse almost everyone. Back to the news, what’s the difference between the the MSM8225Q and the MSM8625Q? The former can only connect to UMTS networks (translation: 3G networks using the GSM standard), while the latter can connect to UMTS and CDMA networks (translation: Verizon). Other than that, they’re both the same. They both offer 720p video recording, they both support 720p screens, and they both support LPDDR2, which is a faster type of RAM that should make smartphones snappier. When will you be able to buy a phone using these new chips? Qualcomm says as early as Q1 2013. That’s just half a year away. Should you buy a phone that uses one of Qualcomm’s S4 Play chips? That’s hard to say. Right now we only know of one device that makes use of the S4 Play, and that’s the HTC Desire X. It uses a dual core S4 Play however, not the quad core variant. If and when we get that device in our labs, we’ll let you know how it performs. Related PostsWill the Galaxy Note 2 finally bring quad-core chips and LTE together?, Qualcomm demos the quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro with Adreno 320, Intel confirms quad-core Medfield-class chips with LTE support on the way
This article, Qualcomm announces new S4 Play chips, hopes to make quad core mainstream , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source. 
|
| Samsung set to go on a software shopping spree, will this be a repeat of Nokia’s Ovi failure? Posted: 26 Sep 2012 11:50 PM PDT 
Kang Tae-jin, Senior Vice President of Samsung’s Media Solution Center, was recently interviewed by Reuters. He told them that the South Korean handset maker is yearning to become better known for their software. In order to do that, they’re going to buy up smaller companies instead of building their own stuff in-house. Take the Samsung Music Hub for instance, which was made after the company acquired mSpot in May 2012. Samsung wants to turn that into one of the “world’s top four services within three years in both revenue and subscriber numbers.” Does Samsung plan on making money with their services? Not really. Kang admits that “selling content won’t make much of a contribution to the bottom line.” There are benefits to selling devices that are backed up with a rich set of software and services however, just look at the success of the iPhone around the world or the Amazon Kindle Fire in the United States. We have to wonder though, is Samsung setting themselves up for failure? Back in August 2007, Nokia announced a new brand: Ovi. It was an “umbrella brand” that covered all the online services that the company was trying to push to consumers. There was an Ovi Music Store, an Ovi Cloud Storage platform, an Ovi Share service that let users share photos and video, an Ovi Contact Sync solution. Hell, there was even a web based Ovi Email service! Were those separate pieces, each built by different companies, seamlessly integrated? No, and that caused a ton of frustration. So much so that Nokia killed the Ovi brand in 2011 after discovering people would rather use the web services they were already familiar with instead of signing up for something new. “We have an internal target to break even in software,” said Kang. That’s an incredibly fancy way of confessing that what Samsung is doing now is subpar compared to the competition. We love Samsung hardware here at Android Authority, make no mistake about that, but the thought of the Galaxy S4 or Galaxy Note 3 coming with even more Samsung bloatware just makes us incredibly frustrated. Related PostsGoogle is on a shopping spree – what does it mean for Android?, New Samsung CEO says company must focus on "software, user experience, design", Samsung's Kies software adds proof of Galaxy S3 name
This article, Samsung set to go on a software shopping spree, will this be a repeat of Nokia’s Ovi failure? , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source. 
|
| Amazon says “app store” is a generic term, and not owned by Apple Posted: 26 Sep 2012 08:55 PM PDT 
It’s no secret that Apple is over-protective of its intellectual property such as patents and trademarks. But when are intellectual property rights going too far? Apple has sued Amazon for its use of “app store” in its “Amazon Appstore” app marketplace. Amazon says the term is generic, and can be used by anyone running such a service. This claim dates back to March 2011, in which Amazon launched its application store a few months after the launch of the first Kindle Fire. The Amazon Appstore made Android apps available for download as an alternative to Google Play (then Android Market), which the Kindle Fire did not have access to. Apple says the use of “app store” was confusing, and that consumers are misled to think the Amazon Appstore sold iOS apps. Apple would have wanted Amazon to use “Amazon Appstore for Android” instead. Amazon has recently requested a federal judge to through out this “false advertising” claim, citing that even Apple’s CEO refers to application marketplaces as “app stores” in General. “Apple presumably does not contend that its past and current CEOs made false statements regarding to those other app stores to thousands of investors in earnings calls,” said Amazon. In fact, Apple CEO Tim Cook has referred to the “number of app stores out there,” while the late Steve Jobs had, at some point, referred to “four app stores on Android.” A hearing is set for October 31, while trial commences August 19, 2013. Is it, indeed, a case of misleading advertising? Should “app store” be considered a generic term, like other “genericized” brands and trademarks out there, such as aspirin, zipper, escalator and even heroin? Related PostsAmazon’s New Android App Store, Samsung opens Apple-like store in Sydney, coincidentally almost next to an Apple retail store, In-apps purchase finally coming to the Amazon Appstore
This article, Amazon says “app store” is a generic term, and not owned by Apple , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source. 
|
| Google Street View coming soon to mobile web version of Google Maps Posted: 26 Sep 2012 08:36 PM PDT 
iOS users who have upgraded to iOS 6 or bought an iPhone 5 may suddenly be missing on a lot of Google Maps features previously available in the native app. Fortunately for us Android users, Google is religiously updating Maps for Android with more features and functionalities, such as Street View, turn-by-turn driving directions, public transportation, and the like. But if you’re on iOS 6 or another platform, fret not. Google is still actively maintaining the mobile web version of Google Maps. Yes, that’s HTML5, and this means it’s cross-platform (assuming you have a compatible browser). If you’re using an iOS device or any other mobile devices with a capable browser, just fire up mobile Safari and head on to maps.google.com. NY Times‘ David Pogue says it’s still an acceptable alternative to the native app. You won't get spoken directions, but you'll get written directions, public transportation details, live traffic reports and, of course, Google's far superior maps and data. (In two weeks, you'll be able to get Street View this way, too, says Google.)
As an update, Pogue says Google is enabling Street View from mobile web, which might be interesting for folks who want a virtual tour of interesting locations and cities around the world. Now the question here is this. Facebook earlier eschewed HTML5 as a viable alternative to native apps. Mark Zuckerberg seems to have been very disappointed with the Facebook app on Android, which was essentially HTML5. But mobile web does offer cross-platform compatibility without the headaches associated with parallel development in different platforms. Will mobile web be good enough for Google and for Google Maps users? Related PostsGoogle Maps 3D official, Google Maps offline for Android coming soon, Google neglected to fulfill its promise of street view data deletion, Google Maps isn’t coming to the iPhone for at least another few months
This article, Google Street View coming soon to mobile web version of Google Maps , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source. 
|
| Google Play Services developer tool rolling out soon Posted: 26 Sep 2012 02:25 PM PDT 
Love it or hate it, Google+ is clearly a priority for Google. Today the company launched the new Google Play Services platform in order to give developers an easier way to integrate Google services and Google+ features into their apps. The new platform consists of two different components. The first part is a services component that is delivered through Google Play and runs on Android devices. The second part is a client library that developers package with their apps. Using Google Play to deliver the services part means that developers won’t need to worry about carriers updating their Android versions in order to take advantages of updates to the platform. Basically, this allows Google to push updates to its products’ Android APIs easily. It also means that developers don’t have to worry about certain versions and builds of Android being incompatible with the services platform. The only catch is that Android 2.2 or higher needs to be in place. This shouldn’t be a problem for most devices. Here’s what Google says about the rollout of the new service: The rollout will cover all users on Android 2.2+ devices running the latest version of the Google Play store, and will take about a week to complete. Please wait for us to post that the rollout is complete before launching any apps on the store which use Google Play services… In the mean time, go grab the client library from Android SDK manager, check out our updated documentation, and start coding!
The idea of the Google Play Services platform is probably more exciting for developers, since it means that they have an easy and up-to-date way to work with Google+ and other parts of the Google ecosystem. Why does it matter to you and I? Directly it doesn’t, but indirectly it means that more apps will start including Google+ sign-in capabilities, the +1 button and other social network features. Related PostsGoogle services on Android vs. third-party services on iOS, The end of notification spam? Google exerts tighter security and ad policy on Google Play, Google Play’s website now lets you remotely update, uninstall, and install Android apps
This article, Google Play Services developer tool rolling out soon , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source. 
|
| O2 and HTC to sell phone without a charger, does it matter? [poll] Posted: 26 Sep 2012 01:52 PM PDT 
UK mobile provider O2 is teaming up with HTC to start selling an unnamed, announced phone that comes without a charger in the box. The device will be released sometime by the end of this year. The idea here is to help save the planet by reducing the number of chargers circulated. With Micro-USB as a standard, almost every mobile user out there has at least one charger. O2 and HTC feel that including extra charging devices is just a waste of money and resources, in most cases. O2 claims that 70 percent of customers who buy a handset from them already have a charger that will work with just about any new phone they release. The HTC phone’s packaging will simply include the phone, the manual and a micro-USB cord. For those that need a charger, the company will sell it separately. Even if you don’t have a charger that will work, the handset will charge through a PC USB port without issue. This is just the beginning for O2. HTC is the only brand that currently agrees to remove the charger from the box, but the company soon hopes to make this practice standard with all of their offerings. O2 is billing this move as a green one, though some conspiracy theorists probably believe this as nothing more than a way to make extra money by selling chargers separately. They may or may not be right. Meanwhile, check out our poll and tell us how you feel about such initiatives! Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. Related PostsHow to fast charge your Samsung Galaxy phone using any USB charger, Andru: USB Phone Charger – Official Unboxing, Zens to release wireless charger for Samsung Galaxy S3 in September
This article, O2 and HTC to sell phone without a charger, does it matter? [poll] , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source. 
|
| iPhone 5 vs Galaxy S3 ads reloaded: Samsung releases NYC and San Francisco TV commercial versions Posted: 26 Sep 2012 01:36 PM PDT 
A week ago, Samsung launched its new TV ad that promote the Galaxy S3 at the expense of the iPhone 5. The commercial, which we knew it was in production for a while now, adhered to the same scenario: Samsung poking fun at Apple's customers that line up in front of stores to get the latest iPhone while reminding everyone that "the next big thing is already here." The ad came right in the nick of time, two days before the iPhone 5 was launched in the U.S. and eight other markets, and the video went viral on YouTube (at the time of this writing, it surpassed 15 million hits,) therefore it's not surprising to see Samsung come out with two new versions, one for San Francisco, and one for New York City, both available below – the first ad focused on Chicago. The new 30-second ads keep making fun of iPhone buyers reminding them, yet again, that they’re not very witty and that the Galaxy S3 is already here. Unfortunately for fans of the series, there's nothing really new in these ads, so if you're looking for new jokes you'll have to keep waiting until the next ads come along. Samsung has mostly reshuffled the material it already had and you're going to have a 'deja-deja-vu' feeling when watching the two new videos. Although you will find at least a couple of new lines to use in your daily arguments with Apple fans. We're not going to comment on the direction Samsung is going with these ads – we already did that last time around – but we're going to point out the fact that these new ads came out in the same week Apple announced 5 million iPhone 5 sales during the opening weekend, not including pre-orders that will ship only in the following weeks. And many of those early iPhone 5 buyers did line up in front of a store to get it. Related PostsiPhone 5 vs Galaxy S3 comparison featured in Samsung "It doesn't take a genius" Ad, Foxconn CEO says the next iPhone “will put the Galaxy S3 to shame”. But is it true?, iPhone 5 promoted on Samsung Mobile USA Facebook page instead of Galaxy S3
This article, iPhone 5 vs Galaxy S3 ads reloaded: Samsung releases NYC and San Francisco TV commercial versions , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source. 
|
| LG Venice comes to Boost Mobile on October 10th Posted: 26 Sep 2012 12:32 PM PDT 
Last week we reported on the rumored LG Venice coming to Boost Mobile. We now have official word that the Venice is in fact launching on October 10th. As previously believed, this is a renamed Optimus L7. The Venice features a 4.3-inch WVGA display with Gorilla glass and is powered by a single-core 1GHz processor. Other specs include a 5MP rear cam, a VGA front cam and Android 4.0 ICS with LG’s 3.0 UI on top of it. The phone might not be the most powerful device around, but it’s quite slim and doesn’t weight much in your pocket. The thickness is similar to the Samsung Galaxy S3. The weight, at 4.41 ounces, is slightly less than the S3. Another major selling point for the device is its premium design – this phone looks like it would be a mid-range or even high-end device. The LG Venice will launch for just $220, which isn’t a horrible price for this handset. Boost Mobile will start the device out only at select locations, and then shortly later will roll it out to all of its retail partners. If you are considering a phone from Boost Mobile, is this a worthwhile choice? It really depends on what you are looking for. For those that want a bit more power and still want an attractive aesthetic, the Samsung Galaxy S2 is also worth looking into. Keep in mind that Samsung’s last-gen Galaxy will run you about $150 more. If money is tight, the Venice might be your best bet. Show full PR text Boost Mobile Squeezes Latest Technology into Ultra-Thin LG Venice IRVINE, Calif. (BUSINESS WIRE), September 26, 2012 – Boost Mobile, a leader in the no-contract wireless industry, and LG Electronics USA today announced a new Android-powered smartphone, the LG Venice, that delivers style, cutting-edge technology and affordability combined with Boost Mobile's Android Monthly Unlimited with Shrinking Payments. Only about one-third of an inch thick and weighing a mere 4.41 ounces, the sleek LG Venice is a high-powered slim smartphone with great viewing and entertainment experience. It will be available starting Oct. 10 for $219.99 (excluding taxes) at Boost Mobile's exclusive retail stores, select independent wireless dealer locations nationwide and at www.boostmobile.com with free shipping. The LG Venice also will be available late October in select national retail locations. "The LG Venice is an eye-catching device with its platinum finish and slim design packed with the latest features tech-savvy consumers crave," said Andre Smith, vice president-Boost Mobile. "It's a perfect example of not having to sacrifice style and features for affordability especially when combined with a no-contract Monthly Unlimited plan with payments that shrink to as low as $40 a month." Boasting a 1GHz processor combined with Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and an enhanced LG Optimus 3.0 interface, the LG Venice allows for improved multitasking, surfing, watching videos and accessing the more than 600,000 apps in the Google Play Store. The durable 4.3-inch, scratch-resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass touchscreen combined with a 5MP camera and VGA front-facing camera let consumers capture, connect and share life's special moments. "With high-quality features, a stylish design and the wallet-friendly no-contract plan, LG Venice definitely stands out," said James Fishler, senior vice president, marketing and go-to-market operations, LG Electronics USA. "LG and Boost Mobile continue to release innovative devices that exceed the expectations of those who use them. Whether it's capturing still or video memories, connecting and sharing content with friends and loved ones, or viewing media on the crystal-clear touchscreen, Life's Good with the LG Venice." Additional key features of the LG Venice include: QuickMemo™ to quickly and easily capture, create and share notes 720p HD video recording Stereo Bluetooth capable The LG Venice is paired with Boost Mobile's no-contract $55 Android Monthly Unlimited plan with Shrinking Payments. For every six on-time payments, the cost of Boost Mobile's Monthly Unlimited plan shrinks by $5, eventually getting down to as low as $40 a month for unlimited nationwide talk, text and picture messaging, Web1, email and calls to 411. Payments do not need to be consecutive to qualify for the next savings milestone. About Boost Mobile Boost Mobile offers wireless phones and services with no long-term contracts. Boost Mobile redefines value for wireless consumers with its Monthly Unlimited with Shrinking Payments no-contract service, where the longer you stay the less you pay with on-time payments for unlimited voice, text messaging, Web, email and calls to 411. Boost Mobile offers nationwide service on the Nationwide Sprint Network, reaching more than 282 million people, with no activation or long-distance fees. Boost Mobile offers a selection of quality handsets from LG, Motorola, Research In Motion (RIM), Samsung, Kyocera and ZTE, ranging from entry-level to Android™ smartphone devices available nationwide at nearly 20,000 major retail stores, including Best Buy, RadioShack, Target, Family Dollar, Walgreens and Walmart, Sprint retail stores, independent wireless dealer locations, and on HSN, a leading TV home shopping network. Re-Boost® Cards are available at approximately 100,000 locations throughout the United States. Experience Boost Mobile on the Web at Facebook and Twitter; and purchase products at www.boostmobile.com. About LG Electronics USA LG Electronics USA, Inc., based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc., a $49 billion global force and technology leader in consumer electronics, home appliances and mobile communications. In the United States, LG Electronics sells a range of stylish and innovative mobile phones, home entertainment products, home appliances, air conditioning systems and energy solutions, all under LG’s “Life’s Good” marketing theme. LG Electronics is a 2012 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year. For more information, please visit www.lg.com. 1 Includes 2.5GB per month of full-speed data. Related PostsLG Venice coming to Boost Mobile, according to new leak, Samsung Galaxy Rush unveiled, to hit Boost Mobile in September for $150, Kyocera Hydro heading to Boost Mobile
This article, LG Venice comes to Boost Mobile on October 10th , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com - Your Android News Source. 
|
