2012年12月2日星期日

Apple and Samsung return to patent fray


Apple and Samsung yearn for after again honest up in excess of rounded corners and other elements of smartphone design, to the same degree a US evaluator considers whether to topple or else enlarge the $1bn verdict in contradiction of the South Korean categorize.
Evaluator Lucy Koh and official teams from the two leading smartphone makers yearn for go through in the sphere of San Jose, California on Thursday to consider arguments, in the sphere of the nearly everyone vigorously fought indictment in the sphere of the long-running total patent battle.
In the manner of a jury found with the aim of nearly everyone of its asserted patents and with the aim of its trade dress, or else artifact characteristics, had been infringed, Apple is seeking to bar eight Samsung smartphones from selling in the sphere of the US, upfront of the Christmas trading season. It is besides looking in lieu of an other $707m in the sphere of indemnity from Samsung in lieu of patent infringement and dilution, on top of the $1.05bn it was awarded by the jury.
Samsung, however, has alleged jury transgression and demanded a retrial. It maintains with the aim of Velvin Hogan, the San Jose jury foreman, botched to relate his involvement in the sphere of a 1990s risk battle with Seagate, an IT company in the sphere of which Samsung owns a major stake, raising questions of budding bias. The Korean machinery categorize has besides argued with the aim of the jury’s verdict was patchy and its tactic in lieu of awarding indemnity “unclear”.
In the sphere of its response, Apple’s filings characterised Samsung’s site to the same degree an “attack on the jury and the jury process...waged in the sphere of the press worldwide”, which it described to the same degree “baseless” and “unwarranted”.
Despite August’s innovatory verdict in the sphere of California, Apple has not found the same degree of winner in the sphere of its patent belongings in the sphere of other markets, with an unattractive argument in the sphere of the UK in excess of its fumbled “apology” to Samsung in the manner of a risk in the sphere of London ruled with the aim of the Galaxy Tab did not infringe the iPad’s designs.
Survive month, Apple struck a intrude on patent settlement with HTC, a less significant smartphone maker. Despite protests from HTC, Samsung’s official team has been permissible to go to see the economic provisions of the agreement with Apple.
Although aggression persist in contradiction of Samsung, particular intellectual-property observers go to see Apple’s HTC agreement to the same degree a sign with the aim of freedom from strife across the industry is on the cards.
Professor Michael Meurer of the Boston University educate of Law says with the aim of patents rebuff longer provide “predictable property rights” and predicts settlements amid “all the players”.
This holy war with the aim of [Apple co-founder] Steve Jobs wanted to start was a tactically bad first-rate in lieu of Apple,” Prof Meurer assumed. “I think with the aim of Apple under [CEO] Tim Cook is recognising that...I think Jobs overestimated what did you say? IP may well accomplish in lieu of him.”
Even if Apple wins injunctions in contradiction of several Samsung smartphones, analysts say it is not likely to boast a main effect on Christmas sales.
Tony Costa, consumer products analyst by the side of Forrester seek, assumed an injunction would accomplish trifling to come to an end the smartphones from attainment food for the reason that sufficient account had already made its way into the channel.
There is sufficient supply in the sphere of the channel to keep them up for grabs in lieu of a prolonged generation,” he assumed. “A plight of the products are elder, someplace Samsung isn’t driving a plight of volume. They are not their star players.”



2012年11月27日星期二

General Motors to use Apple voice assistant Siri


GM announced by the side of the Los Angeles International sports car be evidence for it would make use of the Siri clever assistant in the field of the Chevrolet produce and Sonic LTZ and RS in the field of the US.

"Through the cars' standard Chevrolet MyLink infotainment arrangement, customers with a compatible iPhone running iOS 6 can in a straight line Siri to function a figure of tasks while they safely keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the steering wheel," GM thought in the field of a statement.

"To promote reduce interruption, Siri takes hands-free functionality even promote with an eyes-free mode so as to enables users to act together with their iPhone using nothing new than their voice while keeping the device's screen from lighting up."

Drivers long for come about able to make use of the arrangement to reach hands-free calls, amuse yourself songs in the field of the iTunes files, before switch song sources from broadcasting to iPod mode. They may possibly too listen in to, compose and forward messages to those in the field of their phone make an inventory.
Cristi Landy, Chevrolet marketing director in favor of trivial cars, thought, "Safe, comfortable, consistent and portable connectivity is a top priority in favor of our customers, and Siri complements MyLink's existing capabilities to help bring an incredible driving experience."

Apple announced earlier this time it was working with car makers to build Siri man-made intellect know-how into voice control systems in the field of cars.



Atom power opens Windows for Acer


In the sphere of the 1960s cartoon Atom Ant, the superhero, a tiny, delightful ant named Atom, had super-human strength (or, technically, super-ant strength, but it additionally surpassed the strength of humans) and super-human rate and may well wing.

(Atom Ant is not to survive puzzled with Adam Ant, a cartoon-like character from the 1980s, whose just superpower was a type of being charisma with the aim of enabled him to extract drool from the mouths of my sisters from far away, definitely by removing his shirt.)

Intel has definitely released a new to the job computer, a tiny, delightful damage accepted to the same degree the Atom Z2760, and while it can lack super-human strength (or, technically, super-processor strength), super-human rate and the capability to wing (it absolutely crawls along compared with Intel’s meat processors), Intel ought to survive eager with the aim of the minute Atom yearn for turn up to its rescue, too. It’s been fighting a down battle anti the ARM chips with the aim of are used in the sphere of nearly everyone cell phones and medicine, you envision, and the new to the job Atom computer is its superlative mace so far.

At this point in the sphere of the Digital Life Labs, we’ve been reviewing single of these new to the job Atoms, which came to us inside a new to the job Windows 8 convertible laptop/tablet from Acer, the $849, 10.1-inch Iconia W510.

The Iconia is a absolutely remarkable minute device. With the baby grand detached, it weighs definitely 580 grams (compared with 650 grams on behalf of an iPad, and 695 grams on behalf of a Microsoft Surface) and yet, gratitude to the mighty new to the job Atom, it runs a full-blown version of Windows 8.

That’s a pretty neat trick. Microsoft’s break the surface with Windows RT tablet might survive elder to the Iconia W510 in the sphere of in the least amount of ways – it has a better, higher-resolution screen, its magnetically powered docking procedure is better than the Acer’s to some extent dodgy docking procedure, and its build quality beats the living daylights banned of the Acer – but the Iconia W510 bests it in the sphere of single crucial way. It can run definitely with reference to each Windows function that’s still been in black and white, someplace the break the surface with Windows RT can run just apps in black and white on behalf of Windows RT, which on behalf of at present leaves the break the surface with masses of things it can’t accomplish.

There’s not yet a Spotify app, an executive Facebook app or else an executive Twitter app on behalf of Windows RT, on behalf of demand, but all of folks things are to be had on behalf of Windows 8. Dutiful, the Spotify app looks a minute worse on behalf of wear on the Iconia W510, on behalf of reasons I’ll cause to, but by the side of smallest amount it’s near.

An alternative neat trick is the Iconia’s battery life. Despite running a full-blown version of Windows 8, despite weighing definitely 580 grams, it’s got an advertised battery life of nine hours – something that’s just on the cards with the low-powered Atom damage. In the sphere of our tests, which involved in performance a one-minute HD capture on tape in excess of and in excess of, we got pretty close to with the aim of: Eight hours 36 minutes on a charge.

What’s additional, the Iconia W510 comes with an alternative battery inside its baby grand, the same size to the same degree its chief battery, so whilst the baby grand and the tablet are used in sync you cause a whopping 17 or else 18 hours of continual manipulation, something you may well in no way cause with a tablet running a full-blown Intel meat damage, and would just rarely cause on a tablet running an ARM damage. And Acer has expertly designed the Iconia so it drains the baby grand battery at the outset, consequence you may well function it all generation to the same degree a laptop, detach the baby grand and still give eight or else nine hours’ function.

All of these superpowers accomplish turn up by the side of a cost, however, to the same degree superpowers habitually accomplish.

The new to the job Atom is in the sphere of the same performance ballpark to the same degree an ARM damage (Internet traveler averaged 916 points in the sphere of our BrowserMark 2.0 test, roughly the same to the same degree the 923 points averaged by that is to say on an ARM-based break the surface tablet), but it isn’t a decoration on the Intel meat chips with the aim of habitually run Windows 8 convertibles. That is to say on a meat i5 convertible laptop/tablet averaged 2316 points in the sphere of our tests, additional than multiply by two the Atom, and our other tests showed a similarly cavernous performance gap. Our audio conversion test took 510 seconds to complete (161 seconds on the meat i5) and our capture on tape conversion test took 1372 seconds, compared with 274 seconds on the meat i5.

On behalf of day-to-day tablet-style manipulation, the Iconia feels rightly hasty, but whilst you fire up heavy-duty Windows apps, its Atom underpinnings present and it’s no matter which but fast.

The graphics on the Iconia are quite narrow, too. It’s got a screen solution of 1366 x 768, which on behalf of a little end (possibly linked to the Atom’s incapability to weighing machine to other resolutions) caused a amount of apps, such to the same degree Spotify and our 3D-testing app, to either look very dodgy (Spotify runs with plump fonts) or else to run in the sphere of a narrow way (our 3D app). Microsoft recommends a least amount vertical solution of 960 pixels on behalf of Windows 8 and we hope for Acer had listened.

Our chief complaint with the Iconia has nothing to accomplish with its Atom damage, however. It’s the trackpad. The baby grand is quite OK to type on – I’ve in black and white this with rebuff complaints – but the trackpad is terrible! You can’t even drag and drip suitably with it, it’s so poorly designed. If you cause a W510, survive reliable to cause a separate mouse to function with it, too. A Mighty Mouse, perhaps.



2012年11月23日星期五

Samsung Galaxy S4, Note 2 division must remain


With all of the parley by the instant residing around the Galaxy take note of 2 and once Verizon resolve decide to issue it in place of their customers, many consumers are already preliminary to contemplate what did you say? The subsequently great big affair may well stay, or else specifically, what did you say? Specs and facial appearance the next-generation Samsung Galaxy S4 is going away to encompass in the lead issue.
The Galaxy S4 rumors appear to encompass passed on into overdrive this long-ago week, with consumers at this moment preliminary to believe with the aim of CES 2013, or else if not MWC 2013, may well stay the measures with the aim of Samsung resolve pick out while a humankind premiere Galaxy S4 introduction. It’s safe to presume with the aim of this phone is going away to encompass even better hardware specs than the Galaxy S3, but lone reason with the aim of consumers may well stay a trifling skeptical in the region of is the growing mount in the sphere of smartphone size.
Perpetually since the take note of debuted in the sphere of by 5.3 inches, rival manufacturers seem to encompass determined to jig on the train the bandwagon and cancel all expectations campaign to built smartphones with the aim of are only this minute close to, or else exactly 4-inches. 5-inches seems to at this moment stay the magical size with the aim of manufacturers are settling in place of and you can lay a wager with the aim of the Samsung Galaxy S4 is going away to stay by smallest amount 5-inches in the sphere of size while well.
Is with the aim of a encouraging affair in place of you though? Near may well stay a slight danger of inadvertently making the Galaxy take note of 2 form reason irrelevant, if they constitute the Samsung Galaxy S4 a comparable size to their take note of 2. While a great big screen is evidently good, we would like to mull it over better division gap concerning Samsung’s two key flagship outline and constitute the Samsung Galaxy S4 unique in the sphere of a special way with the aim of isn’t comparable to the take note of 2.
The take note of 2 ought to stay accepted in place of its 5.5-inch make an exhibition of and tablet capabilities – each knows with the aim of. With the Samsung Galaxy S4, we would like to mull it over a few sincere subsequently generation specs position into the device, a few of of the thinnest smartphone resources the humankind has perpetually seen and a make an exhibition of size rebuff greater than 4.5-inches. OLED resources encompass been held and this is on the genuine line we feel – facial appearance with the aim of are going away to constitute the Galaxy S4 tolerate on its own two feet, not build on or else even replicate the successes of the take note of 2.
You may well disagree with with the aim of, but we think it is a allocation better in place of Samsung to distinguish the Galaxy S4 and the take note of 2, otherwise we may well go to a argument someplace the make an exhibition of screen sizes are the same and the Galaxy take note of 3 suddenly becomes irrelevant with consumers rebuff longer interested in the sphere of the phablet form reason a few extra.


2012年11月19日星期一

H-P seen taking hit from PC, Europe woes


A huge question is how H-P is liability in the sphere of the corporate marketplace. Based on survive week’s interpretation from rival clearing Inc. Clearing, companies hang about cautious as soon as it comes to IT expenditure.

H-P is scheduled to advertise fiscal fourth-quarter financials sooner than the marketplace opens on Tuesday.

Analysts expect the Palo Alto, Calif.-based company to loud noise pay packet of $1.14 a share, on revenue of $30.44 billion, according to a consensus survey by FactSet. With the aim of compares with a profit of $1.17 a share, on revenue of $32.12 billion in the sphere of the year-earlier era.

The company’s store added 3.5% to close by the side of $13.30 on Monday, but it has shed added than 30% in excess of the ancient times three months and is down added than 50% in excess of the ancient times time, in the same way as analysts cite near-term in the same way as well in the same way as long-term challenges.

In the sphere of a record, Bernstein seek analyst Toni Sacconaghi assumed he expects H-P to “deliver over consensus pay packet apiece share on less than consensus revenues, in the same way as the company has continued to lose share in the sphere of PCs and x86 servers, and likely again saying tepid laser copier performance.”

Topeka Capital’s Brian ashen expects “the tone around the PC marketplace to hang about gentle in excess of the subsequently only some quarters prearranged with the aim of we believe Windows 8 willpower not take inedible until the second-half of 2013 and the no secular pressures from the tablet marketplace to persist.”

The PC marketplace was assumed to understand a revitalization from the launch of Microsoft Corp.’s MSFT +0.78%   Windows 8, but added analysts at present believe it willpower take moment in place of the industry to understand such a boost. Meanwhile, medicine are ahead added marketplace share by the side of the expense of PCs.

In the sphere of a record, Sterne Agee’s Shaw Wu pointed to “sluggish trends” in the sphere of printers and PCs, which may well be located “offset by relatively healthier trends in the sphere of servers and services.”

A spun out have to do with is H-P’s commerce in the sphere of Europe which makes up added than a third of the company’s come to revenue.

Ashen wrote, “We hang about concerned with the company’s superior exposure to Europe, competitiveness in the sphere of the PC marketplace, leveraged balance sheet and longer-term application in the sphere of the venture IT marketplace prearranged the Company’s current portfolio.”


2012年11月14日星期三

Hewlett-Packard price target cut, UBS says company ‘must break up’


PC maker Hewlett-Packard Co. Willpower account its dividend Tuesday, and analysts by the side of UBS Securities don’t expect them to come about very talented.

UBS analysts Steven Milunovich and Peter Christiansen thought they expect the company to account fiscal 2013 dividend of US$3.40, which is underneath the be more or less US$3.50 analysts are expecting. Their bearish outlook led the two analysts to cut back their 12-month worth target on HP to $12.75 on Wednesday, from an earlier target of $14.

The brace thought the company, which has suffered from falling PC sales in the sphere of the carry on only some years, continues to succumb to ongoing “secular pressures.”

Folks secular pressures refer to the ongoing trend of waning PC sales in the same way as medicine devour away by the side of the marketplace share of desktop and laptop computers. That’s occurring in the same way as rival PC maker Apple in addition continues to get marketplace share with its Mac products, in the same way as well in the same way as its own medicine.

Mr. Milunovich and Mr. Christiansen don’t get the drift HP decision a cure-all meant for with the aim of anytime soon.

We expect HP to stand in front of pressures in the sphere of PCs rising from tablet cannibalization, a tepid Windows 8 uptake, softening IT budgets, and aggressive industry competition,” the brace wrote in the sphere of a seek record. “Secular declines in the sphere of printing may well startle despite the impressive fresh artifact refresh.”

Weakness in the sphere of HP’s printing commerce would come about a startle, prearranged with the aim of the company has seen convincing growth near in the sphere of fresh years. But Mr. Milunovich and Mr. Christiansen thought with the aim of basic indications from rival rule put it to somebody near may well a decline in the sphere of ink jet and even laser-based printing food and device sales.

The brace perform get the drift a solution to HP’s secular woes, however. In the sphere of their seek record, Mr. Milunovich and Mr. Christiansen reiterated a call they made carry on month urging HP to break up its commerce into two segments. They mention HP separate its printers and individual computers division from the division with the aim of sells products to businesses and be them two separate companies.

Mr. Milunovich and Mr. Christiansen believe HP’s stockpile would come about worth added than US$20 a share if with the aim of were to occur. In the same way as of Wednesday afternoon, HP’s stockpile was trading by the side of US$13.19, a get of 5¢, or else 0.38% on the sunlight hours.




2012年11月12日星期一

Is The iPad Mini The Beginning Of Apple’s Decline?


Earliest, I take part in been an Apple shareholder on behalf of in relation to 10 years. I haven’t sold my routine yet — but, on behalf of the earliest phase, I’m thinking in relation to it. I’m troubled with the aim of I’ll decide to put on the market afterward it’s too dear departed.

Anyway — here’s the incident. I bought an iPad Mini. It was too shoddy not to confer featuring in to curiosity, to get if it’s supplementary compelling or else positive or else whatever than the high-end iPad with the aim of I already take part in. Executive instant: It is not.

Here’s the slant of problems.

1. I already had a skillful iPad. It’s large and severe, and it hurts my arm to read featuring in bed. It’s my primary bed central processing unit, and besides the back up screen as soon as I’m watching television. As soon as I read featuring in bed it leaves impressions on my arm someplace it rests. I can’t imagine this is first-class on behalf of the movement featuring in my arm.

2. I may well employ the iPad Mini, but I don’t. Introduce somebody to an area say they don’t mind the grainier screen, but I organize. If I take part in a catalog, and I organize, I each time pick up the better iPad with the easy-to-read high-resolution screen.

3. Come again? In relation to having the status of a travelling central processing unit? Well, near too I walk off on behalf of the bigger iPad, for the reason that it has LTE. It’s very functional, featuring in my backpack, as soon as I walk off unfashionable. I switch it completed from Wi-Fi to LTE as soon as I walk off unfashionable. And I corner on Bluetooth, so with the aim of my iPod (blue, 32GB) has a way to urge on the get. The iPad Mini may well take place a replacement on behalf of the iPod, I suppose. But it doesn’t fit featuring in the pinch having the status of well. (However it does fit featuring in my pinch, which is cool. Maybe I ought to try replacing the iPod with the Mini.)

4. But here’s the verdict, the goal why I think this artifact is making Apple’s routine dive. Steve in no way would take part in shipped it. I know introduce somebody to an area take part in been saw with the aim of in relation to all kinds of things constantly since he died. Steve wouldn’t take part in finished this or else with the aim of. I’ve stayed away from saw with the aim of — even though the design has popped into my regulate — for the reason that I’ve in no way felt several, and I don’t think it’s non-discriminatory to say something like with the aim of if you really feel it featuring in your gut. But this single is kind of obvious. Expertise has to keep getting better. A long time ago you’ve shipped an iPad with a super high-resolution “retina” put on view, you can’t ask introduce somebody to an area to good buy a in mint condition single with the aim of doesn’t take part in it. Steve wouldn’t take part in finished it.

5. Round about skin texture are only this minute skin texture, like a camera, but the declaration of a put on view isn’t a introduce. It’s integral to the artifact. It’s like irritating to put on the market a car with a fuzzy windshield. Everything you organize with the Mini is a reminder with the aim of you may well take place using a nicer artifact. Each time having the nicest incident is come again? Steve’s Apple stood on behalf of.

6. The in mint condition Apple is willing to compromise. And come again? Are they compromising on behalf of? Well, it looks like they’re liability it so they can “compete” with Google and Amazon. But again — Steve’s Apple in no way deigned to organize something having the status of crass having the status of “competing”. It was a foreign view. Steve’s Apple was so far featuring in advance of each person to boot, it was incredible to think of them having the status of competition. But at this point is the in mint condition Apple tempting comparison to something to boot. But the comparison that’s inevitable and damning, is the comparison involving the Mini and its predecessor, the iPad 3. And featuring in with the aim of comparison the newer artifact is a dust-catcher. Its battery is each time fully charged. It in no way gets inedible the night schedule. It was an obsolete artifact the daylight it shipped, and the daylight otherwise it shipped.

By the way, this is why the orchestrated reviews of products are often worthless. I invite Mossberg, Pogue or else Gruber to re-review their iPad Mini at this point, a week afterward their opening reviews, and accede to us know if they’re in point of fact using it. And if they still think it’s a winner. I believe it’s not solitary not a winner, but it signals a in mint condition Apple that’s rebuff longer away from compare, rebuff longer insisting on delighting its users to the cape of orgasm. This Apple is content to take place a competitor. Not my feeling of come again? Apple is, and without doubt not Steve’s.