MobileCrunch |  |
- Zoove Raises $15 Million, Offers ‘StarStar’ Vanity Phone Numbers For Brands
- “Defending Android”
- Androids Are For Cheap Pessimists, iPhones Are For Worldly Optimists
- RIM’s BlackBerry Management Center is Free BES-Lite
- Glorious Minecraft-Themed Xperia Play For Sale On eBay
- HTC Finally Offers Bootloader Unlock, U.S. Users Must Wait
- New Android Malware Hides as Google+ App, Answers Calls for You
- Qualcomm Explores A New Market: Finding Your Lost Dog
- Citi Analyst: Google’s Motorola Move Is “Defensive”
- Google: Buying Friends And Influencing Handsets
- Google / Motorola Deal Doesn’t Guarantee a “Nexus Droid”
- Angry Birds Now Available In Creamy And Not-So-Deadly Moon Pie Form
- Pew Survey: Half Of U.S. Mobile Consumers Use Cell Phones For Realtime Info Retrieval
- AT&T Fires Back After Law Firm Tries To Block T-Mobile Deal Through Arbitration
- Amazon Launches New iPhone App for College Students
- Report: Apple To Build 26 Million iPhone 5 (or whatever it’s called) In The Second Half Of 2011
- BlackBerry Bold 9930 Goes Live At Verizon For $249 On-Contract
- Google Goes Soup-To-Nuts On Android With Bid For Motorola
| Zoove Raises $15 Million, Offers ‘StarStar’ Vanity Phone Numbers For Brands Posted: 16 Aug 2011 03:08 AM PDT  Exclusive - Zoove has raised $15 million in Series D funding, led by new investor Panorama Capital, TechCrunch has learned. Existing investors also participating in the round, including Cardinal Venture Capital, Highland Capital Partners and Worldview Technology Partners. Zoove is the company behind StarStar Numbers, an exclusive registry of memorably phone numbers (e.g. **WEATHER or **SUZUKI) that lets brands connect with consumers on any mobile phone. Zoove exclusively provides said vanity StarStar Numbers for the largest wireless operators in the United States, serving more than 250 million people. StarStar Numbers enable consumers to call the name of brand being promoted, e.g. **ESPN and get to its mobile app, website, coupon, video and whatnot, without the need to use QR code readers or unbranded text message short codes. Zoove also powers the National StarStar Registry, in cooperation with the four major mobile operators in the US. Through the Registry, companies can lease branded, vanity StarStar Numbers that are available to the majority of US mobile subscribers. The company explains that for consumers, there is no extra charge to call a vanity StarStar Number. After the initial phone call, users typically receive a text message or voice mail prompting them to engage further, and at that point they can opt in, based on their phone’s capabilities, to view websites, download apps, and so on. Brands pay Zoove an annual fee for their StarStar Number, which varies based on the length and ‘scarcity’ of the number. Zoove operates a national directory of vanity mobile phone numbers, called StarStar Numbers, that lets brands easily connect with people – anytime, anywhere, on any mobile phone. Zoove is the...
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| Posted: 15 Aug 2011 08:04 PM PDT  Bravo Google, well played. There’s no denying that Google’s maneuver this morning to acquire Motorola for $12.5 billion in cash is remarkable. Everyone is talking about every possible angle of the deal, as they should. The summertime is usually the doldrums when it comes to tech news. Not this year. Google is pulling off an acquisition that is larger than any that Microsoft, Apple, or any of their other main competitors ever have. Larry Page, wartime CEO. Larry Page, maverick. As the resident Apple enthusiast around these parts, many of you want my take on this — and many of you probably don’t want my take on this, but will end up reading it twice as much as those who do. But don’t worry, I’m not going to go all Dan Lyons and immediately run my mouth without thinking. I actually took the entire day to think about this, read over the insane amount of coverage (though I didn’t get through even half of it), and form some thoughts. But my main thought is the same as my initial one: this is either the smartest thing Google has ever done, or the dumbest. There is no in-between. Many people seem to be tripping over themselves trying to explain why this is not just about patents. Okay, yes, there are some interesting potential side effects of this deal, such as in the broader consumer electronics space. Motorola could help Google turn around the disaster that has been Google TV. Motorola makes a huge percentage of the set top boxes that the cable companies use to push their over-priced content at you. And those cable boxes are absolute pieces of shit. But they’re highly profitable pieces of shit. While Google TV is a nightmare, it’s still a considerable upgrade from almost all set top boxes. The two sides could help each other here. Or it could be a case of two wrongs making a very big wrong. We’ll see. The much more interesting angle is what this means for Google’s control over the Android ecosystem at large. I’ll get to that in a minute. First, let’s not kid ourselves. This deal is clearly about patents. If Motorola didn’t have thousands of patents, there is no way this deal happens. Zero. This is a company that lost money last quarter, despite revenues of over $3 billion. They have over 19,000 employees. This nearly doubles Google’s workforce (Google has about 25,000 employees). This is a company in the midst of several of their own lawsuits — some of which are by Google adversaries Microsoft and Apple. This all sounds like a big, logistical mindfuck for Google. A company, which remember, is trying to simplify and focus their business. It’s the equivalent of me saying I’m going to clean my house today, then going out and buying a fraternity house just as I’m getting started. And keeping both. But those patents. Those glorious, wonderful patents. In losing the Nortel patent auction to Apple, Microsoft, RIM, and others, Google lost out on 6,000+ patents. With a battle over the InterDigital patents just getting started, there was a pretty decent chance they were going to lose another 8,800+ to their rivals. But with the Motorola buy, Google gains at least 17,000 patents. And if some other applications go through, perhaps as many as 25,000 patents. In one fell-swoop. Crazy. It raises Google’s patent pool from around 2,000 — over 1,000 of which are from a deal they just did with IBM — to around 20,000. That’s around what Microsoft has. And nearly double what Apple has. Deterrent obtained, right? Well, not so fast. As FOSS Patents points out, Motorola’s patent pool may not go far enough to cancel out some key patents owned by Google’s main rivals. Remember, both Apple and Microsoft were suing Motorola well before this new deal was born. Those cases remain ongoing, but FOSS’ Florian Mueller believes that Apple and more so, Microsoft, have the upper hand in each. He argues that this was more of strategic buy for Google in order to exert more control over the Android ecosystem. It’s a compelling argument, but I’m not sure I buy it. At least not yet. Even more compelling is his thought that Google may have bought Motorola to stop them from settling with Apple and/or Microsoft on the patent issues. Such a settlement would have been a big blow to the entire Android ecosystem. Perhaps not quite as bad as Samsung agreeing to license patents from Microsoft (joining HTC and others), but bad. Would that even be bad enough for Google to spend $12.5 billion? Again, I’m not convinced. But the fact that Motorola was threatening to attack others over IP itself just a few days ago, does suggest something was brewing. They sounded like an animal backed into a corner. (Or, as it turns out, perhaps one just playing some last-minute hardball with a would-be acquirer.) What we do know is that leading up to Google’s deal, Microsoft was also negotiating to buy at least Motorola’s patent portfolio, as Om Malik reports. Unsurprisingly, Google’s negotiations kicked up shortly after the Nortel loss. Again, patents, patents, patents. If Microsoft had purchased Motorola’s patents, Android would have been at Defcon 2, if not Defcon 1. Google could not let that happen. And they didn’t. But let’s turn to the broader ramifications here. The antitrust cops are obviously going to scrutinize this deal. But already some are predicting it will go through. Obviously, Google is as well. Motorola? Well, the fact that there’s a $2.5 billion breakup fee — which is absolutely insane — that Google will have to pay Motorola if the DoJ breaks up the deal, doesn’t project too much optimism, to say the least. But for the sake of argument, let’s assume the deal is approved and closes at the end of this year or early next year. Google says they will continue to run Motorola as a separate business. Again, given its size, that’s about all they can do. Google also says that this will not change their commitment to Android being “open” and to their other OEM partners. While that will sound like a load of horse shit to some. I actually believe that Google believes that (or at least that many higher-ups at Google believe that). I just don’t believe it will be possible. And I think that eventually, Google will recognize that it won’t be possible. And I think many of their partners are being disingenuous with their positive statements today. Just look at the issues Google has been having keeping their carrier and OEM partners in line when it comes to Android software updates. The issues have gotten so bad that Google had to get on stage at their I/O conference this year and promise everyone that a new initiative is underway to ensure timely updates. You’ll notice we haven’t heard a thing about that initiative since it was unveiled. ”Over the next few weeks, we'll figure it all out,” Android head Andy Rubin said at the time. It’s been three months. But with Motorola in their back pocket, Google now has another stick to use when the carrots don’t work. And the carrots rarely do in the Android ecosystem, it seems. Is an OEM not releasing updates quickly enough? Okay, screw you, we’ll release a Motorola Droid update right now. Are you telling me Google isn’t going to do that? I mean, are they going to hire some new, un-fireable people at Motorola in charge of ensuring that bullshit bureaucracy remains in place after the deal? What about Nexus negotiations? Andy Rubin humorously seemed to confirm that bidding occurs over who gets to make the next Nexus devices during the Q&A call today. Given the other backchannel deals Google strikes while maintaining the nonsense “open” moniker for marketing purposes, this is not surprising at all. What happens if Google isn’t getting the terms they want on a new Nexus device? Will they also hire someone to thwart Motorola’s Google-backed bid? Ridiculous. There are dozens of other potential situations like this. One way or another, the existence of Motorola as a Google company is going to affect Android. Here’s another, more straight-forward scenario for you. What happens when the iPhone 5 launches and everyone wants it? That includes many people currently using Android phones. After a few months of this, Google grows frustrated that none of their OEMs can release a device that matches the build-quality that Apple puts out there. But wait, they now have their own company they can at the very least use to apply to pressure the other OEMs to force them to do better work! Does Google also not play that card? Are you really telling me that they won’t try to get Motorola to make the best products possible? Why the hell wouldn’t they? This is a business, after all. Maybe the iPhone 5 doesn’t trigger that, but maybe the iPhone 6 does. Or maybe the iPad 3 does. Or maybe a Windows Phone does. At some point down the line, Google is going to run into this scenario. And there’s nothing wrong with that. The tight control over both hardware and software is what allows Apple products to be Apple products. And now with webOS, HP appears to be moving in the same direction. In the same way that Google used to not care about design, but now is starting to, I suspect they’ll start to care more about full control over their products — both hardware and software. They’ll see that the overall consumer experience is tied to both — they’re not mutually exclusive. And Motorola gives them the opportunity to fully explore this. Why not use it? All of this is why the partner statements are disingenuous today. I mean, just look at them. They all say the same thing! And what they say is really nothing at all, beyond the positive statement that Google can now defend Android better.
I won’t even bother including who said what because it doesn’t matter. They’re all the same statement. “Defending Android”, “defending Android”, “defending Android”, “defending Android”, “defending Android”. Every. Single. Time. In other words, “patent protection”, “patent protection”, “patent protection”, “patent protection”, “patent protection”. These guys aren’t happy Google is buying a competitor, but what are they going to say about it right now? “Fuck you, Google, we’re ditching Android!”? Given their massive commitments already in place, such a move could force any of these companies into the ground. What will be more telling are the actions taken over the next weeks, months, and years by these guys. Do they warm to Windows Phone as a result? Do they turn elsewhere? Do they force Google to spin off the Motorola hardware division? It’s certainly all on the table right now, I’d imagine. Google’s acquisition of Motorola today either just saved Android or subverted it. It was either brilliant, or really, really stupid. Unfortunately, the truth is that we simply won’t know the answer for a while. But credit where credit is due, Google just did something decidedly un-Googley. On paper, as a math equation, you never do this deal. The upside is potentially high, but there’s way too much downside potential. A $12.5 billion deal in cash, with a $2.5 billion collapse clause? Who are you and what did you do with Google? But as I’ve argued for months, Google has been in need of a wake up call. They needed something to shake them out of a state of malaise. With this Motorola deal, they just got something. It won’t make them any new friends, but this is business, not personal. And it is a shit-ton of patents. Google provides search and advertising services, which together aim to organize and monetize the world’s information. In addition to its dominant search engine, it offers a plethora of... Motorola is a telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois. It is a manufacturer of wireless telephone handsets, also designing and selling wireless network infrastructure equipment such as cellular transmission...
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| Androids Are For Cheap Pessimists, iPhones Are For Worldly Optimists Posted: 15 Aug 2011 02:13 PM PDT  Ever wonder what’s the real difference between Android and iPhone users? According to Hunch, Android users are 10 percent more likely to be men, skew younger, and 20 percent more likely to be politically conservative. As you can see from the infographic below, they have good incomes, but iPhone users tend to have higher household incomes. Android users are also “slightly more likely to be pessimists,” introverts, and are 29 percent more likely to want to save their money. iPhone owners are more likely to be optimists, extroverts, and are self-admittedly “high-maintenance.” They are 26 percent more likely to enjoy spending money on shiny objects. They also are 27 percent more likely to consider themselves leaders than followers and are 50 percent more likely to be early adopters. In contrast, Android users are 31 percent more likely to be later adopters and “57 percent more likely to prefer an ugly device that’s full-featured.” There is also a much higher chance Android users own PCs than Macs. Just sayin’. How does Hunch know all of these correlations? The data is based on 15,818 Hunch users who have answered the question, “What type pf operating system does your cellphone use?” The breakdown among Hunch users is 32 percent Apple and 21 percent Android, which is the flip of more mainstream market stats such as Nielsen’s which puts Android smartphone market share at 39 percent in the U.S, and iPhone at 28 percent, but the sample size should be big enough to draw some conclusions about Android and iPhone users. (Or at least the ones who answer questions on Hunch). What else does the Hunch data purport to know about Android and iPhone users based on how the same people answered 80 million other questions? Well, Android owners are 12 percent more likely to have pets and 71 percent more likely never to have travelled outside their native countries. Does that make them homebodies? The chances are much greater that iPhone users have traveled abroad and used some frequent flyer miles in the past year. Their breakfast cereal of choice is more likely to be Crispix or Kashi GOLEAN Crunch than Corn Pops. And they are more into sushi than steak. Remember, these characterizations are based on probabilities and won’t be true for every iPhone or Android user. I, for instance, would much rather eat steak than sushi and guess what kind of phone I use most regularly. As we all know, if it’s in an infographic it must be true. Hunch is a consumer web application that is building the “taste graph” of the internet, mapping every person on the internet to every entity on the internet and their... Android is a software platform for mobile devices based on the Linux operating system and developed by Google and the Open Handset Alliance. It allows developers to write managed... Apple's iPhone 4 was introduced at WWDC June 7th 2010. Apple CEO Steve Jobs claims it is the "Thinnest smartphone on the planet." Hardware features Glass front and back panel Entire rim is...
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| RIM’s BlackBerry Management Center is Free BES-Lite Posted: 15 Aug 2011 02:07 PM PDT  BlackBerry’s Enterprise Server has long been a mainstay of the corporate world, but considering the costs involved, many small businesses haven’t been able to justify the cost. Enter the BlackBerry Management Center, a cloud service meant for exactly those small businesses who want some of the power of BES without the corresponding price tag. Released today, BMC is meant for small businesses with between 3 and 100 BlackBerry-toting employees itching for a good (and free!) way to manage all those devices. It only supports email service hosted by ISPs and the usual complement of webmail services (think Gmail, Yahoo!, and the like) out of the gate, so those firms that shelled out the dough for an Exchange server need not apply. BlackBerry’s “BES-lite” management service gives beleaguered IT staff a full set of BlackBerry superpowers, from the mundane (reset a password, restoring settings and data to different devices) to the mission-critical (remotely locking/wiping devices, scheduling wireless backups). All this can be handled by way of a simple interface that RIM assures us “requires little or no technical skills to use,” which would lower the bar for effective device management and presumably make a small business’s single IT guy less likely to yank their hair out. As a free service, BlackBerry Management Center is likely to pick up a lot of traction among the small businesses RIM is targeting. It’s a win-win, with SMBs getting a a full-featured new tool to add to the IT arsenal, and RIM getting in on the ground floor with businesses that may well grow to the size that they’re used to accommodating.
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| Glorious Minecraft-Themed Xperia Play For Sale On eBay Posted: 15 Aug 2011 01:05 PM PDT  One of the more pleasant surprises at E3 this year was our hands-on with the Xperia Play. I was really expecting to dislike the device, but after playing a few games on it, I found it to be totally legit, even if the games selection isn’t so hot right now. And what’s more, they had Minecraft on it. As one of the headline games of the new platform, it’s no surprise that Minecraft is getting a little official love — today, it takes the form of a truly sweet looking Minecraft-themed Xperia Play. It’s being sold by Mojang themselves, so you know it’s for real. It’s not clear whether this is a one-off or just the first of many decals and themes. I’d guess the latter. That hasn’t stopped the bidding from topping $1200, though — and there are still six days to go as of this writing. But then again, people do tend to open up their wallets a bit when the proceeds are going to charity, as these will. Some people might think that thing is garish, but I love it. It matches this mousepad. [via Droid Gamers and Engadget]
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| HTC Finally Offers Bootloader Unlock, U.S. Users Must Wait Posted: 15 Aug 2011 11:02 AM PDT  HTC has spent the past few weeks hinting and teasing us with the availability of their bootloader unlock tool, but at long last the wait is over. If you own an international HTC Sensation, then congratulations: you’re free to mosey over to HTC Dev to get your fix. Android developers and enthusiasts alike shouldn’t have much trouble, especially considering the excellent quality of HTC’s walkthrough, but a little extra caution couldn’t hurt. Newbies to the Android development scene, on the other hand, should really take things slowly: the process involves working with the Android SDK, which takes a little bit of getting used to for the uninitiated. Even though HTC does a fine job of walking you through the process involved, it’s still the sort of thing that’s easily botched if you’re not careful. HTC still offers no word on when the tool will be made available for devices of a more domestic persuasion, but rest assured Peter Chou and company are on the case. For those of you with T-Mobile Sensations and Sprint EVO 3Ds, your day will come, but the more impatient among you always have other options.
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| New Android Malware Hides as Google+ App, Answers Calls for You Posted: 15 Aug 2011 09:52 AM PDT  Security researchers at Trend Micro have discovered a new mobile malware application on Android that disguises itself as a Google+ app. The app has the capability to record phone calls, as well as gather the GPS location of the handset, the text messages and the call logs, all of which are sent off to remote servers. The app installs itself on Android devices under the guise of being a Google+ application, using the Google+ icon to disguise itself in both the Android applications list and the list running services. The malware is a variant of the previously-discovered ANDROIDOS_NICKISPY.A and .B, as it uses the same code structure found within those applications. This particular variant is being called ANDROIDOS_NICISPY.C. In this case, at least, it does not appear that the malware is particularly widespread, as it is not listed in the Android Market. The app only appears to be installed on users’ handsets who unknowingly visit a malicious website. And removal is as simple as uninstalling the app. What’s interesting here is how quickly malware authors have used the hype about Google’s new social network to their advantage. Not even 2 months old, and Google+ is already being used as the cover for mobile malware. In addition to recording calls and gathering personal data from the device, the malware is also able to receive commands via text message, explains Trend Micro threat analyst Mark Balanza. To do so, it requires the sender to use the predefined “controller” number from the app’s configuration file in order to execute any commands. But what makes this malware particularly unique, says Balanza, is its ability to record incoming phone calls automatically, something which the other variants did not. In order to answer calls, the phone’s screen must be turned off and the call has to come from a certain phone number in the app’s configuration file. Before answering, the app puts the phone in silent mode and hides the dial pad. And when the phone call is connected, the screen goes blank. It’s important to note that the “auto-answering” feature of the malware can only affect phones running Android versions 2.2 and below, as the MODIFY_PHONE_STATE permission was disabled in Android 2.3. This, again, is another very good example as to why manufacturers and carriers should not hold back Android OS updates from being pushed down to consumers’ devices. The Android operating system is increasingly the target for malware such as this, security firm Lookout reported earlier this month. Android users are two-and-a-half times more likely to encounter malware today than just 6 months ago. And half a million to one million users have been affected by Android malware this year alone. While this individual app may only be a minor threat, when combined with all the others over the course of many months, the malware threat is becoming a concern for Android users, developers, carriers and OEMs alike.
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| Qualcomm Explores A New Market: Finding Your Lost Dog Posted: 15 Aug 2011 09:21 AM PDT  Qualcomm. You’ve probably heard of them. Hell, chances are pretty solid that you’ve got a bit of Qualcomm in your pocket right now — if you’ve got any recent, popular Android phone in there, at least. More-likely-than-not, it’s running on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chipset. Qualcomm has been up to all sorts of fun stuff lately: they’ve got an SDK that makes it feasible for just about any developer to build otherwise insurmountable augmented reality projects, they’re doing all sorts of work around location-based peer-to-peer technology, and now they’re… uh.. building rechargeable GPS collars that help you track down your lost dog. Called the “Tagg”, this thing is being built by one of Qualcomm’s new wholly-owned subsidiaries, Snaptracs.
Oh, and it’s waterproof. As anyone who’s ever had a lost dog come back covered in what seems to be all of the mud in the world could tell you, that’s probably a good idea. The collar’s wireless connectivity is all powered over Verizon’s network. Qualcomm says this thing should launch sometime in September, with 200 bucks nabbing you the collar, charger, and one-year of tracking service. In July 1985, seven industry veterans came together in the den of Dr. Irwin Jacobs' San Diego home to discuss an idea. Those visionaries—Franklin Antonio, Adelia Coffman, Andrew Cohen,...
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| Citi Analyst: Google’s Motorola Move Is “Defensive” Posted: 15 Aug 2011 08:53 AM PDT  The market is trying to make sense of Google’s $12.5 billion agreement to buy Motorola Mobility. (Google shares are down 2.8 percent in midday trading to $548, while Motorola shares are up nearly 60 percent.) Citi analyst Mark Mahaney, for one, thinks it is a “defensive” move. In a research note he put out today after the announcement, Mahaney takes a skeptical view of the all-cash deal. “This may not be a bad use of cash,” he writes. “But is this GOOG's best use of cash?” On the plus side, Google will get over 17,000 patents as part of the deal, a leading mobile handset manufacturer, and a stronger position in the living room with Motorola’s set-top box business. On the downside, Mahaney worries what the impact might be on the Android ecosystem as a whole. Android has so much momentum already with 150 million handsets worldwide, why risk slowing that down with the distractions of absorbing one of the leading Android manufacturers? Making hardware is “FAR afield from GOOG’s core competencies.” And the regulatory approvals will take at least until the end of the year, if not longer, before the deal is likely to close. So why is Google going through all the trouble? “The patents may be the key to this deal,” writes Mahaney, “but they also suggest a defensive nature to the deal.” Well, you can’t really blame Google for being defensive on patents when every other major tech company seems to be arrayed against Android. Photo credit: Francisco Antunes Google provides search and advertising services, which together aim to organize and monetize the world’s information. In addition to its dominant search engine, it offers a plethora of... Company: MOTOROLA MOBILITY Motorola is known around the world for innovation in communications and is focused on advancing the way the world connects. From broadband communications infrastructure, enterprise mobility and public safety...
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| Google: Buying Friends And Influencing Handsets Posted: 15 Aug 2011 08:28 AM PDT  Google’s purchase of Motorola Mobility is, in the end, a mercenary effort to cement Android’s position in the handset ecosystem and to prop up a stalwart proponent of the platform. That’s fine. Google is a big company and it can now pick and choose – and buy – its own friends without input from the peanut gallery. But what does a Googorola merger mean? First, we must understand that this is not a merger of equals. Motorola split itself in January after years of lagging phone sales. Motorola’s revenue dropped from a high of $10.6 billion to $4.89 billion in Q3 of 2010. They lost half of their portion of the handset market between 2008 and 2009, thus forcing the split from what is now called Motorola Solutions, a company that does everything except make handsets. Even with the Xoom and the popular Droid series, Motorola was in a bad place. They did, however, have one buddy in their corner: Google. Grima to Motorola’s Théoden, the company whispered the secrets of Android into the ears of Moto engineers and, in the end, they produced some of the best and most popular Android devices on the market. That claim could be argued considering the current crop of devices available, but, for a time, Motorola looked like the company to beat when it came to Android. But all was not well at Motorola and Samsung and HTC began eating their lunch. They were lurching along, from one promised device to the next, and in the end it looked like they may be an also-ran… until today. Motorola is now Google’s skunkworks. They can produce hardware running gold standard builds of Android and, presumably, Motorola Mobility doesn’t need to make a single cent of profit from now until eternity. Google’s rich coffers can pay for R&D, free lunches, and Segways for Motorola’s engineers. Motorola’s competitors are also pretty happy. They write:
To be clear, Android needs about as much defending as the Honey Badger although to hear manufacturers (and fanboys) tell it, Android is a delicate flower that requires the utmost care and rabid defense in order to blossom. Google is taking this perception to the bank by buying Motorola in order to become “deeply committed to defending Android.” Why are HTC, Samsung, and LG pleased? Because they know that Motorola is no longer a competitor and they also know that if things get tough they can ask mama Google for a cash infusion. Google now owns Android “soup to nuts.” But not much will – or can – change. The Nexus line will probably continue unabated and Motorola’s release of future handsets will be slightly curtailed but not halted. Instead, Motorola will be Android’s ambassadors to other engineers, allowing for a sort of safe handset tourism that will ensure that HTC and the like get all the benefits of the platform while still making money. Motorola will let Google show the rest of the world how to make money on Android while, in the process, they make (more) money on Android. I’m interested, as we all are, to see where Googorola is headed. So don’t think of this as losing a handset manufacturer. Instead, think of this as gaining a Google-sanctioned straw man hardware manufacturer that will, in the end, pull the rest of the Android handsets up to more compelling and exacting standards.
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| Google / Motorola Deal Doesn’t Guarantee a “Nexus Droid” Posted: 15 Aug 2011 08:17 AM PDT  One of the burning questions we all have after hearing this morning’s news of Google’s $12.5 billion bid for Motorola Mobility is: what does this mean for the next Nexus device? Will Google leverage its acquisition to build Android phones that look and function exactly how Google wants them to, a move that would postion the company to compete more directly with Apple? Or will it continue to anoint one handset maker as the temporary “king” of Android devices through the same process it uses now? According to statements made this morning by Android chief Andy Rubin, it will be the latter. Google doesn’t expect the acquisition to impact the Nexus program and lead device strategy, he said. ”We select, around Christmas-time each year, a manufacturer to release a phone,” explained Rubin. “After the acquisition, Motorola will be a part of that bidding process and lead device process.” Reading between the lines, it seems Rubin is saying that we shouldn’t expect to see a new Nexus-branded “Droid” any time soon, and especially not this winter when the new Nexus device is chosen. That statement seems to jibe with the previous rumors regarding which manufacturer will build the new Nexus phone. Motorola hasn’t even been in the running this year, according to various reports. For example, Android-tracking blog AndroidandMe stated in July that the four manufacturers bidding to build the new Nexus device included Samsung, HTC, Sony Ericsson and LG. There was also a slight possibility of a “surprise” device featuring an Intel CPU. It’s likely that some or all of the above are indeed being evaluated and considered by Google as the new “Nexus,” which will be the first phone to run Android 4.0, aka “Ice Cream Sandwich.” Above: Leaked photos of Android 4.o (reportedly) on Samsung device, Source: Rootzwiki Google Needs to be Careful in Selecting Nexus OEM Nexus-branded smartphones are Google’s flagship devices for Android, meant to show off the newest version of the mobile operating system (OS), without any tampering from device manufacturers and operators. Even though the phones are free from manufacturers’ tinkering – tinkering which OEMs usually promote as a feature, not a drawback – winning the Nexus bid is seen as badge of honor. The Nexus phone is the Android developers’ preferred device, and that’s a market every OEM wants to claim. In fact, HTC CEO Peter Chou likes to boast that his company has the largest group of Android developers outside of Google. Getting developers’ attention through a Nexus device means more potential interest in HTC’s own developer-focused initiatives, like its newly launched HTCDev.com and OpenSense SDK (a kit that lets developers skin their apps to look like they’re a part of HTC’s own user interface). Other manufacturers have similar interests, like Samsung’s push for more Android tablet apps for its Galaxy Tab devices, or Sony Ericsson’s interest in attracting game developers to build for its Xperia PLAY, for example. Then there’s the fact that many consumers, too, have grown to love the Nexus phones, which not only offer the full Google experience, but are also first to get updates and new features as they become available. It’s the early adopters’ preferred device, as it enables them to stay on the cutting edge of mobile technology innovation. That’s also a niche any OEM would want. Making all future Nexus devices Motorola phones could easily anger Google’s Android partners, who will already be nervous about what this acquisition means for them in terms of preferential treatment. Google will have to be careful to not overtly favor Motorola in the Nexus competition, or risk losing its partners to competitors like Microsoft’s Windows Phone, or even HP’s webOS. However, that doesn’t discount the possibility of a Motorola-built Nexus phone (or tablet!) in the future, it just means that this is one area where Google knows it has to step lightly. Motorola is a telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois. It is a manufacturer of wireless telephone handsets, also designing and selling wireless network infrastructure equipment such as cellular transmission...
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| Angry Birds Now Available In Creamy And Not-So-Deadly Moon Pie Form Posted: 15 Aug 2011 08:17 AM PDT  Yep. Angry Birds are officially in the public consciousness. It’s part of the world’s culture now. Nothing proves that more than these official Angry Birds moon pies. There’s simply no escaping the onslaught of flying birds — even though the game is tired and played-out. The likely tasty pies are part of Rovio’s new merchandise announced for the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. The gaming company also unveiled a Chinese-themed update to Angry Birds Seasons a few weeks back. But who cares about an app, right? Moon pies are the bigger story.
Rovio is one of Europe’s leading independent developers of wireless games with an ever-growing portfolio of award-winning titles spanning many genres from casual to core next-gen console IP. Their...
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| Pew Survey: Half Of U.S. Mobile Consumers Use Cell Phones For Realtime Info Retrieval Posted: 15 Aug 2011 07:32 AM PDT  Mobile computing is more realtime than desktop computing. That’s just obvious. Typically when you are on the go, you want to know what is going on right now around you. The Pew Internet research project put out a new survey today that quantifies how many people rely on their mobile phones for realtime information. In the past month, 51 percent of U.S. adult cell phone owners have used their phones to get just-in-time info “they needed right away.” Another 40 percent used their phones for emergencies. While about as many, 42 percent, use their phones to “stave off boredom.” For 18-29 year-olds, that percentage is 70 percent. So mobile phones seem to be good for at least two things: realtime information consumption (stop looking at your Facebook feed) and entertainment (mostly games would be my guess). They are also good for avoiding personal contact with other humans. A full 13 percent of survey respondents admitted they have “pretended to be using their phone in order to avoid interacting with the people around them.” The survey also dives into smartphone usage specifically. Pew esimates that 35 percent of Americans now own a smartphone. The most popular activities are text messaging and taking pictures (both are tied, with 92 percent of smartphone users saying they do each activity). More smartphone owners send photos (80 percent) than email (76 percent) from their phones. And 84 percent access the Internet. Social networking sites in general are accessed by 59 percent, while 15 percent check Twitter alone.
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| AT&T Fires Back After Law Firm Tries To Block T-Mobile Deal Through Arbitration Posted: 15 Aug 2011 07:31 AM PDT  AT&T's legal team probably didn't have too restful a weekend. On Friday afternoon, the legal firm accidentally posted a partially redacted letter to the FCC revealing the original cost of its planned LTE build-out at $3.8 billion. That's quite a difference from the $39 billion it would cost to achieve the same goal through a T-Mo acquisition, and many found the revelation incredibly suspect, enough so to possibly derail the merger. And if that wasn't enough to start out the weekend, AT&T then had to file eight federal suits to keep a law firm from blocking the deal through arbitration. According to AllThingsD, Bursor & Fisher law firm has been planning an attack on the merger for quite a while, with a website dedicated to arguing its case and recruiting AT&T customers to join the fight. Citing the Clayton Antitrust Act, the firm argues that individual parties who may be adversely affected by the merger have the right to sue to stop it from happening. AT&T's terms of service block customers from bringing class-action suits upon the carrier, but arbitration is allowed, and expenses are covered by AT&T. This is where Bursor & Fisher believe they'll win. "If we bring 100 cases and we lose 99 of them we are going to win," attorney Scott Bursor said in an interview. "We just need one arbitrator to say, 'Wait a minute, this merger is going to hurt competition.'" The firm has filed arbitration cases in eight different U.S. jurisdictions. AT&T has filed back in all eight of them, and responded with a statement citing the arbitration clause in its contract:
So in other words, Bursor & Fisher have rounded up more than 1,000 AT&T customers to fight the deal. Though the firm plans to move forward with each case individually, AT&T has a point when it says that the firm is trying to bring relief to an entire class of people, rather than individuals. But no matter how this turns out, one thing is very clear: AT&T's fight for T-Mobile is far from over.
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| Amazon Launches New iPhone App for College Students Posted: 15 Aug 2011 06:50 AM PDT  Just in time for back-to-school season, Amazon has launched a new iPhone application targeted towards students. With the “Amazon Student” app, college students can perform instant price checks on textbooks and other items, keep lists of items they want to buy, and post used textbooks, games, movies, or gadgets for trade-in. The app includes a barcode scanning feature, like Amazon’s main mobile application also does. This allows students to use their smartphone to check prices on books, music, DVDs, electronics, apparel and “just about anything else,” using their phone, says Amazon. Items students want to buy can be added to a “Wish List” or can be immediately purchased. Amazon is also giving students free 2-day shipping on purchases for 6 months, with all the shipping benefits of Amazon Prime. The most interesting feature of the app, however, is the new “Trade-in” option, which lets students easily check their items’ trade-in value and choose to sell those items they no longer need to other students, including textbooks, video games, DVDs or other electronics. But instead of receiving cash for trade-ins, students will receive Amazon.com gift cards. Shipping is also provided for free on any of the trade-in items listed. The trade-in feature appears to be an extension of Amazon’s “Textbook Buyback” program, available at www.amazon.com/sellbooks. There are now nearly 1 million books eligible for buyback and students can receive up to 70% back when trading them in through this service, says Amazon. Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) is a leading global Internet company and one of the most trafficked Internet retail destinations worldwide. Amazon is one of the first companies to sell products deep...
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| Report: Apple To Build 26 Million iPhone 5 (or whatever it’s called) In The Second Half Of 2011 Posted: 15 Aug 2011 05:56 AM PDT  Apple is gearing up for a big second half of 2011. The computer company is reportedly ramping up iPhone production lines by 12 to 13 percent, which includes orders for the next-gen iPhone, iPhone 3GS and the iPhone 4. Per a supply chain source, industry watchdog DigiTimes is reporting some staggering production numbers. Apparently Apple’s 2H2011 iPhone order is now more than 56 million units, up from 50 million units and 26 just iPhone 5s. Interestingly enough, the time frame for iPhone 5 orders shifted slightly, with the Q3 order decreasing from 7 million units to 5.5 million units while the Q4 order increased from 14 million units to 20 million units. That’s 20 million iPhone 5s. If those are sold at retail, that would eclipses Apple’s blockbuster 2Q2011 sales record when it sold a total of 18.65 million iPhone units. The massive uptick puts Apple on track to come in just below the 100 million mark for 2011. The company sold 34 million iPhones in the first half of the year and those were technically older models even though the Verizon iPhone did give a little boost. Cloud iPhone or not, Apple is expecting the next iPhone to sell like Betty White’s hotcakes.
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| BlackBerry Bold 9930 Goes Live At Verizon For $249 On-Contract Posted: 15 Aug 2011 05:52 AM PDT  Last week, a leaked Sprint flyer indicated a $249 price-point for the BlackBerry Bold 9930. Though Sprint’s iteration likely won’t land for another week or so (August 21), Verizon is ready to release its BlackBerry Bold flagship to the world, starting today. Just like at Sprint, the handset will cost $249 with a two-year agreement. This new device is certainly a step up from its predecessors. BlackBerry 7 OS seriously improves ease-of-use and navigation in some fundamental ways, and also brings a new level of fluidity to the UI. On the other hand, there are still a couple key features missing from the OS. But you can tell that RIM is stepping up its game, which makes us that more excited to get a peek at the first QNX smartphones from RIM. In terms of specs, this touch-and-text BlackBerry sports a capacitive 2.8-inch 640×480 touchscreen, with a QWERTY keyboard down below in true BlackBerry fashion. On the back, you’ll find a 5-megapixel camera capable of video capture in 720p, and a single-core 1.2 GHz processor sits under the hood. As it stands now, RIM is a bit behind competitors in terms of hardware. While we’re seeing plenty of dual- and multi-core processing chips and 8-megapixel cameras capable of 1080p or even 3D video capture, RIM is still releasing a single-core handset with a 5-megapixel camera. We hope that the Canadian phone maker can get a dual-core processor into its first QNX handset, but the company has expressed concern over time constraints so there’s no telling what kind of specs to expect come Q1 2012. Verizon Communications Inc. delivers broadband and other wireline and wireless communication innovations to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America’s largest wireless network that...
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| Google Goes Soup-To-Nuts On Android With Bid For Motorola Posted: 15 Aug 2011 05:43 AM PDT  Google’s surprise $12.5 billion bid for Motorola Mobility this morning is a bold attempt to move the needle for Google on several fronts. Google is going all in, dipping into its $39 billion of cash to make its biggest acquisition ever. The deal signals that mobile will be one of Google’s main growth drivers and that growth will come from entering new markets, specifically mobile hardware. With the acquisition, Google gains a portfolio of 17,000 patents and another 7,000 patents pending globally, an area where it is a currently a laggard. But more than anything, it signals how crucial it is for Google to control the Android experience from soup to nuts. There may now be 150 million Android phones and they command the largest smartphone market share, but the most popular single smartphone by far is still the iPhone. (The iPhone has the most market share for any single smartphone device, whereas the Android OS has more share across devices). Buying Motorola is an acknowledgement on Google’s part that it must control the experience from software to hardware if it hopes to unseat Apple. Up until now, Google has taken the Windows approach to mobile—create an OS that all manufacturers can build on top of and just concentrate on the software—but that approach is not enough. More than 550,000 Android phones are activated every day across 39 manufacturers, but there is no single phone or Android manufacturer that can best the iPhone. By owning Motorola, Google can create Android phones to its exact specifications and take advantage of the latest advances in the operating system, just like Apple does. When CEO Larry Page says that buying Motorola will “supercharge” Android, that is what he means I suspect. Page is careful to note that “Android will stay open” and that Motorola will remain but one of many licensees. But there is no doubt that if the deal passes antitrust review, Motorola’s Android phones will be the first among equals. Google also gains a strong foothold in the living room with Motorola’s set-top box business, which could help its lackluster Google TV efforts It’s a big bet. What if Google messes it up? Well, it will still have all those mobile patents, which arguably could be worth a good portion of the total acquisition price. Remember, Nortel’s patents went for $4.5 billion to Google’s competitors. During today’s conference call explaining the deal, Page noted that Motorola’s “strong patent portfolio” will help Google defend Android against “Microsoft, Apple, and other companies.” The first two questions on the call went right to the patent issue as well. With Android under attack on the patent front by Apple, Microsoft, Oracle and others, buying Motorola is very much a defensive move as well. Google provides search and advertising services, which together aim to organize and monetize the world’s information. In addition to its dominant search engine, it offers a plethora of... Company: MOTOROLA MOBILITY Motorola is known around the world for innovation in communications and is focused on advancing the way the world connects. From broadband communications infrastructure, enterprise mobility and public safety...
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