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- Daily Crunch: Sabre Rattling
- HTC Vigor Packs Beats Audio, LTE, But No DROID Branding?
- Samsung Asks To Ban iPads, iPhones In The Netherlands
- Amazon To Hold Press Conference on 9/28, New Tablet Incoming?
- Colbert On Defunct Satellite: “UARS All Gonna Die!”
- Blockbuster Movie Pass: Dish Network’s $10/Month Answer To Netflix
- B&N Releasing Two New Nooks This Quarter
- Samsung: Apple’s Been “Freeriding,” We’re Getting Aggressive
- Watch Out For Lightsabers In Tokyo’s Subway Cars
- Murata’s Flexible Remote Lets You Control Your TV With Bending And Twisting Motions
| Posted: 24 Sep 2011 01:00 AM PDT  Here is a selection of yesterday’s Gadgets stories:
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| HTC Vigor Packs Beats Audio, LTE, But No DROID Branding? Posted: 23 Sep 2011 03:31 PM PDT  Here’s a noodle-scratcher to ponder over the weekend: the HTC Vigor was supposedly going to hit Verizon as the Droid Incredible HD, but files leaked from the forthcoming device hint that the phone may not carry the Droid distinction after all. Someone who was lucky enough to have a Vigor in their possession managed to rip the device’s boot sequence, wallpapers, and sound files, and shared their findings with AndroidPolice. When the Vigor is fired up, it runs through the HTC, Beats, and Verizon LTE logos in quick succession, but something is strangely absent. The animation lacks the traditional giant red eye that has graced all of Verizon’s Droid series phones. Considering that the eye has been a strong part of Verizon’s Droid branding efforts, it doesn’t make sense to ditch it so unceremoniously. On top of that, the phone’s notification sounds were also released, and to my dismay there was no “DRROOOOOOID” sound to be found. It’s possible that the eye is to be added to the boot sequence later, and the sounds weren’t properly dumped, but it looks at this stage that the Bionic will rule the Droid roost for the time being. Though the boot sequence manages to raise a question or two, the wallpapers that come with the phone manage to answer one. The wallpapers are all 1440×1280 in size, meaning that it’s quite possible the Vigor’s display will run at the reported 1280×720, making it one of the first 720p Android phones. Unless something gets changed between now and the phone’s release, these files cast quite a bit of doubt on last week’s leaked Verizon document. I’m still holding out hope that it’s real though, if only because I do so love the idea of an October launch.
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| Samsung Asks To Ban iPads, iPhones In The Netherlands Posted: 23 Sep 2011 11:12 AM PDT  So remember that one time I said that Samsung was planning on stepping up its game against Apple? That was no joke. In the same court that granted an EU-wide injunction against three of its Galaxy smartphones, the Hague Court in the Netherlands, Samsung has asked that the iPhone and iPad get pulled from shelves. Rather than being based on design (like Apple’s GalTab injunction request), this complaint is based solely on 3G technology patents held by Samsung and is aimed specifically at the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and both generations of the iPad. Within the request, as seen by Webwereld, Samsung claims that all four of those products infringe on four different Samsung patents. The preliminary injunction request asks that Apple be banned from trading, importing or selling these devices within the Netherlands. Past that, Samsung also wants all current iPhone and iPad models pulled from store shelves. The four patents in question are the same ones that Samsung has brought against Apple across much of the globe, including the U.S., France, Japan, the U.K. South Korea, and Germany. They are essentials patents, which means that they cover technology necessary to the industry as a whole. With essentials patents, the right holder must license the patents to third parties without discrimination — this is known as FRAND terms. Samsung has recently said that Apple was “freeriding” with regards to Samsung patents, and this may very well be the point at which Samsung cashes in. Obviously, a few bucks here and there from Apple would be nice, but what Samsung really needs is an injunction of some sort on any iProduct. As I mentioned in my earlier post, there’s very little chance of a settlement unless Samsung can prove to Apple that it won’t be knocked around. A ban on the iPhone or iPad would be ideal, whereas a licensing agreement is really just a continuation of this whole dramatic mess. Apple’s lawyers have set up a hearing in which both companies can discuss the FRAND licensing issues. This would allow for talk of an injunction to fall by the wayside, as Apple and Samsung would merely have to negotiate licensing fees. Of course if Apple refuses to take the licenses (which would be a shocking decision), then Samsung can move forward with its injunction request. Started by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne, Apple has expanded from computers to consumer electronics over the last 30 years, officially changing their name from Apple Computer, Inc. to Apple, Inc. in January 2007. Among the key offerings from Apple’s product line are: Pro line laptops (MacBook Pro) and desktops (Mac Pro), consumer line laptops (MacBook) and desktops (iMac), servers (Xserve), Apple TV, the Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server operating systems, the iPod (offered with... Samsung is one of the largest super-multinational companies in the world. It’s possibly best known for it’s subsidiary, Samsung Electronics, the largest electronics company in the world.
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| Amazon To Hold Press Conference on 9/28, New Tablet Incoming? Posted: 23 Sep 2011 10:28 AM PDT  Word of an Amazon press conference slated for September 28 at 10 AM is making the rounds. Could the fabled Amazon tablet make its first appearance? If so, then the invitation does a great job of playing it cool. Aside from a mention of the time and date, it offers little else to chew on. That hasn’t stopped speculation from running wild, and the potential unveiling of their new tablet is on everyone’s mind. Let’s let cooler heads prevail for a moment: while likely big, it may not necessarily be their much-vaunted Android tablet. The press conference could be used to announce any number of things, from a new version of the Kindle to a national rollout of their 7-11 delivery lockers. That said, the announcement of a tablet couldn’t come at more perfect time for Amazon: news of Barnes and Noble’s new complement of Nook Color tablets has just begun to surface, and their 3rd generation Kindles can’t stack up to shiny new hardware when the holiday season rolls around. Recent reports from Gartner also indicate that if uncontested, the iPad will rule the tablet roost for the next few years. The timing and the landscape seem ready for a tablet contender with Amazon’s full weight thrown behind it. When our own MG Siegler got a chance to play with the tablet, he discovered a few tantalizing tidbits. A 7-inch WiFi model is slated to sell for $250, and it’s going to run a very-Amazon centric fork of Android. It looks to be a compelling package of price and functionality, and hopefully we’ll catch our first official glimpse of it come the 28th.
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| Colbert On Defunct Satellite: “UARS All Gonna Die!” Posted: 23 Sep 2011 10:27 AM PDT  You’ve likely already heard about that defunct six-ton satellite hurtling its way to the Earth’s surface. Unless you’re paranoid, you also know that the chances of this changing anyone’s life, anywhere (save for a few NASA peeps) are very small. Like, microscopic. Still, it’s been a slow news week and the media has to keep pumping things out — and so begins the emergence of a thousand different news stories on several hunks of space metal that will likely land in an ocean. Rather than feign some notion of severity in this situation, my favorite comedic newscaster Stephen Colbert has weighed in. While his stats may be a little off (I mean, he’s no Walter Cronkite, and decidedly so), his analysis of the situation is solid: NASA clearly doesn’t know what the bleep it’s talking about. Have a little giggle at the video below, and try not to fret if you’re one of those people who worries about every possible disaster: there’s only a 1-in-3,200 chance that someone somewhere in the world will be hit.
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| Blockbuster Movie Pass: Dish Network’s $10/Month Answer To Netflix Posted: 23 Sep 2011 10:21 AM PDT  Dish Network has the answer to Netflix: Blockbuster. The company bought the bankrupt Blockbuster six months ago at auction for $228 million and apparently wasted no time integrating Blockbuster’s current streaming service into Dish’s satellite TV plans. The Blockbuster Movie Pass is a complete media rental service and features streaming movies and TV shows along with movies and games-by-mail. But don’t cancel your Netflix streaming account just yet. This isn’t Blockbuster or Dish Network’s first foray with streaming video. The then-alive (but quickly sinking) Blockbuster launched On Demand back in 2008 complete with its on dedicated player. It’s still up and running and features a robust platform support second only to Netflix. Likewise, Dish Network has long offered on demand video content and was the first to offer 1080p videos. In fact the Blockbuster Movie Pass is a relaunch of existing Blockbuster products combined with on demand content from Dish Network. The Blockbuster streaming content adds Starz, Epix, Sony Movie Channel, and Encore to Dish’s on demand library that includes Fox, TBS, TNT, Discovery, AMC, CN, DIY, HGTV, FOOD and History. The combined content can be streamed only from DishNetwork.com. Blockbuster.com will continue to stream its On Demand service. The streaming content can’t compete with Netflix just yet though. Blockbuster announced today that the streaming to TV library includes just 3,000 movies — 4,000 are available if watched via a computer. Of course the DVD mailing service better competes with Qwikster (Netflix) and features 100,000 available titles, which can be returned at Blockbuster location. However, unlike the current Blockbuster By Mail service, you can’t walk out with another title; your next movie will be mailed to you. Today’s announcement leverages Blockbuster’s name in movie rentals. You don’t rent movies from Dish Network, you rent movies from Blockbuster. That’s at least what Dish Network hope consumers think. The service launches next Saturday, October 1 and goes head-to-head with Netflix for $10. However, this isn’t for cord cutters. This service requires a Dish Network satellite TV package and is not available separately. New subscribers can opt for one year of Dish’s Top 200 programming package for $39.99 a month. The Blockbuster service will be billed with the Dish Network TV service, resulting in one bill for subscribers. Blockbuster’s Ira Bahr said , “They [consumers] still need their SpongeBob Squarepants, they still need their Fox News.” However, some people don’t want Fox News or SpongeBob, but for those already subscribed to Dish, this seems like a no-brainer for $10 a month. Established in March 1996, DISH Network is the leader in technology and HD programming, and currently serves more than 14.3 million customers. The corporate office is based in the Meridian Complex located in Englewood, Colorado. DISH Network, a publicly traded Fortune 200 company, is the media and entertainment arm of its former parent company, EchoStar Communications Corporation, founded in 1980 by Charlie Ergen, Candy Ergen and Jim DeFranco. The two companies officially split in 2008 - EchoStar becoming the source for...
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| B&N Releasing Two New Nooks This Quarter Posted: 23 Sep 2011 09:43 AM PDT  The ninjas at The Digital Reader have uncovered the names of two new Nook Color versions – the Encore, priced at $249, and the Acclaim, priced at $349. The Nook Touch (now called the Nook Smart Touch) will remain $139. What are these new devices? Nate at The Digital Reader posits that the Smart Touch is a 6-inch Nook Touch while the Encore is a 7-inch Nook Color. Aside from the fact that the Acclaim is also a shuttered games company, we know very little about the new devices. All of these products should hit in Q4 and given Amazon’s race to build an Android reader, they can’t come too soon. The Nook Color and the Nook Touch are both excellent devices but the Color is a bit dated in these days of retina screens and Honeycomb. A strong refresh should keep B&N’s momentum going for the next few months. I’ve put feelers out but thanks to Nate for his great scoop and read up more on his findings over at the Digital Reader. 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 into the long tail by housing them all in numerous warehouses and distributing products from many partner companies. Amazon directly sells, or acts as a platform for the sale of a broad range of products. These include books, music, videos, consumer electronics, clothing and household products. The majority of Amazon's...
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| Samsung: Apple’s Been “Freeriding,” We’re Getting Aggressive Posted: 23 Sep 2011 07:37 AM PDT  If you were to take a good hard look at the Apple-Samsung trail of destruction (otherwise known as their world-wide patent war), you’d likely come to the conclusion that Apple is ahead by a few key points. Apple has taken down the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Germany, won an EU-wide (sort of) injunction on three Galaxy smartphones (though Samsung’s found a way to keep selling them), and kept the GalTab from being sold in Australia as well. Samsung has yet to get any iProduct removed from store shelves. Obviously, this is an ongoing war and anything could happen, but as it rests now Apple has the advantage. With any win, however contained, the psychological affects of that win carry over into other court systems and countries. So Apple’s win is more than just a win in Europe, and a semi-win in Australia — it’s a sign to all the other courts that Apple may just have a point to their argument. To Samsung, this effect is lethal. With that said, Samsung’s head of global marketing for mobile communications Lee Younghee has said that Samsung plans to take a much more aggressive stance with regard to Apple, reports the AP. After hearing this, Samsung’s somewhat tentative attitude throughout these proceedings makes much more sense. It’s well known that Samsung and Apple share a fruitful business relationship, with Samsung being a component supplier for Apple and Apple, in turn, being one of Samsung’s biggest customers. Apple hasn’t done much to protect this relationship over the course of the battle, asserting rights in any country it can and alleging infringement at every turn. Of course, Samsung has filed plenty of its own lawsuits and appeals, but in almost every case it’s had the appearance of a retaliatory move, rather than a switch over to the offensive. In this way, Samsung has played the game slow and steady, refraining from crossing any line until the company is prepared to never return. But that’s over. Early on in the battle, Samsung almost seemed flattered by the lawsuits. Chairman of Samsung Electronics Lee Kun-hee said that “when a nail sticks out, people try to pound it down. [Such incidents] are like a rite of passage that the company has to go through in order to continue its growth.” That was back in April, when this whole mess began. Now, things are quite different. Apple is very clearly going for the jugular, while Samsung has merely been defending itself. A strong defense (with regards to the suits Samsung initiated), but a defense nonetheless. According to Lee Younghee, “We’ll be pursuing our rights for this in a more aggressive way from now on.” She also added that Apple has been “freeriding” on Samsung’s wireless communication technology patents. That aligns rather nicely with comments made by an unnamed Samsung executive to the Korea Times, promising to come after the iPhone 5 in Korea as soon as its debuted. That exec mentioned that the only way to avoid such litigation would be if Apple removed “mobile telecommunications functions” from the iPhone. The way I see it, Samsung is trying to turn the tables on Apple. After playing the victim role (to an extent), Samsung will likely begin dropping bombs, hoping to secure a solid win. If that happens, Apple’s advantage dies and the possibility of a settlement becomes much more attractive to Apple the aggressor. With the way the game’s been played thus far, a settlement is actually a big win for Samsung. It may preserve the business relationship it has with Apple, while proving to the world that Apple is indeed afraid of Samsung and its increasing growth. Samsung is one of the largest super-multinational companies in the world. It’s possibly best known for it’s subsidiary, Samsung Electronics, the largest electronics company in the world.
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| Watch Out For Lightsabers In Tokyo’s Subway Cars Posted: 23 Sep 2011 06:10 AM PDT  In case you missed the news, Star Wars launched on Blu-ray this week. Lucas & Co. never miss an opportunity to soil their brand and so, along with turning to annoying in-game advertising, recently wrapped the handrails of several Tokyo subway cars. So, you know, passengers can have imaginary lightsaber battles with stationary props. AWESOME! Japan gets all the fun stuff. My only wish is that they put these wraps on more items. Escalator handrails, for one, would be awesome. But the ultimate advertising venue is no doubt stripper polls. Think about. Not that I frequent such establishments (Totally serious. Never been) but their patrons are generally Star Wars’ die hards. This is the crowd that is most likely to purchase the new Blu-ray release anyway and would probably be rather amused by watching the ladies slide up and down a beam plasma. I would. Images via Official Star Wars Blog
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| Murata’s Flexible Remote Lets You Control Your TV With Bending And Twisting Motions Posted: 23 Sep 2011 05:34 AM PDT  Japanese tech company Murata, in cooperation with Kansai University and Mitsui Chemicals, has developed a remote control that doesn’t require users to push buttons. Instead, TVs or other electric appliances can be controlled by bending and twisting the remote in various ways. The device, currently a prototype named “Leaf Grip Remote Controller”, is essentially a pitch for a new kind human-machine interface. Murata explains:
Examples of how to use the device: The Leaf Grip Remote Controller uses a newly developed piezoelectric film that’s highly transparent, organic and free from pyroelectricity, meaning users can manipulate it – no batteries required. The company plans to showcase the remote and other devices based on the new film during the CEATEC Japan 2011 exhibition next month.
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