AT&T Galaxy Note users now have Ice Cream Sandwich with Premium Suite

Jordan Kahn

AT&T made things official this morning for Samsung Galaxy Note users by announcing the availability of an Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update and Premium Suite from Samsung. While most of us know what to expect with ICS, the Premium Suite will give you access to a number of apps and new features including: the S Note app, which is a widget for quick access to S Memo features, and an app for creating customized notes and greeting cards with S Pen called “My Story”. AT&T also confirmed ICS for the Galaxy S II Skyrocket.

The update is a little hairier than most with the requirement that you connect your device to your Mac or PC and the Kies application. From there, you are hard resetting your device and will lose stuff like Bluetooth devices, Music playlists and apps folders.

The update is available now from Samsung, while a description of the new S Pen capabilities thanks to S Note is below in the full press release:

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Google set to report Q2 2012 financial earnings July 19

Jake Smith

Google revealed today that it is set to report its Q2 2012 financial earnings to investors July 19 at 1:30 p.m. PST. In typical fashion, Google will release the earnings in a press release 30 minutes prior, and then it will stream the call with investors on its Investor Relations page. You can tune in to 9to5Google for when the earnings hit for a full, complete breakdown. We will most likely also hear more about Google’s planned stock-split on the call. In the mean time, check out the full press release below. Last quarter’s earnings are going to be hard to beat.

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Nexus 7 shipping this week from a growing number of retailers?

E. Betters

It has been a couple of weeks since Google dropped its Asus-built Nexus 7, but the Jelly Bean-powered tablet is just now becoming available at a slew of third-party online retailers.

The 7-inch Android slate first debuted on the Google Play store, where the 16 GB version retails for $249, with a $25 credit. Folks can only pre-order at the moment, because shipping is still another two to three weeks out, but they can now place their orders for the Nexus 7 just about anywhere. GameStop, Staples, B&H, Adorama, Abt, and Canada’s FutureShop are just a few of the latest places to offer the world’s first Android 4.1 Jelly Bean tablet. Canada’s Best Buy reportedly started selling the Nexus 7 as well, but United States listings are currently not live on the retailer’s website.

Interestingly, Staples offers the Nexus 7 with free shipping. It also promises delivery between July 12 and July 17, if pre-ordered by July 10. B&H, Best Buy and Future Shop peg expected availability around mid-August, while Adorama does not even have the tablet in stock. Abt is vague about shipping with estimated delivery between “3-5 Business Days,” but the website also noted, “Estimated Arrival dates are based on in-stock items only.” GameStop features similar wording, too.

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Director accepts HTC One challenge, shoots 4-minute film with smartphone [Videos]

E. Betters

Last spring, as part 2012′s 24 Hour Film Race presented by HTC One, Director Frank Hannah shot a four-minute film with the manufacturer’s popular Android-powered smartphone.

The challenge occurred from May 18 to May 19, where over 750 teams around the world were given the following criteria:

Create an original short films (4 minutes max) in just 24 hours based on a theme (one), action (listening to music), and prop (the number one).

Hannah interpreted and completed the challenge, and then HTC honored his work by recently posting the short film on YouTube (above). A second video even documents the behind-the-scenes footage (below). Check ‘em out!

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UK Judge rules against Apple in Samsung patent case, claims Galaxy Tabs ‘are not as cool’

Jordan Kahn

Reports from last week noted that Samsung’s attempt to lift Apple’s preliminary injunction placed on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the United States was rejected by District Judge Lucy Koh. Today, in Apple’s ongoing patent cases with Samsung in the United Kingdom, Bloomberg reported Judge Colin Birss ruled against Apple, claiming Sammy’s Galaxy Tabs “are not as cool.” It is hard to imagine Apple losing in any more of a complimentary way, as Judge Birss claimed his decision was based partly on the fact Galaxy tablets “do not have the same understated and extreme simplicity.”

The Galaxy tablet doesn’t infringe Apple’s registered design, Judge Colin Birss said in a ruling today in London. He said that consumers weren’t likely to get the two tablet computers mixed up.

The Galaxy tablets “do not have the same understated and extreme simplicity which is possessed by the Apple design,” Birss said. “They are not as cool.”

The company provided a full email statement regarding today’s decision (via Pocket-lint). Samsung explained the court referred to roughly 50 pieces of prior art when dismissing Apple’s case:
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Google demands Oracle pay its $4M in court costs

Seth Weintraub

Love this from Wired:

“Google prevailed on a substantial part of the litigation,” read Google’s brief. “[Oracle] recovered none of the relief it sought in this litigation. Accordingly, Google is the prevailing party and is entitled to recover costs.”

Moreover, $2.9 million of that amount included copying and organizing documents. Google juggled a mind-boggled 97 million documents during the case.

After a year of pre-trial wrangling and six weeks in court, Oracle walked away with next to nothing. Judge and jury decided that Google was liable for lifting nine lines of code and two test files, but otherwise, they sided against Oracle. Last month, Judge William Alsup ruled that Google owed Oracle exactly nothing for lifting those small pieces of code.

This reminds me of the guy who beat up an armed robber and made the man clean up his own blood (video above). Read more