After T-Mobile USA’s failed $39 billion buyout by AT&T, many wondered what Deutsche Telekom plans to do with the company. Deutsche Telekom’s CEO Rene Obermann told investors today that T-Mobile merging with another company is still an option, but a complete buyout is not in the plans right now, reported Bloomberg.
T-Mobile is currently considering a merger with MetroPCS or even an IPO.
Boston Globe’s Scott Kirsner shared news yesterday via analyst Walt Tetschner that Google’s head of speech technology Mike Cohen left the company to work on another venture. Google was one of the first companies to start using voice recognition extensively in its products a few years ago, and the technology has now been incorporated into Android and Google’s online properties. Cohen was largely responsible for getting the speech product off the ground, which leaves this a big loss for Google—if deemed true. Kirsner tweeted:
Google's head of speech technology, Mike Cohen, has left $GOOG to work on new venture, analyst Walt Tetschner tells me. Not yet reported.
— Scott Kirsner (@ScottKirsner) May 21, 2012
Before Google, Cohen cofounded the popular Nuance Communications, and he spent 10 years working to make it one of the most key speech technology companies out there. According to many unconfirmed reports, Nuance is said to be powering Apple’s speech technology Siri, which was launched last October.
This is a sure loss for Google, because Cohen had tons of experience working with speech. I am sure his expertise would have continued to play a key roll in developing search technology on Android and for other new projects like Project Glass. The news of Cohen’s departure has not been confirmed, but we reached out to our contacts at Google for official word.
OmniVision announced two new smartphone camera sensors yesterday that can capture crazy quality. They support 16-megapixels and up-to 4k video resolution set at a whopping 60 frames per second. You bet these sensors could make their way into your next smartphone sometime in the near future, allowing you to capture video at qualities higher than 1080p. I would set my sights on this being a highlight of next year’s CES, along with 4k screens that could play that quality. Apple has been rumored to work on a 4k screen for its next line of Macs thanks to Intel’s new Ivy Bridge chip, and there is even 4k television panel prototypes currently in development.
You can head past the break for the full press release, where a lot more of the technical aspects are explained.
Last month, Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang hinted that we might see a $199 Tegra 3 quad-core tablet hit the markets out of Nvidia this summer. Luckily, it looks like that idea is rolling. Nvidia VP Rob Csonger revealed the company’s project to start developing $199 tablets last week, as The Verge first reported. As you can see in the slide above, which was shown at its investor meeting, the platform is called “Kai”. It will focus on developing tablets priced at $199, while featuring Nvidia’s blazing quad-core Tegra 3 system-on-chip.
At $199, the obvious competitor that comes to mind is Amazon’s Kindle Fire, which is arguably one of the best selling Android tablets on the market right now. The Fire is said to have taken up more than 50 percent of Android’s tablet market share, and while the company has not released any official sales numbers, Amazon said the Fire is one of its hottest selling items available. Csonger explained to investors how the tablets out of Kai would be low priced to compete with the Kindle Fire:
We showed you pictures this morning, but here is the full video from Larry Page’s “Beyond Today” talk at Zeitgeist 2012. Google Glasses look cool, huh?
O.K., this is not a huge deal, but I felt like it was still worth noting. According to the U.S. Security Exchange Commission filing that covered Google’s finalized acquisition of Motorola Mobility, it was revealed that Google actually bought the company for $12.9 billion, and not $12.5 billion as first estimated when the buyout was announced last August.
Check out the full break-down of the acquisition from earlier this afternoon>>
[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bC303x2XqWw”]
During this year’s CES in Las Vegas, we got our first hands-on look at the new Chromebox. It is Samsung’s desktop that sports Chrome OS, and it is packaged pretty much like a Mac mini. We originally thought the Chromebox was going to be out in April. However, as you know, manufacturers do not always stick to their dates. There is still no word on the release date, but we got wind of the Chromebox’s specs and price today—thanks to a listing on TigerDirect. As Engadget first noticed, the Chromebox is sporting a bleh 1.9GHz dual-core Celeron B840 processor, speedy 4GB of DDR3 memory, and, in typical Chrome OS fashion, a 16GB SSD. It also has six (not five like we once thought) USB ports. What bums us out, though, is the processor. But, at $330, it is not as upsetting. There is no word on whether this rig will ship with a wireless keyboard and mouse, but something tells us it will not. For $330, this sounds like a hella good deal, right? Check out our hands-on from CES above.
As first noted by Droid Life, Amazon updated its Android Appstore with an awesome Test Drive feature that was first highlighted on Amazon’s Appstore website. For those who do not know, Test Drive allows users to try apps before buying them, thus letting them choose if that extra $1.99 is worth spending on one fart app. All jokes aside, the feature is cool, and we are happy it made its way to Android users.
Using various server techniques (as explained below), users can try the app without downloading it. If the app is worth buying, they can click the Buy button to get the full-featured app instantly. The new feature comes in version 2.6.53 of Appstore and is available only on select devices, but Amazon said it is working on more devices over time. However, anyone can try it out by downloading the file from your phone (here). We are hoping Google rolls out a similar feature for its Google Play store soon.
Here is the full breakdown of how TestDrives works by Amazon:
First, Google’s cofounder Sergey Brin. Now, Google’s CEO Larry Page. Stylish, eh?
A new music app destined for the Play store has now merged with the CyanogenMod community and will be included on new versions of the software. The music app is called “Apollo,” and it actually looks like a great alternative to Google Music and DoubleTwist. As noted on Apollo’s blog, it will be put on the Play store in the coming days, where we hope to get a closer look at how the app fares. However, if you are the hacker type, you can get Apollo now by grabbing the latest CyanogenMod 9 nightly build. For now on, Apollo will be included in all nightly builds.
The founders of Apollo encourage the community to submit themes for the app and tinker with its source code. You can grab more information (here).
Due to Apollo’s merger with CyanogenMod, it has a list of new features:
Google Chrome is considered by many to be the essential tool driving their daily work. All of us at 9to5 swear by it and that seems to be the status quo among most of our readers. Despite its popularity, Chrome has always been overshadowed by Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, which comes pre-installed on all Windows computers shipped. However, times are changing. According to StatCounter, Chrome passed Internet Explorer during the week of May 14 to May 20 to become the most popular browser in the world. It looks like the Chrome team will be celebrating today.
The Verge pointed out that Internet Explorer still has a commanding lead in the United States, with a 37 percent to 26 percent lead. So where is all the growth coming from? Other regions like South America, India, and Europe are starting to rank up even more Chrome downloads, where as countries like China, Japan, and South Korea are still being lead by Internet Explorer.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Google chairperson Eric Schmidt was invited to give a commencement speech at Boston University’s graduation earlier today, along with being awarded an honorary degree. As one of the leading men who helped shape the modern Web, Schmidt gave some meaningful advice to those who graduated. Most importantly, he told graduates to turn their electronics off at least one-hour a day, noted the school’s newspaper BU Today.
He urged them to “turn that thing off” at least one hour a day, to have “real” conversations with friends and family, to experience the world around them through their senses and not just a screen. “Life,” he said, “is not lived in the glow of a monitor.
Those are definitely powerful words coming from a man whose company founded Gmail, Google Search, and more. Secondly, Schmidt talked about the Internet and technology being useful tools that can solve many of the world’s problems. He even joked that those in the audience should use Google’s tools.
“People bemoan this generation that is growing up living life in front of screens, always connected to something or someone,” Schmidt said. “These people are wrong. They’re absolutely wrong. The fact that we’re all connected now is a blessing, not a curse, and we can solve many, many problems in the world as a result.”
But Schmidt reminded the graduates that technology can only take them so far. “It’s a tool,” he said. “You are the ones who will harness that power. And that requires innovation and entrepreneurship.” He encouraged graduates to shake up the status quo and not to be afraid to launch small businesses. “And, of course, I would recommend that you use all the products that Google has to offer to set it up,” he joked.
We are hoping the video for the speech is released soon. You can read more about Schmidt’s talk over at BU Today. >>
Last week, The Verge reported that Apple got U.S. Customs to delay the import of the HTC One X and Evo 4G LTE into the country due to patent issues. Customs started holding back the handsets headed for AT&T and Sprint while the agency investigated outstanding patent issues currently raised with Apple. During December of last year, the International Trade Commission ruled in favor of Apple and ordered a ban on a number of HTC products. The import ban went in place on April 19, 2012, which was supposed to give HTC time to fix the issues. However, once the launch of the One X and Evo 4G LTE hit the U.S., Customs still needed to take a look at the products, even though HTC said the new products did not break any patents.
Today, Taiwanese-based publication Tapei Times reported that HTC told the Taiwanese Stock Exchange yesterday that the handsets passed Customs review and are now heading into the market. HTC’s statement is extremely vague: “Some of our products have passed the review and have been delivered to our telecoms operators’ clients in the US.” There is no word on which products are now being let in; however, we reached out to HTC for a comment and are hoping to hear back soon.
I do not think it would be too far-fetched to think this is something Apple wanted—especially because the HTC One X at AT&T and Evo 4G LTE at Sprint are two hot devices that could cut into iPhone sales. HTC shareholders certainly were not too thrilled, because the company’s shares went down 4.6-percent last Wednesday.
In the shadow of Facebook’s huge week, the folks in Redmond launched their new social network offering today, called “Socl” (pronounced social).
China approved Google’s acquisition of Motorola today, which is expected to close within a week, but according to reports from Wall Street Journal, Reuters, and the Associated Press (via The Verge), Google agreed to keep Android free and open sourced for the next five years as part of the deal. Currently, Google allows anyone to download Android’s source code, and then folks can do just about anything they want with it. With today’s acquisition approval from China, this plan does not look to be changing any time soon.
While it may seem odd for the Chinese government to ask for such a promise, it most likely wanted to make sure Google does not give Motorola special treatment over other OEMs.
If there was ever a sense of worry, it is time to feel at ease.
The Wall Street Journal just reported that China antitrust regulators finally cleared Google’s acquisition of Motorola after the Mountain View-based Google shocked the world by announcing the $12.5 billion deal last August. Antitrust regulators in both Europe and the United States approved the deal in February, but China was the last piece needed to complete the puzzle.
Furthermore, today’s report said the deal should complete within the week. Motorola, along with HTC and Samsung, is one of the most popular Android OEMs, and it definitely holds a huge patent portfolio. Google’s acquisition is mostly around gaining Motorola’s 17,000 patents, because the company said it will operate Motorola as a separate entity, rather than showing it favoritism over other manufacturers. We will let you know when the deal is finalized.
United States customs delayed the import of the HTC One X and Evo 4G LTE due to patent issues with Apple, according to The Verge. This is the first type of delay of this nature that we have seen, and it is definitely very interesting. Customs is holding back the handsets while the agency investigates outstanding patent issues currently raised with Apple. During December of last year, the International Trade Commission ruled in favor of Apple and ordered a ban on a number of HTC products. The import ban went in place on April 19, 2012, which was supposed to give HTC time to fix the issues. According to the ruling, HTC was breaking a so-called “data tapping” patent. Google Patent Search described Patent 5946647:
A system and method causes a computer to detect and perform actions on structures identified in computer data. The system provides an analyzer server, an application program interface, a user interface and an action processor. The analyzer server receives from an application running concurrently data having recognizable structures, uses a pattern analysis unit, such as a parser or fast string search function, to detect structures in the data, and links relevant actions to the detected structures. The application program interface communicates with the application running concurrently, and transmits relevant information to the user interface. Thus, the user interface can present and enable selection of the detected structures, and upon selection of a detected structure, present the linked candidate actions. Upon selection of an action, the action processor performs the action on the detected structure.
HTC’s CEO Peter Chou quickly told Reuters in April that the company already began testing new devices to work around the patent issue before the April 19 ban went into effect. The ban was set in place even before the announcement of HTC’s latest One X device; however, the new device still falls under the ban, as The Verge pointed out.
Even if HTC fixed the issues, U.S. Customs is still reviewing if the HTC One X and Evo 4G LTE are violating the patent that HTC is accused of breaking by the ITC. Until then, shipments of the HTC One X and Evo 4G LTE are at a stand still, which could affect device sales. Many AT&T stores across the U.S. are currently sold out of the HTC One X, and AT&T is out of stock on its online store.
I do not think it would be too far-fetched to say this is something Apple wants—especially because the HTC One X at AT&T and Evo 4G LTE at Sprint are two hot devices that could cut into iPhone sales. We reviewed the HTC One X over at 9to5Google, where we called it “one giant leap for HTC.” Today’s stop on importing definitely does not help HTC, which recently reported some not-so good-looking Q1 2o12 earnings. The company reported only $2.3 billion in quarterly revenue, which was a drop of 35 percent year-over-year. I am sure HTC is looking for the One X and Evo 4G to help bring back /quarterly revenue. HTC issued a statement:
Big news:
Google is planning to give more than one manufacture early access to Android builds, according to The Wall Street Journal, which cited “one person familiar with the matter.” This breaks Google’s current tradition of giving only one manufacture an early look at the latest version of the OS to help build a Google-branded Nexus device, which it has done three times in the past. The report said this would give Google the ability to have up to five pure Google devices available— starting with Android 5.0, codenamed “Jelly Bean.”
Even better, the report claimed that the five Nexus devices would be available by Thanksgiving of this year. That is just in time for the holiday season, which can really juice sales. The five devices will sell directly through the Google Play store. Currently, Google sells the Galaxy Nexus directly on its website for only $399, and it is available at Sprint and Verizon in the United States.
Google first introduced its flagship line of handsets with the introduction of the Nexus One at the beginning of 2010 through a partnership with HTC, and then it announced the Nexus S at the end of
2010 through a partnership with Samsung. Most recently, Google paired with Samsung for the Galaxy Nexus, which was the first device to feature Google’s Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Many Android enthusiasts loved these flagship Android devices—thanks to Google’s support with updates and a pure Android experience (absence of any custom OEM skins).
Looking at Android’s distribution chart, almost 65 percent of Android users are still on Gingerbread. That is a whole version behind. As for how many are on Ice Cream Sandwich…the numbers are grim. Roughly 5 percent of Android users are now using the new OS, which rolled out to the market at the end 2011. Slow update distribution could be blamed on the carriers, but it has always been a downfall of Android. The revamped Nexus program could definitely change things. Read after the break for more details.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=OsP-S2nETCc
Samsung posted the first television advertisement for the new Galaxy S III on its YouTube channel, which is set to go on sale in Europe May 29. The TV advertisement is the same promo video Samsung showed during its unveiling in London earlier this month that highlights key features of the device.
As a successor to its successful Kindle Fire, Amazon will launch an 8.9-inch version of the tablet later this year, according to a new report from Reuters. At 8.9-inches, the larger Kindle Fire would be closer in size to its most notable competitor: the Apple iPad. Announced in last September, the Kindle Fire currently has a 7-inch display, which has proven to be the optimal size for many tablet users. The key factor for the Fire, however, is the price. It is only $199, which very enticing for new tablet owners.
With a 1.9-inch increase in size, it is not clear how much Amazon will raise the price. Pricing is obviously a key draw for the tablet and something that needs to be really considered by Amazon execs.
Currently, the Kindle Fire sits with roughly half of the Android tablet market share. Amazon has not released any numbers regarding sales, but it is said to be solid at more than 5 million units shipped. Today, Reuters also provided more information on the next Kindle eReader, claiming it will include a front-lit screen—much like the glowing eReader that Barnes & Noble recently released.
When the Galaxy S III was announced at a press event in London last week, Samsung was not very quick to show off the accessories that will ship with the device. However, thanks to SlashGear, we got a closer look at the Samsung Galaxy S III’s accessories today. As you can see in the gallery below, Samsung plans to make a flip cover available for the Galaxy S III that attaches to the back of the device and flips in the front. Much like the smaller S-Pen, Samsung will also make available a C-Pen (as seen above) that will allow users to employ natural handwriting on the Galaxy S III through Sammy’s custom TouchWiz applications. Next, we have the Galaxy S III’s Wi-Fi display hub that will allow you to project your content through an HDMI port on the hub. Lastly, we have the charger, which can charge the device upright, along with an extra battery in the back—how convenient.
As for the wireless charging kit, we heard reports that it has been delayed until September. However, the other accessories should ship pretty close to the Galaxy S III’s May 29 launch in Europe.
Flipboard for Android is set to officially début on the Galaxy S III when it launches May 29 in Europe, as we learned during Samsung’s press event earlier this month. However, before the app even launches, the currently iOS-exclusive Flipboard has leaked to those looking to install the social-network aggregation/magazine-format application on their Android device. Version 1.8.4 was pushed today— to those who have downloaded— in the form of an over-the-air update. As The Verge noted, the update brings a fix for the app crashing on older versions of Android and other performance enhancements, but some users are findng errors when trying to update. Nonetheless, it looks like Sammy is getting Flipboard ready for its official Android début.
Expand
Expanding
Close
Google is reportedly close to buying social startup Meebo at roughly $100 million, AllThingsD reported this evening. Citing “two sources familiar with the matter,” the publication said the deal is close to going down.
Meebo launched in 2005 and has had many products over the years like a web-based and smartphone-based IM client and a tool bar that can be loaded on websites to provide readers with social links. These types of toolbars can be found on TMZ, TV Guide, and more. Most recently, the startup launched a new homepage that lets you “create an interest profile to get new and timely information about the things that matter to you.”
Over the years, the Mountain View, Calif.-based (how fitting) startup raised $60 million in funding to date. It most recently raised a monster round of $25 million from Khosla Ventures in 2010.
If the acquisition goes through, Google will most likely use the team and technology to boost its social network/heavy Facebook competitor Google+. More recently, Google bought out Digg-founder Kevin Rose and his team of employees from their endeavor called “Milk.” Rose and his former team are currently assigned to work on Google+, which we expect to be the same fate for the Meebo team.
Samsung announced this afternoon that its new Galaxy Tab 2 and Player 4.2 would go on sale nationwide this Sunday, May 13. Both devices were announced in April. Let’s start with the Galaxy Tab 2, which is the successor to the widely-popular original Galaxy Tab. The Galaxy Tab 2 features a dual-core 1GHz Texas Instruments OMAP4430 processor, 10.1-inch screen (1,280-by-800 pixels), 3-megapixel rear-camera, VGA front-camera,Wi-Fi, 16GB of storage, and Android 4.0. As for the Galaxy Player 4.2, which is a competitor to the iPod touch, it features a 4.2-inch screen, 2-megapixel rear-facing camera, 8GB and 16GB variants, and the very outdated Android 2.3 Gingerbread.
Samsung already released the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 and Galaxy Player 3.6 last month. The Galaxy Tab 2 7.7 is said to be a real competitor to the Kindle Fire, especially because it is priced at just $249—read our review!
You can view the full press release after the break.
