Apple

Photo: USA Today

According to a court filing discovered by Reuters, Apple and Google’s Motorola Mobility unit have agreed to settle their ongoing smartphone patent litigation battle against each other. In a statement, the two companies said that this agreement does not include the ability cross license each other’s patents, but rather the promise to “work together in some areas of patent reform.”

The two tech giants have been battling it out over various patents for several years now, both directly and indirectly. It’s important to note, however, that this agreement is solely between Apple, Google, and its Motorola Mobility unit. This does not apply to any lawsuits between Android device manufacturers, such as Samsung and HTC, and Apple. Although theoretically, it would apply to patents owned by Google that device manufacturers are licensing.

A verdict was reached in the latest Apple v Samsung battle just a few weeks ago, with Apple being ruled as the victor, albeit small. The court ruled that Samsung owed Apple $119 million, which is far less than the $2 billion it was seeking.

Xiaomi makes first Android tablet – named and designed after the iPad mini

Ben Lovejoy May 15 2014 - 6:45 am PT

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVp34KQbAqk]

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi, the company which specialises in imitating Apple’s marketing for its Android handsets, has launched its first tablet, reports Reuters – and it’s an iPad mini clone. The company has even named it the Mi Pad …

HTC One M8 and Samsung Galaxy S5 compared to detailed Space Gray iPhone 6 mockup (Video)

Dom Esposito May 12 2014 - 5:18 pm PT

Based on all of the iPhone 6 dummy units we’ve seen, this rumored design closely resembles Apple’s fifth generation iPod touch, but that’s not all. As shown in the video below, the alleged iPhone 6 design looks very similar to another flagship smartphone released this year.

The HTC One M8 and iPhone 6 mockup look like cousins or long-lost brothers when it comes to their design. Of course there’s no confirmation that Apple is actually using this design for the iPhone 6, but almost all of these mockups have been manufactured based on “leaked” schematics and specifications.

Samsung reports $51.8 billion in revenue, $7.3 billion net profit for Q1 2014

Chance Miller Apr 28 2014 - 6:53 pm PT

Samsung, just a week after Apple, has reported its first quarter earnings for 2014. As an entirety, the company reported $51.8 billion in revenue, up slightly over this time last year, coming out to $8.2 billion in operating profit and $7.3 billion in net profit. More specifically, its mobile division accounted for $30.29 billion of that revenue and $6.2 billon of that profit.

Google agrees to defend Samsung, pay some of its costs in patent infringement case against Apple

Chance Miller Apr 22 2014 - 3:43 pm PT

While testifying in the Samsung vs Apple case on Tuesday, it was revealed that Google has agreed to help Samsung defend itself against Apple in its current patent-infringement case. According to a report from Re/Code, citing deposition testimony from Google lawyer James Maccoun, Google has also agreed to partially or fully indemnify Samsung for any loses it may suffer on its claims.

Quick Control Panel gives you iOS Control Center functionality on Android

Jonathan Kizer Apr 21 2014 - 5:54 pm PT

Android is all about options, and that means the freedom to completely rip off an iOS feature (albeit an iOS feature that was inspired by various other sources, including Android itself). Quick Control Panel presents your most-used apps, along with toggles for data, WiFi, Bluetooth, Speaker, and Orientation Lock. You can adjust the brightness of your device’s screen, and the volume of both calls and media. It even displays your music when playing, allowing you to skip or pause.
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Samsung opens Innovation Museum, starts with electricity, ends with 180-degree 4K screen

Ben Lovejoy Apr 21 2014 - 4:59 am PT

Samsung has been around for a while. From a grocery company and noodle manufacturer in 1938, it created Samsung Electronics Devices in 1969, with a black-and-white television set its first ever product.

To celebrate its 45th anniversary, the company has opened the Samsung Innovation Museum in Korea, a combined museum of technology and Samsung product showcase, reports Engadget.

The museum is undeniably stylish (and it helps that it’s brand new), but what I liked the most was the realia; the for-real artifacts from history. Not just a StarTAC and the first slimline TV, but an Edison filament lightbulb, the first ever TV.

Unsurprisingly, the museum becomes increasingly Samsung-focused as you move through the years, but does include products from rival manufacturers like Motorola, Nokia, Sharp and Sony. There’s even an Apple II in there, described as “the first home computer.”

Photo: The Verge

Flickr 3.0 redesigned on Android, sets its sights on Instagram

Jonathan Kizer Apr 17 2014 - 8:04 am PT

[youtube http://youtu.be/aP759GdbSLA]

Flickr — Yahoo’s photo-sharing service — has been completely redesigned Android to focus on the social aspect of the service, making for a direct competitor to Instagram. The new design is similar on both iOS and Android, though the specific look and feel has been tailored to each platform; the Android app keeps a darker feel. Both apps are fast to load photos and browse the feed.

The update is out right now in Google Play. Flickr isn’t the most popular photo-sharing service around on mobile , but version 3.0 makes it one of the nicest for both iOS and Android — plus that free terabyte of storage helps sweeten the deal.

Marissa Mayer planning to push Apple to replace Google with Yahoo! as the default iOS search engine

Mike Beasley Apr 16 2014 - 2:59 pm PT

Jony Ive and Marissa Mayer (right) eat pizza with other industry executives

Re/code reports that Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer is planning an attempt at persuading Apple to switch its default iOS search engine from Google to her company’s own offering. According to Re/code’s sources, Mayer has built what she hopes will be a convincing arguement in favor of the change.

Yahoo! current powers the weather and stocks apps and Notification Center widgets found in iOS 7 as well as a few Siri functions, such as sports, but lost out on the chance to power Siri’s web search to Microsoft’s Bing. Both Yahoo! and Bing are included as optional search engines in the Safari browser, but the default selection is Google.

Google Play still tops App Store in downloads, slowly narrowing revenue gap

Jonathan Kizer Apr 16 2014 - 9:36 am PT

The Play Store continues to hold a growing advantage over Apple’s App Store in terms of sheer downloads, according to the most recent App Annie report (via TechCrunch). More importantly, Google’s mobile app store is slowly narrowing the revenue gap that exists between the two platforms. While Google passed Apple’s App Store in terms of downloads last year, a major gap remained in the revenue that both platforms generated for developers. While Android still lags behind iOS in this department, it seems that the two are slowly reaching parity. Last year’s indexed revenue for the Play Store was ranked at about 40; as the above chart shows, it’s climbed to be just above 50.

Google Play led the iOS App Store in downloads by approximately 45% in Q1 2014, up from 35% in the previous quarter. Meanwhile, the iOS App Store maintained its comfortable advantage in revenue, leading Google Play by 85%. However, Google Play continued to narrow this revenue gap. The gains for Google Play come as Android devices extended their lead in worldwide device installed base.

Google Play saw revenue growth in the United States, which helped it to close the gap. Additionally, Android saw strong download growth around the world. iOS continued its growth in the US, as well as in China — traditionally a stronghold for Android device, albeit devices without access to the Play Store. Apple’s platform also saw strong growth in Vietnam and South Africa, among other smaller countries.

The takeaway? Both ecosystems are strong, and getting stronger.

Google, Android manufacturers agree to participate in “Smartphone Anti-Theft Voluntary Commitment” program

Mike Beasley Apr 15 2014 - 3:34 pm PT

Google has agreed to back a new initiative along with a host of Android manufacturers and all of the major U.S. cellular carriers that would require all smartphones manufactured after July 2015 to come with specific anti-theft features. The program is the latest attempt to prevent theft of smartphones, which some have blamed for increasing crime rates.

To this end, Google introduced the Android Device Manager application last year, allowing users to locate or wipe lost or stolen devices. Today’s agreement between the carriers and handset manufacturers essentially states that all parties will ship this type of system on new phones.

Specifically, the required anti-theft measures are broken into four kinds:

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Report: Amazon phone to feature four IR cameras for 3D interface, 13 megapixel camera, 4.7 inch display, 2GB RAM

Benjamin Mayo Apr 15 2014 - 7:52 am PT

Boy Genius Report has posted its knowledge of Amazon’s next smartphone. Although it technically hasn’t been confirmed to be an Android device, it is almost certain that it will be powered by Android at some level, given Amazon’s existing Android ecosystem. BGR claims to have the first pictures of the phone, shown above.

According to the report, the phone will feature a 3D interface. This feature is enabled through a set of four front-facing Infrared cameras that track the position and orientation of the user’s face. The user interface can then update in response to facial movements. Apparently, the four sensors are located in each corner of the front face. The Wall Street Journal reported that the product would feature a 3D interface last week and is set for a June launch.

Samsung Galaxy S5 vulnerable to same fingerprint hack as iPhone 5s

Ben Lovejoy Apr 15 2014 - 7:36 am PT

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfhLZZWBn5Q]

The same German security researchers who demonstrated a hack of the iPhone 5s Touch ID fingerprint sensor have released a video showing that the same hack also works with the Samsung Galaxy S5.

The hack relies on photographing a latent print from something like a glass in a bar, then using lab techniques to transfer the image of the print into wood glue, which is then applied to someone else’s finger to activate the sensor …
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Video: Hands-on with Amazon’s Fire TV set-top box

Dom Esposito Apr 9 2014 - 9:46 am PT

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhKZ0fQhbeg]

Amazon recently surprised us with its Fire TV set-top box, offering a native solution for customers to stream movies, music, and even play games. Fire TV will only set you back $99, and in my opinion, it’s just what Amazon needed. Instead of relying on third-party streaming solutions, Amazon now has the power to take its media services in a new direction. Take a look at our overview video above to see Fire TV in action.

Review roundup: Samsung Galaxy S5 is very good, but perhaps not good enough

Ben Lovejoy Apr 8 2014 - 7:22 am PT

The early reviews of the Samsung Galaxy S5 are in, and the general verdict appears to be that it’s a very good phone – but perhaps doesn’t offer any really persuasive reason to upgrade from the S4.

Re/Code took the view that the waterproofing was the only real standout feature.

I’ve been testing the new S5 for a couple of weeks, and I like it, though I didn’t find it especially exciting or novel. In every major hardware area, it’s a very good phone, with a sharp, gorgeous screen that, at 5.1 inches, is a teeny bit bigger than the five-inch display on last year’s model, the S4 […]

Overall, the Galaxy 5S is a very good phone, but not one compelling enough for me to recommend that you buy it to replace last year’s Galaxy or the current iPhone. But there’s one caveat: If you drop your phone in water a lot, you want this one …

Samsung has reportedly lost five high-ranking executives in the past two months

Chance Miller Apr 5 2014 - 10:35 am PT

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Photo: ibtimes.com

CNET reports that over the past two months, “at least” five high-ranking executives have departed from Samsung’s US mobile business, also known as Samsung Telecommunications America, or STA. The report, citing “people familiar with the departures”, claims that the departures have included the head of national sales, the mobile devices product chief, and a key strategist for the company’s Galaxy tablets and Gear smartwatches.

Notably, these departures all come less than a year after Gregory Lee took the reigns as president and CEO of Samsung’s US mobile and electronics business. The departures also come in the midst of the company batting Apple in yet another patent infringement case.

“As our US business continues to diversify and expand, we will continue to build an industry leading organization with people who will contribute to even greater success for Samsung,” Samsung said in a statement. “Some have left voluntarily to pursue other opportunities, and we thank them for their service.”

Is Android the real target of latest Apple vs Samsung patent battle that starts today?

Ben Lovejoy Mar 31 2014 - 4:30 am PT

Photo: Reuters

Pieces in the NY Times and the WSJ suggest that the real target of Apple’s second courtroom patent battle with Samsung may be Android.

Some features in Samsung devices that Apple objects to are part of Google’s Android operating system, by far the most popular mobile operating system worldwide, running on more than a billion devices made by many manufacturers. That means that if Apple wins, Google could have to make changes to critical Android features, and Samsung and other Android phone makers might have to modify the software on their phones …

Report: Apple considering iTunes Store for Android & on-demand streaming service

Zac Hall Mar 21 2014 - 3:27 pm PT

According to a new report from Billboard, Apple is considering launching an iTunes Store app on the Android platform to combat declining music sales on the digital platform. The report also says that Apple execs are in talks with high level label executives to discuss debuting an on-demand streaming service.

Apple has opened exploratory talks with senior label executives about the possibility of launching an on-demand streaming service that would rival Spotify and Beats Music, according to three people familiar with the talks. Apple is also thinking about adding an iTunes App for Android phones, the Google rival that has been growing faster than the iPhone, these sources said.

The move to an on-demand streaming service could transform iTunes Radio from the Pandora-like radio model to the more robust on-demand model used by Spotify, Rdio, Beats Music, and others.
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HP releases HP 8, an iPad mini lookalike for $170

Ben Lovejoy Mar 7 2014 - 6:09 am PT

New HP 8, with iPad Mini (right)

HP’s new tablet – simply called the HP 8 – not only bears more than a passing resemblance to the non-Retina version of Apple’s iPad mini, it appears to use an almost identical 7.85-inch IPS 1024×768 display.

It looks like a reasonable if unexciting buy for the money, with an Allwinner quad-core ARM chip, 1GB RAM, 16GB storage, a microSD slot (supporting up to 32GB cards) and running Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) …
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Google releases huge Text-to-Speech app update with more realistic voices, interface tweaks

Chance Miller Mar 6 2014 - 5:27 pm PT

Google has rolled out a massive update to its Text-to-Speech Android app that includes a variety of enhancements. The update, which began rolling out to devices yesterday evening, bumps the app to version 3.0. Most notably, this update improves the voice functionality and quality. While the voice was originally rather robotic and boring, this update makes it more fluent and realistic, much like Apple did with Siri in iOS 7. The updated voice is available in several languages and both male and female varieties, but each language and style runs about 200MB, so be sure you’re on WiFi when you download them. The voices are also now available in Portugese (Brazil), and Spanish (United States).

There are some issues with the new voices, however. Android Police notes that commands that contact the Google server for a reply, such as “what is 3+2”, still use the old robotic voice. Local questions, such as “what is my next appointment”, do use the new voices, however.

The user interface has also been tweaked heavily. The voice management screen has been redesigned to show the size of each download, as well as detailed information about the voice.

The update is rolling out gradually on Google Play, so be sure to keep an eye on the Play Store for it to hit your device.

Google updates Play Games with ability to send invitations, see what games your friends are playing

Chance Miller Mar 5 2014 - 1:32 pm PT

Originally released back in July, Google has just updated its Google Play Games app from version 1.1 to 1.5. The update adds some useful enhancements to help it compete with the likes of Apple’s Game Center.

First off, Play Games now supports the ability to send and view invitations to join multiplayer games. Previous versions of the app only allows you to join games from within the app and did not support invitations. Further improving the social and game discovery aspects of the app, the update has also added the ability to see what games people in your circles are playing.

A few slight interface tweaks have also been made. the settings have moved from the Action Bar to the side bar. The side bar also contains a new menu called “Matches” that allows you to manage your invitations. New “Recommended Games” and “Find Games” tabs have also been added.

The update is gradually rolling out to devices now, but if you can’t wait, head over to Android Police, where they have the download now.

Mercedes-Benz says Android support coming when Google brings in-car system to market

Jordan Kahn Mar 3 2014 - 10:23 am PT

Back in January Google announced a new Open Automotive Alliance that would see the company work with automakers to bring Android-based entertainment systems to vehicles. We’ve seen hints of those partnerships start to trickle out and the latest comes from Mercedes. Following a job listing from Mercedes last week looking for a software engineer to work on a “Google Projected Mode” that would integrate content from Android devices into an in-car system, the company has once again mentioned using Android in a press release today.

While announcing that Apple’s just announced CarPlay feature for iOS would be demoed on a new Mercedes-Benz C-Class at the Geneva Motor Show, the company also said it would offer Android support as “as soon as Google brings its own in-car infotainment system to market.”
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Mercedes-Benz job listing leaks “Google Projected Mode” in-car system

Chance Miller Mar 2 2014 - 7:54 am PT

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Earlier this week, a report emerged claiming that Ferrari, Volvo, and Mercedes are going to unveil the first iOS in the Car integrated vehicles this week. iOS in the Car was first announced by Apple at WWDC in June, though the company has been rather quiet since then. Now, it appears as if Google is getting ready to take a stab at an in-car technology system.

According to a job posting, first spotted by German site Mobi-flip.de, Mercedes-Benz’s parent company Daimler is looking for a software engineer who can help implement Google’s in-car system. The in-car interface will reportedly be called “Google Projected Mode” and will allow users to “seamlessly integrate” Android devices into a dashboard’s head unit.

Leaked photos show claimed early Motorola smartwatch prototype

Ben Lovejoy Feb 26 2014 - 4:34 am PT