Apple

Google, which was fined $22.5M by the FTC for illegal use of tracking cookies on iPhones even when the user had set Safari to reject them, is asking the UK’s High Court to reject a claim for compensation from a group of British iPhone owners, reports The Guardian.

Google is arguing that any case should be held in the U.S., and that UK courts have no jurisdiction in the matter. It also observes that a similar claim in the USA was dismissed two months ago.

Google has been called “arrogant and immoral” for arguing that a privacy claim brought by internet users in the UK should not be heard by the British legal system […]

In the first group claim brought against Google in the UK, the internet firm has insisted that the lawsuit must be brought in California, where it is based, instead of a British courtroom …
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Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside discusses upcoming ‘unbreakable’ plastic phones, compares Moto G to iPhone

Chance Miller Dec 13 2013 - 1:16 pm PT

Motorola had a pretty exciting 2013. The company released the highly-anticipated, highly-customizbale, American-made Moto X back in August. The company then released the budget Moto G, which received high reviews from many people. In a recent interview with AP, Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside sat down to discuss the company’s past year and give a peak into the future and how the company has changed since its acquisition by Google.

When asked what he thought consumers were most interested in seeing in their future smartphones, Woodside commented that a big area was durability.
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Former head of patents at Google is new interim head of US Patent & Trademark Office

Ben Lovejoy Dec 12 2013 - 3:57 am PT

Google’s former head of patents Michelle Lee has been named as the interim head of the USPTO, starting work there on 13th January, reports Yahoo! Finance.

Although technically Lee is deputy director, the agency hasn’t had a director since David Kappos left back in February, meaning that Lee will be running the show for the immediate future at least.

The appointment is an interesting choice given Google’s vocal criticism of patent trolls …
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Google joins tech titans in calling for government spying reform and limitations

Mike Beasley Dec 8 2013 - 9:46 pm PT

The Wall Street Journal reports that Google has joined Microsoft, Twitter, Apple, Yahoo!, Facebook, and other giants in the tech industry in calling for a reform of the NSA’s surveillance tactics. Earlier this year it was revealed that the National Security Agency was using information from these companies and more to monitor citizens across the nation without warrants.

The companies allegedly involved in the “PRISM” program denied turning over any user data to the government, but a leaked NSA slidedeck (seen above) seemed to imply the opposite.

The new collaborative campaign, called Reform Government Surveillance, cites five driving principles in its drive to curb excessive government spying:

The Google Voice Command trivia challenge: how many of these 50 things did you know it could do?

Ben Lovejoy Dec 6 2013 - 7:04 am PT

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vT0AWDq3DE]

PhoneBuff has put together an interesting video showcasing fifty things Google Voice Command can do, and we think there’s a pretty high chance you won’t be aware of all of them. It’s getting on for eight minutes long, but well worth a look if you want to make sure you’re getting the most out of Google’s virtual assistant.

The video includes examples of linked queries, where Google knows who or what you are referring to based on your previous question.

PhoneBuff did a similar thing with Apple’s Siri, and although they don’t use the same questions – each video designed to illustrate their respective capabilities rather than a head-to-head challenge – it does make for an interesting comparison. Siri video below.

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

As Samsung beats back rumors of poor Galaxy Gear sales, we ask what’s your dream smartwatch?

David Beren Nov 19 2013 - 7:36 am PT

10 Comments

As Samsung beats back rumors of poor Galaxy Gear sales, it made me wonder what buyers really want to see in their ideal smartwatch? The world may be waiting to see what Apple unveils in the wearables category, but that hasn’t stopped companies like Sony, Qualcomm, and Pebble from trying to capture just a small sliver of this up and coming market.

Samsung, Apple patent damages retrial opens as Samsung changes tune

David Beren Nov 14 2013 - 5:29 am PT

As the Samsung, Apple patent damages trial opened yesterday the Android giant began singing a different tune. According to a live blog by Howard Mintz from the San Jose Mercury News, Samsung attorney Bill Price didn’t continue the company’s long-standing claim that the case mostly centered on “rounded corners,” instead his argument focused on the specific amount the company owes its chief competitor.

Representing Samsung, attorney Bill Price countered in his own opening remarks, “Apple is simply asking for much more money than it’s entitled to.”

Samsung promises folding displays by 2015, teases phone that becomes a tablet

Ben Lovejoy Nov 6 2013 - 4:20 am PT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3x-bAWZWPM

The video may be slightly cringeworthy (hot girls are always turned on by geek tech, right?), but the concept is certainly an exciting one: a foldable display which allows a pocketable smartphone to unfold or unroll into a tablet …
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Microsoft’s sleazy “Scroogled” campaign continues with “email privacy” microsite

Ben Lovejoy Nov 5 2013 - 4:58 am PT

Microsoft’s continued attempts to make itself look like the good guy against Google continue with a microsite called keepyouremailprivate.com.

In a blatant attempt to liken Google’s automated scanning of email keywords to generate targeted advertising to the NSA scandal, Microsoft refers to it as an ‘invasion of your privacy.’

Google goes through every Gmail that’s sent or received, looking for keywords so they can target Gmail users with paid ads. And there’s no way to opt out of this invasion of your privacy.

Microsoft has reportedly spent a seven-figure sum on its Scroogled campaign. Perhaps if it had invested a bit more cash on modernizing its offerings a few years ago, it wouldn’t need to be spending so much on this embarrassing nonsense today …

[Review] HP Chromebook 11: a month later and the glow hasn’t worn off

Seth Weintraub Nov 3 2013 - 2:35 pm PT

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HP and Google combined to create two new Chromebooks which were launched early last month: The $299 Intel Haswell-powered Chromebook 14 and the smaller Samsung Exynos ARM-powered Chromebook 11. Both machines mark new territory for Google and HP. The Silicon Valley neighbors have been getting closer and closer since Meg Whitman took over as CEO, including an expanding array of Android tablets as well. The initial HP Chromebooks were clearly re-purposed Windows laptops. These clearly are something entirely different…
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Google, Samsung, and others sued over Nortel search patents

Mike Beasley Oct 31 2013 - 4:44 pm PT

Google, Samsung, and several other Android handset manufacturers are being sued by Rockstar, a consortium backed by Android competitors Microsoft and Apple, over alleged infringement of several search patents acquired by Rockstar from Nortel in 2011. Last year HTC reached a ten-year agreement with Apple as part of a patent infringement settlement. That deal would result in both companies licensing existing and future patents from one another, but it seems that agreement does not apply in this case.

Samsung beats out iPad in J.D. Power U.S. tablet customer satisfaction study (Update: Or not …)

Jordan Kahn Oct 31 2013 - 9:40 am PT

1 Comment

Update: JD Power’s math seems a little off, when you delve into the scores …

Samsung got 18 stars, Apple 18, with Samsung only ahead on price, yet took the overall lead.

J.D. Power has released its 2013 U.S. Tablet Satisfaction Study–Volume 2 today with Samsung edging out Apple’s iPad for the top spot. Apple has in the past ranked number one in the company’s customer stratification surveys for tablets, but this time Samsung has jumped up from number 3 in April to take the first position from the iPad.

Samsung ranks highest with a score of 835 and is the only manufacturer to improve across all five factors since the previous reporting period in April 2013. Samsung showed particularly strong improvement in the cost factor (25-point increase). Apple ranks second scoring 833 and performs particularly well in performance and ease of operation.

While Samsung only slightly beat out Apple with 835 points vs 833 points on a 1000 point scale, the outcome is quite notable for Samsung who in April ranked even lower than Amazon. The study measures customer satisfaction based on five metrics for 3,375 tablet owners: performance (26%); ease of operation (22%); styling and design (19%); features (17%); and cost (16%).
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Google faces class-action lawsuit over do-not-hire arrangements with other companies

Mike Beasley Oct 25 2013 - 6:58 pm PT

A federal judge ruled that a lawsuit against Google and several other companies can proceed as a class-action suit today after determining that a significant number of employees across the tech industry were hurt by “do-not-hire” arrangements between their employers and other companies. The policies in question were practiced by Google, Apple, Adobe, Pixar, and more as a way of keeping their own employees from defecting to competitors for higher pay. Essentially the agreements barred two companies from offering jobs to competing employees for a higher salary. Because doing so gave employees leverage with which to bargain for higher pay at their own jobs, employers were often faced with the decision to either pay any given employee more to keep them around or lose them to a competitor willing to pay more.

Clever Android lockscreen app will work out which apps you need where

Ben Lovejoy Oct 25 2013 - 6:46 am PT

Billed as ‘the lockscreen that learns,’ Cover is an Andoid app that notes which apps you use in which locations, and then puts the apps you’re most likely to need onto your lockscreen.

At home you might get weather, news, traffic and Twitter; at work, calendar, Google drive and LinkedIn; in the car, maps and music …
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Samsung announces record revenues and profits, but gains mostly from low-end handsets & chips

Ben Lovejoy Oct 25 2013 - 4:26 am PT

Photo: ibtimes.com

Samsung has beaten its earlier forecasts for both revenue and profit in Q3, reporting new records for both at $9.56B profit on revenues of $55.59B.

Samsung had earlier reported that it had sold more than 40 million Galaxy S4 handsets in the first six months, but advised today that most of its mobile growth was in lower-end models, while high-end growth is slowing …
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Fresh Samsung patent for Google Glass clone lends weight to rumors

Ben Lovejoy Oct 24 2013 - 5:51 am PT

Rumors that Samsung plans to launch a Google Glass competitor have been lent further credence by a design patent uncovered by the WSJ.

While it’s not the first glasses patent Samsung has filed – this one was granted back in March – the latest one does look much closer to something that might actually be launched than the previous design …
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Deal with Gorilla Glass maker Corning could give Samsung head-start in new display technology

Ben Lovejoy Oct 23 2013 - 6:07 am PT

Samsung could see itself getting priority access to new glass technologies after taking a 7.4 percent stake in Gorilla Glass maker Corning and simultaneously signing a 10-year supply agreement.

The net effect of a complex series of share swaps and cash investments, allied to a long-term procurement commitment from Samsung, is a $2B deal that will enable Corning to boost its R&D investment, accelerating the pace of development of new types of display.

With closer cooperation between the two companies, Samsung may prove well positioned to gain access to those new technologies ahead of the rest of the market …
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Google Fiber users can now access WatchESPN on Android, iOS, Xbox, & Apple TV, live Disney content online

Jordan Kahn Oct 16 2013 - 10:10 am PT

Google announced today on its Google Fiber blog that Fiber customers will now be able to access content through the WatchESPN and Watch Disney apps at no additional cost. For ESPN, that means users can now login into the apps on Android, iOS, Apple TV, and Xbox 360 using their Google Fiber account:

WatchESPN provides live access to eight networks, including live events and all of ESPN’s sports and studio shows (including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN3, ESPN Deportes, ESPNEWS, ESPN Goal Line and ESPN Buzzer Beater). You can watch at no additional cost by logging in with your Google Fiber account — visit WatchESPN.com or download the WatchESPN app from Google Play or the App Store on your Xbox 360, or on Apple TV.

The Disney content, including live and on-demand content from Disney Channel, Disney Junior, and Disney XD, is available by logging into WatchDisneyChannels.com online:

You can watch at no additional cost by logging in with your Google Fiber account — visit WatchESPN.com or download the WatchESPN app from Google Play or the App Store on your Xbox 360, or on Apple TV… WATCH Disney gives you live access to Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD networks. Just go to WatchDisneyChannels.com and log in using your Google Fiber username and password.

Google’s Gigabit internet and TV service has only rolled out in Kansas City, Provo, UT, and surrounding areas since launching last year, but Google earlier this year announced it will be rolling out the service in Austin, Texas by mid-2014.

Google’s Sparrow mail app updated for the first time in months with new icon, iOS 7 fixes

Benjamin Mayo Oct 15 2013 - 8:14 am PT

Despite being bought out by Google, the replacement mail app Sparrow has now been updated for iOS 7. Whilst the developers behind Sparrow never said that work on the app had ceased, this was the implied meaning of Sparrow’s thank you letter still visible on the Sparrow website. Until today, the app had not been updated since December 2012, nearly a year ago.

This update brings compatibility bug fixes for iOS 7 as well as a new flatter icon, shown above. Even so, work on Sparrow is obviously not a priority for the team. Apart from a new icon, the point-fix update brings no new visual appearance to the app’s interface or any new features for users.

HTC One Max fingerprint sensor confirmed, launches on 15th October (oops …)

Ben Lovejoy Oct 8 2013 - 6:08 am PT

Photo: thedroidguy.com

Rumors that the HTC One Max would have a fingerprint sensor (that we first reported back in August) are now all but confirmed by a launch invitation from HTC containing the phrase “One finger opens up a big view.” The two lines of text seemingly promote three aspects of the device:

One finger opens up a big view

You are invited to immerse in the sound with us

A fingerprint scanner, large display (of course) and BoomSound front speakers.

The WSJ also reports two different sources as confirming the fingerprint sensor.

HTC hasn’t been enjoying the best of luck recently. Senior departures, including its COO; a halving of market share since 2011; former UK execs setting up a rival company; alleged theft of trade secrets by several lead designers; and the first ever loss in the company’s history. Its luck doesn’t seem to be improving. The 15th October date the company has chosen for the launch just may find it struggling to see much media coverage: it’s the rumored date of Apple’s launch of new iPads, Macs and more … Update: The Apple rumor was wrong, the iPad launch is on 22nd October.

Google in talks to potentially acquire bits (or the entirety) of BlackBerry

Mike Beasley Oct 4 2013 - 5:54 pm PT

Reuters reports that Google is one of several companies currently considering a bid on part or all of Blackberry. The handset manufacturer has had a rough six years as they fell behind in the smartphone market to competitors like Apple and devices running Google’s Android operating system.

Is Amazon building a ChromeCast-type of TV product called the ‘Firetube’

Seth Weintraub Oct 3 2013 - 5:52 am PT