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- Nokia bets on Windows Phone 8
5th September 2012 - New York: In its bid to fight the dominance of Apple Inc.?s iPhone and Android-based phones from companies like Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd in the rapidly growing smartphone segment, Finnish handset maker Nokia Oyj and Microsoft Inc. on Wednesday jointly announced the launch of the Nokia 920 and 820 that it described as ?the next generation smartphone, based on the Windows Phone 8 platform--the result of an 18-month partnership?.Big bets: Nokia CEO Stephen Elop introduces new Nokia phones with Microsoft?s Windows 8 operating system in New York on Wednesday.The company is yet to announce the pricing and rollout plans but ?we will launch in select markets in the fourth quarter?, said Nokia president and chief executive Stephen Elop.Nokia executive vice president Jo Harlo said the Lumia 920--the new Windows Phone 8 flagship device--features built-in wireless charging to help keep what she described as the ?largest battery ever installed on a Nokia phone? topped up.The Lumia 920 sports a PureView camera system, pure motion HD plus that can replace a HD camera since the lens is stabilized for video, and a 4.5-inch curved glass display. The Lumia 920 will also include Nokia?s navigation tools such as Nokia Maps, Nokia Drive and Nokia Transport. An additional app called City Lens will allow a user to point the smartphone?s camera at any nearby landmark or business to view an overlay that includes information about the location.Elop said when the company started rejigging operations around 18 months ago (in February 2011) to fight competition, Nokia needed part of an ecosystem, phones and services.?First, we joined the Windows Phone ecosystem to create a new smartphone experience with a focus on people. Then we introduced Lumia in countries like China, India, South America and Europe,? he said, adding that Nokia app ecosystem has grown from 7,000 to 100,000, ?and is growing fast? (but that compares with the estimated 500,000 or more apps available for the iPhone or Android). Elop said the company was focusing on getting more local developers into the ecosystem to develop more relevant apps.Steve Ballmer, chief executive office of Microsoft, said ?This is the year for Windows--PCs, tablets, etc.?He underscored that the focus was on user interface and features such as cloud storage, music, video, games and new smartcast technology. ?From one year from now, we should see 400 million new devices like Lumia, Surface (the new tablet-notebook hybrid that Microsoft is building), devices running Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8. This is a huge opportunity for developers,? he said.Elop, however, added that beyond smartphones, Nokia is keen on connecting the next billion people with models such as the Asha series introduced in countries including India, dual-SIM devices, and low-priced feature phones. Nokia, according to Elop, has found success with its proxy browser, which is ?saving Rs 1.7 crore everyday in India. All of the innovation in the Asha series make it looks like low-priced smartphones. With the easy downloading of apps, and the low price points, the new touch Asha portfolio will help Nokia grow its business in emerging markets, said Elop.The launch was accompanied by the kind of hype typically associated with new phones made by Apple Inc. and others. For instance, on 4 September, several pictures of the Nokia 820 and 920 were posted on Twitter by @evleaks. In the US, Nokia also announced the new music app that offers Lumia owners a free streaming service. It kicked off the launch with more than 150 different playlists chosen by a team of music experts. The playlists run the gamut from Detroit underground music to performances by the New York Philharmonic, according to Nokia, and features tracks from artists such as Lana Del Rey, Lady Gaga and Rihanna.But the competition is tough.For one, the latest Appple iPhone is expected to be launched on 12 September. Analysts are expecting around 10 million iPhones to be sold in the the first week of the launch.Last week, Samsung became the first to launch a smartphone based on Windows Phone 8--the Ativ S has a 4.8-inch HD Super Amoled display, powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core processor. The phone is 8.7 millimeters thick with NFC (near field communication) technology.The most aggressive Android partner, Samsung unveiled its line of Windows Phone 8 devices at the IFA conference in Berlin under its new Ativ brand. HTC and Huawei are also expected to launch smartphones based on Microsoft?s new phone operating system (OS) in the near future.Hardware maker Acer, better known for its PCs and tablets, is planning to release six new smartphones next year, according to reports--with the devices to run either Microsoft?s Windows Phone 8 or Android.?Nokia?s turnaround in the smartphone space is extremely difficult, but not impossible. In my mind, if the company manages to sustain for the next six quarters (end of 2013/early 2014), we might see a completely new Nokia in 2014,? said Jayanth Kolla, partner with technology research firm ConvergenceCatalyst. ?And from a product strategy point of view, it needs to have a strong Windows Phone 8 based portfolio catering to the high-end segment; launch a number of cost-reduced Windows Phone 7.x devices in the mid tier to compete with the increasing Android ecosystem; and strengthen the feature-Smartphone Asha series in the low-tier to drive volumes in the mass market segment.?He pointed out that Nokia had smartphones, long before 2007, based on the Symbian S60 platform, which among many other things supported third-party apps. ?However back then, the company?s app developer community, to the most part, was unstructured and the distribution of apps was highly fragmented,? he said. Nokia launched the Ovi store in June 2007, a whole year before the iTunes app store (and even a month ahead of the first iPhone launch). ?Great strategy, poor execution and a well-documented case study,? said Kolla.Nokia partnered with Intel in early 2010 to start working on Meego and Qt SDK (a cross-platform application and UI framework). In February, 2011, it abandoned Meego (close to its launch), and spoke about ramping down Symbian and adopting Windows Phone (with the first device about three quarters away).Microsoft had mandated hardware specifications for original equipment manufacturers or OEMs to develop devices on Windows Phone 7.x and these hardware specs meant that WinPho devices were going to be high-end (price-wise), making them unaffordable for Nokia?s strong emerging markets (such as China, India, etc). Microsoft eventually launched Windows Phone 7.6 (which the product marketers call the cost-reduced version of the platform) with reduced hardware specs to enable lowered device costs.While Nokia was busy developing Windows-based phones, its Symbian devices sales started declining rapidly, adversely affecting its overall smartphone share, noted Kolla, adding that adopting any new platform, especially a smartphone OS, is a 15-18 month product development cycle.Simulataneously, the Android ecosystem and Samsung were growing rapidly (along with iOS, iPhones and Apple).Last year?s debut of the Lumia 800 and Lumia 710 --the company?s first Windows Phone handsets--was supposed to be the flailing company?s turning point. The comeback was expect to accelerate with the LTE-enabled Lumia 900 when it hit store shelves in April. The company, however, is still in a dire financial situation that could quickly get worse if its phones don?t start resonating more with consumers. In the last quarter, it posted a loss of $1.7 billion (1.4 billion euros) and warned that the following quarter wouldn?t be much better.Smartphones have become very important for handset makers and mobile operating system vendors.A 28 August report from research firm IHS forecast smartphones to account for half the market in 2013. Smartphones will already be more plentiful than feature phones in 2012, the report added, though they won?t quite pass the 50% threshold. By 2016, smartphones will account for more than two-thirds of mobile phone shipments, IHS predicts. The most basic phones will account for just 4% of the market by then, with feature phones representing 28% of shipments.The fact is borne out by the patent battles between Apple and companies like Apple. Having slugged it out since April 2011, Apple is desperate to keep Samsung at bay and signal the competition that it will brook no copying in the smartphone and tablet world. Its competitors are retaliating too. Nokia filed a suit against Apple in 2009 for patent infringement, while Apple had filed a patent lawsuit against HTC in 2010; Microsoft chased Google?s partners offering Android-powered products, and Google-owned Motorola Mobility has a patent case pending against Apple.Late last month, a South Korean court ruled that Apple and Samsung had infringed on one another?s intellectual property and owe each other damages. It also temporarily banned sales of some Apple and Samsung phones and tablet models. A day later, a US court jury awarded Apple more than $1 billion in damages, which Samsung is sure to appeal against.Much is at stake. In the race to be the top smartphone manufacturer in 2012, Samsung has consistently increased its lead over Apple, according to research firm Gartner. Much of the success is due to Android, Google?s operating system for mobiles that had a 64.1% global market share in the April-June quarter (43.4% a year ago), according to Gartner. Apple?s iOS, on the other hand, garnered an 18.8% market share (18.2% a year ago), a number that wll improve when its fans upgrade to the new iPhone.Smartphone sales accounted for 36.7% of total mobile phone sales (419 million units in Q2, 2012) and grew 42.7% in the same period. Samsung is also the leader with a 21.6% share, followed by Nokia with 19.9% and Apple with 6.9% in worldwide mobile device sales. India has an estimated 24 million smartphones, according to research firm Convergence Catalyst. Most of these are Android-based Samsung phones. Apple has a negligible presence in the country.In sum, while Samsung tablets and phones besides Google?s Nexus 7 and Amazon?s Kindle Fire tablets may take a hit, Nokia could gain with its Microsoft OS-based Lumia phones.Leslie D?Monte is in New York as a guest of Nokia Oyj.leslie.d@livemint.com
- Google launches traffic and turn-by-turn guide for India maps
5th September 2012 - Bangalore: Google launched real-time traffic information and turn-by-turn voice-guided driving directions for Google Maps in India on Wednesday. With live-traffic information, Google will provide a colour-coded overlay of traffic information on Google Maps in six cities across the country: Bangalore, New Delhi, Bombay, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Pune. Users can see traffic information by enabling the ?Traffic? layer on the Google Maps desktop website or on Google Maps for mobile on their smartphones. Real-time information: Roads for which traffic information is available will be labelled green for free flowing traffic, yellow for minor slowdowns and red for significant congestion.Roads for which enough traffic information is available will be labelled green for free flowing traffic, yellow for minor slowdowns, and red for significant congestion. The data for traffic is crowd-sourced from Android mobile users which transmits their current location at regular intervals. The data is anonymized to protect the identity of the phone user and the feature is an opt-in service, said Darren Baker, product manager for Google Maps. Google will also explore gathering data from other sources to improve the service, said Baker. In some cities, like Bangalore, a dedicated Traffic Management Centre (TMC) monitors traffic on major roads and crucial junctions. Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) M.A. Saleem said that the TMC has nearly five enforcement cameras and 160 surveillance cameras across the city. ?We are open to providing this data to anyone who needs it?, he said. Users will also be able to view expected traffic conditions on roads at different times of the day on the desktop version of Google Maps. ?This draws on historical traffic information that Google has been collecting,? said Baker. Traffic information will also be available on other devices including Apple?s iPhone and Research In Motion Inc.?s Blackberry devices.Google also announced the availability of turn-by-turn navigation for the Android mobile operating system, a feature typically found in in-car global positioning systems, where directions are provided continuously through spoken instructions. Users can see their current location on a map and instructions will be given when a user arrives at a turning point. Baker said that the Google Maps team in India had to include more landmarks in their navigation directions as names of several roads were not clear or they were not marked properly on the ground.Google Maps Navigation will also make use of the traffic data when calculating directions so that users will be routed around areas of congestion. The service will also be integrated with other features on Android phones such as Google search and voice search capabilities, allowing users to find directions by speaking out the destination. Turn-by-turn directions will be available on all Android devices running operating system version 2.2 or higher. The navigation directions will work anywhere in India, he said. shamsheer.y@livemint.com
- Apple, Samsung patent trial set to kick off in US, billions at stake
2nd September 2012 - Jury selection is due to begin on Monday in the United States in a high stakes patent battle between Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, the culmination of over a year of pretrial jousting with billions of dollars in the balance.Apple and Samsung, the world?s largest consumer electronics corporations, are waging legal war around the world, accusing each other of patent violations as they vie for supremacy in a fast-growing market for mobile devices.The fight began in 2011 when Apple sued Samsung in a San Jose, California federal court, accusing the South Korean company of slavishly copying the iPhone and iPad. Samsung countersued.Samsung Electronics? Galaxy S, left, and Apple?s iPhone 4 are displayed at a mobile phone shop in Seoul . APThe stakes are high, with Samsung facing potential US sales bans of its Galaxy smartphones and tablet computers, and Apple in a pivotal test of its worldwide patent litigation strategy.Apple will try to use Samsung documents to show its rival knowingly violated the iPhone maker?s intellectual property rights, while Samsung argues Apple is trying to stifle competition to maintain ?exorbitant? profit, according to court filings.A 10-member jury will hear evidence over at least four weeks, and it must reach a unanimous decision for Apple or Samsung to prevail on any of their claims.That the jurors will hail from Silicon Valley, where Apple is an icon and major employer, will be something for Samsung to consider during the jury selection, said James Dobson, a jury consultant with Empirical Creative.?Although certainly if I were Samsung I would be concerned about what prospective jurors think about Apple, given that it?s a huge employer there,? Dobson said, ?by and large jurors want to do the right thing and decide the case on the merits.?It has been tough going so far for Samsung in the case. US District Judge Lucy Koh halted US sales of the Galaxy Tab 10.1, giving Apple a significant early win. This was followed by a pretrial ban on the Galaxy Nexus phone. Samsung has appealed both orders.The trial is expected to last at least four weeks.The case in US District Court, Northern District of California, is Apple Inc v. Samsung Electronics Co Ltd et al, No. 11-1846.
- Samsung loses $12 bn market value after Apple?s victory
26th August 2012 - Seoul: Samsung Electronics shares tumbled more than 7% on Monday, wiping $12 billion off the South Korean giant?s market value, as Apple Inc.?s sweeping legal victory in their US patent battle raised concerns about its smartphone business?its biggest cash cow.A US jury found Samsung had copied critical features of the hugely popular iPhone and iPad and awarded Apple $1.05 billion in damages in the most closely watched patent trial in years.Shares in Samsung?the world?s biggest technology firm by revenue?tumbled as much as 7.5%, its biggest daily percentage drop in nearly four years, to 1.183 million won ($1,000), versus a 0.5% drop in the broader market.Trading volume was heavy, more than doubling the last week?s daily average by early Monday trade.?An adjustment in the next few days is unavoidable as the damage amount was much bigger than market expectations, and there are further uncertainties such as the possibility of a sales ban,? said John Park, an analyst at Daishin Securities. Analysts estimate Samsung?s earnings will be reduced by 4% this year due to increased patent-related provisioning.The jury at a federal court in San Jose, California, found on Friday that Samsung infringed on six of seven Apple patents. The verdict, which came after less than three days of jury deliberations, could lead to an outright ban on sales of key Samsung products and will likely solidify Apple?s dominance of the exploding mobile computing market. Eyes on Galaxy S IIIApple plans to file for a sales injunction against Samsung, its lawyers said, and the judge in the case set a hearing date for 20 September.Top executives at Samsung, led by vice-chairman Choi Gee-sung and head of its mobile division JK Shin, held an emergency meeting on Sunday.The biggest concern for Samsung remains whether its latest flagship product, the Galaxy S III, which was not included in the case, will be also targeted by Apple and included in the list of products banned in the US market. The model is Samsung?s best selling smartphone, with sales topping 10 million since its late May debut.But Samsung?s skill as a ?fast executioner??quick to match others? innovations?would likely mean tweaked, non-patent infringing devices would be on the market soon after any ban came into place, analysts said.?The ruling is a costly lesson for Samsung?but also an opportunity for a true alternative to Apple?s well-known hardware with more innovative thinking and imaginative products ahead,? Morgan Stanley analysts said in a note.?There are more ways to build a touch screen smartphone and thanks to its fast execution capability, Samsung could quickly work around design changes, upgrading models and introducing new technology such as flexible displays, Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note to differentiate its devices from Apple.?Samsung was disappointed by the verdict and plans to keep the legal fight to have its claims accepted, according to internal memo sent to its employees, that was seen by Reuters.?We?ve sought to settle this through negotiations, as Apple is our customer but had no choice but to counter sue,? the memo said. ?There?s no firm in history which has sustained growth by trying to stifle competition with legal fights on patents, rather than fairly compete with innovation in the market place.? ReutersJoyce Lee contributed to this story.
- Apple?s victory boosts Microsoft as Asian vendors scramble
26th August 2012 - Hong Kong/Seattle:Apple Inc.?s decisive triumph over Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd in the most closely watched patent trial in years could open the door for Microsoft Corp. to finally hop on board the mobile boom as manufacturers of Android-based smartphones and tablets weigh their legal risks.Microsoft sounded a challenge to Apple and Samsung in July when it took the wraps off its Surface tablet, a showcase for the revamped Windows software that it hopes will pave the way for its entry into the mobile space.It remains to be seen if the new touchscreen-friendly and cloud computing-ready Windows 8 can prove a serious rival to Android, the world?s most-used mobile software, or Apple?s iOS. But mobile industry executives who had been cautiously considering Windows as an alternative to Google Inc.?s Android say Friday?s ruling that Samsung had copied Apple?s designs and software features had intensified their interest in a Microsoft alternative.Patent row: Samsung?s Galaxy S III, right, and Apple?s iPhone 4S, on display at a mobile phone shop in Seoul in South Korea. Apple?s battle with Samsung was in large measure a proxy war against Google?s Android software, which is used by many manufacturers to run its mobile devices. Photo: Ahn Young-joon/APThe key reason: fear of patent lawsuits from Apple.The California company?s battle with Samsung was in large measure a proxy war against Google?s Android software, which is used by many manufacturers to run its mobile devices. The verdict could empower Apple to file more such lawsuits.?Some of the other manufacturers of Android products like ourselves are prepared to face similar lawsuits from Apple,? a senior executive with a major Chinese mobile maker said, on condition of anonymity as he is not authorized to talk to the media.?The Apple-Samsung lawsuit has given us some reference point on our future innovation. We?ll focus on developing our own unique user interface based on the Android platform.??Even though the bulk of our shipments run on Android, the trend is to diversify into other products running on Windows,? the executive added, predicting that the percentage of Windows-based smartphone shipments would increase significantly, from less than 10% now to around one-third over the next few years.Windows 8 and Windows RT?a version of the software made for the ARM Holdings chip designs that are employed in the vast majority of phones and tablets?ship in October.Some analysts are sceptical that Microsoft can produce a device that the mobile consumer will love.?Microsoft has been the beneficiary of this whole fight as the other non-Android option,? said Ron Laurie, a Silicon Valley-based specialist in IP and investment banking and co-founder of Inflexion Point Strategy Llc. ?But safety (from lawsuits) by itself is not enough. You have to appeal to consumers.?And so far the market has seen that consumers want phones and tablets that look like Apple?s devices, he added.Hardware manufacturers, mostly based in East Asia and known in tech industry jargon as original equipment manufacturers or OEMs, are weighing their options.?From an OEM perspective, the verdict alone, and certainly an injunction on sales of any kind, levels the playing field between Android and Windows Phone,? said IDC analyst Al Hilwa. ?At this point, the two platforms would have to fight on features and developer ecosystems to win.?Wall Street thinks Microsoft still stands a chance of reclaiming its former glory, with investors citing a promising pipeline for 2013. But they will want hard reasons to pay more than $30 (around Rs 1,662) for a stock that hasn?t traded above that for any extended period of time since 2000.The verdict in Apple-Samsung was closely watched at Microsoft?s headquarters in Redmond, Washington.?Windows Phone is looking gooooood right now,? tweeted a clearly enthusiastic Bill Cox, senior marketing communications director for the firm?s phone division, soon after Friday?s verdict.Asian manufacturers now need to invest in further customization of the Android platform, much as Amazon.com Inc. has done with its Kindle Fire device, industry officials say. ZTE Corp. and Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd, China?s two largest handset makers, declined comment. Both have announced plans to launch Windows-based phones to supplement their Android products.?Smaller Android phone makers like (Taiwan?s) HTC, (Google?s) Motorola and Sony will have challenging times ahead,? said Seo Won-Seok, a Seoul-based analyst at Korea Investment and Securities. ?They?ll face increasing production costs and rising entry barrier to the Android ecosystem. They now face a great risk of similar litigation from Apple.?Manufacturers may also look at other mobile operating systems beyond Windows, analysts said. Samsung, for example, also has phones that use proprietary software called Bada. Chinese manufacturers also have the option of homegrown operating systems such as those developed by Baidu Inc. and Alibaba, but Jane Wang, a Beijing-based analyst from Ovum, doubted they would be adopted in a big way because the ecosystem of applications and services around them remains limited.?Chinese handset makers are a practical bunch in that they will weigh the costs and benefits when coming up with products running on a different operating system,? said Wang. ?It may not be worth their while.?Some manufacturers are particularly exposed. The smartphone portfolio of Korea?s LG Electronics Inc., for example, is entirely composed of Android devices, leaving it vulnerable should Apple take legal action against it.And HTC, once the Android market leader, has also struggled in lawsuits with Apple and lacks its own strong patent portfolio, making it vulnerable to further legal challenges. It has tried to rebuild market share with new models, the One series, that incorporate high-level photography functions and audio technology from US firm Beats, in which it bought a stake. ?For all these manufacturers it?s a risk management game,? said Andrew Milroy, Singapore-based vice-president of Frost and Sullivan, a consulting company. ?They don?t want to put all their eggs in one basket.?
- Apple wins patent case against Samsung
26th August 2012 - San Jose, California:Apple Inc. scored a sweeping legal victory over Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd on Friday as a US jury found the Korean firm had copied critical features of the hugely popular iPhone and iPad and awarded the US company $1.05 billion in damages.The verdict?which came after less than three days of jury deliberations?could lead to an outright ban on the sales of key Samsung products and will likely solidify Apple?s dominance of the exploding mobile computing market.Apple?s victory is a big blow to Google, whose Android software powers the Samsung products that were found to infringe on Apple patents. Google and its hardware partners, including the company?s own Motorola unit, could now face further legal hurdles in their effort to compete with the Apple juggernaut.Samsung lawyers were grimfaced in the quiet but crowded San Jose courtroom as the verdict was read, and the company later put out a statement calling the outcome ?a loss for the American consumer?.The jury deliberated for less than three days before delivering the verdict on seven Apple patent claims and five Samsung patent claims?suggesting that the nine-person panel had little difficulty in concluding that Samsung had copied the iPhone and the iPad.Because the panel found ?willful? infringement, Apple could seek triple damages.Apple upended the mobile phone business when it introduced the iPhone in 2007, and shook the industry again in 2010 when it rolled out the iPad.It has been able to charge premium prices for the iPhone?with profit margins of as much as 58% per phone?for a product consumers regarded as a huge advance in design and usability.The company?s late founder, Steve Jobs, vowed to ?go to thermonuclear war? when Google launched Android, according to his biographer, and the company has filed lawsuits around the world in an effort to block what it considers brazen copying of its inventions.The legal win on Friday came one year after CEO Tim Cook assumed the helm of the firm. Shares in Apple, which just this week became the biggest company by market value in history, climbed almost 2% to a record high of $675 in after-hours trade.Brian Love, a Santa Clara law school professor, described the verdict as a crushing victory for Apple: ?This is the best-case scenario Apple could have hoped for?. Challenge for competitorsThe verdict comes as competition in the mobile device industry intensifies, with Google jumping into hardware for the first time with its Nexus 7 tablet, and Microsoft?s new touchscreen friendly Windows 8 coming in October, led by its ?Surface? tablet.Apple?s victory could present immediate issues for companies that sell Android-based smartphones and tablets, including Google?s own Motorola subsidiary, which it acquired last year for $12.5 billion, and HTC of Taiwan.Amazon?which has made major inroads into the tablet market with its cheaper Kindle Fire?uses a modified version of Android for its Kindle products but has not yet been subject to legal challenge by Apple.Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu said the entire Android universe may now have to consider ?doing something different.??It doesn?t take a rocket scientist to look at it and figure it out,? he said. ?Prior to the iPhone, none of the phones were like that. Android, if you look at it, is very similar?.Some in the industry say Apple?s legal offensive is bad for consumers.?Thx Apple it?s now mandatory for tech companies to sue each other. Prices go up, competition and innovation suffer,? Mark Cuban, an Internet entrepreneur and owner of the Dallas Mavericks basketball team, said in a Twitter message.But the legal battles are far from over. In a separate but related case, Apple has won a pre-trial injunction against the Google Nexus tablet. Another lawsuit, against Motorola, was thrown out recently by a federal judge in Chicago, but litigation between the two at the International Trade Commission continues.Earlier on Friday, a South Korean court found that both companies shared blame for patent infringement, ordering Samsung to stop selling 10 products including its Galaxy S II phone and banning Apple from selling four different products, including its iPhone 4.Still, the trial on Apple?s home turf?the world?s largest and most influential technology market?was considered the most important test of whether Apple would be able to gain substantial patent protection for the iPhone and the iPad. Fast-paced, high-stress trialThe legal fight began last year when Apple sued Samsung in multiple countries, and Samsung countersued. The US jury spent most of August in a packed federal courtroom in San Jose?just miles from Apple?s headquarters in Cupertino?listening to testimony, examining evidence and watching lawyers from both sides joust about patents and damage claims.Jurors received over 100 pages of legal instructions from US district judge Lucy Koh on 21 August, prior to hearing the closing arguments from attorneys.Lawyers from both tech giants used their 25 hours each of trial time to present internal emails, draw testimony from designers and experts, and put on product demonstrations and mockups to convince the jury.At times, their questions drew testimony that offered glimpses behind the corporate facade, such as the margins on the iPhone and Samsung?s sales figures in the US.From the beginning, Apple?s tactic was to present what it thought was chronological evidence of Samsung copying its phone.Juxtaposing pictures of phones from both companies and internal Samsung emails that specifically analyzed the features of the iPhone, Apple?s attorneys accused Samsung of taking shortcuts after realizing it could not keep up.Samsung?s attorneys, on the other hand, maintained Apple had no sole right to geometric designs such as rectangles with rounded corners. They called Apple?s damage claim ?ridiculous? and urged the jury to consider that a verdict in favor of Apple could stifle competition and reduce choices for consumers.Samsung?s trial team appeared to suffer from strategic difficulties throughout the case. Judge Koh gave each side 25 hours to present evidence, but Samsung had used more time than Apple before Samsung even began calling its own witnesses.By the end of the trial, Samsung attorneys had to forgo cross-examination of some Apple witnesses due to time constraints. During closing arguments, Samsung lead attorney Charles Verhoeven played mostly defence, spending relatively little time discussing Samsung?s patent claims against Apple.The jury had not been expected to return a decision so rapidly. Even on Friday, Samsung?s lead lawyer was spotted casually clad in a polo T-shirt and jeans.But late Friday afternoon, a court officer announced a verdict had been reached. After the verdict was read, Koh found some inconsistencies in the complex jury form and asked the jury to revisit it, ultimately resulting in a reduction of about $2 million in the damages award.The jury decided Samsung infringed six out of seven Apple patents in the case, and that Apple had not infringed any of Samsung?s patents. Apple?s protected technology includes the ability for a mobile device to distinguish one finger on the screen or two, the design of screen icons, and the front surface of the phone.The jury also upheld the validity of Apple?s patents, and said Samsung acted willfully when it violated several of Apple?s patents. That could form a basis for Koh to triple the damages tab owed by Samsung.?This is a vindication of Apple?s effort to create significant airspace around their design, and that?s relevant not just for Samsung, but for firms coming over the horizon,? said Nick Rodelli, a lawyer and adviser to institutional investors for CFRA Research in Maryland.Apple?s lawyers said they planned to file for an injunction against Samsung products within seven days. Koh set a hearing for 20 September. REUTERS
- Apple wins over Samsung in landmark patent case
25th August 2012 - San Jose, California: Apple Inc. scored a sweeping legal victory over Samsung on Friday as a US jury found the Korean firm had copied critical features of the hugely popular iPhone and iPad and awarded the US company $1.05 billion in damages.The verdict?which came after less than three days of jury deliberations?could lead to an outright ban on the sales of key Samsung products and will likely solidify Apple?s dominance of the exploding mobile computing market.Apple?s victory is a big blow to Google, whose Android software powers the Samsung products that were found to infringe on Apple patents. Google and its hardware partners, including the company?s own Motorola unit, could now face further legal hurdles in their effort to compete with the Apple juggernaut.Samsung lawyers were grimfaced in the quiet but crowded San Jose courtroom as the verdict was read, and the company later put out a statement calling the outcome ?a loss for the American consumer?.The jury deliberated for less than three days before delivering the verdict on seven Apple patent claims and five Samsung patent claims?suggesting that the nine-person panel had little difficulty in concluding that Samsung had copied the iPhone and the iPad.Because the panel found ?willful? infringement, Apple could seek triple damages.Apple upended the mobile phone business when it introduced the iPhone in 2007, and shook the industry again in 2010 when it rolled out the iPad.It has been able to charge premium prices for the iPhone?with profit margins of as much as 58% per phone?for a product consumers regarded as a huge advance in design and usability.The company?s late founder, Steve Jobs, vowed to ?go to thermonuclear war? when Google launched Android, according to his biographer, and the company has filed lawsuits around the world in an effort to block what it considers brazen copying of its inventions.The legal win on Friday came one year after CEO Tim Cook assumed the helm of the firm. Shares in Apple, which just this week became the biggest company by market value in history, climbed almost 2% to a record high of $675 in after-hours trade.Brian Love, a Santa Clara law school professor, described the verdict as a crushing victory for Apple: ?This is the best-case scenario Apple could have hoped for?. Challenge for competitorsThe verdict comes as competition in the mobile device industry intensifies, with Google jumping into hardware for the first time with its Nexus 7 tablet, and Microsoft?s new touchscreen friendly Windows 8 coming in October, led by its ?Surface? tablet.Apple?s victory could present immediate issues for companies that sell Android-based smartphones and tablets, including Google?s own Motorola subsidiary, which it acquired last year for $12.5 billion, and HTC of Taiwan.Amazon -- which has made major inroads into the tablet market with its cheaper Kindle Fire -- uses a modified version of Android for its Kindle products but has not yet been subject to legal challenge by Apple.Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu said the entire Android universe may now have to consider ?doing something different.??It doesn?t take a rocket scientist to look at it and figure it out,? he said. ?Prior to the iPhone, none of the phones were like that. Android, if you look at it, is very similar?.Some in the industry say Apple?s legal offensive is bad for consumers.?Thx Apple it?s now mandatory for tech companies to sue each other. Prices go up, competition & innovation suffer,? Mark Cuban, an Internet entrepreneur and owner of the Dallas Mavericks basketball team, said in a Twitter message.But the legal battles are far from over. In a separate but related case, Apple has won a pre-trial injunction against the Google Nexus tablet. Another lawsuit, against Motorola, was thrown out recently by a federal judge in Chicago, but litigation between the two at the International Trade Commission continues.Earlier on Friday, a South Korean court found that both companies shared blame for patent infringement, ordering Samsung to stop selling 10 products including its Galaxy S II phone and banning Apple from selling four different products, including its iPhone 4.Still, the trial on Apple?s home turf?the world?s largest and most influential technology market?was considered the most important test of whether Apple would be able to gain substantial patent protection for the iPhone and the iPad. Fast-paced, high-stress trialThe legal fight began last year when Apple sued Samsung in multiple countries, and Samsung countersued. The US jury spent most of August in a packed federal courtroom in San Jose?just miles from Apple?s headquarters in Cupertino?listening to testimony, examining evidence and watching lawyers from both sides joust about patents and damage claims.Jurors received over 100 pages of legal instructions from US District Judge Lucy Koh on 21 August, prior to hearing the closing arguments from attorneys.Lawyers from both tech giants used their 25 hours each of trial time to present internal emails, draw testimony from designers and experts, and put on product demonstrations and mockups to convince the jury.At times, their questions drew testimony that offered glimpses behind the corporate facade, such as the margins on the iPhone and Samsung?s sales figures in the United States.From the beginning, Apple?s tactic was to present what it thought was chronological evidence of Samsung copying its phone.Juxtaposing pictures of phones from both companies and internal Samsung emails that specifically analyzed the features of the iPhone, Apple?s attorneys accused Samsung of taking shortcuts after realizing it could not keep up.Samsung?s attorneys, on the other hand, maintained Apple had no sole right to geometric designs such as rectangles with rounded corners. They called Apple?s damage claim ?ridiculous? and urged the jury to consider that a verdict in favor of Apple could stifle competition and reduce choices for consumers.Samsung?s trial team appeared to suffer from strategic difficulties throughout the case. Judge Koh gave each side 25 hours to present evidence, but Samsung had used more time than Apple before Samsung even began calling its own witnesses.By the end of the trial, Samsung attorneys had to forgo cross-examination of some Apple witnesses due to time constraints. During closing arguments, Samsung lead attorney Charles Verhoeven played mostly defense, spending relatively little time discussing Samsung?s patent claims against Apple.The jury had not been expected to return a decision so rapidly. Even on Friday, Samsung?s lead lawyer was spotted casually clad in a polo T-shirt and jeans.But late Friday afternoon, a court officer announced a verdict had been reached. After the verdict was read, Koh found some inconsistencies in the complex jury form and asked the jury to revisit it, ultimately resulting in a reduction of about $2 million in the damages award.The jury decided Samsung infringed six out of seven Apple patents in the case, and that Apple had not infringed any of Samsung?s patents. Apple?s protected technology includes the ability for a mobile device to distinguish one finger on the screen or two, the design of screen icons, and the front surface of the phone.The jury also upheld the validity of Apple?s patents, and said Samsung acted willfully when it violated several of Apple?s patents. That could form a basis for Koh to triple the damages tab owed by Samsung.?This is a vindication of Apple?s effort to create significant airspace around their design, and that?s relevant not just for Samsung, but for firms coming over the horizon,? said Nick Rodelli, a lawyer and adviser to institutional investors for CFRA Research in Maryland.Apple?s lawyers said they planned to file for an injunction against Samsung products within seven days. Koh set a hearing for 20 September. REUTERS
- Gizmo Guru: Understanding ultrabooks
25th August 2012 - We?re looking at the Dell XPS13 and the XPS14z, two of the latest Ultrabooks from Dell, but while they have the same price, and are similar to look at, the two machines actually represent very different paths. The 14? 14z has the latest second generation of Intel?s core processors, and uses a new video card, the Intel 4000 HD, while the smaller and lighter XPS13 has the previous generation of processor, and the Intel 3000 graphics card. So while the 13? is all about the business user, who wants the lightest and most portable machine that?s also powerful enough to put through the paces, the 14z is for people who want a more balanced machine - it?s pushing the limits of the size and weight definitions for an Ultrabook, but is also offering more power and therefore a better long term solution. To contrast, I?ll also bring in a netbook I have lying around. In case anyone has a laptop they can bring, that would also help to immediately mark out the visual difference between a laptop and an ultrabook. But even without that, we?ll have at least three props.Understanding ultrabooksAfter tablets killed the netbook, ultrabooks stepped up as the new face of laptops, and it?s easy to see why.Look at this netbook. Compared to an iPad, it?s bulky, but it still has tiny keys, and the battery lasts half as long as a tablet. Plus the screen seems smaller because you?re never holding it as close as a tablet.So where could laptops go from there? The stage was already set with the Macbook Air, which proved that people were willing to sacrifice a little processing power for a light and stylish device.Watch VideoWhat makes ultrabooks different from ordinary laptops? We test the two latest models from Dell to find out.Loading videoThe Dell XPS13, which we have here, is fairly typical for the category. At its narrowest point, here, it?s just 6mm thick, and if you are having trouble carrying it with just two fingers, you need to get some exercise.It boots up quickly ? you can see that the time from pressing the on button to having a fully working computer was slightly shorter than it took to say this, and the battery lasts for over six hours.It?s powerful enough for any business user, but gamers, and graphic designers are going to find it a little under powered.For me, the keyboard design was also an issue. It?s got these rounded keys that are almost flat against the body, so you don?t always know if you?re typed anything. The one plus is that they included a keyboard backlight, which isn?t standard for the category, strangely enough. The XPS13 has available for Rs 79,990.But what if you want more power? That?s where the Dell XPS14 comes in.It?s around twice as thick as the 13, and weighs more too. It?s got a pretty sleek design though, because once you open it up, you realize they?ve managed to get the screen a whole inch bigger.There?s also double the RAM and a more powerful CPU and video card, making it a powerhouse.The two machines have the same price, so you need to figure out what you?re looking for in a laptop. Either way, these new ultrabooks represent the direction laptops are headed in, as tablets scoop up entry level buyers.
- Samsung didn?t violate Apple design: court
24th August 2012 - Seoul: Samsung Electronics Co.?s flagship Galaxy smartphone looks very similar to Apple?s iPhone, but the South Korean firm has not violated the iPhone design, a Seoul court ruled on Friday.The South Korean ruling comes as the two technology titans are locked in a high-stakes global patent battle that mirrors a fierce rivalry for industry supremacy between two companies that control more than half the world?s smartphone sales.The Seoul court ruling on Friday comes ahead of more crucial US verdicts. Nine jurors began deliberation on Wednesday in California in one of many disputes between the two firms around the world that analysts see as partly aimed at curbing the spread of Google Inc.?s Android, the world?s most used mobile software.?There are lots of external design similarities between the iPhone and Galaxy S, such as rounded corners and large screens... but these similarities had been documented in previous products,? a judge at the Seoul central district court said on Friday.?Given that it?s very limited to make big design changes in touch-screen based mobile products in general...and the defendant (Samsung) differentiated its products with three buttons in the front and adopted different designs in camera and (on the) side, the two products have a different look,? the judge said.The judge said it was difficult to say that consumers would confuse the iPhone with the Galaxy given they clearly have the respective company logos on the back of each model, and consumers also factor in operating systems, brand, applications, price, and services when buying a phone.The judge ordered Samsung to immediately stop selling 10 products, including the Galaxy S II, and also banned sales of four Apple products, including the iPhone 4 and iPad 2.The court ruled that Apple infringed on two of Samsung?s wireless technology patents and was ordered to pay Samsung 40 million won ($35,400). Samsung was fined 25 million won for violating one patent relating to so-called bouncing-back function used when scrolling electronic documents.The compensation sought by both Apple and Samsung in South Korea is small due to the relatively small size of the market.The wrangle was triggered by Apple?s lawsuit in April last year claiming Samsung slavishly copied Apple?s smartphones and tablets. Samsung has countered that it simply developed its own ?unique? products in a bid to ?best the competition?, and that Apple actually owes money for using its patented technology.In the US, Apple is demanding more than $2.5 billion in damages and an order to permanently ban Samsung from selling patent-infringing products. Samsung argues Apple owes $422 million for violating a clutch of its patents.Neither Apple nor Samsung had an immediate comment on the Seoul ruling.In Seoul, Samsung shares last traded down 1.3%, in line with the broader market.
- Court rules Samsung didn?t violate Apple design
24th August 2012 - Seoul: Samsung Electronics Co?s flagship Galaxy smartphone looks very similar to Apple?s iPhone, but the South Korean firm has not violated the iPhone design, a Seoul court ruled on Friday.The South Korean ruling comes as the two technology titans are locked in a high-stakes global patent battle that mirrors a fierce rivalry for industry supremacy between two companies that control more than half the world?s smartphone sales.The Seoul court ruling on Friday comes ahead of more crucial US verdicts. Nine jurors began deliberation on Wednesday in California in one of many disputes between the two firms around the world that analysts see as partly aimed at curbing the spread of Google Inc.?s Android, the world?s most used mobile software.?There are lots of external design similarities between the iPhone and Galaxy S, such as rounded corners and large screens... but these similarities had been documented in previous products,? a judge at the Seoul central district court said on Friday.?Given that it?s very limited to make big design changes in touch-screen based mobile products in general...and the defendant (Samsung) differentiated its products with three buttons in the front and adopted different designs in camera and (on the) side, the two products have a different look,? the judge said.The judge said it was difficult to say that consumers would confuse the iPhone with the Galaxy given they clearly have the respective company logos on the back of each model, and consumers also factor in operating systems, brand, applications, price, and services when buying a phone.The judge ordered Samsung to immediately stop selling 10 products, including the Galaxy S II, and also banned sales of four Apple products, including the iPhone 4 and iPad 2.The court ruled that Apple infringed on two of Samsung?s wireless technology patents and was ordered to pay Samsung 40 million won ($35,400). Samsung was fined 25 million won for violating one patent relating to so-called bouncing-back function used when scrolling electronic documents.The compensation sought by both Apple and Samsung in South Korea is small due to the relatively small size of the market.The wrangle was triggered by Apple?s lawsuit in April last year claiming Samsung slavishly copied Apple?s smartphones and tablets. Samsung has countered that it simply developed its own ?unique? products in a bid to ?best the competition?, and that Apple actually owes money for using its patented technology.In the US, Apple is demanding more than $2.5 billion in damages and an order to permanently ban Samsung from selling patent-infringing products. Samsung argues Apple owes $422 million for violating a clutch of its patents.Neither Apple nor Samsung had an immediate comment on the Seoul ruling.In Seoul, Samsung shares last traded down 1.3%, in line with the broader market.
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