Samsung Will Have to Pay Apple $120 Million

A US jury has recently ordered Samsung to pay almost $120 million to Apple for smartphone patent violations, though it is much less than iPhone-maker initially wanted and marked a big loss for Apple in the latest round of the two companies’ litigation.

Apple have accusing Samsung of violating patents on smartphone features for a while now, trying to claim it was Steve Jobs who invented everything. In response, Samsung denied warongdoing. In result of one of the trials, which took place in the United States, the jury found Samsung infringed two Apple patents.

The two companies have been fighting in courts across the globe for several years now. Jurors awarded Apple about $930 million after a trial in the US two years ago, but the company failed to persuade American district judge to issue a permanent injunction against the sale of Samsung phones in the United States.

Industry experts think that Apple is just trying to curtail the rapid growth of phones based on Google’s rival Android software. It is known that Samsung was by far the largest adopter of this mobile OS. Despite the fact that this verdict is large compared to others, it can’t be regarded as a victory for Apple. The matter is that this award is less than 10% of the amount Apple requested, and may even not surpass the amount of money the company spent litigating this case.

The latest lawsuit involves 5 Apple patents that weren’t at issue at that trial two years ago and cover such iPhone features as slide-to-unlock and search technology. The iPhone-maker had sought to ban sales of a number of Samsung phones, including the Galaxy S3, and demanded over $2 billion in damages.

Apple claimed that the recent ruling reinforced its stance that Samsung stole its ideas and copied its products. This situation led some experts to question if patent litigation was a viable strategy, as it can be abused and hinder innovation. The supporters of this point of view believe that litigation can help innovators protect their IP and benefit from it.

Samsung argued that Apple had exaggerated the importance of its iPhone features, while Apple argued that the Korean company couldn’t have competed in the smartphone market without copying iPhone.
In the trial two years ago, by the way, it was also found that Apple had infringed one of Samsung’s patents, and the Galaxy-maker was awarded $158,400
EnjOy.. :)
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:Samsung Galaxy S5 launch in MWC 2014:

Live: Samsung Galaxy S5 launch in MWC 2014

 

Live updates of the Samsung Galaxy S5 launch from MWC 2014:

1.20 am: The Galaxy S5 has a larger screen than its predecessor, at 5.1 inches (12.95 cm), instead of 5 inches, and a sharper camera, with a resolution of 16 megapixels, up from 13 megapixels.

1: 15 am: Davind Park of Samsung briefing about technical specifications of Samsung Galaxy S5.

01:00am: Jean-Daniel Ayme of a European telecommunications body speaking about Samsung Galaxy S5 features on stage.

00: 45 am: The Samsung Galaxy S5 features a 5.1-inch display with a 1080x1920 pixel full-HD resolution. Powered by an unnamed 2.5GHz quad-core processor, it also have 2GB RAM, and runs on Android 4.4.2 KitKat.

Sony unveiled a new waterproof phone that can take ultra-high-definition video. Nokia introduced three Android smartphones aimed at emerging markets. And Lenovo announced one with an all-glass exterior.

Yet most of the attention will be on Samsung, is expected to announce a successor to its flagship Galaxy S4 smartphone at MWC 2014. That's bad news for all the other phone makers trying to get noticed at the Mobile World Congress wireless show, which opened Monday in Barcelona, Spain.

"It's increasingly difficult to get attention for your mobile device in a very crowded marketplace," said Dan Hays, US wireless advisory leader at the consulting firm PwC.

It's even more difficult when one of the competing devices comes from Samsung Electronics Co., which already announced two new computerized wristwatches on Sunday. Apple is the only company that might be able to overshadow Samsung, but it isn't attending or announcing anything at the show.

Samsung is "going to take the oxygen out of the room," said Roger Entner, an analyst with the Recon Analytics research firm in Boston.

Entner said the S4 and its predecessor, the Galaxy S III, were both blockbuster phones and have helped Samsung surpass iPhone maker Apple Inc. as the world's largest smartphone maker. According to Gartner, Samsung had a 31 per cent market share last year, compared with 16 per cent for Apple. No other company had more than 5 percent.

More important than having well-made phones, however, "is that they are spending a significant amount on advertising," Entner said.

Samsung spent nearly 4.6 trillion won ($4.3 billion) in advertising in the 12 months through September, about four times the $1.1 billion Apple spent in the same period, the latest for which figures were available. Although Samsung also makes TVs, refrigerators and other products, analysts believe much of the marketing is for newer products such as phones.

In a November interview with The Associated Press, Motorola Mobility CEO Dennis Woodside said Samsung has shown "that marketing can really create a product and create a phenomenon. We're never going to have the money that they have to market our products."

The only other company that comes close to matching Samsung's muscle is Apple. The iPhone's debut in 2007 showed the world that phones can do much more than calls and messages. Since then, each new iPhone release has taken on an aura of a rock concert, with the most devoted Apple fans lining up at stores for hours or days to buy one.

Apple typically skips trade shows, however, and prefers holding its own events.

In fact, Samsung also typically holds its own events. Last year's Galaxy S4 announcement came in New York a few weeks after the Barcelona show. But timing this year's unveiling to the show is a good opportunity for Samsung to make deals with wireless carriers and other partners.

Sony Mobile president Kunimasa Suzuki said that with Apple and Samsung so dominant, the real battle is for No. 3. He said that means marketing that is focused by country and product line.

"It doesn't mean we just directly compete with the big giants," he said in an interview Monday.

Despite all the marketing power, Samsung will have to give people a reason to upgrade. It must shatter the notion that phone improvements these days are incremental rather than innovative, said Will Stofega, program director for mobile phones with research firm IDC.

In the past, Samsung has tried to appear innovative by packing its Android phones with a slew of features, such as automatic scrolling of content when the phone or user's head is tilted. But these features don't always work as promised and come across as disjointed from one another.

People will be looking for Samsung to "really redesign and create an experience that feels less packed," Stofega said.

Samsung also has been updating phones by making their screens larger. The S4's display measures 5 inches diagonally, compared with 4.8 inches on the S III and 4 inches on the original S from 2010. The iPhone's screen has stayed steady at 4 inches since 2012.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/live-samsung-galaxy-s5-launch-in-mwc-2014/1/345384.html

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Bugs Of Techn0l0gy

Google announces 'KitKat' as next Android version as platform crosses 1 billion activations

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Hot on the heels of Apple's announcement of its Sept. 10 iPhone event, Google has revealed some major news of its own. Sundar Pichai, head of Chrome and Android, has announced that the Android 4.4 will officially be known as "KitKat." A landing page on the official Android website has confirmed KitKat as the "K" dessert, as well as the fact that the next version of Android will be 4.4 rather than 5.0.

To go along with its new dessert, Google has revealed that specially-wrapped KitKat bars with Android branding will soon begin appearing in stores. Buyers will have the chance to win a new Nexus 7 tablet or Google Play credit.

It's long been rumored that "Key Lime Pie" would be the nickname for the next major version of Android. That's part of the reason why this "KitKat" name comes as a surprise, with the other part being that Google has chosen a trademarked name to represent its new software. John Lagerling, Google's director of Android partnerships, has told BBC News that neither side is paying one another for the deal. Instead, Lagerling explainsthat the driving force behind the decision was to do something "fun and unexpected."

As for the "Key Lime Pie" name, it's said that Google's Android team had referred to the new software by that moniker internally. However, Lagerling says that because few people know what a key lime pie tastes like, Google decided to go in another direction. KitKats were suggested as a possibility because Google keeps them stocked in its kitchens for late night snacking, and 24 hours after making a cold call to Nestle in November 2012 to inquire about a partnership, a deal between the two companies was struck.

Unfortunately for Android fans hungry for more KitKat, there's no word yet on exactly what features the new OS will include. Google does promise on its landing page that its goal with KitKat is to "make an amazing Android experience available for everybody." Only El Goog knows for sure what that means, but it could suggest that the company plans to improve Android to work on lower-end hardware, both for entry-level devices and for products like smartwatches.

Pichai also announced today that Android has officially crossed the 1 billion device activation mark. This milestone comes around 3 1/2 months after the total number of activations hit 900 million.

Via  Android KitKat, BBC News

EnjOy.. :)

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:Samsung Galaxy S IV Rumors:

Last-Minute Samsung Galaxy S IV Rumors

There’s but one more day left before the world finally receives the official word on Samsung’s latest device from the Galaxy S range. Tomorrow, March 14, Samsung is slated to hold the official launch of the Galaxy S4 at the iconic Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Unsurprisingly, the speculations are not dying. It’s just the opposite – we continue to receive last-minute details and leaks.

The Samsung Galaxy S IV featured in the teaser video this week

One of the more interesting tidbits that have been thrown out in the open is the idea that Samsung might be using a 3D camera in the Galaxy S4. I say interesting only because no other smartphone in the market has this feature right now. Truth be told, however, I couldn’t care less if they did use a 3D camera. I have been hard-pressed to appreciate 3D on the TV, and I don’t think 3D will be a deciding factor for me in the foreseeable future. Still, there might be enough attention stirred up by a 3D camera on a phone. What do you think?

I think that the earlier speculation about eye-tracking software in the Galaxy S4 is worth more. While the thought of your device “looking back at you” can be disconcerting, the idea of using eye movement to control your phone’s interface is definitely exciting. There is probably going to be a learning/adjustment curve, but it’ll be more useful than a 3D camera.

How about the specs? Here’s a quick rundown of the details that have been going around.

• An eight-core Exynos processor
• A separate eight-core graphics processing unit
• A 4.99-inch Super Amoled display
• 2GB of RAM
• A 13-megapixel rear camera with 1080p video capability – which may very well have 3D capabilities, if the rumors prove to be true
• A 2-megapixel front-facing camera
• Android 4.2.2, Jelly Bean

Whether we see a 3D camera and eye-tracking software or not, the other specs are still rather impressive. With what we’ve seen from the S3 and Note 2, the Galaxy S4 really does make one want to play with it. That’s an Apple user talking.

EnjOy..:)

MamoOn..

:Samsung to manufacture 100 million Galaxy S IV phones:

The Samsung Galaxy S IV is guaranteed to be one of the hottest sellers and after crushing the numbers, analysts have predicted that the next Samsung flagship might cause headaches to Apple.

Peter Misek from Jefferies & Company wrote a note to clients of the analytics firm saying that Samsung plans to build 100 million Galaxy S IV phones. That would require monstrous amounts of resources, which would eat into manufacturing capacity for the upcoming iPhone update.

“The enormous 100 million S4 build plan (we estimate the S3 sold 60M) is leading some suppliers to say that they will reallocate resources away from Apple.”

The last official numbers are from mid-January and state that 40 million Galaxy S III’s were shipped.

On the topic of the next iPhone, Misek had previously written that Apple is already facing manufacturing issues as suppliers struggle to provide enough units of the bigger screen for the new Apple phone. This might even lead to delaying the launch until next year.

We’re a little skeptical of another screen increase so soon after the iPhone 5 (which brought a 21% bump in surface area). With iOS’ limited resolution options, a bigger screen will lead to a decrease in screen sharpness, possibly sliding below the Retina mark. Plus, Tim Cook probably doesn’t want see the iPhone upgrade timeframe slip back like it did with the 4S.

Still, 100 million Galaxy S IV’s will ensure Samsung’s dominance in the Android market (if Misek’s numbers are correct, of course). But with Apple decreasing its dependence on Samsung components, how much can iPhone 5S/6 manufacturing suffer from limited supply from Samsung and other component makers?

EnjOy.. :)
MamoOn..

Samsung Galaxy S II vs Apple iPhone 4

We put the brand new Samsung Galaxy S II against its market-defining rival, the Apple iPhone 4 to see which comes out on top

Samsung Galaxy S II vs Apple iPhone 4

Samsung's Galaxy S II was probably the most important phone launched at Mobile World Congress 2011.
Like its precessor the Samsung Galaxy S, it has a stunning screen and looks like a beautiful object.
We compare the stats of the two devices to see which touchscreened beauty takes the biscuit.

Form

Samsung Galaxy S II - 125.3x66.1x8.49mm, 116g
Apple iPhone 4 - 115.2x58.6x9.3mm, 137g

Overall the iPhone 4 is a more compact solution, the one exception being the thickness (or should that be thinness?) as it is just pipped by the Samsung S II by only a hair’s breadth, the S II also weighs less, but really if you’re looking for a sleek, compact and ultra-thin handset you simply cannot go wrong with either of these phones, they both looks the business as far as state-of-the-art, wafer thin smartphones are concerned.
We’ll cover display in more detail in a moment but it’s fair to say that physical size of the device affects the screen size and in this regard the Samsung has the largest of the pair with a 4.3-inch touchscreen, while the iPhone 4 has a 3.5-inch.
After that it really comes down to personal preference, the iPhone 4 is, well, an iPhone, with all the visual styling that goes with it and just like a certain yeast-based spread people tend to either love it or hate it. The Galaxy S II, on the other hand, may prove to be something of an acquired taste being something of a departure from the original Galaxy S’s smooth curves, we found the slightly more angular, ‘slab-like’ stylings of the S II have a certain charm to them.
The iPhone 4 is undoubtedly an attractive looking piece of kit but there are some who might be a bit tired of the now very familiar iDevice style, but it will no doubt always have its admirers.
Between the larger screen size, lighter weight and bold styling I’m going to have to vote in favour of the Samsung Galaxy S II on this one.
Winner – Samsung Galaxy S II

Display

As we mentioned the Galaxy S II has the larger screen of these devices at 4.3-inches to the iPhone 4’s 3.5-inches. The iPhone 4’s display is an LED backlit, capacitive TFT touchscreen at 960x640 resolution which features a “scratch-resistant oleophobic surface” along with multi-touch and a three axis gyro auto-rotate sensor.
The S II’s screen is a Super Amoled Plus at 800 x 480 resolution. This is a tricky one to call, iPhone screens are some of the best around and the 960x640 resolution is great but the Samsung’s Super Amoled provides a brighter and more vivid display than the iPhone 4’s retina display and with reduced power consumption to boot.
Overall we think the Super Amoled’s practical features just pushes the Samsung into the winning position in this category.
Winner – Samsung Galaxy S II

Operating System

The Galaxy S II runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread and of course the iPhone 4 uses the latest version of Apple’s iOS.
Again this is a case of personal preference, Android is a much more customisable platform if that is what you’re after but there’s no denying the smoothness and usability of the iOS if you want something that will do a good job and don’t have the need for a tailored system.
Android does have its peculiar quirks, some of which are a bit irritating truth be told, in particular the web browser to which Opera or another third party browser is usually preferable.
Whatever you think of Apple products there is something about using an iOS device that brings a smile to your face because of its simplicity and how well it works, it’s just a no fuss platform and that’s definitely something to recommend.
Given time Android will likely smooth out the blemishes, although fragmentation issues are something to consider, future versions will aim to merge the current phone and tablet systems (Gingerbread and Honeycomb) into a much better platform and this is something we can see the S II really taking advantage of.
Winner – Draw

Storage

The iPhone 4 comes with either 16 or 32 GB internal storage and 512 MB RAM but sadly is let down by lack of card support, the Galaxy S II has the same internal storage options but with 1 GB RAM and allows up to 32 GB via Micro SD card.
This is something of a no-contest, the iPhone 4 not having card support on a modern smartphone is a big faux pas in our view as Apple continues to make the same blunder with its iPhone line. The Galaxy S II’s 32 GB Micro SD support and extra bit of RAM makes it a clear winner on this round.
Winner – Samsung Galaxy S II

Cameras

The Samsung Galaxy S II features an 8-megapixel primary camera at the rear of the phone, which also features an LED flash and is capable of capturing video and images at 1080p.
The S II also has a 2-megapixel camera on the front. The iPhone 4, meanwhile, has a 5-megapixel primary with LED flash and a 2592 x 1944 resolution, capable of 720p image and video capture.
The iPhone 4 camera also includes touch focus and geo-tagging features. The iPhone 4’s secondary camera is designed for the phone’s video-calling feature via Wi-Fi connections.
On this round it’s a case of bigger is better and the S II’s beefy 8-megapixel primary camera gives it that edge.
Winner- Samsung Galaxy S II

Apps

While the number and quality of apps for Android is steadily increasing it still is yet to come close to touching Apple’s crown as the undisputed King of apps.
You simply can’t beat an iOS device for sheer choice of great apps and for this reason there is no hesitation in saying the iPhone 4 wins this round straight away.
Winner – Apple iPhone 4

Processor

The iPhone 4 uses a 1 GHz Apple A4 processor, actually manufactured for Apple by Samsung. The A4 features a single ARM Cortex-A8 CPU core paired with a PowerVR SGX 535 graphics processor (GPU). The Galaxy S II uses Samsung’s own Exynos Dual Core Application Processor.
 Apple’s processors are always impressive specimens and have enabled the iPhones to lead the smartphone pack in running apps, media and games effortlessly, to date they have made it look easy.
We somehow doubt the S II will come close to making the iPhone 4 look feeble but it does represent the ‘next gen’ of handsets a bit more than the iPhone 4 with its dual-core processor.
Phones are starting to follow the trends set by desktop and laptop computers where more cores has meant more power and efficiency, provided the programs and applications are made to utilise the multiple cores, that is.
As brilliant as Apple’s A4 processor is it’s not in line with the forward-thinking approach Samsung has taken with implementing dual-core technology in the Galaxy S II. In the long run the S II should prove more versatile but it doesn’t detract from how well the iPhone 4 functions in the current market.
Winner – Samsung Galaxy S II

Final Thoughts

This one has been really tough. The iPhone 4 is a great little handset which is very difficult to find fault with but it is a very current device and this is where the Samsung Galaxy S II distinguishes itself as something we can see being used for longer.
Samsung has future-proofed the S II by beefing up the features such as the camera and storage and have used clever tech like the dual-core processor and more power efficient screen.
In some ways it seems like Apple is simply sticking to its guns and catering to its own specific corner of the market, the company isn’t breaking ground with the new iPhone 4 where Samsung is really consolidating its position in the wake of the Galaxy S with a really ramped up successor in the Galaxy S II.

EnjOy..=)
MamoOn..