Apple v. Samsung jury asks permission to stay late; is a verdict coming tonight?

Friday, August 24, 2012

The  men and two women that make up the jury deciding the outcome of the Apple v. Samsung patent trial have requested an extra hour to deliberate on Friday. Could this mean that the jury is close to reaching a decision? Will we hear a verdict before the weekend? Although that is a possibility, some believe that the request is merely a sign that the jury is having long discussions about the case and that they need the extra time to go through the 40 page jury verdict form that even long time court veterans have described as being complicated.

Crossword puzzle? No, part of a jury verdict form that was proposed by Samsung for use in the Apple v. Samsung patent trial

Crossword puzzle? No, part of a jury verdict form that was proposed by Samsung for use in the Apple v. Samsung patent trial
Put yourself in the shoes of one of the jurors. You sat through 120 minutes of instructions read from 108 pages by Judge Lucy Koh, and now you have 700 individual questions to answer including the decision of which devices infringed upon which patents, how much in damages each side should be awarded, was the infringement intentional, which current products are affected by patent infringements and more. Some courtroom observers say that the size and scope of the jury verdict form guarantees that deliberations will be long.

Apple seeks $2.5 billion to $2.75 billion in damages from Samsung, an amount Apple's legal team said in closing arguments, that is being asked for as a warning to other companies not to infringe on patents belonging to multi-billion dollar companies. Samsung's counter-suit seeks $400 million. Legal experts believe that Samsung's case was the weaker of the two, but believe that the jury might look to split the verdict to give each company a partial victory instead of the chest thumping verdict they each seek.

Speaking of split verdicts, early Friday morning in the States, news came that a three judge panel in South Korea had announced a split verdict in another Apple-Samsung patent trial. While both sides ended up with a little cash, the main part of the verdict was the banning of the Apple iPhone 4S, Apple iPad 2, Samsung Galaxy S, Samsung Galaxy S II, Samsung GALAXY Tab and Samsung GALAXY Tab 10.1 devices in the country.

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Samsung NX20 Review

Here we go again: Samsung hits the market with another compact, interchangeable lens, mirrorless camera. Brave I call it!

Now that Canon is about to enter the market with its EOS-M the majors are all out there, braving the winds with their wares. In Samsung’s case it’s a tough game for a brand that’s possibly better known for its TVs, domestic white goods (fridges etc), smart phones etc but one that has not yet established its creds in the photo industry.
Sony has done it. As has Panasonic. But in both their cases they have relied on a major Euro lens maker to gold-plate their camera bodies: Zeiss with the former, Leica with the latter. As many have found out, the camera brand kit lenses usually sold at attractive prices really don’t cut the mustard.
So here we have a major Korean company out there pushing its photographic wares with both body and lenses branded ‘Samsung’.
But don’t take your eyes off the Koreans! They have frightened the pants off the Japanese and the Americans with Hyundai and Kia autos and some pretty smart electronics products. Think Samsung!

Handling

The review camera was fitted with the f3.5/18-55mm kit lens.
For me, it was immediate attraction: the camera looks like a full DSLR, but scaled down. The speed grip at right is ideally proportioned, with nearly all the controls grouped near right thumb and forefinger; the mode dial supports access to PASM, plus scene modes, WiFi to connect to a WLAN, movie shooting, custom and lens priority modes.

The latter is interesting and continues a feature seen in earlier NX models. With this you toggle between shutter speed, aperture, EV, WB and ISO rapidly by depressing the i-Function button and rolling a ring on the lens. Just be careful: it’s all too easy to dial in exposure compensation without realising it. At rear is the jog dial, replay buttons etc. The only button that sits on the top deck at left is the onboard flash switch.
For what it’s worth the screen menu is accurate and colourful.

Samsung NX20 Features

The camera captures 20.3 megapixels on an APS-C sized CMOS sensor, with a maximum image size of 5472×3648 pixels and a print potential of 46x31cm.


Movies are treated better than some earlier NX models: Full HD MPEG4 at 1920×1080 pixels. In all modes (Program AE, shutter or aperture priority and manual) exposure can be adjusted. You can even opt for a fade in or fade out to/from a scene as you shoot.
I found the AF to work smoothly if not rapidly while shooting movies. The stabiliser did its job well.
It was possible to shoot stills while shooting video but the latter was interrupted at that time. Note: AF and zoom noise may be recorded as you shoot.
The 7.6cm OLED screen swings laterally and upwards; there is an eye sensor so the view switches from eye level to rear screen when your eyebrow approaches.
A useful feature seen increasingly on many budget cameras is a level indicator; the NX20 has this terrific feature. Until you use it you won’t realise how useful it is!

Samsung NX20 ISO Tests

Matters sail along quite well until ISO 3200. At ISO 6400 noise is noticeable. By ISO 12800 noise and artefacts work against you.

Samsung NX20 Verdict

Quality: fully saturated colour, excellent definition.
Why you’d buy the Samsung NX20: small, light.
Why you wouldn’t: suspicious of Samsung lenses; the plinky plonky sounds of the camera functions.
Available in white or black.

Just one note: the instruction manual PDF is terrific, especially if you are a beginner; it has pages and pages of useful info and diagrams on photographic basics. Perversely, this is also a pointer as to the intended market for the camera.

Samsung NX20 Specifications

Image Sensor: 20.3 million effective pixels.
Metering: Multi segment, centre-weighted, spot.
Lens Mount: Samsung NX.
Exposure Modes: Program AE, shutter and aperture priority, manual.
Effective Sensor Size: 23.5×15.6mm HD CMOS.
35 SLR Lens Factor: 1.5x.
Shutter Speed (stills): 30 to 1/8000 second and Bulb.
Continuous Shooting: 3-8fps.
Memory: SD/SDHC/SDXC cards.
Image Sizes (pixels): Stills: 5472×3648 to 1024×1024.
Movies: 1920×1080, 1280×720, 640×480, 320×240.
Viewfinder: Turret (480.000); 7.6cm AMOLED screen (614,000 pixels).
File Formats: JPEG, RAW (SRW), JPEG+RAW, MPO (3D), MPEG4.
Colour Space: sRGB, Adobe RGB.
ISO Sensitivity: Auto, 100 to 12,800.
Interface: USB 2.0, HDMI mini, WiFi.
Power: Rechargeable lithium ion battery, DC input.
Dimensions: 122×89.6×39.5 WHDmm.
Weight: 341 g (ex battery and card).
Price: Get a price on the Samsung NX20

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Quad-core Samsung Galaxy S III with Exynos/LTE combo in store for Germany

Who said the Exynos processor doesn't play well with LTE? Samsung stated that it will be trying to integrate 4G LTE in its own line of system chips, and has seemingly delivered in a quad-core Samsung Galaxy S III LTE that will sport the coveted 4G radio, destined for German carriers.

Now we actually doubt that Samsung is having the radio integrated, like in Qualcomm's Snapdragon chipsets, as it is too soon after the CEOs battlecry for Samsung to develop true SoCs, baseband radio integration and all, but this Exynos/LTE combo is still good to see outside the company's home turf, as it is also rumored to appear like that for Rogers in Canada.

The LTE radio working alongside Samsung's own quad-core processor apparently doesn't come cheap, though - pricing has been tipped at EUR 740, or about $940 SIM-free, which is pretty high up there, even if you consider that gear is usually at least a fifth more expensive in Europe than in the US. The Samsung Galaxy S III LTE is about to hit German carriers in October.

source: SammyHub

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Apple whips out a Nokia Lumia and Xperia arc at court and says "Not every phone needs to look like an iPhone!"

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Nokia and Sony got a little pep talk about the design of their Lumia and Xperia handsets during the closing arguments in the Apple-Samsung trial yesterday, when Apple's star lawyer Harold McElhinny whipped out an unspecified Lumia plus an Xperia arc, and exclaimed: "Not every phone has to look like an iPhone!"

The Lumia line design is in turn directly borrowed from the work on the MeeGo-powered Nokia N9. The Finns mentioned that they didn't really have time to think about other groundbreaking chassis types for their first Windows Phone batche, so they used what was exclusive in the design studio at the moment, and in advanced stage of production, like the signature policarbonate unibody in flashy colors.

For its next Windows Phone devices Nokia said it is venturing into other memorable design paradigms, so we can't wait to see what September 5 brings, because, frankly, once you've hit the multicore chipsets and HD screens stage, design is pretty much your chief means of differentiation in the tangible realm.

source: TheVerge

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MetroPCS introduces Samsung Galaxy S III to its fall lineup

Just yesterday, MetroPCS unveiled a brand new $55 unlimited 4G LTE data, talk and text plan, and now to go with it comes the Samsung Galaxy S III. MetroPCS revealed the upcoming Galaxy S III as part of its fall lineup, planning to roll out the SGS III “later this year.”

Alongside the Android gem that the Samsung Galaxy S III is, MetroPCS is also getting a more compact Samsung-branded Gingerbread phone that stands out by being the first to come with Voice over LTE (or VoLTE) for high-quality voice calls.

MetroPCS will also add two more affordable Gingerbread devices, one made by ZTE and another one by Coolpad. The ZTE MetroPCS phone will feature a 4.3-inch display and a front facing camera, but we have no further details. The second device, the Coolpad will retail for only $149 and sport a 4-inch screen.

Now, none of these would steal the show from the Galaxy S III on MetroPCS, and actually with the S III on board and that $55 all-you-can-eat plan, you have a pretty good reason to stay with the regional carrier or even jump ship to it, don't you think?

source: PhoneScoop

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The future of mobile device design depends on nine completely random people: here's who

Remember that huge Apple versus Samsung legal fight? You simply couldn't have forgotten it – we've been writing about it in not months but already what seems like years. It's finally coming to its glorious apogee these days and we're very soon to hear who won and pretty much what the future of phone design will look like. You might think that a lot depends on Lucy Koh, the California judge nominated by Barack Obama in 2010. You might think that a lot depends on the hordes of lawyers hired by Apple and Samsung.

Truth is, the outcome of this case lies on the jury. A jury might sound authoritative, but in reality it's just nine completely random people that have spend the last few days (not weeks, not even months) in court and getting acquainted with possibly the biggest legal fight in mobile history.

“I am worried we might have a seriously confused jury here,” Judge Lucy Koh said during one of the court proceedings. “I have trouble understanding this, and I have spent a little more time with this than they have.”

We wouldn't blame the jury if they don't completely understand what's going on – we have the background and we've spent the time to look through some of the documents, but still can't brag about having a full grasp of the patent issue. So shouldn't be an expert making the decision? Whatever it will be, it will come from:

1. An electrical engineer
2. A homemaker
3. A construction worker
4. A young unemployed man who likes video games
5. An insurance agent
6. An ex-Navy avionics technician
7. A store operations manager for a cycling retailer
8. A project manager for wireless carrier AT&T
9. A benefits and payroll manager who works with startups

That is two women and seven men and while you might argue that some of the professions might suggest some form of proximity with the world of technology and patent law, some of the other professions simply have nothing in common with those two areas.

The flipside of the coin is that if you bring experts, you risk bias and democracy. But this... just feels a bit risky. Whatever the turnout, one thing is sure – both Samsung and Apple will appeal. What do you think, who should be deciding this and will the current state of things work out fine?

source: Tech Crunch, Ars Technica, Reuters

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Jelly Bean coming to International Samsung Galaxy S III next week

The GT-i9300 is getting Jelly Bean next week. If you don't remember what phone that model number relates to, it's the International version of the Samsung Galaxy S III. This comes from sources for Android Central who are familiar with Samsung's plans. Once the August 29th Samsung Unpacked event is over (and presumably Sammy packs up), the Android 4.1 update will start rolling out across the globe, including the United Kingdom.

Besides getting the usual Jelly Bean features like Google Now, the update will also bring new features to the International Samsung Galaxy S III through TouchWiz. These include the new "dormant mode" that improves notifications and alerts, and an "easy mode" for, well, easy home screen functionality.

So where does this leave those sporting the Qualcomm S4 powered version of the sizzling hot Android smartphone? Besides being a little envious, it leaves them just a bit closer to getting Android 4.1 on their device.

source: AndroidCentral

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Back to school 2012: your guide to smartphones

Labor day is close and you know what that means right? Get that backpack ready, the school year is about to start. You might be upset about it, or you might be happy to reunite with people you haven’t seen in the summer, but the start of the school year is also the time and place to check how much everyone’s changed. Our fellow geeks, will notice that more and more people have joined the smartphone craze, and to keep up with the times here is our guide to the best smartphones to go back to school with.

Despite giving you the list below, though, for the first time in a while, we would wholeheartedly recommend that you don’t get a phone right now. Seriously, just wait a couple of weeks, and you’d save yourself a possible disappointment.

We have a couple of reasons why. First, the iPhone 5 is coming on September 12th and it’s expected to be the biggest upgrade to the iPhone since it launched in 2007. Second, the Samsung Galaxy Note II is coming with a bigger 5.5-inch screen and an S Pen that you’d appreciate in school. Third, Windows Phone 8 will arrive with a wave of new devices finally bringing dual-core processors and HD screens to Microsoft’s platform.

But does this mean there aren’t any good devices out there at the moment? Not at all! We’ve picked five great smartphones to help you with learning (and partying) that coincidentally all happen to run on Android. It’s just the upcoming events for iOS and Windows Phone that are the reason for this, don’t hurry to see bias here. And really, if you can, just wait a couple of weeks, it’d be worth it.

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