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Apple Alleges $85 Million Error In Court Damages Order

Samsung can’t seem to shake Apple off its back and although damages of $599 million were awarded to Apple, the tech giant still isn’t satisfied. In documents filed by Apple, they claim Judge Lucy Koh made an $85 million error in calculating damages. Supposedly, Koh thought the jury had granted $44,792,974 for the Infuse 4G and $40,494,356 for the Galaxy S II on AT&T, Florian Mueller reports for FOSS Patents. However, according to Apple, Samsung’s own statements prove that “disgorgement of profits for design patent infringement”, were permissible.

“The number of products for which the damages award can stand would go up from 14 to 16, while the number of products for which a new determination is needed would go down from 14 to 12. The affirmed damages award would increase from $600 million to $685 million, almost two thirds of the $1.05 billion verdict”.

Apple now seeks the court’s permission to bring a motion for reconsideration, though the request to bring such a motion is, for the time being, conditional.

Apple’s conditional motion cites Civil Local Rule 7-9(b)(3). The related rule of the Northern District of California allows a motion for reconsideration in the event of “[a] manifest failure by the Court to consider material facts or dispositive legal arguments which were presented to the Court before such interlocutory order”.

This is getting interesting!

[FOSS Patents]

March 28, 2013
Microsoft : Windows Phone Is Outselling iPhone In 7 Markets, Including India

On Wednesday a blog post from Frank Shaw, head of PR at Microsoft, revealed that Windows Phone is outshipping the iPhone in seven countries.

According to the IDC, who measures shipped numbers, more Windows Phones were shipped into 7 markets than iPhones and more than Blackberry in 26 markets.

But before Apple fans explode with indignation, yes there is a catch. Windows Phone outsold the iPhone in a smattering of emerging markets, where the high price of Apple’s trendy phone is probably a barrier to sales success. In total Windows Phone led the iPhone in Argentina, India, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Ukraine, and “rest of central and eastern Europe”.

In India, the arrival of low-end Windows Phone devices — namely Nokia Lumia 510/620/820 – has certainly boosted Windows Phone. Nokia’s also trying to market its Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 handsets via television and print campaigns. So it won’t come as a surprise if shipments are higher than that of the iPhone given that the iPhone commands a much higher retail price.

IDC’s numbers also reflect only the official number of cellphones imported into the countries. IDC said that in some countries, like Argentina and India high government taxes mean there is a very significant gray market in cellphones, which IDC doesn’t track. So it is hard to know actual market share in those places.

While it’s certainly good news that Windows Phone is breaking into emerging markets, Windows Phone has had issues breaking in to the tough, and arguably more significant North American market as of late. Tackling the developed markets is no doubt a priority for Microsoft at the moment, and with Nokia continuing to release new devices, hopefully for Microsoft, progress will come.

Do these facts diminish Microsoft’s announcement that Windows Phone outshipped the iPhone in seven countries — or not? Tell us in the comments, below.

[Mashable]

March 28, 2013
PS4 Blu-Ray Drive Is 3x Than PS3’s, Features Boosted Storage Sub-System

The Game Developers Conference in San Francisco is well under way, with some details on Sony’s upcoming next-gen console, the PlayStation 4. Sony Senior Staff Engineer Chris Norden went into greater technical detail on some of the PlayStation 4’s underlying hardware.

Contrary to rumors stating that Sony would abandon the numbering structure for its next-gen console, the next PlayStation will, indeed, be called the PlayStation 4.

PS4’s Blu-Ray drive is three times faster than the current PS3 drive, Norden confirmed. Keeping in mind that the PS3 is equipped with 2x BD drive capable of reading Blu-ray discs at up to 9MB/s speed. The three times faster solution is a 6x BD drive that can read discs at up to 27MB/s, which should be enough not only for modern games, but also for next-generation 4K video discs, assuming that they are Blu-ray or compatible with the drive (or use the same 405nm wavelength as BD).

He added that the hard drive in every console will be “very large” and that real names can be used within PS4’s friend system, subject to the players’ approval. PS4’s social functionality will also allow for more than 100 friends, the current limit on PS3.

PS4’s Eye motion camera comes with a tilt sensor so it can tell when a player is facing in the wrong direction, or if the camera itself has fallen off of your TV stand (or wherever you choose to place it).

Norton explained that PS4s memory outperforms the DDR3 you can find in many high-end PCs, and that its 8GB of GDDR5 RAM offers developers “Crazy high bandwidth”. Simplicity was also key, said Norton.

“If you’re coming from the PS3 you’re probably quite used to the headache of having to split memory architecture, you can’t quite use all of it, the speeds are really wacky on some of it – we don’t have that with PS4. It’s eight gigs, it’s there, it’s easy,” he said.

“You’re getting some really amazing memory with PS4 and we’re really excited about it.”

Other hardware related improvements that the engineer mentioned are all-digital buttons and sticks on the DualShock 4 controller, ability to charge the controller while the console is off as well as a mono headset in every PlayStation 4 box.

[Engadget]

March 28, 2013
Microsoft To Release Windows Blue Public Beta At BUILD 2013

There’s certainly been no shortage of leaks surrounding Microsoft’s Windows Blue in recent weeks, but now the company has confirmed that the long-rumored Windows 8 update is underway.

Microsoft confirmed to The Verge on Wednesday that the public preview version of Windows Blue will debut at its Build developer conference in late June. Sources familiar with the company’s plans revealed that Microsoft began working on a “milestone” preview of the software update earlier this month.

Some of the features that have been exposed in the new build include a new File Manager app, improved multi-monitor support, more customisation options for the Start screen and a Windows Phone-style”slide-to-shut-down” feature.

Microsoft is also said to be working on various new first-party apps for Windows Blue, in addition to some of those already revealed in the leaked build. Further, it’s said that Blue will indeed introduce optimisations that will bring Windows 8 to smaller 7- and 8-inch tablets. The leak has already revealed that the minimum resolution that will support the side-by-side Snap View for apps has been lowered to 1024x768px.

Frank X. Shaw, Corporate Vice President of Corporate Communications at Microsoft states that customers have already experienced the “ongoing rhythm of updates and innovations” – aka new devices, services and apps — that have rolled out over the last six months. This continuous development cycle is the new normal across Microsoft.

What’s more, Microsoft is very likely to choose a different name for Blue, as this is only the internal codename for the company’s new “set of plans.”

The BUILD 2013 conference is happening in June this year at San Francisco.

[The Verge]

March 27, 2013
Mystery Buyer Of 1 Million BlackBerry 10 Phones Turns Out To Be e-Distributor Brightstar

Earlier this month a mystery company purchased one million BlackBerry 10 smartphones from BlackBerry. It was was a notable transaction because BlackBerry 10 just launched and because it was the biggest single order BlackBerry (formerly RIM) has ever received in one fell swoop.

Fast forward to Monday, and we now know the identity of the buyer. According to perennially bearish investment firm Detwiler Fenton, the buyer of the 1 million Blackberry 10 units was wireless distributor Brightstar, reports AllThingsD.

“A couple of years ago, Nokia, RIM and Samsung made up over 80 percent of Brightstar revenues, with RIM potentially comprising nearly half of that, I believe,” Wedge Partners analyst Brian Blair told AllThingsD. “So [this is] no surprise.”

Brightstar is a massive distributor of cell phones and other gadgets. AllThingsD had originally predicted that the partner was Brightstar competitor Brightpoint, but its sources said the speculation was “a point off” but that they had the “bright” part correct. Putting two and two together, the news outlet was able to guess Brightstar.

The mystery is solved and regardless of who made the purchase, it still represents a risk-taking investment on someone’s part. So when you look at it that way, someone still has the hots for BlackBerry 10.

BlackBerry reports quarterly results March 28 and its early Blackberry 10 sales–in more than 25 markets–are sure to be hot topics on the company’s earnings conference call.

[Via All Things D]

March 26, 2013
Google+ Now Supports Animated GIF Profile Pictures

Google is taking a page out of Facebook’s book and is pushing images as a main part of Google+. As part of this initiative, it has added support for Gifs to be used as Google+ profile pictures.

[pullquote_left] “Our gif to you. You can now use animated gifs for your profile photo,” the official Google+ account announced on Monday. [/pullquote_left]

Some users are happy about the new feature, taking advantage of it to post animated snippets of themselves in various states as an avatar 2.0 kind of deal. Others, however, are expressing displeasure at the change, stating that animated profile pictures are distracting and ugly, and detract from the Google+ experience.

According to the announcement, animated Gifs are now supported on both desktop and mobile devices. However, TNW reports that this feature does not apply to iOS devices as of now.

As Matt Steiner, the person who first posted that Gifs are now supported, said, “[it is] like newspapers in Harry Potter.” We imagine some creative people will make use of this to do some funny and interesting things, much like people did with Facebook cover photos when they were first introduced.

Google also provides a link directing users to a search on “How to make a GIF” in an attempt to encourage users to have one such animated image of their own.

[Via Google+, Slashgear]

March 26, 2013
Windows 8 Mail, People, Calendar Apps Updated, Ditch Google Calender Support

Microsoft previously promised to release updates to Windows 8 core apps before Windows Blue becomes available, and it seems we don’t have to wait long before that happens – these updates will roll out tomorrow, Tuesday, March 26, according to a post on the company’s official blog.

None of the updates reinvent the proverbial wheel, but each app is receiving numerous tweaks designed to improve basic usability. Windows tablet owners will be especially happy with the new-look apps.

The Mail app will support organizational functions like flagging emails and creating folders. The Calendar app will get a new look and meeting scheduling support. And the People app will sport a new command bar to make it quicker for you to navigate through your contacts. There are a few other changes too of course.

When Microsoft released Windows 8 in October, its core productivity apps lacked deep functionality and features. Mail couldn’t even compare with Outlook.com, let alone with the full-blown Outlook Office application. Calendar had the basic bones, but again, lacked functionality compared to the Outlook calendar. And People was more novelty app than something actually useful.

However, it turns out that the newly updated Mail, Calendar, People and Messaging app for Windows 8 has removed support for Google Calendars entirely, pulling the ability to sync both new and existing calendars due to Google pulling the plug on Exchange ActiveSync support. Upon attempting to use the updated app you’ll receive a message similar to the one below, instructing you to reconnect your account.

We can’t connect to [address]@gmail.com because Google no longer supports Exchange ActiveSync. Reconnect to get your emails and contacts using a different method. Cancel to save your drafts and reconnect later

Once the update is available tomorrow, just tap or click on the “Updates” link that appears in the top right-hand corner of the Windows Store to install the update. If you have the Windows Store pinned to your Start screen, its live tile will alert you that you have an update available. You are required to go to the Windows Store to get the update as it won’t install automatically.

March 26, 2013
Autogyaan: Ford India In The Soup Over Sexist Figo Ads

Ford India has landed itself in a tricky spot after controversial advertisements of the Figo made their way on to the internet last week. The advertisements, reportedly made by the creative team at the Indian arm of advertising giant, JWT, emphasize on the boot space offered by the Figo, but are taking serious heat for being sexist and distasteful.

In one of the commercials, the infamous former Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi is shown grinning in the driver’s seat as three skimpily clad women are shown bound and gagged stuffed into the boot. In another version, we see Paris Hilton similarly kidnapping fellow millionaire socialites, the Kardashian sisters. There’s a third, comparatively less offensive version, with Michael Schumacher having managed to fit Sebastien Vettel, Lewis Hamilton & Fernando Alonso in the Ford Figo’s boot. All three commercials feature the tagline, ‘Leave Your Worries Behind’.

The timing of the ads is especially poor, with the recent uproar in the nation over stronger anti-rape laws, and the parliament’s recently passed anti-rape legislation on everyone’s mind. Since a large number of India’s masses might not identify Berlusconi, Hilton or the Kardashians, JWT India’s attempt at black humor may backfire and evoke a strong reaction towards Ford India and the Figo.

Ford India has since apologized, in the form of the statement given to NBC

We deeply regret this incident and agree with our agency partners that it should have never happened…. The posters are contrary to the standards of professionalism and decency within Ford and our agency partners.

If they keep up with such risky tactics, it might be a little while before Ford India leaves its worries behind.

March 26, 2013
HTC To Drop ‘Quietly Brilliant’ Tagline

HTC’s making some sweeping changes to their marketing lately with a new announcement that they are dropping the “Quietly Brilliant” tagline in future product ads, according to WSJ.

“We have a lot of innovations but we haven’t been loud enough,” said Mr. Ho, a Singaporean who is HTC’s third marketing chief in less than two years. The new approach, he says, will be bolder.

One such example is HTC’s attack on the Samsung Galaxy S 4, referring to the device as “#thenextbigflop” on Twitter. Ho also said that HTC will be stepping up its advertising efforts by growing its digital marketing budget by 250 percent from 2012, while its traditional marketing budget will grow by 100 percent.

HTC will begin its “bolder strategy” with a new marketing campaign for the HTC One with themes like “bold,” “authentic,” and “playful.” Ho says “bold” will demonstrate that HTC wants to be more aggressive in their marketing speak. “Authentic” will reinforce focus on HTC’s innovation and “playful” will highlight new features that are based on consumer demand.

Ho confirmed the firm will up its worldwide marketing budget 250 per cent on last year, and also told the newspaper: “We have a lot of innovations but we haven’t been loud enough.

Ho stepped outside of the marketing conversation by confirming the delay of the HTC One is due to camera supply shortages.

“Our friends in the media have been asking why there has been a delay in shipments for the new HTC One, whether there is a component shortage. There is some shortage, because the phone’s camera was designed specifically for us, and production cannot be ramped up so quickly.”

[Via Wall Street Journal]

March 25, 2013
“XCOM : Enemy Unknown” Coming To iOS

Firaxis has announced that the full version of console and PC strategy title XCOM : Enemy Unknown will release on iOS.

XCOM‘s developers spoke with Joystiq on Saturday after revealing the iOS port of the award-winning strategy game during a PAX East panel. The iOS version of XCOM : Enemy Unknown, they said, will arrive fully intact, with all the features available on its PC and console counterparts.

“It is a straight port,” XCOM lead designer Jake Solomon said. “We have not made any gameplay exceptions. You play the exact same game… it’s just now fully playable on an iPhone or an iPad.”

XCOM : Enemy Unknown is a re-imagined version of the 1994 game X-COM: UFO Defense. The game puts players at the head of a secretive agency charged with protecting Earth from extraterrestrials. Players must monitor alien activity throughout the globe and respond to it with force. They can scramble jets to shoot down UFO’s, or send teams of agents into battle against alien ground forces. Players will directly control their agents in turn-based battles. They’re also in charge of researching new technologies to ensure that their team is adequately equipped to stop the alien invasion.

The game’s developers stressed that XCOM : Enemy Unknown on iOS will be a premium product and priced accordingly.

“It’s going to be priced appropriately for what it is,” Solomon said. “It’s going to be a premium price point. It is the game. It is the full game.”

Some questions remain, however. Will multiplayer make the port? Will any kind of cross-platform saving or online matches be possible?

March 25, 2013
Windows Store Hits 50,000 Apps

According to an unofficial tally by the site MetroStore Scanner, Microsoft has pushed past 50,000 total apps within the Windows Store.

The service also noted that there has been a large decline in new submissions since November of last year, with averages dropping from 400 to 150 in February before seeing an uptick to 200 in March.

It is unclear whether Microsoft’s new rewards program has helped in the growth. The company began offering developers $100 per app for new published apps submitted to either the Windows Phone Store or the Windows 8 Store before June 30th. Each developer can qualify for up to 10 apps per store, for a net total of $2000 in bonuses. All apps must meet standard certification requirements, and the app must do more than just launch a web page. Additionally, you cannot clone existing published apps.

The offers runs until June 30 but is exclusive to those living in the US.

As TechCrunch’s Matt Burns notes, it’s difficult to compare the growth of apps in the Microsoft Store versus rival Apple, which lists approximately 13,000 total apps or so in its Mac App Store as of this article’s writing, as there is a huge difference in the quality of apps available for the 2 OSs.

While this is good news for Windows 8 PC users, it’s not so great for Windows RT tablet users considering the iPad has 376,000 dedicated applications.

With that in mind there’s still plenty of work for Microsoft to do, but signs are more encouraging.

[Via TechCrunch]

March 24, 2013
Apple Acquires WiFiSLAM Indoor Location Tech Startup

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple has acquired indoor mobile location positioning firm WiFiSLAM, in a deal worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $20 million.

The Wall Street Journal‘s Jessica Lessin reports:

“Apple has acquired indoor-GPS company WifiSLAM, a sign that the war over indoor mobile location services is heating up. Apple paid around $20 million for the Silicon Valley-based company, according to a person familiar with the matter who said the deal closed recently.

The two-year-old startup has developed ways for mobile apps to detect a phone user’s location in a building using Wi-Fi signals. It has been offering the technology to application developers for indoor mapping and new types of retail and social networking apps.”

Founded in 2010 by former Google engineering intern Joseph Huang and Jessica Tsoong, WifiSlam develops technology that allows mobile apps to find a person’s exact location inside a building by using wi-fi signals. Such tech has been alluring to brick-and-mortar retail organizations that wish to gain more location-based data on customers as they browse a store, not to mention museums, theme parks, malls, and convention centers.

Apple could implement the positioning assets into its much maligned iOS Maps app as an answer to Google’s Indoor Maps initiative, which leverages crowdsourcing to deliver indoor location information for a number of sites worldwide.

[Wall Street Journal]

March 24, 2013
Autogyaan: Maruti Suzuki Launches Limited Edition Swift

One of India’s top hatchbacks, the Maruti Suzuki Swift has crossed yet another landmark. The model has reached sales of 30 lakh units globally, and to celebrate this achievement, Maruti Suzuki has launched a limited edition trim called the ‘Swift Star’.

Largely featuring cosmetic changes, the Swift Star will offer a Double DIN audio unit with bluetooth connectivity, a rear roof spoiler, steering wheel cover, art leather seat covers and designer floor mats. The regular Swift is available with a 1.3-litre diesel engine producing 74 bhp and 190Nm of torque as well as 1.2-litre petrol engine producing 85bhp and 114Nm of torque. The diesel variants start at Rs. 5.6 Lakh and go upto Rs. 6.9 Lakh, and the petrol variants start at Rs. 4.5 Lakh and go upto Rs. 5.8 Lakh (all ex-showroom Delhi). The special edition ‘Swift Star’ will be available with both engines and will cost Rs. 23,000 over the regular variants.

The Swift has been on sale in the global market for 8 odd years, and Maruti Suzuki reports that a massive 45% of the 30 lakh units were sold in India. These sales figures epitomise the huge popularity the Swift enjoys in the Indian market. Recently there was news that Maruti Suzuki was offering the Swift at a discount of Rs. 5000 for the first time ever in its lifetime. It also announced that there was no waiting period on the diesel Swift at all. Market slowdown has affected bigger players like Maruti Suzuki as well, and the Swift Star may be a smart move by the Indo-Jap carmaker to keep its inventories moving.

March 24, 2013
Autogyaan: 5 Hatchbacks We’d Love to See in India

We as Indians love hatchbacks. We love how they are practical and economical. We love how they can be easily manoeuvred out of any traffic jam and parked in the tightest of corners, doing all this while not emptying our bank accounts. Here are 5 hatchbacks we’d love to see on Indian roads (only if they were assembled here, of course).

1) Volkswagen Golf

The quintessential hatchback, the VW Golf is one of the all-time best selling cars, and has graced international ‘car of the year lists’ time and again. The newest iteration is over a 100kg lighter than the previous one, and has impressive safety features such as lane keeping assistance and adaptive cruise control. It’s still a great ‘driver’s car’ and does everything that a hatchback should, and how.

2) Ford Focus

Like the Golf, the Focus is hatchback royalty. It has been an unmitigated success since its launch in 1998. The 2013 model manages to improve upon an aging design with new stylish looks and a well thought out interior. Very refined and practical, it still handles brilliantly and the pricier sporty versions offer some of the quickest engines in the range. Hot hatches really don’t get better than this (just look at those alloy wheels!).

3) Renault Clio

First things first, the Clio’s menacing looks ooze character, you can’t help but notice it. The supermini ticks all the boxes its accomplished predecessor dealt with, and still manages to improve upon others. It’s wider, lower and lighter than before making it handle much better and providing a very composed and comfortable ride. It has a bold, lively interior and comes with a punch-filled economical engine. It may not be as refined as some of its competitors, but it might put a bigger smile on your face.

4) Volkswagen Up

Volkswagen has built more than its share of hatchbacks, and there have been quite a few misses (read VW Fox) to go with the hits. But let there be no doubt, the Up belongs with the latter. This agile, little city car has a lot more space than it seems, and an interior that will put many pricier hatchbacks to shame. It’s not the most powerful or the best equipped car in its class, however it more than makes up for it with a very forgiving ride and a snappy gearbox. The Up does a lot more than is expected from it, and is just too much fun to drive for us to ignore it.

5) Kia Rio

Considerably cheaper than the Golf and the Focus, the Kia Rio will fit in well in the Indian market. Although its performance and handling is not at par with most of its pricier competitors, it has an extremely spacious and stylish interior. Coupled with great modern looks, the gulf between it and its rivals isn’t as big as you’d expect it to be. Boasting a five star NCAP crash test rating, it’s very safe and sturdily built. On top of what is simply a very solid and reliable car, Kia offers a mind-boggling 7 year warranty on all its models in more than 20 European countries. If that won’t sell a car, god knows what will.

March 24, 2013
HTC One Gets April Release Due To “Unprecedented Demand”

HTC has just issued another official statement regarding the HTC One’s delayed launch.

“HTC has seen unprecedented demand for and interest in the new HTC One, and the care taken to design and build it is evidenced in early reviews. The new HTC One will roll out in the UK, Germany and Taiwan next week and across Europe, North America and most of Asia-Pacific before the end of April. We appreciate our customers’ patience, and believe that once they have the phone in their hands they will agree that it has been worth the wait.”

The company’s statement comes several days after reports that said the HTC One’s rollout would be delayed. A shortage of components like metal casings and camera parts slowed shipments of the HTC One, executives told the Wall Street Journal.

The HTC One has drawn early praise from tech reviewers, but the delay is another setback for a company that has struggled to keep up with competitors like Samsung. Last month, the company reported that revenue fell 44 percent from the previous year.

The HTC One boasts a 4.7-inch full HD 1080p display with 468 ppi. It runs a 1.7-GHz, quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor and HTC Sense, a customized version of Android. The phone supports NFC, Bluetooth 4.0, and DLNA for wireless streaming to a TV or computer. It can also work as a remote control on supported devices. There’s a microUSB 2.0 port with a mobile high-def video link for USB or HDMI hookup. There’s also a new “UltraPixel” camera which HTC has been touting.

We can’t wait to get our hands on this device!

March 23, 2013