Microsoft brings Motorola, Google to German court over Maps

Microsoft drags Motorola back into German courts today

Microsoft is readying itself for the next round of court battles, as it fires off another patent lawsuit aimed at Motorola and its owner, Google.

This marks a return to German courts today, where Microsoft now claims Motorola infringed on patents involving Google Maps overlaying multiple map data.

The case could not only affect Motorola's phones in Germany, but how its people use Google Maps as well.

The lawsuit claims the Razr maker violated a patent for taking one set of map data and overlaying it with another set of map information. For example, overlaying data of street geography with information about what businesses are on that street.

Tough case for Motorola?

All digital maps overlay multiple sets of data now-a-days, so Google and Motorola will have a hard time circumventing the patent if they lose.

However, the beginning rounds of this court case did produce a bit of surprise. At today's hearing, Microsoft announced it will add Google to the list of defendants in the case. This is the first time Google is directly involved in the Microsoft/Motorola matter.

Microsoft usually fights its patent battles with proxy companies like Motorola. So the case presents a unique opportunity to watch the two tech giants duke it out in the same patent lawsuit.

Wheels, deals and court battles

Motorola is one of the few Android makers who doesn't pay a licensing fee to Microsoft for the mobile OS, unlike HTC and Samsung. Meanwhile, Microsoft takes a cut on half of all Android phones sold.

This is just the latest round of court skirmishes between the two companies. Microsoft has won three cases resulting in German sales bans of Motorola smartphones including the Droid Razr, Droid Razr Maxx and the Motorola Atrix.

What's more, the German court ruled Motorola infringed on patents involving a FAT file system, a SMS patent and one that described a method of handling communication between the keyboard and applications.

But, Motorola was cleared last week in a case involving a radio interface patent.

We'll see how this case affects the Motorola vs Microsoft scoreboard as the Germans mull over multiple map issues.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/microsoft-brings-motorola-google-to-german-court-over-maps-1103832

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LG Optimus Vu 2 announced with same ridiculous display

Round 2 for the Vu, but why?

The LG Optimus Vu 2 has been announced in Korea as the awkwardly-sized successor to the rather confusing Optimus Vu.

Why so strange? The Optimus Vu 2 sports that same 5-inch, 4:3 aspect ratio display as the original, which makes the phone rather wide and difficult to hold in one hand.

There's a 1.5GHz dual-core processor in the Optimus Vu 2 and, while the chip is a newer model than found in the original, it hasn't gained a boost in speed but RAM has been doubled to 2GB.

Minor updates

The battery has been given a bump up to 2,150mAh and it ships with Ice Cream Sandwich instead of Gingerbread, while the 8MP rear camera and 4G connectivity remain.

The body of the Optimus Vu 2 has been trimmed down to 132.2 x 85.6 mm and weighs in at 159g, but at 9.4 mm in depth it's actually porkier than the 8.5mm Vu.

There's currently no word on the LG Optimus Vu 2 release date and there's no gaurentee it will make it to the UK, whereas the States has a better chance after seeing the Vu arrive under the moniker LG Intuition earlier this month.

If you're over in Korea, and have gorilla sized hands, you'll be able to pick up an Optimus Vu 2 for 966,900 won (around £530/$860).

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/lg-optimus-vu-2-announced-with-same-ridiculous-display-1100516

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Facebook officially welcomes Instagram into its fold – what now?

Now that the social deal heard 'round the Internet has filed all the necessary papers, how will the partnership play out?

This past spring, we were thrown for a bit of a loop when Facebook scooped up app darling Instagram for $1 billion. Since then, the FTC has approved the deal and Facebook has integrated the photo-sharing platform exclusively into its network. And now, officially, the two are combining their efforts.

“As we said from the beginning, we are committed to building and growing Instagram independently,” VP of engineering with Facebook Mike Schroepfer wrote this morning. “Instagram will continue to service its community, and we will help Instagram continue to grow by using Facebook’s strong engineering team and infrastructure. We also can’t wait to work with the talented Instagram team to improve the mobile experience.”

Instagram had similarly glowing words to say about the partnership, also mentioning the app has just surpassed five billion photos shared. “What makes this even more exciting is that our deal with Facebook has closed, which means we can now work together to evolve and build a better Instagram for everyone. While our term is making the short move to the Facebook offices, Instagram isn’t going anywhere.”

Despite both companies’ positive outlooks, it’s more than fair for users to be skeptical in the wake of an acquisition likes this. Facebook has a made a name for itself as an acqui-hirer, scooping up companies and folding their teams into its own products, slowly extinguishing theirs in the process. But since the very beginning of this deal, and really since the startup’s origins, we’ve all known that Instagram is an exception to the rule. To say it’s user growth and content shared has passed all expectations is a huge understatement, and a significant part of Facebook’s need to acquire it.

The particulars of the deal saw Instagram net $735 million, and its worth will now depend on Facebook’s – which at the moment, is a bit in flux. News about Facebook shares has nearly become synonymous with “all-time low.” Last week, they dropped to $17.55 – you guessed it, another all-time low since peaking at $45 on day one of trading. CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced he doesn’t plan to sell his shares for the next year in order to promote some confidence in his eyebrow-raising company’s value.

Still, Instagram’s fate seems safe. While the deal has been in the process of being finalized, Instagram has continued to issue big iterations and grow its user base. There are a few questions worth asking – like how or even if Instagram will ever make its way to the Web and how that would look and integrate with Facebook. Other questions remain as well, like just what it’s  roadmap for a Windows Phone app is, how will its own photo development line up with that of its new acquisition, and whether Facebook will try to take Instagram’s mobile success and introduce any sort of marketing or advertising structure?

For now, news of the deal’s official status will have to suffice. The rest remains to be seen.  

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/facebook-officially-welcomes-instagram-into-its-fold-what-now/

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Apple picks up 434 LTE patents as buffer against Samsung suit

Samsung's lying in wait for the iPhone 5

With news that Apple will be announcing the iPhone 5 next week, the tech giant is preparing for the next round in its ongoing patient battle with Samsung.

Apple acquired more than 300 new advanced long-term evolution (LTE) patents within the past year, creating a buffer if Samsung makes good on its threats to sue the Cupertino company if it releases any devices with LTE technology.

Since the iPhone 5 is rumored to have the speedy mobile tech, LTE is likely to become the next battleground in Apple and Samsung's well publicized patent war.

Over the past year, Apple's gained 318 patents regarding the fourth-generation mobile technology, according to the Korea Intellectual Property Office.

Raking in the patents

Last year, the iPhone purveyor had no LTE patents, but now ranks among the top 10 patent holders for LTE technology with just about 5 percent of total LTE patents held worldwide.

"This shows that Apple has been taking strategic steps to acquire intellectual property to prepare for potential legal disputes before it launches its own LTE smartphones," a KIPO official told The Chosun Ilbo.

Apple developed about 44 of those patents itself. The company then bought the rest of the patents from Nortel and Freescale.

Apple also owns a major part of a patent enforcement company, Rockstar Bidco, which has an additional 116 patents, bringing Apple's current LTE patent holdings to 434.

Samsung's hoard

However, if Apple hopes to rival Samsung's number of LTE patents, it will have to get busy acquiring a few more.

The South Korean company is the No. 1 LTE patent holder, with a total of 819. That's about twice the amount of arrows Apple has in its LTE patent quiver.

Though the extra patents will help protect Apple from Samsung suits, how sure those defenses are remains to be seen.

The Chosun Ilbo reported that Apple only holds undisclosed commercial patents for its LTE technology, but disclosed standard technological patents provide more legal firepower. So Apple may find itself at a disadvantage when it comes time to defend those patents.

Another interesting wrinkle is that versions of the iPad already have LTE technology, but Samsung has yet to sue. We'll see if this comes into play when the two techno-giants head back to court December 6.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/world-of-tech/apple-picks-up-434-lte-patents-as-buffer-against-samsung-suit-1095072

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