Maret 2012

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3 Best Online Storage Apps on Android, Which One You Prefer to

Posted by Unknown Kamis, 29 Maret 2012 0 komentar

Sometimes we need to take some files from workplace to home. Or you just want to backup some videos and songs from your android phone for future use. And you also know that you need an online storage server on your phone to help you. And today, I will introduce you 3 best online storage apps here to make this problem become easier.

Fiabee (Rated: 4.1)

Storage capacity: 15G for free (only for few days)

Features:

Print your files from anywhere to any printer using Google Cloud Print.
Take a photo and upload it instantly to your account.
Centralize your photos and files that you have in your social network profiles into one single place (Google Docs, Facebook, Flickr, Picasa).
(When selected) Automatic bulk upload of all your photos to the cloud any time that a wifi connection is detected.
Edit from your android device your documents (using any commercial editor for Android) and sync it back to all your devices.
Select which specific files you want to store locally and keep always synced for quick, offline access.
Access, share and manage all your files on the go.
Search across all your devices almost instantly, even when offline.
Drag&Drop files to your Android directly from our HTML5 app (Chrome Web Store).
Available in English, Japanese, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Korean.

Box (Rated: 4.3)

Storage capacity: 50G (till 12/30/2012 )
How to Get it: https://support.box.com/entries/20768867-box-50-gb-promotion-faqs

Features:

Access, create and view content on your Android phone or tablet
Upload multiple images, videos and files from the SD card
Save files to your SD card for offline access
Easily share files and folders with links
Invite colleagues to shared folders and leave comments on files for them
Find content fast with built-in search
Save files you edit or create in other Android apps to your Box account
Add a widget to your home screen to see updates on files by colleagues

Dropbox (Rated: 4.6)

Storage capacity: 2G (you can get 8G or higher)

Dropbox is a free service that lets you bring all your photos, docs, and videos anywhere. After you install Dropbox on your computer, any file you save to your Dropbox will automatically save to all your computers, your Android device, and even the Dropbox website! With the Dropbox app, you can take everything that matters to you on the go.

Read your docs or flip through your albums when you're out and about. Save photos or videos to your Dropbox and share them with friends in just a couple taps. Even if you accidentally leave your Android in a taxi, your stuff is always safe on Dropbox.

Features:
• Always have your stuff with you, no matter where you are.
• Save photos and videos to your Dropbox.
• Share your photos and docs with family and friends.
• Save email attachments straight to your Dropbox.
• Easily edit docs in your Dropbox.

So, if your are not satisfied with the capacity of Dropbox, I think Box's 50G can be better. Have you decide which one is better for your? If you haven't found anyone from them, you can go on to search on Google Play.

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Siri alternatives for Android

Posted by Unknown Senin, 26 Maret 2012 0 komentar

You all know about Siri — the cool iPhone 4S feature which acts as a virtual assistant and responds to voice queries? And you want to do the same on Android but don't know how to?

While Siri is unlikely to be ever ported to Android, there are various alternatives which try to mimic Siri, with some of them very powerful. The major feature that they lack currently is the integration with the Android OS, which will hopefully come as the apps mature.

All of these apps require Google's voice recognition system to function, for which an Internet connection is required, so none of them work offline.

Some of the major Siri alternatives for android include:

Evi (free for Android, $0.99 for IOS): Available on both Android and IOS (yes IOS!). Verge reported that Apple is working with True Knowledge to change the UI, so that the consumer does not mistake it to be Siri.Features include:

Voice or Text input
Local information for UK and the US
Built in browser - but no integration with Android or other browsers
Probably more accurate on IOS as it uses Nuance Speech recognition engine, which it does not on Android
Summarises key info which is good... but sometimes not very accurate. For ex. asking about Arsenal fan club took me to a page with summary of Arsenal, which is not to bad except that a lot of info was wrong. For ex. William Gallas was listed as the captain.

Iris (free): A well known Siri alternative, currently at the alpha testing stage. Features include:

Only voice input
Integration with ChaCha database
Funny, but needs to work on accuracy
Adding lots of features, hopefully will become quite good once it enters “beta” or “release” stage

Check the app review at Eyes4Tech and The Review Preview, and here’s the link to the official website.

Speaktoit Assistant (free): Potentially the best overall Siri alternative currently for android. Features include:

Both text and voice input
Nice overall touches, for ex. Ask for hotels near a specific place takes to a Google map with the hotels marked
Nice touches including avatar customization
Very rich set of features including opening of apps, note taking for reminders, translating, email handling etc
Potential to be very good; already functional beta version

Overall, I liked Speaktoit Assistant the most. Here is a detailed review at Eyes4Tech.

Skyvi (free): Another good Siri alternative. Features include:

Posting on Twitter and Facebook
Call, text, SMS
Local features including weather and time
Fun and witty chats with the assistant

Google Majel (likely to be bundled with Android): Expected to launch sometimes "early 2012" and is named after Majel Barrett-Roddenberry, the actress and wife of Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek. If it is even half as good as what Star Trek was, it will beat Siri hands down.

According to an article by Fast Company Majel will be tightly integrated with Android but functionality could suffer if it is limited to Google services.

Other Siri alternatives include Alice(free), Vlingo (free) and Dragon Go (Free).

Recommendation

Remember that most of these apps (like Siri) are at an initial stage of development and hence some features are absent, some just don't work and especially for non-American getting relevant local results is a problem.

With that in mind, If I have to recommend only one Siri alternative, I will strongly recommend to try Speaktoit Assistant. But, depending upon the location, some apps will be better than others. As all the apps mentioned above are free, I will strongly recommend you to try all of them and then select one which you are most comfortable with and gives you the features you require. We will do a detailed review when these apps mature, but for now, enjoy all of them!

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Let's Run Android 4.0 on Nokia N9

Posted by Unknown Minggu, 25 Maret 2012 0 komentar

Well, I think there is another HTC HD 2 coming. Do you remember that there is the only one mobile phone run MeeGo OS? Yes, that is Nokia N9, I am afraid that some friends with Nokia N9 doesn't have a wonderful app life because this OS is really not so popular. But now, I should to say the next image still can raise your hope again to Nokia N9.

While the N9 and the Lumia 800 use the same amazing Nokia hardware, neither of those runs Android. Nokia made a decision long ago to use MeeGo on their last great in-house smartphone (the N9), while shifting to Windows Phone shortly after on the Lumia 800. Now, N9 can run Android 4.0 what means that Lumia can also run Android 4.0 sooner than latter.

Whatever, if you're disappointed that Nokia has gone down the Windows Phone 7 path, leaving MeeGo developments on somewhat of a standstill, you can given Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich a try. You can follow the steps which shows in below video.

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New Home

Posted by Unknown Sabtu, 24 Maret 2012 0 komentar

Because of a strange tax rule (having to do with VAT), I took the chance to move about 5 months before my lease expires. This was done with the owner's cooperation, because of the unusual and sudden nature of the problem. My new home is about 5 minutes walk from the office, probably only 1km from my old home. I really didn't want to leave the old building, but there weren't any suitable places available. At request of the The Stumbling Daughter #4, I've taken some photos of the new home.

This is the view upon entering through the front (and only) door. I haven't really used it, but there are some pocket doors which can close off the bedroom. Big pocket doors, in fact I don't think I've even seen any this large.

This is my recliner, which has truly been a life-saver. It doubles as a bed when I wake up at 3am with back pain so strong I can't lay down.

This is the bed room. Same bed and sheets I've had since 2004 (I've washed them once or twice...)

Desk, television, and computer / high-tech corner!

Storage closets and dining table. The two white chairs came with the apartment, as did a bunch of other unexpected furniture. I've managed to use or hide the extra, with the exception of a large sofa which I threw out (with the owner's permission).

Kitchen area. A little bigger than the last place, but not as big as my previous places. I tried to get the refrigerator man to swap the doors around, but this model is a fixed left-hander.

Here's the kitchen again, but you can see the entrance hall off to the right. The bathroom is off that hall.

That's it. Numerically, it isn't much bigger than my last place, but it really seems much larger. This is on the 11th floor, and the view is nice enough. It's not blocked by super-close buildings, like the first place in Mokdong. But it's not as spectacular as the view from the 24th floor, either!

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5 Best Android Battery Savers to Make Your Device More Durable

Posted by Unknown Selasa, 20 Maret 2012 0 komentar

I think most people find that the battery for android is not so durable. What' more, with the HD resolution for the screen, 4G module and multiple core CPU, the battery become much poorer in some Android devices.What's more and more,I don't know which one damn reporter said that free Android apps packed with ads are majorm battery drains. Whatever, a battery saver is really necessary to us. And today, I will recommend you 5 best android battery savers to make your device become more durable.

Top 5: One Touch Battery Saver (Rated:4.3)

Functions:

Battery Monitor, clearly shows the status of battery life and usage.
Switching & managing Wifi, bluetooth, GPS, background light, sound, synchronization in one touch, saves battery with efficiency.
Self-Customized Saving Mode, user can adjust the battery saving setting freely to fit each one's needs.
Battery Usage Setting, will adjust the battery usage status automatically to monitor the battery life more accurately.
3 different battery models to choose, to fit your needs and style.
Tab widget: comes with 2 styles (1x1, 2x1), different styles of widget allow you to turn on the app with one tap! Easy and fast!

Top 4: Battery Defender-Battery Saver (Rated:4.4)

Functions:

Automatically, just enable it.
Shows battery percent in the notification bar.
Fast wifi/gps/data/bluetooth switch.
App white list for streaming apps.

Why this app will save battery?

Automatically disable wifi and data connection after you turning off your screen(with 15~20s latency).
Genius Sync, allow app to sync every few minutes but save battery.
Quiet sleeping. Disable data network and wifi connections when you are sleeping. Sleeping time can be adjusted as your prefer.

Top 3: JuiceDefender - battery saver (Rated:4.4)

Features:

5 Preset Profiles (from default mode to full customization)
Easy and Intuitive User Interface
Home screen Battery Widgets
Mobile Data toggle automation
2G/3G toggle automation
WiFi toggle automation + Auto-Disabling option
Location-aware WiFi Control (e.g. enable WiFi only at home/work, disable it otherwise)
Battery Consumption Optimization (e.g. when screen off, battery under threshold, etc.)
Comprehensive Connectivity Scheduling (regular schedule, night time/peak time, week days/weekends)
Connectivity Control for Specific Apps with Interactive Training mode
CPU scaling when phone is idle
Smart Brightness control
Bluetooth control with Automatic Reconnect
Full Activity Log

Top 2: Battery Dr saver+a task killer (Rated:4.4)

Features:

Help you to kill tasks quickly and reset your phone easily!
Show battery health,temperature,talktime etc.
To improve your phone's battery,you should kill running tasks,adjust screen brightness(volume),turn off wifi, gps, bluetooth,Auto-sync etc.
Battery Dr saver is the best Battery Improver/Battery Booster/battery saver tool.As your Battery Helper,it helps you to improve battery life .
Icludes: Power Management(Battery Management),Battery Notifier, Battery Monitor,Power Control,task killer.
Displays the health and the temperature of the battery.
Full charge alarm
Show Battery Usage
Battery Time displays the remaining time(battery's running time) for:TalkTime(2G/3G/4G),AudioTime,VideoTime,Web Surfing Time and Idle Time.
Battery indicator
Reset Battery Profile
And More

Top 1: Easy Battery Saver(Rated:4.6)

Key Features:

You can save battery and extend battery life of Android.
Tells you full information about battery including its remaining battery power, remaining battery capacity, talk time, web surfing and much more.
Provides, a consumption tracker option, which tells the, major consumption level.
Provides, a tutorial, which describes all, the recommendations to save battery life.
Comes up with multiple power saver mode which includes normal mode, general power saving mode, intelligent power saving mode and super power saving mode.
You can even switch to “Advanced customized mode” in which you can customize power saving mode by your choice.

So, Do you think which one is the best battery saver for you? If you think none of them is good for you, you can comment it below. Hope you Android phone become much better.

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Apple to spend cash on dividends and share repurchases

Posted by Unknown Senin, 19 Maret 2012 0 komentar

The speculation is over. Apple has announced that it will give a quarterly dividend of US$2.65/share starting from fourth quarter of 2012 (September quarter). The company will also use US$10bn for share repurchases.

Combined the dividend and the share buyback will involve an expenditure of US$22.4bn till Sep 2013.

Let consider what impact this will have on Apple by Sep 2013.

Current cash position

As we can see in exhibit 1, Apple currently has US$97.6bn of cash and cash equivalents and generated a phenomenal US$9.5bn per quarter in CY 2011. We will use this average for the next 7 quarters, which is in line with equity research analysts estimates.

For ex. Wedbush expects Apple to generate US$79.2bn in the next 7 quarters, J.P.Morgan US$64.7bn and Barclays US$63.8bn against our estimate of US$66.3bn.

Dividends impact

US$2.65 per share implies a quarterly dividend of US$2.5bn. This means that till Sep 2013 Apple will incur an expenditure of US$12.4bn.

Share repurchase

Apple has also said that it will spend US$10bn to buyback shares starting from 2013.

So, including dividends and share repurchase Apple will spend US$22.4bn till FY13.

Estimated cash position in FY13 (Sep 2013)

By now you would have realised that potential cash generated in the next 7 quarters is three times the proposed expenditure. So in spite of the announced dividends and share buyback, Apple's net cash position will increase by US$46.4bn by Sep 2013.

Conclusion

The measures announced today are a good start but they are insufficient. While Apple has every right to continue holding cash, returns on cash is going to be low and will drag down ROE.

We think that Apple can do the following to further improve cash utilisation:

Dividend: Eventually increase the dividends per share; Potential to change interested shareholder class
Buyback: A good tool, improve ROE while not giving a long term commitment like in the case of dividends
Acquisitions: This is an area where Apple will need to tread carefully. There are not too many opportunities available where Apple can get as high margins with as much customer loyalty as it is currently enjoying. Apple will need to weigh returns versus long term potential and strategic benefits
Patents: Acquiring patents (like that of Nortel) will help Apple in the long term, even if the benefits are not evident immediately

Still Apple should be proud of having this headache, after once coming very close to bankruptcy. A great turnaround indeed!

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5 best Android web browsers in 2012 to enjoy Internet with higher speed and better experience

Posted by Unknown Minggu, 18 Maret 2012 0 komentar

Although the default web browser has the good speed and practical functions for us. Because of the expensive network data fee, we really need to find another web browser to make the page open with higher speed, less data and better UI. As a smart phone web browser, we hope it can support additional functions like as flash, gesture control, voice search etc. And now, I just pick out 5 best android web browsers to make your android phone much closer to a computer.

Top 5: Chrome (Rated: 4.1)

The speed and simplicity of Chrome, now on your Android phone and tablet. Search and browse fast with Chrome on your Android phone and tablet. Sign in to sync your personalized Chrome experience from your computer to bring it with you anywhere you go. Open and quickly switch between an unlimited number of tabs. On your phone, flip through tabs the way you would fan a deck of cards. On your tablet, swipe from edge to edge to switch tabs. Also it provides you the browsing privately in Incognito mode. But pay attention: this app can only run Android 4.0 or above.

Top 4: Skyfire Web Browser (Rated: 4.3)

Skyfire Browser makes your mobile internet experience richer, smarter, and more fun. Enjoy Flash video content, view mobile or desktop versions of websites, intelligent related media recommendations, share instantly with your friends, and innovative toolbar UI for easy and fast access smarter browsing experience. Skyfire for Android is a new approach to provide a rich internet media experience for mobile devices. It combines the best aspects of rich client interactivity with the power of server assisted support for functions such as Video and Context that highly benefit from server side optimization and connectivity to services on the internet. Skyfire for Android differentiates itself through an experience that includes SkyBar, video, explore, and share. In addition Skyfire provides an advanced Browser for Android.

Top 3: Opera Mini web browser (Rated: 4.4)

Experience the Web on your mobile phone like you never thought possible. The Opera rendering engine displays complete Web pages, just like on your computer, and is fully standards-compliant. Switching between open Web pages is a snap with browser tabs, and Speed Dial launches your favorite Web sites with a single click. Instead of requiring the phone to process Web pages, Opera Mini uses a remote server to pre-process the page before sending it to the phone, which makes it fast. What's new in this version: Version 6.5.1 has added Data Usage view, added save bookmarks to Home Screen, fixed UI refreshing problems on Honeycomb, and fixed issues with Hybrid UI displayed on Tablets with Touch.

Top 2 : Maxthon Android Web Browser (Rated: 4.7)

Focus on browser technology. User experience comes first. Read RSS feeds on your desktop. Add and edit your RSS feeds. Scroll the feeds on desktop and get the latest news. Place the most visited sites on your new tab. Easy to use. View last closed tabs and the most visited sites. Seize your surfing. Use gesture to create, close and switch tabs without click. You can create your own gestures in Advanced settings.

Top 1: Dolphin Browser® HD (Rated: 4.7)

Dolphin Browser HD for Android is the Sonar and Add-on enabled mobile web browser. Dolphin listens and lets you use your voice to search on the Internet, share on your favorite social networks, bookmark your favorite website, and navigate. Let your inner artist out and create a personal Gesture (symbol) to access the mobile and desktop websites you use the most. Dolphin Browser HD features Fast Web page loading, with no ads. Dolphin Webzine simplifies the way you read your favorite mobile content, from news to blogs and websites. No need to toggle between screens; tabbed browsing lets you open and switch between Web pages fast as lightning.

Beside those good web browsers, Boat Browser, Opera Mobile, UC and Firefox are also worth to trying. If you think that one from them is good for you, just click the link to download from Google Play. If you find another one good web browser, you can leave the comment below.

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Apple scores crucial patent victory against Samsung; FRAND patent counter strategy of Google at risk

Posted by Unknown Kamis, 15 Maret 2012 0 komentar

Photo credit: Wikipedia

As reported by Foss Patents, The dutch court has ruled that Samsung has to offer fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) licensing terms to Apple for patents essential to 3G/UMTS standard. The ruling will also prevent Samsung from seeking injunctions against Apple's products, using these standards.

This is a crucial victory for Apple which could have major impact not just on Samsung, but also on Google and Android as it limits the use of standards essential patents (SEP) as legal tools against competitors.

Netherlands court ruling

The court has ruled that Samsung is obligated to offer FRAND licensing terms to Apple for the standards essential 3G/UMTS patents. The court said that Samsung cannot pursue injunctions against Apple as it appears inclined to discuss licensing terms — Apple has only objected to the royalty rate, terming it high.

The court also said that Samsung cannot assert 3G/UMTS patent on iPhone 4S due to "patent exhaustion". Apple had purchased baseband chips from Qualcomm which already had licenses to 3G/UMTS patents which Samsung is asserting, which logically means that they should be covered by the said patents.

To pursue case against Apple, Samsung wanted to terminate its agreement with Qualcomm, but the court ruled otherwise saying that Samsung cannot do so due to the commitments made to ETSI to grant irrevocable licenses for its 3G/UMTS patents. ETSI is the standards body in charge of 3G.

This means that there will be no extra royalty on iPhone 4S, as it is already paid by Qualcomm.

The only piece of moderately positive news for Samsung was that it can pursue cases against Apple for phones which used Infineon chips until January 2011 as well as Intel baseband chips (Intel acquired Infineon's mobile baseband chip division). Though, Apple has a chance to apply for patent exhaustion till March 28.

Impact on Samsung

The dutch courts decision effectively means that Samsung's, and indeed Google's, main counter strategy against Apple of using SEP's is not working. Samsung has already lost similar cases in France and Italy and had withdrawn a case in Germany, albeit with an option to sue later.

The verdict on patent exhaustion means that Samsung cannot bring out cases against some devices like will iPhone 4S, which use parts already covered by the patents. In our opinion, this was a very aggressive stand taken by Samsung, where chances of victory where anyway small, hence the verdict is not a surprise.

Though, Samsung can negotiate for royalty on devices using Infineon and Intel basebands, the royalty rate will likely be low as they will not only infringe indirectly but will also involve SEPs.

So far Samsung has not won a single offensive claim against Apple anywhere in the world and this latest verdict is in line with the other verdicts, albeit much bigger. Samsung may have to eventually opt to settle with Apple and pay a royalty, just like it is currently paying Microsoft. As earlier reported, Apple had offered licensing deal to Samsung, with some important caveats to maintain product differentiation.

Impact on Google and Android ecosystem

This ruling also increases the pressure on Google. Google's primary strategy against both Apple and Microsoft is to leverage SEPs for cross-licensing without paying additional royalties or ask for a high royalty rate like 2.25% with Microsoft.

This ruling, and all previous ruling, indicates that this is not an effective strategy as the courts are not warming to the idea of suing based on SEPs, effectively removing the biggest weapon in Google's arsenal. Google and its OEMs will also not be able to command a high royalty rate which could be as low as 2 cents (depends on the patent though).

Apple and Microsoft now have the upper hand as a lot of their patents are not SEPs and hence they are free to charge a higher rate. Many Android OEMs are already rumoured to be paying Microsoft between US$5-$15 per device as royalty for patents and may now have to pay Apple a royalty.

Microsoft and Apple will succeed in moving Android from a free OS to one with a high patent risk and hidden costs, reducing its lucrativeness to Android developers. This could move the lower end market from Android to Windows and other proprietary OS'.

But this outcome depends on a lot of other issues and, unless a settlement occurs, we are a long way away from resolution, even though victory in the current round goes to Apple and Microsoft.

Ahh... It seems I have been posting only legal and patent related issues recently. Sigh... I don't expect this to reduce any time soon :(

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Is Siine Keyboard The Best Android Keyboard in 2012?

Posted by Unknown Rabu, 14 Maret 2012 0 komentar

A few days before, I wrote an article to introduce the 5 best keyboard apps for Android. And I think you also find that how important a good keyboard in your life. We can type any text with any methods like common input, voice input and the most creative one — SwiftKey. But today, I bring you guys Siine Keyboard — a rising star in keyboard filed with free.

As the most innovative keyboard yet which xda-developers commented, Siine Keyboard is really different with other keyboards when it still keep the common keyboard. The keyboard presents you with a bunch of icons, each of which has a handful of commonly used phrases assigned to it. You just press the relevant buttons and the phrases are automatically entered into the text box. With just a couple of clicks you can have an entire message ready to send. You get a whole bunch of icons with several phrases that you can customize and you can also download additional sets from within the app.

The QWERTY section of the keyboard is comfortable to use, with large well-spaced keys and haptic feedback should you want it. However, it isn't as resilient to typos as Swype or Swiftkey X might be, so typing "pkanned" doesn't automatically suggest "planned" and leaves you to manually correct the error. The lack of a shift key is confusing at first, forcing you to hold down a letter to produce its capitalized version. There's also no caps lock here.

Well, I think we should find the full magic functions of Siine Keyboard with the demo video , let's check it now!

BTW: You can download this app: Sinne Keyboard

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Yahoo takes Facebook to court: Start of the software/internet patent wars?

Posted by Unknown 0 komentar

After threatening Facebook with a lawsuit last month, Yahoo has now acted upon the threat filing a case and accusing Facebook of infringing on 10 of its patents. The alleged infringed patents include those relating to messaging, news feeds, advertising, preventing click frauds and privacy controls.

Yahoo had contacted Facebook recently asking for royalties, but filed the case after Facebook refused to pay them.

Yahoo had earlier sued Google in 2004 for patent infringement related to "pay per click advertising method", which Google settled for ~US$230 million.

Yahoo background — Great past, Faltering future

Yahoo, one off the early Internet giant, has been on the downward trend for some time. It lost its premier search position to Google before surrendering it to Microsoft.

Yahoo has also been unsuccessful in building up a social networking property and tried to acquire Facebook in 2006, but failed.

Similar to handing search to Microsoft, Yahoo made a blunder by integrating Facebook across its sites from 2008. This significantly increased the reach of Facebook, while the importance of Yahoo diminished.

Combined, this means that Yahoo is not a major player in its two most important business areas, which is reflected in its continuing declining value post-Microsoft offer to purchase Yahoo was rejected by its board.

Currently majority of Yahoo's value comes from its 35% stake in Yahoo Japan and 40% stake in China's Alibaba. According to a recent note by J.P.Morgan, Yahoo's US assets were valued at an enterprise value of US$6.9bn, stake in Yahoo Japan at US$5.7bn and that in Alibaba at US$9.9bn. Yahoo also has cash of , along with a cash of ~US$2bn. This means that the core operations contribute less than one-third to the total value, a clear sign of a dying company.

Yahoo — claims and potential settlement terms

According to Yahoo, nearly all the technology that Facebook uses is based upon its patents. Yahoo states that before Facebook incorporated its social networking technology, it was one of the worst performing advertising sites on the Internet.

Yahoo has not attached any value to its patents but has instead left to the courts or a future settlement with Facebook to decide.

In the filing, Yahoo also say "Even if Facebook were to subsequently pay past due royalties, it would still enjoy a market share it has developed during its period of 'free riding' on Yahoo!'s intellectual property. Yahoo! would likewise lose its portion of the market share for this period. Due to the difficulty in predicting whether, if at all, such market share can be recovered, Yahoo!'s harm cannot be compensated by payment of past due royalties alone." Clearly Yahoo is trying to attack Facebook before its IPO.

It should be noted that according to USPTO Yahoo has 1,029 patents while Facebook has only 21. Though this does not include the patents bought by both of them have including the important patent #6,269,361 Yahoo bought from Overture, which so far has not been included in the case against Facebook, but could be added later.

Yahoo's patent case against Google

Before filing the case against Facebook, Yahoo had file a patent lawsuit only once, in 2004 against Google. At that time Yahoo had settled for 2.7 million shares of Google indicating a value of US$230 million (at IPO price of US$85/share), but the case was only limited to one Overture patent #6,269,361.

At that time, it appeared that Yahoo settled for a very low amount as it had purchased Overture for US$1.6bn, whose only asset was the said patent.

Merit in Yahoo's position?

While Yahoo may appear to be a 'patent troll' to some and most of the blogosphere is certainly against it, Yahoo has a rich treasure trove of patents.

It had earlier sued and forced Google into a settlement, though it can be argued that Yahoo didn't gain much as compared to its investment.

IEEE had earlier given Yahoo the highest score in its 2011 Patent Power Scorecard in the Communication/Internet services category. While that itself is not an indication of the merits of this particular case, it does indicate that Yahoo has a high quality patent portfolio which it has not utilised, aggressively, so far.

One of the argument being used against Yahoo is that most of its patents are common and obvious today. But that could well work in Yahoo's favour as they were not generic when they were filed and hence their becoming generic today indicates good innovation. Though it remains to be seen how this argument holds up in court.

Another argument being used is that software and related patent should not be used for litigation. While this was largely practiced by the major companies till now, the law doesn't stop companies from enforcing them.

But the major sore point in this case, as well as in the case against Google, is that Yahoo has acted very opportunistically. Yahoo filed a case against Google when it was about to go for an IPO, similarly it has filed a case against Facebook when it is in the process of an IPO — Both, not the best times for a company to fight a legal case.

What next

Like other big software/Internet companies, Yahoo had not sued companies for patent infringement and it was more interested in improving its operations rather than generating revenues through litigation's.

This time the situation with Yahoo is different. Yahoo is on a decline and is looking to sell off its once crown jewels, Yahoo Japan and Alibaba, after which it will be left only with the under performing assets.

The big danger of Yahoo winning a swift or significant judgment against Facebook is that it might become a patent troll either directly after selling of its other assets or selling the patents to a third part who will carry out its dirty work.

This will open a Pandora's box, and may drag the entire software industry harming all the players and what was once a (relatively) safer segment in terms of litigation's might turn a minefield.

Additional sources: Ars Technica

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5 Price Latest Android Phone

Posted by Unknown 0 komentar

Android phone more and more frenzied. Many smartphone emerging from global and local vendors who run OS robor bearing green. Almost every week always come out a new variant of a variety of famous brands, recorded LG, HTC, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, and Samsung are always diligent in removing a variety of excellent gadgets.

Android enthusiasts even more spoiled because of the many products featured are qualified membanderol cheaply. Certainly a very friendly price used by the public to remember great technology brought by the individual - each handset.

We start from the Samsung Galaxy Y. After successfully marketing the Samsung Galaxy Mini, now turn to the Galaxy Y is a target. Moreover, the first promo, there was a special discount price for students. Mobile is targeting the youth segment and has supported smart 3-inch screen, and use the latest version of the Gingerbread Android OS.

Samsung Galaxy Y:

Quadband GSM & HSDPA; Android OS v2.3, 5 (Gingerbread), 832 MHz processor; TFT capacitive touchscreen, 256K colors, 240 x 320 pixels, 3 inches; Camera 2 MP, 1600 x 1200 pixels, Geo-tagging, QVGA video @ 15fps; Messaging SMS, MMS, Email, Push Email, IM; connection HSDPA 7.2 Mbps, Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n, HTML; 160 MB of internal memory storage, microSD card up to 32 GB; Features (polyphonic MP3 ), MP3/MP4 Player, FM Radio, Games, Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP, microUSB v2.0; Battery 1200 mAh Li-ion.

The second one is the Nokia 600. Mid-end smartphone with Symbian base Belle has a 3.2 inch screen, 5 MP camera that can record HD video @ 30fps 720. Entertainment sector has been available Audio / video player, MP3/MP4 player, Game, and Java.

Turning to the number three, namely the Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc S. This gadget has a 3D Sweep panorama feature that can convert two-dimensional images into three dimensions. 1.4 GHz processor is claimed to be faster than the Xperia Arc. The superior features include 8 MP camera, HSDPA, WiFi, DLNA, and HDMI port. The screen has been armed by the Mobile Bravia Engine which will be displayed on a screen of 4.2 inches.

Furthermore, Sony Ericsson Xperia Active. The phone is suitable for your active lifestyle. In addition to a certificate that is claimed to IP67 dust and water resistant like the Samsung Galaxy Xcover, he also has a wet finger tracking features. This feature is useful where the phone can still be executed even though the screen and the user's fingers when wet. Even more interesting again, in a package of accessories supplied Live View that can identify incoming calls, messages and update Facebook and Twitter.

And the latter is the hp HTC Evo 3D. This gadget is worth opponent for LG Optimus 3D. That's because the 5 MP camera for the execution of 3D images and 3D video. For those true movie lover, this is the first 3D handset pre-loaded with HTC's watch. She exclaimed visual experience will be displayed on the LCD screen measuring 4.3 inch 3D. Especially the support processor 1.2 GHz dual-brained qualified in the day to day purposes, except for washing and cooking. Hehehe. HTC Evo 3D is the price of Rp. 6,000,000, -

HTC Evo 3D :

Quadband GSM & HSDPA; Android OS v2.3 (Gingerbread); processor 1.2 GHz dual-core, Adreno 220 GPU, Qualcomm MSM8660 chipset; 3D LCD Display capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors, 540 x 960 pixels, 4.3 inches; Camera 5 MP , 2560 x 1920 pixels, autofocus, dual-LED flash, stereoscopic photos (2MP), video 720 @ 30fps (2D), 720 @ 30fps (3D) 1.3 MP secondary camera; Messaging SMS, MMS, Email, Push Email, IM ; connection HSDPA 14.4 Mbps, HSUPA 5.76 Mbps, Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n, DLNA, Wi-Fi Hotspot, HTML; internal memory 1 GB storage, 1 GB RAM, microSD card up to 32 GB; Multi-touch input method , Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate, Gyro sensor, HTC Sense UI, SRS virtual surround sound, A-GPS, TV-out (via SFM A / V link), audio / video player, Facebook; Battery Li-ion 1730 mAh .

That review of the latest Android 5 hp, with the latest prices and specs as well. Once you see the latest hp above, if you want to buy one of them?. Find your own answers.

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