Apple wants to block 8 Samsung devices in US

Apple (AAPL) on Monday gave a federal judge a list of eight Samsung products it wants pulled from shelves and banned from the U.S. market.

U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh asked for the list after a jury in San Jose last week slammed Samsung with a $1.05 billion verdict, finding that the South Korean technology giant had "willfully" copied Apple's iPhone and iPad in creating and marketing the products. Samsung plans an appeal.

The list of smartphones that Apple would like to see removed from the market is as follows: Galaxy S 4G, Galaxy S II (AT & T) Galaxy S II (Skyrocket), Galaxy S II (T-Mobile) Galaxy S II Epic 4G Galaxy S Showcase Galaxy Prevail and Droid Charge.  The Galaxy S II is the main target to kill in his versions offered by U.S. carriers.

Koh on June 26 banned the Galaxy Tab 10.1 from the U.S. market after finding it likely violated a "design patent." Samsung is now asking for that ban to be lifted after the jury found the computer tablet didn't infringe that particular patent, but it did find it infringed three Apple's software patents that cover the popular "bounce-back" and pinch-to-zoom features.

The judge has scheduled a Sept. 20 hearing to discuss Apple's demands for the sales bans. She asked Apple on Friday to submit the list of products its wants removed from U.S. stores after Samsung complained it doesn't have enough time to prepare for the scheduled hearing.

For its part, Samsung took the floor and told the Wall Street Journal 's willingness to fight against the ban on its products in the USA. "We will take all necessary measures to ensure the availability of our products in the U.S. market." Said the firm, which board already on changes terminals covered by the ban, pending the launch of the procedure appeal, which could delay the proceedings.

Twitter joins Linux Foundation

Network Twitter following in the footsteps Google, Yahoo, Adobe and other companies already some 140 members of the Linux Foundation.

 Become indispensable in the market for community networks, service Twitter continues to expand its infrastructure and makes use of several free and open source technologies.  The service is based mainly on MySQL, the management system databases Cassandra, Hadoop on Java framework for data management or on the open source search engine Lucene.  Its merger with the Linux Foundation is relatively logical.

 The magazine PC World reports about the Chris Aniszczyk, chief technology open source community network, which says "Linux and its flexibility is fundamental to our technology infrastructure."  He added: "In joining the Linux Foundation we support an organization that is dear to us and work with a community that advances Linux as fast as we improve Twitter."

 This initiative will enable the company to accelerate its investment in the Linux ecosystem while providing its support to the developer community.

Philips stops production of 21:9 televisions due to lack of success

Lack of demand from consumers, Philips has decided to stop production of television format 21: 9. The manufacturer was launched on selective market in 2009.

Philips has confirmed the news site FlatpanelsHD , who questioned the possible presence of new brand at IFA, where she had hitherto used to present its new TV models 21: 9.  The company said it had already finalized the production of this type of screen, and the models still sold commercially are the last in stock: a story that only needed to be formalized since the firm was not announced for a while on this sector.

The manufacturer had relied in 2009 on the ideal format for viewing films in cinemascope, without black bars.  In 2010, Philips introduced the range Cinema 21:9 Platinum and its sequel, Cinema 21:9 Gold in 2011. TVs with premium price of around 4000 euros.  High prices to the general public for a screen size moviegoers who mostly Philips did not meet the expected success.

But if the company stops costs with 21: 9 TV side, it will still an LCD monitor in the same format at IFA.  With a size of 29 inches, the screen is capable of displaying a ultra-high resolution of 2560 x 1080 pixels.  Its price has not been disclosed.

Kathy Savitt Yahoo's chief marketing officer

Yahoo! Inc. (YHOO) announced today that Kathy Savitt is joining the company as chief marketing officer, responsible for all worldwide marketing and branding. Savitt will join the company on September 14 and will report directly to Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer. 

“We are very excited to welcome Kathy to Yahoo!,” said Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo!. “Her extensive experience in building and refining well-loved consumer brands like Amazon, American Eagle Outfitters and Lockerz will be incredibly valuable as we define Yahoo!’s future.”

“Yahoo! is at an important and unique inflection point in its storied history,” said Savitt. “I believe passionately in Yahoo!’s ability to inspire and delight users, partners and advertisers around the world and am excited to join Marissa in defining Yahoo!’s next chapter.”

Savitt is a successful consumer, retail and technology executive with experience in strategic product development and marketing. She was most recently founder and CEO of Lockerz, a rapidly-growing social commerce company with more than 45 million unique users. Prior to founding Lockerz, Savitt was executive vice president and CMO of American Eagle Outfitters, where she led all brand efforts, store and multi-channel marketing for the company’s portfolio of brands. She has held senior leadership roles at Amazon.com and was president of MWW Savitt, where she consulted with Fortune 500 clients across the globe.

Samsung announces Drive Link, a car-friendly app

Samsung today launched Drive Link, an in-car smartphone application designed for safe use while driving. Drive Link is built around the three most popular uses of smartphones while driving: listening to music, navigating to a destination and talking hands-free. It also includes shortcuts to other useful driving applications that have also met exacting safety certification standards.

"Drive Link" is the equivalent of the Samsung "Car Mode" built into some of Google Android smartphones without custom interface: an application with large fonts and big buttons giving access to the most commonly used in car.  It meets the criteria of the Japanese Automotive Manufacturers Association, which is one of the most stringent safety requirements.

At startup, "Link Drive" appears in this case a home screen with the date and time, local weather and if the next appointment with the opportunity to easily start a call or guidance to contact or address informed.
 
The main menu displays three buttons on it to access the interfaces adapted the music player, solution guide and call function, and two buttons displaying a list of applications and a simplified menu settings .
 

Solution provides speech synthesis on reading it aloud text messages, emails and messages from social networks, but unlike any speech recognition solution is integrated.  The application supports MirrorLink function, an implementation of the standard VNC protocol to interface with the smartphone entertainment system dashboard.
In terms of entertainment, every music file stored in the smartphone is accessible to be played through the car's speaker system. Users can also go well beyond their music libraries with TuneIn (requiring version 6.2 or later), a global Internet Radio app which offers 70,000 stations and two million on-demand programs streaming from every continent. Further compatible internet apps will be made available soon.

Staying in touch during journeys can often be important. With this in mind, Drive Link incorporates a feature called Text-To-Speech, available in English (U.S./U.K) French, Italian, German, and Spanish, which enables all incoming messages, emails and updates from social media websites to be automatically read via the car's speaker system so that drivers' eyes are always on the road, ensuring maximum concentration and safety are maintained. All personal contacts saved in the phone are loaded to Drive Link and users can also make a phone call directly by dialing on the keypad.

Drive Link is launching on the Samsung GALAXY S III (GT-I9300) and will be made available on other smartphones running Google Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) in the near future. The app is downloadable from Samsung Apps in 21 countries including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Ukraine, and United Kingdom.

Optimus G: new high-end smartphone from LG

LG Optimus comes formalize the G, a new high-end smartphone shipping Android 4.0 for first place in the South Korean market and the rest of the world at the end of the year.

 The smartphone features Android 4.0, 4.7-inch 1280x768 True HD IPS+ display, 2GB RAM, 13-megapixel camera and 2100 mAh battery. LG Optimus G will be sold in red and black colour options.

LG also focuses on its technology G2 Touch Hybrid , presented a few days ago: it is a system that reduces by 30% the space between the protective screen and the LCD, offering a touch accuracy increased.

 No price announced or availability date for this specific terminal arrives in South Korea in September and in Japan in October.  Marketing in the world should still be here at the end of the year.

LG Optimus G key specs

• Model: LG-F180
• Size: 131.9 x68.9x8.45mm
• Weight: 145g
• Display: 4.7-inch True HD IPS + (1280 * 768) Display
• 1.3MP front camera
• 13MP rear camera
• 2GB DDR2 RAM
• CPU: 1.5GHz quad-core processor Qualcomm APQ 8064
• Operating System: Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich
• Battery capacity: 2,100 mAh

Windows 8: Microsoft unveils logos and instructions

Preparation for the launch of Windows 8 also requires the transmission to partners of instructions that allow them to display their products compatible with future operating system. These, however, must follow the rules set by the publisher.

 Many manufacturers of computers or devices logically wish to take advantage of the interest generated by the commercial launch of Windows 8, October 26.  To do this, they will be keen to display on their packaging or point of sale of their products compatible with the new Microsoft operating system.  They will do this to meet the specifications determined by the publisher.

 It goes particularly well defined by a logo which only the background color may vary from four choices.  Size, font and mention of compatibility are in turn fixed according to the model shown below.

In its documentation, Microsoft insists that only the phrase "Compatible with Windows 8" and / or "Compatible with Windows RT" will be accepted.  Idioms such as "Optimized for Windows 8" or "Certified for Windows 8" on the other hand are prohibited.

"Do not refer to the product simply as 8 or RT. Windows always include the name, "said the editor. "Do not use abbreviations like Win Windows 8, Win8 or W8," he says again.



Microsoft stresses that certification may appear on the packaging of new products since July 31.  Interested manufacturers must however wait until 1 September to highlight their display devices outlets.

LG launches gaming portal for Cinema 3D Smart TVs‎

LG has announced the arrival of Game World, a platform designed to provide users of its connected TVs for viewing of 3D.

Game World is a new service that will only be available on LG TVs with passive 3D technology, dubbed Cinema 3D by the company.  Obviously, the fact that the TV is connected to the Internet is also a prerequisite for access to the catalog of games.

 Catalog of games is vast but will also oriented towards a family audience, with titles kinds arcade, puzzle, sports, action or simulation.  Among them is the port of the game Shadowgun, offered on smartphones and tablets, the classic Plants vs Zombies or Air Penguin 3D and Cut the Rope, also well known mobile players.

 Titles can be played with the Magic Remote LG, which includes a motion detector, or with another joystick offered by another manufacturer - LG does not, for the moment, what are the compatible devices.  All games include 3D compatibility: it is also one of the main arguments put forward by the company, which announces paid and free titles.

 Game World should be globally launched Cinema 3D range by the end of the year.

Sony stops production of optical drives for computers

Sony has announced the cessation of production of optical drives from March 2013. The company says the strong competition in the sector has resulted in lower prices that began the profitability of the market, preferring to abandon it.
From March 2013, the Sony subsidiary dedicated to the manufacture of readers and writers discs (CD, DVD) Sony Optiarc Inc..  stop the production of such products to destinations computers and the general public.  In words, this company based in Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan, is simply closed.

Chinese and Korean competition was due to the activity of the Japanese, which currently sells its readers at a loss.  In addition to the obvious economic factor to justify such a judgment, Sony also mentioned a decrease in demand, especially on the side of the laptop.

Currently undergoing restructuring, Sony therefore chooses to leave the sector to turn to other, more promising: the firm will soon eliminate 10,000 jobs across its subsidiaries.  Optiarc, meanwhile, employs more than 400 people, whose future is uncertain.

Samsung launches LED transparent displays

Samsung Electronics announced the availability of innovative 1:1 ratio LED square display (UD22B) and transparent display (NL22B), accelerating its leadership in the commercial B2B display market in the second half of this year.

Samsung’s distinctive 1:1 ratio square display and all-in-one transparent display showcase provide business owners with extraordinary solutions for creating entirely new types of promotional displays in retail, commercial and public locations.

It's also unveiling the NL22B, a transparent LCD screen / case that builds on the see-through tech we saw at CES. The interactive display is designed to let you see facts and figures while keeping one eye on the merchandise at all times. It's imagined to be used in high-class jewelers, using interactivity to tease us toward buying that $4,000 watch. Both are being shown at IFA this week, but don't expect to see them available to buy -- so stash those dreams of covering every wall in house with these things, at least until you own your own advertising firm.

Samsung’s environmentally friendly Direct LED backlight technology used in the UD22B square display generates less heat to reduce power consumption by more than 30 percent compared to existing LCD display technology, lowering operating costs. The UD22B also conserves energy by adjusting brightness according to surrounding brightness, and users easily manage content using Samsung’s unique MagicInfo software solution.

Providing an alternative to traditional rectangular displays, Samsung’s LED square display with 1:1 screen ratio supports unlimited configurations and opens up new potential for creating immersive visual experiences. With 5.5 mm bezel-to-bezel measurement for seamless installation and digital loop out to produce a single image across up to 100 displays, Samsung’s 21.6” square display lets commercial users explore limitless possibilities as they design artistic video walls. Multiple displays can easily be connected to create creative mosaics as well as cubic or other three-dimensional shaped displays. Without being limited by the installation space or shape, businesses can create more interactive point-of-sale and advertising displays that engage the consumer.