Google Play gets in-app subscriptions for AndroidGoogle on Thursday announced an update to its Google Play Store that allows Android users to make in-app subscriptions. The update comes more than year after the Mountain View-based company introduced in-app billing in what was then called the Android Market. “Since the launch, In-app Billing has been extremely successful in helping developers monetize their apps through try-and-buy, virtual goods, upgrades, and other popular business models,” Google said on its developer blog. “Today, 23 of the 24 top-grossing apps in Google Play use In-app Billing, and the total revenue generated from in-app purchases exceeds revenue from traditional app purchases.” In-app subscriptions will allow developers to sell monthly or annual subscriptions from within their apps. “Developers just set the price and
Huawei seeks EU action against InterDigital patent feesBRUSSELS (Reuters) - World No.2 telecoms equipment maker Huawei has called for EU antitrust regulators to intervene in a dispute with InterDigital, saying the U.S.-based firm is demanding "exploitative" fees for use of its 3G mobile phone patents. Huawei filed a complaint with the European Commission on Wednesday, after failing to reach a deal with the wireless technology patent holder, making it the latest company to take a patent grievance to the EU watchdog. "Huawei ... ...
Microsoft wins ruling against Motorola over textingFRANKFURT (Reuters) - A German regional court ruled in a hearing on Thursday that Motorola Mobility infringed Microsoft patents by offering the option on its mobile phones to send a longer text in a batch of several messages. "We're pleased the court agreed today that Motorola has infringed Microsoft's intellectual property, and we hope Motorola will be willing to join other Android device makers by taking a license to our patents," Microsoft said in a statement, referring to Google's Android operating system for mobile phones. ...
Polls: Cell phone users prefer Obama, landline users like RomneyPolitical pollsters have been under pressure to make sure their samples include Americans who rely solely on cell phones—and the latest NBC News/Marist polls of Florida, Ohio and Virginia exhibit why.As NBC's First Read flags, Romney narrowly pulls ahead in Florida among voters who were polled over landlines—48 percent to 45 percent. But among cell phone respondents only, Obama has a major lead: 57 percent to 34 percent.In Virginia, the results are similar: Romney leads by 1 point among voters polled over landlines: 47 percent to 46 percent. ...
Polls: Cell phone users prefer Obama, landline users like RomneyPolitical pollsters have been under pressure to make sure their samples include Americans who rely solely on cell phones—and the latest NBC News/Marist polls of Florida, Ohio and Virginia exhibit why. As NBC's First Read flags, Romney narrowly pulls ahead in Florida among voters who were polled over landlines—48 percent to 45 percent. But among [...]
BlackBerry stock falls after sales chief resignsTORONTO (Reuters) - Shares in Research In Motion Ltd fell more than 3 percent on Thursday morning after the BlackBerry maker said its global sales chief had resigned. The resignation of Patrick Spence, a 14-year RIM veteran, comes as the Canadian company struggles to sell legacy products and prepares for the make-or-break launch of its new smartphone later this year. London-based Spence had risen steadily through RIM's ranks and was widely credited with building strong sales growth in the Middle East and other emerging markets. ...
‘Phablets’ are here to stayBGR called for the death of the “phablet” this past February when we reviewed Samsung’s mammoth Galaxy Note, but the market has spoken loud and clear. End-user sales of Samsung’s first true smartphone-tablet hybrid topped 5 million units within about five months, placing Samsung well on its way to achieving the company’s goal of selling 10 million units in 2012. According to a new report from market research firm ABI, Samsung’s Galaxy Note is just the beginning. Shipments of smartphone-tablet hybrids like the Samsung Galaxy Note and LG Optimus Vu will surpass 208 million handsets annually in 2015 according to a recent report published by ABI Research. We now sit at “the dawn of the phablet era” according to the
Bump App Update: Transfer Photos From Your Phone to Computer With Just a TapBump, an app for Android phones and the iPhone, has made it very easy for people to transfer photos or money from one phone to another. It’s now set its sights on transfers from a phone to a computer. Today the company is announcing an...
Google+ Android Update: Start Hangouts Right From Your PhoneGoogle just rolled out an update to its Google+ Android app, revamping the layout of the "stream" with bigger photos and less white space, similar to the app's recent update on iOS. Another highlight: Now users can start video chats -- also known as hangouts -- right from their phones.
Android, iOS gain share in Q1 as Symbian, BlackBerry plummetGoogle’s Android operating system and Apple’s iOS platform showed big market share gains in the first quarter of 2012 as Symbian and BlackBerry shipments plummeted. Market research firm IDC on Thursday published its global smartphone market share report for the first quarter of this year, and Google’s Android was far and away the biggest winner in terms of year-on-year shipment gains. According to IDC’s study, Android shipments during the quarter totalled 89.9 million units, up a staggering 145% from 36.7 million in the first quarter of 2011. iPhone shipments were up 88.7% over the first quarter last year to 35.1 million units, giving Apple 23% of the smartphone market in the first quarter compared to Google’s 59% share. “The popularity
Taiwan's Tsai claims island's richest spot: ForbesTaiwanese tycoon Tsai Eng-meng topped the island's richest list for the first time boosted by his booming China-based business, Forbes magazine said.
Jury deals big blow to Oracle in Android case versus GoogleSAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc's Android mobile platform has not infringed Oracle Corp's patents, a California jury decided, putting an indefinite hold on Oracle's quest for damages in a fight between the two Silicon Valley giants over smartphone technology. In a case that examined whether computer language that connects programs and operating systems can be copyrighted, Oracle claimed Google's Android tramples on its intellectual property rights to the Java programming language. ...
NVIDIA’s Kai strategy aims to make $199 quad-core Android tablets a realityNVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang previously mentioned that more Tegra 3-powered tablets would be coming to the market this summer, starting at the low price of $199. At the company’s annual shareholders’ meeting last week, vice president Rob Csonger revealed Kai, a plan to democratize its quad-core Tegra 3 system-on-a-chip. NVIDIA is looking to offer tablets that are more powerful than Amazon’s Kindle Fire, but that will be offered at the same low price point. “Our strategy on Android is simply to enable quad-core tablets running Android Ice Cream Sandwich to be developed and brought out to market at the $199 price point, and the way we do that is a platform we’ve developed called Kai,” he said. “So this uses
RIM's head of global sales leaving BlackBerry makerTORONTO (Reuters) - The head of global sales at Research In Motion Ltd has resigned to take on a leadership role in another industry, the BlackBerry maker said on Wednesday, a major blow ahead of make-or-break product launches due later this year. Patrick Spence was a 14-year RIM veteran widely considered a rising star. A spokeswoman for RIM said Spence's last day with the company will be June 15. Spence was promoted to the global sales role in July after serving as managing director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. ...
Samsung’s Galaxy S III smashes preorder records in U.K.Samsung’s Galaxy S III hasn’t even launched yet and it’s already setting records. News of the high demand among carriers for the upcoming flagship Samsung smartphone emerged last week, and now U.K. carrier Vodafone has confirmed that it has received a record number of end-user preorders for the Galaxy S III ahead of its launch later this month. A Vodafone spokesperson wouldn’t confirm numbers while speaking with The Inquirer, but the company did say preorders of Samsung’s latest Galaxy phone have been off the charts. “With over a week to go until launch, it’s already the most pre-ordered Android device we’ve brought into our smartphone line-up to date and our limited time offer of 2GB of mobile data and 100
Developments in Oracle vs Google legal caseOracle Corp. had accused Google Inc. of patent and copyright infringement. Much of the dispute is over Google's Android, the mobile operating system that now powers more than 300 million smartphones and tablet computers.
News Summary: No Google infringement, says juryTHE VERDICT: A federal jury says Google didn't infringe on Oracle's patents when the Internet search leader developed its popular Android software for mobile devices.
How consumer-electronics makers are faringA look at how selected makers of phones and other consumer-electronic gadgets are faring:
A look at recent tech-industry earningsHere is a summary of recent earnings and reports for selected technology companies and what they reveal about the state of spending and the overall economy:
Jury deals blow to Oracle in case vs. GoogleSAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Google Inc's Android mobile platform has not infringed Oracle Corp's patents, a California jury decided, putting an indefinite hold on Oracle's quest for damages in a legal fight between the two Silicon Valley giants over smartphone technology. The verdict was delivered on Wednesday in a San Francisco federal court. The same jury could not unanimously agree on the copyright allegations earlier in the case, though the jury foreman told reporters on Wednesday that the final vote on a key copyright issue heavily favored Google. ...
Jury: Google didn't infringe on Oracle patentsA federal jury ruled Wednesday that Google didn't infringe on Oracle's patents when the Internet search leader developed its popular Android software for mobile devices.
Google did not infringe Oracle’s patents with AndroidIn the widely publicized patent infringement case between Google and Oracle, a San Francisco jury on Wednesday found that Google’s Android operating system does not infringe Oracle’s patents. Jurors have been dismissed and Judge William Aslup of the U.S. District court of Northern California exonerated the Internet giant of any wrong doing. The verdict marks the end of the trial’s second phase, which focused on patent infringement claims. Google earlier this month was found to have infringed Oracle’s copyrights, however, and the proceedings are set to resume on Tuesday morning. [Via The Verge] Read
Rejoice Bureaucrats! Federal Government Preparing to Break Up with BlackBerrysOfficial Washington is one of the last redoubts of the thumb-tapping BlackBerry user. The new Digital Government Strategy, released on Wednesday, contains hints that the BlackBerry is on the way out as federal government’s leading mobile device.
Google Triumphs Over Oracle in Patent SuitThe jury has handed Google a major win in its case with Oracle over whether the search giant violated patents by using some of Oracle's code for its Android apps, The Next Web reports.
KickStarter projects looks to transform Android tablets from boring to gorgeous [video]Google has focused a great deal of effort over the years on making its Android operating system more attractive. Android partners’ first attempts at tablets were lackluster to say the least, and while Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich have revamped the user interface, they still leave much to be desired for many users. Luckily, Android users have the option of completely customizing their devices with various home screen replacement apps, and a nearly endless number of custom ROMs. These alternatives cannot compete with Chameleon, however, an Android home screen replacement app like no other. Chameleon replaces the standard Android home screens and app launcher with a custom layout of widgets and apps that deliver users a wide range of information. The
How To Find A Lost Cell PhoneWe lose our keys, we lose our wallets, but more than anything these days, we lose our cell phones. So in this article we'll tell you the tracking apps to install while you still have your phone. And worst case, we'll tell you how to track a phone after it's lost even if you've done [...]
New Digital Government Plan Could Mean Bye-Bye BlackBerryOfficial Washington is one of the last redoubts of the thumb-tapping BlackBerry user. The new Digital Government Strategy, released on Wednesday, contains hints that the BlackBerry is on the way out as federal government’s leading mobile device.
Microsoft Office Coming to iOS and Android in November [REPORT]Microsoft is planning to release both iOS and Android variants of its Office suite of products this fall, a new report says. The date matches closely to when the company is expected to release Windows 8 and the new version of Office.
Developments in Google's bid for Motorola MobilityHere are some key developments in Google's Inc.'s planned acquisition of Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc.:
Microsoft set to release Office for iOS and Android tablets in NovemberBGR has learned from a reliable source that Microsoft is currently planning to release the company’s full Office suite for not only Apple’s iPad, but for Android tablets as well. The company is targeting November of this year for both launches. Additionally, our source has seen Microsoft Office running on an iPad first-hand and has said that it looks almost identical to the previous leak from The Daily a few months back, despite the fact that Microsoft flat out denied that the app was authentic. It is also plausible that Microsoft Office will be coming to the iPhone and iPod touch rather than only the iPad, as we’re told the loading screen in the app clearly said “Office for iOS” and
Top new tech products: $49 Android PC, high-end waterproof smartphone, Sony NEX-F3 cameraHigh-tech product releases announced the week ending May 23 include a compact Android PC priced at just $49, Sony’s NEX-F3 mirrorless camera, a DSLR camera built for adventurers, a waterproof smartphone with FeliCa, and a 4G mobile hotspot that’s built to travel.
Today’s e-Reads: What Went Wrong With Facebook’s IPO?The Wall Street Journal analyzes what went wrong with Facebook’s initial public offering.
10 things you need to know today: May 23, 2012Egypt has its first free election, Morgan Stanley is under investigation, and more in our roundup of the stories that are making news and driving opinion
PC maker Lenovo says profit up 59 percentLenovo Group, the world's second-largest personal computer maker, said Wednesday its quarterly profit rose 59 percent over a year earlier on record sales.
Verizon says global capabilities coming to select Android handsets this summerVerizon Wireless on Monday confirmed that the DROID RAZR, RAZR MAXX, HTC Rezound, and DROID 4 will receive global roaming capabilities later this summer, enabling the handsets to access voice and data services in more than 200 countries, Droid-Life reported. “Customers will see a notification on their device when the software update is available for their device,” a Verizon spokesperson said. “After the software update, customers will be able to take their smartphone overseas and use voice service in more than 220 countries and receive data in more than 205 countries.” While the carrier didn’t give a specific timeline, there is a possibility the update may be included with the smartphone’s upcoming Ice Cream Sandwich updates, which are also slated for
OmniVision’s 16-megapixel smartphone camera sensors support 4K resolutionOmniVision on Tuesday announced the OV16820 and OV16825 smartphone camera chips. The two sensors support up to 16-megapixels and can capture video at a 4k resolution, known as Quad Full High Definition (QFHD), at 60 frames per second. “It was an industry-wide assumption that smartphones would cut into DSC/DVC sales; but at higher resolutions, we’re seeing a very distinct divide between the two markets and both remain strong,” said Devang Patel, senior product marketing manager at OmniVision. “Industry experts have observed that mainstream DSC products are shifting to 16-megapixel resolutions and are offering improved image quality and optics. The OV16820 supports such offerings, allowing DSC/DVC manufacturers to provide consumers a high-resolution, feature-rich point and shoot photography experience, while the OV16825
Summary Box: Google takes control at MotorolaDONE DEAL: Google has completed its $12.5 billion acquisition of device maker Motorola Mobility nine months after the deal was announced. The companies had to wait until regulators were satisfied Google Inc. wouldn't be able use Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. to stifle competition in the smartphone market.
Amazon Appstore now allows Android users to Test Drive appsThe Amazon Appstore was updated on Monday to include the company’s popular Test Drive feature on Android devices. The retail giant previously allowed users to test apps using desktop browsers prior to purchasing them, but now trials can be tested on devices. “Today we begin the beta rollout of Test Drive on Android phones,” Amazon said. “Now customers can instantly try apps on their phone — where a majority of app purchases take place — without downloading or installing anything.” The Test Drive feature is currently available on more than 5,000 apps and is compatible with select Android handsets, however Amazon promises the feature will be rolled out to “many more” devices in the coming months. Read
Google completes Motorola deal, heralding new eraGoogle has completed its $12.5 billion purchase of device maker Motorola Mobility in a deal that poses new challenges for the Internet's most powerful company as it tries to shape the future of mobile computing.
Berkeley police chief assigns 10 officers to find son’s missing iPhoneHow many people have called their local police station about a stolen cell phone or laptop, only to be told by the authorities that they have more pressing issues at hand? Well, Berkeley Police Chief Michael Meehan has opened himself up to a new round of controversy after it was reported that he dispatched 10 [...]
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