Google-Motorola Deal: What It Means To You

Technology, Why are the patents so important to Google?, So it’s all about money?, But does this mean we’ll only be able to get Android-based phones from Motorola?, Could other Android partners just dump Android?, Does Microsoft have anything to say?, 

Google’s announcement to acquire motorola mobility last month for $12.5 billion may have seemed random on the surface, but motorola has focused solely on Android since 2008, and the company’s patent portfolio is quite attractive to the patentstarved Google. If the deal is approved by regulatory authorities, what will it all mean to consumers like you? read on to find out. Should we expect to see the rise of Moogle or Googorola? Not just yet. Google insists that motorola will remain a separate company. Why does Google want to buy Motorola? According to Google chief Larry page, “to supercharge the Android ecosystem.” What really sweetened the deal was motorola’s expansive patent portfolio.


Why are the patents so important to Google? patents are lucrative. Anyone keeping an eye on the tech press recently has seen no shortage of patent-related lawsuits, many from the top tech firms in the game: samsung vs. Apple, Google vs. Oracle, motorola vs. Apple, microsoft vs. Android, and so on. If you latch onto just the right patent, you can make a killing on licenses alone.


So it’s all about money? And protecting the brand. Last month, Google accused rivals like Apple and microsoft of collectively purchasing patents to thwart the growth of Android. buying motorola and its patent arsenal “enable us to better protect Android from anti-competitive threats from microsoft, Apple and other companies,” Google’s page said.


But does this mean we’ll only be able to get Android-based phones from Motorola? Google insisted that Android will remain open, meaning that motorola will not be the only Android dealer in town. “many hardware partners have contributed to Android’s success, and we look forward to continuing to work with all of them to deliver outstanding user experiences,” page said. 


Could other Android partners just dump Android? Anything is possible, but Android has been very good to a number of these companies. samsung in particular had a huge year thanks to the success of its Android-based Galaxy s line of smartphones. the handset maker shipped 17.3 million devices, a 380.6 percent change from the 3.6 million smartphones it shipped in the second quarter of 2010, according to IDC.


Does Microsoft have anything to say? Andy Lees, president of the Windows phone division, said in a statement that “investing in a broad and truly open mobile ecosystem is important for the industry and consumers alike, and Windows phone is now the only platform that does so with equal opportunity for all partners.”

Would this somehow involve Google TV? Indeed. besides phones, motorola mobility also develops set-top boxes and DVrs. With motorola in its corner, there’s a good chance we might see Google tV appear in cable boxes. page said he wants to accelerate innovation in the home devices and video solutions business, and pledged to work with the cable and telecom industries to get that done.—Chloe Albanesius

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Rural Britain to get cheaper internet

Rural areas of the UK may benefit from cheaper broadband after Ofcom revealed it will force BT to lower the price it charges ISPs to use its network in these areas. By forcing BT to reduce its charges by 11 percent below inflation, the regulator hopes that some three million homes and businesses in rural parts of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as the South West of England, Norfolk, Yorkshire, Cumbria and Northumberland, will benefit from cheaper, faster broadband. The regulator said it expects the reduction in costs to "generate more competition between retail ISPs and to lead to cheaper retail prices which will benefit consumers". Ofcom hopes its changes will also lead to better-quality, faster services. The move will enable ISPs to allocate more bandwidth per customer, without increasing its costs.

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Microsoft warns users to dump XP in favour of Windows 7

Microsoft has warned Windows XP users that there are fewer than 1,000 days of support left for the OS. "Windows XP had an amazing run, and millions of PC users are grateful for it. But it's time to move on," said Stephen Rose, IT community manager for the Windows commercial team. "PCs running Windows XP will be vulnerable to security threats after that date. Furthermore, many thirdparty software providers are not planning to extend support for their applications running on XP, which translates to even more complexity, security risks and, ultimately, added management costs for IT departments," he continued.

The announcement is Microsoft's most aggressive attempt yet to convince customers to drop XP and adopt Windows 7. And it's proving an uphill battle, according to figures from Net Applications. Windows 7 is used on 27 percent of the world's PCs; Windows XP powers 51 percent. At the current rate of uptake, Windows 7 won't pass XP in the race for market share until the second quarter of 2012. This isn't the first time Microsoft has portrayed XP as yesterday's OS. Earlier this year, Internet Explorer (IE) executives referred to it as the "lowest common denominator" when asked why the OS wouldn't run IE 9.0 or any future Microsoft browsers.

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More firms should take up free dataprotection audit

Just 19 percent of UK firms
have taken up the offer of a
free data-protection audit,
according to the Information
Commissioner's Office. "We've
written to organisations we
consider to be at high risk,
but the response has been
disappointing," said information
commissioner Chris Graham.
MORE: tinyurl.com/3sgtale

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26% of Brits use common passwords

Research conducted by
MyVoucherCodes has found
that more than a quarter
(26 percent) of Brits use
common passwords for
social-networking and webmail
accounts. It also revealed
that 42 percent use the same
passwords for all their accounts.
MORE: tinyurl.com/44k3tvu

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Flagged: Star letter

Illegal downloading: right or wrong? It may be wrong to download media you haven't paid for, but if cinema and concert tickets were reasonably priced then more people would get out there and experience such events in the way they were intended. How many times have you bought a CD album and liked only a couple of tracks? The record company won't refund you 80 percent of the purchase price. While it's no justification for 'stealing' media from the web, I have no sympathy for an industry that has ridden roughshod over its customers for years, then produced TV shows such as 'Cribs' that rub their faces in it. The landscape has changed, and the industry needs to adapt to its new surroundings rather than t ry to realign our expectations with its views. DiscoMart Matt Egan, editor, replies: Perhaps it's because I earn a crust creating media, but I do find incredible this idea that music and films should be free simply because they are online. If no-one pays, no-one gets paid and, ultimately, nothing gets made. I understand why people think things should be free or less expensive: I'd like to get paid more for doing less, but there is no justification for theft.

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iPad 2 Plus could launch this year

It's rumoured that a third-gen iPad could
launch this year (tinyurl.com/6y7jL4f).
m not an Apple fan due to its restrictive
practices," wrote Smike, "but I thank it for
the iPad's 4:3 aspect ratio. Widescreen is good
for video, but useless for everything else."
Something tells us that Cdtplug isn't a
fan either; he asked: "Will it come with Super
Glue and a handle for the side of your head
to make you truly look like a mug?" Erm, no.

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Site access blocked?

According to culture minister Ed Vaizey, the
UK may consider blocking access to websites
that host pirated content if the US brings in
similar measures (tinyurl.com/6cmvwLd).
"So we're prepared to tackle piracy, but
scared to touch pornography - I know which
does more damage," exclaimed anonymous.

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Ofcom's broadband speed map

Ofcom has unveiled an interactive map that
depicts broadband speeds across the UK
(tinyurl.com/6fpd9x5). "If my area - which
receives 0.4Mbps - is in the blue section,
then the rest of the UK must have just got
running water," wrote Patrick Millais.

SPin

Ofcom has disclosed an reciprocal map that
depicts band speeds across the UK
(tinyurl.com/6fpd9x5). "If my country - which
receives 0.4Mbps - is in the dark conception,
then the quietus of the UK staleness love righteous got
locomotion element," wrote Apostle Millais.

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Sun on Sunday?

When we announced our suspicions that News International could be planning to launch The Sun on Sunday to fill the hole left in the market by the News Of The World, it was clear that our Facebook fans wouldn't be rushing out to buy the n e w s p a p e r . M commented: "Personally, I couldn't care less! If they were launching Rupert Murdoch into outer space, that would be a different matter." Google+ to rival Facebook Google has launched its own social-networking service in an attempt to rival Facebook. Google+, which is currently in trials and open to new members by invitation only, already has close to 10 million members. WiyWitjWJJIitN was pleased to hear that Facebook would have some genuine competition. "Great news! Facebook has it all at the moment," she wrote.

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Daimler and Bosch in new JV

Daimler AG and Robert Bosch GmbH have started working together on electric motors for EV’s, having recently signed an agreement on the establishment of a 50:50 joint venture to do so. The new venture will see the establishment of a new company, EM-motive GmbH, which will develop and produce innovative electric motors – or traction motors – for electric vehicles. Based in Hildesheim, Germany, the business is expected to employ 100 staff by the end of this year, with production commencing early in 2012. The JV is aimed at pooling competencies and exploiting synergies in an effort to accelerate the development of premium traction motors for electric vehicles with battery, fuel cell, or range extenders. The new traction motors will be used in Mercedes-Benz and smart brand EV’s, starting with the new generation of the smart fortwo electric drive, which is to go on sale in early 2012. What makes these motors unique is their modular design, which allows them to be installed in a wide variety of allelectric vehicles. As Prof. Dr. Herbert Kohler, Vice President e-drive & Future Mobility in Group Research & Advanced Engineering and Chief Environmental Officer of Daimler AG explains: “Like lithium-ion batteries, electric motors are key components for our electric vehicles. It is extremely important that competence in this field is maintained in Germany. In joining forces with Bosch, we have now teamed up with a long-standing partner, and are confident that this move will lead to outstanding results.”

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Road safety one pledge at a time

In late July, Imperial Holdings officially launched its new
I-Pledge campaign, which it hopes will encourage sound
driving habits throughout the company. And who better
to kick it off than the company executives, by committing
themselves to being safe and courteous road users, at a
function in Sandton.
The company’s CEO, Hubert Brody, commented: “As part of
our corporate citizenship, we are calling on all of our 35,000
employees to make a pledge to apply safety principles when
they use the roads. We believe that each one of us needs to
change bad habits to have safer and friendlier roads.”
And although it is just one company, the impact could result
in huge gains for SA roads. The organisation’s fleets travel
an average of around 500 million kilometers a year, with
5,500 trucks on the road.
The company plans to roll its campaign out to the rest of the
country in the near future.

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iCloud apps Catch up with the revolution

Auto-backup
One aspect of iCIoud is automatic data
backup. Once a day. it will back up content
to the cloud over Wi-Fi. It won't back up
everything, however, only those files that
have been downloaded or changed. This also
means that when you purchase a new phone
or need to restore from a backup, you'll only
have to type in your Apple ID and password
to load everything onto that device.
It will back up purchased music, apps and
books, your Camera Roll (photos and videos),
device settings, app data, home screen and
app organisation, text and MMS messages,
and ringtones.

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Music downloads to have parental advisory warnings

The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) has revealed that digital music downloads containing explicit material will soon carry parental advisory warnings. This is in response to concern that children are being exposed to unsuitable material.

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Live music Libratone Live review

Libratone has evolved its first speaker, the Beat, into the Live, which looks the same but has different amplifiers. AirPlay has been added, so you can wirelessly stream music to the lounge from your Mac, iPad, iPhone or iPod touch without needing an adaptor to do so. FullRoom technology is used to ensure good quality sound from whereveryou place the speaker.

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Apple Grapevine

Apple has reportedly selected and certified components for the iPad 3. with Radiant Opto-Electronics being chosen to provide LED backlight units. Also, the idea that Apple is going to introduce three new iPhones before mid-2012 has arisen again. Rumours suggest that the iPhone 4S (expected to have the same form factor with a larger screen) will arrive later in 2011, the radically designed iPhone 5 in mid-2012, and a low-cost handset at some point in-between.


Samsung will provide AMOLED panels for the iPad 3 The iPhone 6 will have new technology
that disables the camera in cinemas, and other locations that forbid filming and photography.
Google Search and Maps will still be on iPhone 5
The iPhone 5 will be similar in design to the iPhone 4, will have an 8-megapixel camera and an embedded SIM.

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Apple vs Adobe fight is over

Adobe draws line under row over Flash but defends approach

A dobe CEO Shantanu Narayen has drawn a line under his ** company's very public row with Apple over the lack of Flash on the iOS platform. In a recent interview in The Wall Street Journal, Narayen was asked whether Adobe and Apple were "done having the argument" over Flash. His response: "Absolutely".

Last year, Apple CEO Steve Jobs blamed Flash for being the most common cause of crashes among Mac OS X systems and said that it was unsuitable for mobile devices. At the time,
Narayen responded by saying Mac OS X was the

more likely cause of most Flash-related crashes.    ^^tm

Despite drawing a line under the row, he argued that Adobe's approach is still very much multiplatform and said that applications compiled in Adobe AIR can be easily converted for iOS. He has also said that Apple's dominance of the tablet market will soon come to an end, with tablets based on Google's Android coming to the fore.

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New iWork apps released

Apple's iWork productivity apps are now available on smaller iOS devices
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HTC Sensation

A new Android smartphone has arrived in the form of the HTC Sensation. It has a front-facing camera, but its lacking in memory in comparison to the iPhone, with only 1GB of onboard RAM. An 8GB MicroSD card is included in the box.
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12 iPad& iPhone User 2011
Phone and iPod touch owners can now download and install Keynote, Pages and Numbers apps on their devices.

The three new iWork apps are available on the iTunes Store for £5.99 each to new users, and as a free update for existing iWork for iPad customers. Using the apps, you can import and export documents from iWork for Mac and Microsoft Office, and print wirelessly using AirPrint.

An additional Keynote Remote app can be purchased for59p, which allows your iPhone or iPod touch to control a Keynote presentation.
Team effort Joining the iPad, the iPhone and iPod touch can now use new iWork apps.

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iPhone killer of the month

Could these gadgets be the death knell oFthe iPhone? As if!
Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro

Equipped with a slide-out Owerty keyboard, Sony Ericsson's Xperia Mini Pro is due to arrive later this year. Expected to be available in Four colour options, it's chunkier than the iPhone and the battery has less than six hours of talk time.
New iWork apps released
Apple's iWork productivity apps are now available on smaller iOS devices


HTC Sensation

A new Android smartphone has arrived in the form of the HTC Sensation. It has a front-facing camera, but its lacking in memory in comparison to the iPhone, with only 1GB of onboard RAM. An 8GB MicroSD card is included in the box.

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Apple introduces iCloud

iCloud will be free, and is due to arrive this autumn
During the keynote address at the Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple CEO Stevejobs unveiled iCloud, Apple's new wireless data sync service for iOS devices, Macs, and PCs. "Some people think the cloud is just a hard disk in the sky," Jobs told the attendees. "We think it's way more than that. And we call it iCloud."

iCloud will be a free service, and replaces Apple's MobileMe, which Jobs admitted: "Wasn't our finest hour." Like MobileMe, iCloud offers the ability to sync contacts, calendars, and mail across devices. Create a new contact on your iPhone, for example, and it will be automatically pushed to the cloud, which then syncs to all of your devices and computers. iCloud syncing also works with Safari bookmarks, books in iBooks, and even third-party applications can store documents in iCloud and auto-sync them when changes are made on any device.

Copies in the sky

iCloud will back up important content to the cloud over Wi-Fi, including purchased music, apps, books, photos, videos, device settings, and app data. Apple said that if you ever get a new phone, you will be able to type in your Apple ID and password, and everything will be loaded onto the phone automatically. Each iCloud userwill get 5GB of free storage for mail, documents and backup. Fortunately, purchased music, apps, books, and photos don't count against that total.

Apple has created three new apps for iCloud, Documents in the Cloud (foriWorks documents), Photo Stream (lets you take photos on any device and automatically upload them to other devices), and iTunes in the Cloud, (songs you've already purchased from the iTunes store are available for free on up to 10 devices). There will be a new Purchased button
Multiple devices iCloud lets you access your music on all of your devices,
that shows you your entire purchase history of songs, purchased on any device. You can then re-download any song or album with the touch of a button.

"This is the first time we've seen this in the music industry," said Stevejobs. "No charge for multiple downloads on many devices."

For music that wasn't purchased from the iTunes store, such as songs you've ripped from a CD, Apple has come up with iTunes Match. The service scans your iTunes library and tries to match it with some of the 18 million songs that Apple sells. For the songs that Apple can't find, you can upload them yourself manually. iTunes Match will only be available in the US at launch, priced $25 peryear.

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