Netizen

Hello Samsung, Hi Apple

The official online color is: #A4C639 . 한국어: 공식 온라인 색은: #A4C639 . (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This shakes the Android ecosystem. No matter which way it goes.

The Apple-Samsung Trial: What Apple Will Attempt to Prove

Samsung’s infringing sales have enabled Samsung to overtake Apple as the largest manufacturer of smartphones in the world. Samsung has reaped billions of dollars in profits ..... Samsung also flagrantly breached . . . commitments to [license to Apple its standards-essential patents on "fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms"]. Samsung made a general FRAND commitment on December 14, 1998 and specific FRAND commitments for the two asserted declared-essential patents on May 16, 2006 and August 7, 2007, respectively. Samsung has breached its FRAND commitments by seeking to enjoin Apple from selling products that support the UMTS standard and by refusing to offer Apple a license to declared-essential patents on FRAND terms.

Zuck: Innovator?

Image representing Mark Zuckerberg as depicted...

Image via CrunchBase

This account of rejections is amusing.

Mark Zuckerberg Finally Wins Approval of First Patent Application

The patent office wasn’t impressed with the invention at first, handing Messrs. Zuckerberg and Kelly a series of rejections over the years that complained of vagueness and the obvious nature of the invention. .... The young CEO has been named as an inventor on eight different U.S. patents .... as it wades further into the dangerous world of high-tech patent disputes. .... Facebook said it had 774 U.S. patents and 546 applications as of March.

Mark Penn is a familiar name. The guy was a pollster during the 2008 election. He was on the other side! His new assignment makes sense to me. Politics is war by other means. Business is politics by other means.

Mark Penn, Microsoft’s New Strategist, Hopes to Boost Bing

a new corporate strategy role reporting directly to Steve Ballmer ...... is assembling a “SWAT team” to work on thorny strategy questions ..... corporate vice president of strategic and special projects. ..... politics and technology have been my two passions since I was about 12 .... the Microsoft boss was intrigued with Mr. Penn’s comparison of the marketing challenge of Bing to pitching a political candidate ..... Penn said more consumers need to be convinced to use Bing. .... “Diehard habits can be questioned, just in the same way that people drank Coke and then realized Pepsi was just as good if not better” .... Mr. Penn said he will continue to work from Washington, D.C., though he plans to spend time in Redmond

This hire speaks to Ballmer's tenacity.

Steve Jobs had innovation nailed down. Ballmer has tenacity nailed down.

Motorola To The Rescue

Image representing Larry Page as depicted in C...

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Google Says Patents, Tech Were Less Than Half Motorola’s Price

$5.5 billion of the $12.4 billion price tag was attributable to “patents and developed technology.” .... would strengthen its patent portfolio and help legally insulate its Android mobile phone software from infringement lawsuits..... The acquisition would “supercharge Android,” Chief Executive Larry Page wrote then. .... Google said Motorola contributed some $1.25 billion in revenue, though the new unit also posted a $233 million operating loss. ..... Oracle sued Google for alleged patent and copyright infringement by Android in 2010, though a related trial earlier this year resulted in a victory for Google. .... $2.9 billion of the purchase price for Motorola was attributable to cash acquired, $2.6 billion was related to goodwill, $730 million for customer relationships and $670 million for “other net assets acquired.” ... the synergies expected to arise after the acquisition.”

For a software company like Google to want to do hardware in house is a big move. For a culture driven company like Google to nearly double its workforce size from one acquisition is not an easy move, not easy to pull off. For a young company like Google to buy Motorola which has a deeper bench of patents is wise, but it is a package deal. For Google to want to defend Android is very understandable.

iPhone 5

Image representing iPhone as depicted in Crunc...

Image via CrunchBase

It is expected to sell really, really well. Okay, so the screen size got bigger, but still not big enough. What else?

Apple’s Upcoming iPhone: What We Know

a thinner screen .... all the major carriers are expected to begin selling the iPhone at launch..... The screen will also be larger, measuring at least 4 inches diagonally .... iOS 6, which Apple says comes with 200 new features, including enhancements to “voice assistant” Siri; a new 3-D maps service with turn-by-turn navigation; integration with Facebook; a “Do Not Disturb” feature to avoid unwanted messages at night; and a new app called Passbook organizes loyalty cards, tickets and boarding passes to display the right card when needed..... 65% of those planned to make an iPhone their next smartphone, and of those 51% said they were waiting for newest model