Motorola DROID RAZR leaks: LTE, qHD, 1.2GH dual-core, more

Motorola is reportedly readying a new dual-core, qHD resolution Super AMOLED smartphone, the Verizon DROID RAZR, packing 4G LTE and Full HD video recording. Resurrecting the iconic RAZR name, though bringing it right up to date with Android, Gorilla Glass and even Kevlar according to the This is my next tipster, the DROID RAZR is believed to be the same device as the so-called DROID HD that leaked last month.





As far as specifications go, if the leaks are to be believed then Motorola hasn’t stinted on capabilities. The DROID RAZR is believed to have a dual-core 1.2GHz processor – supplier unknown – paired with 1GB of RAM and a 4.3-inch 960 x 540 Super AMOLED display. The rear camera is said to be a DROID BIONIC-matching 8-megapixel unit, capable of Full HD 1080p video recording and including image stabilization, while the front-facing camera is said to support HD resolutions (which we’re guessing means 1280 x 720 at a minimum).

Meanwhile, Motorola has supposedly protected the high-res touchscreen with a Gorilla Glass display, and the rest of the handset with a Kevlar chassis complete with a splashproof coating. Motorola will offer a number of accessories, including various docks and a Lapdock that would turn the DROID RAZR into a laptop replacement. Dock the phone, and it will supposedly boot into a Webtop desktop interface.

Although codenamed “Motorola Spyder” a further tipster – who claims to have spent hands-on time with the smartphone – says it’s listed as the Motorola DROID RAZR in the About dialog. It’s been years since the RAZR name stood for something other than an over-exposed dumb flip-phone; a slimline, top-spec Android uberphone would be a great way to revive it.

Source:http://www.slashgear.com/motorola-droid-razr-leaks-lte-qhd-1-2gh-dual-core-more-24182572/

Samsung Turns More Aggressive Against Apple

The patent fight between Samsung and Apple has become more severe as time passes. An interview of Samsung senior executive by Associated Press showed the South Korean electronic giant is adopting a more aggressive stance against Apple, Friday.

"We are pursuing the strategy for patents fights against Apple and the way will be more ‘aggressive’,” Younghee Lee, the head of global marketing for mobile communications of Samsung told Associated Press (AP).

Apple has been free riding wireless technology patents until now, and Samsung has been quite respectful and also passive in a way, as it has business relationship with Apple as a supplier of components for its devices, she added.

Samsung’s new strategy for fighting against Apple more or less came after reports about Apple deciding to keep away from Samsung as a supplier of memory chips for its products surfaced.

According to Samsung’s last annual report, in 2010, its yearly sales for Apple accounted around $5.7 billion and Apple was Samsung’s No.2 customer, and this year Apple moved to No.1.Read more at http://sanfrancisco.ibtimes.com/articles/219299/20110924/samsung-turns-more-aggressive-against-apple.htm

Yuhnke Commentary: Samsung's latest Android powerhouse phone possibly best yet

PHOENIX - Here we go again, another Android phone with a faster processor, bigger screen, better camera and thinner waistline. The Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch (really, could the name be any longer??) is the latest from Sprint and may grab the flag as the king of the mountain in the smartphone world... at least for now.

Hardware
First and foremost, the Super AMOLED screen on the Epic 4G Touch is huge, 4.5” diagonal. That’s 1” larger than the iPhone 4 and .2” bigger than the HTC EVO 4G. It’s a massive screen. Too big? Maybe. I’ll get into that issue further down in my review. For now, let me say that the colors pop, images are crisp and it’s a downright brilliant screen. Inside you’ll find a 1.2 GHZ dual core processor. This thing is fast. The processor makes the phone snappy and responsive. It’s among the fastest Android phones I’ve used yet. It’s also thin, 9.6mm. That’s a hair thicker than the iPhone 4 (9.4mm) but a lot thinner than the EVO 4G (12.7mm). On the back you’ll find an 8 megapixel camera that shoots great photos and HD video. I was blown away at the quality of pictures that came out of this camera. ( click here to see sample photos I took on Flickr ) Every smartphone that comes out seems to do an even better job than previous phones at taking great pictures and great video. The front-facing camera is 2 megapixels. There’s 16 GB of internal storage and a microSD slot that supports cards up to 32GB.

Software
I won’t get into the details of Android since that’s been covered before and Android hasn’t changed much but the Epic 4G Touch does include some custom Samsung additions. Samsung calls it the TouchWiz 3.0 interface. In fact, the entire app drawer is different from a normal Android phone. It swipes from left to right instead of up and down. Many of the icons are different and Samsung includes additional live wallpapers and widgets too. I like the latter but I have no idea why they can’t leave the basic interface and app drawer alone. After all, I think it does more to confuse consumers than it does to differentiate the phone. I did really like the included task manager application that helps users close open apps and see how much RAM is currently being used. It’s better than the stock Android option. Samsung claims the Epic 4G Touch can also connect to USB drives via host mode. I did not have the cable to test the function out (it’s not included in the box) but I love that developers are finally starting to see some value in host mode. Attach a mouse, keyboard or USB thumb drive to the Epic 4G Touch and it works! How cool is that?

Read more: http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/local_news/news_blogs/yuhnke-commentary%3A-samsung's-latest-android-powerhouse-phone-possibly-best-yet#ixzz1YtxLJ000

44% of iPhone 5 Buyers Lining up on Release Date

The iPhone 5 release date is getting closer and closer, which means it is time for the brave Apple diehards to head out and wait in line.

Launch day lines are the earliest indicator of iPhone 5 demand, well other than surveys which show there is already incredible pent up demand for the next iPhone.

As last week drew to a close, we asked 1,875 readers if they would be joining the fanboys and fangirls in line for the iPhone in October. However you buy the next iPhone, you should be able to do it with apple’s latest iOS software. We expect an iOS 5 release date of October 10th.

We found out that a majority of our readers won’t be camping out for the iPhone 5, but will be ordering online for an early iPhone 5 delivery. This number isn’t shocking, considering that nearly two-thirds of our readers would buy the iPhone 5 without seeing it.

Most iPhone 5 Buyers will purchase Online on Release Day.

Of note though is that 44% of our readers said that they will line up for the next iPhone on release day. Of these day one buyers, 28% are planning to camp out at their closest cell phone store, such as Verizon, AT&T or Sprint. This is one major factor that will speed up the iPhone 5 buying process. With more retail locations offering the iPhone 5 on day one, there are more places to line up.
Read more at http://www.gottabemobile.com/2011/09/24/44-of-iphone-5-buyers-lining-up-on-release-date/

Google Wallet and PayPal in electro-purse war

Google went live with its hotly anticipated Wallet application on Tuesday, though it will hardly hit the mass market yet – it runs only in the US, on the Sprint network, and on its own handset, the Nexus S. And eBay‘s PayPal – the firm which sued Google when it first unveiled Wallet in June – may be the more important player to watch as web majors fight to drive the mobile payments boom.

Google can now put its NFC-enabled service through its paces and gauge consumer enthusiasm, and is already promising that future releases will be broader, and far more significant.

Stephanie Tilenius, VP of commerce and payments at Google, said at a June press conference: "2011 and beyond will be the age of 'molo' – mobile local commerce. Wallet is one of the first steps, but this vision will take a while to come to fruition."

Future uses for the Wallet could include storing a driving licence, healthcare card, mass transit ticketing, hotel keycard or boarding pass. Support for other Android devices will follow before year end though timelines for international versions remain vague – even though NFC uptake is higher in some European and emerging markets than in the US.

Read more at http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/09/24/google_wallet_goes_live_as_paypal_shadow_looms/

Bring Art to Your Photography with the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

Everybody has read about the technical specifications of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. We know that it runs the latest version of Android, so it will have access to the world of Android applications. We know we can connect to the world via cellular systems, WiFi, and Bluetooth – and navigate the world with GPS. The Tab 10.1 includes access to the Samsung Hubs, so we can easily stay in contact with friends and family or explore, purchase, and enjoy music and books. Samsung’s Touchwiz 4.0 technology makes navigating the Tab 10.1’s touchscreen easy and intuitive. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is arriving in stores all across the UK this month. To celebrate the launch, Samsung has introduced a series of videos that go beyond the technical specifications and show us how we can enrich our world with the Galaxy Tab 10.1.

In one video, professional photographer Fatsarazzi shows us how he uses the Tab’s cameras to produce art. Although he has shelves full of expensive cameras and enjoys making analog art with them, he loves using the Tab’s cameras (3MP AF rear camera and 2MP FF front camera) because it allows him more contact and interaction with his photographic subjects. He can take photographs, edit them, and add effects to them, and blog about them – all on his Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. You don’t have to be a professional photographer to use and love these cameras. Watch the video to see how Fatsarazzi uses the Galaxy Tab 10.1 for his art and learn how you can add a little art to capturing photos of your life.

Source:http://the-gadgeteer.com/2011/09/23/bring-art-to-your-photography-with-the-samsung-galaxy-tab-10-1/

Verizon sides with Samsung, against Apple in legal dispute

Florian Mueller from FOSS Patents reports on Verizon’s filing of an amicus brief in the long going Apple vs. Samsung legal dispute, claiming any injunction would harm Verizon’s ability to deploy LTE, and no doubt otherwise decimate small children, candy, and puppy dogs:

This attempt by Verizon to interfere with Apple’s enforcement of intellectual property rights against Android in general and Samsung in particular is a declaration of war that may have far-reaching consequences in the U.S. market. I’m sure that Apple will view this move as a self-serving attempt to game the system in Android’s and Samsung’s favor, as another sign of Verizon being staunchly Android-aligned in exchange for market-distorting favors from Google, and as an attack on the intellectual property-centric business model of Apple and other innovators.

Apple gives them a shiny, best-selling box Verizon isn’t allowed to touch, Samsung gives them carte-blanche to swap out Google for Bing, install crapware, stamp logos everywhere, and otherwise control the experience to their user-hostile heart’s content. What’s so hard to understand?

Source:http://www.tipb.com/2011/09/24/verizon-sides-samsung-apple-legal-dispute/

What Are Apple’s Icons Doing on Samsung’s Wall of Apps?

If Samsung really does plan to take a bolder stance in its intellectual property battle with Apple, it best clean up its own operations first. Because it’s tough to take the company’s claims of commitment to innovation and distinctive design seriously when it really does seem to have a penchant for … er … referencing the work of others.

Consider the wall of apps in this photo of the company’s new shop-in-a-shop in Italy’s Centro Sicilia, which appears to feature not only the iOS icon for Apple’s mobile Safari browser, but the icon for the company’s iOS App Store — three instances of it.

Embarrassing, particularly given Apple’s allegations that Samsung “slavishly” copied the design of its iPhone and iPad devices. It’s hard to imagine there’s a reasonable explanation for this. Samsung phones don’t support iOS apps and I can’t imagine Apple is making the company a version of Safari.

Now it’s possible this was a display left over from some other event or product, but still.

Samsung has not yet responded to a request for comment.

Source:http://allthingsd.com/20110923/what-are-apples-icons-doing-on-samsungs-wall-of-apps/

Fowl Language: Companies Squawk About Who Gets 'Tweet'

Twitter Inc. got beat to "tweet," and its lawyers are all atwitter about it.

Twitter became an online highflier by letting users post 140-character messages that people started calling "tweets." A tweet, Merriam-Webster says, may be "a post made on the Twitter online message service."

But while Twitter publishes more than 200 million tweets a day, it doesn't own "tweet." That's because at least two tiny Web start-ups laid claim to variations of the term first. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has twice suspended Twitter's own attempts beginning in April 2009 to trademark the term.

Twitter's lawyers have ever since been challenging those applicants. This month they filed suit in Northern California U.S. District Court against Twittad LLC, a Des Moines, Iowa, start-up that applied in July 2008 to trademark the phrase "Let Your Ad Meet Tweets" and obtained registration a year later after nobody opposed it.

Twittad chief executive James Eliason says that, because Twitter's users came up with "tweet," the word is fair game. Twittad built a network of 27,000 Twitter users whom it paid to tweet advertisements from other companies. Twitter has closed Twittad's account, he says, freezing business. He says the companies are discussing a settlement.

In its legal filings, Twitter argues that "tweet" was already "famous" as a Twitter term before rivals filed trademark applications and that Twitter is the rightful owner. The suit holds that another company's getting the tweet-related trademark "threatens to block Twitter from its registration and legitimate uses of its own mark."

Twitter earlier took on Krumlr, a website that applied in March 2009 to trademark "tweetmarks," a term for a system of digital bookmarks of the Web pages that users tweeted.

Shortly after he applied for the term, Krumlr owner Peter Wingard says, a Twitter "policy and brand enforcement" officer told him he was violating Twitter's rules and it would suspend his account if he didn't abandon the trademark. Twitter turned down his offer to settle for $50,000, he says, and last year prevented Krumlr from connecting to Twitter. The company has filed an opposition to Mr. Wingard's application with the trademark office; the matter is pending.

In a statement, Twitter said, "It is in the best interests of our users and developers for the meaning of 'Tweet' to be preserved to prevent any confusion, so we are taking action to protect its meaning."

Read more at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904563904576588230913546532.html

Motorola Xoom 2 Pictures Leak

Pictures have surfaced of a Motorola tablet with the model number “MZ617,” and some believe that this could be the successor to the original Xoom, the Motorola Xoom 2.

An anonymous tipster sent the pictures you see in this post to DroidLife, and it clearly has some differences to the original Motorola Xoom. Beyond the images, the tipster told the blog that it was similar in weight to the original Xoom, has ports for HDMI and USB along the bottom, a SIM card slot, flush buttons on the back and no apparent SD card slot. As for cameras, it does appear to have a front facing shooter of some kind, and the rear lens has “HD” stamped next to it. The screen appears to clock in at 10.1-inches. No word as of yet on processor, RAM or any other internals.

What is missing from this particular unit, however, is any sort of carrier branding. While the SIM slot certainly implies that this will be a cellular model, there is no word as of yet as to who might be the companies to pick it up.

Considering the lackluster initial sales of the original Motorola Xoom, it is actually a tad surprising that the company would continue the product name. Add in the fact Apple is suing Motorola over the Xoom design, and it becomes even more surprising that the company would move forward with this idea.

Read more at http://www.technobuffalo.com/mobile-devices/tablets/motorola-xoom-2-pictures-leak/

Exclusive: Motorola Spyder (Droid RAZR for Verizon?) features industry-first qHD Super AMOLED display, LTE, dual-core processor

Well hello there, Motorola Spyder. A trusted source just sent us some photos of this as-yet announced dual-core LTE Moto handset — the first phone we’ve ever seen with a 4.3-inch 960 x 540 qHD Super AMOLED display. It’s all wrapped in Gorilla Glass and a Kevlar casing with a splash-guard coating, which ought to make it a fairly tough. Internally, it seems like a close cousin of the Droid Bionic: 4G LTE, an unspecified dual-core 1.2GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, an 8 megapixel camera with 1080p video recording and image stabilization, an “HD” front-facing camera, and Moto’s Webtop environment with several custom docks and a version of the Lapdock laptop-lite dock. We don’t know much yet about pricing and availability, but we’re digging for more — we’ll let you know. Check the gallery below for a few more shots.

Read more at http://thisismynext.com/2011/09/24/exclusive-motorola-spyder-features-industry-first-qhd-super-amoled-display-lte-dual-core-processor/

iPhone 5 indifference: unlike Sprint and Verizon, AT&T offers no iLove

Even as Verizon discounts its iPhone 4 in order to draw down inventory ahead of the iPhone 5 and Sprint can barely manage to bite its lip with excitement regarding its impending iPhone 5 addition, original iPhone carrier AT&T remains publicly indifferent. Most notable is that even as AT&T serves up discounts this week on dozens of smartphones from rivals like Samsung and HTC, not a penny has been shaved off the price of its iPhone 4. This kind of indifference has come to be expected from AT&T customers, who watched the carrier respond to its impending loss of iPhone exclusivity by eliminating popular unlimited data plans and not lifting a finger to compete with the Verizon iPhone 4 which arrived in the spring. That leaves AT&T iPhone customers in the position of going carrier-shopping with the launch of the iPhone 5 (but not to T-Mobile, which admits it won’t have the iPhone this year), with various factors marking the pros and cons of doing so. For those iPhone 5 buyers who are looking at marking the occasion by moving to Verizon or Sprint, here’s a look the ups and downs of it…

Read more at http://www.beatweek.com/news/9478-iphone-5-indifference-unlike-sprint-and-verizon-att-offers-no-ilove/

Google Doodle Honors Muppets Creator Jim Henson

Google is paying homage to Muppets creator Jim Henson with an interactive doodle that celebrates what would have been the famous puppeteer’s 75th birthday.

Saturday’s doodle on the Internet search leader’s homepage features six original characters that together resemble the Google logo. You can click on a hand button under each character and see them move and do tricks.

The doodle was created in partnership with The Jim Henson Company.

According to The Creature Shop, the digital puppetry system behind the animation is a combination of proprietary hardware and software that provides real-time performance of 3-D generated characters that are “directable” like actors. The patented system is called the Henson Digital Puppetry Studio and has been contracted for live event presentations, commercials, feature film visual effects, game development and for the TV show “Sid the Science Kid.”

henson.com

Henson was the creative genius behind Sesame Street characters such as Oscar the Grouch, the Cookie Monster and Big Bird, all of whom are still entertaining and teaching children today. He also created The Muppet Show in 1976 and brought to life personalities such as Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and The Great Gonzo who were joined every week by famous guest stars such as Gene Kelly and Steve Martin. Henson also was responsible for a half dozen Muppet Show movies as well as the fantasy films The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. He also had a hand in crafting Yoda for Star Wars’ “The Empire Strikes Back.”
Read more at http://www.pcworld.com/article/240552/google_doodle_honors_muppets_creator_jim_henson.html

Facebook: New Timeline Feature Makes It Easier to Find Who ‘Defriended’ You

ABC News’ Josh Cohan reports:

If Facebook’s recent changes have left you angry and perplexed, brace yourself for some more unsettling news.

When Facebook fully rolls out its latest overhaul in the coming weeks, anonymous “defriending” – or the simple act of removing someone from your Facebook friends list without their knowledge – will become a thing of the past. Sort of.

On Thursday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduced a new feature called timeline, which aims to provide users with a visual display of their lives, as documented on the social media site.

“[A]ll your stories, all your apps, a new way to express who you are,” Zuckerberg said at the company’s annual developers conference in San Francisco.

But the timeline will also let you see older versions of your friends list and a button that not-so-subtly indicates whether you’re still “friends,” BuzzFeedreported Friday.

“There is a way where you can go in to a certain point in time and basically, if you look at your friends tab, maybe from three years ago, and you see the ‘Add Friend’ button from someone in that list, that will basically tell you that they have defriended you since you became their friend,” said Meghan Peters, community manager at Mashable.

But rest assured: those old college acquaintances, distant relatives, and annoying serial posters whom you’ve since given the social axe, can’t easily find out that you’ve decided to cut ties.

“It’s not going to automatically notify you and it’s not publicly being pushed into any streams anywhere,” Peters said.

Users will have to know where to look for the information.

“I think that people will definitely be upset by it. I mean, it always hurts to know that someone isn’t your friend anymore,” Peters said.

Read more at http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2011/09/facebook-new-timeline-feature-makes-it-easier-to-find-who-defriended-you/

LoJack, Facebook led to stolen laptop, conviction of Menlo Park man

REDWOOD CITY -- A photo on Facebook and software that tracks wayward laptops led police to a Menlo Park man who ultimately pleaded no contest to a charge of possessing stolen property. On Friday, the man avoided a prison sentence.

Police picked up the trail of a computer that was stolen from a Redwood City home on Jan. 28 using LoJack for Laptops, which was installed on the machine, said San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.

The software allowed a San Mateo County Sheriff's detective to learn what was being typed into the computer.

Police eventually recovered an email address and Facebook account information for a suspect who was later identified as 20-year-old Oscar Roberto Gomez. A detective logged into Gomez's Facebook page and found pictures of his unusual arm tattoo depicting an Aztec goddess, Wagstaffe said. From there police were able to find Gomez's home address. They also realized he was on probation for a 2010 home burglary.

Prosecutors later charged him with possessing stolen property. On Aug. 23, the day his trial was supposed to start, he pleaded no contest to the charge.

Because he already had one strike, prosecutors were seeking to put him behind bars for 32 months.

Read more at http://www.mercurynews.com/san-mateo-county/ci_18967507?nclick_check=1

Verizon backs Samsung in Apple 4G injunction battle

Verizon has demanded that US courts reject Apple’s request for a preliminary sales injunction against the Samsung Infuse 4G, Galaxy S 4G, Droid Charge and Galaxy Tab 10.1, arguing that doing so would “run counter to the public interest.” A ban on device sales, Verizon claims, would hamstring its 4G LTEroll-out plans, costing the carrier not only in wasted advertising and promotions for the holiday period, but potentially undermine “the job growth dependent on that network.” Verizon’s “amicus curiae brief,” a way for a third-party to offer its views to the court, also suggests that by blocking Samsung’s products such an injunction would also negatively affect governmental policy pushing for the expansion of US broadband networks.


Although Apple’s request for a preliminary injunction against the quartet of Android-based devices is based on four patents, Verizon’s argument addresses, ostensibly, only one. The carrier ignores the three hardware patents, and instead focuses on US Patent No. 7,469,381, which covers “list scrolling and document translation, scaling, and rotation on a touch-screen display.”

“Verizon Wireless takes no position on whether a preliminary injunction should be granted if the Court finds a likelihood of success on the infringement of Apple’s design patents” the carrier suggests, but continues that “an injunction may cripple the free flow of goods to Verizon Wireless, businesses and consumers.” The fact that Apple has specifically called out LTE devices means “the proposed injunction would disproportionally affect the very devices that are most critical to adoption and expansion of Verizon Wireless’s next-generation network” the carrier concludes.

Read more at http://www.slashgear.com/verizon-backs-samsung-in-apple-4g-injunction-battle-24182568/

Apple prepares for pre-iPhone 5 iCloud launch

Apple [AAPL] is preparing to launch its iCloud and iTunes Match services in early October as it warns beta testers of its much-vaunted services that it intends resetting their accounts.

See the iCloud on the skyline

Apple last night warned iTunes Match iCloud beta testers that it will delete their libraries on Monday, September 26 at 10am PST. This will mean users will lose access to their libraries until the service launches once again at some indeterminate point.

The company has also moved to reset its iCloud services accounts for beta testers on September 22, as the company moves to deliver its iCloud services Golden Master.

These actions come as the company is understood to be preparing for anearly October launch event for the new iPhone(s).

Likely launch plans
The most likely-seeming schedule for the launch seems likely to be a Tim Cook-hosted product announcement in early October at which point iOS 5 and iCloud will be made available.

Products themselves will then ship a couple of weeks later in the US and then on a staggered launch on an international basis.

As the eleventh hour chimes there have been claims of display manufacture issues afflicting one supplier, Wintek, which means a small number of the new devices may suffer from a creeping display defect, but this is unknown at this time.

Read more at http://blogs.computerworld.com/18988/apple_prepares_for_pre_iphone_5_icloud_launch

Samsung Omnia 7 review

Samsung's Omnia 7 is a first-generation Windows Phone 7 handset, and although the 7.5 "Mango" update is ready, it hasn't yet passed the network operator certification process. Thanks to Microsoft's early announcement, we know what to expect from Mango, so it's not hard to imagine what the Omnia 7 will be like with the update.



Windows Phone 7 is an attractive touch-based OS with a lot of potential. Mango looks to fix many of the problems with the initial release, adding cut-and-paste, multi-tasking and deeper social aggregation - pulling email from multiple accounts into one inbox and grouping contacts to aggregate their updates.

We still have some issues with the OS. Only "partners" will be able to deeply integrate their apps into the operating system, so only the largest social networks and services will be featured. Despite growing to 30,000 apps, Microsoft's Marketplace is still way behind the competition. There are a number of high-profile apps such as Evernote, Last.fm and Twitter, but still no official Facebook app. The majority of apps are amateur efforts, with plenty of unofficial apps for popular services that turn out simply to be links to the service's web page.

Read more at http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/smartphones/1287211/samsung-omnia-7

Twitter co-founder says folks come first

Twitter co-founder Biz Stone describes himself as a humanist.

To him, the business of social media is not business, it's people.

It says as much on the tag line that introduces his Web page: "Internet guy who believes in the triumph of humanity with a little help from technology. Yadda, yadda, yadda."

Stone reinforced this view of his role in the online world's transformation on Friday in front of 1,500 attendees of the Sacramento Metro Chamber's Perspectives 2011. The annual event, held at the Sacramento Convention Center, provides insight into leadership, people and business management, philanthropy and government while also giving attendees a dose of inspiration. Olympic medalist Dara Torres and former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates also spoke on Friday.

Stone, who co-founded Twitter in 2006 with Evan Williams, also holds the title of social impact adviser at AOL, where he is charged with helping the company administer its philanthropy, including devising a system that helps volunteers connect with charitable work.

Currently, about 140 million tweets are sent daily through Twitter.com.

Despite the sensational success of the social media platform, Stone said he is less concerned with the technological merits of Twitter than he is with its impact on individuals.

Stone peppered his talk with a dry wit and a series of slides used to stress that entrepreneurship and altruism are not mutually exclusive pursuits.

He contends this was central to the creation of Twitter.

"We didn't begin to delude ourselves that it was technology that makes positive change happen in the world," he said. "It's people that make positive change in the world, with a little bit of help from technology."

However, he admitted that technology was at the core of Twitter's success when it was in the idea stage. At the time, there were 2 billion people connected to the Internet, but 5 billion owned mobile phones – and all of those phones allowed text messaging.

Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/09/24/3934013/hed-here.html#ixzz1YrdfdxNk

Verizon tips iPhone 5 release date with $120 iPhone 4 through Sept 30

n the surest sign yet that the iPhone 5 will see an October release date, Verizon is now offering select customers an iPhone 4 for a mere $120 in an attempt to wind down existing inventory ahead of the launch while making clear that the deal is only good for the next week. It also points to an increased probability that the iPhone 5 is paired with a low cost iPhone 4S replacing the existing iPhone 4, hence Verizon’s motivation to dump its remaining units. “I received a text from Verizon offering me an iPhone 4 at the price of $120 with a new 2 year contract but the offer only stands until the 30th of September,” reports one Verizon customer. This news falls in line with various reports placing the iPhone 5 launch event the first week of October, which would then place the device’s release date anywhere from days to weeks later, but sometime before the month of October is over. It also comes amid a chorus of pre-emptive boos from those who’ve long been awaiting the device, who’ve begun inventing their own doomsday scenarios in which the announcement ends up being less than they’re looking for…

Read more at http://www.beatweek.com/news/9472-verizon-tips-iphone-5-release-date-with-120-iphone-4-through-sept-30/

Will Apple iPhone 5 be Launched along with Midrange Smartphone?

There have been rumors that a possible midrange smartphone will be launched along with the release of iPhone 5 in early October.

With respect to iPhone 5, there have been rampant rumors that the new handset from Apple will be make its debut in early October.

The launch rumor intensified on Wednesday when former U.S. vice president Al Gore, an Apple board member, dropped a clue about new iPhones coming in October.

The comments also add to speculation that the company would release two iPhones next month. One would reportedly be a completely redesigned iPhone 5, while the other would be a budget iPhone 4S that looks like the current iPhone 4.

The use of plural in Gore's comments rekindled rumors that Apple is planning to release a line of lower-cost iPhones to complement the iPhone 5 which will be done with an intention to combat the current midmarketAndroid devices.

If this rumor turns out to be true, it will be much possible that the cheaper iPhone armored with powerful hardware will be in a position of countering the Android devices which are at present inundating the market of low to mid price smartphones.

This will add to the expected rivalry of iPhone 5 against premium Android devices such as Samsung's Galaxy S II. This and the Apple product can possibly intensify the competition.

iPhone 5 is expected to run on the latest iOS 5, which will be coming with 200 new features including improved notifications system, news stand and iMessage.

In addition to this, iPhone 5 is expected to feature the new iCloud service in operating iTunes for wireless remote access of music from all computers and mobile devices.

As of now, it appears that Apple will be making the move to deepen the competition with Android by means of an upgraded operating system, an enhanced hardware and a probable midrange device.

Source:http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/219191/20110924/iphone-5-apple-mobile-technology-mobile-and-wireless.htm

Why Cutting A Deal With Oracle Should Be Google’s Top Android Priority

It’s a little amusing to think of Google (NSDQ: GOOG) CEO Larry Page and Oracle CEO Larry Ellison sitting across a negotiating table from one another: other than the fact that they are both billionaires named Larry, the bombastic Ellison and the more reticent Page are not cut from the same cloth. But even though a week of talks between the two parties ordered by a settlement-seeking judge doesn’t appear to have produced a breakthrough, Page needs to find some common ground with Ellison in hopes of putting the most important Android patent case behind Google.

The dispute between Oracle and Google over whether or not Google copied Java technology owned by Sun Microsystems (purchased by Oracle last year) is set to go to trial on Halloween in San Francisco, but Judge William Alsup would prefer the two parties work out their differences beforehand. While reports indicated there was little progress made in those discussions, Oracle agreed late Thursday to reduce the amount of damages it would seek at trial from its original $6.1 billion (rejected by the judge) to $1.2 billion, which is still a lot of money but a far more palatable number to megacorporations.

Oracle argues that a key piece of Android, its Dalvik virtual machine, is using patented technology lifted from Java and developed by Sun. It wants damages and royalties related to Google’s use of the technology, which Google has argued is not covered by the patents at issue. The argument basically comes down to whether or not Google thought it might need a license to the technology before deciding to go ahead with the project anyway in hopes of designing around the claims.

Google’s problem is that it has far more to lose at trial than Oracle. Should Oracle prevail at trial, it will probably ask for an injunction against the sale of Android handsets. That’s likely to be appealed, of course, but once imposed represents a sword hanging over Google’s head that can only be removed by settling the case with Oracle.

Read more at http://moconews.net/article/419-why-cutting-a-deal-with-oracle-should-be-googles-top-android-priority/

Groupon chief operating officer returning to Google

More uncertainty spread over Groupon Inc.'s planned initial public offering, with a new regulatory filing late Friday disclosing the resignation of its chief operating officer after just five months with the company and a restatement of revenue that showed a sharp drop from previously reported results.

Groupon co-founder and Chief Executive Andrew Mason said in a Friday blog post that Margo Georgiadis will return to Google, her former employer, as president for the Americas and "this change won't have an impact on operations."

Mason also shared a brief note from Georgiadis, who said "it was a hard decision to leave as the company is on a terrific path."

"I have complete confidence in the team's ability to realize its mission," Georgiadis wrote.

The filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission revealed a murkier financial picture for Chicago-based Groupon. The company redefined revenue as the purchase price paid for a Groupon, minus the commission paid to the merchant. Previously, Groupon had not subtracted merchants' cuts when calculating revenue.

Under this restatement, revenue for 2010 totaled $312.9 million, down more than 55 percent from the earlier reported figure of $713.4 million. Revenue, however, is growing this year. Groupon said revenue for the second quarter of 2011 was $392.6 million, dwarfing $38.7 million in the year-earlier period.

The restatement is likely to fuel further scrutiny of Groupon's finances and business model, which have come under fire since the company filed to go public. In August, Mason issued a feisty internal memo to defend the company and its growth prospects, which was leaked to the media.

Read more at http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-0924-groupon-fililng-20110924,0,1270451.story

Facebook and its followers

With its new version, the company may lead users and media firms somewhere they don't want to go.Give Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg points for ambition. 

The company is rolling out a new version of its popular social network that seeks to be the hub of everything its users do online. If Zuckerberg's gambit succeeds, Facebook would attain an even more dominant position among social networks. It would also amass a storehouse of knowledge about its users large enough to rival Google's. The implications for users and media companies, however, are not so promising.

Launched to help college students connect to one another, Facebook has evolved into a place where up to half a billion people gather each day, often for hours at a time, to share pictures, links and commentary. The network has become a powerful platform for marketers and, increasingly, application developers, particularly those writing games that let friends interact through the Net.

On Thursday, Zuckerberg unveiled two new features that encourage users to provide even more information about themselves to Facebook — for example, by automatically posting links on Facebook to the songs they're playing from an online jukebox or the TV shows they're watching on Hulu. The point is to help people discover media and services by seeing what their friends and acquaintances are doing.

Read more at http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-facebook-20110923,0,2543176.story?track=rss

Facebook and Twitter reaction to Steve Powell's arrest

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC 4 News) - This story about Steve Powell's arrest has gained national attention with the help of Facebook and Twitter.

The cyber chatter started Thursday night after the arrest and have been circulating the globe ever since.

Most of the posts hint at his guilt, even though he is obviously innocent until proven guilty.

Loni Larson wrote on Facebook, "There are no words except to say there was something just not right with this guy.. still isn't and there is something SO not right with the way that Josh took his kids back to that??? Really??"

She's referring to public allegations Steve Powell made about a sexual relationship with his now missing daughter-in-law Susan Powell.

Many of the people in cyber space are worried about Susan's boys living with Steve Powell since her disappearance.

April Adams wrote on Facebook, "My thoughts are with the two little boys, what a tragedy for them!!! Susan's family should have them."

ABC 4 shared some of these posts with people in the Salt Lake City community.

"You just never know until the end," said Trevor Reilly.

"It's hard to have a reaction to that because you don't know what the reaction is until the very end," said Trevor Reilly.

On Twitter the allegations are even more intense. MAVEN2379 tweeted Friday morning, "Wow an explosion of completely predictable CREEPY DISGUSTING EVIL first thing in the morning."

"I guess that's not the first thing you want to hear in the morning, but I guess that's the world we live in," said Zach Hansen who is reacting to MABEN2379's tweet.

"I think it's kind of hard to make judgments about people just based on the media. I mean we don't know the man personally," said Breanne Hanson.

Read more at http://www.abc4.com/content/news/state/story/Facebook-and-Twitter-reaction-to-Steve-Powells/CXHv73Wsb0W9XRSYn8g9tA.cspx

Facebook Wins Few Friends With New Features, Too Bad For Users

The latest slew of changes made on Facebook has seemingly not gone down well with the public with a lot of users complaining both on Facebook itself [1] as well as on other social forums such as Twitter. However, the social networking giant has a history of making radical changes to its website format, and it’s expected that users will take the recent changes in stride as well.

Facebook is the leader in the online display advertising market, with competitors such as Google, Yahoo andAOL.

We currently value Facebook at around $45 billion.

Read more at http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2011/09/23/facebook-wins-few-friends-with-new-features-too-bad-for-users/

Twitter-wrap: BYU vs. UCF

PROVO -- BYU hosted the UCF Knights and the Cougars hoped to forget all about their pitiful showing last week against arch rival Utah. BYU's defense came out and gave up yards right away and looked like they didn't really care.

"Good to see the BYU defense is fired up to start this game...not," tweetedKevin Graham. While I was thrown off by the 90's sarcasm, Graham had a point and he wasn't the only one to notice. "UCF is making this look way too easy!" tweeted @benbags.

The Y's defense stopped the Knights in the red zone however, and held them to a field goal. Heaps and the offense then took the field and with offensive coordinator Brandon Doman upstairs for the first time, and they finally looked like they found their stride. But like in weeks past, they hit the "blue zone" and stalled.

"Cougar drive stalls at the 20 with a 1-yard run, two incomplete passes. We've seen that before. Sorensen's 37-yard FG makes it 3-3," tweeted Deseret News' Jay Drew.

UCF came out and started moving the ball, but BYU's D stepped up and got another stop when it counted and now it was the offense's turn to produce. Well, Heaps made a completion, but it was to a Knights DB and then UCF's talented QB Godfrey quickly turned that mistake into a score.

"Same story, BYU offense can't score, turns the ball over & puts the defense in a bad spot," tweeted ESPN 700's Jason Shepherd. "UCF takes advantage & scores on QB keeper 10-3 UCF."

BYU got it back and Doman turned to the run and they started moving. They decided to go for it on fourth and three, and then Doman made what may be the worst call of the season so far. He had Riley Nelson come in and run a wildcat and then have him pass it. Needless to say, the back-up QB who had not thrown a ball all game threw an incompletion.

Read more at http://www.ksl.com/?nid=272&sid=17376647

Motorola Xoom 2 pictures leak?

Remember that unnamed 7-inch Motorola tablet? It’s not alone – Droid-Life has outed pictures of what could be the Motorola Xoom 2, or at least a close cousin. Like that 7-incher, the so-called MZ617 follows the Photon 4G’s design language with close-cut corners, but it also appears to come in a more standard 10.1-inch form factor. Beyond that, there’s a SIM card slot — likely for LTE — a front-facing imager, and a pair of stereo speakers flanking an “HD” camera around back. We’ll bring you more as we get it. Find a picture of the tablet’s fairly boring front after the break.

Read more at http://thisismynext.com/2011/09/23/motorola-xoom-2-photos-leak/

Humans first, technology second. Why Facebook will win.

Here’s a old video from 1997 where Steve Jobs is responding to complaint from the audience. At about 1:50 in, he makes the most important statement about technology and innovation if it is to successfully find its way into the hearts of its users. (Thanks Stephen Chapman for sharing!)

After the launch of Timeline, it was made perfectly clear that Facebook knows that the golden nugget of marketing is an amazing story that resonates with other humans. Their biggest announcement at f8 demonstrates that they understand this better than most. Make the personal human experience amazing and the business opportunities will fall into place because you already have the people. It also clearly shows the difference between the way Facebook and Google create new products. When it comes to a deeper, richer experience, Facebook has it. Facebook makes things feel good. Google makes things efficient.

Google's Hypocritical Anti-Bullying Pulpit

Search giant Google’s chairman, Eric Schmidt, testified in front of Congress this week regarding the company’s possible abuse of its monopoly power in the search market. They have tremendous control over what pops up when a term is typed into the search button and, during elections, the first results matter. But I have some serious reservations about the claimed unbiased results Google lets the user see first.

Former Senator Rick Santorum (R-Penn.) is the father of seven children, a devout Catholic, and current GOP presidential candidate. But when someone types his name into the Google search box, the very first result that appears is a website detailing a sex act “by-product” named after the senator. In fact, the Senator’s own website is the fourth result.

By contrast, Rick Santorum’s website is the first result that both Yahoo and Bing give the user. According to SEO Researcher, it’s estimated that over 56 percent of users click on the first result that comes up in their search, and only 13 percent click on the second result. Beyond that, the click-thru numbers are miniscule.

Sen. Santorum has contacted Google numerous times to try to effect a change. In the Congressional hearing this week, Eric Schmidt was asked about the company’s preference in returning results and if those rankings were unbiased; he couldn’t definitively answer that they weren’t.

Sen. Santorum said that he suspects “if something was up there like that about Joe Biden, they’d get rid of it. … To have a business allow that type of filth to be purveyed through their website or through their system is something that they say they can’t handle, but I suspect that’s not true.”

I tend to agree with the senator. Why does Bing know that Rick Santorum’s own website is a better match than an explicitly sex-related site? That particular website is owned and operated by “gay” rights bully Dan Savage, who targeted my young son in a gutless personal attack against me after I spoke out against an ad he made to promote homosexual acceptance among teens. That ad ran during "American Idol" one evening when my family and I were watching. Oh, and it was also released on Google Chrome

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2011/09/24/googles-hypocritical-anti-bullying-pulpit/#ixzz1YrZxVMEW

Jim Henson Google Doodle Lets You Try Your Hand at Digital Puppetry

On September 24, Muppets creator Jim Henson would have been 75. And in his honor Google has rolled out its latest amazing Doodle a little early.

The Jim Henson Doodle features six original Muppet characters whose shapes suggest the Google logo. But as you mouse over them, you’ll find that they respond just as if you were a puppeteer.

As the video above explains, it’s the result of a collaboration between Google and The Jim Henson Company, to let Google viewers experience Henson Digital Puppet Studio, the software that is used in such shows as Sid the Science Kid. Here’s what the Jim Henson Company says about the software:

Digital Puppetry provides immediate real-time performance of 3-D generated characters by a puppeteering system, allowing an unprecedented level of spontaneity, quality and interactivity. Through a combination of proprietary hardware and software, the technology allows a puppeteer (or one primary puppeteer plus assistants) to perform live 3-dimensional computer graphics.

The system consists of three major components: mechanical hand controls, a control computer, and a digital puppet workstation which renders the live on-screen image of the character. The final product allows animation to be composited into computer-generated environments in real-time. The system’s animated characters are therefore also “directable,” like actors, and the animation can thus be used as a pre-visualization tool as well as a final product. The animation can be broadcast, or streamed, taking advantage of either local digital networks or the global internet infrastructure. The animation can also be applied to many mediums, including web-broadcasting, computer games, television and film.

Read more at http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2011/09/jim-henson-google-doodle-lets-you-try-your-hand-at-digital-puppetry/

Google+ iPhone app gets Hangouts video chat and more

As promised, Google has updated its Google+ iPhone app with a slew of new mobile features, most notably the ability to participate in Hangouts group video chat.

Google announced the new features earlier this week, when it unveiled an updated version of its Google+ Android app. And with the iPhone app, Hangouts has instantly become the best way to perform group video chats across the desktop and mobile devices. (Add another notch to Hangouts’ collaboration prowess.)

Just like the Android app, Google has renamed its Huddles group messaging feature on the Google+ iPhone app to Messenger. As we reported earlier this week, Google was forced to rename Huddles because a UK collaboration startup already had global rights to the name.

Additionally, you can easily mention users in posts and comments in the iPhone app, as well as easily +1 comments.

Google finally opened up its fledgling social network to public signups earlier this week. Surprisingly, the company hasn’t really marketed the fact that Google+ is open now, but I suspect we’ll see more of a push in coming weeks.

Source:http://venturebeat.com/2011/09/23/google-plus-iphone-app-2/

Richest phone owners use BlackBerrys

The wealthiest smartphone owners prefer BlackBerrys over iPhones. The iPhone, in turn, trumps Android when it comes to the moneyed class. But Android looks to be the people's choice among the middle class.

What's wealthy? In this case, a household income of $150,000 or more a year, according to Prosper Mobile Insights, which surveyed 25,000 respondents in June for its "Simultaneous Media Usage Survey."

In that top income category, 11.3 percent of smartphone owners said they have BlackBerrys; 10.9 percent, iPhones; and 7.2 percent, Android.

The same is true in the $100,000 to $149,999-a-year category, where 21.2 percent have BlackBerrys, 19.1 percent iPhones and 15.8 percent Android. At least in these categories, BlackBerrys are maintaining their lead, while in the real world, the devices once considered the Cadillac of smartphones have been losing significant ground to Android and Apple's phone.

The iPhone rules in households with annual incomes of $75,000 to $99,999 a year; among smartphone owners, 19.6 percent have Apple's phone, 18.7 percent, a BlackBerry, and 18.2 percent, Android.

But in all other income categories, from $74,999 a year and less, Android is the people's phone of choice, with 23.7 percent of smartphone owners who have household incomes of between $50,000 and $74,999 opting for Google's mobile operating system; 22.4 percent for iPhone and 21.2 percent for BlackBerry.

Android's lead widens as income levels lessen. That's largely due to it being widely available in a number of devices and prices, and the fact that Android phones are made by several manufacturers and offered now by all major wireless carriers.

Read more at http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/09/23/7922937-richest-phone-owners-use-blackberrys

Samsung UN46D8000 LED HDTV Review: Delicious Design, Excellent Features, and Great Image Quality

With its Series 8 models, Samsung can lay claim to one of the skinniest bezels in the business: less than 0.25 inch between the edge of the 46-inch UN46D8000YF and its 1080p LED-backlit LCD panel. And because the bezel is mostly clear, with a silvery edge, the set's image seems to occupy its entire surface. One notable rival in the thin-bezel sweepstakes is the Sony Bravia 46HX820.

Even better, these good looks accompany solid image quality and a long list of desirable features, including 3D support (with a pair of active-shutter glasses), Wi-Fi, a built-in Web browser, oodles of apps, and robust streaming-media services. You can even make Skype video calls with an optional webcam, and an unusual two-sided remote provides a QWERTY keyboard to help with data entry.

But with a list price of $2700 and street prices in the $1600-to-$2500 range (as of September 15, 2011), the UN46D8000YF is one of the pricier sets in its size class. If you don't plan on using its advanced features, you may prefer a less expensive set with good image quality and comparable size.

In our juried image quality tests, the UN46D8000YF earned high scores across the board. Viewers particularly praised its brightness/contrast, color, and skin tones. Judges did notice some artifacts in aerial shots of buildings in The Dark Knight on Blu-ray Disc, and some found the color in one or two recorded HDTV clips to be oversaturated. But other judges praised the same clips, and almost everyone liked the way it handled color in the DVD movies. Despite minor issues, the set's 240Hz refresh rate and Samsung's Clear Motion technology seemed to work pretty well on the motion benchmarks, too.

Like other LED-backlit sets, the UN46D8000YF is parsimonious in its energy consumption, drawing no current when powered down, and a meager 66 watts per hour (on average) when in use. Its overall green score was 92 out of 100, which we rate as very good.

Because it has almost no bezel, the set looks a bit small for its screen size, but it also looks very sleek. To keep the set slim (it's 1.2 inches thick, not counting the pedestal), Samsung put ports along two edges of a recessed area on the right rear of the set, created skinny adapters for connecting component and composite video inputs (one each), and recommends using HDMI cables no thicker than 0.55 inch.

Read more at http://www.pcworld.com/article/240503/samsung_un46d8000_led_hdtv_review_delicious_design_excellent_features_and_great_image_quality.html

Apple logos in backdrop for Samsung in-store display

Samsung may dispute Apple's claims that it has a habit of ripping off products from Cupertino, but apparently their interior display designers have less of an issue with swiping little bits of Apple's intellectual property. Curiously, the icons for Apple's iTunes App Store and Safari make up part of the background for this Samsung "store in a store" display in Italy--despite the fact that neither run on Samsung's Android, Windows, or Bada-based devices.


Makes you wonder if there's also Motorola and HTC logos hidden by the display...

Without a fantastic investigative journalism budget that would allow me to fly to the Italian store in question on the company jet on a moment's notice, I'm left to assume one of three things has happened here:

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-20111064-93/apple-logos-in-backdrop-for-samsung-in-store-display/#ixzz1YrYODsoS

Samsung 830 SSD review: Fast and not so furious

Even when you get a good deal, a solid-state drive still costs significantly more than a regular hard drive of the same capacity, and a drive's price is of course one of the biggest factors that determine its value. For this reason, it's really hard to rate an SSD without knowing how much it costs. However, that's exactly what I had to do with the Samsung 830 series.

While the final product has been available to the press, Samsung is very tight-lipped about the pricing of its new SATA 6Gbps-based SSD and will not reveal it until the drive is available for purchase in October. For now the company says that the new drive will be priced similarly to other SSDs of the same standard and capacities on the market and promises that there won't be any "surprises" in the final pricing. So let's just assume that the drive will cost around $500 for the 256GB version with other capacities, ranging from 64GB to 512GB, costing less or more accordingly.Pricing aside, the 830 series offered great performance in our testing, proving itself to be one of the fastest standard SSDs on the market. Following the tradition started with the previous 470 series, the new 830 series drive is also very good-looking, like a piece of jewelry, a great bonus if you want to get it to give as a gift.

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20110941-1/samsung-830-ssd-review-fast-and-not-so-furious/#ixzz1YrU87Kjm

Samsung shop features Apple's App Store, Safari icons on decorative app wall

In the midst of a tense legal dispute with Apple, Samsung strangely appears to have borrowed the iPhone maker's icons for the App Store and Mobile Safari for inclusion on a wall of app icons at a "shop in shop" retail location in Italy.

A photo of the South Korean electronics giant's new mini-shop, located inside a Euronics store at the "Centro Sicilia" shopping mall in Catania, Italy, appears to show one wall of the shop covered with app icons, including several apps from Apple found only on its iOS platform, AllThingsD reports (via HD Blog).

It should be noted, however, that it's not immediately clear whether Samsung authorized the app wall as part of its shop. Samsung did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

According to the photo, the store's display features a prominent advertisement for the Galaxy Ace smartphone and contains a number of demo units of the company's smartphones and tablets. A variety of accessories also appear to be on offer at the shop.

Samsung and Apple will directly compete with each other at the Centro Sicilia, as Apple is set to open an Apple Store there on Saturday.

Interestingly enough, the photo has appeared even as Samsung has vowed to be "more aggressive" in its legal action against Apple. The company's head of global marketing for mobile communications, Lee Younghee, accused the iPhone maker of "free riding" on Samsung's patents and promised to be less "passive" in its approach.

Read more at http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/11/09/23/samsung_shop_features_apples_app_store_safari_icons_on_decorative_app_wall.html

Missouri lawmakers vote to repeal Facebook limits

Missouri lawmakers passed and sent to the governor Friday a bill designed to refriend Facebook and other electronic media for thousands of Missouri's teachers and students.

Not everyone, however, has decided to "like" it - including Gov. Jay Nixon, who wants to hear what teachers and school boards think.

The Missouri House overwhelmingly passed a repeal of an earlier law barring most private electronic contact between teachers and students, including exchanges on social media websites such as Facebook.

But the new bill does more than just repeal the so-called Facebook law. It also requires local school districts to adopt their own policies by next March, "to prevent improper communications between staff members and students."

Opponents said that part of the bill would simply allow dozens of Missouri school districts to illegally block electronic interactions between teachers and students.

"We are going to ask the governor to veto the legislation," said Gary Brunk, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and Western Missouri. "It could be a nightmare ... these local districts could be all over the place, including (enacting) some things we really don't like at all."

But supporters of the repeal said the bill allows districts to tailor policies that best fit the needs of students, teachers, and parents.

"We don't tell local school districts how to do it at all," said state Rep. Chris Kelly, a Columbia Democrat, adding the district-by-district approach would help administrators quickly learn the best ways to keep an eye on electronic communications.

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/09/23/3162571/missouri-lawmakers-vote-to-repeal.html#ixzz1YrTkFLr0

Another Facebook User Revolt on the Horizon? Of Course!

How will Facebook users react to the huge changes soon to land at the world's largest social network? Anecdotal evidence suggests, not well. According to a number of informal polls, four out of five Facebook users see the upcoming facelift and new features as unpopular.

We know Facebook users are adverse to change. Just this week an anti-change Facebook campaign sprang up within hours of Facebook unveiling changes to its news feed. Now, with Thursday's f8 conference keynote by Mark Zuckerberg where he announced sweeping changes over how your Facebook profile will look and a radical new approach to collecting user data, it's a foregone conclusion some users will be outraged.

Here is quick overview of the changes and some comments from the pitchfork wielding Facebook crowd that is already amassing.

Read more at http://www.pcworld.com/article/240486/another_facebook_user_revolt_on_the_horizon_of_course.html