Samsung joins forces with Intel and Microsoft

In Reuters

Samsung Electronics unveiled on Wednesday software pacts with Intel and Microsoft as the world's No.2 cellphone maker strengthens its mobile software push.

Samsung has quickly become one of the largest smartphone makers globally, helped by its strong offering of devices using Google's Android platform.

Analysts said Wednesday's deals signaled Samsung's aim to lower its exposure to Android following Google's $12.5 billion August acquisition of Motorola Mobility.

"The Google Motorola deal certainly gives Samsung some motivation to lessen the dependence on Android," said Matthew Thornton, analyst at Avian Securities.

Microsoft and Samsung signed on Wednesday a new deal for development and marketing of Windows phones, while also agreeing on a wide patent cross-licensing deal. Samsung has also used Microsoft's software in the past.

Earlier on Wednesday two Linux software groups, one backed by Samsung, another by Intel, said they have joined forces to develop a new operating system for cellphones and other devices.

Under the deal, the LiMo Foundation and Linux Foundation are effectively merging their LiMo and Meego mobile operating systems and hope to gain wider industry and consumer support, but analysts said the new Tizen platform is likely to struggle.

It would have to attract wide support from developers and manufacturers to compete with the dozen or so other mobile operating systems available in a smartphone market currently dominated by Apple's in-house software and Google's Linux-based Android.

"The best hope for them is that big operators get worried by Android ... and decide to consciously switch their allegiances to rival platforms to restrict Google's huge influence over the mobile market," said analyst Neil Mawston from Strategy Analytics.

Earlier this year Nokia, the biggest phone maker by volume, ditched its own Symbian operating system in favor of Microsoft's Windows Phone software.

Currently Windows Phone has a smartphone market share of 2-3 percent, according to industry analysts, and LiMo and Meego have less than 1 percent apiece, while Android's share is almost 50 percent and still growing.

"This (Tizen) is driven by necessity. Linux rivals to Android have failed to gain traction and Samsung needs to reduce its dependence on Google," said Geoff Blaber, an analyst at London-based telecoms industry consultancy CCS Insight.

The world's second-biggest cellphone maker behind Nokia, Samsung is the leading user of the Android platform, which has been one of the reasons for its escalating court-room fight over patents with Apple.

Microsoft said the definitive agreement with Samsung to cross-license the patent portfolios of both companies, provides

broad coverage for each company's products, and it will get royalties for Samsung's devices running the Android platform.

"It's probably a win-win. Microsoft is leveraging its patents to get customers while Samsung is looking for ways to lessen its dependence on Android," said Avian's Matthew Thornton.

2012 LINUX STORY

LiMo Foundation and the Linux Foundation said the new Tizen platform is an open-source, standards-based software platform that supports multiple devices including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, netbooks and in-vehicle 'infotainment' systems.

A spokesman for Samsung said: "We've been a core Linux partner ... and this is in line with our strategy of supporting many platforms."

The initial release is planned for the first quarter of 2012, enabling the first devices using Tizen to come to market in mid-2012, the two groups said.

The world's largest semiconductor firm Intel and Samsung Electronics, the second biggest maker of cell phones and one of the key contributors to LiMo, will head the technical steering committee developing Tizen.

Earlier this month Intel and Google launched a development partnership to adapt Android for Intel's Atom processor chips, with a view to having the first Anroid phones featuring Intel chips in the first half of next year.

Linux is the most popular type of free, or open-source, computer operating system which allows the public to use, revise and share. Linux suppliers earn money selling improvements and technical services. (Additional reporting by Sinead Carew in New York and Miyoung Kim in Seoul; Editing by Greg Mahlich and Jon Loades-Carter)

Amazon unveils Kindle Fire tablet for $199

In Cnet

Amazon unveiled the Kindle Fire, anAndroid-poweredtablet that acts more like a color e-reader on steroids and will retail for $199.

The Amazon Kindle Fire.

(Credit: Amazon via Bloomberg)

"We're building premium products at non-premium prices," said Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos during the presentation.

The Kindle Fire will be available on November 15 and is available for preorder now. Bloomberg earlier reported the $199 price point and details on the device.

The Kindle Fire marks Amazon's first foray into the tablet market, which has so far been dominated byApple's iPad. But with its low price--most tablets retail for around $500--and the established Kindle brand, analysts believe Amazon's product could represent the first legitimate competitor in an area where many other high-end Android tablets have missed the mark.

"We believe that the launch of an Amazon tablet will significantly boost the tablet market and inject a much needed competitor to Apple's iPad," Adam Leach, an analyst at research firm Ovum, said ahead of the event.

The specifications, however, are lower than other comparable high-end tablets. While it has a dual-core processor, it lacks many of the other typical features found in a tablet, such as a camera, microphone, and 3G wireless access. It also only has 8 gigabytes of storage space. The device is more intended to compete with Barnes & Noble's Nook Color, which is essentially a stripped down Android tablet.

The Kindle Fire will also use an older version of Android intended for smartphones, but Amazon remade the user interface, giving it a completely different feel from rival tablets. It can also play games and can surf the Internet using its own custom Amazon Silk browser that uses a combination of cached content on the device and on the Web. The company claims it can predict your browsing habits and preload favorite websites for faster browsing.

Bezos said that most of the content is backed up in the cloud and that the device features wireless synching. The company's Whispersync technology, which delivers digital books to the Kindle, will also work with movies and television shows.

The Kindle Fire comes with a 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime, the company's premium service that offers free two-day shipping and streaming video. The service normally costs $79 a year.

Amazon has slowly been building up its online content, adding new shows and movies. Amazon recently signed a new licensing deal with 20th Century Fox to bring in its library of shows and movies for streaming.

Amazon has also reportedly signed agreements with several publishers, including Conde Nast, Hearst, and Meredith, to have digital versions of magazines ready at launch.

Amazon is attempting to go where other tablet makers have failed. The past few months have seen a number of companies stumble out of the gate with their supposed iPad-killer. Hewlett-Packard scrapped its WebOS hardware business after the lackluster sale of the TouchPad, only to revive interest by holding a fire sale at $99 a unit. Research In Motion flopped badly with its PlayBook and is similarly trying to spark sales through a number of discount programs with its retail partners. Motorola Mobility CEO Sanjay Jha acknowledged initials problems selling its Xoom tablet when it was priced higher than the iPad.

As an e-reader, the Kindle has been instrumental in driving sales of digital books for Amazon and bringing that category of device into the mainstream despite earlier efforts by Sony. The catalyst for its success has been its low-powered e-ink technology, which enables users to read the device from anywhere, as well as the ease in which a person can buy a digital book over the air.

Another smart move: Amazon's decision to create apps on other devices such as the iPad and Android phones, allowing people to read their books on any device but still stick with the Kindle library.

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-20112714-94/amazon-unveils-kindle-fire-tablet-for-$199/#ixzz1ZQSi7jia

Amazon Kindle Fire 2 set for January 2012 release?

In techradar

Amazon may be yet to announce its tablet product, the Amazon Kindle Fire, but already the rumour mill has started cranking out tit bits about its successor and a possible release date of January 2012.

A source talking to Gdgt has claimed that the second generation Kindle Tablet will be released in the new year, with today's announcement merely a stop-gap product to mop up all those early-adopting Christmas shoppers.

The first tablet is set to be a white-labelled device taken directly from a third-party manufacturer, whereas the Kindle Fire 2 "seems to be the device Amazon really believes in," according to Gdgt guru Ryan Block.

Fire in the hole

This messed up cycle is all down to a delay to the tablet, apparently; the second version of the Fire was always intended to land in early 2012, but the first version should have been out earlier this year.

Although it'll be really annoying for Fire 1 buyers if a quick upgrade comes to pass, but it won't be entirely surprising if Amazon's Kindle track record is anything to go by – new generations of the ereader have always followed hot on the heels of their predecessors.

Flexible Samsung phone 'to be issued in 2012'

In The Telegraph

Samsung is poised to release a flexible mobile phone, according to reports in the International Business Times. The new Samsung Galaxy Skin will feature an AMOLED display that will allow the phone to bend around a cylinder with a 1-inch diameter. Brighter than the normal screen, the AMOLED display is also low-energy and almost unbreakable, according to the reports.

Using a plastic polyimide substrate instead of glass, Samsung has produced displays that are “rollable [and] bendable” and which can even “survive blows from a hammer”. The phone was developed by Prof Haeseong Jee and Jye Yeon You.

The key material of this new technology is ‘graphene’, touted as “the miracle material”. Research by scientists from Columbia University has established that ‘graphene’ is the strongest material in the world, “some 200 times stronger than structural steel”.

The Galaxy Skin will offer a high-resolution 800×480 flexible AMOLED screen, eight megapixel camera and 1Gb of RAM as well as a 1.2GHz processor. Samsung has not yet disclosed the device’s operating system, but there have been rumors about Jelly Bean – Google’s next Android release after Ice Cream Sandwich – or a new release called Android Flexy.

The new core technology also allows the phone to be used as a mouse, a clock or a wrist-watch. Samsung has not confirmed the exact date of release.

iPhone 5 Launch - Apple has begun sending invitations to 4th Of October

In The Telegraph

The invite, which says "Let's talk iPhone", uses Apple's iOS icons to indicate the date, time and location of the event.

Though the invite does not specify, the event is widely expected to be the launch of the iPhone 5, Apple's latest model in its successful mobile handset range. However, there has been some speculation that the new model could be a minor improvement on the iPhone 4, perhaps called the iPhone 4S.

It is thought that the new iPhone will have a faster processor, probably the same A5 processor that powers the iPad 2, and a better camera. There have also been rumours that the new phone will have more RAM than its predecessor and will have a slimmer form factor.

Whatever form the new device takes, it is likely to launch alongside iOS 5, the latest version of the operating system that runs the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices. Announced in June, iOS 5 brings an improved notification system, a task management system called Reminders and iMessage - a free, text message service for Apple users.

The early October announcement suggests that the new iPhone will be in the shops within a couple of weeks. The October 21 release date, suggested earlier this month by the tech blog This Is My Next, looks like a good bet.

Amazon tablet announcement pegged for 28 September?

In Techradar

Amazon looks set to unveil its first foray into the tablet market this week, with a press conference pencilled in for Wednesday that's likely to include an Amazon tablet announcement.

There's been much rumour and speculation that the e-shopping site is set to reveal a rival to the iPad, which will clock in at a much cheaper price and run Android.

It is reported that the Amazon tablet is likely to have a 7-inch screen and link into Amazon's many web properties, including its Kindle service and the Amazon App Store.

Tablet talk

Because of this, it is unlikely that an Amazon tablet UK release date will be announced. For a start, we still don't have access to the App Store – although a loophole last week saw the store open up to non-US customers.

There have been plenty of rivals to the Apple iPad, including the Samsung Galaxy Tab and more recently the Sony Tablet S, but if Amazon can deliver on the price point and monopolise on its already decent web store, then we could have a proper tablet fight on our hands come Christmas.

There's been too many rumours not to make an announcement this week a dead cert.

Apple Vs Samsung War - Samsung considers legal action over Apple's new iPhone: source

In Reuters

Samsung Electronics Co is considering legal action to ban sales of Apple's new iPhone, a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday, in what could be its strongest step to defend against claims by the U.S. firm that the South Korean firm had copied its product designs.

The source declined to elaborate further on where Samsung planned to take legal actions and the Maeil Business Newspaper reported that the South Korean firm may seek injunction request on Apple's new iPhone in Europe.

Samsung said it would not comment on ongoing legal issues.

The two technology firms have been locked in intensifying legal battles in nine countries over their flagship smartphone and tablet products.

The move comes after Apple successfully blocked Samsung from selling its latest tablets in Germany and some smartphone models in the Netherlands and forced its rival to indefinite delay launching new tablets in Australia.

After Apple's latest legal victory in Germany earlier this month, Samsung said it would take all available legal options.

Apple has not produced a new version of its best-selling iPhone for more than a year. The product is crucial for the world's No.1 smartphone maker to keep its strong sales momentum as Samsung is quickly closing on the gap with its Galaxy line of products.

Apple sold 20.3 million iPhones in the second quarter and Samsung shipped just one million units less than that.

Media reports have said Apple's product will go one sale in October.

Apple first sued Samsung in April, claiming its strongest competitor had "slavishly" copied its product designs, and Samsung had since counter-sued, arguing Apple infringed on its mobile technologies.

Samsung is also a major supplier of chips and displays for Apple's smartphones and tablet products.

Bulletproof vest gets GPS

In Cnet


If you already bought a bulletproof Mercedes and a bulletproof watch, then you might want to complete the look with a bulletproof vest.

The S-911 Vest from Laipac Technology is chest armor with brains. Just as phones have evolved to handle a gazillion different functions, this bulletproof vest has sprouted a GPS system.

Law enforcement, military, security personnel, and VIPs are the target market for the high-tech vest. Built-in GPS provides real-time tracking with location, heading, and speed.

The vest's most important function is to stop bullets, of course. Kevlar and optional armor plates handle that task. The basic Kevlar model has enough stopping power to protect against most handguns, including a shot from a .44 Magnum.

The vest works over a GSM/GPRS network and will record waypoints when out of GSM range. Set up a virtual geo-fence and get alerts when the vest moves in or out of a certain area.

You could do all that with a regular GPS tracking system, but the S-911 also has a built-in G sensor that sends alerts when it registers an impact or a man down. All this extra equipment means the vest comes with its own battery charger. You might want to pick up acar charger adapter for your bulletproof Mercedes.


Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20108423-1/bulletproof-vest-gets-gps-man-down-alerts/#ixzz1Z4lNK2ew

Apple Vs Samsung War continues...

in techradar

The moment the next generation Apple iPhone 5 lands in Korea, Samsung will attempt to have it banned, a senior company executive is alleged to have said.

In the latest round of a tit-for-tat battle that is now set to be waged in Samsung's home country, the Korea Times is reporting that Samsung will seek an injunction to protect its 'wireless patents.'

The Samsung executive, who wished not to be named, is claimed to have said: "Just after the arrival of the iPhone 5 here, Samsung plans to take Apple to court here for its violation of Samsung's wireless technology related patents."

"For as long as Apple does not drop mobile telecommunications functions, it would be impossible for it to sell its i-branded products without using our patents.

"We will stick to a strong stance against Apple during the lingering legal fights.''

23 ongoing cases

Any filing of court proceedings would add to the 23 patent infringement cases currently underway between the two companies.

Apple has succeeded in gaining temporary injunctions against the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 in a number of countries, including Germany and Australia.

It alleges that the Galaxy Tab and smartphones like the Galaxy S2 have "blatantly copied" the iPad and the iPhone.

Samsung has issued a number of counter suits, but an attempt to get the iPhone 5 banned would certainly raise the stakes somewhat.

Apple, of course, is yet to even reveal its new iPhone. An announcement is expected in the coming weeks.

Missile maker sees network hacked

In Cnet

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries factories that build guided missiles and rocket engines; submarines; and nuclear-power equipment have had their computer networks hacked, according to a report.

The Reuters news agency said Japanese newspaper Yomiuri reported that information from Mitsubishi's computer system was stolen in the attack. A representative of the company confirmed the attack, Reuters reported, but said the company was still looking into whether any data had been taken.

The Yomiuri report said about 80 infected computers were found at Mitsubishi headquarters in Tokyo and various facilities in other areas of Japan, according to Reuters.

iPhone 5 rumours fuelled by accessories firm

In The Telegraph

The website was updated to show what are apparently cases for Apple’s forthcoming iPhone 5. The page was later removed, which served only to fuel the speculation from Apple-watchers.

The new case appeared to be designed for a device with curved edges, more like the iPod touch than the iPhone 4. It also appeared wider than the iPhone 4 and Case-Mate’s mock-up had an aluminium back.

What does this mean? Possibly nothing. This is the problem with iPhone guessing games, nobody really knows what anybody else knows. Has Apple tipped off Case-Mate about the dimensions of their new device or is Case-Mate guessing? We don’t know and neither of those companies is saying.

I spoke to someone at a Silicon Valley-based accessories company earlier this week who told me that, despite having a close relationship with Apple, they were not given any advance information about forthcoming products. That person, who did not wish to be named, said that the company took an educated guess and developed several prototypes, which would then be refined and put into production once Apple announced its product.

Is that true of all companies? Again, it is hard to say. Certainly, leaked accessories have in the past given clues about forthcoming Apple products but that doesn’t mean that Apple shares information with these companies ahead of release. Indeed, given the tales of secrecy within Apple, it’s hard to imagine that third parties are being let into the company’s secrets.

Google’s Malware Infection Warnings

In techbusy

Google has started a service to warn its users about malware infection on their system. But this warning will be only for that system which is already infected by a malwares. I am adding this line because many malware writers have been using google’s malware infection warnings as a beneficial to share more viruses over the net.

If you have warning on google’s homepage with yellow background (as shown below) then only you can trust “Learn how to fix this” link otherwise dont ever think of clicking on it as it may be from any malware writers.

Amazon, Apple, others sued by Droplets for Web tech

In Cnet

A lawsuit filed last week by software company Droplets takes aim at Amazon, Apple, Google, Facebook, Yahoo, and YouTube for infringing on its patented Web technology.

Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Marshall Division, the Droplets suit alleges that the group of tech giants infringe on one or more of two patents it holds "for developing and delivering highly functional and scalable applications over the Internet." The company seeks damages as well as future royalties on the use of those patents.

The two patents in question are United States Patent No. 6,687,745, titled "System and method for delivering a graphical user interface of remote applications over a thin bandwidth connection," and No. 7,502,838, titled "System and method for delivering remotely stored applications and information." The No. 6,687,745 patent was granted in February 2004 with the No. 7,502,838 patent following in March 2009.

In its suit, Droplets specifically points to the defendants as infringing with their "Web applications and software" as well as the computers that store and serve those pages. Included by name are the front pages of Yahoo, Amazon, and Apple's Web sites, along with Apple's movie trailer page, and Yahoo's Mail and Maps properties.

One of the aforementioned patents was the focus of a 2006 lawsuit against Adobe that accused the company of infringing on the No. 6,687,745 patent with its Flex product, which Adobe got through its acquisition of Macromedia. The two companies settled in 2008 for an undisclosed sum.

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-20104994-248/amazon-apple-others-sued-by-droplets-for-web-tech/#ixzz1YOmCukGq

Air traffic system vulnerable to cyber attack

In NewScientist

A next-generation global air traffic control system is vulnerable to malicious hacks that could cause catastrophe

AN ALARM blares in the cockpit mid flight, warning the pilot of an imminent collision. The pilot checks his tracking display, sees an incoming aircraft and sends the plane into a dive. That only takes it into another crowded air lane, however, where it collides with a different plane. Investigators later discover that the pilot was running from a "ghost" - a phantom aircraft created by a hacker intent on wreaking havoc in the skies.

It's a fictional scenario, but US air force analysts warn that it could be played out if hackers exploit security holes in an increasingly common air traffic control technology.

At issue is a technology called Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B), which the International Civil Aviation Organisation certified for use in 2002. Gradually being deployed worldwide, ADS-B improves upon the radar-based systems that air traffic controllers and pilots rely on to find out the location and velocity of aircraft in their vicinity.

Conventional ground-based radar systems are expensive to run, become less accurate at determining position the further away a plane is, and are slow to calculate an aircraft's speed. Perhaps worst of all, their limited range means they cannot track planes over the ocean.

So instead of bouncing radar signals off aircraft, ADS-B uses GPS signals to continuously broadcast a plane's identity, ground position, altitude and velocity to networks of ground stations and other nearby aircraft. This way, everyone knows where everyone else is.

ADS-B transmits information in unencrypted 112-bit bursts - a measure intended to make the system simple and cheap to implement. It's this that researchers from the US air force's Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio are unhappy with. Donald McCallie, Jonathan Butts and Robert Mills warn that the unencrypted signals could be intercepted and spoofed by hackers, or simply jammed.

The team says the vulnerabilities it has identified "could have disastrous consequences including confusion, aircraft groundings, even plane crashes if exploited by adversaries" (International Journal of Critical Infrastructure Protection, DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcip.2011.06.001).

One attack they label "low difficulty" is a "ground station flood denial": jamming an ADS-B ground receiver mast (like a cellphone mast) by placing a low-power radio transmitter near it. That effectively blinds controllers to where planes are.

Tougher to carry out is a "ghost aircraft injection". This attack mimics the format of ADS-B data packets to create fake aircraft signals, either on the ground controller's screen or on the pilot's tracking display.

"We're aware of the research undertaken by the US air force and have been working for some time with UK and European authorities and agencies to understand and mitigate the issues," says Brendan Kelly, policy chief at National Air Traffic Services in the UK.

But the Federal Aviation Administration, which wants ADS-B fully operational across the US by 2020, says tests it completed in 2009 show ADS-B has no risks over and above those presented by existing radar systems. "The FAA has a thorough risk management process for all possible risks to ADS-B, including intentional jamming," says a spokesman.

McCallie's team is not convinced, and has asked to see the FAA's test data - which the agency has so far refused to make public, citing security concerns. The team accepts that such concerns are warranted, but insist that additional safeguards must be introduced into ADS-B. Specifically, they say ways to authenticate messages between planes and ground control ought to be explored. "Security as an afterthought will not suffice," they write.

Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray goes on sale

in Techradar

The eagerly anticipated Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray has gone on sale, with a number of retailers now offering the smartphone.

TechRadar's Hands on: Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray review suggested that this could be a popular handset for the company – praising the compact dimensions and quality screen.

The handset has now gone on sale from the likes of The Clove, Play and on contract from O2.

Not everyone

Vodafone and Orange have also indicated that they will be selling the handset at a later date.

The phone will be available in familiar black and white, and also pink and gold for those with a desire for a different hue.

The UK price for the Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray is between £299 and £315 without a contract or for no additional payment from O2 on contracts from £18.50 and up.