How do we know we're years away from a final resolution to the Nokia / Apple patent lawsuit? It's been six months since Nokia first filed its complaint, and the two parties are just now starting to argue about which specific substantive claims they're eventually going to argue about. Let's do a quick refresh: at the heart of the lawsuit is a conflict over Nokia's wireless patents, some of which are almost certainly essential to how cell data and WiFi operate. As a member of the ETSI and the IEEE licensing groups which oversee GSM and WiFi, Nokia's required to license its patents to anyone who asks on fair terms, but those terms aren't set in stone -- Nokia can negotiate separate licenses as it sees fit, and it apparently wanted Apple to cross-license its touchscreen patents as part of the deal. Apple said no, and now we're all in court, with both sides alleging patent infringement in three different lawsuits (one of which is on hold) and Apple claiming that Nokia is also liable for breach of contract, because it promised fair licensing terms and didn't deliver. Got all that? Right.

So that brings us to yesterday, when Nokia asked the court to dismiss all of Apple's contract-related claims, saying that they're simply a distraction from the real issue, which is patents, and that its license offers aren't unfair simply because Apple doesn't like them. In short: Apple and Nokia's patent lawsuit is currently not really about patents at all, but about whether or not it should also be a fight about contract terms in addition to a fight about patents, and that question won't be resolved for months. And that's why vigilante justice is the future of America's tarnished civilization something like 90 percent of patent cases eventually settle out of court.

P.S. Oh, and in case you're wondering, today Reuters reported that the first trial date isn't expected until 2012. So, yeah.

Nokia asks court to dismiss part of Apple patent lawsuit originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  BusinessWeek, Motion to Dismiss (PDF)  | Email this | Comments

There are already plenty of fish in the sea when it comes to VoIP picture-frame phones, and only a few have succeeded in arousing us, but this well-guarded fella here at MSI's CeBIT booth seems to have some potential with its unusually large touchscreen. According to the label, the MS-9A31 landline-VoIP hybrid phone will support DECT, video conference call and instant messaging, all courtesy of Android. A quick glance around the phone also reveals two LAN ports, a USB port and a card reader -- the latter two presumably for stuffing multimedia files. No word on price or availability, but if MSI's prominence can win over Skype's heart then we might have a winner here (and ASUS better watch out). We gathered some shots, but there's also a video walkthrough after the break.

[Thanks, Andy]

Continue reading MSI caught showing off VoIP video conferencing phone running Android

MSI caught showing off VoIP video conferencing phone running Android originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 06 Mar 2010 23:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  New Gadgets  | Email this | Comments

Sure, the PSP is still a mighty attractive piece of hardware. "Handsome," you might say, but that heart-pounding allure is all but gone these days. While we wait a few more years for Sony to rectify that with a PSP 2, we can drool over another mod by "f00 f00." This time he's managed to squeeze a working VU Meter onto the back of the ever-moddable machine. Sure, it's not a revolution in the world of PSP hacking, but it's impressive and somehow comforting in its own we-guess-the-PSP-is-still-pretty-cool sort of way. Video is after the break.

Continue reading VU Meter finagled into a PSP, reminds us of a time when the PSP was sexy

VU Meter finagled into a PSP, reminds us of a time when the PSP was sexy originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 06 Mar 2010 20:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Fujitsu's LifeBook UH900 started shipping to Americans just over a fortnight ago, and now one has landed into the capable hands of Pocketables. Boasting a 2GHz Atom CPU and some of the most unsightly adapters we've ever seen, this flip-open handheld -- which just looks too lovely to be saddled with the "UMPC" moniker -- strangely stirs something within our heart. It's one of those "I know I don't need it, but I just have to have it" things. Don't agree? Hit the source link, scroll all the way down, think about the upcoming weekend, and then see how you feel. Oh, and feel free to check out those size comparisons if you need extra encouragement in the "ooh" and "aah" department.

Fujitsu's LifeBook UH900 gets unboxed, sized up against the competition originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Feb 2010 07:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Pocketables (unboxing), (size comparisons)  | Email this | Comments

It won't turn you into Tony Stark—or Robert Downey Jr—but it will power the electromagnet in your heart, protecting you from all that shrapnel. Just eight bucks. [Entertainment Earth via Fashionably Geek]

Volvo unfortunately isn't providing any pictures of it just yet, but the automaker has announced a new rear set entertainment system that might just make those actually driving the vehicle a little envious. Dubbed the RSEi-500, the system is based around a touchscreen of unspecified size, and packs a 500GB hard drive for media storage, a DVD player, USB and A/V inputs, and built-in WiFi to let you pair it with a Sprint OverDrive or other mobile hotspot (or your home network when you're parked in the garage, for that matter). You'll also get Windows XP for an OS, although there's no word on the specs for the computer at the heart of the system (we'd expect it to be a bit too underpowered for a mobile LAN party though). Volvo also isn't making any firm commitments about which vehicles the system will land in, but Autoblog apparently has it on good authority that it'll be available on both the Volvo XC60 and XC70 starting this summer.

Volvo announces touchscreen-based rear seat entertainment system originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Autoblog  | Email this | Comments

Hey there, Mini GD880 -- we've seen plenty of you around here lately -- but we were beginning to wonder if you'd ever get totally, completely, 100 percent official. Well, here we are, day two of MWC, and it was definitely worth the wait. LG's latest featurephone packs a 5 megapixel cam, WiFi, 7.2Mbps HSDPA, and integrated FM radio into a frame that's just 10.6mm in depth and weighs just 99 grams -- about as thin and light as it gets. It also boasts continual over-the-air syncing via LG's new Air Sync service, making it a pretty smart phone -- for a featurephone. The Mini GD880 will be available throughout Europe beginning in March, for an as yet undetermined amount of cash money. The full press release is after the break, but if your heart is filled with desire for this beast, you can hit up the hands-on and impressions in the more coverage link for more photos.

Continue reading LG Mini GD880 finally gets a full on announcement at MWC

LG Mini GD880 finally gets a full on announcement at MWC originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Feb 2010 07:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Nikon's D300S isn't exactly tailor made for D300 owners, but for those waiting patiently to jump into the semi-pro DSLR game, it offers up a pretty delightful array of specs. Boasting SD and CF slots, a 720p movie mode and 12.3 megapixels of sharp shooting goodness, this here cam received overwhelmingly positive reviews late last year. Strategically positioned between the full-frame D700 and the lesser-specced D90, we're sure the D300S found its way into quite a few hearts (and under quite a few trees) between then and now. If you've been firing off snaps with one of these for a few months now, we're curious to know how you'd tweak things if the power were yours. Does the "S" really add enough to the D300 package to warrant the boost in price? How's the image quality? Is the video mode a-okay for your purposes? Spill your heart out in comments below -- we're here to hold your hand if necessary.

How would you change Nikon's D300S? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

A new keyboard concept from the unproved Guru-board, dubbed Miniguru, could certainly shake up a few things if it hits the market. The basic idea is to keep your fingers from leaving the home row, with special modifier keys to move you through three "layers" of functions. Hold down the modifier with a free thumb and you get the JKLI keys turned into arrows, and the capslock into control. Naturally you can configure this in software to your heart's content (or just do this in software without a fancy new keyboard, if you're a rebel like that), hopefully without causing too much harm to your poor, inflexible fingers. The mouse nub is also designed to keep you keyboard-centric, but it can be removed in the highly-custom sales configuration panel, which also works in an option to choose between three different switch parts, a multitude of colors and the existence of keycap symbols. That custom bit sounds a little like optimism on the part of a company that hasn't shipped anything yet, but we're rooting for this one to make it to market someway or other, if just out curiosity.

Guru'board's Miniguru keyboard aims to keep you on the home row, might take some getting used to originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Jan 2010 21:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Guru'board  | Email this | Comments

We had a feeling that after Microsoft removed the draconian OEM requirement from Windows 7 Media Center that we'd see more CableCARD tuners and we're glad to say we were right. The original ATSC/QAM HDHomeRun was love at first sight for us three years ago, so we were very pleased to learn that the crew over at Silicon Dust was working on a network based CableCARD tuner. The dual tuner model in development will require just one CableCARD and one coax input, but will allow you to record two HD shows at once, and all for $249 -- less than the single ATI CableCARD tuner sells for today. The nice thing about the networked tuner approach that has made the HDHomeRun so popular, is that even if you have your heart set on a small form factor PC like the Dell Zino HD, you can still have access to premium content even without any empty PCI-E slots. The only bad news is that the press release after the break has no mention of when this little guy might be available.

Continue reading HDHomeRun developing a dual CableCARD network tuner for $249

HDHomeRun developing a dual CableCARD network tuner for $249 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 04:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Keeping the news flowing fast and furious, Samsung has come out with a quartet of new netbooks, distinguishable primarily by their battery life. The N210 and 220 take the lead with a purported 12 hours of "connected mobility," while the NB30 (11 hours) and N150 (8.5 hours) are none too shabby either. The N150 differentiates itself with an "integrated hinge," while the NB30 focuses on durability with a HDD protection sensor and a water-tight seal that protects the netbook from up to 50cc of water. Still, the machines do share a lot, including an Atom N450 at their heart, and a 10.1-inch anti-reflective screen, plus -- you'd be better sit down for this -- mark- and scratch-resistant casing. Does this mean the end of the fingerprint-loving netbook? We can only hope so. Full PR blurb after the break.

Continue reading Samsung hops on Atom N450 bandwagon with N210, N220, N150 and NB30 netbooks

Samsung hops on Atom N450 bandwagon with N210, N220, N150 and NB30 netbooks originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 03 Jan 2010 21:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Newswire  | Email this | Comments

Motorola has announced that its brand new handset, the Crush, is available as of this week from U.S. Cellular. Going for $79.95 after a $50 mail-in rebate on a 2-year contract, Motorola is positioning the Crush as an affordable phone with a high-end design. Having said that, we can’t help but think only Motorola would think placing the lock and power buttons on either side of the earpiece is “high-end”. Having said that, the Crush has the following features: 2.8″ 240×400 WQVGA touchscreen display, 2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD support for cards up to 16GB and EV-DO Rev. 0 connectivity. Is anyone going to check this bad boy out, or does your heart yearn for something else?

Read

It's been a little while since we've seen a good multi-billion dollar acquisition, but HP's sure come through in a big way today, announcing that it plans to acquire networking giant 3Com in an all-cash deal valued at $2.7 billion, or $7.90 a share. The deal will, of course, still have to clear a few regulatory hurdles and receive the approval of 3Com's stockholders, but it has already been given the go-ahead by both company's boards of directors, and HP expects the transaction to close in the first half of 2010. Not surprisingly, HP sees nothing but pluses with the acquisition, saying that it will do nothing short of "transform the networking industry," and "enable customers to build a next-generation network infrastructure that supports customer needs from the edge of the network to the heart of the data center." Equally optimistic but slightly cooler on the world-changing language is 3Com CEO Bob Mao, who says that its company's "extensive product line and innovative technology together with HP's breadth and scale will expand our global opportunity."

Filed under: Networking

HP to acquire 3Com in $2.7 billion deal originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Okay, so we fully anticipate that creating the downright adorable object you see above will take far longer than ten minutes if you a) don't have a stash of circuits and fabrics laying around and / or b) you've never done anything like this before, but for seasoned DIYers, this is about as easy as it gets. The "10-minute sewable iPod remote" can actually be any character or design you feel like making, as the crux of this project relies on the circuit chip that is actually fitted inside the dock connector. From there, you just connect a few strands of conductive fabric, attach your kitty cat (or dragon, as the case may be) and begin to enjoy your homegrown iPod remote. Hit the read link for the full how-to, but only if you're immune to cuteoverloaditus.

Filed under: Peripherals, Portable Audio, Portable Video

DIY sewable iPod remote takes just ten minutes, will absolutely warm your heart originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

It's been far, far too long (read: four months) since we've heard a peep from the gentle souls over at Pixel Qi, but it looks like the long, heart-wrenching wait for the hybrid display that's bound to revolutionize Western civilization is nearing an end. According to the startup's CEO herself, Mary Lou Jepsen, the primetime-ready 3Qi display should make its glorious debut on an undisclosed tablet to be announced next month. For those out of the loop, this transflective display contains both e-ink and LCD properties, one for outdoor reading scenarios and the other for multimedia viewing. The amazing part is that toggling between the two is as simple as flipping a switch, which obviously means great things for battery life on whatever device it's shoved into. We'll be keeping our eyes peeled for more, but do us a favor and cross your fingers for good luck. Toes too, por favor.

[Thanks, Tom]

Filed under: Displays

Pixel Qi e-ink / LCD hybrid display to debut on tablet next month? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Let’s face it. Unless you’re really into BlackBerrys and have your heart set on the Bold 9700, you don’t really have a whole lot of choices for a new candybar QWERTY smartphone. But that’s just fine with us, because Nokia’s E72, the successor in every sense of the word to the much loved E71, is now up for pre-order on Amazon. No, it’s not some crappy Euro version that likes to play “football” and drink tea; this is a real red meat eating, red, white and blue NAM edition. It’s unlocked, $469, comes in any color you like so long as it’s Zodium Black and seems destined to sell a lot of units. Why? Because Nokia has discovered just how easy it is to move handsets through fire sales.

[Via Engadget Mobile]

Read