Samsung Vs Apple

Round 3 in the ongoing patent battle between Samsung and Apple has fallen in favour of Apple, but is Samsung on the ropes or out for the count?

Initially a Europe-wide ban was placed on the sale of Samsung Galaxy Tablet following a ruling that elements of the tablet were copied from the iPad.  This was then lifted amid concerns about the court's power to impose such a broad embargo. The latest hearing upholds the original decision in Apple's favour, and means the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is again banned from sale across Germany.

The re-imposition, albeit only within one country, marks yet another round in the ongoing patent battle between Apple and Samsung.  Samsung phones have also been banned for sale in the Netherlands following court action.

The two electronics giants currently face each other in courtrooms in Australia, North America and Asia.

Whoever is your electronic giant of choice make sure that you are protected against those who take advantage of mobile technology.  Be Protected for FREE.

Does Apple Have Control Issues?

The Financial Times is the latest Corporation to challenge the might of Apple. Following months of negotiations, they have resorted to withdrawing their app for iPhones and iPads.

The two companies have faced a dispute over the control of customer data.  Apple insisted sales must take place via its App Store, giving it ownership of the data and a 30% cut of revenues.  The Financial Times were not comfortable with that, and having failed to end the impasse with Apple, the newspaper is now cancelling its App Store app altogether and encouraging Apple customers to switch to the web app.  The Newspaper itself will still be accessible through Apple devices via a browser-based web app.

Other firms are also gravitating towards browser-based applications as a way of by-passing Apple's sales platform.  For example, Amazon launched a web app for its Kindle eBook reader earlier this month that was specifically tailored for iPad users.

The newspaper expects to launch the Android version of the web app in the next two months.

Don’t forget, smartphones are highly susceptible to criminal attack because of their data connections and the fact, that we are increasingly using these devices for storing personal and commercial data!  Protect yourself for FREE.

HTC v Apple, The Battle Continues

Rumbling on in a similar fashion to the Fabregas football transfer, is the HTC v’s Apple patent row.  The latest chapter in this saga see’s HTC turning up the heat.

Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC has now filed a lawsuit in the US against Apple, accusing its American rival of infringing its patents.  They are going as far as trying to stop US imports of iPhones, iPads, iPods and Mac computers. 

In July, HTC was found to infringe two iPhone patents in a case brought by Apple at the US International Trade Commission (ITC).  However HTC, which is one of the world's fastest-growing smartphone makers, has vowed to appeal against the ruling, which threatens its business model of designing products around the Android operating system.

It is widely thought that Google's acquisition of Motorola Mobility (MMI) may offer a greater degree of protection to Android handset makers.

Have you considered your Smartphone Security yet?

Is Google's Android Leading the March?

Google's Android operating system is growing up at speed, and one indication of this is that it's becoming the leading mobile platform for innovation. There are a host of companies using Android to try out all sorts of new ideas.

One of which is a new phone from Motorola, called the Atrix.  It’s a good looking touchscreen handset that boasts the same features as the majority of top-end Android handsets such as, dual-core processor, front and rear-facing cameras, and loads of social media integration.

What sets it apart according to Motorola is a range of accessories that they believe transforms the phone into the only computer you will ever need when you are on the road. 

The Atrix laptop dock looks much like an ordinary laptop computer - except it turns out to be just a dumb screen and keyboard with the ‘brain’ being the phone, that slots in at the back. It’s not cheap and weight may prove an issue, but this could be the ideal travel partner for the high-flying executive.

Another piece of Android innovation is from HTC, the company which has probably done more than any to make Google's mobile operating system a success.  Their new tablet, the HTC Flyer, doesn’t set the mind ablaze with excitement on first glance, but it does offer a new level of interaction in the form of a pen.  

With this tablet, the pen may work where others have failed because when you launch the tablets rather nifty notes app, you can call up a touchscreen keyboard or you can tap on the icon at the corner of the screen, choose a brush or pen, and start painting or writing.  This is of use, for the simplest reason that typing on a 7” inch screen is hard to type on, and may become redundant on a bigger screen. 

The Android’s growing popularity and race for innovation, should kick start a response from Apple, who only upgrade products once a year and they should be worried.  

That said: There are still security worries with regards the Android operating systems, and if you haven’t already, we suggest you explore your smartphone security options for less than £20.  Click here for more information!

Goodbye Credit Card, Hello Mobile Wallet

More than forty years since we were introduced to the credit card, a new revolution in shopping is bubbling under the surface.  As early as this summer, we could be paying with a simple wave of a phone.

The technology will allow consumers to make purchases by waving their mobile phone over a till scanner. Barclaycard and the UK’s biggest mobile phone network, which includes Orange and T-Mobile have signed a partnership to bring the system to 40,000 tills.  Mobile phone networks and banks are in talks with the manufacturers including Apple, BlackBerry and Nokia about incorporating the technology into their devices. 

The system uses a tiny chip and antenna built into the phone, which links the handset to the owner and their credit card or bank account.  The antenna sends a radio signal to a till scanner which recognises the handset, authorises the payment and then deducts the money from the owner’s account.  Customers will be able to increase their security with an optional PIN.  Initially there will be a £15 cap on transactions but the banking industry expects this to rise. 

Are you comfortable with another move towards the mobile being a must-have tool in modern life?  Handsets have already gone beyond calls and texts with video, music and internet access, but are you ready for a virtual wallet?

2011 Promises the introduction of Common Charger

2011 looks to be the year that the Common Charger will be introduced to the mobile phone market as technical specifications for chargers drawn up by the European Commission have won the backing of 14 phone firms.

The EU said many Europeans resented the inconvenience incompatible chargers caused and wanted to be able to use chargers for different smartphones.  The response is a design based around micro-USB technology and excitingly, could see the end of proprietary power ports on handsets.

Nokia, Research In Motion, Apple and Samsung are amongst the companies have pledged to make chargers to the common standard, and they are expected to be available early this year.

Currently, the specifications only cover chargers for smartphones because, these are likely to be the most widely used type of phone in Europe within the next two years according to the Commission.  

The Top 5 Mobile Manufacturers

During October, according to industry analysts IDC, the mobile phone market grew 14.6%. Inevitably, smartphones are playing an ever-increasing role in the rise of the mobile market, infact, their estimated market share is expected to grow by over 50% by the end of the year.



There are now two smartphone-only companies in the top 5 phone manufacturers list, as Apple joins RIM with the highest growth rates in the last year. Despite a little trouble following its launch, the iPhone 4 phones have been flying off the shelves, allowing Apple to outsell both BlackBerry and Sony Ericsson phones. Samsung, which is holding the second place, has shipped more phones than ever before in its history. This is in no small part due to the Galaxy S phones and also the Samsung Wave.


LG is holding the third place despite falling shipment numbers and declining profits. They are undergoing a CEO change this quarter. However, in a change of fortune, Sony Ericsson, which has been in the Top 5 for quite a while, dropped off the list. Still on top is the highly experienced Nokia, with their smartphone shipments rising by over 60%.

Google set to take on the digital book giants in 2010!

According to Analysts at the Yankee Group have predicted that the US ebook reader market is "about to catch fire sparking from $1.3bn (£0.86bn) in revenue in 2010 to $2.5bn (£1.65bn) by 2013".

Currently Amazon’s Kindle is leading the market, but is only able to link to it’s own store it’s the same story with their closest rival’s Apple and Apple’s iBookstore.

Google is set to join the party as they have announced that they are going to launch their own online e-book store later on this year. However, Google Editions books will not be tied to a specific device. They will be readable on any web enabled device from a mobile phone to a netbook and from a tablet to a desktop, the implications are clear for e-book stores tied to a single device.

Google said it would make "millions of books searchable via the web", which in the past has got them into legal difficulty as critics have long claimed Google's deal with US publishers and authors would give them a monopoly over online book sales.

Watch this space!