BlackBerry Sues Ryan Seacrest’s Startup Over ‘Typo’ iPhone Keyboard [iOS Blog]
BlackBerry today announced that it has filed a lawsuit against Typo Products, a company that developed a BlackBerry-esque keyboard case for the iPhone designed to allow users to type with physical keys.
The Typo Keyboard on an iPhone next to the BlackBerry Q10
First announced in December of 2013, the Typo iPhone Keyboard Case was created by Laurence Hallier and media personality Ryan Seacrest (of American Idol fame), who reportedly invested $1 million into the product.
As detailed on the Typo’s product page, many of Seacrest and Hallier’s friends and colleagues carried two phones – one for typing and correspondence and an iPhone for other uses – a problem that the two aimed to solve with the snap-on Typo Keyboard.
According to BlackBerry, Typo has both infringed on patents and “blatantly copied” the BlackBerry keyboard, leading to a lawsuit filed in the Northern District of California.
“This is a blatant infringement against BlackBerry’s iconic keyboard, and we will vigorously protect our intellectual property against any company that attempts to copy our unique design. From the beginning, BlackBerry has always focused on offering an exceptional typing experience that combines a great design with ergonomic excellence. We are flattered by the desire to graft our keyboard onto other smartphones, but we will not tolerate such activity without fair compensation for using our intellectual property and our technological innovations,” said Steve Zipperstein, BlackBerry’s General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer.
Currently, the Typo iPhone Keyboard Case remains available for pre-order for $99 and is scheduled to make its public debut at CES 2014 next week.
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Samsung hinting at Galaxy Gear 2?
Samsung’s UK arm looks to be hinting at the successor the Galaxy Gear smartwatch. A recent Twitter post shows the original Galaxy Gear listed above 2013 with only “What’s Next?” sitting above 2014. Presumably, this means the Galaxy Gear 2, however it could be a completely different product altogether. It’s worth pointing out that there’s no mention of “when” in 2014 we should see what’s next.
Samsung is reportedly set to soon introduce the follow up Galaxy Gear watch in this new year. Also on the horizon, a Samsung Galaxy Band device which tracks fitness and health-related stats. Either way, we’re on red alert for the details and will be happy to share what we learn.
What do you want Samsung to unveil in 2014? pic.twitter.com/E668toPsCQ
— Samsung Mobile UK (@SamsungMobileUK) January 3, 2014
CES takes place next week and Mobile World Congress follows next month. Both are prime venues to introduce new products or successors to existing devices.
The post Samsung hinting at Galaxy Gear 2? appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Polaroid Q Series tablet deliver KitKat for as low as $129
Polaroid has just added the Q7 (7″ tablet), Q8 (8″ tablet), and Q10 (10″ tablet) to its growing tablet family. They will be featured at CES 2014, and will most likely draw quite a bit of press.
The tablets have quad-core processors, and will sport Android 4.4 Kit Kat (this is really nice to see!) The battery sizes haven’t been released yet, or really many other specs. They will have HDMI, Bluetooth, and a front and rear-facing cameras. The devices will be released in Spring 2014, and will be sold somewhere between $129 and $179.
Be sure to check back for more CES 2014 coverage!
The post Polaroid Q Series tablet deliver KitKat for as low as $129 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Report says Samsung will debut Nexus 10 successor at CES
Take this for what you want, but Digitimes is saying Samsung will introduce a new Nexus 10 at CES next week. The source, which is as wrong as often as it is right, reports that the refreshed device will feature an AMOLED display. As to whether it will actually be branded with a “Nexus” title remains to be seen.
It’s obviously worth pointing out that Asus has been tossed about a few times as the hardware maker behind the next-generation of Nexus 10 tablet. Thankfully, we’ve only got a few days to go to find out whether Digitimes is correct with this one.
The post Report says Samsung will debut Nexus 10 successor at CES appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Corning is now ready to make 3D Gorilla Glass for wearable devices
Corning’s Gorilla Glass is useful for protecting the (mostly) flat screens of smartphones, but it’s not a great fit for the curvy world of wearables. The company is prepared to change with the times, though, as it just announced that it can manufacture 3D-shaped Gorilla Glass. Its newly available technique conforms to unusual designs without adding bulk or losing strength. If all goes well, products using the 3D glass will be on store shelves sometime this year. Corning hasn’t named customers, but we imagine that at least a few companies are interested in using the material for durable yet unconventional displays.
Filed under: Cellphones, Displays, Wearables
Source: Corning
Vine truly comes to the web, with full screen TV mode
Vine certainly is taking its time fleshing out its feature set. Most surprisingly, you couldn’t actually browse the short video sharing service from the comfort of your desktop browser until now. Sure, you could follow a link that would lead you to a specific Vine, but couldn’t skim a feed of clips from people you follow or look through a user’s history. Thankfully that all changes today as the service finally embraces the web, and begins moving away from its entirely app-based existence. Now when you log in you’ll be presented with a scrolling list of six-second updates and you can click through to checkout those all important profiles. And, just so the company can’t be accused of being lazy, it’s bringing something a little special to the desktop — TV Mode. Click the TV icon in the upper right hand corner and you’ll be treated to a full screen presentation of Vines played in sequence. It’s a pretty easy way to catch up on all your friends’ travels, meals and petscapades (you know, pet escapades) without having to touch the scroll bar.
Filed under: Internet
Source: Vine
HTC M8 camera might feature not one, but two lenses
As we prepare to learn more about the successor to the HTC One, new details are slowly starting to appear. The latest bit of information surrounding the HTC M8 is that it will carry not one, but two different lenses. The setup is rumored to allow for better photos in both low light, and regular lightning scenarios, according to Forbes.
Each lens will be dedicated to lightning conditions, hoping to improve photos in the low light conditions that are known to result in very poor smartphone photos. It’s a weakness I, for one, welcome being addressed.
Also noted in the report is the addition of a fingerprint app, similar to what’s already found in the HTC One Max.
It’s widely expected the HTC M8 will launch sometime in Q1 of 2014. But with CES just days away, who knows what can happen. As always, more details about the M8 and its dual-lens system will be published here once they are available.
The post HTC M8 camera might feature not one, but two lenses appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Acer intros portable 21.5-inch All-in-One
Acer, keeping rather busy in the runup to CES 2014, has introduced a second Android-powered all-in-one device. This time, we’re not looking at something designed to stay in one place; the Acer DA223 HQL, rather, is mobile.
Powered by Android Jelly Bean, the specs include a 21.5-inch (1920 x 1080) display capable of 10-point touch. Under the hood you will find a 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor, MHL connectivity, and an internal battery. While you can plug it in and use this as a monitor for a Windows device, it’s designed to head out on the road. Or at least to the coffee table.
According to Acer, the DA223 HQL All-in-one is already shipping worldwide with a retail price of US$699. We might look for more details from Acer at CES which takes place in a few days time.
The post Acer intros portable 21.5-inch All-in-One appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Wikipad breaks off controls into mobile Gamevice gamepad
In its ongoing effort to announce products people may not want long before said products are available to buy, Wikipad today unveiled its Gamevice tablet game controller. The mockup above is an example of what the Gamevice might look like when we get our hands on it sometime later in 2014 — it won’t be at CES next week and it doesn’t have a projected price or release window (other than this calendar year). Rather than focus on the larger tablet form factor, the Gamevice adapts the 7-inch Wikipad’s controls for — the company’s hoping — a variety of Android and Windows 8 devices. It sounds like iOS support is also in the works, but there’s nothing officially confirmed just yet.
Whether there’s a market for Wikipad’s Gamevice is another question altogether. There’s no shortage of mobile gamepads out there, and it’s not clear that Gamevice is any better than the competition. If anything, based on previous experience with the Wikipad’s controls, we’re a bit skeptical.
The company also announced an OTA update for the 7-inch Wikipad that adds Jelly Bean 4.2 and mappable controls. It should be available today.
Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds, Peripherals, Software, Mobile
New Mac Pro Safe to Operate Horizontally [Mac Blog]
According to a new Apple support document, though the new Mac Pro is designed to be used in the upright position, it can also be used on its side. Owners of multiple Mac Pro units should ensure that the exhaust and intake ports are not aligned too closely as this can affect the cooling abilities of the machine.
The Mac Pro (2013) has a fan system capable of cooling the computer in a vertical or horizontal orientation as long as you follow these guidelines.
– Provide enough space at each end of the computer for unrestricted airflow into the base and out the exhaust at the top. Make sure that the air intake and exhaust ports are not covered.
– When using multiple Mac Pro (Late 2013) computers, do not direct the exhaust at the top of one Mac Pro towards the intake of another system. Place the computers side by side with a gap of at least several inches between them.
– When on its side, secure the Mac Pro (Late 2013) to be sure that it doesn’t roll. Place the computer on a protective surface that will not scratch or damage the enclosure. Note: The Apple Limited Warranty does not cover cosmetic damage to the enclosure.
– Orient the computer so that the Input/Output (I/O) panel remains accessible during use.
It is likely that third-party companies will come out with rack-mount options for the new Mac Pro at some point and those mounts could see the machine aligned on its side in order to maximize space.
(Sideways Mac Pro courtesy The Verge)
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