Amazon will stand trial for its ‘confusing’ search results
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Have you ever searched for a product on Amazon, only to find a similar item from another company? Sure you have. But while this search behavior is arguably great for customers, it’s the reasoning behind a trademark lawsuit against the online retailer. “Military” watchmaker MTM has been pursuing Amazon since 2011 and, despite losing in a California federal court, it’s just won a 2-1 vote in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to have the case go to trial.
As Reuters reports, The argument MTM is making isn’t that Amazon is simply offering alternatives to its wares — it’s that there’s no indication that the site doesn’t sell MTM products at all. Try it yourself: go to amazon.com, type in a search for “MTM watch,” and see what comes up. We’re getting 51 hits for the term, none of which are actually timepieces made by the company. Because of this, the Court of Appeals says “a jury could find that Amazon has created a likelihood of confusion.”
The counter to this argument is that, while Amazon doesn’t specifically say it doesn’t sell MTM’s gear, it’s definitely not saying that any of the products on the list are made by the company. Indeed, the first page of results for the “MTM watch” search are clearly watches made by other companies such as Casio, Suunto, and Luminox. That’s why the Court of Appeals decision was split: the dissenting voice argued that “no reasonably prudent consumer accustomed to shopping online would likely be confused as to the source of the products.”
A search of Amazon UK for “lush,” lightly edited for clarity.
This case isn’t the first of its type — or even the first for the retailer. In the UK, cosmetics company Lush pursued Amazon for exactly the same thing: using searches for “Lush” to sell cosmetics not made by the company. Although it fought tooth and nail, Amazon eventually relented after losing the case. Any search for “Lush” on Amazon UK now brings up a nice clear notice saying “We don’t sell Lush cosmetics,” followed by the regular search results. Although trademark laws obviously differ between the UK and US, MTM at least has a ready-made example it can show a jury of what search results could look like.
[Image Credit: Shutterstock]
Filed under: Amazon
Source: Reuters
Meet the Micro:bit, the BBC’s tiny programmable computer for kids
The Raspberry Pi has been a huge success story for Britain, giving millions of people an affordable way to tinker and learn with pocket-sized hardware. Now, the BBC is hoping to make a similar impact with the “Micro:bit.” Like the Raspberry Pi, this tiny computer has been created to help youngsters learn the fundamentals of programming and computer construction. Today in London, the broadcaster unveiled the Micro:bit’s final design — a rectangular, credit card-style board measuring 4cm by 5cm — and some of the all-important hardware features. These include 25 red LEDs, which can show messages and facilitate games, two programmable buttons, an on-board accelerometer and magnetometer. The device also offers Bluetooth LE connectivity, a microUSB slot and five input and output (I/O) rings that can be hooked up with crocodile clips and 4mm banana plugs. It’s been a while since the original BBC Micro was considered cutting edge, but even so — this new device is 67 times lighter and 18 times faster than its spiritual predecessor.
The BBC has a slew of partners for the Micro:bit, including ARM, Microsoft, Samsung and Barclays. The broadcaster will be giving away up to 1 million devices to every year 7 student in the UK later this year, with the idea being that they’ll form the core of their learning and projects. Being so small, students will be able to carry them between classes, compare modifications in the playground and collaborate on assignments. The BBC will also be launching a website later this summer where students can learn how to program the Micro:bit and simulate creations before transferring them to their device.
If, like us, you’re not in school anymore, there should still be a way to jump on the Micro:bit craze. The BBC says it’ll open-source the specs and launch a not-for-profit company later this year tasked with overseeing the initiative. Eventually, that’ll involve creating new Micro:bit computers and making them commercially available in the UK.
Filed under: Misc
Source: BBC
Huawei Ascend Mate 8 gets a render and some leaked specs
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Huawei typically doesn’t have many devices that we hopelessly pine over (not that they aren’t great), but after learning that a possible Huawei Nexus smartphone might be in the pipeline and that it would be based on the Huawei Ascend Mate 8, we’re paying a lot more attention to any rumours regarding this upcoming device. Today, a render of the device has leaked out, showing much of the same compared to last years Ascend Mate 7 – the device is generally metallic, still with a fingerprint scanner adorning the back of the device, though it appears the Ascend Mate 8 may be getting a metal strip around its outer edges.
Along with the render, we’re also treated to specs for the Ascend Mate 8, which include a Huawei-made Kirin 950 processor, 6-inch Quad HD display, and 20MP camera. There are reportedly also two variants which will either have 3GB RAM and 32GB storage or 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. It will be interesting to see how much of the Ascend Mate 8 is re-used in the Huawei Nexus device, although we’ve heard absolutely nothing about the device besides the fact that it probably exists.
What do you think about the Huawei Ascend Mate 8? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: GizmoChina via Phone Arena
The post Huawei Ascend Mate 8 gets a render and some leaked specs appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
LG Display launches slimmer in-cell touch LCD panels
LG Display has begun mass production of some larger Advanced In-Cell (AIT) touchscreen panels. Although aimed at the notebook market for now, the technology could eventually made its way to tablets, enabling thinner and lighter devices.
As already mentioned, the key part of LG’s latest displays in its AIT technology, which reduced the thickness of the display panel by integrating the TFT LCD and touchscreen layers into a single unit, rather than stacking the two on top of one another.
In-cell isn’t a new idea in the mobile market, by LG states that its latest version of the technology allows panel thickness to be reduced by around 1mm. That may not sound like a lot but that reduces the display size by 25 percent and up to 200 grams in larger panels.
A thinner distance from the backlight to the display surface also increases the brightness and color reproduction of the display. You may recognize the AIT name from a previous display launch, as LG is already using this technology in its LG G4 flagship smartphone.
LG is not the only company working on improving its in-cell display technology. Last month Sharp announced that it has begun mass production of its own in-cell displays for smartphones.
LG’s latest panels are designed for 14 and 15.6 inch notebooks, to capitalize on the launch of Windows 10. But as LG Display already has a similar 5.5-inch panel in production, we will hopefully see some intermediate screens for tablets appear in the future as well.
LG Display Launches Lighter and Slimmer LCD Panels with Advanced In-Cell Touch Technology for Notebook PCs
Seoul, Korea (July, 6 2015) – LG Display, the world’s leading innovator of display technologies, announced today that it will start mass production of Advanced In-Cell Touch (AIT) panels for notebook PCs, which will make the devices drastically slimmer and lighter, in the second half of this year.
The new Full HD LCD panel incorporating the ‘In-Cell’ touch function is an exclusive development by LG Display. The AIT is an advanced in-cell touch technology that employs a touch sensor embedded within the LCD panel, replacing the ‘add-on’ type that places the touch panel on top of the LCD.
The panels with the AIT technology have earlier been introduced for smartphones such as LG G4. It is the first time the technology is being applied to larger size devices such as notebook PCs.
The technology eliminates the space needed for a touch function cover glass, and as a result reduces the panel’s thickness by 1 millimeter (approximately 25 percent) and its weight by 200 grams (approximately 35 percent) compared to a conventional 15.6-inch touch-embedded panel with Full HD resolution. It also offers a brighter and clearer screen picture since there is no light loss or light reflection caused by the cover glass. In addition it features an excellent touch response and precise calibration of the touch point even with water drops on the screen.
In response to enthusiastic customer feedback about the ultra-slim and light LCD panel for notebook PCs, LG Display has already agreed to supply 15.6-inch and 14-inch panels to several global notebook PC brands, and the company is engaged in active discussions with customers to supply different panel sizes.
Expectations for LG Display’s new notebook PC panel are anticipated to soar since the industry is gearing up for the expansion of touch embedded products, especially with the launch in the second half of the year of the Window 10 operating system, which is optimized for touch functions.
LG Display is also working on an AIT-based panel for pen touch functions. The pen touch function is particularly essential for consumers using two-in-one PCs that combine tablet and laptop functions, which involves writing with a pen while consumers hold the product.
Mr. Byeong-Koo Kim, Vice President and Head of the IT/Mobile Development Group at LG Display, said, “The AIT technology is the most optimized and best solution to lead the touch embedded notebook PC market as it delivers excellent touch response as well as offering an ultra-slim and light design.” He added, “LG Display will continue to develop products that offer the best user experience, such as QHD high resolution panels and the pen touch function products.”
According to market search firm IDC, 10 percent of global notebook PCs in 2014 were touch function embedded, and the market is expected to rapidly increase up to 20 percent in 2016 and 30 percent in
2019.
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About LG Display
LG Display Co., Ltd. [NYSE: LPL, KRX: 034220] is the world’s leading innovator of display technologies including thin-film transistor liquid crystal displays (TFT-LCD), OLEDs and flexible displays. The company manufactures and provides display panels in a broad range of sizes and specifications primarily for use in TVs, notebook computers, desktop monitors, and various other applications including tablets, mobile devices. LG Display currently operates fabrication facilities in Korea and China, and back-end assembly facilities in Korea, China, and Poland. The company has a total of approximately 50,000 employees operating worldwide. For more news and information about LG Display, please visit http://www.lgdisplay.com
Apple will bring back Home Sharing for music on iOS 9
It sucks that Home Sharing for music isn’t available on iOS 8.4, but don’t worry — Apple isn’t permanently getting rid of the feature to boost its Music subscriptions. Eddy Cue, the company’s SVP of Internet Software and Services, has divulged on Twitter that he and his team are working on bringing it back on iOS 9. He made the revelation on the social network as a response to this amusing tweet: “Hey @cue, I hope I don’t have to be @taylorswift13 to get you to restore Home Sharing for music!”
As you probably know, Home Sharing allows you to stream iTunes contents (music, videos, movies) from computers to any iPhone, iPad or iPod connected to a single WiFi network. You can still stream videos on iOS 8.4 and any file on Apple TV; plus, you can still enjoy Cupertino’s new Music service for free. But if you have a large music collection and regularly tap into it for impromptu dance numbers around your house, you’ll have to wait for iOS 9 to drop this fall.
@inklake We are working to have Home Sharing in iOS 9.
– Eddy Cue (@cue) July 6, 2015
Via: Apple Insider
Source: Eddy Cue (Twitter)
Google is testing self-driving cars in Austin, Texas
Plenty of folks in Austin, Texas have spotted Google’s distinctive self-driving Lexus cars recently, and now we know why. The company revealed that it’s now rolling the vehicles in downtown Austin in order to “(test) our software in different driving environments, traffic patterns and road conditions.” While Google could also test its self-driving cars in Nevada and elsewhere, Austin is the first city outside of Mountain View where it’s actually done so. The reason? “We’ve loved how much Austin embraces innovation,” a Google spokesman told the Austin American-Statesmen. She added that with Google Fiber and several company offices in the city, it was a natural fit for self-driving cars.
As before, Google’s self-driving vehicle will have two safety drivers aboard, ready to take the controls. The company sought permission with Texas Governor Greg Abbott, the Texas Department of Transportation, police and other authorities before starting tests. However, it didn’t alert the public or press about the cars before they began rolling last month, apparently, causing many to wonder if the testing was even legal. Some experts question the safety of Google’s cars, pointing out that they’ve been involved in at least 11 accidents since testing started. However, Google recently released the details of those incidents and said all were minor and not the fault of its autonomous cars.
Filed under: Transportation, Google
Source: Google
Samsung estimates yet another profit drop for Q2 of 2015
Samsung may still be selling most Android handsets in the world, but their numbers have been dropping earnings report after earnings report for a worrisome time. It was only recently that people were starting to become tired of Samsung’s sub-par design and build quality. Nothing was improving profits and Sammy was falling into its impending doom. In an effort to turn things around, they took their team back to the drawing board and created what would be the solution to their problems – the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge.
Compared to previous Galaxy S smartphones, these new flagship handsets were masterpieces of design and engineering (read our Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge reviews). These handsets are powerful, snappy, full of helpful features and, finally, they offered a design worthy of pride. It was a new era for the Korean manufacturer and Q2 of 2015 was the quarter when they would shine… only they didn’t.
Despite the release of the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge super phones, Samsung is estimating yet another lackluster quarter. Their earnings guidance report for Q2 of 2015 shows the company should conclude the time period with approximately 48.0 trillion Korean won in consolidated sales and an operating profit of about 6.9 trillion Korean won. This would translate to a 4% decline over Q2 of 2014.
Shall these estimations be correct, it would mean Samsung’s 7th consecutive quarterly profit drop in a row. Definitely not a good sign, especially considering this is the very first quarter report in which the new Galaxy devices are taken into account. Is Samsung’s bad reputation preceding them? Likely, but that is probably not the only factor that comes into play.
Samsung has been facing supply issues for the Galaxy S6 Edge, a phone with immense demand from consumers. We all love those beautiful Edge displays and the new elegant design – it’s likely catching a lot of people’s eyes. If Samsung can’t meet demand, we definitely have an issue at hand, and it’s reflecting in their numbers.
We are definitely fans of what Samsung did with its latest high-end smartphones, but we know they could do much better (especially in the battery department). There’s a saying that goes “build up a reputation and then you can go to sleep”. Sadly, this works the same way for negative reputation. Samsung spent many years creating a fame for bad design, and long-time opinions are hard to kill. Maybe things will turn up if they continue to improve their manufacturing strategy.
What do you guys think about this situation, though? Would you say Samsung is on its way out and a new Android manufacturer is soon to take the crown? Which phone maker do you think would be the next ruler?
Pretty much official: Samsung profits are down four percent in Q2 2015 from a year ago
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It was a result that was suspected, but now it’s pretty much official: It was announced today that Samsung profits are down four percent in the second quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago, falling to 6.9 trillion won ($6.13 billion USD). While it’s not quite all bad news – this quarter has been Samsung’s best over the last four quarters – tellingly, this quarter of loss is Samsung’s seventh period of registering annual decline.
There are a lot of subtle factors that have contributed to this result – despite the dam-busting popularity and critical acclaim of the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, they were greeted with a much more competitive smartphone market this year and a decline in demand from China and Europe. The supply issues that initially plagued the Galaxy S6 Edge have also been pointed to as a pain point. It’s also been pointed out that Samsung’s strategy of moving away from low and mid-range devices may have affected overall sales. Samsung’s middling performance is probably the biggest indicator yet that the global smartphone marketplace is changing in ways that see less demand for high-powered, high-performance handsets.
What do you think about Samsung’s quarterly financial results? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Samsung via Reuters, engadget
The post Pretty much official: Samsung profits are down four percent in Q2 2015 from a year ago appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Minecraft Story Mode now officially official for Android
As we previously reported, Telltale games and Mojang have collaborated to create a game based on the ever-popular Minecraft called Minecraft Story Mode. As with Telltale’s other games, Minecraft Story Mode will be a narrative-driven video game, and of course it will be about Minecraft.
Story Mode will focus on Jesse. He and his group of friends revere the legendary Order of the Stone; four adventurers that slayed an Ender Dragon. The Order are the very best at what they do: Warrior, Redstone Engineer, Griefer, and Architect. While at EnderCon, Jesse and his friends discover that something is wrong… something dreadful. Terror is unleashed, and they must set out on a journey to find The Order of the Stone if they are to save their world from oblivion.
It will be released in a 5 part episodic series that will take you to the Nether, the Farlands, the End, and beyond! You will drive how the story flows through the decisions you make: what you say to people (and how you say it), and what you choose to do in moments of thrilling action.
The Minecraft Story Mode voice cast includes some very high caliber voice talent as well.
- Patton Oswalt (Ratatouille, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D)
- Brian Posehn, (The Sarah Silverman Program, Mission Hill)
- Ashley Johnson (The Last of Us, Tales from the Borderlands)
- Scott Porter (Friday Night Lights, X-Men)
- Martha Plimpton (The Goonies, Raising Hope)
- Dave Fennoy (The Walking Dead: A Telltale Games Series, Batman: Arkham Knight)
- Corey Feldman (The Goonies, Stand by Me), Billy West (Futurama, Adventure Time)
- Paul Reubens (Tron: Uprising, Pee-Wee’s Playhouse)
The first episode will be released some time in 2015, and will be available on Xbox consoles, PlayStation consoles, PC, Mac, iOS, and most importantly, Android-based devices.
The post Minecraft Story Mode now officially official for Android appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Ex-attorney general says DOJ could negotiate with Snowden
Edward Snowden might be able to see his family in person again — and (if things go his way) not from behind bars, either. According to former Attorney General Eric Holder, there’s a “possibility” for the Department of Justice to negotiate an agreement with the whistleblower, which will allow him to come back home. One of Edward Snowden’s lawyers admitted back in March that they were doing everything they could to bring him back to the US, so the two parties might have been talking for a while now. Holder didn’t delve into specifics when asked if that meant the government is working on a plea deal, but he said: “I certainly think there could be a basis for a resolution that everybody could ultimately be satisfied with. I think the possibility exists.”
The former law enforcement officer was the one who filed a criminal case against Snowden back in 2013, charging him of three felony violations of the Espionage Act. Now, he believes the government “is in a different place” due to everything the ex-NSA contractor leaked, crediting him for the change in policy when it comes to the bulk collection of phone metadata.
A possible deal privately floated within the government was proposed by a top intelligence official named Robert Litt, according to Yahoo News. Litt proposes letting Snowden come back if he pleads guilty to one felony count and spends three to five years in prison. However, Ben Wizner (one of Snowden’s many lawyers) told the publication that any deal involving prison time is out of the question: “[H]e should not be reporting to prison as a felon and losing his civil rights as a result of his act of conscience.”
A spokesperson for Holder’s replacement, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, wouldn’t say if negotiations are ongoing and maintained that the government’s “position regarding bringing Edward Snowden back to the United States to face charges has not changed.” That Holder’s hinting that a deal is possible is definitely an improvement, though, seeing as the accused was forced to flee to Moscow just a couple of years ago to protect his life.
[Image credit: AFP/Getty Images]
Filed under: Misc
Source: Yahoo News
AIVAnet 