Apple Loses Labor Code Violation and Wireless Patent Lawsuits

A federal jury for the U.S. District Court for Northern California today found Apple to be infringing upon a pair of wireless patents owned by Core Wireless, a patent holding firm with a large portfolio of more than 1,200 patents and applications, originally filed and later acquired from phone maker Nokia.

Core Wireless was awarded $7.3 million in damages as part of the ruling, which Apple is likely to appeal. In its complaint, Core Wireless argued iPhones and iPads infringe upon its patented wireless technologies, related to the GSM/GPRS, UMTS, and LTE standards, according to court documents filed electronically.

Meanwhile, Apple lost another lawsuit this week when a San Diego Superior Court jury reached a verdict in favor of a group of former Apple Store retail employees, who accused the company of failing to provide timely meal and rest breaks, wages due upon ending employment within the required time, and accurate wage statements.

California Labor Code dictates that employees must be provided with at least a 30-minute meal break when the work period is more than five hours, and at least a 10-minute rest break for every four hours worked. The defendants claimed Apple failed to always provide these breaks for at least four years prior to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit, originally filed in 2011 and elevated to class action status in 2014, involves Apple retail and corporate employees who worked for Apple between 2007 and 2012. The trial was to continue this week for corporate employees, as the jury verdict only applies to retail employees, according to a tipster.

Apple is ordered to pay $2 million in the lawsuit. Apple can now appeal the case before a higher court.

Tags: lawsuit, patent, patent trials
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How to use Samsung Pay on the Gear S3 without a Samsung phone

Get the best mobile payment solution available without a Samsung phone.

Samsung’s new Gear S3 smartwatch includes the latest in its mobile payment technology, meaning you can use Samsung Pay on your watch to pay at practically any store — no matter if it has an NFC reader or a simple card swipe reader. In a rather surprising move, Samsung has also opened up this feature to work even if your Gear S3 is connected to a non-Samsung phone, bringing the great Samsung Pay experience to anyone who wants to drop $349 on its latest watch.

The setup process is pretty simple, and once you have it loaded up your watch will be ready to tap and pay at just about any payment terminal you come across. Here’s how you get it done.

Setting up Samsung Pay on your phone

The Gear S3 is compatible with any Android phone running Android 4.4 and above — if the Samsung Gear app installs on your phone, then it’s compatible. To get Samsung Pay up and running you’ll have to go through a bit of extra configuration, though, as this is all handled through the Gear app and not through the standalone Samsung Pay app (which is still exclusive to Samsung phones).

Get your watch and phone paired and all of the proper plugins downloaded, then follow the steps below to move on to Samsung Pay

Open the Samsung Gear app on your phone while connected to your Gear S3
Switch to the “Settings” tab, scroll down and select “Samsung Pay”
Download the Samsung Pay plugin when prompted
After download, sign into your Samsung Account (or create one from the same screen)
In the Samsung Pay screen, tap “Add” to enter your card information
Follow steps for card verification with your bank

You’ll also notice that part of the setup process is enabling a PIN on your watch. The PIN won’t need to be used every time you launch Samsung Pay, but instead just every time that the watch has been removed from your wrist. While annoying, it’s a great security feature.

If you want to come back to see purchase history or add more cards to Samsung Pay, you can simply go back into the Samsung Gear app on your phone and tap on the “Open Samsung Pay” button in the main interface.

One thing to remember here is that this doesn’t do anything to enable the use of Samsung Pay on your phone itself. This only works to bring Samsung Pay to your Gear S3, and let you manage the cards and payment history on your phone. That’s still better than it used to be, of course, and it means you don’t have to fiddle through settings and details all on the watch itself.

Using Samsung Pay on the Gear S3

Once you’ve followed all of the steps for setting up Samsung Pay on your phone, the watch will simply be ready to go. Here’s how you use Samsung Pay once you’re in a store.

Press and hold the “back” button (at the 2 o’clock position) to launch Samsung Pay
Swipe left or right to select the card you wish to pay with
Tap “Pay” at the bottom of the screen
Place the watch on the payment terminal within 30 seconds to pay
Follow instructions on the payment terminal for a PIN or signature, if required

If the cashier for whatever reason asks for the last four digits of the card you’re paying with, you can tap on the image of the card to view a special set of four digits — remember, this is different from the last four digits physically present on the card. This is done for safety payment reasons.

Samsung Pay on the Gear S3 doesn’t require an active connection to your phone at the time of purchase, but it does have to sync back to your phone regularly. The watch holds a limited number of one-time use payment tokens, which have to be replenished by syncing back to Samsung Pay on your phone — if you run into issues, make sure your watch is connected to your phone.

Can a phone finally replace a computer?

Have we reached the point where the things we do because we want to do them all can be done on our phone?

Six years ago, the late Steve Jobs said that a PC was like a truck. He was comparing tablets to traditional computers the way you would compare a car to a truck, claiming the PC was for work and to do the “heavy” things while a tablet was all we needed to do everything else. That always stuck with me, because I knew eventually he would be proven correct — if you replace the tablet with the phone.

Some folks are already there. Some people will never be there. But in general, most of what we do when we’re not doing work can be done on a modern phone. And a lot of what we do both now and in the future will only be able to be done from our phones as software companies in certain fields focus less and less on the PC market. The times they are a-changing and all that.

We went around the table here at Android Central with the simple question — outside of work, can a phone replace your computer? The answers tell us a lot about trucks and the people who still drive them.

Alex Dobie

If I’m not working, sure, I can go days without turning my laptop on. Ten years ago maybe you’d turn on your computer to check your email or browse the web. Now you don’t need to. Basically, unless I need the extra space and physical keyboard to bang out an article — or the extra computational power to edit video — a modern smartphone is more than sufficient. After all, we’re talking about communication here. Phones have grown into the ultimate communications devices, whereas a decade ago, for most people, the split was more even between phone and computer.

Andrew Martonik

Phones are bigger and more powerful than ever before, but I still feel too cramped on even a 5.5-inch phone when it comes to many things. I can go a day or two with just my phone for all of my (non-work) activities, but when I get back home I’m going to open up my laptop. Not only do I get a dramatically bigger display to work with multiple windows, I can also fire up a full calendar app, the Chrome browser with a dozen active tabs and Lightroom to process some photos I recently took.

Having a powerful phone means I don’t have to rely on my laptop as often, but I still carry around a laptop in my bag whenever I can.

Ara Wagoner

I can go days without turning on my Chromebook… vacation days, that is. Granted, I have typed parts of many articles on my phone, and it takes me a while to cramp… but it is in no way, shape, or form what I want to type everything on. If you have a work computer or work that doesn’t really require a lot of typing, then I think you could get by without a personal computer. That said, why on earth would you get rid of a computer completely when you can get a good Chromebook with low cost and lower maintenance? They’re even starting to run Android apps now!

Daniel Bader

Do I need a laptop or desktop to do my job? Yes, I do. But to ask whether a smartphone can really replace a computer is missing the point: it is a computer, and it allows me to do things that I can’t, and by virtue of its size and touchscreen, will never be able to accomplish.

Uber. Look at all the things that go into making Uber work properly. A cellular radio; GPS; a touchscreen; an app store; mobility; mobile payments. These are all inherent to the smartphone, to the very idea of a mobile computer. A smartphone replaced my computer years ago, and now I use my “computer” to work. Period.

Florence Ion

Have I ever told you about the time I switched to Windows? I missed it after a four-year hiatus. Unfortunately, I cheaped out and bought a mid-tier Dell, and less than a year later I’m sitting on my stairs with my face in my hands, defeated.

That doesn’t really answer the question, but it’s meant as an example of what happens when my computer is rendered useless. I retreat into a pit of despair. Despite the trio of phones I typically have in front of me (Right now, it’s a Pixel XL, Galaxy S7 edge, and Galaxy S7 Active), there’s no way I can get any work done in a reasonable amount of time. Sure, I could always hook up a Bluetooth keyboard to my Galaxy Tab S2 (I really need to diversify my devices), but I’ve never experienced the same multitasking fervor with a mobile device like I have with a computer. Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom are so much more manageable on a large desktop with a separate keyboard and mouse, not to mention the simple task of switching between files, folders, and apps. And while I’m editing vacation photos or planning out my next crafting projects, I can have a window devoted solely through my annual watch-through of Beverly Hills, 90210.

Can I get by with a smartphone? Sure. But I wouldn’t be as creative or as able to multitask, and that’s ultimately more important to me than cutting down on devices.

Harish Jonnalagadda

Phones are plenty capable these days, but they just don’t have the raw processing power of an overclocked computer. And you’re going to need that if you want to play The Witcher 3, Doom, or Fallout 4 in Quad HD with all the settings cranked up to the maximum. That’s what I do when I’m not writing words here, and although mobile games have improved drastically, they don’t come close to AAA titles on the PC. And I don’t see that changing for a very long time.

Jerry Hildenbrand

I drive a truck.

The things I do when sitting in front of my computer that I don’t call work are goofing off programming electronics and goofing off playing games on Steam. Both can be done fairly well on a Chromebook (using a Linux tab or an app like CrossOver for Android) but a Chromebook is still a computer and therefore is a truck. A small truck from Nissan or possibly even a Volkswagen Rabbit truck from the 1980s, but still a truck.

Most of the time when I’m not working and in front of a screen I’m on my desktop PC with everything cranked way up just because it can be. A phone just isn’t there yet.

Marc Lagace

I have two computers — my work computer and my personal computer. I rely on my work computer heavily throughout the day for writing words and editing pretty pictures to accompany my words, and I used to rely on my personal computer to unwind after work watching Netflix or YouTube, and browsing Reddit and social media. But that’s simply not the case anymore.

I almost exclusively rely on my phone for nearly everything I do outside of work now, because a) I know I’ll always have it on me, and b) I find it to be just as capable of handling pretty much anything I typically throw at it. But I’m also pretty easy, in that on an average evening I’m bouncing between binging my favorite shows, wasting time on Reddit, listening to music or podcasts, and playing games until I pass out and it’s time to go back to work. Not only can I do all that on my phone (with a major assist from my Chromecast-enabled devices), but I can do any of those things while also making myself food, doing chores, or while hanging out with friends (despite how this probably reads, I DO have friends). If anything, I’m too dependent on my phone, and need to, like, pick up a book or something instead every other evening…

Kamigami: If Sphero Was A Bug

Kamigami! While the name conjures images of giant mechazoids ravaging the Tokyo skyline, these cute little robots are way more fun then they are terrifying. Build them yourself, control them with your phone, and program your own games!

MrMobile gets all robo-entomologist on these fun little critters, just in time to stuff some stockings. Do you like bugs? Do you like robots? Do you like Michael Fisher? I’m going to assume you answered yes to all three, so you really should watch this video!

Stay social, my friends

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Save over 30% on these great Bluetooth headphones right now!

Anker is currently offering a few of its Bluetooth headphones for as little as $19 at Amazon, which is a savings of more than 30%. There are three different pairs of headphones to pick between, all of which are highly rated from previous buyers. They are all sweatproof and offer noise cancellation for the best sound quality possible. Per charge, each headset should give you a minimum of six hours of life before needing to be recharged.

Whether your new phone has no headphone jack or you just want to rid yourself of wires, you won’t want to miss out on this awesome deal. Which set will you be picking up? Let us know!

See at Amazon

BlackBerry officially signs its life away to TCL

BlackBerry wants to make it work in the Android world. It knows the best way to do so is to partner with an already established brand.

TCL, the parent company behind smartphone brands like Alcatel, announced that it’s officially entered into a long-term licensing agreement with BlackBerry. BlackBerry will license its security software and apps like the BlackBerry Hub, while TCL will continue to handle the design, manufacturing, and retail component of BlackBerry’s smartphone business.

Here’s the statement from Ralph Pini, Chief Operating Officers and General Manager of Mobility Solutions at BlackBerry:

“This agreement with TCL Communication represents a key step in our strategy to focus on putting the ‘smart in the phone’ by providing state-of-the-art security and device software on a >platform that mobile users prefer and are comfortable with…TCL Communication is the natural choice to license BlackBerry’s software and brand on a global scale. We successfully >partnered with them on the DTEK series of secure smartphones and we’ve been impressed with their excellence in hardware design, development, and manufacturing. With our unparalleled >expertise in mobile security and software and TCL Communication’s vast global reach and consumer access, we are confident that BlackBerry-branded products developed and distributed by >TCL Communication will address the needs of BlackBerry users and expand the availability of BlackBerry Secure products throughout the world.”

The agreement is a smart move for the Canadian company, as it’s still attempting to pave its way in the new smartphone climate. TCL and BlackBerry can work together on a mutually beneficial strategy. Perhaps the first part of that strategy should be reconsidering the marketing prowess of a name like “DTEK” for a smartphone.

Go Rogue with these Star Wars themes

I find your lack of Star Wars theme disturbing.

Rogue One is coming. You’re all ready for your midnight showing: got your tickets, got your perfect Star Wars shirt picked out, or maybe a whole ensemble if you’re aiming to win that costume contest… but is your phone as decked out as your lovely self? No? Let’s fix that.

• Darth Vader theme
• K-2S0 theme
• Death Star theme

Darth Vader

You don’t know the power of the dark theme. This theme is as dark, delicious, and daring as it is elegant. Darth Vader is one of the best villains ever, and so long as we don’t have to suffer through any more Anakin brooding, we’re happy to see as much of him on screen as Disney is willing to give us. We could all use a little more Vader in our lives, and our home screens are no exceptions. Here’s what we need:

• Darth Vader wallpaper by Gaurav Seth
• Whicons
• Death Star app drawer icon
• 1Weather
• KWGT
• Vader Music Preset for KWGT
• A file explorer for moving KWGT files into the proper folders.
• A launcher that allows for third-party icon packs, replacing individual icons, resizing widgets, and at least a XxX home screen grid. These instructions are drafted for Nova Launcher but can be easily adapted for other launchers like Action Launcher.

Once you’ve got everything that you need downloaded, it’s time to dive in!

Long-press on your home screen until the Wallpapers option appears at the bottom of the screen.
Tap Wallpapers.

Tap Pick image.

Navigate to your downloaded Vader wallpaper and select it.
Make sure the image is centered before tapping Set wallpaper.

Open Nova Settings.

Tap Look & feel.
Tap Icon theme.

Tap Whicons.

Return to the home screen and long-press the app drawer icon.
Tap Edit.

Tap the icon to edit it.

Select Gallery apps.
Select Documents/Files.

Navigate to your saved Death Star icon and select it.

Ensure the entire icon is within the confines of the white bounding box before tapping Done.
Tap Done to confirm your icon change.

Return to your home screen.

Long-press on your home screen until the Widgets options appears at the bottom of the screen.
Tap Widgets.

Find 1Weather in the list and tap and hold to set the widget position on your home screen.

Drag the 1Weather Compact widget to the top of your home screen.
In the configuration window that appears, set Background Color to Dark.

Set Background opacity to 0%.

Set Accent to White.
Tap Done.

Return to the home screen.

Long-press on your home screen until the Widgets options appears at the bottom of the screen.
Tap Widgets.

Find KWGT in the list and press and drag the KWGT 4×2 widget to the bottom of your home screen.

Tap the widget to configure it.
In Exported, select Vader Music Preset.

If the scaling of your widget is off, tap Layer.

Adjust the widget as needed.
Save your widget by tapping the floppy disc on the top bar.

K-2S0

K-2S0 is the droid we’ve been looking for: a Droid that makes us laugh, even as he decides which of a thousand ways he’s going to kill us. He’s gritty, he’s goofy, and he’s prone to gore.

• K-2S0 wallpaper
• Tha Metal by Tha Phlash ($1.49)
• 1Weather
• KWGT
• K-2S0 Music Preset for KWGT
• A file explorer for moving KWGT files into the proper folders.
• A launcher that allows for third-party icon packs, replacing individual icons, resizing widgets, and at least a XxX home screen grid. These instructions are drafted for Nova Launcher but can be easily adapted for other launchers like Action Launcher.

Long-press on your home screen until the Wallpapers option appears at the bottom of the screen.
Tap Wallpapers.

Tap Pick image.

Navigate to your downloaded K-2S0 wallpaper and select it.
Make sure the image is centered before tapping Set wallpaper.

Open Nova Settings.

Tap Look & feel.
Tap Icon theme.

Tap Metal.

Return to the home screen and long-press the app drawer icon.
Tap Edit.

Tap the icon to edit it.

Select Metal.
Scroll down to S and select Star Wars.

Tap Done.

Long-press on your home screen until the Widgets options appears at the bottom of the screen.
Tap Widgets.

Find 1Weather in the list and press and drag the 1Weather Compact widget to the top of your home screen.

In the configuration window that appears, set Background Color to Dark.
Set Background opacity to 0%.

Set Accent to Blood Red.

Tap Done.
Return to the home screen and long-press until the Widgets options appears at the bottom of the screen.

Tap Widgets.

Find KWGT in the list and press and drag the KWGT 4×2 widget to the third row of your home screen.
Long-press and resize the widget fit above the split Rebel/Empire logo.

Tap the widget to configure it.

In Exported, select K-2S0 Music Preset.
If the scaling of your widget is off, tap Layer and adjust as needed.
Save your widget by tapping the floppy disc on the top bar.

Death Star 2: Electric Wookie-loo

That’s no moon… it’s an electronic discotheque Death Star home screen theme that’s bound to blow the place so we can go home. There are boring black and white Death Star themes, but we’re too cool for monochrome. That’s what we have Vader around for. Now, here are the plans for the Death Star. We must get them back to the alliance!

• Star Glow by elreviae
• Supreme by Drumdrestroyer Theme ($1.49)
• 1Weather
• KWGT
• Disco Death Star Music Preset for KWGT
• A file explorer for moving KWGT files into the proper folders.
• A launcher that allows for third-party icon packs, replacing individual icons, resizing widgets, and at least a XxX home screen grid. These instructions are drafted for Nova Launcher but can be easily adapted for other launchers like Action Launcher.

Long-press on your home screen until the Wallpapers option appears at the bottom of the screen.
Tap Wallpapers.

Tap Pick image.

Navigate to your downloaded wallpaper and select it.
Make sure the image is centered before tapping Set wallpaper.

Open Nova Settings.

Tap Look & feel.
Tap Icon theme.

Tap Supreme.

Return to the home screen and long-press the app drawer icon.
Tap Edit.

Tap the icon to edit it.

Select Supreme.
Scroll down in the Bonus section and select the red icon featuring two squares with an X in the middle.

Tap Done.

Long-press on your home screen until the Widgets options appears at the bottom of the screen.
Tap Widgets.

Find 1Weather in the list and press and drag the 1Weather Compact widget to the top of your home screen.

In the configuration window that appears, set Background Color to Dark.
Set Background opacity to 0%.

Set Accent to Royal Blue.

Tap Done.
Return to the home screen and long-press on your home screen until the Widgets options appears at the bottom of the screen.

Tap Widgets.

Find KWGT in the list and press and drag the KWGT 4×2 widget to the bottom of your home screen.
Tap the widget to configure it.

In Exported, select Disco Death Star Music Preset.

If the scaling of your widget is off, tap Layer,
29 and adjust as needed.
Save your widget by tapping the floppy disc on the top bar.

Are these not the themes you’re looking for?

We also have a trio of Star Wars themes from The Force Awakens, including the most adorable BB-8 theme you will ever see! We also delve into a refined Rebel Alliance theme, a sinister and sharp Sith theme.

May the Force – and the themes – be with you!