Samsung Demands Another Retrial, Says ‘No Reasonable Jury’ Could Have Sided With Apple

Last month, a jury ruled that Samsung must pay Apple $539 million for violating Apple design patents as part of a legal battle that has spanned years, but the jury’s ruling apparently won’t be the end of the dispute between the two companies.

Samsung last week filed an appeal (via CNET) asking the U.S. District Court in San Jose to either reduce the judgment against it to $28 million or hold a new trial. Samsung filed the motion on the grounds that “no reasonable jury could have found that any of Apple’s asserted design patents was applied to Samsung’s entire accused smartphones.”

The jury’s ruling, says Samsung, is “excessive” and the evidence “supports a verdict of no more than $28.085 million,” which was the amount Samsung advocated for during the trial.

The latest Samsung v. Apple trial was held to redetermine the amount of damages Apple had to pay after Samsung appealed to the Supreme Court and said that the original damages award, set at $399 million after several appeals, was a disproportionate sum for the design violation.

During the trial, the jury was tasked with deciding whether the damages should be based on the total value of the iPhone or if Samsung’s penalty should be based on just the elements of the iPhone that it copied.

Apple argued for $1 billion in damages based on the total design of the iPhone, while Samsung argued that it should pay a far lesser amount, the aforementioned $28 million. The jury split the difference and awarded Apple $539 million, which happened to be a far larger penalty than the original $399 million damages ruling from 2015.

When the jury’s ruling was announced in May, Samsung promised to appeal in a statement: “Today’s decision flies in the face of a unanimous Supreme Court ruling in favor of Samsung on the scope of design patent damages. We will consider all options to obtain an outcome that does not hinder creativity.”

Samsung also filed a separate motion at the same time asking the court to order Apple to reimburse it for a $145 million payment that Samsung submitted for a now-invalidated multi-touch patent.

Apple has 10 days to respond to Samsung’s new filing, with a hearing scheduled for July 26.

Tags: Samsung, lawsuit, patent trials
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Facebook Launches New ‘Memories’ Section for Reflecting on Old Photos, Posts and Life Events

Facebook today announced the launch of a dedicated “Memories” section on its social network, which the company says is designed to be a single place on Facebook to reflect on “the moments you’ve shared with family and friends.”

Memories, which is an expanded version of the current “On This Day” feature, provides a look back at posts and photos, friends you’ve made, and major life events.

Facebook says the Memories page will integrate several sections, including “On This Day,” which will continue to show posts and photos and “Friends Made On This Day,” highlighting when you added a person as a friend.

Recaps of Memories will also be included, featuring monthly recaps of memories that have been bundled into a message or a short video, and finally, the section will house “Memories You May Have Missed,” highlighting new content if you haven’t checked your memories lately.

Facebook says that Memories will be customizable using built-in controls to hide content if desired.

We know that memories are deeply personal — and they’re not all positive. We try to listen to feedback and design these features so that they’re thoughtful and offer people the right controls that are easy to access. We work hard to ensure that we treat the content as part of each individual’s personal experience, and are thankful for the input people have shared with us over the past three years.

The new Memories section, which is rolling out, can be accessed through a Memories link, to the left of the News Feed when on a computer, and in the “More” tab on mobile devices.

Tag: Facebook
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Net neutrality is dead, but it could make a comeback

The Federal Communications Commission’s ruling against net neutrality took effect on Monday, June 16, ending three years of internet protective measures that were enshrined during the last presidency. While many supporters lament its demise, however, state legislators could make it so that most U.S. citizens end up enjoying the benefits of net neutrality again in the future.

Net neutrality is both a principle and legislation that is designed to make the internet a level playing field for everyone — consumers and businesses. It makes it so that companies cannot charge different content providers different rates for different content, and ensures that internet users can access anything online at the full speed of their internet connection, regardless of the sensibilities of their internet service provider.

Originally protected under law by the Obama administration’s Open Internet Order, that was voted to be repealed in late 2017 and now that repeal has come into effect. The key proponent and driving force of the repeal is FCC chairman Ajit Pai, who claimed in an op-ed on CNET that the legislative change would actually be a good thing for consumers and could usher in a new age of faster internet and protections against anti-competitive behavior.

Many organizations and legislators think otherwise, though. There have been calls to block the repeal since it was enacted by advocacy groups and politicians. While those cries may have fallen on the deaf ears of Pai’s FCC though, local legislators have been making some headway. The New York Times points out 29 states have introduced bills to ensure net neutrality is maintained within their borders. A number have already failed, but Oregon’s has been enacted, as have Vermont’s and Washington’s. The majority are still pending, so if you live in any of the states listed on the National Conference of State Legislator’s website, your state may end up retaining net neutrality at the local level.

Even then, a number of companies have pledged to not throttle content without net neutrality preventing them from doing so. As Common Dreams reports, a number of U.S. city mayors have also refused to do business with companies that don’t continue to abide by the principle of net neutrality.

Even with net neutrality effectively dead at the federal level, and no real sign of that changing any time soon, it could be that grassroots campaigns and local government officials can maintain the open and free internet that so many people enjoy today.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Congress has until Monday to save net neutrality and keep the internet open
• U.S. Senate votes to overturn FCC’s repeal of net neutrality protections
• AT&T and Verizon lobbying for increased pricing power over smaller ISPs
• FCC’s net neutrality rules officially end, but 18 ISPs promise to stay honest
• FCC adopts news rules to stop phone companies from ‘slamming’ and ‘cramming’

Color-changing LED stools let you know if you’re sitting with bad posture

Sitting down for hours on end is bad for you. But what is the best way to prompt folks to get up and stretch their legs every so often? Looking for a solution to that very issue has previously led designers, technologists and engineers to create everything from standing desks to the Apple Watch’s periodic reminders that you should get up and move around. A new effort from German research organization Fraunhofer may be our favorite approach yet, however.

They have developed a special LED stool which is designed to encourage healthy sitting, and prompt “active, conscious movements” while a person is sitting down. The health benefits of promoting healthy back movements could not just help reduce back pain (an obvious side effect of sitting with poor posture), but also cardiovascular problems, excess weight, and high blood pressure, which can result from an inactive lifestyle.

The stool is fitted with a variety of sensors and LEDs which offer color-coded feedback regarding the way that you are sitting, as well as providing more detailed information through a connected app. The pressure sensors in the stool identify incorrect posture through measuring a user’s weight distribution on the seat. The seat can even lead you through defined movement exercises.

Oh, and did we mention the games? That’s right: since this is a proof of concept, the researchers went one step further and constructed a gaming table which lets people play seat-related games. Okay, so a game that you control by sitting nicely doesn’t sound amazing, but in this case the results are pretty neat. The researchers reworked classic titles like Pong, in which you control the on-screen paddles by making certain pelvic movements.

“We know from scientific research that the balancing movements have a positive impact on mental performance in terms of concentration and productivity,” Nguyen-Truong Le, one of the researchers on the project, told Digital Trends. “By playing games in such ways at work, social interaction with co-workers can be improved.”

There are no immediate plans for commercialization. Instead, the researchers point to this as a demonstration of its soft pressure sensors. These can be built into a wide range of environments, including not only stools, but also mats, steering wheels, and far more. They could therefore be used for a wide variety of applications. Don’t give up hope if you’re dreaming of getting your hands on these smart stools, though. “There will be an open-source distribution of the instructions, including the CAD files and the software to rebuild this product idea,” Le continued. “Everyone can benefit from this project.”

Editors’ Recommendations

• Get the support you deserve at work in one of the best office chairs
• Awesome Tech You Can’t Buy Yet: Smelly alarm clocks and portable camera gimbals
• The best monitor you can buy
• The best SUVs you can buy
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Google takes Chromebooks beyond the browser with Chrome OS 67

Dan Baker/Digital Trends

After having brought support for running Android apps on Chromebooks, Google just launched Chrome OS 67 with support for even more apps. With the release of Chrome OS 67, Progressive Web Apps, or PWAs, can now be installed as stand-alone apps, Google noted on its blog.

As its name suggests, Progress Web Apps are web apps, but instead of running inside a Chrome browser tab, they’ll have their own window and behave more like a native app. Microsoft announced support for PWAs on Windows 10 earlier this year, and one of Google’s first PWAs to launch this year is the Google Photos app. Like their native desktop app counterparts, PWAs can function offline and are speedy to operate and load.

On Chrome OS, Progressive Web Apps are deployed as a hybrid between a native app and a web app. Borrowing from traditional web apps, they’ll have shareable URLs and come with Google Cast support, ZDNet reported. Multitasking users can also switch between windows with an alt-tab key command. Google will bring support for Progressive Web Apps to Chrome browsers on MacOS and Windows in future releases.

If you’re an owner of a Chromebook with newer form factors, like HP’s detachable Chromebook x2, Chrome OS 67 also supports a new feature that can detect when a tablet is detached from the keyboard and attached to a new base. Support for Touchable Material Design 2.0 will make it easier for Chrome OS tablets, like Acer’s Chromebook Tab 10, to interface with Chrome OS using touchscreens. For those running Android apps on a compatible Chromebook, Google noted that Chrome’s page zoom feature is now extended to Google Play apps.

Other features aimed at making Chromebooks a better experience for users focused on productivity include support for zipping files on Google Drive using the Files app and split-screen multitasking in Tablet mode. Google is also giving users more control of how they put their Chromebooks to sleep by displaying a power menu with shortcuts when the power button is held down. A cleaner Bluetooth list, support for Android Debug Bridge over USB in developer mode, and Select-to-Speak ability for text to be read aloud round out the list of new features.

This update will automatically be rolled out to Chromebooks over the next several days. Along with these new features, Google announced that the latest version of Chrome OS also comes with security fixes and other small improvements. After having been broken since the Chrome OS 64, user Mace noted on Google’s blog that Google casting is now working again on public IP addresses with this build. If you’re looking for a new Chromebook, Google is also running a huge promotion on its Pixelbook right now.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Google’s new ‘tablet mode’ further blurs the line between Chrome OS and Android
• The best Chromebooks
• Chromebooks will start to feel more like Windows, but in a good way
• Acer Chromebook Spin 11 review
• You’ll soon be able to send texts on your Chromebook

Browse the internet privately for life for just $40

Protecting our information and identity online is paramount in our world where online activity is become more and more prevalent as time goes on. Whether that information is a credit card number, banking information, or even your search history, you don’t want anyone being able to track your browsing habits — both for safety and simple privacy. But the normal internet connection you get from your service provider isn’t as secure as some people would like.

A VPN is your solution to keeping your online habits private. Using a “virtual private network,” you get the functionality, security, and management that the VPN service provides in order to keep safe and discreet online. VPNs aren’t just for privacy; you can use local VPNs in order to get resident online pricing for things like flights, hotels, and more.

VPN Unlimited is one such VPN provider that can help you access the web safely and securely. A lifetime subscription generally retails for $499.99, but at Android Central Digital Offers, you can get yours for $39.99. This is the lowest price yet for this great VPN service.

VPN Unlimited gives you secure access to public Wi-Fi networks, unlimited bandwidth, an unlimited high-speed connection, a growing selection of global services in over 50 countries, fast server switching, as well as ad blocking, malware protection, and tracker blocking. If you value your online privacy and flexibility, then subscribe to a VPN. Get a subscription that covers five devices for life for just $40

See at Android Central Digital Offers

Android P Beta 2 now available for Sony Xperia XZ2

Anyone that flashed the first beta will get an OTA update.

A little less than a week ago, Google released Developer Preview 3 / Beta 2 of Android P for its Pixel and Pixel 2 series. Now, Sony’s pushing that same update to the Xperia XZ2.

The Xperia XZ2 is one of the first third-party phones to be included in the Android Beta Program this year, and while it took a few extra days for Sony to launch Beta 2 for it, a host of device-specific bug fixes are included. According to Sony, all of the following issues have been resolved:

• Small difference in max vs min volume during call
• Microphone stops working
• Wireless Charging on XZ2 not fully recognized
• SD-cards formatted with exFAT are not recognized
• Nightlight is not triggered correctly when using sunset to sunrise setting
• GPS not working on some units
• 4G+ can cause the modem to crash
• Tethering/Wifi Hotspot makes the system unstable

Along with all that, the upgrades Google included by default should be present as well — including 157 new emoji, subtle improvements to Android P’s gesture navigation, and a new BiometricPrompt API that aims to provide a new standard for apps to handle fingerprint sensors, iris scanners, and face unlock systems.

Anyone that’s already running Beta 1 of Android P on the Xperia XZ2 will receive an OTA update to download Beta 2, but if you’re still running Oreo, you’ll need to manually flash Android P onto your phone.

Android P: Everything you need to know

Android P

• Android P: Everything you need to know
• Android P Beta hands-on: The best and worst features
• All the big Android announcements from Google I/O 2018
• Will my phone get Android P?
• How to manually update your Pixel to Android P
• Join the Discussion

Grab Samsung’s unlocked Galaxy S8 for $500 or S8+ for $590

Amazon has the unlocked 64GB Samsung Galaxy S8 on sale for just $499.99 and the larger Galaxy S8+ on sale for $589.99. These normally sell for $724.99 and $824.99 respectively, and these are the best prices that we’ve ever seen on them.

The Galaxy S8 received rave reviews when it launched. The smaller Galaxy S8 has a 5.8-inch display, while the larger S8+ has a 6.2-inch display. Internally, the phones are rather similar, with the only main difference being the larger phone has a 3500mAh battery where the smaller one has only a 3000mAh battery. Being an unlocked phone, you can simply take your active SIM card and pop it in and be good to go. There’s a whole lot of glass on this phone, so be sure to protect it with a nice case.

See at Amazon

How to make your own Do Not Disturb rules using Tasker

Control when your phone annoys you.

Your phone’s Do Not Disturb features are handy — when we actually remember to turn them on. Sure, Vibrate and Silent can keep our phone from making noise, but they don’t make exceptions. Do Not Disturb will keep your apps quiet, but if your kids call you in the middle of the night because of an emergency, Do Not Disturb will let that call ring and wake you up.

If you own a phone like a Google Pixel 2, you can schedule multiple rules that can turn Do Not Disturb on during your class periods, or during your Sunday morning mass, but on other phones like the Samsung Galaxy S9, you’re limited to one automatic rule for turning Do Not Disturb on and off.

That’s where Tasker comes in.

Tasker is a paid automation app that allows you to program and automate a wide array of actions and procedures on your phone using Tasks and Profiles. We can use Tasker to automate when Do Not Disturb turns on and off, allowing us to make more specific profiles and turn other things on and off when we’re doing it. The profile we’re making today is one of the most basic Tasker profiles out there, which makes it a great way to ease into the app and what it can do.

Today’s project can be broken down into 2 phases: making the Do Not Disturb On task, and assembling Do Not Disturb profiles that can activate the Do Not Disturb task automatically.

Download Tasker ($2.99)

Making a Do Not Disturb task

Open Tasker.
Tap Tasks in the top tab menu.
Tap New Task (the floating action + button in the bottom right corner).
Title your task. I suggest Do Not Disturb On, so you know what it does.

Tap the checkmark next to the new task’s name.

Tap New Action (the floating action + button in the bottom right corner).
In the Select Action menu, tap Filter.
Type in do. The only action that should be left in the menu is Do Not Disturb.

Tap Do Not Disturb.

Tap Mode.
Tap the Do Not Disturb mode you want. None will not allow anything to disturb you, while Priority will allow Priority calls or texts to get through.
Tap Play in the bottom left corner to execute the task and see if it works. A green dot should appear next to the Do Not Disturb action, signalling the action was executed. If a Do Not Disturb icon appears in the notification bar (it may be to the left or right side of the bar depending on your device), your task works.
If your task works, tap the Back arrow in the top left corner.

If you want, you can also add other actions to our Do Not Disturb task, such as:

• Adjusting your screen timeout so that your screen stays on for less time with the “Display Timeout” action.
• Turning on or off Bluetooth or Wi-Fi with the “Bluetooth” or “WiFI” actions.
• Adjusting your ringtone volume with the “Ringer Volume” action.

Each of these actions, like the Do Not Disturb action, will revert back to their previous setting once the profile is over. If you add actions besides these, you’ll need to test them to see whether they require an exit task at the end of the profile to set them back to their previous state. If they do need an exit task, follow steps 3-13, setting Do Not Disturb to All and setting your other actions back to the desired state.

Making a Do Not Disturb profile

Now that we have our tasks, it’s time to make a profile that will trigger them. Profiles trigger tasks based on Contexts, such as time and date.

Open Tasker.
Tap Profiles in the top tab menu.
Tap New Profile (the floating action + button in the bottom right corner).

In the First Context menu, tap Time.

Scroll the From time to the time of day you want the profile to start.
Scroll the To time to the time of day you want the profile to end.
Tap the Back arrow in the top left corner.
Select your Do Not Disturb On task.

Tap the back button one more time to exit Tasker and save the profile. Profile changes won’t be acted on by Tasker until you leave the app.

From here, we have a few options we can exercise. If you want your profile to only trigger on certain days of the week, you can add an additional context for Day:

Long-press the time context on the left side of your Do Not Disturb profile.
Tap Add to add another context.

Tap Day.

If you want to trigger your profile based on day of the week instead of day of the month, tap Month Day to open a drop-down menu.
Tap Week Day.
Tap the days you with to activate the profile on.
Tap the Back arrow in the top left corner.

Tap the back button one more time to exit Tasker and save the profile. Profile changes won’t be acted on by Tasker until you leave the app.

Note: If you have setting an overnight profile, like 11PM to 6AM, adding a Day context means that the profile with fire during the hours on those days. If a 11PM to 6AM profile has a Monday to Friday Day context, Do Not Disturb will be active 11PM to 11:59PM on Friday night, but will deactivate at 12AM Saturday morning.

Here are some ideas for using DND with Tasker:

• Saturday or Sunday mornings during a religious service
• Tuesday afternoon when you’re in your yoga class
• Wednesday and Friday nights so that you keep DND on while you’re at D&D
• Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings while you’re in your English lecture

After trying your hand at some custom Tasker Do Not Disturb profiles, play with the app some more! It can do a million things, especially once you start getting into the many, many third-party plugins available to Tasker that can help you do the impossible, like using Google Play Music as your alarm clock.

Download Tasker ($2.99)

Lawnchair Launcher gets official v1.0 release, v2.0 beta coming soon

One of the most popular Pixel Launcher launchers is growing up.

Google’s Pixel Launcher offers one of the best Android experiences around, and since the original Pixel debuted in 2017, there’s been a heap of developers trying to recreate that home-screen experience for other, non-Google handsets. One of the most popular, Lawnchair Launcher, is now exiting its beta and has an official v1.0 release on the Play Store.

Lawnchair’s been in beta since mid-October, and after lots of hard work from developer Colin Reimer, it’s finally a finished product and can now start getting reviews on the Play Store. At the time of publishing this article, it’s sitting at 4.9 stars out of 5 will a little over 400 reviews.

If you’ve never checked out Lawnchair, I’d suggest changing that ASAP. It does an excellent job at recreating the UI found on Google’s Pixel phones while also giving you enhanced customization features — such as icon pack support, control over the appearance of the Google Search bar, and more. App Shortcuts work, too!

Along with the v1.0 release, Reimer also confirmed that a public beta for v2.0 of Lawnchair will be available in around two weeks. It’s unclear what new goodies will be included with the update, but it’s likely we’ll see some of the new UI elements that were introduced with the Pixel 2 and Android P.

Download: Lawnchair Launcher (free)