Apple Says U.S. Supreme Court Should Reject Samsung’s Appeal Request
In December, Samsung asked the United States Supreme Court to hear a final appeal in its ongoing patent battle with Apple, which would potentially nullify a $548 million settlement awarded to Apple. In a lengthy document filed with the court this afternoon (via Foss Patents), Apple urges the Supreme Court to deny Samsung’s request, accusing the company of raising issues that do not “deserve review” in an effort to prolong court proceedings.
Samsung has claimed that the jury did not adequately understand the patents in question because members weren’t provided with enough explanation by the court. The South Korean company has also suggested the case has wider implications that could encourage design patent trolls, an assertion Apple refers to as a “doomsday warning” based on “extreme hypotheticals.”
Samsung’s effort to make this case seem certworthy depends on a made-up narrative in which Samsung, not Apple, is the innovator, despite the overwhelming evidence that Samsung copied the iPhone’s innovative design. […]
Once Samsung’s diversions are swept aside as they should be, the actual issues it presents do not deserve review. The decisions below broke no new legal ground; they simply applied the statute and well-settled law to the extraordinary record of infringement and copying in this case.
Apple goes on to say that Samsung has had its day in court and while the litigation is “high-profile,” it is “legally unexceptional” and Samsung has not presented a legitimate reason as to why the court should prolong it.
While Apple doesn’t feel Samsung’s case is worth the Supreme Court’s attention, Facebook, Google, and other technology companies have all urged the court to take on Samsung’s appeal to overturn the ruling in Apple’s favor. A major concern is the amount that Samsung was forced to pay for its design patent infringement — nearly $400 million — and the implication it has for similar disputes in the future.
Samsung has already paid the agreed upon $548 million settlement to Apple, but should the Supreme Court take on the case and rule in Samsung’s favor, Apple would be required to pay back the money. Samsung’s Supreme Court appeal was a last ditch effort, and should the Supreme Court refuse to hear the case, Samsung will not be able to recoup its money, putting an end to a patent battle that’s been going on since 2012.
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Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge pass through the FCC
Earlier today, a couple of unannounced Samsung-branded smartphones bearing the model numbers SM-G930A and SM-G935A passed through the United States of America’s official cellular certification authority, the FCC. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen these two model numbers, though. Back in November, we reported that the International variants of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge will have these identification digits attached when they’re finally introduced to us on Sunday, February 21.
Unfortunately, the paperwork that accompanied the handsets doesn’t disclose anything about the internals of the duo, but we do know that they are set to pack a variety of different connectivity options, including support for 4G carrier bands 2 4, 5, 7 and 13, Bluetooth Class 1 (Version 4.0, LE+EDR), 802.11b/802.11g/802.11n dual-band Wi-Fi, NFC and GPS.
If recent leaks and rumors are anything to go by, it certainly looks like the Galaxy S7 is destined to be the most impressive smartphone of 2016, with its 5.1-inch qHD display, a Qualcomm MSM8996 Snapdragon 820/Exynos 8 Octa 8890 CPU, an Adreno 530/Mali-T880 MP12 GPU, 4GB of RAM, 32/64/128GB of internal flash memory and a 2,550mAh non-removable Li-Ion battery. It’s also expected to feature an iris scanner, together with a biometric reader and heart rate monitor.
If you wish to view the full FCC filing, hit the source link below.
Come comment on this article: Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge pass through the FCC
The best gear for your living room home theater
By Grant Clauser
This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer’s guide to the best technology. Read the full article here.
Everyone loves watching a great movie on a big screen with a kickass speaker system, but few would complain about losing the sticky floors, uncomfortable seats, and kids with smartphones (unless they’re your own kids). We spent thousands of hours on research and testing to find the best-looking and -sounding home theater equipment to upgrade your living-room movie-watching experience from simply functional to highly enjoyable. (We have recommendations for a dedicated theater space as well in our full review).
TV
The Samsung UN55JU7100 offers the best overall picture for LCDs.
After more than 120 hours of research and testing, the 55-inch Samsung UN55JU7100 is our recommendation for the best overall TV. There are lots of very good LCD TVs for reasonable prices on the market today, but the JU7100 stood out with its excellent black levels, good colors out of the box, high contrast ratios, and video processing that improves the look of streaming video and doesn’t turn moving images into a soap-opera-style mess. It’s also a 4K Ultra HD display. Anything that looks better is going to cost a lot more money.
Flat-panel TV mount
The Sanus mount allows post-installation leveling, which lets you easily correct for minor errors you might make while drilling holes.
After researching TV mounts for 10 hours online and visiting local retailers to identify the best ones, we keep coming back to the Sanus VMPL50A-B1 flat-panel TV mount. It’s easy to install, fully adjustable, and compatible with 22 different VESA patterns and TVs up to 70 inches and 150 pounds. While not exactly bargain-priced, it’s less expensive than other mounts with similar feature sets and the features you’d miss out on by going cheaper are worth the cost.
Compact speakers for living room theaters
The Paradigm Cinema 100 CT 5.1 is good for smaller spaces and punches above its weight class.
If you want your living room to still look like a living room but sound like a home theater when you press play, the Paradigm Cinema 100 CT 5.1 Home Theater System is the package to buy. After nearly 20 hours of research and nearly 50 hours of calibration and testing, the Paradigm was the clear favorite in terms of performance. Though not as powerful as the NHT Absolute 5.1 Surround System, which we recommend if you have a dedicated theater room, the Paradigm’s more compact footprint makes it a better choice for smaller rooms that aren’t all about watching movies. The system—which includes five satellite speakers just taller than 8 inches high and a compact subwoofer 13 inches high—sounds much bigger than its size would suggest, and it also performed well in dialogue clarity. Don’t forget that you’ll also need a receiver and some speaker cable to drive the system.
Soundbar for living rooms
The Paradigm Soundscape offers the best audio quality you can expect from a soundbar.
For people who want the best TV audio out of a simple package with no receiver or additional speaker cables required, the Paradigm Soundscape is our pick for the best soundbar. It offers the best combination of audio performance and connectivity features—including Bluetooth—of any soundbar we tested. Although the Soundscape costs more than many receiver-and-speaker combinations, you’ll get a very large and clear soundstage with good bass and crisp dialogue and vocals in return.
In testing, the Soundscape demonstrated a flatter frequency response than any soundbar we listened to, which contributes to the rich midrange of the speakers. The speaker’s digital signal processing does a decent job filling the room for a surround-like experience, but it’s not an artificial-sounding faux surround. It connects to your TV’s optical audio output, rather than HDMI, but that isn’t something we think most people will hold against it.
Streaming media player
The Roku 2 has the largest selection of streaming content for the money.
After researching and testing every major streaming media player, we think the Roku 2 is the best streaming media player for most people, with the largest content selection for the money and the most customization options. Few TVs, AV receivers, or Blu-ray players will offer near the number of streaming media services as an outboard box, especially the Roku 2, which currently features more than 2,500 channels plus the ability to access your own media stored on a computer or NAS drive. And it’s easy to use: The menu is smartly organized, the remote includes only a few buttons, it has a universal search feature that’s more universal than similar features on Apple TV or Amazon’s Fire TV, and you can customize the interface to display your most-used channels at the top where you can easily access them.
Blu-ray player for most living rooms
The Sony BDP-S3500 (top) offers the best user interface and pixel-perfect Blu-ray playback.
After spending nearly 25 hours testing the best new Blu-ray players for 2015, we recommend the Sony BDP-S3500 for most living rooms. The Sony offers flawless disc playback, integrated Wi-Fi, and the most popular streaming apps (including Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, MLB.TV, YouTube, and Pandora), plus an easier-to-use onscreen interface for operation than the other players we tested. It also leaves off features that most people don’t really need or care about, such as 4K upconversion and 3D playback.
HD antenna
The Antennas Direct ClearStream Eclipse pulled in our target channels with high signal quality.
After testing 10 leading indoor TV antennas, we recommend the Antennas Direct ClearStream Eclipse as the best indoor antenna for most people who live within 20 miles of their broadcast towers. The Eclipse should give most urban and suburban TV viewers solid reception. In our new tests—which included reception locations both in a suburb of Philadelphia and within New York City—the ClearStream Eclipse pulled in all of our target channels easily. And its “Sure Grip” system lets you attach it to a wall without any hardware. The Eclipse is available in both amplified and non-amplified versions, and while we had good results with both, we think you should try the non-amplified version first and then add the amplifier if you can’t get all the channels you’re looking for.
Surge protector
The Tripp Lite stops power delivery once the protection wears out, so you know your electronics are protected as long as they’re working.
One of the least fun (but potentially most important) devices for your home theater is the surge protector. We spent 30 hours testing leading models to determine that the Tripp Lite TLP1008TEL is the best surge protector for most people. It includes 10 well-spaced outlets (four big enough for large wall-warts), which should cover all but the most extreme home theater setups. It performed very well in our tests, plus it has a feature that makes a lot of sense—instead of telling you that the protection circuit is worn out with an indicator light, the Tripp Lite simply shuts off and won’t deliver power.
This guide may have been updated by The Wirecutter. To see the current recommendations, please go here.
The best gear for your living room home theater
By Grant Clauser
This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer’s guide to the best technology. Read the full article here.
Everyone loves watching a great movie on a big screen with a kickass speaker system, but few would complain about losing the sticky floors, uncomfortable seats, and kids with smartphones (unless they’re your own kids). We spent thousands of hours on research and testing to find the best-looking and -sounding home theater equipment to upgrade your living-room movie-watching experience from simply functional to highly enjoyable. (We have recommendations for a dedicated theater space as well in our full review).
TV
The Samsung UN55JU7100 offers the best overall picture for LCDs.
After more than 120 hours of research and testing, the 55-inch Samsung UN55JU7100 is our recommendation for the best overall TV. There are lots of very good LCD TVs for reasonable prices on the market today, but the JU7100 stood out with its excellent black levels, good colors out of the box, high contrast ratios, and video processing that improves the look of streaming video and doesn’t turn moving images into a soap-opera-style mess. It’s also a 4K Ultra HD display. Anything that looks better is going to cost a lot more money.
Flat-panel TV mount
The Sanus mount allows post-installation leveling, which lets you easily correct for minor errors you might make while drilling holes.
After researching TV mounts for 10 hours online and visiting local retailers to identify the best ones, we keep coming back to the Sanus VMPL50A-B1 flat-panel TV mount. It’s easy to install, fully adjustable, and compatible with 22 different VESA patterns and TVs up to 70 inches and 150 pounds. While not exactly bargain-priced, it’s less expensive than other mounts with similar feature sets and the features you’d miss out on by going cheaper are worth the cost.
Compact speakers for living room theaters
The Paradigm Cinema 100 CT 5.1 is good for smaller spaces and punches above its weight class.
If you want your living room to still look like a living room but sound like a home theater when you press play, the Paradigm Cinema 100 CT 5.1 Home Theater System is the package to buy. After nearly 20 hours of research and nearly 50 hours of calibration and testing, the Paradigm was the clear favorite in terms of performance. Though not as powerful as the NHT Absolute 5.1 Surround System, which we recommend if you have a dedicated theater room, the Paradigm’s more compact footprint makes it a better choice for smaller rooms that aren’t all about watching movies. The system—which includes five satellite speakers just taller than 8 inches high and a compact subwoofer 13 inches high—sounds much bigger than its size would suggest, and it also performed well in dialogue clarity. Don’t forget that you’ll also need a receiver and some speaker cable to drive the system.
Soundbar for living rooms
The Paradigm Soundscape offers the best audio quality you can expect from a soundbar.
For people who want the best TV audio out of a simple package with no receiver or additional speaker cables required, the Paradigm Soundscape is our pick for the best soundbar. It offers the best combination of audio performance and connectivity features—including Bluetooth—of any soundbar we tested. Although the Soundscape costs more than many receiver-and-speaker combinations, you’ll get a very large and clear soundstage with good bass and crisp dialogue and vocals in return.
In testing, the Soundscape demonstrated a flatter frequency response than any soundbar we listened to, which contributes to the rich midrange of the speakers. The speaker’s digital signal processing does a decent job filling the room for a surround-like experience, but it’s not an artificial-sounding faux surround. It connects to your TV’s optical audio output, rather than HDMI, but that isn’t something we think most people will hold against it.
Streaming media player
The Roku 2 has the largest selection of streaming content for the money.
After researching and testing every major streaming media player, we think the Roku 2 is the best streaming media player for most people, with the largest content selection for the money and the most customization options. Few TVs, AV receivers, or Blu-ray players will offer near the number of streaming media services as an outboard box, especially the Roku 2, which currently features more than 2,500 channels plus the ability to access your own media stored on a computer or NAS drive. And it’s easy to use: The menu is smartly organized, the remote includes only a few buttons, it has a universal search feature that’s more universal than similar features on Apple TV or Amazon’s Fire TV, and you can customize the interface to display your most-used channels at the top where you can easily access them.
Blu-ray player for most living rooms
The Sony BDP-S3500 (top) offers the best user interface and pixel-perfect Blu-ray playback.
After spending nearly 25 hours testing the best new Blu-ray players for 2015, we recommend the Sony BDP-S3500 for most living rooms. The Sony offers flawless disc playback, integrated Wi-Fi, and the most popular streaming apps (including Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, MLB.TV, YouTube, and Pandora), plus an easier-to-use onscreen interface for operation than the other players we tested. It also leaves off features that most people don’t really need or care about, such as 4K upconversion and 3D playback.
HD antenna
The Antennas Direct ClearStream Eclipse pulled in our target channels with high signal quality.
After testing 10 leading indoor TV antennas, we recommend the Antennas Direct ClearStream Eclipse as the best indoor antenna for most people who live within 20 miles of their broadcast towers. The Eclipse should give most urban and suburban TV viewers solid reception. In our new tests—which included reception locations both in a suburb of Philadelphia and within New York City—the ClearStream Eclipse pulled in all of our target channels easily. And its “Sure Grip” system lets you attach it to a wall without any hardware. The Eclipse is available in both amplified and non-amplified versions, and while we had good results with both, we think you should try the non-amplified version first and then add the amplifier if you can’t get all the channels you’re looking for.
Surge protector
The Tripp Lite stops power delivery once the protection wears out, so you know your electronics are protected as long as they’re working.
One of the least fun (but potentially most important) devices for your home theater is the surge protector. We spent 30 hours testing leading models to determine that the Tripp Lite TLP1008TEL is the best surge protector for most people. It includes 10 well-spaced outlets (four big enough for large wall-warts), which should cover all but the most extreme home theater setups. It performed very well in our tests, plus it has a feature that makes a lot of sense—instead of telling you that the protection circuit is worn out with an indicator light, the Tripp Lite simply shuts off and won’t deliver power.
This guide may have been updated by The Wirecutter. To see the current recommendations, please go here.
2016 Samsung Galaxy A series devices launched in india
Today Samsung launched the Galaxy A5 (2016) and Galaxy A7 (2016) in India, with both devices going on sale on February 15. The Galaxy A5 (2016) price is the equivalent of $433 (Rs. 29,400) and the Galaxy A5 (2016) price is around $492 (Rs. 33,400). This year the Galaxy A series features the same combination of metal chassis with a glass back we know from the Galaxy S and Note series.
See also: First impressions: Samsung Galaxy A7 (2016) falls just short of perfection
The Galaxy A (2016) series aims to further strengthen and streamline Samsung’s mid-range offerings, and they’re definitely taking a few design cues from the flagship line, delivering premium looks in more affordable devices. Specs-wise the two are relatively similar with the main difference being size: the Galaxy A7 (2016) is a 5.5-inch device and the Galaxy A5 (2016) is 5.1 inches. Both devices include 2.5D Gorilla Glass 4 and come in gold, black or white.
Galaxy A (2016) specs
The Galaxy A7 (2016) specs include an octa-core Exynos 7580 chipset clocked at 1.6 GHz, 3 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal storage with microSD expansion up to 128 GB, separate dual-SIM tray, finger scanner, 13 MP main camera with OIS and f/1.9 aperture, 5 MP front-facing wide-angle camera and 3,300 mAh non-removable battery with Samsung’s fast-charging technology.
The Galaxy A5 (2015) specs include the same octa-core 1.6 GHz SoC, this time with 2 GB of RAM but also with 16 GB of storage plus microSD and dual-SIM slots. The Galaxy A5 (2016) also features the same 13 MP/5 MP camera assembly and fingerprint scanner, but it has a smaller 2,900 mAh non-removable battery. It also supports fast charging and both devices have Full HD Super AMOLED displays, Category 6 LTE and will run Android 5.1 Lollipop at launch.
What do you think of Samsung’s new mid-range offerings?
Tronsmart Titan 10A/90W 5-port USB charger charging station: review
Being a mobile enthusiast is a fun hobby. I find technology vital to staying connected while it helps me be efficient and on task. With that comes the need to charge a wide range of devices. And I can honestly tell you that with different charging specs on tablets, smartphones, smartwatches, speakers and cameras that having the right charger can mean the difference between destroying a battery and staying powered up.
I have been using the Tronsmart Titan 90W Charging Station with five ports to charge up all of my devices lately and I can tell you that I love it. Chargers are more commonplace than any other accessory, but high-quality chargers are a rare breed.
Design
The Tronsmart Titan is a 90W charger with enough power to charge five devices at full speed all of the time. The five port charging station is relatively big for a charger with a decent amount of weight, but really isn’t an issue for me. I don’t like desktop chargers that are so light that they shift around with light movement. It measures 6.25 x 3.25-inches while being about an inch thick and comes in a matte plastic finish with four rubber feet on the bottom.
There are five full USB sized charging ports in the front, with good spacing between them, so you don’t have force fit the five cables right next to each other. The center of each port is colored green which is a thoughtful addition as it makes it easy to see each port against the black plastic.
Each USB port is rated at 18W for a grand total of 90W, and each port comes with smart technology that allows you to charge your latest devices at the fastest speeds, including Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0.
The back of the charger holds the power switch so you can turn the charger on/off and not worry about vampire energy drain which can end up costing you a lot of extra money.
What are Energy Vampires?
Check out this excerpt from energy.gov:
Take, for example, the seemingly innocuous cell phone charger. As cellphones have become a staple of modern life, so have the devices that power them. To ensure that they’re able to be in constant contact, many Americans carry chargers in their bags, have them in their cars and even their office. So it shouldn’t come as much surprise to find that many cell phone users have one or more chargers constantly plugged in at their home. What most people don’t realize is that these chargers are continually drawing power, even when no device is connected to them. In fact, the average charger is consuming .26 watts of energy when not in use, and 2.24 watts even when a fully charged device is connected to it.
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By themselves, those watts won’t cause a huge increase in your energy bill. But if you add other common devices to the equation, you’ll begin to see why energy vampires are often responsible for adding 10 percent or more to your monthly utility bill.
Usage
I normally don’t think twice when it comes to chargers, but with my recent switch to Nexus devices with USB Type-C, and to unlocked smartphones, having the right charger has never been more important to me. The Tronsmart Titan touts VoltIQ technology which is the brains behind controlling the charging speeds depending on needs. Once you plug in your devices, the VoltIQ smart tech automatically identifies the voltage settings and adjusts charging speeds accordingly to make sure your device does not overheat and overcharge.
I really have no complaints when it comes to using the Tronsmart Titan. It charges all of my USB devices at the proper rate, and it is safe for the most sensitive devices like those with USB Type-C. I use it with my Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X, Nuu Z8, Samsung Gear S2, Huawei Watch, LG V10, and NVIDIA Shield. It comes with me on all of my business trips in place of bulky individual chargers, and helps me minimize vampire energy drain with a simple flip of the power switch.
Specifications
Input: 100-240V (Max)
Output: 5V/2A, 9V/2A, 12V/1.5A (Max)
Total power:90W
What you will get
1 x Tronsmart UC5F Desktop USB Charger
1 x 5 Foot AC Power Cord
1 x Welcome Guide
Summary
Overall the Tronsmart Titan 90W 5-port USB charger is everything I could want in a desktop charger. It’s smart, safe and charges my devices at the quickest possible speeds. You can find it on sale now at Amazon.com for just $37.99. I highly recommend it.
The post Tronsmart Titan 10A/90W 5-port USB charger charging station: review appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Samsung’s Safety Trucks take to the roads with large screens onboard
Samsung announced a Safety Truck concept last year that strapped huge screens to the backs of large trucks to help other drivers safely pass. The screens are attached to cameras at the front of the trucks to help give a peripheral view of the vehicles, which is especially valuable on a two-lane road.
That last part is important, considering the program was developed around roads in Argentina where most everything is a two-lane road. Overtaking trucks on a two-lane is particularly dangerous, so this project should theoretically make things a little safer for everyone involved.
The Safety Truck pilot program has now officially kicked off in Argentina to see how well it works out in the real world. If everything goes according to schedule, Samsung says they want to get the program worked out around the world in roughly four months. That’s a bold timeline, but if anyone has the cash and know-how to make it happen, it’s Samsung.
source: Samsung
Come comment on this article: Samsung’s Safety Trucks take to the roads with large screens onboard
Google pulls Samsung-backed ad blocker from the Play Store
Samsung may have stirred up more trouble than it was expecting when it started blocking ads in its Android web browser. Google has pulled Adblock Fast, the app partner for Samsung’s feature, from the Play Store. Allegedly, the title (made by Rocketship Apps) violates Google Play’s policies by interfering with other apps and services. That’s a bit baffling, since Adblock Fast uses Samsung’s own code and had the Korean firm’s explicit blessing — Adblock Plus is using the same code and hasn’t run into trouble. The concern, as you can imagine, is that Google might be retaliating against Samsung for daring to hurt its bread-and-butter ad business.
Don’t cry “conspiracy!” just yet, though. While Google isn’t directly commenting on the removal, The Next Web hears that the concern may be how Samsung does ad blocking, rather than the fact that it’s blocking ads at all. If so, Samsung could theoretically solve its problems by merging Adblock Fast’s technology into the browser. For now, at least, you’ll have to look at alternatives if you just can’t stand web marketing on your Galaxy S.
Source: The Next Web
Samsung’s ad blocking app partner already removed by Google
Samsung had just told everyone that it would be using ad blocking in its mobile browser, and what felt like minutes later, Google had already pulled it from the Play Store.
However, what did they really expect was going to happen? Google is the world’s largest advertising company who just happen to do other things too. Of course they were going to stop at nothing to stop this from happening.
Adblock Fast was the app that was going to partner with Samsung to bring ad blocking to their mobile browsers, but was pulled soon after. It had already skyrocketed to the top of the charts with over 50,000 downloads.
Google sent this letter to Brian Kennish, developer at Rocketship Apps, who make Adblock Fast:
Hi Developers at Rocketship Apps,
I reviewed Adblock Fast, com.rocketshipapps.adblockfast, and found that it violates section 4.4 of the Developer Distribution Agreement. This particular app has been disabled as a policy strike.
Just as a reminder, you’ve agreed to follow the Google Play Developer Program Policies and additional enforcement could occur if there are further policy issues with your apps.
If you’ve reviewed the policies and feel this rejection may have been in error, please reach out to our policy support team. One of my colleagues will get back to you within 2 business days.
I appreciate your support of Google Play!
Best,
[Redacted]
Google Play Review Team
Google says it violates section 4.4, which doesn’t allow apps to interfere with other installed apps. However, it didn’t technically violate it because Samsung was agreeing to let it “interfere” and it was using an official Samsung API. Whatever the reason, we all know the real truth behind the removal.
Source: Thenextweb
Come comment on this article: Samsung’s ad blocking app partner already removed by Google
Registration for this year’s Samsung Developer Conference is open
Want to learn the best practices to build products and services with Samsung? Then you should attend the company’s annual developer conference. Today, registration opened for the Samsung Developer Conference 2016 that will be held April 27-28 in San Francisco.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Early bird registration, which costs $399, runs through March 29.
The Samsung Developer Conference (SDC) is designed for developers, for creators, for builders. For the curious. For you.
Samsung and our partners will showcase the technology and solutions that will disrupt the future and change the way we live – from healthcare to virtual reality to wearables and IoT. Check out the latest gadgets and tools at SDC 2016.
We invite developers from around the world to join us, to discover through learning and embracing new adventures. At SDC 2016 we will explore the future. Come join the fun!
Samsung is hosting the developer conference for two days at Moscone West in San Francisco.
Come comment on this article: Registration for this year’s Samsung Developer Conference is open
AIVAnet 