Why the US is poised for off

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p>Better smartphone choices and greater consumer awareness are two reasons to abandon the two-year tether.</p><br /><p><img src="http://asset1.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2012/12/05/Jessica_Dolcourt_60x43.jpg" width="600"/> </p><br /><img src="http://asset3.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim2/2013/11/04/nexus-5-35828372-6374_610x407.jpg" width="600"/><br /><p>For about as long as there have been cell phones, US carriers have had a stranglehold over the purchasing experience. The two-year contract has reigned supreme here in the States, with providers heavily subsidizing the cost of high-priced handsets. But for some buyers, times are changing.</p><br /><p>T-Mobile's brassy, vocal assault on the status quo is making the retail cost of smartphones more transparent, while Google's lower-cost Nexus is a sure to lure customers away from premium-priced phones.</p><br /><p>While the majority of phone customers are likely to stick with the contract formula, especially if they're on a family plan already, others are showing greater interest in no-contract commitments.</p><br /><p>Phone choice: A better spread If there's one poster phone for the no-contract experience, it's Google's Nexus 5. Made by LG, but sold off-contract in the US by Google through its Play Store and T-Mobile, the Nexus 5 loudly challenges the merits of higher-priced rivals with its high-end specs and affordable $350 cost.</p><br /><p>Sprint and AT&T also sell the Nexus 5 on contract, but here in the US, the Nexus 5's sub-$400 sticker price is a steal for a handset that has a more up-to-date processor and OS than the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One Android front-runners, the latter of which has a full retail charge that costs hundreds of dollars more.</p><br /><p>Google's Nexus line has been a strong alternative for a few years now, but is picking up more momentum with this model, which delivers the LTE that Americans crave alongside robust features and that lower price. While it's too early to collect sales data quite yet, the Nexus 5 is in a strong position going into the holiday surge.</p><br /><p>Beyond the Nexus 5, second-tier carriers like MetroPCS (now owned by T-Mobile), Virgin and Boost Mobile, and Cricket carry a wider range of handsets, including pricey premium options like the iPhone 5S and Samsung Galaxy S4.</p><br /><p>Customers typically pay a lower monthly data rate, but a higher up-front cost for the phone, and can leave at any time without getting smacked by an early termination penalty.</p><br /><p>On the Windows Phone side of the house, Nokia has been chipping away at smartphone costs, driving down the full retail price of midrange models such as the $350 Lumia 1320 phablet. While that handset isn't expected to come to the US yet, it still could find a home with these prepaid carriers.</p><br /><p>There's also the Lumia 520, which costs $100 with a prepaid AT&T GoPhone plan, and the $120 T-Mobile variant, the Lumia 521. While both are low-end models that lack LTE, they do contain some software extras to help round out the experience.</p><br /><p>Fiercer competition T-Mobile deserves most of the credit for making the off-contract business model more appealing, after killing off contracts last March.</p><br /><p>Backed by CEO John Legere's war of words, with Verizon and AT&T especially, T-Mobile is taking on the role of innovator, while others react.</p><br /><img src="http://asset2.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim2/2013/07/10/2_-_John_Legere_again_TMobile.jpg" width="600"/><br /><p>(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)</p><br /><p>We saw this when T-Mo introduced it's early upgrade program, Jump, and we see it to some extent with installment pricing as the route to phone ownership, which includes a lower up-front cost followed by monthly payments.</p><br /><p>So far, T-Mobile's tactics have been incredibly successful; the carrier gained 1 million customers in the third quarter, the most it's ushered in after beginning the contracts-are-evil campaign.</p><br /><p>If T-Mobile can keep interest piqued, it can pull even more subscribers away from Verizon and AT&T, its biggest rivals. Edicts like free international texts and data for travelers is almost guaranteed to make that happen.</p><br /><p>Although T-Mobile alone commands any changes in the tide so far, smaller prepaid carriers also have a chance to benefit as former contract subscribers become interested in other no-contract options.</p><br /><p>Midrange good enough? In mature markets like the US, contracts level the playing field of cost, making high-end smartphones seem more affordable and attainable. That often makes the choice to buy a premium handset simpler, since the off-contract difference is closer to $50 or $100, rather than a $200 or even $300 spread.</p><br /><img src="http://asset2.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim2/2013/09/18/01iPhone5s_35781409_septimius_610x436.jpg" width="600"/><br /><p>(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)</p><br /><p>As in countries dominated by unlocked, off-contract phones, even a small step toward no-contract payments could see customers happy with midrange or upper-middle phones like the Nexus 5, iPhone 5C, and HTC One Mini (if the latter weren't a carrier exclusive here) -- models that come with features that are capable, but not cutting edge.</p><br /><p>Contract carriers retain the upper hand Despite T-Mobile's bold appeal, there are logical reasons to stay put with contract carriers.</p><br /><p>For instance, it takes no effort to stick around, but it does to calculate expenditures and cost savings with a new carrier home -- especially if you're thinking of moving the entire family over.</p><br /><p>Then there's the argument that the contract does little harm if you're the type of person who will probably stick with the same provider for far longer than the two-year minimum.</p><br /><p>There's also the handy subsidy, which gets you the phone at close to its manufacturing cost. For instance, IHS iSuppli's iPhone 5S teardown estimates the bill of materials at about $200, the same price you can buy the phone on contract. The counter-argument here, is that over the life span of two years, you'll likely spend more paying for pricier data with a contract carrier than you might with a no-contract competitor.</p><br /><p>What say you? T-Mobile's aspirations and agitations are clearly changing the way some US phone owners think about how they buy their phones, a position that's backed by a growing roster of robust phones that pack in a lot of robust features for a significantly lower cost. If we see a sustained step toward the no-contract option, these are two major reasons why.</p><br /><p>Why do you stick with your particular carrier, and are you thinking of making the switch? If you've recently moved from contract to off-contract, what prompted the change? I'd love to hear your stance in the comments below.</p><br /><img src="http://asset0.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2013/01/04/SU_postheader_270x189.jpg" width="600"/><br /><p>(Credit: CNET)</p><br /><p>Smartphones Unlocked<i>is a monthly column that dives deep into the inner workings of your trusty smartphone.</i> </p><br /><p><img src="http://asset3.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/html/news/clear.gif" width="600"/> </p><br /></div>

Technology Why the US is poised for off

Better smartphone choices and greater consumer awareness are two reasons to abandon the two-year tether. For about as long as there have be...

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PlayStation 4, Your Ticket to Internet Superstardom

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p>New game machines are supposed to have The Game, the killer app that justifies dropping a few hundred bucks on a new machine. The transformational <cite>Super Mario 64</cite> on the Nintendo 64. The first <cite>Halo</cite> on the first Xbox.</p><br /><p>But that's not always the case anymore. Sony's shiny new $400 PlayStation 4 just hit the shelves on Friday, and what's it got? The action game <cite>Knack</cite> is getting middling reviews, and . Outside of Sony's own studios, software makers like Electronic Arts are mostly cranking out slightly prettier versions of games that are also available on the machines you already own.</p><br /><p>Now add to that the fact that over the last year, Sony has released a slew of gorgeous games for PlayStation 3. When you look at <cite>The Last of Us</cite> and <cite>Beyond: Two Souls</cite>, PS4 almost looks like a downgrade in comparison. Taken by themselves, the lineup of games is not screaming 'the next generation is here!'</p><br /><p>But the next generation is here. It's not in the games, it's everything around them.</p><br /><p>Among other neato whiz-bang features, PlayStation 4 lets you stream your gameplay via the websites Twitch and Ustream. So you can turn your private gameplay session into a public broadcast. This isn't online multiplayer gameplay, this is as if the whole world could sit on your couch with you and watch you play through <cite>Killzone</cite>, or <cite>Knack</cite>, or anything. They can see your face, hear your voice and type chat messages to you that pop up on your TV underneath the gameplay.</p><br /><p>You can already do this with your current game consoles - but you need to hook them up to a PC and run all the feeds through specialized hardware and software first. It's expensive and requires some technical skill and willingness to futz around with settings until everything looks good. In other words, it's a total nerd thing.</p><br /><p>PlayStation 4 handles it all with a single button press. Hit the 'Share' button on the new DualShock 4 controller and you are on the air. There's some setup at first, of course; you have to create an account on Twitch or Ustream and enter the details into your PlayStation profile. But that part is quick and painless. (And free: Even though Sony will charge for online multiplayer gaming on PS4, requiring a $50 per year subscription to PlayStation Plus, streaming is available to all PS4 owners.)</p><br /><p>Did it change the way I played? Absolutely it did. Since I was streaming my gameplay of <cite>Knack</cite> before PlayStation 4 had actually hit shelves, I had lots of viewers who had never seen the game before and who had lots of questions about PS4 in general. But I also had lots of viewers talking with me about each part of the game as I approached it, and we discussed the design and the graphics.</p><br /><p>When I accidentally walked past a hidden item, viewers told me to go back and get it. When I finally defeated a certain enemy that had caused me some consternation, they text-cheered for me.</p><br /><p>I honestly don't think I'd have played <cite>Knack</cite> as long as I did if I wasn't streaming. Not only did I feel some obligation to keep going to keep entertaining people, but it took what was turning out to be kind of a repetitive game and turned it into a fun communal activity.</p><br /><p>PlayStation 4 also features some hardware accessories that make streaming much better. The PlayStation Camera is an optional $59.99 accessory (unlike the Kinect camera, which is bundled in with each Xbox One). Among other uses, you can use the camera during streaming by pointing it at your face (or whatever), and this video feed will be displayed in the upper right corner of the screen. If you don't have a microphone, you can use the Camera device as a room mic, and it will broadcast your audio on the stream along with the game's soundtrack.</p><br /><p>However, you do have a microphone, since each PS4 does include a small headset in the box. It looks like a single earbud, but it has a microphone. It plugs directly into the PS4 controller, and you can clip it to your clothing. So basically if you don't use the earbud and just clip the wire to your clothes, it's like having a lavalier microphone - my viewers said it sounded much better, and also prevented the TV audio from going into the mic.</p><br /><p>I'll be the first to admit that I doubted Sony would really pull this off. Historically, the PlayStation division has been the kings of overpromising and underdelivering; the features that sound the coolest are either missing or only half functional at launch. But this actually works, right out of the box, and it's awesome.</p><br /><p>Does it need to be upgraded? Yes. Right now, when you start a stream, you can automatically update your Facebook wall with a link to the stream. This is about as relevant to me as if the PS4 offered to automatically update my MySpace blog. Nobody's checking Facebook for up-to-the-second updates on what their friends are doing right this second. That's what Twitter is for, and it seems like it should be trivial to have the streaming app auto-generate a Tweet, too.</p><br /><p>And not just one tweet. If you're streaming for hours, and you want more viewers, you have to alert people multiple times. So there should be a function that lets you either schedule tweets or send out another one with the push of a few buttons, without having to stop gaming. Hey, the PS Camera does voice commands, so how about 'PlayStation, send a tweet'?</p><br /><p>Also - and this is something Sony says it will fix - the streams on Twitch and Ustream can't be archived, like every other broadcast. So my performances? Gone forever. This is a big deal; if you want to build up more audience members you've got to be able to let them see your past streams and decide whether you're a player worth following, right?</p><br /><p>Microsoft's $500 Xbox One, to be released on November 22, will also have a Twitch app that is supposed to allow game broadcasting - but we haven't seen it in use yet, and it's not looking like it'll be available at launch.</p><br /><p>PlayStation 4′s other big hardware features are generally themed around taking the work out of play. We didn't really understand, going into the last console generation in 2005, how games and consoles these days would be fluid, changing things. Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 owners know that you have to constantly update your firmware, install games, download patches, and a million other little annoyances.</p><br /><p>Like Xbox One, PS4 doesn't get rid of those processes, but it does automate them. As soon as I got my machine online, it started downloading the latest firmware. When I put in a game disc, it starts installing it. The background downloading feature will, upon the release of the next firmware update, pull it down overnight so it's ready to be installed when I wake up.</p><br /><p>In other words, don't get hung up on waiting for the next generation of gaming hardware to play totally new types of games. Maybe those will come later, but for now, it's a significant enough upgrade to get to play the same old games with a more convenient wrapper. That's your next generation experience (even if you'd rather have another <cite>Super Mario 64</cite> moment).</p><br /><img src="http://www.wired.com/gamelife/wp-content/gallery/biopics/kohler200.jpg" width="600"/></div>

Technology PlayStation 4, Your Ticket to Internet Superstardom

New game machines are supposed to have The Game, the killer app that justifies dropping a few hundred bucks on a new machine. The transforma...

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Facebook Reasserts Posts Can Be Used to Advertise

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2013/11/16/business/16privacy/16privacy-articleLarge.jpg" width="600"/><br /><p>SAN FRANCISCO - If you post something on Facebook, let there be no doubt that it can end up as an ad shown to your friends and acquaintances.</p><br /><p>Facebook pressed forward on Friday with official changes to its privacy policies, first proposed in August, that make the terms of using Facebook more clear than ever: By having an account on the service, its 1.2 billion global users are allowing the company to use their postings and other personal data for advertising.</p><br /><p>And teenagers are no exception. Although the company deleted language that said parents were implicitly consenting to ads featuring their children's posts by letting them use Facebook, the company said it was already getting that permission when teenagers sign up to use the service.</p><br /><p>After the proposed changes were originally announced, they drew an outcry from many users, some privacy groups and members of Congress, and prompted the Federal Trade Commission to scrutinize the company's plans.</p><br /><p>'Your feedback was clear - we can do better - and it led to a number of clarifying edits,' the company wrote in a blog post on Friday announcing the final version of the policies, which went into effect immediately.</p><br /><p>But in the end, the edits didn't add up to anything major, according to both the company and its critics.</p><br /><p>The new terms of use do not affect a separate change that the company announced last month that allows teenagers to post status updates, videos and images that can be seen by anyone, not just their friends or people who know their friends.</p><br /><p>However, Friday's change does fit into a broader pattern: Facebook is pushing its users to share more data while also making that information easier to find. That is raising public awareness of just what it means to post content on the service.</p><br /><p>'Every day, people post billions of pieces of content and connections into the graph and in doing this, they're helping to build the clearest model of everything there is to know in the world,' Facebook's chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, told Wall Street analysts in a conference call last month. 'This has the potential to be really powerful, but right now, we actually do very little to utilize the knowledge that people have shared to benefit everyone in our community.'</p><br /><p>Facebook is promoting sharing mostly as a way to make the service more useful. The company's graph search tool, for example, mines user posts to help people find, say, restaurant recommendations posted by a friend. Public posts by teenagers let them spread their views to a wide audience.</p><br /><p>But Facebook also has big business motivations for finding ways to show the 1.2 trillion posts on its service more frequently and to more people: The more time people spend on Facebook, the more advertising they see and the better targeted those ads can be.</p><br /><p>One of its most important advertising products, called sponsored stories, involves rebroadcasting user posts praising a company's product to their friends. Advertisers find such endorsement ads very appealing because people tend to trust recommendations from friends over other types of ads.</p><br /><p>So if someone posted 'Just had a great seafood feast at Red Lobster' or even just hit the like button on the chain's Facebook page, the restaurant company might pay to make sure that post, or sponsored story, showed up high in the Facebook feeds of that person's friends.</p><br /><p>Facebook has maintained that its previous terms of use granted it the right to use a person's name, face and posts in ads sent to other people in that user's social network. But with the new policy, the company has replaced vaguer language with more specific wording that clarifies its policies.</p><br /><p>A coalition of privacy groups and Senator Edward J. Markey, Democrat of Massachusetts, had complained about the language, saying the new terms could violate a 2011 consent decree between Facebook and the F.T.C. requiring the company to clearly inform users before exposing their data to new audiences.</p><br /><p>The F.T.C. began an inquiry into the most recent changes, but apparently raised no strong objections.</p><br /><p>'Commission investigations and deliberations are nonpublic, therefore we cannot comment on any particular case,' said Jay Mayfield, an agency spokesman, in a statement. 'However, the F.T.C. rigorously monitors compliance with all of its orders, and that includes reviewing any material changes to the privacy policy of a company that is under a privacy order.'</p><br /><p>Senator Markey, who joined several other lawmakers in introducing a 'Do Not Track Kids' bill on Thursday, said in a statement that Facebook's decision not to shield teenagers from advertising underscored the need for Congress to act. Currently, the law only restricts advertising to children under age 13.</p><br /><p>Facebook said it changed the language in its terms of use partly in response to a class-action lawsuit against the company, settled in August, that contended it had not properly disclosed to users how their comments about products and other personal information would show up in ads.</p><br /><p>While Facebook has clarified its disclosures, it has not yet put into effect two other important provisions of the settlement that would give users more control over how their information is used in sponsored stories.</p><br /><p>One provision requires the company to give parents the ability to prevent their children's information from being used in such advertising.</p><br /><p>The other would allow all users to see if Facebook had turned any comments they had made on the service into a sponsored story ad and allow them to opt out of future broadcasting of that ad.</p><br /><p>'The innovative controls we agreed to in connection with the settlement take time to build,' said Jodi Seth, a Facebook spokeswoman. She offered no timetable for introducing them.</p><br /></div>

Technology Facebook Reasserts Posts Can Be Used to Advertise

SAN FRANCISCO - If you post something on Facebook, let there be no doubt that it can end up as an ad shown to your friends and acquaintances...

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Acer Rolls Out Sub

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><img src="http://www4.pcmag.com/media/images/407549-acer-c720-2848.jpg?thumb=y" width="600"/> </p><br /><p>Acer on Friday announced the availability in the United States of the sub-$200, 11.6-inch C720 Chromebook powered by a Haswell-class Celeron processor from Intel and offering up to 8.5 hours of battery life.</p><br /><p>The C720 Chromebook, which the computer maker is billing as a 'great holiday gift,' is now available for $199.99 at Best Buy retail stores and through Amazon, Acer said. The 2.76-pound laptop features a 1366-by-768 resolution display and runs Google's Chrome operating system, offering instant access to Internet-based applications like Google Docs.</p><br /><p>The laptop was originally priced at $249.99 but an Acer spokesperson said the company slashed that figure to appeal to more consumers ahead of the holiday gift-buying rush.</p><br /><p>'Since the Acer C720 debuted last month, it's been acclaimed for delivering industry-leading performance and long battery life to mobile savvy computer users. Our new $199.99 model delivers an incredible value proposition for this level of performance at a time of year when so many people are shopping for gifts for loved ones,' Acer chief technology officer Arif Maskatia said in a statement.</p><br /><p>With Intel's Celeron 2955U processor under the hood, the C720 sports a solid state drive (SSD) providing 16GB of onboard storage and has 2GB of DDR3 memory. The display utilizes Acer's ComfyView technology to support HD video playback and 'crisp and clear' image viewing, the company said.</p><br /><p>The laptop also has an integrated HD webcam, USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports, and an HDMI port which can connect to external displays and HDTVs. The C720 is Wi-Fi capable on the 802.11a/b/g/n format.</p><br /><p>Acer said buyers of the C720 Chromebook will have access to 100GB of free Google Drive cloud storage for two years after their purchase, as well as pre-installed Google apps and services like Search, Gmail, YouTube, and Google+ Hangouts.</p><br /><p>The computer maker said it will also make the C720 available for purchase in the Acer online store beginning in December.</p><br /><p><img src="http://www7.pcmag.com/media/images/407548-acer-c720-2848.jpg?thumb=y" width="600"/> </p><br /></div>

Technology Acer Rolls Out Sub

Acer on Friday announced the availability in the United States of the sub-$200, 11.6-inch C720 Chromebook powered by a Haswell-class Celero...

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Samsung expert: No one buys Samsung gadgets for touch

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p>Michael Wagner, an expert witness hired by Samsung, says Apple has overstated how much money it's due for Samsung's infringement on Apple's 'pinch to zoom' tech.</p><br /><p><img src="http://asset3.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2012/12/05/Shara_Tibken_60x43.jpg" width="600"/> </p><br /><img src="http://asset0.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2011/11/09/courthouse_610x458.JPG" width="600"/><br /><p>(Credit: Michelle Meyers/CNET)</p><br /><p>SAN JOSE, Calif. -- A Samsung expert on Friday made his case for why the Korean giant should pay Apple only $52 million in damages, saying there's no evidence that anyone has bought Samsung devices because of a particular patented Apple technology.</p><br /><p>An expert hired by Apple had determined the company was due $114 million in lost profits because of Samsung's use of technology under Apple's patent No. 7,844,915, also known as 'pinch to zoom.' The '915 patent covers technology that can distinguish whether a user is scrolling with one finger versus using several touch points at once for a pinch-to-zoom action.</p><br /><p>However, Michael Wagner, an accountant and lawyer hired by Samsung, said there's no evidence from either company that shows consumers bought Samsung devices because they liked that particular touch-screen feature. As a result, he believes Apple should receive no money for lost profits.</p><br /><p>'I believe people bought these phones for other features,' Wagner said. That includes bigger, AMOLED screens; faster processors; and 4G LTE.</p><br /><p>The comments come on the fourth day of a retrial for damages that Samsung owes Apple for infringing on five of its patents. A judge in March vacated about $450 million of an original award. Samsung is still on the hook for $600 million, no matter what happens in the retrial.</p><br /><p>Wagner spent his time on the stand Friday disputing calculations made by Apple's expert accountant, Julie Davis. In particular, he said that she didn't correctly determine Samsung's profits from the infringing devices and she attached too much value to Apple's lost profits stemming from Samsung's use of a touch-screen technology patent.</p><br /><p>The two companies are battling over how much more Samsung owes Apple for infringing on five of its patents. Apple -- using Davis' calculations -- says Samsung owes it $380 million. Samsung says it should pay $52 million.</p><br /><p>A big part of the discrepancy comes from differing views on how much Apple lost in profits and how much it should be due for royalties.</p><br /><p>One expert, MIT professor John Hauser, estimated three Apple patents, including the '915 patent, adds about $100 in value to a $199 smartphone or $90 in value to a $499 tablet. Davis said Apple lost out on $114 million in profits because of the Samsung copycat devices. She also calculated Samsung's profits to be $231 million, and said reasonable royalties owed to Apple total $35 million. Apple estimates it would have sold 360,000 devices if Samsung hadn't released infringing rivals.</p><br /><p>Samsung, meanwhile, said Apple shouldn't receive any money for lost profits, $52.7 million for Samsung's profits, and royalties of only $28,452 because the patents have limitations.</p><br /><p>Wagner on Friday said Davis should have deducted operating expenses for marketing, R&D, and other items from her calculation of Samsung's profit from the infringing devices.</p><br /><p>'Davis calculated not a penny of these operating expenses, which I believe are a necessary expense,' Wagner said. 'You can't sell a phone without incurring those types of costs.'</p><br /><p>As for lost profits, Judge Lucy Koh on November 7 granted Samsung's motion to strike the lost profits calculations of Davis because Davis' calculations relied on an assumption that Samsung would not have started its efforts to design around Apple's patents until it received actual notice of infringement. That ruling meant that only one patent -- '915 -- could be used to calculate lost profits, Koh said, because it was based on the appropriate design around period start dates.</p><br /><p>However, according to a court document, less than two days before the retrial was set to begin, Apple declared that it planned to argue for lost profit damages for three other patents anyway, despite the fact its expert concluded it wasn't entitled damages for those patents. It planned to use a new, alternative theory to argue for lost profits, the court filing said.</p><br /><p>Koh on Tuesday issued another order blocking Apple from making such an argument. That meant only the '915 patent could be used to determine lost profits.</p><br /><p>'The Court is concerned that Apple's new lost profits theory will invite the jury to come up with a lost profits award founded on little more than pure speculation,' she said.</p><br /><p>Court kicked off Tuesday with jury selection in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. The companies should wrap up witness testimony Monday and make closing arguments Tuesday. A jury of six women and two men will then deliberate to determine the new damages amount.</p><br />Apple v. Samsung redux: What you need to know (FAQ)<br /><p>Apple originally filed suit against Samsung in April 2011, accusing the Korean company of copying the look and feel of its products. Samsung countersued two months later over patent infringement and said it was at work on touch-screen phones with giant rectangular screens and rounded corners well before Apple showed up. The initial trial, which stretched more than three weeks in August 2012, wrapped both of those cases in one, somehow squeezing together the patent infringement issues, alongside antitrust claims, and even trade dress issues.</p><br /><p>In August of last year, a nine-person jury sided with Apple on a majority of its patent infringement claims against Samsung. At that time, the jury awarded Apple $1.05 billion in damages, much less than the $2.75 billion sought by the Cupertino, Calif., electronics giant. Samsung, which asked for $421 million in its countersuit, didn't get anything.</p><br /><p>However, Koh in March ordered a new trial to recalculate some of the damages in the case, striking $450.5 million off the original judgment against Samsung. What that means is Samsung is still on the hook for about $600 million in damages, but a new jury has to decide how much else it owes.</p><br /><p>The products in question include the Galaxy Prevail, Gem, Indulge, Infuse 4G, Galaxy SII AT&T, Captivate, Continuum, Droid Charge, Epic 4G, Exhibit 4G, Galaxy Tab, Nexus S 4G, Replenish, and Transform. The Prevail in particular racked up $57.9 million of the damages tally, which Koh said was a failure on the jury's part, since the device was found to infringe only on utility patents, and not on design patents.</p><br /></div>

Technology Samsung expert: No one buys Samsung gadgets for touch

Michael Wagner, an expert witness hired by Samsung, says Apple has overstated how much money it's due for Samsung's infringement on ...

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Samsung expert: No one buys Samsung gadgets for touch

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p>Michael Wagner, an expert witness hired by Samsung, says Apple has overstated how much money it's due for Samsung's infringement on Apple's 'pinch to zoom' tech.</p><br /><p><img src="http://asset3.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2012/12/05/Shara_Tibken_60x43.jpg" width="600"/> </p><br /><img src="http://asset0.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2011/11/09/courthouse_610x458.JPG" width="600"/><br /><p>(Credit: Michelle Meyers/CNET)</p><br /><p>SAN JOSE, Calif. -- A Samsung expert on Friday made his case for why the Korean giant should pay Apple only $52 million in damages, saying there's no evidence that anyone has bought Samsung devices because of a particular patented Apple technology.</p><br /><p>An expert hired by Apple had determined the company was due $114 million in lost profits because of Samsung's use of technology under Apple's patent No. 7,844,915, also known as 'pinch to zoom.' The '915 patent covers technology that can distinguish whether a user is scrolling with one finger versus using several touch points at once for a pinch-to-zoom action.</p><br /><p>However, Michael Wagner, an accountant and lawyer hired by Samsung, said there's no evidence from either company that shows consumers bought Samsung devices because they liked that particular touch-screen feature. As a result, he believes Apple should receive no money for lost profits.</p><br /><p>'I believe people bought these phones for other features,' Wagner said. That includes bigger, AMOLED screens; faster processors; and 4G LTE.</p><br /><p>The comments come on the fourth day of a retrial for damages that Samsung owes Apple for infringing on five of its patents. A judge in March vacated about $450 million of an original award. Samsung is still on the hook for $600 million, no matter what happens in the retrial.</p><br /><p>Wagner spent his time on the stand Friday disputing calculations made by Apple's expert accountant, Julie Davis. In particular, he said that she didn't correctly determine Samsung's profits from the infringing devices and she attached too much value to Apple's lost profits stemming from Samsung's use of a touch-screen technology patent.</p><br /><p>The two companies are battling over how much more Samsung owes Apple for infringing on five of its patents. Apple -- using Davis' calculations -- says Samsung owes it $380 million. Samsung says it should pay $52 million.</p><br /><p>A big part of the discrepancy comes from differing views on how much Apple lost in profits and how much it should be due for royalties.</p><br /><p>One expert, MIT professor John Hauser, estimated three Apple patents, including the '915 patent, adds about $100 in value to a $199 smartphone or $90 in value to a $499 tablet. Davis said Apple lost out on $114 million in profits because of the Samsung copycat devices. She also calculated Samsung's profits to be $231 million, and said reasonable royalties owed to Apple total $35 million. Apple estimates it would have sold 360,000 devices if Samsung hadn't released infringing rivals.</p><br /><p>Samsung, meanwhile, said Apple shouldn't receive any money for lost profits, $52.7 million for Samsung's profits, and royalties of only $28,452 because the patents have limitations.</p><br /><p>Wagner on Friday said Davis should have deducted operating expenses for marketing, R&D, and other items from her calculation of Samsung's profit from the infringing devices.</p><br /><p>'Davis calculated not a penny of these operating expenses, which I believe are a necessary expense,' Wagner said. 'You can't sell a phone without incurring those types of costs.'</p><br /><p>As for lost profits, Judge Lucy Koh on November 7 granted Samsung's motion to strike the lost profits calculations of Davis because Davis' calculations relied on an assumption that Samsung would not have started its efforts to design around Apple's patents until it received actual notice of infringement. That ruling meant that only one patent -- '915 -- could be used to calculate lost profits, Koh said, because it was based on the appropriate design around period start dates.</p><br /><p>However, according to a court document, less than two days before the retrial was set to begin, Apple declared that it planned to argue for lost profit damages for three other patents anyway, despite the fact its expert concluded it wasn't entitled damages for those patents. It planned to use a new, alternative theory to argue for lost profits, the court filing said.</p><br /><p>Koh on Tuesday issued another order blocking Apple from making such an argument. That meant only the '915 patent could be used to determine lost profits.</p><br /><p>'The Court is concerned that Apple's new lost profits theory will invite the jury to come up with a lost profits award founded on little more than pure speculation,' she said.</p><br /><p>Court kicked off Tuesday with jury selection in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. The companies should wrap up witness testimony Monday and make closing arguments Tuesday. A jury of six women and two men will then deliberate to determine the new damages amount.</p><br />Apple v. Samsung redux: What you need to know (FAQ)<br /><p>Apple originally filed suit against Samsung in April 2011, accusing the Korean company of copying the look and feel of its products. Samsung countersued two months later over patent infringement and said it was at work on touch-screen phones with giant rectangular screens and rounded corners well before Apple showed up. The initial trial, which stretched more than three weeks in August 2012, wrapped both of those cases in one, somehow squeezing together the patent infringement issues, alongside antitrust claims, and even trade dress issues.</p><br /><p>In August of last year, a nine-person jury sided with Apple on a majority of its patent infringement claims against Samsung. At that time, the jury awarded Apple $1.05 billion in damages, much less than the $2.75 billion sought by the Cupertino, Calif., electronics giant. Samsung, which asked for $421 million in its countersuit, didn't get anything.</p><br /><p>However, Koh in March ordered a new trial to recalculate some of the damages in the case, striking $450.5 million off the original judgment against Samsung. What that means is Samsung is still on the hook for about $600 million in damages, but a new jury has to decide how much else it owes.</p><br /><p>The products in question include the Galaxy Prevail, Gem, Indulge, Infuse 4G, Galaxy SII AT&T, Captivate, Continuum, Droid Charge, Epic 4G, Exhibit 4G, Galaxy Tab, Nexus S 4G, Replenish, and Transform. The Prevail in particular racked up $57.9 million of the damages tally, which Koh said was a failure on the jury's part, since the device was found to infringe only on utility patents, and not on design patents.</p><br /></div>

Technology Samsung expert: No one buys Samsung gadgets for touch

Michael Wagner, an expert witness hired by Samsung, says Apple has overstated how much money it's due for Samsung's infringement on ...

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Lyft Tests Its Own Version Of Surge Pricing In LA, Passing All 'Prime Time Tips ...

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><img src="http://tctechcrunch2011.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/lyft-prime-time-tip.png?w=400" width="600"/> </p><br /><p>After a year and a half of keeping a flat fare on all its rides, on-demand transportation startup Lyft is set to begin a test of dynamic pricing based on demand. It's testing out the new pricing model, which it calls 'Prime Time Tips,' in Los Angeles beginning today, as a way to make more drivers available during peak demand.</p><br /><p>Lyft historically has shied away from demand-based pricing, partly as a way to differentiate itself from competitor Uber. But as its popularity has increased, the company also faces periods in which demand outstrips supply. While the company says that it has made many backend improvements to increase ride availability, Lyft is hoping that providing higher tips during periods of high demand will encourage more drivers to take passengers.</p><br /><p>With that in mind, the Prime Time Tips will be automatically triggered when rides outnumber drivers. Passengers will be alerted with a notification screen, a la Uber, before they choose to request a ride at the higher fare.</p><br /><p>That said, Lyft's initial test of 'Prime Time Tips' varies a little bit from the way Uber currently does it. For one thing, Lyft is capping increases at 25 percent, compared to the 2x or more that Uber's surge prices can hit.</p><br /><p>Another way that Lyft is trying to differentiate - it says that 100 percent of any price increase during high demand will be passed on directly to drivers, with Lyft taking only its usual base fare. That contrasts from Uber in that the latter company has a fixed commission split which remains the same in periods of surge and non-surge pricing.</p><br /><p>Lyft believes that by structuring its pricing that way, it can still incentivize drivers to keep picking up passengers, while providing a fair price to passengers.</p><br /><p>For now, Lyft is testing the pricing scheme in Los Angeles, which is one of its oldest markets. Lyft co-founder and president John Zimmer said that one of the reasons it's testing out 'Primetime Tips' there is it can be too hard to find a ride there during peak demand. It's unclear if that test will extend to its other 17 markets, but in the meantime, Lyft probably wants to see what the reaction is like in L.A. and what effect it might have in curbing demand and increasing supply there.</p><br /><p><strong>Kind of related:</strong> Earlier today, competitor SideCar sent an email to passengers saying that it would move from donations to a flat fare structure in California, where the Public Utilities Commission has given its approval for new ride-sharing services. That means its passengers will be able to know how much a ride will cost once they've entered in their starting point and destination. Zimmer told me this afternoon that Lyft, too, would be moving away from donations to a fare structure in California as well. Stay tuned!</p><br /></div>

Technology Lyft Tests Its Own Version Of Surge Pricing In LA, Passing All 'Prime Time Tips ...

After a year and a half of keeping a flat fare on all its rides, on-demand transportation startup Lyft is set to begin a test of dynamic pr...

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Gmail for iOS Gets iPad

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img src="http://www3.pcmag.com/media/images/407636-gmail-for-ios-ipad.jpg?thumb=y" width="600"/><br /><p>Google this week released an update to its Gmail for iOS mobile apps, making it easier for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users to stay organized.</p><br /><p>The upgrades, however, focus mostly on the tablet version, with its large screen and added room for multitasking.</p><br /><p>'If you hold your iPad in landscape mode, you'll immediately notice the new left hand navigation bar, which allows you to quickly switch between inbox categories, or between multiple accounts, with a single tap,' software engineer Carmen Wilkinson boasted in a blog post.</p><br /><p>By default, the app opens directly to the unread folder, an Inbox subcategory kept separate from the everything folder, where all inbox emails — read or unread — are housed. The iPad version also includes colorful message counters for each category, including inbox, groups, and offers, to help users sort through emails more quickly.</p><br /><p>For a more focused experience, hold the tablet in portrait mode to get a full-screen look at individual messages and message threads.</p><br /><p>Some of the same functions are available to iPhone and iPod users, including the unread and everything folders. Small-screen users, however, will not find the same bright category notifications or the convenient side navigation bar.</p><br /><p>Additional app improvements include scrolling performance and additional space to compose messages in full screen.</p><br /><p>The updated Gmail application is available now for free download in the Apple iTunes Store.</p><br /><p>Earlier this week, Google expanded its quick action button service, and launched the ability to view and save attachments directly to Google Drive. The latter, which allows users to view attachments and save them directly to Google Drive without leaving the app, is also available on the iPad.</p><br /><p>These new features roll out as Google gears up to face wiretapping charges over Gmail scanning.</p><br /><p>For more, see PCMag's review of Gmail for iPhone and the slideshow above.</p><br /></div>

Technology Gmail for iOS Gets iPad

Google this week released an update to its Gmail for iOS mobile apps, making it easier for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users to stay organi...

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Destiny Beta Will Hit PS4, PS3 First

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p>You might think that given Bungie's history (they produced <i>Halo</i> exclusively for the Xbox platform for years), they'd have a Microsoft bias.</p><br /><p>But that really isn't true. To celebrate the launch of the PlayStation 4, the developer has announced that the upcoming <i>Destiny</i> beta will debut on the PS4 and PS3. Pretty cool, right?</p><br /><p>If you pre-order the game at participating retailers, you will receive your spot in the play test. This is only good 'while supplies last,' though, so you had best get a move on. If you pre-ordered before October 1, 2013, you automatically qualify for the beta and you should receive your code via email. The beta will feature a 'diverse sampling of major activities in the full game' and is slated to kick off some time next year. It will eventually be available on the PS4, PS3, Xbox One and Xbox 360. Maybe we'll see it in the early spring...</p><br /><p>Gee, what's next? Exclusive <i>Destiny</i> content for PlayStation, too?</p><br /><p>Tags: destiny, destiny beta, destiny ps4 beta, bungie</p><br /><p>Put this on your webpage or blog: <img src="http://images.psxextreme.com/images/design/email_icon.jpg" width="600"/> Email this to a friend<img src="http://images.psxextreme.com/images/twitter_icon.png" width="600"/> Follow PSX Extreme on Twitter</p><br /><p><img src="http://images.psxextreme.com/images/social/twitter.gif" width="600"/><img src="http://images.psxextreme.com/images/social/facebook.gif" width="600"/><img src="http://images.psxextreme.com/images/social/google.gif" width="600"/><img src="http://images.psxextreme.com/images/social/myspace.gif" width="600"/><img src="http://images.psxextreme.com/images/social/delicious.gif" width="600"/><img src="http://images.psxextreme.com/images/social/digg.gif" width="600"/><img src="http://images.psxextreme.com/images/social/yahoo-buzz.gif" width="600"/><img src="http://images.psxextreme.com/images/social/email.gif" width="600"/><img src="http://images.psxextreme.com/images/social/tumblr.gif" width="600"/><img src="http://images.psxextreme.com/images/social/posterous.gif" width="600"/> </p><br /></div>

Technology Destiny Beta Will Hit PS4, PS3 First

You might think that given Bungie's history (they produced Halo exclusively for the Xbox platform for years), they'd have a Microso...

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Ballmer: 'Maybe I'm an emblem of an old era'

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p>Microsoft's CEO suggests in interview that perhaps time has passed him by and the company needs a fresh face to accelerate change.</p><br /><p><img src="http://asset1.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2012/12/05/Charles_Cooper_60x43.jpg" width="600"/> </p><br /><img src="http://asset2.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim2/2013/07/11/ballmer_610x412.jpg" width="600"/><br /><p>(Credit: Getty Images)</p><br /><p>As he prepares to head for the exits one last time as CEO, Steve Ballmer is letting down the protective wall that he's guarded in public for so long. In a remarkably personal interview with the Wall Street Journal,, Ballmer allowed that perhaps time has passed him by.</p><br /><p>'Maybe I'm an emblem of an old era, and I have to move on,' an emotional Ballmer acknowledged in what were described as a series of interviews. 'As much as I love everything about what I'm doing,' he says, 'the best way for Microsoft to enter a new era is a new leader who will accelerate change.'</p><br /><p>In August, Ballmer surprised the technology world and his company by announcing plans to step down sometime within the next 12 months. The article presents of a picture of an impatient board of directors pushing Ballmer to execute a reorganization plan designed to break down competitive corporate silos. At a certain point, Ballmer told the WSJ, he began to question whether he could meet the board's timetable.</p><br /><p>'No matter how fast I want to change, there will be some hesitation from all constituents--employees, directors, investors, partners, vendors, customers, you name it--to believe I'm serious about it, maybe even myself,' he said.</p><br /><p>During a trip to London in May, Ballmer said he began to envision a Microsoft without him at the helm, a change he thought might accelerate sought-after change at the company.</p><br /><p>'At the end of the day, we need to break a pattern,' he said. 'Face it: I'm a pattern.'</p><br /><p>- Thus began a series of conversations with underlings and selected directors, informing them of his thinking. By the time the board met in June in Bellevue, Wash., Ballmer told the WSJ that he broke the news officially. 'While I would like to stay here a few more years, it doesn't make sense for me to start the transformation and for someone else to come in during the middle,' he said.</p><br /><p>Microsoft's board voted officially on Aug. 21 to accept Ballmer's retirement, the</p><br /></div>

Technology Ballmer: 'Maybe I'm an emblem of an old era'

Microsoft's CEO suggests in interview that perhaps time has passed him by and the company needs a fresh face to accelerate change. (Cre...

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Review: Pricey iPad Mini keeps Apple premier brand

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><img src="http://www.sltrib.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls?STREAMOID=vFySsgA5HQRuZ6e2tT9cT8%24daE2N3K4ZzOUsqbU5sYvrkLL6FT5_VwBXcbGNLYdmWCsjLu883Ygn4B49Lvm9bPe2QeMKQdVeZmXF%249l%244uCZ8QDXhaHEp3rvzXRJFdy0KqPHLoMevcTLo3h8xh70Y6N_U_CryOsw6FTOdKL_jpQ-&amp;CONTENTTYPE=image/jpeg" width="600"/> </p><br /><p>New York ' Apple is probably one of the few companies that can pull off a price increase.</p><br /><p>The new iPad Mini starts at $399, or $70 more than last year's model. For that price, you get a leap forward in power, speed and display.</p><br /><p><img src="http://www.sltrib.com/csp/cms/sites/sltrib/assets/images/newsite/button_print.png" width="600"/> </p><br /><img src="http://www.sltrib.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls?STREAMOID=i35BQjXvAI4GeC_ErpAPZc%24daE2N3K4ZzOUsqbU5sYtY1Y_KdyMtXN45mnxoUw9QWCsjLu883Ygn4B49Lvm9bPe2QeMKQdVeZmXF%249l%244uCZ8QDXhaHEp3rvzXRJFdy0KqPHLoMevcTLo3h8xh70Y6N_U_CryOsw6FTOdKL_jpQ-&amp;CONTENTTYPE=image/jpeg" width="600"/><br /><p>There are plenty of cheaper choices out there, including tablets for just $229 from Google and Amazon. None of them match Apple's iPads in app selection, design and cachet.</p><br /><p>Apple started selling the new iPad Mini on Tuesday, 11 days after the full-size iPad Air came out. The starting price of last year's Mini has been cut to $299. In both cases, versions with cellular access are available for $130 more.</p><br /><p>In many ways, the old iPad Mini was a 2011 full-size iPad 2 in a smaller casing. The old Mini's display technology and its processor were already more than a year old when the device launched. It's even older now.</p><br /><p>Apple doesn't skimp with the new model, which is officially called the iPad Mini with Retina display.</p><br /><p>Retina is Apple's term for a higher-resolution screen - in this case, one that sports four times the pixels in the same space as the older version. According to Apple, there are enough pixels such that the eyes shouldn't be able to discern the individual dots that form text and images. You get much sharper images - even sharper than on the iPad Air, which has a resolution of 264 pixels per inch compared with 326 in the new Mini.</p><br /><p>And while last year's iPad Mini used the same A5 processing chip as the 2011 iPad 2, this year's model shares the speedy, A7 chip found in the iPad Air as well as the new iPhone 5S. Apple says graphics are up to eight times faster than last year's model and other tasks are up to four times as speedy. By contrast, the Air has only twice the speed as the previous full-size model.</p><br /><p>Like the Air, the new Mini also has a second microphone for better audio recording and two Wi-Fi antennas for up to twice the speed.</p><br /><p>In my tests, I found small text on websites much easier to read on the new Mini. White letters over a black background look faded on last year's Mini. They look clear and sharp on the new one. The differences are harder to glean with images and video. A blurry photo isn't going to look sharper just because there are more pixels. But at least it won't be surrounded by fuzzy captions.</p><br /><p>As for speed, you won't notice much difference for everyday tasks. Apps do launch a tad faster on the new Mini, and Web pages load slightly faster. Where you'll notice the speed gains are in games and other data-intensive apps - many of which have yet to be written to fully take advantage of the A7 chip's power. As for the dual Wi-Fi antennas, I didn't find video downloads faster on the speedy Wi-Fi network at work, but I did see significant improvement when I tested the full-size devices on my irritable network at home.</p><br /><p>Unfortunately, like the Air, the new Mini also lacks some features made possible by the A7 chip. That includes a fingerprint sensor for bypassing four-digit security codes and a camera that can take up to 10 photos per second. For now, that's found only in the iPhone 5S.</p><br /><p>That's not a deal-breaker for me, though.</p><br /><p>What might be is the price.</p><br /><p>It's difficult to spend nearly twice more than Google Inc.'s Nexus 7 or Amazon.com Inc.'s 7-inch Kindle Fire HDX. Both are excellent tablets with a screen resolution that's about the same as the new iPad Mini. (Those two devices have fewer pixels, but also smaller screens, so their densities are comparable.)</p><br /><p>The 7-inch screens, measured diagonally, aren't as large as the iPad Mini's 7.9 inches. You get about 35 percent more screen space on the Mini.</p><br /><p>But the Nexus and Kindle devices are both lighter than the new iPad Mini, which got 7 percent heavier than last year's model because it has a larger battery to power the better display, while keeping battery life at 10 hours for Wi-Fi Web surfing. The new iPad mini is 11.7 ounces, compared with 10.9 ounces for last year's model, 10.7 ounces for the Kindle and 10.2 ounces for the Nexus.</p><br /><p>The new Mini is also a tad thicker than last year's model, but slimmer than Google's and Amazon's tablets.</p><br /><p>If you're watching your budget, consider those rivals or even the older Mini without the sharper display.</p><br /><p>But if you're looking for a top-notch experience, you can't go wrong with the new Mini, even with the higher price tag.</p><br /><p>Several leading apps come to Apple devices first, and they are more likely than Android apps to be adapted for tablet screens. With many Android apps, you simply get a blown-up version of the phone app. You'll appreciate using those apps on the new Mini's improved display.</p><br /></div>

Technology Review: Pricey iPad Mini keeps Apple premier brand

New York ' Apple is probably one of the few companies that can pull off a price increase. The new iPad Mini starts at $399, or $70 more...

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MapQuest Still Exists. It Has An iOS 7 App To Prove It

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p>The days of printing out directions from MapQuest are long gone in today's mobile world, but to the surprise of many, that hasn't been the fate for the mapping company. While Google and Apple duke it out on mobile, AOL-owned MapQuest has been sitting in third place, quietly building an iOS 7 app from scratch to show it's still in the game.</p><br /><p>Across mobile and desktop, MapQuest sees more than 30 million unique views monthly, and the company touts that one in five American adults use its service once a month. In fact, in the brief period when Google Maps was missing from the iOS ecosystem, users frustrated with Apple Maps overwhelmingly chose MapQuest, which shot up as the No. 1 most downloaded navigation app the day the iPhone 5 went on sale.</p><br /><p>Diving into its demographics, MapQuest realizes it has a niche audience. 'The person we're really focused on is the soccer mom who's in her car with three kids in the backseat,' head of product Nate Abbott told Fast Company. But he said the app 'needed a lot of love,' and it was rebuilt from the ground up to be fast and responsive.</p><br /><p><img src="http://c.fastcompany.net/multisite_files/fastcompany/imagecache/inline-small/inline/2013/11/3021587-inline-3021587-slide-menu.png" width="600"/> </p><br /><p>One of the main focuses was simplifying the information presented with navigation. By default, traffic data is turned on and users are automatically given traffic-optimized routes. When giving directions, the app shows the move that follows the next, so drivers can prepare and move into certain lanes. A feature not found in other mapping apps, MapQuest has a progress bar, color coded for traffic. 'What I find is I'm going 60 on the freeway, and I'm pinching and zooming out. Obviously that is stupid on my part and dangerous, but still I'm a curiosity seeker,' Abbott said. With the progress bar, he says 'I get an immediate sense of how far I've gone, how far I have to go, and what's upcoming.'</p><br /><p>Other differentiators? One-way streets are depicted as arrows, so it's obvious which direction they run. Staying true to old-fashioned paper maps, interstates are colored blue. 'Our team said we love our blue interstates. We really should keep them as blue,' Abbott explained. 'It's what users are used to. It's what they see in a road atlas.'</p><br /><p><img src="http://d.fastcompany.net/multisite_files/fastcompany/imagecache/inline-small/inline/2013/11/3021587-inline-3021587-slide-traffic-alert-accident.png" width="600"/> </p><br /><p>But how accurate is the mapping data? 'We haven't gotten it perfectly right. Frankly, no one will get it perfectly right, but we can do a lot better than what we've done,' Brian McMahon, MapQuest's general manager, admitted. He said MapQuest uses about 70 mapping data sources, and the company is in the middle of finalizing a few deals to improve its accuracy.</p><br /><p>The iOS 7 app is still missing a lot compared with the competition. Transit directions are one of the most glaring voids, but McMahon says now that the app has shipped, MapQuest will continue iterating to bring new features. In addition to transit directions and richer content for layers, he hinted at the ability to check in and make reservations with the app.</p><br /></div>

Technology MapQuest Still Exists. It Has An iOS 7 App To Prove It

The days of printing out directions from MapQuest are long gone in today's mobile world, but to the surprise of many, that hasn't be...

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Nokia Lumia 2520 RT tablet available in US for $400 on 22 November

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p>Summary: Nokia announced their Windows 8.1 RT tablet at Nokia World and next week you will be able to pick one up under contract from AT&T.</p><br /><p><img src="http://cdn-static.zdnet.com/i/r/story/70/00/023260/nokia-lumia-black-att-body-200x149.jpg?hash=MQWyZQtlAT&upscale=1" width="600"/>(Image: Nokia)</p><br /><p>Nokia announced the Lumia 2520 tablet at Nokia World in October. Nokia just announced that this Windows 8.1 RT device will launch in the US next week.</p><br /><p>The Nokia Lumia 2520 will launch on AT&T in black on 22 November for $399.99 with a two-year agreement. AT&T is also offering a deal where you can buy a Lumia 925, 1020, or new 1520 and knock $200 off the price of the 2520, making it just $199.99 with one of these phones.</p><br /><p>One aspect of this tablet that distinguishes it from the Microsoft Surface 2 is the integration of cellular wireless. I have LTE on my 3rd generation iPad and find it much more convenient and functional than having to tether to a phone and kill two batteries.</p><br /><p>Data only plans for AT&T tablets range from $14.99 (250MB) to $50 (5GB). People didn't seem to be fans of tablet contracts in the past so we will have to see if this pricing plan works for AT&T and Nokia.</p><br /><p>I personally prefer the option to buy a month of data when I need it, but then the initial price of the device would go up as well. I'm not sure if you can buy this without a contact and what that cost is, but will try to find out.</p><br /><p>It is interesting that Nokia is bringing some of their advanced camera technology to a tablet with the 6.7 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics. I've seen plenty of people using their iPad to take photos and video and wonder if this new Lumia will also now be appearing in the way while I am trying to watch sports.</p><br /><p>The Lumia 2520 looks like a sweet piece of hardware and I hope to try it out soon. I personally find the Microsoft Surface hardware to also be fantastic so it is great to see another vendor releasing a high quality, premium Windows device.</p><br /><strong>Related ZDNet reading</strong></div>

Technology Nokia Lumia 2520 RT tablet available in US for $400 on 22 November

Summary: Nokia announced their Windows 8.1 RT tablet at Nokia World and next week you will be able to pick one up under contract from AT&...

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Game sales up as next

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p>The gaming industry generated $791.1 million in revenue in the US in October, up 5 percent compared to the previous year.</p><br /><p><img src="http://asset3.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2011/10/13/headshots_Don_Reisinger_140x100_60x43.jpg" width="600"/> </p><br /><img src="http://asset2.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim2/2013/11/15/3dsxl_620x576_610x567.jpg" width="600"/><br /><p>(Credit: Nintendo)</p><br /><p>The video game industry had a strong October despite a drop in hardware revenue, new data from NPD has revealed.</p><br /><p>The US game industry generated $791.1 million in October, up 5 percent compared to the same period in 2012. Hardware sales were down 8 percent to $171.7 million as consumers eyed this month's launch of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Software sales boosted the industry, rising 12 percent year-over-year to $482.5 million.</p><br /><p>For the sixth consecutive month, the Nintendo 3DS was the top-selling hardware in October with over 452,000 units sold across the US. Microsoft's Xbox 360 was the top-selling console on the month, according to NPD. Microsoft reported on Thursday that Xbox 360 sales topped 166,000 units during the period.</p><br /><p>Sony, which launched the PlayStation 4 on Friday, didn't reveal PlayStation 3 or PlayStation Vita sales figures.</p><br /><p>On the software side, Grand Theft Auto V was the top-selling game in the US in October, followed by Pokemon X and Pokemon Y. EA's Battlefield 4 came in fourth place.</p><br /></div>

Technology Game sales up as next

The gaming industry generated $791.1 million in revenue in the US in October, up 5 percent compared to the previous year. (Credit: Nintendo...

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iPhone 5, Galaxy S4 zero

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p>Network World - Two teams of Japanese and Chinese 'white hat' hackers have been declared victors at HP's Pwn2Own 2013 contest in Tokyo today for finding zero-day exploits that allowed them to compromise the Apple iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S4.</p><br /><img src="http://www.networkworld.com/graphics/2013/111313-hacker.jpg" width="600"/><br /><p>HP has just reported to Apple and Samsung how these exploits were carried out by the Keen Team and Mitsui Bussan Secure Directions team, respectively, so that fixes can be made. The Keen Team won $27,500 from HP for its efforts, and the Mitsui Bussan Secure Directions team won $40,000. Neither HP nor the winning teams will make the exact exploits available publicly.</p><br /><p>The vulnerability discovered in the iPhone 5 using iOS 7 is an exploit against the Safari browser that lets the attacker 'weaponize' the victim's phone by compromising it to steal contact data, photos, or carry out attacks such as taking over the victim's Facebook page, says Brian Gorenc, manager of vulnerability research in HP's security division for zero-day research. He adds that vulnerabilities were also discovered in the Apple iOS 6 platform as well related to Safari.</p><br /><p>[NEW BLOOD: 12 hot security start-ups to watch]</p><br /><p>The vulnerability in the Samsung Galaxy S4 was carried out against at least one app that ships with the device, though HP is not saying exactly which one or ones. The vulnerabilities allow the attacker to wholly compromise the device in several ways, such as using a drive-by download to install malware on the phone. 'They can do whatever they want' after that, says Gorenc. This might include stealing SMS messages on the phone, contact lists and more.</p><br /><p>Gorenc says HP was glad to be able to have its Pwn2Own hacking competition for finding zero-day exploits in Tokyo this year so that it could have more direct interaction with security researchers with hacking skills in Asia, with most attendance coming from Japan and China.</p><br /><p>The best-known Pwn2Own contest takes place annually at the CanSecWest conference.</p><br /><i>Ellen Messmer is senior editor at Network World, an IDG publication and website, where she covers news and technology trends related to information security. Twitter: MessmerE. E-mail: emessmer@nww.com</i><br /><p>Read more about security in Network World's Security section.</p><br /></div>

Technology iPhone 5, Galaxy S4 zero

Network World - Two teams of Japanese and Chinese 'white hat' hackers have been declared victors at HP's Pwn2Own 2013 contest in...

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Uncharted PS4 Officially Announced, Teased

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img src="http://cdn2-www.playstationlifestyle.net/assets/uploads/2013/06/unchartednathandrake1.jpg" width="600"/><br /><p><strong>Update</strong>: Here's everything we've managed to spot in the trailer. Avast!</p><br /><p><strong>Original story</strong>: Holy hell. Just because The Last of Us still has DLC to come, doesn't mean that Naughty Dog isn't ready to show off Uncharted.</p><br /><p>At the PlayStation 4 All Access Live event, the developer released a short teaser clip of a man (voiced by Todd Stashwick) talking while the camera panned across the map, ending with the Uncharted logo. No subtitle was announced, and Nathan Drake was never confirmed as the protagonist. ND did reveal, however, that there are clues hidden in the teaser.</p><br /><p>Are you excited for Uncharted, or did you want another new IP? Let us know in the comments below.</p><br /></div>

Technology Uncharted PS4 Officially Announced, Teased

Update : Here's everything we've managed to spot in the trailer. Avast! Original story : Holy hell. Just because The Last of Us stil...

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Report: Those PS4 system failures might not be that bad

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img src="http://stickskills.com/omega/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/ps4-620x400.jpg" width="600"/><br /><p>Just yesterday, we reported on some scattered claims that early PS4 units were experience problems including the system failing to interface with the TV. Kotaku may have found the source, at least for their system.</p><br /><p>Kotaku calls the error 'a fluke.' The editors had attempted to operate the system but were unable to get past plugging in the system. After trying various wires, monitors and other systems, they were able to pinpoint an HDMI issue as the source. After getting with Sony, the problem was identified: A piece of metal in the HDMI port on the PS4 had been bent upward when they should have been connecting straight with the cable. With not all of the pins connected, the system could not properly interface with the monitor. What's more, continuously trying to plug more cables into the damaged port had in turn broken some of the teeth of the HDMI cables.</p><br /><p>While this may not be the exact issue everyone is experiencing, there are two pieces of good news: first, if you have problems when you first acquire your console, you don't have to do much to look for the problem. Simply glance at the back of your system and see if something looks bent. Second, if this is in fact the problem, rectifying it is as easy as pushing the piece back down with a pin, as Sony was able to do with Kotaku's system. The actual cause of the bent metal has not been identified, but as a precaution check your port before you get things plugged in, and be careful when you are inserting the cable. Sony believes this is an isolated issue, however.</p><br /><p>We'll be keeping an eye on the other issues, and will let you know if we come across any more problems or solutions. Stay with StickSkills for impressions on the console and some launch games throughout the weekend!</p><br /><img src="http://0.gravatar.com/avatar/856133b72dfa320d71821cc16cee05b8?s=60&d=retro&r=PG" width="600"/><br /><p>Chris has been writing about the industry in some capacity for over 5 years, and loves doing it. When he's not enjoying the latest novelty indie game, he can be found watching movies or telling lame jokes. PSN: SheriffSheridan, Steam: cmichaelsheridan</p><br /></div>

Technology Report: Those PS4 system failures might not be that bad

Just yesterday, we reported on some scattered claims that early PS4 units were experience problems including the system failing to interface...

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Naughty Dog announces Uncharted 4 for PS4

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><img src="http://metrouk2.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/image11.jpg?w=650&h=364&crop=1#038;h=575" width="600"/>But will Nate be back in Uncharted 4 for PS4?<br /><p>The next Uncharted game for the PlayStation 4 will see 'a big jump' in graphics, and maybe a new protagonist.</p><br /><p>The game was revealed at the US launch event last night, as the PlayStation 4 goes on sale in North America today - rather than November 29 in Europe.</p><br /><p>There was no gameplay footage shown, but the map in trailer below seems to be for the Carribean. As you can hear the voiceover, by TV actor Todd Stashwick, implies someone very angry at being abandoned somewhere for 15 years.</p><br /><p>However, series protaganist Nathan Drake is not mentioned by name and speculation suggests he may not be the lead in the new game.</p><br /><p>That's about all we can discern from what was shown, with Naughty Dog co-president Christophe Balestra merely promising that, 'Graphically you're going to see a big jump'.</p><br /><p>'Amy [Hennig, series writer], Justin [Richmond, Uncharted 3 director], and the team are hard at work on an amazing new installment of the Uncharted series to be released exclusively on the PlayStation 4 system,' Naughty Dog said community strategist Arne Meyer on the PlayStation Blog.</p><br /><p>'Our goal is to continue what we've done in previous console generations and once again deliver the best in storytelling, performance capture, technical innovation and graphics on the PS4. We can confirm that the voiceover is performed by Todd Stashwick and he will play a character in the game.'</p><br />Thoughts? Email gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk or leave a comment below</div>

Technology Naughty Dog announces Uncharted 4 for PS4

But will Nate be back in Uncharted 4 for PS4? The next Uncharted game for the PlayStation 4 will see 'a big jump' in graphics, and m...

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New Amazon UK PS4 pre

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p>Amazon UK has informed its customers that any new PS4 pre-orders placed won't arrive in time for Christmas, while new Xbox One pre-orders might not either.</p><br /><p><img src="http://cdn.medialib.computerandvideogames.com/screens/dir_3113/image_311333_460.jpg" width="600"/> </p><br /><p>The online retailer's PS4 product page states:</p><br />Customers who pre-ordered this console up to and including August 6 have been given an option to get a PS4 for release day Customers who pre-ordered this console from August 7 up to and including November 13 will receive their consoles before Christmas Customers who pre-order this console from November 14 will receive their consoles after Christmas Customers who cancel existing pre-orders and place a new order will not get their console for release day<br /><p>Meanwhile, its Xbox One product page offers the following guidance on expected delivery windows:</p><br />Orders placed up to and including August 14 will be dispatched to meet the release date Orders from August 15 may be delivered after release date Orders placed from November 13 may not be delivered before Christmas<br /><p>In October, Amazon reduced the basic PS4 bundle with Killzone Shadow Fall to £385, making it the first major seller to list the unit at the price recommended by Sony. It also cut the price of the PS4 Mega Pack from £450 to £430, undercutting many of its competitors.</p><br /><p>In August, when Sony announced a PS4 release date of November 29 in Europe and Latin America, the company said more than one million PS4 pre-orders had been placed worldwide. The PS4 price is £349 / €399 / $399.</p><br /><p>Microsoft has confirmed a Xbox One release date of November 22, 2013 in 13 markets and a Xbox One price of £430 / $500 / $500.</p><br /></div>

Technology New Amazon UK PS4 pre

Amazon UK has informed its customers that any new PS4 pre-orders placed won't arrive in time for Christmas, while new Xbox One pre-order...

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Apple's Schiller: iPhone was a 'bet

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p>The electronics company's head of marketing took the stand in a damages retrial versus Samsung with only 11 minutes left in the session Thursday.</p><br /><p><img src="http://asset3.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2012/12/05/Shara_Tibken_60x43.jpg" width="600"/> </p><br /><img src="http://asset3.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim2/2013/11/05/17_-_Nike_Plus.jpg" width="600"/><br /><p>(Credit: Josh Lowensohn/CNET)</p><br /><p>SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Apple's head of marketing, Phil Schiller, on Thursday told a court here that the iPhone was a 'bet-the-company product,' and that now the entire company works on it in some way.</p><br /><p>Schiller took the stand in a damages retrial against Samsung with only 11 minutes left in the session. That gave him just enough time to introduce himself and talk briefly about his role at Apple, the development of the iPhone, and the event introducing the product.</p><br /><p>'There were huge risks [with the first iPhone],' he said. 'We had a saying inside the company that it was a 'bet-the-company' product...We were starting to do well again in iPod...Then here we're going to invest all these resources, financial as well as people, in creating this product.'</p><br />Apple v. Samsung redux: What you need to know (FAQ)<br /><p>He noted that Apple started working on the iPhone after it had already started iPad development. In the beginning, about 100 people worked on the smartphone. Now, 'almost everyone' at Apple works on the device.</p><br /><p>The comments came on the third day of a retrial for damages that Samsung owes Apple for infringing on five of its patents through 13 of its devices.</p><br /><p>Court kicked off Tuesday with jury selection in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. The trial is slated to last about six days before the case is turned over to the jury -- composed of six women and two men -- for deliberation.</p><br /><p>Wednesday involved opening arguments where Apple asked for an additional $380 million in damages, and Samsung said it only needs to pay $52 million. Apple witnesses who have taken the stand in the case include a couple of experts on touch-screen technology, an Apple executive in charge of components and materials procurement, and a few Samsung executives via deposition videos.</p><br /><p>The bulk of the session Thursday included questioning of Julie Davis, an expert accountant hired by Apple to determine just how much Samsung owes the company for infringing on its patents. She testified that Apple lost sales due to Samsung's infringing devices. But even if the jury decides Apple didn't lose a single sale because of Samsung infringement, damages should be $287 million, Davis said.</p><br /><p>John Hauser, an MIT professor of marketing, performed analysis on Apple's behalf to determine what value its patents add to a smartphone. He said during testimony that in a $199 smartphone, consumers would pay $100 more for features covered by three Apple patents. That includes the bounce-back effect for scrolling to the bottom of a browser page, as well as other touch-screen features.</p><br /><p>Much of the difference between Samsung and Apple's damages calculations comes from how much Apple should receive for royalties and what profit Samsung generated from the infringing devices. Both companies agree on the number of devices sold as well as the revenue Samsung generated. However, Samsung said it made a lower profit than Apple believes because of costs such as marketing.</p><br /><p>Apple arrived at the $380 million amount based on lost profits of about $114 million, Samsung's profits of about $231 million, and reasonable royalties of approximately $35 million. Apple estimates it would have sold 360,000 devices if Samsung hadn't released infringing rivals.</p><br /><p>Samsung, meanwhile, said Apple shouldn't receive any money for lost profits, $52.7 million for Samsung's profits, and royalties of only $28,452 because the patents have limitations.</p><br /><p>Judge Lucy Koh on Tuesday asked Apple and Samsung to again hold settlement talks before another trial slated for March. The parties agreed to submit a proposal by January 8.</p><br /><img src="http://asset3.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2012/07/30/outsidesjcorthouse_610x458.JPG" width="600"/><br /><p>(Credit: Josh Lowensohn/CNET)</p><br /><p>Apple originally filed suit against Samsung in April of 2011, accusing the Korean company of copying the look and feel of its products. Samsung countersued two months later over patent infringement and said it was at work on touch-screen phones with giant rectangular screens and rounded corners well before Apple showed up. The initial trial, which stretched more than three weeks in August of 2012, wrapped both of those cases in one, somehow squeezing together the patent infringement issues, alongside antitrust claims, and even trade dress issues.</p><br /><p>In August of last year, a nine-person jury sided with Apple on a majority of its patent infringement claims against Samsung. At that time, the jury awarded Apple $1.05 billion in damages, much less than the $2.75 billion sought by the Cupertino, Calif., electronics giant. Samsung, which asked for $421 million in its countersuit, didn't get anything.</p><br /><p>However, Koh in March ordered a new trial to recalculate some of the damages in the case, striking $450.5 million off the original judgment against Samsung. What that means is Samsung is still on the hook for about $600 million in damages, but a new jury has to decide how much else it owes.</p><br /><p>The products in question include the Galaxy Prevail, Gem, Indulge, Infuse 4G, Galaxy SII AT&T, Captivate, Continuum, Droid Charge, Epic 4G, Exhibit 4G, Galaxy Tab, Nexus S 4G, Replenish, and Transform. The Prevail in particular racked up $57.9 million of the damages tally, which Koh said was a failure on the jury's part, since the device was found to infringe only on utility patents, and not on design patents.</p><br /></div>

Technology Apple's Schiller: iPhone was a 'bet

The electronics company's head of marketing took the stand in a damages retrial versus Samsung with only 11 minutes left in the session ...

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