Just yesterday, HTC and Apple made a surprising announcement. Apparently they worked out a 10-year patent licensing deal that effectively ends their current patent wars. In fact, this new deal even covers future patented technologies. However, while this news initially seems like magical & rosy Christmas-land, in many ways, it's still a huge loss for HTC and Android. Although the details of the agreement were not officially released, insider intel indicated that HTC will effectively have to pay Apple $6 to $8 dollars per Android device they sell. On top of the money that HTC must pay Microsoft for a similar licensing deal, much of HTC's profit is eroded in Android. This can't be good for a company that is already struggling to stay above water.

Of course, there still are no details on how much Apple will have to recompense HTC to license their tech, so some of this could be offset. Regardless, could we be seeing the patent wars winding down?

Here's the press release below,

Posted Nov 11, 2012
HTC AND APPLE SETTLE PATENT DISPUTE. All Patent Litigation Between The Companies Dismissed

1.Date of occurrence of the event:2012/11/11
2.Company name:HTC Corporation
3.Relationship to the Company (please enter "head office" or
"affiliate company"):Head Office
4.Reciprocal shareholding ratios:N/A
5.Cause of occurrence:HTC and Apple have reached a global settlement
that includes the dismissal of all current lawsuits and a ten-year
license agreement. The license extends to current and future patents
held by both parties. The terms of the settlement are confidential.
6.Countermeasures:None
7.Any other matters that need to be specified:There is no material
adverse impact on the financials of the Company.

HTC AND APPLE SETTLE PATENT DISPUTE

All Patent Litigation Between The Companies Dismissed

TAIPEI and CUPERTINO, California - November 11, 2012 – HTC and Apple have reached a global settlement that includes the dismissal of all current lawsuits and a ten-year license agreement. The license extends to current and future patents held by both parties. The terms of the settlement are confidential.

"HTC is pleased to have resolved its dispute with Apple, so HTC can focus on innovation instead of litigation," said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC.

"We are glad to have reached a settlement with HTC," said Tim Cook, CEO of Apple. "We will continue to stay laser

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We have some more release info for the HTC Droid DNA, which will apparently be called the HTC DLX in international markets. In Japan, this one is already launched as is called the HTC J Butterfly. For the rest of the world we have some rumored launch dates and some new pics. In China the phone will supposedly launch on December 6, and in Taiwan it will release on December 10th. There is no word of a European release date. Of course the Verizon version, the HTC Droid DNA, is likely going to be officially unveiled by Verizon and HTC tomorrow at their joint press event. We will be keeping a close watch on this to share all the gritty details.

In the mean-time, check out this link for a couple more pics: More pics of the HTC DNA/DLX

Source: AndroidAuthority

TT
TTo follow up on

Following up on DGStorns story, a lil bit more info has been leaked out. As you can see from the photo, the HTC DNA is showing up in databases. It seems Verizon is pairing up with phonedog.com for a live unboxing.

The HTC DNA is expected to be announced this Tues by Verizon. Scheduled release date: Nov 20.

Official Artist Rendering:

Via: DROID DOES

Still want that Note 2? Or wait...??

Recently, NVIDIA CEO, Jen-Hsun Huang, made the statement that a good tablet is better than a cheap PC. He was speaking during a recent earnings call and addressing questions regarding the direction of NVIDIA. Of course, with the world PC sales stagnating, NVIDIA was wise to push head-long into the mobile landscape, and apparently they are doing quite well because of it. He made the statement when specifically asked about the Nexus 7 and the new Microsoft Surface RT tablets. Here's a quote,

Questioned about the two Tegra 3-powered devices, Huang showed confidence in the potential of tablets, saying that the Surface represents a “new breed of tablets meant to get for getting work done”. He went on to claim that “[tablets are] getting more and more powerful, and they’re much better than a cheap PC.”

So, what do you guys think? Is a good tablet now a better investment than a cheap PC? How much more can the average user do on a PC than they could do on a tablet?

Source: AndroidAuthority

Oh how the mighty fall sometimes. Sony was once one of the most untouchable, powerful and profitable companies on the planet. Now, they are struggling to survive. Moody's, the credit rating agency, just announced they are downgrading Sony's credit rating to "one step above junk." They also added,

“Without robust restructuring in the coming 12-18 months, Sony’s non-financial services businesses will at best achieve roughly break even, and are also at risk of remaining unprofitable.”

To put it in perspective how bad things are for Sony, just this year they had to combine forces with their competitors, Toshiba and Hitachi just to be able to create competitive LCD TV products. They have been getting hammered by better technology from Samsung and LG. Sony TVs were once the "de facto standard" for reference designs, yet now Sony's R&D is so behind they have to form alliances with their rivals. Do any of you guys remember the old CRT Sony Trinitron TVs? I remember having one that was over twenty years old and it still had a perfect picture.

Sony's fairly new (seven months in the position) CEO, Kazuo Hirai, is now focusing the company's resources on digital imaging, gaming, and mobile. Will he be able to turn the company around? Only time will tell.

Source: AndroidAuthority

Acer may be struggling to gain any ground in the Android tablet market, but they are tenaciously striving to do so. We just got wind of a new Acer Iconia A220 tablet complete with Android 4.1/Ice Cream Sandwich and a quad-core Tegra 3. This will likely be the next gen of the Iconia A210. It was found in a GL Benchmark database. Here are the primary specs that will likely be included with this one:

• Tegra 3 chip by NVIDIA 1.3GHz
• 10.1 inch 1280 by 800 pixel display
• Android 4.1.2

Of course, with this leak we have no idea of pricing and availability, but we suspect it will be a competitively priced 10-incher, and will likely hit around Christmas or early next year. What do you guys think of this one?

Source: AcerTabletForum via PhoneArena

Although the November 13th release date of the Google Nexus 10 is fast approaching, it looks like there are some WalMart stores that may have the device early. A WalMart customer snapped the above shot of the placeholder for the Nexus 10 tablet, and it shows "in stock." The actually device was not on the shelf however, and according to the source of this intel, it was late at night and there were no sales associates that could assist them with this.

On the surface this gives the appearance that WalMart might get the device early, but more than likely this is simply diligent employees getting prepared and setup ahead of time. I doubt that you will see the device actually out on the store shelves and available, but it is possible, so you might want to check with your local WalMart this weekend.

Source: NexusTablets.net via BriefMobile

The Asus Transformer Pad Infinity started receiving a rollout for a new firmware update, which is v10.4.4.20. This new update brings with it a host of fixes and improvements. Here's a breakdown below,

• WiFi Direct = Fine-tune WiFi Direct connection behavior.
• Camera = Fix the issue that in certain “aspect ratio” and “picture size” photos, the pixel dimension of the picture would be different if taken in landscape and portrait mode.
• Settings = Fix the issue that, during HDMI output, the output screen will get cropped after chooses “HDMI” item in “Settings”. Fix no items issue in HDMI setting page when output via HDMI. Fix screen flickering issue when rotating the pad after adjusting brightness bar in “Settings”.
• WiFi = Fix lingering “Turning Wi-Fi on” status.
• Bluetooth = Improve Bluetooth compatibility.
• App Backup = Fix lingering backup success status when user removes SD card during the backup process.
• Sound Recorder = Fix unplayable Sound Recorder file when inserted in Supernote.
• Browser = Fix garbled typing result when selecting English after Chinese with Zuyin IME.
• Third-party App = 高德導航Upgrade to 5.1.8001.0033.0033-20121010 (CN SKU only). MyCloud Upgrade to 0.9.115.1493. Polaris Upgrade to 3.5_5r14741FV06. Remove掌上百度 (CN SKU only).

If you want to grab it manually, here's a link: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. -Support- Drivers and Download ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity TF700T

Source: TransformerForums

Access granted! That's the new phrase the tweakers and devs of the community can now use regarding the Photon Q 4G LTE, Atrix HD, RAZR M, RAZR i & RAZR HD when they want to root it. Although Moto has already been providing a way to unlock some of these phones, the folks over at XDA worked out a special method that allows owners to get root access without unlocking the phone’s bootloader. The process is fairly in-depth with several steps, so you will want to check out the full details at the source link below. One other thing to note is that this method doesn't work if you run the leaked Jelly Bean ROM. It's also a bit more complicated for the RAZR i than the other phones, but if you are undaunted, then this root exploit obviously has its uses.

Source: XDA

Today, at the Wells Fargo Securities Technology, Media, and Telecom Conference in New York City, Verizon's CFO, Fran Shammo, shared that Big Red's 4G LTE infrastructure will be finished with its rollout by the end of 2013. Here's a quote with a few more details,

Though Verizon had some issues with its LTE launch at the start, including the great service blackout of 2011, Shammo touted Verizon's reliability, citing the fact that Verizon's $3.9 billion buyout of nationwide AWS spectrum will give it an edge for at least five years. He added that Verizon will continue to look for opportunities to increase its spectrum in order to match demand, as about 250 million people utilize Verizon's LTE network, and the company hopes to increase that to at least 260 million by the end of the year. Verizon's LTE coverage should match the current 3G CMDA spread by the end of 2013.

Despite the company's push to increase its spectrum, Shammo mentioned that it will not be consolidating with other carriers or smaller competitors because that's not something that's likely to be approved by regulators.

Source: ArsTechnica

Some reviewers have been pointing out that the RAZR MAXX HD may not be all it's cracked up to be. Again, judgement is in the eye of the beholder. But some are reporting smeared, kinda like when you press down on an LCD screen and see an array of rainbow colors. But just something to keep in mind before you buy... test all your choices and make sure it's what you want!

Think this will affect your decision?

Via: Pocketnow

Here's a handy-dandy review compilation for you guys to check out on the Google Nexus 4. Overall, the feedback on the device is very positive. It's hard not to be tempted by an unlocked high-end device with a slew of cool features. For the most part the biggest complaint about the device was the lack of LTE, although this is less of an issue throughout the international markets. The other obvious complaint was the lack of a microSD slot, but again, this depends on the needs of the user. For specifics, here is a list of summations on the device with links to their respective articles:

Engadget - Engadget had their typical solid and thorough writeup which included benchmarks, pics and video.

The idea that a Nexus quad-core smartphone is hitting the market with a starting price one dollar shy of $300 is simply stunning. Even more so is that it's available without any contract or carrier locks, which means you can use it virtually anywhere in the world. Adding yet another layer of amazement is the fact that this particular device will always be among the first (if not the first) to get the latest version of Android for the foreseeable future. What once was a smartphone series designed for developers has been decked out with top-notch features and priced so attractively that consumers will take notice of it; there's nothing comparable that comes close to it in that price range. This is a smartphone that we'd normally expect to be much more expensive unlocked, but Google set a precedent by lowering the cost of the Galaxy Nexus, keeping the Nexus 7 at $200 and is now continuing the trend with the Nexus 4. The price of freedom has never been more reasonable.

Sure, the Nexus 4 is not without its hiccups, but none of its predecessors have been perfect, either. And given the boost in real-world performance, the better camera and various other new features, it's even more tempting than all those previous devices whose shoes it's trying to fill. In a case like this... you have our permission not to resist.

The Verge - The Verge offered up an engaging and enjoyable to read review. It was just the right length and includes some very detailed statistics at the end.

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We thought it would be useful to share an Op-ed with our favorite primary reasons for choosing a Google Nexus 10 tablet over an iPad (of any variety). Obviously, we realize that most of you guys are huge Android fans anyway since you are a member of this forum, so for some that is the best reason. Still, for anyone out there looking for a full-sized tablet instead of the eBook-sized 7-Inch tablets, then here are seven of the best reasons why you should consider the Nexus 10 over the iPad:

1. It has a very competitive price. The newest iPad (gen-4) is $499.99 for the base 16GB model. The equivalent storage space model of the Nexus 10 is $100 bucks cheaper at $399.99. In fact, if you reverse that perspective, and compare the Nexus 10 to the iPad Mini, then you can get a 10-inch device that is only $70 bucks more than Apple's 7-incher.
   
   
2. The display on the new Nexus 10 is superior in every way. Now, that is not to say that the the display on the iPad 3 or the iPad 4 is poor. These versions of the iPad have a gorgeous display; however, with the Nexus 10, not only are all the "nerd-stats" literally higher in every way (higher resolution and higher pixels per inch, and it is even slightly bigger at a true 10-inches), but when you stare at the Nexus 10, it is noticeable how much more vibrant and brilliant the display appears. Since 100% of what you do with your tablet (unless you use it as an expensive paper-weight) will be staring at the screen, then you want to get the best you can.
   
   
3. The internet and browsing performance is faster on the Nexus 10. This is due to the MIMO support built-in to the device (as long as you are comparing the WiFi only versions). The Multiple-input, Multiple-output (MIMO) WiFi of the Nexus 10 insures that your experience with the tablet will "feel" faster, simply because webpages will load more quickly and apps will download more quickly. Obviously, if you intend to go with a 3G or 4G version of the tablet you choose, then this reason is rendered moot.
   
   
4. The Nexus 10 will have built-in support for the entire Google ecosystem. That means easy access to all your gmail, the Google Play Store, your Google cloud services, Google Maps and many other things that Apple is increasingly locking out for their customers. While we admit that sometimes the apps for Android are not as polished as what is available for iOS, that is slowly changing, and in fact, the Google Play Store is closing in on 800,000 apps available. Furthermore, Google is working better with developers to try and improve on how well their apps integrate with tablets versus smartphones.
   
   
5. The Nexus 10 has built-in Near Field

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When you see news like this, it just makes you wonder if you are living in a whole different dimension than other people. Apparently, there is a dimension where logic and reason are replaced by idiocy and madness. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) recently awarded a patent to Apple for literally a rounded rectangle. (Feel free to facepalm repeatedly now.)

The specifics of the patent relate to the iPad's "ornamental" design feature encapsulated in US Patent D670,286 for a "Portable display device." Here's a quote with some additional detail,

The '286 patent awarded on Tuesday appears to give Apple the exact patent the Samsung and Apple critics have erroneously claimed that the '889 patent was. The patent includes a number of drawings of the original iPad design, with most of its uniquely identifying features in dashed lines. As stated in the patent description, "broken lines in the Figures show portions of the portable display device which form no part of the claimed design."

The only unbroken line in all the figures is the outline of the flat, rounded rectangular front face of the device. All the other identifiable features, such as the speaker grille, round home button, display size, Dock connector, or even its curved back, are not covered by this design patent.

It's important to note that it is unlikely this patent will actually make much difference for Apple in the courtroom, because there are almost no competitors creating devices that are direct duplicates of Apple's design. Still, the fact that an actual thinking human being made this decision says sad things about the survival of our species...

Source: ArsTechnica

It has finally happened. By sheer numbers there is now a new king of all smartphones, and it is not an iPhone. The Samsung Galaxy S III has finally unseated the Apple iPhone. The SGS3 had the best total sales across all devices, and is also the sole best-selling smartphone device on earth for quarter 3 of 2012. In both global shipments and marketshare, the crown now passes from the Apple iPhone 4S to the SGS3. Here's a quote with the full scoop,

Strategy Analytics: Samsung Galaxy S3 Becomes World's Best-Selling Smartphone Model in Q3 2012

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, Samsung’s Galaxy S3 overtook Apple’s iPhone 4S to become the world’s best-selling smartphone model for the first time ever in the third quarter of 2012. A large touchscreen, extensive distribution and generous operator subsidies have propelled the Galaxy S3 to the top spot.

Neil Shah, Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics, said, “Samsung’s Galaxy S3 smartphone model shipped 18.0 million units worldwide during the third quarter of 2012. The Galaxy S3 captured an impressive 11 percent share of all smartphones shipped globally and it has become the world’s best-selling smartphone model for the first time ever. A large touchscreen design, extensive distribution across dozens of countries, and generous operator subsidies have been among the main causes of the Galaxy S3’s success. Apple shipped an estimated 16.2 million iPhone 4S units worldwide for second place, as consumers temporarily held off purchases in anticipation of a widely expected iPhone 5 upgrade at the end of the quarter.”

Neil Mawston, Executive Director at Strategy Analytics, added, “Samsung’s Galaxy S3 has proven wildly popular with consumers and operators across North America, Europe and Asia. However, the Galaxy S3’s position as the world’s best-selling smartphone model is likely to be short-lived. The Apple iPhone 5 has gotten off to a solid start already with an estimated 6.0 million units shipped globally during Q3 2012. We expect the new iPhone 5 to out-ship Samsung’s Galaxy S3 in the coming fourth quarter of 2012 and Apple should soon reclaim the title of the world’s most popular smartphone model.”

Exhibit 1: Global Smartphone Shipments & Marketshare by Model in Q3 2012 1



1 Numbers are rounded. Updated total. The Samsung Galaxy S3 total does not include the S3 Mini, S2, S or any other related models. The iPhone

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