Apple notched a significant win last week when it was awarded a key patent related to basic multitouch functionality. The patent was first called “hugely problematic” for other smartphone makers, owing to its “incredibly broad” scope by PC Magazine, but most now agree that the initial response overstated things a little. Even so, it’s a patent that provides a key advantage when it comes to touchscreen mobile computing, one which may present real and much bigger headaches for the competition.

Defense, not hunting license

Don’t think of this as a hunting license for Apple, or permission to launch a broad offensive against its competitors in the smartphone space. While FOSS Patents’ Florian Mueller told me the patent is “excessively broad” in his own personal opinion, “it’s nowhere near the scope of a patent on anything multitouch.” UBS analyst Maynard Um said in an email to his clients that the patents held by Apple seem intended mostly “for defensive purposes,” since “collecting royalty is not Apple’s business model.”

In other words, competitors will still have to cross specific boundaries to incur a legal response from Apple, but where those lines are drawn reveal the key to why the patent is so valuable. This patent covers the ability to navigate in apps and web pages with a one-finger flick, and two-finger scrolling for embedded elements within a frame, which are all part of what makes the iOS user experience so good.

Um believes “Google and Microsoft may find work-around solutions in their mobile operating systems to avoid any infringement,” but Mueller points out that “staying outside that claimed territory will always come with some degradation of the user experience.” It’s that UX advantage that Apple wants to maintain with this patent.

More buttons for competitors

Apple’s touch interface on iOS devices has broad appeal because it works intuitively, and it has familiarity because of the broad reach of iOS (over 187 million iOS devices had been sold at last count). If you want to see more content on an iOS device, you push the screen down or pull it up, and the on-screen software responds as one would expect. According to Mueller, staying clear of Apple’s new multitouch patents would likely involve using additional icons or buttons for things like zoom and scrolling, which add a level of complexity to touch interaction. Basically, it would degrade UX on competing platforms. People new to touchscreen computing, and users used to iOS, would have trouble adjusting to these added elements, and they would also make for a cluttered interface. Apple, in other words, is better positioned to achieve a kind of user experience lock-in that would be hard for the competition to overcome.

That’s not to say Apple will be the only handset manufacturer to implement things like two-finger scrolling. Mueller notes that since Apple is already involved in patent litigation with Motorola, Samsung and HTC, it could reach cross-licensing agreements that allow other hardware to use its multi-touch patents as part of a settlement in some of those cases.

Ultimately, this patent is undeniably a win for Apple, and a loss for the competition, but it doesn’t mean we’ll see Apple turn into a litigating monster. It, does, however add some more legal backing to Apple’s existing UX advantage in the smartphone game, which will have long-reaching effects for the future of the market.

Related content from GigaOM Pro (subscription req’d):

• A Media Tablet Forecast, 2011 – 2015
• A Global Mobile Handset Platform Forecast, 2011 – 2015
• The rise of tablets in the enterprise

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River's players stand dejected after their relegation was confirmed.

Back in 1978, when he was a star at River Plate, Daniel Passarella lifted the World Cup trophy for Argentina at the Estadio Monumental. It was at the same venue on Sunday, as club president, that he experienced the humiliation of watching Los Milionarios being relegated for the first time in their previously illustrious history.

Many of River's irate supporters have blamed their former captain and coach for the club's demise, but the reasons are rooted so much deeper. This has been brewing for a long time.

Don't get me wrong, Passarella is one of the culprits, but it would be narrow minded to point the finger at a man who has just been there for a couple of years, when for at least a decade, presidents and sporting directors have been destroying the club by selling their most prized assets and replacing them with mediocre talent, while hiring and firing coaches at an alarming rate.

There are two numbers that jump outwhen considering River's recent history: In the last three Argentine seasons, the club had six coaches and fielded a grand total 64 players. It's a ridiculous turnover and it tells a story of instability, both on and off the pitch.

If the number of managers employed was silly, as each coach had an average of only 19 games in charge, then the club's haste in selling young players before they reached their potential was simply self destructive.

Over the last six years, River has sold the likes of Javier Mascherano, Lucho Gonzalez, Gonzalo Higuain, Radamel Falcao and Diego Buonanotte, all stars who are currently shining in Europe. Granted, all are players who would have left sooner or later, but they were dispatched too early. They left before they matured and before the club found suitable replacements.

It would be naive to fail to understand that Latin American clubs need to sell players in order to make money and balance the books. However, River's policy made absolutely no sense.

While they sold solid and skilful young players, they brought in the likes of Ariel Ortega, Matias Almeyda and Marcelo Gallardo to replace them. Now these were players who may have enjoyed some stellar seasons in the past at the Monumental, but when they returned to the club, they had little to offer while commanding huge wages. Far from having a positive influence on the dressing room, they struggled to stay in shape or in form and deserted the squad when they were needed the most.

This all tells the tale of a truly tragic story. Not only because River is the most successful club in Argentina, or that we won't get to watch them play in the Superclasico against Boca Juniors next season, but because it might be a while before they come back up and because it could be a sign of things to come for more of South America's traditional powerhouses.

While in Brazil, the likes of Palmeiras and Vasco da Gama have been recently relegated, who's to say that Boca won't follow suit in Argentina? Los Xeneizes have only won one of the last six league titles and finished 12th and 7th in this season's Apertura and Clausura respectively. Like River have done, Boca have also consistently rotated managers and players without ever giving anyone a proper chance.

So this could be a crucial time for Latin America's football elite. Learn from River's mistakes or follow in their footsteps and fall into the abyss.

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A no-name PMP selling for $179 at Brando — purveyor of all things inexpensive, electronic and often USB-powered — may not ordinarily make the grade for us, but this so-called Gadmei P83 device has one somewhat notable trick up its sleeve. It packs an 8-inch, 1,280 x 768 display that’s able to do glasses-free 3D video. Of course, you’re left to yourself to actually hunt down or provide your own compatible video files, and the PMP itself is decidedly ordinary otherwise: 4GB of storage, an SD card slot for expansion, and the usual media playback capabilities and nothing more (no one’s going to confuse this for a tablet). Still curious? Head on past the break for a video that offers a slightly more accurate depiction of the device than the image above.

Continue reading Gadmei P83 PMP does glasses-free 3D for $179

Gadmei P83 PMP does glasses-free 3D for $179 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Jun 2011 04:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Analysts have begun their traditional pre-release Apple hardware predictions for the next generation of iPhone. It may have started a little later this year, but that only makes it all the more interesting, as we eagerly await Apple’s first iPhone refresh that will take substantially more than a year to arrive.

If Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Whitmore (via Fortune ) is right, the next iPhone(s) may well be worth the wait. Whitmore says the bank’s clients should expect two iPhones this fall, one a true next-generation iPhone 5 device, and the other an “iPhone 4S” that would basically resemble the iPhone 4 in most regards, but would be sold unlocked for use with pre-paid service for $349. Whitmore points out that this would be a smart move for Apple if the company wants to continue growing in emerging markets like Africa, Asia and Latin American, where pre-paid contracts make up the vast majority of all cellular service.

Whitmore doesn’t cite any specific sources for his prediction, and a lower-cost iPhone has long been a popular theme among Apple watchers and analysts, but this year is the first time Apple has given any indication it could have designs in that direction. Apple COO Tim Cook said in an interview with Bernstein analyst Toni Saccognaghi that Apple was indeed interested in producing cheaper hardware for customers who might have tighter budgets than the average current iPhone buyer. Apple also recently started selling the iPhone 4 unlocked in the U.S., indicating it’s at least interested in appealing more to the contract-wary customer.

Apple is already doing well in key emerging markets, like China, where it saw 250 percent growth during the company’s second quarter. That doesn’t mean it couldn’t stand to do better by embracing a sales model in keeping with what smartphone shoppers in international markets are more familiar with. Choice is still a primary driver of smartphone sales, which is why Android’s multi-vendor licensing model has proven so successful. Pre-paid is also on the rise as a service option even in the U.S., which means Apple could capitalize both at home and abroad with a device aimed at that growing category of users.

Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty made some predictions about the next iPhone over the weekend, reporting production of a new model should begin in the last half of August, with the intent to ship devices in late September. Such a timeline would make sense if Apple were revamping the annual iPod refresh, and instead making the iPhone the star of the show.

If Apple does have two iPhone hardware choices on offer come fall, one with more features but a higher price and tied to a contract, and one with older tech but a lower cost of entry and fewer strings attached, which would you opt for?

Related content from GigaOM Pro (subscription req’d):

• A Media Tablet Forecast, 2011 – 2015
• A Global Mobile Handset Platform Forecast, 2011 – 2015
• Why iMessage won’t kill SMS

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We’ve already noted our slip into Bizarro World, a strange and topsy-turvy land where — thanks to patent-infringement claims — Microsoft strikes licensing deals with Android device makers. Redmond has used a carrot-and-stick strategy thus far, suing competing manufacturers (Barnes and Noble, Motorola) while reaching a protective royalty agreement with HTC, which, not coincidentally, also makes Windows Phones. Today, another company joins the licensee list: General Dynamics Itronix, known for its rugged computers, some of which do run Windows. Neither company offered much in the way of details, other than declaring that Itronix will pay royalties, but we’ve no reason to believe it’s too different from HTC’s arrangement. See the press release after the break for an excellent example of terse, unrevealing business-speak.

Continue reading Microsoft inks Android patent deal with Itronix, causes more heads to explode

Microsoft inks Android patent deal with Itronix, causes more heads to explode originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Jun 2011 21:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyundai seems to be on road developing a Veloster with a traditional five-door body style.

Though it sounds peculiar, it has to be noted that Hyundai could be hedging their bets in case consumers balk at the current model’s four-door arrangement which has two normal doors, a tiny third door (on the passenger side) and a rear hatch.

Designed to compete with the Mini Cooper and Scion tC, the previous version of Veloster featured motorcycle-inspired styling that is highlighted by black A-pillars, muscular wheel arches, LED-infused headlights, a center-mounted dual exhaust, and 17-inch alloy wheels (18-inchers are optional).  Though Hyundai called the Veloster a three-door coupe, the car actually had four-doors as there’s two traditional front doors, a hatch, and a unique forward-hinged rear door (on the passenger side) which improves access to the back seat.

So far, there has been no word as to when the model will be launched.

Stay tuned.

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iOS 5 beta 2 arrived late last week for registered Apple developers, and the update did more than just smooth things out. It also brought some changes to the way the OS looks, feels and acts, according to reports. Here’s a breakdown of the major changes.

Wi-Fi sync

Wi-Fi sync was always an option in iOS 5 beta 1 and iTunes 10.5 beta 1, but you couldn’t actually do anything with it. Now, once enabled, you can wirelessly sync with your computer, so long as both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network. This will probably be the feature that most benefits the average iOS device owner, possibly short of the new notifications system.

OTA updates

Apple has reportedly turned on the ability to update over the air with iOS 5. Updates will also apparently work over cellular data networks, although some major point releases will have to be done over Wi-Fi. Some are speculating the next beta may be made available as a wireless update now that the functionality is enabled, so we’ll have to wait and see how well it works.

Backup to iCloud as a setup option

You can now choose to backup your device to iCloud right from the initial on-device setup. Before, you had to enable this after the fact through your Settings app. It’s a small tweak, but it brings the promise of a post-PC future for iOS that much closer.

Gevey SIM unlock blocked

If you wanted to use the Gevey SIM card to unlock your factory-locked iPhone or iPad, it looks like Apple is finally closing that loophole. Users report that beta 2 disables the Gevey hardware unlock, which was initially left untouched in iOS 5 beta 1.

New lock screen Notification style

Notifications now appear in a larger font beside their relevant app icon on the lock screen, and somewhat resemble their predecessors. If you don’t respond to them, they join the other notifications, lining up in sequential order at the top of the lock screen. In my opinion, this looks like an improvement, since it gives primary focus to new alerts as they come in, while it also still keeps track of everything that you may have missed while your device is locked.

Apple has also made a number of smaller changes, like the replacement of the iCloud icon in the Settings app with the metallic one that it has used in promo materials. SMS messages also look just a tad bit different; there’s an option to Group By Album Artist (which can differ from Artist in iTunes metadata) in the Music app; swiping up in Messages will dismiss the keyboard; the Stocks widget is turned off by default, and if your Notification Center is empty, it will display “No New Notifications” instead of nothing.

Any other changes we may have missed that you’re aware of?

Related content from GigaOM Pro (subscription req’d):

• A Media Tablet Forecast, 2011 – 2015
• Why iMessage won’t kill SMS
• Mobile Q1: All Eyes on Tablets, T-Mobile and AT&T

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Almost every car stereo available today has some way to connect to your Apple devices, but Pioneer is looking at even tighter integration with Apple’s iOS devices through custom-built apps, including one that works with popular online music service Pandora. So when the factory issued radio in my car needed replacing I decided to have Pioneer’s DEH-6300UB receivers installed. Here’s how it turned out.

Take control of iOS on the road

The Multi Control on the DEH-6300UB is reminiscent of click-wheel iPod controls, and offers the ability to navigate through songs, albums, artists, genre and even playlists, right from your dash. Playback, however is not limited to just the iPod app; you can play the audio from any app you own. One really nice feature: during the playback of a song, if you decide you want to hear more by the same artist, from the same album, or within the same genre, you just press and hold the Multi Control button to cycle through those options. It’s like a more specific Genius function at your fingertips.

Pandora on wheels

Rather than adding cellular and Wi-Fi capabilities to your car stereo, Pioneer has been integrating features into its receivers that take advantage of the connection options already on your iOS device. In particular, the pioneer-developed PandoraLink App really illustrates this point. Once connected via USB, you can navigate through your custom stations, skip and bookmark songs. You can even rate a song “Thumbs-Up” or “Thumbs-Down” using the Multi Control. Audio stream quality and ability to use the service will depend on your iOS device’s connection strength, of course.

iTunes tagging from the FM tuner

Just as you can bookmark a song you’re listening to on Pandora, you can can also “Tag” the tracks on any FM station that supports the Radio Data System (RDS). Tagged tracks will be added to a custom “Tagged” playlist on your device that will carry over to iTunes when your device is synced next. The DEH-6300UB will even collect and store your Tags until the next time your iOS device is connected if you tag tracks while your device isn’t connected to the system. While I do not listen to FM stations too much anymore, it is nice to know that when I do, I can take note of a new song I like without having to use Shazam or SoundHound while driving.

Pioneer is a smart company that’s taking advantage of what users already have in terms of usable entertainment sources with their iOS devices. The AppRadio is another great example, and one that takes iOS integration even further. If you’re looking for an after-market way to get your car iPhone connected, the DEH-6300UB is a good option, and Pioneer in general has a solid line of offerings.

Related content from GigaOM Pro (subscription req’d):

• Mobile Q1: All Eyes on Tablets, T-Mobile and AT&T
• A Media Tablet Forecast, 2011 – 2015
• A Global Mobile Handset Platform Forecast, 2011 – 2015

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Look out CBS, Charlie Sheen is coming back to TV with a new show. And from the looks of his new character, it looks like he’s gunning straight for “Two and a Half Men.”

RadarOnline.com reports that Sheen has signed a deal with Lionsgate Television, and that networks are currently in a bidding war to distribute the new comedy.

FOX411: Sheen Puts Sober Valley Ranch Up for Sale.

“Charlie has inked a deal with Lionsgate Television to create and star in a new sitcom,” an insider tells the entertainment site. “Charlie’s character will be very similar to the one he played on ‘Two And a Half Men,’ however the show will be a lot racier. Networks and cable are bidding on the show right now, with TBS being the front runner.”

TBS recently raised its profile when it signed Conan O’Brien to anchor its late night programming after the comedian quit his job as host of the “Tonight Show.” Signing Sheen after his much publicized break with “Two and a Half Men” would mark a similar strategy in prime time.

(Interestingly, both performers also went on comedy tours after they left their respective shows.)

POP TARTS: Will ‘Two and a Half Men’ Tank With Ashton Kutcher?

“Cable makes more sense because it offers more creative freedom,” the insider adds. “The show can be raunchier and more outrageous, which is perfect for Charlie.”

The deal sounds like a winner for Sheen, too, should the show prove successful.

FOX411: Sheen Mocks Kutcher Hire on ‘Two and a Half Men.’

“Lionsgate … have committed to 10 episodes up front with the option to pick up and produce 90 more episodes if the ratings prove to be successful,” the source said. ” This means … that Charlie will make more money than ever before.”

Sheen was making close to $2 million an episode when he was fired from “Two and a Half Men” following a war of words with the show’s executive producer, Chuck Lorre. Ashton Kutcher will replace Sheen in that show’s upcoming season.

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The LG Revolution launched back at CES to high expectations.  While it doesn’t quite live up to the lofty name, it’s definitely one of the better Android smartphones around.
Physically, it’s a big and heavy handset with a premium feel.  The heft feels great in hand, while the soft matte material makes it comfortable enough to handle.  A large 4.3-inch capacitive

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