There are several technology giants currently at war in the courts over the IP (Intellectual Property) rights for smartphones and tablet computers.

Here’s a smattering of the recent news reports:
Samsung to pay Microsoft royalties over Android
Samsung and Apple warring over patents again
T-Mobile wants to prevent U.S. ban on Samsung products
Microsoft ‘extorts profits from rivals’, claims Google
US trade body to probe HTC’s Apple technology complaint

So currently we seem to have several protagonists in this technology war:

• Samsung
• Apple
• T-Mobile
• Verizon
• Microsoft
• HTC
• Google

Samsung and Apple are locked in a legal wrangle over technology patents; It’s a ‘who owns what’ tit-for-tat battle, triggered by the release of the Samsung Galaxy Tab, tablet PC.
Now I know a client who has one of these little beauties and I can see that it is significantly different from the iPad, in both look and feel – the very thing that Apple have launched the case over.
It’s interesting that both T-Mobile and Verizon have asked that the Apple case be set aside – both of these companies are massive telecom companies –  and come to stand side-by-side with Samsung.

In the case of Samsung and Microsoft it seems ridiculous that they [Samsung] are having to pay Microsoft royalties when their device runs the Andriod operating system – i.e. not running Windows.

To give a personal insight, I have been involved in a lengthy case regarding these very issues and know just how murky they can get. The work ‘complex’ doesn’t even get close to the reality of what can be called in to question. It took me a long time to defend a legal claim which we finally won. What a waste of everyone’s time… 

The ridiculous laws concerning copyright and IP are also partly to blame in the way these things are conducted, as it’s sometimes necessary to replicate something to achieve something else.

Imagine if I wanted to design a car and someone had IP rights for the wheel, or a bolt, for instance. Would I expect to have to pay someone for the use of that wheel or bolt? In the case of programming and electronics, without creating a whole new way of writing code, or making a component, it is impossible to make something without infringing someone’s rights.

Want to know something really scary? In the USA they have started protecting DNA, the fundamental building block of life. Soon you may not even have the right to your own DNA ~ how ridiculous is that??

I think the bottom line is simple – ditch these stupid laws. They don’t stop copies being made and simply make the legal practitioners lots of money. Consumers never get a better product as a result of these cases, and it harms the progression of technology.

One day perhaps…

 

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Details were recently released on who the nation think is the worst broadband supplier.
Guess who managed to be right there at the top of the ‘Most Complaints List’?

TalkTalk tops UK complaints list

Here’s the stats:
TalkTalk – 0.58 (complaints per 1,000 customers)
BT Retail – 0.43
Orange – 0.37
BSkyB – 0.20
Virgin Media – 0.15

Nice!

It’s really sad to see TalkTalk up there again – they’ve consistently been having problems and have been in the news for bad service. Still, they are obviously still running a business that people wish to buy from.

Not surprised to see BT there though…

I call it the ‘British’ syndrome ~ somehow some companies get a reputation that contradicts the truth of the matter, and people trust them despite what the evidence tells them. In the case I usually use, how many older people still use British Gas because they use the word ‘British’? despite usually being more expensive and offering poor service. Royal Mail is another…

Well, I suppose we can only wish that these stats get somewhere toward giving us consumers a better level of service…

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For years now we’ve heard nothing good about video games from the worlds media.

Be it CNN, BBC, Reuters ~ all are guilty of painting those that enjoy computer games as anything from simply lazy to gun wielding psychopaths just waiting for the right moment.

Now it seems that something fantastic has come from the very people the media love to vilify.

How does helping to cure AIDS sound?

Now who’s a social misfit?

It seems that some bright spark realised that the human brain is infinitely better equipped to solve complex puzzles than a computer ~ by virtue of something unique to us called ‘intuition’.

A game of building proteins was created and players challenged to create the best or to predict the structure of one, using a simply method. Players are also invited to create new proteins that could pave the way for future treatments.

The news worthy event (and the reason for this post), is that gamers finally solved a complex problem that had been defeating the best minds and computer models for decades.
The structure of something with the very catchy name of M-PMV retroviral protease was discovered – this is an enzyme important in the development of a virus similar to HIV, and is an important step to producing an effective treatment.

Have a read of the BBC news post here…
Online game Foldit helps anti-Aids drug quest

Now that’s solved, back to zapping those rampaging trolls with my +6 sword of megadeath.

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Google+ finally revealed itself to the public today.

For those who may not have heard about it, it’s a new social networking site from the guys that brought you searching.

It has been running behind closed doors for about 2.5 months and went ‘live’ today – with over 10 Million users.

This was achieved by use of an invitation system, allowing those privileged few who got the original invites to invite friends and colleagues etc. They also made it ‘cool’ to be one of those who got an invite - Viral marketing for want of another phrase.

It has already been praised for having some innovative features – grouping who sees what with ‘Circles’, ‘Hangouts’, where you can video call your friends, and some cool mobile apps.

Anyhow, now it’s there and no doubt coming to a screen near you soon…

Have a read…

Google+ opens social network to everyone

If you are wanting to visit and/or join:

Google+

 

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I’ve read 3 little articles in this weeks news that got me thinking…

1^st up was Low demand hurts Blackberry maker
This details that RIM (Research in Motion – the people behind Blackberry) are have a few business problems.
It reminded me of a conversation I had with a supplier of the Blackberry devices – and possibly the only time I’ve had a decent conversation about Blackberry without someone saying they were either loved or loathed.

I was asking why someone could possible choose a Blackberry when any of the recent smart phone releases would be better choice.

He replied by telling me that the point of the Blackberrys was to provide the absolute needed information without any of the bloat associated with the other devices. This would only ever be relevant if you conduct business outside of your usual country. Less guff = lower roaming costs (in this case considerably lower costs!).

At that moment I had an epiphany!

2^nd home was No web Flash on Windows 8 tablets
This a simple story written by Microsoft’s head if Internet Explorer development.

It says that on some version of the next release of Windows (namely the ones aimed at tablet PCs), Flash technology would not be supported – to put that in context, YouTube, Hulu, VEVO, Yahoo! Video, metacafe, Reuters.com, and the BBC all use Flash to display video content (I’m sure you’ll have heard of at least one of those sites!).

This seems like a phenomenally stupid thing to do – Dean Hachamovitch says that it’s because they don’t want to support ‘old’ technology, but I cant help thinking that this is a massive ‘oops’ moment on the horizon.

Finally this really got me ranting: Sony asks gamers to waive rights
Sony – that behemoth of the electronics industry – has new T&Cs agreement that Playstation Network subscribers have to agree to to play. You know that annoying ‘I agree’ thing you get when installing any software? That.

Now this states that by agreeing – and you have to to play remember – “any Dispute Resolution Proceedings, whether in arbitration or court, will be conducted only on an individual basis and not in a class or representative action or as a named or unnamed member in a class, consolidated, representative or private attorney general action”. I.E. if you are going to sue you must do it on an individual basis – and then only after seeing a Sony appointed ‘arbitrator’.

What?!!?!?!

Now people must agree to waive their legal right to sue if they have an issue with Sony? What if their nice new shiny TV burns down the neighbourhood killing all occupants but a Playstation Network subscriber?

This is mental to say the least.

Sadly the T&Cs appear at the bottom of the agreement, and I don’t know of anyone who will read it before they join the masses of online players, and will get carried forth on the zeal of gamers lust for their latest fix.

Some things are just simply wrong…

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