BODY readability=”44″BRSTRONGA href=”http://www.tiffanyupdate.com/”tiffany/A/STRONGSTRONGA href=”http://www.tiffanyupdate.com/”tiffany store/A/STRONG???BRThe Internet has provided an unprecedented opportunity for businesses of all types be they large or small, to market themselves to potential customers on a global basis. If you are ready to take the plunge and bring out the entrepreneur in you, what type of business should you choose? PThe possibilities are endless, but you may want to consider the types of enterprises designed to fulfil the basic human needs of food, clothing, and shelter. No matter what the economic conditions are at any given time, these needs have to be met. Your best bet for a successful home based Internet marketing business may well lay under one of these broad categories. You may also want to consider using the Internet to market a product or service designed to cater to the growing number of seniors, who are living longer, healthier lives than ever before. STRONGA href=”http://www.tiffanyupdate.com/”tiffany on sale/A/STRONG/PPOne you have narrowed down your search to a specific product or service, how should you proceed?/PP1. Create a Business Plan/PPA business plan is basically a road map for how you would like your home based Internet marketing business to grow and develop. All businesses need to have a plan to stay on track, and a home based Internet marketing business is no exception. /PPYour business plan should demonstrate that you have considered such factors as your target market, what your competitors are already offering, your own plan for marketing your home based Internet marketing business (including sales strategy and pricing), your operating plan, and financing. /PP2. Carve Out Your E-Niche/PPWho are your customers? Try to imagine what type of person would be likely to buy your product or service. BRSTRONGA href=”http://www.tiffanyupdate.com/”tiffany co/A/STRONG Would they be in a specific age group, have a certain income level, or be confined to a geographic region?/PP3. Purchase a Domain Name/PPAre you better off registering your own domain name when there are ways to start a Web site at no cost?/PPAbsolutely. You want your very own business to give off a professional image right from the start. The big corporations like IBM and Coca-Cola have their own domain names registered, and so should you. /PPThere are many sites which allow individuals to register a domain name. Be sure to check the policy of the company you are dealing with before you pay to register your domain name – if you register with a hosting company, you are really paying for the hosting service. STRONGA href=”http://www.tiffanyupdate.com/”tiffany wholesale/A/STRONG The hosting company is the one who owns the domain name, not you. This will create problems if you would like to switch to a different hosting company at a later date. /PP4. Sign Up With a Web Hosting Company/PPA web hosting company is simply the service that carries your Web site to your visitors. The hosting company is the sender and your visitors’ browser receives the information. STRONGA href=”http://www.tiffanyupdate.com/tiffany-bangles-c-19.html”buy tiffany bangle/A/STRONG /PPYou might have the same company that registered your domain name provide hosting services as well, or you might choose a different company for this purpose. You will more than likely be charged a certain amount per month as a hosting fee, which may be billed on a quarterly, semi-annual, or annual basis. /PP5. Promote Your Home based Internet marketing business/PPNow that you’ve got your home based Internet marketing business up and running, you have to find ways of driving traffic to your Web site. There are many ways to create interest, including submitting your site to search engines and online directories, writing a press release, announcing your site on newsgroups, or advertising in electronic magazines (e-zines). /PPWhatever type of promotion you choose to utilize, promotion of your business must be an ongoing activity in order to achieve success. STRONGA href=”http://www.tiffanyupdate.com/tiffany-pendants-c-23.html”Tiffany Pendants/A/STRONG As the number of visitors to your Web site increases, so will your online ranking and, ultimately, sales!BR???BRThe noble metal as the silver is known has been used in many ways as coins or jewelry. To protect from fraud a system of Hallmarking was first done in London as long ago in the year 1300. Many changes had taken place in the marking history of silver. /PPSILVER IS a so-called ‘noble’ metal, both its appearance and its uses have earned it this title. It has been employed for many centuries for coinage, jewelry and for making useful and ornamental articles. The pure metal is too soft to withstand normal wear and tear, and therefore it has to be mixed with small proportions of others to make an alloy strong enough to retain its shape and thickness. BRSTRONGA href=”http://www.tiffanyupdate.com/tiffany-bracelets-c-20.html”Tiffany and co Bracelets/A/STRONG /PPWithout complicated tests it is not possible to tell just how much actual silver is contained in any given quantity of the alloy, and a clear field is left for fraud. To safeguard the purchaser a system of testing and marking, known as ‘Hall-marking’ because it was first carried out at Goldsmith’s Hall in London, was instituted as long ago as the year 1300. /PPFrom then onwards a number of statutes directed that silverware should be marked with a lion passant to denote it was up to sterling standard, then with a further mark indicating the maker; and another, a letter of the alphabet, standing for the year in which the marking was done. /PPAdditional modifications included a figure of Britannia stamped on pieces with a higher percentage of pure silver than the normal; a mark showing the town where the assay was made: a leopard’s head for London, an anchor for Birmingham, a crown for Sheffield, etc. ; and the head of the sovereign from 1784 until 1890 denoting that Excise Duty on the article had been paid. STRONGA href=”http://www.tiffanyupdate.com/tiffany-pendants-c-23.html”Tiffany Key Pendants/A/STRONG The marks can be checked against published tables, which are obtainable easily, and from them can be learned the exact year in which a piece was marked. /PPIt is also possible in most instances to trace the name of the maker. Although silver is valued by weight it is offered for sale usually by the piece, and the more an article is in demand the higher is the price per ounce. It should be remembered that silversmiths use Troy weight:/PP1 pound = 12 ounces/PP1 ounce = 20 pennyweights (dwts. )/PP1 dwt. = 24 grains/PPPieces of old silver often have the weight engraved on the underside. BRSTRONGA href=”http://www.tiffanyupdate.com/tiffany-pendants-c-23.html”Tiffany Heart Pendants/A/STRONG The same weights are used for gold, and the quality of the metal is given in carats; which refer to the proportion of pure gold present out of a total of twenty-four parts. Thus, the expression 18-carat gold means that a piece is made from metal composed of eighteen parts of pure gold with six of alloy; 9-carat has nine parts of gold and fifteen of alloy, and so forth. /PPThere are severe penalties for forging marks and for selling unmarked or false silver, but occasional fakes are found. In the nineteenth century it was fashionable to take plain pieces of earlier period and ornament them with embossing and engraving. /PPThis work was sometimes accompanied by a ‘slight’ alteration to the piece; for instance, tankards were turned into jugs by the addition of a spout, and chamber pots into loving-cups by soldering on an extra handle. Embellishments and alterations of these kinds affect both the appearance and the value of a piece, and it is as well for the beginner to be suspicious of anything offered at a bargain price. As with other antiques of value, a reputable dealer who understands his goods will guide the purchaser soundly. /PPDue to the higher possibilities of fraud and faking the contents of the real silver, there have been many changes in the marking system of the silver wares. This marking was first done in London in the fourteenth century. There have been many faking instances, which invite different shorts of penalties. And this silver metal has been mixed with many other metals to make different items. BR. /PPA href=”http://blog.infolancer.net/”Other About tiffany and co rings blog /A/PPA href=”http://www.echantillons-gratuit.com/users/tyai”About tiffanyupdate.com blog /A/P
pSource: a href=”http://www.zdnet.com/photos/nosh-vs-oink-which-new-foodie-smartphone-application-is-best/6326297″ target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow”znet /a/p

PChris Velazco is a mobile enthusiast and writer who studied English and Marketing at Rutgers University. Once upon a time, he was the news intern for MobileCrunch, and in between posts, he worked in wireless sales at Best Buy. After graduating, he returned to the new TechCrunch to as a full-time mobile writer. He counts advertising, running, musical theater,… A href=”about:techcrunch.com/author/chris-velazco/”? Learn More/A /PIMG class=”attachment-post-detail wp-post-image” title=smartphone-market alt=smartphone-market src=”http://www.mgadgetnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/wpid-smartphone-market.gif” width=552 height=338 PAccording to A href=”http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/?p=29786″new data from Nielsen/A, Android has continued to pick up steam in the United States, and retains its crown as the most-used smartphone OS during Q3 2011. Google’s mobile OS now accounts for 43% of U.S. smartphones, up from the 39% A href=”http://techcrunch.com/2011/07/28/nielsen-android-takes-top-os-spot-apple-tops-manufacturers/”we saw back in July/A. Apple’s iOS, on the other hand, has remained lock-steady at 28% this whole time, putting it at a distant second./PPDespite their lack of growth on the software front, Apple still rules the roost when it comes to hardware. Apple’s iPhones are used by a full 28% of all smartphone customers, making them the top manufacturer for yet another quarter./PPMeanwhile, use of RIM’s BlackBerry OS has slowly begun to slip: while it previously accounted for 20% of the smartphone OS market, it now accounts for 18%. Certainly not a drastic dip, but the Q3 report doesn’t take into account some of the more recent unpleasantness that the folks in Waterloo have been dealing with. /PPSurprisingly, Windows Phone’s adoption rate seems to have slowed down as well, as it now only accounts for 7% of smartphones, down from the 9% figure we saw last time. Microsoft and Nokia certainly aim to change that come next year, but we’ll soon see how well their grand designs pan out./PPThe Q3 results are definitely interesting, but I think the Q4 report is really the one to look out for. New hardware (and OS) announcements are coming at a blistering pace, and it’ll be a hoot to see how the landscape changes after the holiday retail wars have come and gone./P
pSource: a href=”http://techcrunch.com/2011/11/03/android-still-most-popular-os-ios-holds-steady-in-second-place/” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow”techcrunch/a/p

PJordan Crook studied English Literature at New York University before entering the tech space. Prior to joining TechCrunch, Crook dabbled in mobile marketing and mobile apps as well as doing device reviews for MobileMarketer and MobileBurn. Crook is fascinated with alternative energy production and greentech. She is now a writer for CrunchGear. A href=”about:techcrunch.com/author/jordan-crook/”? Learn More/A /PIMG class=”attachment-image wp-post-image” title=chess-king-falls alt=chess-king-falls src=”http://www.mgadgetnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/wpid-chess-king-falls.jpg” width=288 height=174 PBefore the A href=”http://techcrunch.com/2011/10/18/official-galaxy-nexus-spec-sheet-revealed-ahead-of-event/”Samsung Galaxy Nexus/A even goes on sale, Samsung has managed to take the lead against Apple to become the largest mobile phone maker by revenue in the third quarter of 2011. Nokia still holds the crown for mobile phone sales by volume, while Apple has dropped behind both to take the number three spot in terms of revenue. /PPWhile Samsung didn’t release its exact numbers, the A href=”http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/oct/28/samsung-overtakes-apple-smartphone”Guardian/A spoke to Daiwa Securities technology analyst Jae Lee, who estimates that Samsung sold around 28 million phones in the third quarter. In the same period, Apple only sold 17 million phones, though it’s a tough comparison to make since Apple releases one phone a year while Samsung releases quite a few more than that. /PPWith the help of the Samsung Galaxy S II no doubt, Samsung’s telecommunications business broke records this quarter with sales of 14.9 trillion won (US $13.5 billion), up 37 percent from last year. While declining to offer sales figures for handsets, a Samsung spokesperson said that smartphones sales had quadrupled from the previous quarter, with overall handset shipments increasing by more than 20 percent. /PPPulling from A href=”http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1466313″Gartner research/A, the Guardian calculates that 20 percent increase to be shipments of about 86 million handsets between July and September. All the while, Samsung is still wrapped up in a massive legal spat with Apple and has still managed to grab the crown. Hat tip to you, Samsung. /PPThen again, Apple CEO Tim Cook has big plans for Apple’s upcoming quarter, A href=”http://techcrunch.com/2011/10/18/apples-insanely-great-q1-2012/”predicting record iPhone and iPad sales/A. Only time will tell. /PBRIPO: October 29, 1980, NASDAQ:AAPL PStarted by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne, Apple has expanded from computers to consumer electronics over the last 30 years, officially changing their name from Apple Computer, Inc. to Apple, Inc. in January 2007. Among the key offerings from Apple’s product line are: Pro line laptops (MacBook Pro) and desktops (Mac Pro), consumer line laptops (MacBook) and desktops (iMac), servers (Xserve), Apple TV, the Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server operating systems, the iPod (offered with…/PA href=”http://www.crunchbase.com/company/apple”IMG alt=”" src=”http://www.mgadgetnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/wpid-54061v1-max-250×2505.jpg”/A A class=learn-more onclick=”s_objectID=’post_widget_crunchbase’;” href=”http://www.crunchbase.com/company/apple”Learn more/A PSamsung is one of the largest super-multinational companies in the world. It’s possibly best known for it’s subsidiary, Samsung Electronics, the largest electronics company in the world./PA href=”http://www.crunchbase.com/company/samsung-electronics”IMG alt=”" src=”http://www.mgadgetnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/wpid-18596v5-max-250×250.jpg”/A A class=learn-more onclick=”s_objectID=’post_widget_crunchbase’;” href=”http://www.crunchbase.com/company/samsung-electronics”Learn more/A
pSource: a href=”http://techcrunch.com/2011/10/28/the-king-has-fallen-samsung-dethrones-apple-as-smartphone-leader/” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow”techcrunch/a/p

At a press event in New York City today, Motorola officially announced the new 7.1mm-thick Droid Razr, which the handset-maker says is the thinnest smartphone available anywhere in the world. The company also unveiled the fitness-centric MotoActv, a music player and workout monitoring device that aims to compete with Apple’s iPod nano.

Droid Razr

With a thickness of just 7.1mm, the super-thin Droid Razr — available later this year exclusively through Verizon — packs a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, 1GB of RAM and a 4.3-inch super AMOLED advanced qHD display, which is protected by durable Gorilla Glass. Encased in Kevlar fiber, stainless steel and a water-resistant splashguard, the 4G LTE-capable Droid Razr is powered by Android 2.3 Gingerbread mobile operating system, which has an overlay of Motorola’s Ninjablur user interface.

The Droid Razr’s 8-megapixel rear-facing camera can shoot full-high-definition 1080p video. The device has the ability to download full-HD movies from Netflix, the company said, and can port video out via HDMI. Included with the Droid Razr is 16GB of internal storage, plus a 16GB microSD card.

Motorola claims 12.5 hours of talk time and 8.9 hours of video playback thanks to the Droid Razr’s 1800mAh battery and the help of software optimization and task-automation functionality, called “Smart Actions,” the use of which Motorola says can increase battery life by up to 30 percent.

Extras for the Droid Razr include Motorola’s MotoCast app, that enables users to stream music, video and photos from their PC to their Droid Razr. Also included in the accessory lineup are a 14-inch and a 10-inch laptop dock, an HD dock, a gesture touchpad, powerpack and wireless keyboard.

Pre-orers for the Droid Razr begin on Oct. 27, and the device will be available in-store “early November.” The Droid Razr will cost $299 with the signing of a new two-year Verizon contract.

MotoActv

Measuring 46mm by 46 mm and weighing a mere 35 grams, the MotoActv allows users to better keep up with their workout regimen. Built-in GPS allows the MotoActv to track users walking, running and cycling rates and distances, calorie burn rate and wirelessly monitor heart rates. And a voice feed lets users know how their workout is going.

To help users pick up the pace, the MotoActv automatically analyzes songs in its library to determine which tracks get users’ motivated, then plays those songs. Wireless headphones come standard. And Wi-Fi connectivity allows users to automatically sync workout data with their PC.

The wearable MotoActv will be available starting November 6: 8GB model for $249, 16GB for $299.

Check back with DT later today for hands-on impressions of the Droid Razr and MotoActv.

Source: Yahoo Personal Tech

Toss your gadgets aside for a relaxing weekend away from technology

As recently as a couple of decades ago, vacations were the ultimate chance to disconnect from your daily life and truly relax. These days — with smartphones in our pockets and laptops neatly tucked away in our luggage — things are much more complicated. Being connected to instant news updates and a wealth of social networking contacts has made it increasingly difficult to fully detach ourselves from the daily grind. Thankfully, Pittsburgh’s Marriott Renaissance Hotel is here to help, and will remove your electronic devices along with any temptation to constantly check them.

The classy establishment is currently offering a “Zen and the Art of Detox” package that is specifically designed to help you cut the cord. Upon checking in for your stay, all electronic devices must be surrendered. They are then safely stored and can be picked up when checking out. And you can forget about spending your former Facebook time cruising the television listings; the rooms feature a distinct lack of TV, phone and radio, and are instead adorned with a plethora of classic novels.

If your quarters are feeling a bit too cramped, you can even take a short jog to a kayaking center near the hotel, where some free lessons are waiting for you. Guests who could use a little help disconnecting can score the Detox deal starting at $199 per night, and the program runs through September 25.

(Source)

More from Tecca:

Yahoo Techblog

Erick Schonfeld currently works at TechCrunch as Co-Editor. He joined in 2007 and is based in New York. Schonfeld oversees the editorial content of the site, selects and edits guest posts, helps to program the Disrupt conferences and CrunchUps, produces some TCTV shows, and writes daily for the blog. He is also the father of three… ? Learn More

Android and Apple together now account for nearly 70 percent of smartphone subscribers in the U.S., according to new estimates for July put out today by comScore. Android phones command nearly 42 percent market share, while Apple’s iPhone grew slightly to capture 27 percent. Android is growing faster, up 5.4 percent from April and up 1.7 percent from June, whereas Apple’s share is up 1 percent for the three-month period and 0.4 percent fro the previous month.

The two smartphone powers keep taking share from RIM’s Blackberry, Microsoft, and Symbian. Blackberry took the biggest hit, down 4 points since April, 2011 to 21.7 percent. Microsoft’s mobile OS share is down 1 percent to 5.7 percent of U.S. smartphone subscribers. And Symbian is barely hanging onto 1.9 percent share in the U.S.

In terms of how people are using their smartphones, text messaging still tops the activities with 70 percent of subscribers stating that they use their phones to text. Browsing and downloading apps come in next with about 41 percent of users doing those activities, which kind of makes you wonder what the other 60 percent are doing with their smartphones. People, these are like computers. Please use them accordingly. That means open those browsers and download some apps! Otherwise, get a flip phone.

Top Smartphone Platforms
3 Month Avg. Ending Jul. 2011 vs. 3 Month Avg. Ending Apr. 2011
Total U.S. Smartphone Subscribers Ages 13+
Source: comScore MobiLensShare (%) of Smartphone Subscribers

Android is a software platform for mobile devices based on the Linux operating system and developed by Google and the Open Handset Alliance. It allows developers to write managed…

Learn more

iOS is Apple’s operating system for their mobile devices. It debuted in 2007 with the release of the first iPhone, but has since been extended for use with the…

Learn more

“comScore is a global Internet information provider to which leading companies turn for consumer behavior insight that drives successful marketing, sales and trading strategies. comScore’s experienced analysts work closely with…

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Source: techcrunch

Dr. Serkan Toto currently works as the first and only Asia-based writer for the TechCrunch network, mainly covering Japan-related technology and web companies for TechCrunch, CrunchGear and MobileCrunch. Serkan also works full-time as an independent web and mobile industry consultant with a focus on the Japanese market. He is sept-lingual, holds an MBA and is a PhD in economics. Serkan… ? Learn More

Back in spring, we’ve spent a few posts covering the Medias N-04C from NEC Casio Mobile , an Android handset the company calls the “world’s slimmest smartphone”. Being just 7.7mm thin, it beats the Galaxy S II, for example, and at 105g, it’s very light, too.

Announced by NEC Casio in February this year, the handset was selling well when it hit the Japanese market a few weeks later (to date, 500,000 units have been sold).

And according to Japan’s biggest business daily The Nikkei, the company is now ready to bring the Medias to the US, a move somehow announced last year already (NEC Casio Mobile was formed in 2009 after NEC, Casio and Hitachi merged their cell phone operations).

Details are scarce at this point, but it looks like Americans will get a modified version of the phone. In Japan itself, NEC Casio followed up with the N-06C [JP] this summer, a model that’s slightly thicker (7.9mm) but water-proof.

Japanese model:

The Nikkei says in the US, the Medias will likely be available through Verizon (Casio’s partner in the past) and “other carriers”. NEC Casio aims at doubling shipments of cell phones outside Japan to 1.8 million in fiscal 2012.

To recap, the Media N-04C offers a 4-inch LCD touchscreen with 480 x 854 resolution, Android 2.3, a 5.1MP CMOS camera, a microSDHC card slot, Wi-Fi, etc. Expect the digital TV tuner, the e-wallet function, and the infrared port to get axed in the US version, however.

Source: techcrunch

By Greg Roumeliotis and Gilbert Kreijger Greg Roumeliotis And Gilbert Kreijger – Wed Aug 24, 7:40 pm ET

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Apple won an injunction in a Dutch court on Wednesday to stop Samsung Electronics from marketing three smartphone models in some European countries after alleging a breach of patents.

Apple and Samsung are locked in a bruising patent fight in the United States, Europe and Asia, as they jostle for the top spot in the smartphone market after Nokia, the market leader for a decade, was ousted in the second quarter.

Apple, which has conquered the high end of the phone market with its iPhone, argued that Samsung had infringed on three of its patents. The court ruled that Samsung smartphones Galaxy S, S II and Ace breached just one of Apple’s patents.

The Apple patent allows for a certain method of scrolling or browsing through photos in some Samsung smartphones, the court added.

“It’s no coincidence that Samsung’s latest products look a lot like the iPhone and iPad, from the shape of the hardware to the user interface and even the packaging,” Apple said in a statement.

The court dismissed all other demands by Apple, saying there were no violations of two other Apple patents, no violations for Samsung’s tablet computers Galaxy Tab, and no violations of model rights. And there was no “slavish style copying”, the court added.

The patent violation could be solved by making technical changes in the smartphones, the court said in its ruling. This would then allow the sale of the smartphones.

Separately, a U.S. judge on Wednesday scheduled a trial between Apple and Samsung for July 30, 2012 over the companies’ intellectual property claims in the United States.

The injunction from the Dutch court applies in the Netherlands and other European countries where the patent is registered and is effective seven weeks and one day after Samsung acknowledges it — therefore not before October 13 — a spokeswoman for the court in The Hague said.

Samsung said in a statement that its affiliates in the Netherlands were not allowed to sell the smartphones in the Netherlands, Britain, Germany, Finland, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Sweden and Switzerland until the patent violation was resolved.

However, it said the ruling was not expected to affect sales in European markets other than the Netherlands.

“With regard to the single infringement cited in the ruling, we will take all possible measures including legal action to ensure that there is no disruption in the availability of our Galaxy smartphones to Dutch consumers,” the Korean company said.

Wednesday’s decision is a preliminary ruling and “has no bearing whatsoever on proceeding on the merits of the case”, the court said. The injunction itself has no time limit and cannot be challenged, the court spokeswoman added.

However, Samsung can — and already has — challenged the ruling behind the injunction, although no date for a hearing has been set yet, the spokeswoman added.

Samsung unveiled four new smartphone models under its Galaxy line on Wednesday, expanding its flagship product line to cheaper phones to tap growth in emerging markets.

Its quest for more market share in the lucrative high-end electronics market has sparked several legal rows with Apple. Last week a German court lifted most of an injunction it had imposed on a rival to Apple’s iPad being sold by Samsung.

Apple and others have moved aggressively to defend their intellectual property in maturing markets, especially against Google’s Android software platform, on which the new Samsung Galaxy 10.1 tablet is built.

Android, a latecomer to the mobile market, has become a target by rapidly turning into the world’s most popular smartphone platform. Google is relatively defenseless because it owns few wireless patents, in contrast to older rivals.

Samsung launched its first flagship Galaxy phone in June 2010 and its follow-up Galaxy S II, launched in April this year, has sold more than 5 million units.

In the U.S. case, Apple previously sought a trial date of February 1, 2012.

At a hearing on Wednesday before U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California, attorneys for Apple accepted Koh’s proposed date of July 30. Samsung argued July 30 would be too soon.

A hearing on Apple’s request for a preliminary injunction against Samsung in the United States is currently scheduled for October 13 before Koh.

(Additional reporting by Georgina Prodhan in London, Nicola Leske in Frankfurt and Dan Levine in San Jose, California; editing by David Cowell, Jon Loades-Carter and Andre Grenon)

Source: Yahoo Personal Tech

Jordan Crook studied English Literature at New York University before entering the tech space. Prior to joining TechCrunch, Crook dabbled in mobile marketing and mobile apps as well as doing device reviews for MobileMarketer and MobileBurn. Crook is fascinated with alternative energy production and greentech. She is now a writer for CrunchGear. ? Learn More

Apple has again submitted what the blogosphere is calling “inaccurate evidence” in its case against Samsung. A photo found on page 77 of Apple’s complaint to the Hague district court in the Netherlands shows the Samsung Galaxy S next to the iPhone 3G. And guess what! Apple screwed with the dimensions once again.

But don’t freak out. This may not be as big of a deal as everyone’s making it out to be.

Here’s what’s up: The battle has migrated to the Netherlands, the only EU country as-yet untouched by the brawl. Within Apple’s newly filed complaint (which is only available for inspection at the Hague court, but has been seen by Weberwerld.nl) the company asks for an EU-wide ban on almost all Galaxy devices, including the Galaxy S, Galaxy S II, Galaxy Tab 7 and Galaxy Tab 10.1. Apple also asks that all remaining inventory be pulled from retailer shelves.

This time around, it’s not just about appearances, and that makes all the difference. When Apple first submitted that screwy picture of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Germany, the lawsuit was entirely concerned with design, so there’s really no obvious reason to mess with the images. That’s not to say that it was some crazy under-handed move by Apple, but it does make it a bit harder to justify a tampered-with aspect ratio. However, the BBC reports that the German judge inspected the devices hands-on and did not base his decision solely on images provided by Apple.

In the Dutch case, Apple’s complaint is far more reaching, and cites patent infringement not only regarding the same EU Community Design (iPad), but other functional European patents concerned with mobile photo management, interpretation of touch events, and Apple’s swipe-to-unlock. In other words, we’ve moved on to software, which makes things 100 percent more complex.

In the image (Weberwerld’s rendering of the picture is above), the Samsung Galaxy S is scaled to the same proportions as the iPhone 3G. In reality, the Galaxy S is both longer and wider than the iPhone 3G. Specifically, the Samsung Galaxy S measures in at 122.4mm x 64.2mm, whereas the iPhone 3G sports dimensions of 115.5mm x 62.1mm. But in the image provided by Apple, the Galaxy S has been resized by about 6 percent, making it appear identical in size to the iPhone. Unlike the situation with the GalTab, the aspect ratio has not been measurably tampered with.

Since we can’t actually get our hands on the court documents, it’s hard to tell the context of the side-by-side comparison, but weberwerld.nl reports that Apple did mention the Galaxy S’s “non-identical elements, such as the slightly larger size” (also on page 77). Chances are if Apple is actually stating on the same page that the Galaxy S is bigger, there is probably a good reason for scaling the photo.

Granted, the Galaxy S design is under scrutiny due to its similarity to the iPhone 3G, but there are other facets of the device in question, as well. It’s entirely possible that the image of the Galaxy S was resized so that the judge could investigate something unrelated to design. Then again, this is the only side-by-side comparison photo of the Galaxy S with the iPhone 3G, which makes me wonder why a more realistic comparison wasn’t presented, too.

To add to the confusion, Samsung’s lawyers claim that Apple did manipulate evidence, since this time Samsung actually got to be a part of the court proceedings. “[Apple has been] manipulating visual evidence, making Samsung’s devices appear more similar to Apple’s,” said Bas Berghuis of Simmons and Simmons law firm. Because we’re going off of translations it’s hard to be sure, but it looks like Mr. Berghuis evidence was not substantial enough to convince the judge. Google translates weberwerld.nl’s reporting as follows: “But this claim was by Samsung at the meeting was not substantiated by evidence.”

I can’t imagine Mr. Berghuis would make a claim that Apple is tampering with evidence without presenting said false evidence to the court. Therefore, Apple’s imagery in the filing is probably resized for good reason. Plus, if Apple was trying to purposefully deceive the court systems with this false evidence, the company probably would have abandoned that plan as soon as the original GalTab photo was discovered.

Source: techcrunch

Summary: With Google buying Motorola we are seeing more and more that the consolidated smartphone OS and hardware solution may be the way to success. What will Microsoft do with Nokia? Will HTC and Samsung still make Android devices? There are many questions raised by today’s deal.

RIM announced their full touchscreen lineup on 3 August that included three new device lines (five devices given that two of the forms have CDMA and GSM models). RIM sent me one of each form factor to test out last week and I can say without a doubt that these are the BEST BlackBerry smartphones ever released and if you are a BlackBerry user then you will want to upgrade to one of these models when they come to your carrier. QNX is the future of RIM smartphones so if you have a device you are happy with under contract then you may want to stick with it until next year.

Let me begin this review of the Verizon Wireless Bold 9930, Sprint Torch 9850, and AT&T 9810 by making sure you understand I am not currently a BlackBerry user and have only had a couple of them in my personal collection over the last few years. After checking out these three new BlackBerry devices the probability of me picking up a Bold 9900 on either Verizon or T-Mobile is very high at the moment for several reasons that I will discuss in the Bold 9900 section of this review.

Make sure to check out my image gallery of the three models, some photos taken with the phones, and a few screenshots of BB OS 7. I also included a video walkthrough of each device in this post. One convenient thing about these three new BlackBerry devices is that they each are different enough in form factor to appeal to different end users so choosing one is not too difficult. Carrier availability also limits the Torch 9810 to just AT&T customers so that helps with your decision as well.

These five new models come in three different form factors so it should be fairly easy for you to decide which is best for you as you look at your needs and usage patterns. The Bold 9930/9900 is focused on the traditional BlackBerry user with a front facing QWERTY keyboard and smaller display than the others. The Torch 9850/9860 is an all touch interface device that blows away the garbage that was the Storm line and I don’t blame RIM for moving away from that brand. I do think they should have come up with a different name though as a completely different form factor has the same Torch branding. Both of these lines come in GSM and CDMA variants so we may see these on most carriers in the US at some time.

The Torch 9810 is the update to the original Torch with the slide-up display revealing a full QWERTY keyboard so you get a smaller QWERTY keyboard than the Bold with a larger display. This device is only a GSM model and likely just available from AT&T in the U.S.

These are the common specifications across all three lines of new devices:

1.2 GHz single core processorLiquid Graphics technology for fluid animations, instant response times, and stunning graphics5 megapixel camera with 720p HD video recording (Bold has EDoF lens)8GB onboard storage with microSD card support up to 32GB768 MB RAM (something like 256MB is used for GPU)802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 2.1A-GPS receiverOptical trackpad, promixity sensor, accelerometer, compassBB OS 7 that provides voice-activated universal search, new web browser, huge collection of pre-installed apps, and much more

One of the slickest pieces of software that uses the augmented reality functionality of these devices is Wikitude. It is a BBM connected app so you can connect it with BBM and your friends. After you launch the app you point the camera at the world around you and people on various services located physically around you will have updates appearing right on your viewfinder. Thus you can find fellow users of Twitter, Flickr, BBM Chat, YouTube, LastFm, and more.

Let’s take a look in detail at each device and then you can read more about my thoughts on BlackBerry App World and RIM on the last page.

Each of the three devices has specifications that are different to match their form factor. The Bold 9930 has the following specifications specific to this device:

2.8 inch capacitive touch display at 640×480 pixels (287 ppi)Extended depth of focus camera, no autofocus1230 mAh batteryAbout 200 MB available for application storage

Specs do not mean everything on a phone so make sure to check the device out before writing it off due things such as not having a dual-core processor. The rather low amount of application storage is disappointing, but as I discuss on page 3 of this article there is more than enough for a number of apps and I don’t think having hundreds on a phone is that important. The battery in this device is smaller than previous Bold models, but I was still able to go a long full day of heavy usage so the OS must be helping with battery management.

All of these new BB OS7 phones come with full versions of Documents To Go Premium edition, BlackBerry Balance integration (lets IT departments help you manage personal and business options), BlackBerry Protect, BBM 6, and more.

If you want a device with the BEST physical QWERTY keyboard ever made then run down to your local Verizon Wireless store and order the BlackBerry Bold 9930 right now! The Bold 9930 can be purchased for $249.99 with 2-year contract or $509.99 with no contract. As I show a bit in my video, I can FLY on this keyboard even after just a few days of use. It is perfectly sized, has excellent feedback, has keys that are designed with good spacing and angles, and is just a sheer joy to use. With a keyboard like this you want to just start messaging everyone you know.

The 2.8 inch display is gorgeous and it is so nice to use a display where you can’t see the pixels. All of my phones now have these super high resolution screens and my tablets are starting to look dated with slightly fuzzy text.

The Bold is framed in metal and is the thinnest BB smartphone to date at just 10.5mm thick. You will find metal buttons for the camera, volume, and mute on the right side with a microUSB port and headphone jack on the left side. The lock button is on the top while a plastic area is on the bottom where the docking connections can be found. The back houses the camera and flash with a cool carbon fiber looking back cover hiding the battery, microSD card slot, and overseas SIM card for world phone capability.

The Bold 9930 feels FANTASTIC in your hand and I just could not put it down. The keyboard is a joy to use with all white backlighting and key color and a design that shows RIM is the leader in physical QWERTY keyboards.

After turning on the Bold 9930 I started tapping on the display and found the interface to be extremely fluid and the touch responsiveness to rival that of iOS and WP7. It is so much faster than any BlackBerry experience I have had before and even though many things look similar to BB OS 6, this is a fun device to use with performance that doesn’t leave you frustrated or waiting at all.

I’ve had music streaming, Facebook and Twitter updates going, email being pushed, BBM active, and more without any kind of lag or slowdown in the experience. The task switcher works well and everything will be familiar to long-time BB users with updates in icons, how you mange your home screen panels, and some changes in menu items. Check out the CrackBerry.com post on battery life of the 9900 and you can see it is quite good.

In typical Verizon fashion they did include some bloatware on the device with V CAST Music, V CAST Videos, V CAST Song ID, VZ Navigator, and VZWTones, but I just ignored them and did not access any of these apps or services. I like that Amazon MP3 is provided, but it doesn’t seem to let me access music stored on the Amazon server so it only lets you make purchases so seems a bit limited. Podcast support is great and very useful to a podast listener like myself. Facebook and Twitter apps are included and these updated clients work well, including the pull down to refresh function in Twitter.

Overall, I really enjoyed the Bold 9930 and if I do end up getting one of these three devices, this will definitely be the model for me. The keyboard is so dang good I might buy it just for the keyboard and BBM service

Let’s check out the Torch 9850 and 9810 »

Matthew Miller started using a Pilot 1000 in 1997 and has been writing news, reviews, and opinion pieces ever since.

Source: znet