Android’s Chinese Manufacturers Form Alliance To Defend From Apple and Microsoft Patent Lawsuits

Digitimes is reporting that Chinese OEM’s could be quietly banding together to fight off the ever looming threat of patent lawsuits from Android arch nemeses like Apple, Microsoft and Nokia. The Chinese coalition would be formed by ZTE, Lenovo, TCL, Coolpad and Konka who, it’s assumed, would pool their patent resources and share information on how to work around alleged patent infringements and keep from paying the dreaded “licensing fee.” As the Chinese smartphone market grows — currently the largest in the world — OEM’s are sure to draw attention from Apple and Microsoft who spend much of their time attacking Android manufacturers. [Digitimes via Electronista]...

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Microsoft Lync 2010 Now Available for Android

Microsoft has released Microsoft Lync 2010 for Android. The free application enables users to communicate with their job’s Lync server on the go, giving users access to instant messaging, remote secure conference calling and more that their IT department enables them to do. And for those of you guys in the IT department, remote device management tools are at your service. Be sure to contact your IT department to apply the necessary updates to Lync and to enable mobile device support if you’re having trouble with the application. Download the free app here. [Thanks Kevin...

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Microsoft to show off Windows 8 app store tomorrow

Microsoft will be making the app store a part of the Windows 8 experience, but until now we don’t really know much about it except that it will be the exclusive way for developers to distribute new-style Windows 8 apps. The store will support free and paid apps, trial versions as well as in-app payments, and it won’t sell older-style (classic) Windows apps that work on Windows 8 and older versions of Windows. Other than the aforementioned details, we don’t really know much about the Windows Store, but I guess we’re about to find out more. Microsoft will be holding an event tomorrow (December 6th) in San Francisco – titled the Windows Store Preview, where it will show off for the first time what the store is about. Stay tuned for more...

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Windows 8 coming your way February 2012

Windows 8 is set to arrive in public beta form in February next year, allowing early access to to the new OS from the start of next year.? A post by The Next Web points to the February release date, citing sources close to Microsoft. It clears up a lot of the speculation over exactly when Windows 8 was set to arrive in beta form. Many expect a 2012 release for the final build of the OS, with the February beta adding further weight to this rumour. No exact date has been given for shipping of Windows 8. The new operating system sees a major departure from Microsoft's traditional UI, incorporating a home page which draws heavily from Windows Phone 7. The Metro UI of the OS uses similar live tiles to that of Microsoft's phone OS.? Windows...

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Microsoft Brings Windows Phone 7 to Android Users

We know the thought of switching mobile operating systems from Android has never crossed the mind of our dear readers, but if you are a bit curious about Windows Phone 7 and too lazy to head to a local smartphone retailer to check it out for yourself you can get the experience on your device now. Simply point your Android browser (or iPhone browser, for that matter) to Microsoft’s demo site and a mock version of WP7 will load, complete with swipe input and navigation via the trademark tile layout. It’s far from perfect, but it is an interesting marketing tool for would-be smartphone buyers. [via MonWindowsPhone]...

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Android gets more IT developer interest than iOS and Windows Phone 7

Even the most ardent of iOS evangelists can’t argue with Android’s worldwide success, to the tune of a full 50% sales market share as of last quarter. It looks like developers, specifically in the IT area, are taking notice. When IBM gave a survey to IT pros on which platform they were more interested in, Android won by a landslide, beating out both Apple and Microsoft in their relevant areas. That’s very interesting, given that it’s also undeniable that there’s more money to be made in direct sales on iOS (at the moment, at least). Android is beating out iOS by a solid 20%, though responders were able to answer for more than one platform in the survey. 70% of responders said they were interested in developing for Android, while 49%...

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Barnes & Noble reveals Microsoft’s Android patents in detail

Last week Barnes & Noble lobbied United States regulators to investigate Microsoft, on the basis that its lawsuits and licensing agreements with Android OEMs constituted monopolistic behavior. The first fruit of this effort is a detailed look at the patents that Microsoft has been using to pressure manufacturers into licensing deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Barnes & Noble seems determined to keep from paying Microsoft for its Nook line of e-readers and tablets. Barnes & Noble contends that the patents are frivolous and trivial, most of them containing considerable prior art that existed long before the patents were awarded. There’s nothing to say that the six patents outlined in the case against Barnes &...

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Barnes & Noble fires back at Microsoft, calls for investigation

At least one manufacturer isn’t kowtowing to Microsoft’s Android licensing push: Barnes & Noble is actively fighting Microsoft’s patent litigation in court. As an added bonus, the bookseller has urged US regulators to investigate Microsoft’s patents and the claims therein. B&N asserts that Microsoft is trying to drive up the price of the Android devices it competes with, thereby making its own Windows Phone 7 more attractive to manufacturers and consumers. The claims seem valid enough. 53% of Android devices sold already pay some sort of royalty or kickback to Microsoft, the result of some extremely aggressive court battles and the resultant licensing deals. HTC and Samsung are among the biggest players affected, and tellingly,...

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Google lawyer says Microsoft sues because Windows Phone 7 is failing

The war of words between Google and Microsoft has reached into the media once again, as SFGate has interviewed Google’s patent lawyer Tim Porter. Refuting the claims made by his Redmond counterpart in an earlier interview, Porter said that Microsoft is attacking Android because they feel their own product (Windows Phone 7) is marginalized and threatened. He said that while the meteoric rise of Android hasn’t been halted by Microsoft’s tactics, companies that have to worry about patent litigation can’t focus on innovation. Harkening back to Microsoft’s previous patent litigation against Linux, Porter accused Microsoft of gaining revenue from other company’s successful products by means of the courts. That’s certainly true: estimates...

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Microsoft provides justification for lawsuit against Android

According to statements released by a senior attorney being employed by Microsoft, the large number of patent related lawsuits between companies in the mobile industry is very understandable as it is caused by the nature of related laws in the United States. He suggested that the software giant will be expected to go on with its litigations against the Android mobile platform from Google. Microsoft’s deputy general counsel, Horacio Gutierrez, has told the media that the protection of patents is very necessary in the business. He stated that Microsoft already holds the patents for many features which add to the efficiency of smartphones, for using which Android should pay royalties to Microsoft.The strong stance of Microsoft comes at a time...

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Android’s US Market Share Nearing 50 percent in Latest Nielsen Report

Android continues to lead US smartphone market share, and the gap is growing according to the latest figures from Nielsen. For the third quarter of 2011 Android’s share reached 43 percent, up from 39 percent, compared to Apple’s 28 percent, which saw no change. Android saw its gains at the expense of RIM and Microsoft, whose dropping share combined for 25 percent of the smartphone market. Symbian and webOS featured such a small showing that Nielsen dumped them into the “other” category with 4 perent total share. Nielsen reports 43 percent of all mobile phone users own a smartphone, with Apple ranking as the top vendor despite conflicting reports from other analytics firms. [via Nielsen]Related articlesAndroid serves up 56% of mobile...

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Microsoft’s lawyer says “Android stands on our shoulders”

Microsoft has a keen interested in Android despite selling its own mobile operating system – an interest that’s vetted to the tune of more than $400 million a year in kickbacks from 53% of Android devices sold. Now Microsoft’s deputy patent troll intellectual property counsel says that Google has built its OS on the back of technology developed (and owned) by the Redmond software giant. Microsoft is only one of many companies gunning for Android manufacturers, but tellingly, not targeting Google itself. Horacio Gutiérrez, deputy general counsel for Microsoft’s intellectual property group, told the San Francisco Chronicle the following in an interview: These devices have moved from having a rudimentary phone system to being a full-fledged...

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More than half of Android phones under license from Microsoft

It was recently suggested that Microsoft makes more money from HTC than it does from its WP7 licenses. The Taiwanese manufacturer effectively pays Microsoft $5 for every Android handset sold, while Windows Phone licenses go for $15, however there’s something like 10 times as many HTC Android phones as there are Window Phone 7 handsets.Now Brad Smith and Horacio Gutierrez – Microsoft’s Executive Vice President and General Counsel, and Corporate Vice President and Deputy General Counsel respectively (phew) – have been boasting that they’re siphoning bucks from over half of Android phones.That’s largely thanks to HTC and Samsung, which account for 29% and 23% of the Android market respectively. Throw in a handful of smaller manufacturers such...

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Ballmer says you need to be a computer scientist to use Android

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is at it again with wild comments about the competitors of Windows Phone reports Telegraph.co.uk. Ballmer was blasting Android at the Web 2.0 summit in San Francisco recently claiming that the OS was difficult to use. Ballmer went so far as to say that you needed to be a computer scientist just to use Android. Ballmer said, “You don’t need to be a computer scientist to use a Windows phone and you do to use and Android phone…It is hard for me to be excited about the Android phones.”While Ballmer blasts Android for usability, he is more forgiving on the iPhone and Apple in general calling the company “a good competitor” and especially praising the new Siri assistant feature on the iPhone 4S. Despite heaping...

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Microsoft signs more Android patent agreements, this time with Quanta

Microsoft is at it again, wasting no time signing deals covering royalties and patent agreements from everyone involved in the Android OEM business as of late. The latest to fall victim this time around is Quanta Computers. The name might not be widely known but Quanta is a huge manufacturer of electronic devices. They built the BlackBerry Playbook, the Kindle Fire, and have contracts with companies such as HP, Apple, Dell, Gateway, Lenovo, Sony and many others. Today have signed patent royalty agreements with Microsoft over any Android or Chrome products they intent to build now, and in the future. For those unfamiliar with the situation, Microsoft has a wide array of patents regarding all sorts of mobile and computational devices,...

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Microsoft’s Android patents could be worth $444 million a year

Microsoft has been collecting licensing agreements from Android manufacturers like Samsung and HTC for months now. According to ZDNet, this adds up to some serious dinero, to the tune of $444 million every year. With Android continuing to dominate in markets around the world, that number can only grow. In today’s litigious IP environment, it’s often wiser for a company to pony up to patent holders rather than fight an extended court battle, even if they’re not entirely sure they’re in the wrong. Microsoft has banked on that, and a Goldman Sachs analyst estimated that every Android phone sold with a licensed manufacturer nets the technology giant between $3 and $5. Of course, not everyone’s thrilled with the arrangement. Google objected...

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Microsoft signs Android licensing deal with Samsung

Microsoft has announced that it has landed a patent agreement with Samsung that will allow Samsung access to the patent portfolio that has to do with Android smartphones. The announcement means that the two largest Android smartphone firms in the US are now licensing patents for Android from Microsoft. The agreement will see Microsoft paid royalties from Samsung for tablets and smartphones on the Android platform. Microsoft also notes that it and Samsung will be working together on Windows Mobile Phones. As TechNet points out, this is the seventh licensing agreement that Microsoft has landed in the last few months. Right now Acer, General Dynamics Itronix, Onkyo, Velocity Micro, ViewSonic, Wistron, and HTC are all signed up. That...

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Who needs Android or Windows? HTC may just go it alone

So, you have a massive Android and WP7 presence. You've transformed yourself from the manufacturer of handsets for networks to one of the biggest players in the market on your own merits. Where do you go next if you're HTC? Just buy your own OS! Simples! At least, that's the implication we've been getting from the Taiwanese manufacturer, which feels that there are possibly too many Android and WP7 handsets doing the rounds. Boss, Cher Wang apparently told the Economic Observer of China: "We have given it thought and we have discussed it internally, but we will not do it on impulse." "We can use any OS we want. We are able to make things different from our rivals on the second or third layer of a platform. Our strength lies in...

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Samsung Windows 8 tablet leaked

If the rumour mongers speaketh the truth then Microsoft's Build conference, which kicks off at 5pm UK time, will be heavily tablet based with reports suggesting that the software giant will give away a preview version of Windows 8 and thousands of Samsung tablets to developers at the expo. And the tablet in question looks to already have been spotted, with blog Microsoft News publishing a picture of a some tablets in Samsung labelled boxes with the words "the build" displayed in the same font that Microsoft is using for the event. The New York Times cites "two industry consultants who have been told about the plans" as its source for the Windows 8 tablet giveaway info. Back in July Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said: "Windows 8 really...

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Microsoft Windows 8: 10 Reasons It Threatens iOS, Android

It’s not often that industry observers will look at the mobile market and think that iOS and Android have anything to worry about. Both platforms are finding that a growing number of people want to use them, and the companies behind them--Apple and Google--have enough cash on hand to solidify their positions in the marketplace for an inordinately long time. Simply put, Apple and Google are currently making the barriers to entry in the mobile space even higher. But with Windows 8, Microsoft might just have what it takes to at least threaten iOS and Android. Microsoft’s operating system, which is slated to launch sometime next year, won’t hurt Android or iOS in the smartphone space. The software giant still hopes its Windows Phone 7 makes a dent...

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