Microsoft and Samsung Sign Smartphone-Related Cross-Licensing Agreement

Microsoft announced Thursday that it has signed a definitive agreement with Samsung Electronics, to cross-license the patent portfolios of both companies, providing broad coverage for each company’s products. Microsoft will receive royalties from Samsung and both companies will develop and market Windows Phone operating system.
Under the terms of the agreement, Microsoft will receive unspecified royalties for Samsung’s mobile phones and tablets running the Android mobile platform. In addition, the companies agreed to cooperate in the development and marketing of Windows Phone operating system and appropriate handsets.
Earlier this year a rumour suggested that Microsoft demanded $15 for each Google Android-based smartphone from Samsung, which is a massive amount of money, given the current situation on the market of smartphones. Samsung agreed to pay $10 per smartphone "in exchange for a deeper alliance with Microsoft" for the Windows Phone platform. Apparently, the two companies have finally found a solution to their legal dispute.

"Microsoft and Samsung see the opportunity for dramatic growth in Windows Phone and we are investing to make that a reality. Microsoft believes in a model where all our partners can grow and profit based on our platform," said Andy Lees, president of Windows Phone division at Microsoft.
Charging Samsung Electronics, which is currently the largest supplier of Android-based mobile phones, for patents not only gives Microsoft additional money, but will may also make it easier for the software firm to sell its WP7 operating system to Samsung. But making Android more expensive for manufacturers of phones does not automatically make Windows Phone 7 more competitive than Android, which is why it will hardly translate into larger sales of Microsoft-powered handsets. In fact, making Android-based phones less competitive on the market brings direct benefits to Apple's iPhone and iOS platform.
HTC, another large maker of Android-based handsets already pays Microsoft royalties for their technologies used by Android.
“We are pleased to build upon our long history of working together to open a new chapter of collaboration beginning with our Windows Phone 'Mango' launch this fall,” said Dr. Won-Pyo Hong, executive vice president of global product strategy at Samsung’s mobile communication division.

Source: XBit Labs

The Perils Of Being An Early Adopter

HP recently managed a couple of firsts in the Australian marketplace. It launched the TouchPad, a tablet competitor to the lots of Android tablets & Apple's overachieving iPad, & in doing so launched the first gizmo walking WebOS onto the Australian marketplace. WebOS was an operating method originally developed by Palm -- you may recall the PalmPilot, precursor to today's wave of smartphones -- & snapped up by HP last year for what was going to be a variety of rings & tablet devices. The rings seldom officially made it to Australian shores, but the $499/$599 (16/32GB) TouchPad would have been the first taste of WebOS for lots of consumers. It was officially launched through Harvey Norman with a blitz of promotion, & apparently within days around 1200 TouchPads were sold; not a bad result for a brand spanking new entrant in the competitive tablet space.

Then on the fourth day after its Australian launch, HP -- a US based firm -- announced it was ceasing all development in WebOS hardware worldwide, effectively killing off the Touchpad line. In the US this led to the remaining stock, which hadn't been selling, shifting out of stores at US$99/$149 respectively, which was something of a bargain. Locally, Harvey Norman announced it'd offer refunds to any TouchPad customer who wanted.

I have seen products fail to succeed locally, but seldom die that fast. While there is a happy ending for those purchasers in that they were offered refunds in the event that they wanted, it does point to one of the perils of early adoption of expertise. There is a positive chilled factor in having new expertise first, in the event you can take advantage of its features first. I attended the launch of the Apple iPhone where hundreds & hundreds of customers lined up outside Telstra, Optus & Vodafone/Three stores for the privilege of being early adopters. That is as much a fashion statement as a desire to have new features first, but it is still true that there can be benefits -- as long as you avoid the pitfalls.

Early adopters must deal with all the things that go wrong first, whether that is an application error that makes things work unpredictably, or a stray or poorly built tiny small tiny little bit of hardware that overheats, undercharges or outright explodes -- although thankfully that latter case is remarkably rare.

You are also stung with the financial cost of being an early adopter; in the case of the TouchPad in Australia that led to refunds, but while at $499/$599 HP was having trouble selling the TouchPad in the US, at $99/$149 they sold out immediately. Prices on expertise drop in a comparatively regular pattern, & often the best value you can get from expertise is fundamentally to have a tiny patience.

Tablet PCs Are The Popular New Accessory

Tablet PCs are becoming the new, more desirable electronic accessory. The tablet PC was introduced to the world way back in the early 2000's, by Bill Gates. This began a growing interest in transportable computing. You would not have to be at work or at home to access the Web, thanks to ongoing discoveries in the science of using a wireless connection.

The tablet falls somewhere in between a smart phone & a laptop computer, & plenty of brands are aiming to introduce the thinnest & most lightweight models. The average size is around 7 to 12 inches, & weigh less than the average laptop computer. They have a touch screen, & use a virtual keyboard.

Some have detachable keyboard docks, card readers, powerful front & rear facing cameras, up to 32 GB of storage, & up to GB RAM. Some brands now also offer a USB port, a mini USB, & an HDMI port. Flash application can fundamentally be downloaded & installed at no cost, so videos & sites will work on these transportable devices.

Some countries plan to replace textbooks, by the year 2015, with tablet computers, for students in all schools. Some models come with only Wi-Fi versions, while others offer WI-Fi & WI-Fi/3G versions. They have a limited capacity to store files, but there is apps for services that let you store them in a cloud that can be accessed by your tablet. This does require a Web connection. There are some companies that are going to introduce transportable, outside, hard disks as a companion storage device.

The first device of this kind was designed by Bill Gates & his company, it was a full PC, & it was complex. It did not sell. On the other hand, significant success has been achieved for more simple models, due to their simpler, mobile abilities. This appears to be what consumers require, simple, on-the-go, expertise. People require being able to get online, check their mail, play games, or watch movies & TV shows. They require being able to do these things, quickly, fundamentally & easily.

There are a lot of different aspects to think about when shopping for a tablet. You require thinking about what you will be using it for. Think about the operating method, Adobe & Flash support, game playing abilities, high definition, communication through social media, optional outside keyboards & cost points. There are stores that can assist you to find the best for you.

There are several models that are thought about the best value in their section. These models all offer the basics, along with sleek designs & different options. Knowledge can fundamentally be obtained on the Web when shopping & comparing the different models & brands.

Shopping by comparison is a smart way to make your choice. There are several different models & brands to choose from, with plenty of different cost ranges. The choices are limitless, & so needs to think about what they require to make use of it for, how much funds they require to spend, & then go start comparing the choices.