Hasta La Gadget!

With smartphones becoming commonplace these days, is it fair that the elderly are left out of the fun simply because they might not be as technologically savvy compared to the younger generation? That is most definitely a resounding no and several companies have since created smartphones which target the elderly. Softbank and Sharp are looking to do the same as well in Japan, with the carrier announcing the Softbank 204SH smartphone manufactured by Sharp. The phone is targeted at elderly users and is pegged for a release in May, possibly later, although no word on whether it will make its way stateside or to other countries outside of Japan.

The handset is not the most powerful phone around, but it will come with features that will hopefully make its use easy for older folks. This includes a 4” display that will display letters and icons that are bigger than normal, making it more obvious and user-friendly to those who might have trouble seeing, or who are using a smartphone for the first time. Other features include tactile feedback to let the user know when they have launched an application, and applications can also be launched simply by speaking the name of the function.

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The other we reported that Dish had made a counter-offer to Sprint and offered to acquire the company for more than what Japanese carrier, Softbank, was offering. Softbank seems to be unfazed by the counter-offer and expects the deal to conclude in a timely manner as expected, and if offering Sprint more money wasn’t enough, Dish is now stating that they believe that for them to buy Sprint would be in the interest of national security.

Dish has submitted a filing to the FCC and claimed that allowing Softbank to acquire Sprint would not be good for national security, and according to Reuters, they are asking the FCC to suspend the review of the buyout, stating that “Dish’s merger proposal is better for American consumers, better for Sprint shareholders, and better for national security than the SoftBank proposal.” This is not the first time we’ve heard about concerns over national security as Sprint and Softbank have stated back in March that they promise not to use Chinese equipment. In any case we’re not sure what this filing to the FCC will accomplish and if it will derail Softbank’s plans and schedule.

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You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

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Dish Network has thrown in as a Sprint suitor, offering $25.5bn to pick up the ailing CDMA carrier, and frustrate would-be buyer Softbank in the process. The takeover – which Dish chairman Charles Ergen described as “much more compelling than the Softbank transaction,” in his opinion, and by the satellite TV provider’s own calculations would amount to 13-percent more than the Japanese carrier has offered – would leave Dish able to offer combined home and mobile voice, data, and entertainment services across the US.

“Sprint is in play” Ergen said of his company’s new deal, with the chairman apparently far more confident that Dish could pick up the carrier than it was about the proposed Clearwire deal earlier this year. Despite making an informal offer for Clearwire, Dish subsequently abandoned its bid after numerous legislation issues arose.

In contrast, Ergen points out, picking up Sprint would only involve paying off the $600m breakup fee that is part of the carrier’s existing sale agreement with Softbank. Dish would cover that fee, the chairman promises, in addition to paying $4.76 in cash and $2.24 in Dish stock for every Sprint share.

“Sprint shareholders will benefit from a higher price with more cash while also creating the opportunity to participate more meaningfully in a combined DISH/Sprint with a significantly-enhanced strategic position and substantial synergies that are not attainable through the pending SoftBank proposal” Charles Ergen, chairman, Dish Network

The payoff for Dish is clear, the company has said. With Sprint included, the TV provider could bundle voice and internet service, in addition to mobile entertainment access, to subscribers: Sprint’s cellular data could provide an alternative to traditional DSL/cable home broadband. For Sprint, Dish argues, the benefit would be not only in cash but Dish’s existing 45 MHz spectrum holding, its roster of satellite TV subscribers, and its network of customer services and technical staff already operating in the US. In all, Dish argues it could achieve savings of around $11bn if the deal goes through.

“The combined national footprints and scale will allow DISH/Sprint to bring improved broadband services to millions of homes with inferior or no access to competitive broadband services” Charles Ergen, Dish Network

Softbank announced its bid for Sprint late last year, offering $2.2bn for the carrier in what it said was an attempt to streamline the US operator’s LTE rollout, plus a shortcut to negotiating better deals for top-tier handsets. Dish came out as a vocal critic of the acquisition soon after.

The Sprint board will now have the option to consider Dish Network’s offer, though – even if accepted – Softbank will have the opportunity to increase its own bid. Dish has a new microsite detailing its proposal, with Ergen even going so far as to compare the suggested deal with Seinfeld. “In terms of our strategy,” the chairman writes, “I often think of the television show Seinfeld … you initially didn’t know exactly where things were going, but it seemed to all come together in the end.”

[via WSJ]

Dish Network bids $25.5bn for Sprint to bypass Softbank buy is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
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Patent filings, we don’t take so seriously. One of Japan’s richest men, with the potential to call on an army of lawyers to defend what he claims is his invention, we probably ought to. Masayoshi Son, the billionaire (and philanthropic) CEO of SoftBank, has given a two-hour speech to his shareholders about his technological predictions for the next 30 years, and about halfway through he describes a familiar idea: augmented reality glasses that can understand what a person is saying and provide subtitles as a visual overlay. At one point, he specifically mentions protecting the concept:

“By the way, we’ve already taken out a patent on this — translation glasses with captions.” (1:22:49 in the video at the source link.)

We think we may have found the patent application in question, submitted in 2010 by SoftBank Mobile Corp. It does show a translation function similar — but not totally identical — to what’s been shown off in a recent Project Glass promo video, in which a guy translated his own words using Google’s specs. In any case, the whole patent system is so esoteric that it’s impossible to predict what ideas will clash and what won’t, but it’s worth bearing in mind how Masayoshi Son first became rich: he sold a translation device patent to Sharp for $1 million. What are the odds on that?

Filed under: Wearables, Mobile

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Via: DVICE, Ubergizmo

Source: SoftBank, Ekouhou patent filing (Japenese)