Hasta La Gadget!

Much ink has been spilled about Oracle’s lawsuit against Google for Android’s allegedly unlawful use of Java, and rightfully so, considering Team Ellison’s seeking to take more than a billion dollar chunk out of Google’s bottom line. Just because Oracle’s damage calculations add up to ten figures doesn’t mean that the court will agree with them, however. And, there’s a long legal road to be tread before the court can assign a dollar value to the case — namely it must determine if the patent claims and copyrights are valid and whether Android actually infringes them.

That’s why Google requested the USPTO re-examine the patents asserted by Oracle, as the process gives Google a shot at invalidating them outside the courtroom. It looks like the strategy is paying off, as one of those re-exams recently resulted in a rejection of 17 of the patent’s 21 claims — which reduces the number of claims Oracle can assert in court accordingly. Of course, those four remaining claims plus the 118 contained in the other six asserted patents (should they survive the re-examination process) could still spell doom for the little green bots, but it is a victory, albeit a modest one, for the team in Mountain View. So, Oracle may have a few less IP bullets to fire Google’s way, but it’s still got plenty of other legal ammo left. We’ll keep you posted when next shot’s fired.

Oracle v. Google update: USPTO rejects several patent claims, leaves chinks in Oracle’s IP armor? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Jun 2011 22:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Do you use Google Sites to publish to the web? The search giant just added automatic mobile rendering to make your website more mobile-friendly when viewed on an iOS 3.0 or Android 2.2+ device. A new setting to “Automatically adjust site for mobile phones” can be activated in the site management page, at which point pages designed for desktop viewing will be displayed in a much simpler web format, so readers won’t need to pinch-to-zoom just to see a page’s content. Google also added mobile versions of the site list, sites search, and browse sites categories, for easy access from your smartphone. There’s nothing groundbreaking here, but if you happen to run a Google Site or have a friend that does, it wouldn’t hurt to flip the switch on mobile viewing — your visitors will appreciate it.

Google Sites simplifies iOS and Android viewing with automatic mobile rendering originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Jun 2011 16:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google’s Voice Search for desktop is nifty and all, but what it’s really been lacking is a worthy way to trigger it into action. The Verbalizer is an open-source dev board made specifically to be used with the search giant’s new tools from up to ten meters away. This microphone-shaped piece of circuitry was made with Arduino compatibility in mind, which means that voice search is just the beginning. The company (who happens to be the same folks behind the brilliant Instaprint) will be distributing schematics and source code through its website, and promises to give away a “limited run” of kits for free in a drawing starting today. Head on over to the source link if you feel like testing your luck, but not before checking after the break for one more shot of these mini masterpieces on display as well as the nitty gritty PR.

Continue reading Verbalizer: the open-source wireless microphone of your Arduino-loving dreams

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Verbalizer: the open-source wireless microphone of your Arduino-loving dreams originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Jun 2011 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Well, what do we have here? Hard to say for sure, but it looks like this just might be the rumored Kingdom (or more likely its doublemint twin, the Rider, which showed up in stills this morning) that recently visited the FCC — basically a CDMA and WiMAX-capable Sensation. Considering that the leaked video is titled “HTC EVO 4G+ preview,” and that the handset pictured is cosmetically identical to the EVO 3D except for the camera pod, we’re inclined to believe that this might just be destined for Sprint — although that WiBRO setting means this particular unit is meant for the Korean market. The twin 5 megapixel cameras have been replaced with a single 8 megapixel shooter housed in a similar sized pod, and the 2D / 3D mode slider next to the shutter key now switches between photos and video. Let’s just hope we’re not dealing with a discarded prototype or an Asia-only model, and that the phone’s guts are just as juicy and delicious as its 3D sibling — complete with qHD display and dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor.

Update: And just like that, it’s official! HTC has just thrown down an official landing page for the EVO 4G+, and according to it, it’s a phone that’s “everything you can imagine.” Bold. Thanks, Christian!

[Thanks, Edwin]

HTC EVO 4G+ official, but is it destined for Sprint? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 21:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The US has already tasted its first piece of the Chromebook pie, and now Samsung’s serving up a slice to our friends across the pond. That’s right, the Samsung Series 5 will grace European soil starting this Friday, and will set our European brethren back €399 (or £349) for the Wi-Fi model and €449 (or £399) for the 3G version. The Chrome OS laptop will be available in the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Italy to start, and is said to be on the way to other countries in the next few months. So stop licking your lips already. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading Samsung Series 5 lands in Europe June 24th, starting at 399 euros

Samsung Series 5 lands in Europe June 24th, starting at 399 euros originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Jun 2011 15:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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