Apple wants to keep Samsung's Galaxy S3 out of U.S.

Samsung's Galaxy S3 smartphone.

(Credit: Brian Bennett/CNET)

Excited shoppers weren't the only ones buying Samsung's latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S3, when it went on sale in the U.K. last month. Apparently Apple bought one too, and wasn't too happy about what it found in the box.

In a new court filing (PDF), picked up by intellectual property-tracking blog FOSS Patents, Apple says the S3 infringes on two of its patents, both related to software features. As a result, the company wants to keep it from being sold in the U.S.

"Because the Galaxy S III contains two of the exact infringing features already at issue with respect to the Galaxy Nexus, the S III is not more than colorably different from the Galaxy Nexus," Apple wrote in the motion, which was filed yesterday.

The two patents in question are U.S. Patent No. 8,086,604 and No. 5,946,647. The '604 patent covers "unified search," while the '647 patent covers "links for structures."

The S3 is due to launch on five U.S. carriers beginning June 21. As the name suggests, it's the third major iteration in the Galaxy S series, which runs Google's Android OS. That line, along with a number of other Samsung devices, was targeted in a patent infringement suit filed by Apple last April, accusing the company of making "slavish" copies of its iOS devices, including the iPhone and iPad.

"Samsung believes Apple's request is without merit. We will vigorously oppose the request and demonstrate to the court that the Galaxy S III is innovative and distinctive," a Samsung spokesperson said in an e-mailed statement. "We would also like to assure consumers that the U.S. launch and sales of the Galaxy S III will proceed as planned. The Galaxy S III has already been highly received in markets where it has been introduced. Samsung looks forward to bringing the Galaxy S III to the U.S., and we believe that Apple's actions would only serve to disrupt consumers' access to the latest innovative mobile technology.

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3D printing could 'revolutionise manufacturing'

Published on May 30, 2012 by Euronews : 3D printing technology is progressing rapidly, and some experts say it could revolutionise the way objects are made in the future.

An object is scanned - or designed on computer modelling software - then sliced up, into many thousands of tiny layers, which are then printed out, eventually forming a solid three dimensional product.

Top 5 Android 4.0 tablets

Finally! Enough Android 4.0 tablets are now in the wild to warrant a Top 5!

The biggest challenge in coming up with a list of the best Android 4.0 tablets was deciding whether to include only tablets that shipped with the OS installed or to also include Android 3.0 tablets that are upgradable.

However, once I realized that a "shipped-with only" list didn't fully represent Android tablets the way it should, the challenge of choosing became much easier.

So here it is. My list of the top (shipping with or upgradable to) Android 4.0 tablets (so far). Also, if you've no idea what Android 4.0 (also known as Ice Cream Sandwich) is, the video up top should fill in the blanks.

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All tablets should be using IPS or PLS panels. The A510 uses neither and (although you can't tell in this shot) suffers for it.

(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)

Acer Iconia Tab A510 

Still a bit expensive compared with what the rest of this list offers, but the Acer Iconia Tab A510 gets points for Tegra 3 power, expandable storage, and Micro-HDMI. Read the full review.

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The first Samsung tablet to ship with Android 4.0. Hopefully, we'll see some OS updates to its previously released tablets as well.

(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0

Though 7-inch Android 4.0 tablets will likely soon be even cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 with its $250 price, for now, this is one of the most highe-value full-Android 7-inchers on the market. Read the full review.

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I've definitely warmed up to the folded-back-magazine look and feel of the Tablet S.

(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)

Sony Tablet S

Sony recently bestowed an Android 4.0 upgrade on the Tablet S, which retains the very distinct Sony aesthetic as well as its software features. Also, with its new, lower price, the S is one of the better tablet buys right now. Read the full review.

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Yep. GPS actually (and officially) works here. No dongle required.

(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)

Asus Transformer Pad TF300

The best full-size Android tablet value out there. It includes the expected extras like Micro-HDMI and expandable storage, but also a powerful Tegra 3 processor and a pretty fantastic camera.Read the full review.

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Yep, I'm still waiting for Bladeslinger...

(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)

Asus Transformer Prime TF201

The current big daddy of Android tablets, with fast performance, sensible and durable design, and a robust feature set, the Prime isn't only the best Android 4.0 tablet, but is second only to the iPad as the overall best tablet available. Read the full review.

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Anodizing (Or the beauty of corrosion - in Apple products)

Published on May 29, 2012 by engineerguyvideo : Bill describes how metals like aluminum and titanium are made resistant to corrosion by growing an oxide layer into the metals. These is the same process used on many Apple products.

LG unveils 5-inch HD LCD screen

Designed for "smart devices," the new panel will feature a 440ppi pixel density, beating out the 330ppi Retina display found on Apple's iPhone.

LG's new 5-inch HD LCD screen. (Credit: LG)

LG has announced it will release a new 5-inch LCD screen later this year that boasts a 1080p resolution.

Designed for "smart devices," the new panel also features a 440ppi pixel density -- handily beating the 330ppi Retina display found on Apple's iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. "The naked eye is unable to distinguish between individual pixels," LG said in a statement announcing the new screen.

The 5-inch display will have a 16:9 aspect ratio and a 1920x1080 resolution, a combination more associated with HDTVs and high-definition monitors. The display is built on AH-IPS (Advanced High Performance In-Plane Switching) technology, which provides wider viewing angles, improved color palette, and faster touch-response times, LG said.

News of LG's new screen emerges as Apple is reportedly gearing up to outfit the next-generation iPhone with screens that are at least 4 inches wide, a marked increase over the 3.5-inch 960x640-pixel Retina display the iPhone currently sports.

The new LG screen, which will be released in the second half of 2012, will be on display in June at the SID 2012 Display Week trade show in Boston.

Original article :

Thinnest (and lightest) 10-inch tablets

How thin can tablets get? CNET looks at the thinnest 10-inch tablets so far.

You don't get much thinner than this. No, seriously, the Toshiba Excite 10 LE is currently the thinnest tablet there is.

(Credit: Josh Miller/CNET)

Even if your tablet appreciation never deviates from pragmatic, functionality concerns, you'll at least have to admit that a thin tablet has its advantages. Thin tablets are usually sleeker, sexier, and easier to handle. And lately, they've begun to include more features like microSD, Micro-HDMI, and even ridiculously crazy high-resolution screens.

By their nature of being so thin, all tablets on this list are the lightest 10-inch tablets you've even seen. However, today we'll be focusing only on the girth of the tablets.

Since it's no longer Apple's flagship tablet, I decided not to include the iPad 2 in the official list, but it's included in this handy chart for comparison's sake.

	Thickness (in inches)	Weight (in pounds)
Toshiba Excite 10 LE	0.30	1.12
Asus Transformer Prime TF201	0.32	1.32
iPad 2	0.34	1.34
Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1	0.34	1.24
iPad (2012)	0.37	1.44
Asus Transformer Pad TF300	0.38	1.40

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ASUS PadFone Demo Video

Published on May 11, 2012 by asus - The award-winning ASUS PadFone™ is a fully featured Android ICS smartphone with a 4.3" Super AMOLED screen that transforms into a 10.1" tablet when connected to the PadFone™ Station. ASUS' unique DynamicDisplay technology expands your view by optimizing apps to take advantage of the different screen sizes, while data is instantly available without the need to synchronize. The PadFone™ boasts up to 63 hours of extended talk time with the PadFone™ Station, and up to 102 hours with the Station Dock keyboard attachment. Better still, the PadFone™ shares a single data plan between three devices to maximize your savings.

Microsoft playing active role in ultrabook development?

The software company is reportedly spending time with ultrabook vendors to ensure that the designs of those devices will work well with touch-enabled Windows 8 environments.

Mooly Eden, head of Intel's PC unit, shows off an ultrabook with 

a transparent touchscreen last year.

(Credit: James Martin/CNET)

Microsoft might only be a software vendor, but the company is playing an active role in hardware, according to a new report.

Digitimes is reporting today, citing sources, that Microsoft is "actively involved" in ultrabook product designs. The reason the company is so involved revolves around Windows 8's touch-enabled features. When displays are touched in traditional clamshell notebooks, the screens will shake and move a bit, making it difficult to handle tasks. Microsoft has now placed more stringent specifications on vendors, according to Digitimes' sources, to ensure that the touch screens will deliver a more reliable experience.

The combination of ultrabooks and touch screens is something many vendors believe could be a key ingredient in the form factor's success. Last November, Intel CEO Paul Otellini, whose company developed the ultrabook specification, said that touch-based options will become increasingly important as the devices try to compete against traditional notebooks and Apple's own iPad.

Full report 

'Google goggles' offer vision of future

Uploaded by AlJazeeraEnglish on Apr 6, 2012 : Google has unveiled a new pair of glasses that puts its virtual services, literally, in your face. It's still a work in progress, but as Stefanie Dekker reports, it's already causing controversy.