Tag Archive for RIMM

| May 16, 2011
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25 Tech Firms Sued for Breaching 3G Patents

25 Tech Firms Sued for Breaching 3G PatentsTechEye points out a case started by Golden Bridge Technology (GBT) which lists 25 tech firms alleged to breach a number of 3G patents. In the case, Golden Bridge Technology (1:11-cv-00165-SLR, U.S. District Court District of Delaware)  GBT alleges the companies have breached patents 6,574,267 B1, and 7,359,427 on standards for 3G wireless communications including devices and base stations. The defendants, the filing says, have refused to license the patents.

GBT said its developments were adopted by 3GPP “as an important and necessary part of the 3G and UMTS standards.” GBT is seeking damages from the defendant’s alleged past and present infringement. All of the defendants, in one way or another, use GBT’s technology, it alleges.

The defendants in the case are:

  1. Amazon (AMZN),
  2. Acer,
  3. Barnes & Noble (BKS),
  4. Deutsche Telekom,
  5. Dell (DELL),
  6. Exedea,
  7. Garmin (GRMN),
  8. Hewlett Packard (HPQ),
  9. HTC,
  10. Huawei,
  11. Lenovo (LNVGY)
  12. LG Electronics,
  13. Novatel (NVTL),
  14. Option NV (OPTI),
  15. Palm,
  16. Panasonic (PCRFY),
  17. Pantech,
  18. Research in Motion (RIMM),
  19. Sharp (SHCAY),
  20. Sierra Wireless (SWIR),
  21. Sony (SNE),
  22. Sony Ericsson,
  23. T-Mobile,
  24. UTStarcom (USTI) and
  25. ZTE (783).

In addition, it wants treble damages against T-Mobile, HTC, LG, Palm, RIM, and Sony Ericsson, and lawyers costs.

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Like I have pointed out, again and again, many firm’s business plans have de-evolved into patent trolling.

Does GBT deserve to collect a tax from every innovator?

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

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| April 25, 2011
Comments Off on IDC Predicts MSFT Smartphone Comeback

IDC Predicts MSFT Smartphone Comeback

IDC Predicts MSFT Smartphone ComebackThe prognosticators at research firm International Data Corporation (IDC) have looked into their crystal ball and predicted that by 2015 Microsoft (MSFT) will take second place to Google’s (GOOG) Android in the smartphone market. IDC claims that in 2015, Windows 7 will pass Apple (AAPL) iOS as the alternative operating system to Android. Android will have about half the market and what is left will be divided between Research In Motion’s (RIMM) Blackberry and Apple.

TechEye points out in their indubitable way:

For that to happen, Apple followers will have to suddenly have a realisation that Jobs’ Mob’s walled garden of delights is not all it’s cracked up to be and would have to defect to the arch-enema of the Apple cargo cult – Steve Ballmer.

Symbian market will blindly follow Nokia to MSFTThe latest stats show how far Ballmer’s Boys have to go to meet IDG’s projections. MSFT has 5.5 percent of the market, apparently, IDG believes that all the Symbian market will blindly follow Nokia to MSFT because the firms made a billion-dollar deal. Sometimes it is also about functionality, copy and paste, multi-touch.

IDC Smartphone Market Share Predictions

20112015
Android 39.5 %Android 45.4 %
Symbian 20.9 %Windows 7 / Windows Mobile 20.9 %
iPhone 15.7 %iPhone 15.3 %
Research In Motion Ltd. BlackBerry 14.9 %Research In Motion Ltd. BlackBerry 13.7 %
Windows 7 / Windows Mobile 5.5 %Others 4.6 %
Others 3.5%Symbian 0.2 %

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Well good for IDG, TechEye says they failed to see the rise of the iPhone or Android in 2006. History says that a full-frontal assault on a firm’s core business is not effective. MSFT has to create a market to make iPhone and Android irrelevant. I think the MSFT for MSFT sake opportunity is long gone.

What do you think?

Is IDG dreaming?

Can Windows Phone 7 reach second place on the market by 2015?

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

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| April 12, 2011
Comments Off on iPad Users Likely to Transfer Sensitive Data

iPad Users Likely to Transfer Sensitive Data

iPad Users Likely to Transfer Sensitive Data

Tablets, mostly Apple (AAPL) iPad is organizations into the consumerization of IT.  Tablets are forcing IT managers to accept the idea of supporting employee-owned devices. Many organizations are struggling with how to secure the data on these consumer devices. eWeek recently pointed out data from Harris Interactive and Fuzebox which says that tablet users are transferring sensitive information at a greater rate than even smartphone owners.

Harris Interactive polled 2,300-plus adults polled in late January 2011. Almost half (48%) of tablet owners in the survey admitted to using their tablets to transfer sensitive data.

  • 42% of the surveyed said they transfer sensitive personal data on their tablets
  • 20% of tablet owners said they transfer sensitive data for business use,

According to Harris, the survey found that confidence in the security of the data transferred over their mobile devices is skewed according to age and gender.

  • 47% of men are confident
  • 34% of are women are confident

Younger adults are more likely to transfer sensitive data via a tablet:

  • Apple logo61% of respondents 18-34 transfer sensitive data on their tablet;
  • 56% of those surveyed ages 35-44;
  • 33% of those surveyed ages 45-5 4;
  • 20% of those 55+ (20%) to use it to transfer sensitive data.

Not many users are confident in mobile security

  • 18% are extremely/very confident in the security of the data transferred over their device(s).
  • 15% are not at all confident in the security of the data transferred over their device(s).

While the Apple iPad controls the bulk of the tablet market where security is a concern, the advantage may go to Research In Motion (RIMM) says eWeek. The article cites data from Technology Business Research which is also studying enterprise use of tablets, and some of the initial findings show that these users continue to believe that RIM devices are the most secure.

Research In Motion logoThe news could be a boon for RIM according to the author, at least in the short term. The BlackBerry maker is expected to release its PlayBook tablet by the summer and is aiming it at the enterprise. However, lurking in the background is Apple, which dominates the tablet space with its iPad and is growing its reputation for secure products.”IT departments like the ability to manage the devices and data on the devices remotely, including the ability to control access and to securely wipe the devices if they’re lost or stolen,” TBR analyst Ken Hyers told eWEEK. “RIM has succeeded in establishing a high threshold in what is expected from an enterprise-class device in terms of security.”

Mr. Hyers added, “RIM’s reputation for security will give it a near-term advantage and help it sell more PlayBooks directly to the enterprise … But over time that advantage will steadily erode.”

“From a smartphone vendor standpoint, Apple is establishing its own reputation as a secure device, though not up to the level of RIM,” Mr. Hyers told eWeek. “Apple (and Android mobile devices) also have a distinct edge in usability and appeal; they’re simply easier to use and more fun to use.” Where this becomes a problem for RIM is when businesses let their employees choose the mobile devices they use, as they tend to go for the “sexier” ones, he explained.

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I have been a Blackberry user for 7+ years, but I have wonder if RIMM gets “it” anymore. Is RIMM going to turn into the Novell of the mobile market? A technically better product, but never able to close the deal, getting left in the wake of pretty shiny objects over substance. Given the increasingly crowded market RIMM operates in, the company is facing the same challenges as Novell.

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

Category: Tablet computing | Tags: , , , , , , , ,
| March 14, 2011
Comments Off on Wireless Charging Amped Up

Wireless Charging Amped Up

Wireless Charging Amped UpThose of us tired of dealing with tangled cord and bulky wall warts may get some relief in the near future. iSuppli Corp. is predicting that a flood of new electronic gizmos with wireless charging capabilities will be inundating the market. The market research firm believes that the global market for wireless charging devices for smartphones like the RIM (RIMM) Torch, tablet computers such as the Apple (AAPL) iPad2 media players like the Apple iPod Touch will drive the global market for wireless charging devices to 234.9 million units in 2014, up 65% from 3.6 million in 2010, according to iSuppli.

iSuppli table Tina Teng, senior analyst for wireless research at iSuppli told Itnewslink.com, “Over the next five years, wireless charging devices will find their way into an increasing number of applications, including mobile phones, portable media players, digital still cameras, and mobile PCs.”

Mobile phones will drive wireless charging acceptance according to Ms. Teng, ” …mobile phones will contribute the largest share of revenue to wireless charging-not only because of the large volume of mobile devices expected to benefit from the technology, but also because of participation by name brands in manufacturing the device, providing much-needed market recognition in the process.”

“Genius of Electricity,” 1915, Gilded Bronze, Bedminster, NJ. Photography Lee sandstead"Despite the optimism, iSuppli believes there are still barriers to the widespread adoption of wireless charging. Manufacturers will have to make wireless charging in their devices down to the circuit board level which will drive down costs. The wireless charging industry will need to adopt a common standard to ensure interoperability among products. Currently, all products are proprietary. Skins made by one company, will not work with the charger pad of another. “Until the industry finds a standard to follow, the wireless charging industry will be fragmented, and consumers will hesitate to adopt any solution that could be compromised by the rival companies,” Itnewslink.com quotes Ms. Teng, “However, an open, standardized system will create a healthier competitive environment and prompt manufacturers to join forces-which will enhance consumer awareness and lead to adoption in the markets.”

There are four wireless charging technologies. The wireless charging technologies include Near-field magnetic resistance, Far-field magnetic resistance, Conductive magnetic resistance, and Inductive magnetic resistance wireless charging systems.

  • Far-field magnetic resonance, a technology that has raised safety as well as health concerns and for which no commercial products are available for the time being.
  • Inductive wireless charging uses the principle of electromagnetic induction where current generated from the induced magnetic field in the receiver coil charges devices is the most widely wireless charging technology adopted by the value chain.  the technology enjoys wide support from semiconductor vendors, device manufacturers, accessories makers as well as retailers according to the Wireless Design and Development website. The most successful proponent of magnetic induction is Powermat, a Michigan-based company which I wrote about in 2010, that also owned 62 percent share of the wireless charging market as reported by Wireless Design and Development.

iSuppli notes that most companies are not ready with commercial products yet, several high-profile manufacturers are looking at producing wireless charging solutions. The companies include Texas Instruments (TXN) and ST-Ericsson from the semiconductor side; Nokia Corp (NOK) and Research In Motion Ltd. from the device manufacturer side; and Logitech (LOGI) and Case-Mate from the accessory manufacturer side.

Product-specific wireless charging systems consist of a charger as well as a so-called “skin” or receiver sold for specific devices. These product-specific devices contrast with aftermarket solutions, which are universal chargers and various skins that can be used with multiple consumer electronics. Growth is also projected for aftermarket wireless charging, with revenue rising at a massive five-year Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 133.4 percent.

Rats nest of cablesrb-

I hate the cluttered cluster of cables on my desk. The wireless chargers should clean up that mess, but until the manufacturers get their act together and build in some interoperability from the factory, they still got a problem.

What do you think?

Is wireless charging a practical technology?

Do you have a wireless charging rig?

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

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| February 21, 2011
Comments Off on Apple Disrupts Mobile PC Market

Apple Disrupts Mobile PC Market

Apple Disrupts Mobile PC MarketApple is riding a wave of success now and is disrupting the mobile PC market for its competition. KPCB says that social networking will drive the mobile PC market for the rest of this decade. Facebook has 662 million users and Twitter has 253 million users which will continue to grow. TechEYE points out that mobile products now have more processing power, improved user interfaces, and lower prices meaning that there are now ten times more mobile devices globally than a decade ago.

social networking and mobile devicesTechEYE says that the link between social networking and mobile devices can be seen clearly in the Japanese market where a general rise in access to social networking sites has increased, while the number of people accessing them from a traditional PC has steadily decreased – 85 percent of users accessing sites from mobile devices in the last quarter of 2010.

Surging iPad shipments have propelled Apple (AAPL) to a 17.2% share of the global mobile PC market. ITnewsLink reports that this puts Apple at the top of the Q4’10 DisplaySearch market share ranking of worldwide mobile PC shipments. The preliminary results from the Quarterly Mobile PC Shipment and Forecast Report says Apple shipped more than 10.2 million notebook and tablet PCs combined. This was nearly a million more units than HP in Q4’10. ITnewsLink quotes Richard Shim, Senior Analyst at DisplaySearch on Apple’s success.

“While we anticipate increased competition in the tablet PC market later this year with the introduction of Android Honeycomb-based tablets, Apple’s iPad business is complementing a notebook line whose shipments widely exceed the industry average growth rate. Apple is currently benefiting from significant and comprehensive growth from both sectors of the mobile PC spectrum, notebooks and tablet PCs. Cannibalization seems limited at this point.”

Apple ComputersThe top five brands in the mobile PC market Q4’10 are:

  1. Apple
  2. HP (HPQ)
  3. Acer (2353)
  4. Dell (DELL)
  5. Toshiba (TOSBF)

The top five brands accounted for 65.4% of the total mobile PC market. In Q4’10, worldwide mobile PC shipments (including tablet PCs) reached 59.6 million units according to DisplaySearch.

The drive to keep up with the Jobs’s will cause supply chain disruptions for Apple’s mobile PC competition TechEYE says. DigiTimes reports that supplies of notebook components are running short, including CMOS image sensors, chassis, batteries, and LED’s. TechEYE sources report that touchpads are suffering the most serious shortage as a result of Apple hogging the supply from manufacturers such as Wintek and TPK. Reports are that Apple has reserved 60% of global touchpad production capacity. RIM (RIMM), Motorola (MMI), HP. HTC, Samsung, LG, and Dell now all have to fight it out for the remaining 40% of touchpads.

TechEYE predicts that panels will be like gold dust. Bob Raikes, Managing Director at Meko, The European Display Market Research specialist, told TechEye, “Touch technology also tended to limit the visual quality of the display …  Then Apple’s iPhone started to use projected capacitive touch technology. which didn’t degrade the image and allowed a new level of user experience.”

In the last year, there has been a huge swing to use projected capacitive technology in high volume portable devices, and the supply chain has struggled to catch up.  Chunghwa Picture Tubes is teaming up with Compal, one of the biggest manufacturers of laptops for multinationals, to piece together a business in touch panel glass. Compal recognizes that tablets are here to drain the world of its glass supplies and wants to capitalize.

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Looks like Steve Jobs is at it again. In the past, Apple bought up flash memory stores to secure an advantage for their iPod  MP3 players. You have to imagine that the rest of the tablet field is none too pleased with Apple’s tactics.

What do you think?

Do you use a tablet?

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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.

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