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Just when you thought that the Apple-Samsung dispute was long gone, the two rivaling tech companies will once again appear in court next week in Silicon Valley. As usual, they are accusing each other of ripping off designs and features. Apple is accusing Samsung of infringing on 5 patents including Samsung's popular Galaxy smartphones and tablets. Samsung on the other hand is accusing Apple of stealing ideas to use on Apple's iDevices. According to Apple attorneys, Apple "revolutionized the market in personal computing devices, while Samsung "systematically copied Apple's innovative technology and products. Samsung in defense says that it has been a "pioneer in the mobile business sector since the inception of the mobile device industry, and that Apple copied many of Samsung's innovations on Apple's iDevices. Some things Apple claims that Samsung copied are tap to search technology, and "slide to unlock" the latter in my opinion, is not true. However, each smartphone has many patents, but Apple is only challenging 5 of them. personally I think that Apple and Samsung devices are very different. Sure some features may be similar or identical, but that's just to have competition. Although both of them are innovators, I think that Samsung/Google is innovating more nowadays than Apple.

Yota Devices is a smart phone phone company, based in Russia that is making waves in the cell phone community with their innovations in smart phone hardware. The yotaphone was released last year in asia and europe and quickly made a name for itself by offering not only staple specs we have come to expect, but also innovation for the screen. Its front screen operates as anyone would guess, so the real area the phone stands out in is shown when flipped over. The back screen is a low-power e-ink display that in the phones first incarnation was mainly used for display and lacked touchscreen capabilities. Now, however, in the yotaphones upcoming successor: the screen has made the jump to a full touch panel, allowing it be used to answer calls, receive and dismiss notifications and be used to play games that don't require the flashy capabilities of the front screen. This kind of innovation in cellphone technology is of paramount importance and the biggest step forward since the original iphone. The potential is amazing, allowing for new software to utilize the second screen, and making cellphones even more accessible and useful to the smartphone community.

The smartphone market has been dominated by Apple's iPhone and Google's Android devices, but with this dominance many people think they do not have any other options when it comes to smartphones other than Apple and Android. Yes, there have been other companies that have tried to combat the powerful hold of Apple and Android but they have faltered and ultimately could not dethrone these smartphone giants. Now the Finnish company Jolla plans on competing against Apple and Android with its new OS, Sailfish which they claim is an alternative to Apple and Android. Jolla also partnered itself with Chinese phone retailer D.Phone so Jolla would have phones that will run Sailfish. For many of us, we are stuck with the decision of buying either an Android or an iPhone since any other phone trying to appear differently was simply forgotten. But the release of Sailfish phones would completely change the smartphone market by giving consumers another option when considering buying a new phone and releasing some of the control that Apple and Android have. It could also be possible that Sailfish phones will be more revolutionary and better looking than Androids and iPhones but still cost less which would attract many consumers who want an innovative but low-cost phone. I think Sailfish will have a large impact on the smartphone market since it uses many gestures that makes the OS unique. Whereas Apple's iPhone and Google's Android will eventually lose their popularity due to Apple and Android's lack of innovation, the Sailfish phones could possibly have the same effect the first iPhone had on the world and become the new dominant smartphone. 

Many of us think of Apple as this giant in electronics. Over the past decade, Apple set the market for smartphones, ultrabooks, and tablets. However, in the past couple of years, Apple has begun to fall off. Rather than being the huge 'juggernaut,' Apple has become a follower, forced to play catch up to other companies including Google and Amazon. Evidence of this are tied to the recent releases of the Kindle Fire and the Nexus 7. Apple's response was the iPad Mini, when they realized consumers enjoyed smaller tablets. Before that was the iPhone 5, in response to people wanting larger phone displays. Apple Maps is a blunder that both iOS 6 users and Apple pays for. Apple was slow on the draw to join in on changes to the market specifications. Having controlled the market for the past decade with the popularization of smartphones, tablets, and retina display, Apple was simply unprepared to react to these changes. Apple still has their innovation and secrets hidden in R&D, but the fact of the matter is their most recent releases contain ideas from other companies' progress. This relates to elifestyle because our generation uses these products in our daily lives. Most of us do not remember a time when electronics did not make up a substantial part of our lives; when Apple was not a prominent consumer electronics company. This reminds us that power does not last indefinitely; innovators become followers, and companies fall. The next big thing in electronics may not even exist yet. 

This article describes 15 new apps that are exciting, innovative and unique that you should keep an eye out for. Being a person who uses apps every day I am always searching for new and cool things to interact with. One of the cool apps featured is My-script Calculator. It allows you to write in your own calculations and it has the technology to read what you wrote and give an answer which I see as pretty cool.

This article describes 15 new apps that are exciting, innovative and unique that you should keep an eye out for. Being a person who uses apps every day I am always searching for new and cool things to interact with. One of the cool apps featured is My-script Calculator. It allows you to write in your own calculations and it has the technology to read what you wrote and give an answer which I see as pretty cool.

If you're the type of person who loves Samsung and has every product they have released, then you'll probably get interested in their new product, the Samsung Galaxy Camera. This camera will be based off the Galaxy S III. That means it'll have a screen size of around 4.8'', have the TouchWiz UI, and JellyBean. However, instead of the original 8 Mp camera on the SIII, this'll have 16Mp camera with xenon flash. Too me, I think Samsung is taking it a bit too far. Yes I know that their are many competitors out there trying to steal the competition, but I thought that Samsung releasing their Smart Tv's was already the big thing. I have to admit, this is an innovative product. No doubt there'll be many good things to be said about it in the future.

The video by, Youtube channel ExtraCreditz, is about the issue of frequency space. All information that we use is transmitted through the air by different forms of radiation (radio waves, microwaves, etc.) The problem is we are running out of frequencies to use; there are only a limited band of wave lengths to transmit information with. These wavelengths can't be infinitely divided because they would end up cancelling each other out. This issue derives from the explosion in smartphone and mobile device popularity. These devices use 24x and 122x the spectrum of older cellphones respectively.  Along with other devices, we are running out of the amount of frequencies available to transmit information with. By 2014, there will no longer be any more spectrum to use. This is detrimental to any progress in developments of information sharing, such as cloud gaming. The demand for spectrum space in such ideas and innovations is simply to high with the current usage of the resource. Unless we can find a way to solve this 'Spectrum Crunch,' many future developments will not be possible. This is tagged under Portable Computing, as well as eLifestyle because this issue is born from the expansion of technology into everyday use. Before mobile technology became popular, the 'Spectrum Crunch' was never an issue. However, many companies are now racing to free up spectrum. Some solutions include freeing up spectrum used by television stations. But there is no definite answer. As the future in the world as leaders in an era of information and electronics, our generation must address problems like these to progress in the advancement of technology.

This article talks about new gesture that could be used in addition to finger touch in order to have more options easily and launch new apps using your knuckle, fingertip, fingernail and more. A trio of Ph.D. students at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh managed to modify a Samsung Galaxy SIII to accept input from all three different touch variations, and tell the difference between them. It accomplishes this with the help of a vibration sensor and software that listens for the acoustic differences that come with the different types of touches. A man named Harrison has already started a company called Qeexo to start selling this tech. This vibration sensor can easily be added to any smartphone's "guts" and the software added too.   This article has a lot to do with portable computing because different companies are always coming up with new innovative ways to make smart phones more "smart". This is one of those things that a new company called Qeexo is doing. They are looking to improve the options and speed of using a smartphone for example instead of opening up a note pad by going into the menu and clicking it with your finger, you can use the "shortcut" of taping your knuckle twice to open it. This can also be used in gaming, option menus etc.  The main point is that companies are always changing making technology much more natural and easy to use. I think that this is a very good idea and over time if people hear about this depending on how much this would cost to upgrade it may become big and even become a pre-installed feature. 

your mother was right- Posture is important! In this article, a new innovating chair has been introduced to the market, Gesture chair. Ever since the progression of technology in the last decade, tablets, smartphones and computers are everywhere- including the office. These new technologies, and their frequent use have uncovered nine new postures that have never been seen before. And with these new postures, a new chair is needed for the proper support. Many overlook the importance of posture in you health but good posture is as imperative as eating right, exercising and so on. For example, when we are sitting at a computer much like you are now reading this, you are most likely hunched over with you head and neck tilted forward.This hunched over position creates an imbalance between your head and your spinal column forcing the human body to stretch certain spinal ligaments to support your head. This can eventually cause fatigue and pain. However, this is where Gesture comes in; this chair has the ability to support you body's many postures and movements through out the day. Its features include movable arm rests, fluidity in the back that cradles your back and more. This chair encourages movement rather than restricting the body to a certain position. Overall, it is something that can positively affect your health, and shares new ideas regarding the chair and how we can use technology and kinesiology to improve our lives.

Google, being the innovators and marketers that they are, are working on a new feature which will put Chrome ahead of the pack in the mobile browsing world. Google is using a new data compressing tool to make browsing faster and more reliable. The new technique involves forcing websites to be loaded to Google's proxies. Rather then having the user connect to the individual websites protocols, the user connects to Google's lighting fast server, allowing them to few the web page at a much faster rate. In addition, Google's servers will be made to compress the data of the website, allowing an even faster connection. The Opera browser has a similar feature to this called "Turbo" and it works in a similar way. However, Google may have the upper hand here, as Opera can't compete with Google's size, market, and staying power.

This article is about a new Playstation controller, which is thought to be made for the next-gen console the PS4.  Sony is expected to release information about this new gaming console on February 20th, in New York.  The Playstation 4 is going to be the next console in the line of Playstations, following the PS3 which is currently outdated by many computers.  The PS4 will need to compete with the rumored XBox 720, as they are expected to be released around the same time this year, before Christmas.  Sony's ability to innovate and add touch screen technology to their controller will help make the playstation 4 ahead of the other gaming consoles, such as the XBox and computers.  This will also help Sony generate sales, as it will include new technology to older controller designs, and make it more appealing tp consumers.

The article is an excerpt from "Instant: The Story of Polaroid" by Christopher Bonanos. The Polaroid is described as 'that thing that happened before Instagram happened' in the comment proceeding the excerpt. The excerpt tells the tale of how the first Polaroid camera was revealed to the public in 1947 at a scientific meeting of the Optical Society of America by Edwin Land. It is a story of innovation and breakthrough. Previously, cameras would produce negatives on film which would be sent to labs, or developed in home-made darkrooms. This process was difficult, time consuming, and could potentially fail. The Polaroid would change all that. Land took a picture of himself and set a 50 second timer for it to develop. He described how a thick chemical reagent was being reacted with the negative, the same stuff that normally went down a darkroom drain. This was one of Land's biggest breakthroughs. With the 50 seconds up, he peeled back the print, revealing a sepia (or as we described it: a browned-up-a-notch) portrait of himself. This was monumental. A process which normally took a week was done in under a minute. The story of the instant camera raced across America, landing Land in the New York Times and Life magazine. This article relates to the present, where cameras are generally smaller and predominantly digital. As a class, we recently watched a video on micro-technology. Over the years, scientists and engineers have been on the constant struggle to make things smaller, faster, and more efficient. The camera is no exception. Today's cameras contain microchips and processors of their own, in a compact space. Recent Polaroids can print in colour. In a world driven by invention and innovation, many new things may be introduced in our life time. Perhaps one will be as impactful as the Polaroid camera.

This article talks about a new tablet line from Microsoft called "Surface". It is supposed to go with the new Windows 8 operating system which is supposed to be a more touch and mobile friendly system. At an event in LA Steve Ballmer showed 2 versions of Surface.  One is running Windows 8 Pro the other Windows RT. Each tablet comes with a stand and magnetically attachable covers to allow the tablet to be like a laptop. The type cover has a keyboard and trackpad, while the touch cover is a thinner keyboard cover that comes in many colours and has an accelerometer to let the system know when it's folded to deactivate the keyboard. Both have a 10.6-inch display. The RT version is 9.3mm thick and weights 673g while the Windows 8 Pro is 13.55mm thick and weighs 903g. Only the RT comes with productivity software like Office Home and Student pre-loaded. This release ties in with portable computing because it is an all new portable tablet that is from Microsoft. It also ties in with their new operating system that goes hand in hand with this tablet. It is something with a new innovative style and can be used in various ways as a laptop or tablet. It also ties in with economics and the whole Apple vs. Microsoft competition. Microsoft has created an "even better" version of the iPad. Now instead of going for the iPad people that like PC's and working with them can make the choice to use the Surface tablet which once again puts Microsoft and Apple in competition with one another for sales. All in all this is a great new tablet and I think it is great for all those Windows users that can get their hands on a new tablet from Microsoft.  It will be interesting to see if this new technology will blow up compared to the iPad and now the iPad Mini.

This article explains how it is practical that Facebook bought out Instagram. Facebook is very popular when it comes to sharing photos and Instagram brings the latest and most innovative ways to take photos. So, it is only right that Facebook and Instagram team up. I agree that the partnership between Facebook and Instagram will be beneficial for the both of them. Separately Facebook and Instagram are quite popular but by partnering together it will definitely boost both their popularities. Also, I think it's good to see that Facebook is doing something more than just changing their layout every couple of months.

This article explains the fall of the leading company in smartphones. RIM experiences a significant decline in profits. I think that smartphones have risen in popularity and RIM is unable to keep up with their competition and it shows in their profits. I think that in order for RIM to recover from such a loss, they must provide an new and innovative feature to their products or a completely new product that will separate themselves from the competition. I think it is unfortunate that such a successful company experiences such a drastic downfall. This goes to show how unpredictable the world of technology can be.

As the title reads, this article announces scientists discovery to recharge laptops and cell phones with soda pop and vegetable oil. Scientists created the first fuel cell that produces electricity with technology borrowed from natural biological powerhouses. Researchers believe, these innovative biofuel cells can transform sugar and fats into energy for running a variety of machines and devices. When further developed, these devices have the potential for replacing disposable and rechargeable batteries in a wide variety of consumer electronics and other products.This can be a revolutionary discovery if we actually start to use soda pop and vegetable oil as our energy source to run our electronic devices rather than batteries. This has an impact on everybody's life and ultimately the entire world because with so much of our lives consisting of using and working with various technology based devices, it will be significant in the way we save money and resources in helping our environment and lives but also being just as efficient and successful with our products as before. 

Angry Birds has become one of the most popular games for people of all ages to play while on the go, but if your someone who is a veteran player, and may be getting a bit tired of the same old basic mechanics, fear not, because there is a solution that requires a new skill for playing the game. This new creative and innovative answer to gamer's problems is a real slingshot that interfaces with the game over a USB connection. The slingshot is recognized by a PC as a mouse and the angle of the shot depends on how the player is holding the slingshot.  Also, the company has designed this USB compatible slingshot so the skills and tools are available to everyday people to go and build one themselves. All the components are widely available and relatively cheap to buy. In addition, mbed have released instructions and code for creating their prototype. I believe this is a interesting and intelligent way to attract more people to play Angry Birds and also an exciting creation to sustain the present gamers. This advancement enhances the overall experience of playing Angry Birds and this demonstrates how successful this game has become over the years and the attention it receives to maintain and increase it's high praise and recognition as a worldwide well-known computer game.

This article explains the latest in Google's innovations - augmented reality glasses. These glasses allow the user to receive notifications from their phone that will help will everyday struggles such as knowing the weather or the status of highway traffic. I think these glasses are extremely pointless unless they offer other features. I find it easier to check my phone rather than wear futuristic -like glasses the whole day just to inform me of quick notifications. However I am still looking forward to see what other features these glasses will offer and if the look of these glasses will change (hopefully they will look better than these prototypes). 

This article describes a new innovation in laptop that will catch the attention of many. We are all becoming more conscious of the effect our actions have towards the environment and this advancement will help us be more environmentally friendly. The flexibility of this power source is also a bonus. The only down side to this technology is that it will cost a little more but in the end will we save much more than just a few dollars.

This article is about how many batteries will soon be solar powered and use micro fuel cells. This is an environmentally friendly way to use technology since more and more people are aware of the ecological foot print they have made. Solar power seems to be the better choice because you could use it anywhere as long as there's the sun and it's free. Although there are cons to solar powered technology, you will not be able to use it indoor and/or evening hours. You can use micro fuel cells anytime but, are very pricey. I think this new way of using technology will have a long term effect but it will still benefit us in a positive way.