Slashdot Mirror

I'm so tired of that argument, when the first thing reviews mention, often in the friggin title, is how much these phone like an iPhone then it goes somewhat beyond "well they're both phones." Case in point :

First Look: Samsung Vibrant Rips Off iPhone 3G Design
Review: The IPhone Look Alike Samsung Eternity
Samsung Galaxy S Review : "In the time we’ve been carrying the Galaxy S, more than a few people – geeks included – have mistaken it for an iPhone 3GS"

Here's the problem in 1 sentence from a Samsung Galaxy S review : "In the time we’ve been carrying the Galaxy S, more than a few people – geeks included – have mistaken it for an iPhone 3GS." There's a fine line between using similar desing elements and making something so similar it's mistaken for something else. Should it be illegal ? Probably not, but you can sort of see why Apple is pissed off.

No only if you purposefully make them look so much alike that it can potentially confuse the consumer. Like when you make a nearly identical handset and change the icons to very closely resemble the iPhone ones. Now personally I don't think this should be against the law, but the first time I saw a commercial for one of these phones I do remember thinking to myself they were shameless iPhone rip offs. I'm not the only one either :

First Look: Samsung Vibrant Rips Off iPhone 3G Design

Review: The IPhone Look Alike Samsung Eternity SGH-A867 (AT&T)

Samsung Galaxy S Review : "In the time we’ve been carrying the Galaxy S, more than a few people – geeks included – have mistaken it for an iPhone 3GS. The glossy black plastic and metal-effect bezel both echo Apple’s second/third-gen smartphone"

Found them: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/12/asus-eee-pad-transformer-and-slider-another-look/ http://www.slashgear.com/asus-eee-pad-transformer-first-impressions-video-30143387/

Wow, that is unprecedented, unless you count the Kno:

http://www.slashgear.com/kno-dual-screen-tablet-hands-on-07124780/

Or the Acer Iconia 6120:
http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/03/29/6367167-acers-dual-screen-tablet-behaves-like-a-laptop

Or the Toshiba tablet concept:
http://techtickerblog.com/2006/03/17/dual-screen-tablet-from-toshiba/

Or the MSI dual screen tablet:
http://blog.laptopmag.com/msis-dual-screen-tablet-video-hands-on-much-more-than-an-ereader

Or the Toshiba Libretto
http://www.gottabemobile.com/2010/08/16/toshiba-libretto-dual-screen-tablet-hitting-the-u-s/

Or the Asus Dual Screen concept:
http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/asus-dual-screen-laptop-features-a-touchscreen-keyboard/

Not quite. The Samsung F700 was shown for the first time in Feb 2007, but it wasn't commercially available then. A quick search of the web for 'Samsung F700 release date' yields a large number of message board postings from people seeking the release date, with the responses being anything from 'September' to 'December' of 2007.

Slashgear was one of the few blogs to actually get their hands on a working unit and that wasn't until March 15th. Even then parts of the phone were off-limits, and it was clear the device wasn't ready for release.
http://www.slashgear.com/slashgear-at-cebit-samsung-f700-hands-on-154328/

I'm doubtful Apple will successfully challenge Samsung's choice of hardware design (weren't most phones rectangular?) but there's merit to suggest that Samsung's software decisions were heavily influenced by Apple's. Given the eventual release of the phone wasn't until later in 2007, sufficient time was available for Samsung to make changes to the UI.

You keep reciting that LG Prada when it has shown not to be remotely similar. As for the F700, it also is not similar. That's why in Apple's lawsuit, it specifically names the Galaxy phone. Not the F700, not the Wave. Please do some research and actually read the links that others provide.

Not similar? I think this is Apple's own wording: "rectangular shape with rounded corners, silver edging, a flat surface face with substantial top and bottom black borders, gently curving edges on the back, and a display of colorful square icons with rounded corners."

Really now, how different is the F700? Lemme see:
- rectangular shape with rounded corners - check
- flat surface face with substantial top and bottom black borders - check
- square icons - check

But the icons are not colorful with rounded corners, big difference.

To look at the thing, the F700 looks very similar to me.

http://www.letsgomobile.org/en/0791/f700samsung/

You keep reciting that LG Prada when it has shown not to be remotely similar. As for the F700, it also is not similar. That's why in Apple's lawsuit, it specifically names the Galaxy phone. Not the F700, not the Wave. Please do some research and actually read the links that others provide.

• Dec 12, 2006: Prada is confirmed by LG. No images
• Dec 15, 2006: Engadget and others publishes images of Prada
• January 9, 2007: iPhone is announced and demoed
• January 18, 2007: LG introduced Prada with images

So somehow Apple copied a design in less than a month based nothing more than a static image. And they were able manufacture and get a working demo in less than a month. Either Steve Job's Distortion Field allows him to send engineers back in time, this is highly doubtful. Also considering that Apple asked the FCC not to disclose their design documents back on October 12, 2006, I would say Apple had the iPhone long before LG had the Prada.

If it were true.

Debunked

Your facts are a little off. The F700 was named and acknowledged by Samsung in 2006 but not shown until Feb. 2007 which was after the iPhone was announced.

Nokia's project's just seem to be running very late is all. Nokia has said for a looong time already that they had 1 Meego device nearly ready for launch, and they were hoping for the end of last year.

This could very well be the N950: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tojSYC0Chms

Maybe you can imagine Nokia has this working internally with Meego, and just hasn't launched it yet for various reasons one can only guess at. Note that video is from last July. Compared to the currently shipping N8 running Symbian, well I offer that comparison as supporting evidence as to the authenticity of the video above.

Nokia CTO Rich Green has seemingly named the company’s first MeeGo device, the Nokia N950, set to launch later in 2011. Speaking at Nokia’s Developer Day keynote last week

http://www.slashgear.com/nokia-n950-meego-phone-named-very-elegant-hardware-says-cto-video-22135076/

The comments follow Nokia CTO Rich Green’s own teases about the N950, who told developers last month that “there’s a lot of work that’s gone into the technology, there’s a lot of really interesting user interface and platform design work, some very elegant hardware.” The exact nature of that hardware is currently unclear, though Nokia is believed to have axed the slide-out QWERTY keyboard of previously leaked prototypes in favor of a full-touchscreen candybar design instead.

http://www.slashgear.com/meego-gets-new-boss-promises-unique-appeal-in-n950-08138600/

Nokia's project's just seem to be running very late is all. Nokia has said for a looong time already that they had 1 Meego device nearly ready for launch, and they were hoping for the end of last year.

This could very well be the N950: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tojSYC0Chms

Maybe you can imagine Nokia has this working internally with Meego, and just hasn't launched it yet for various reasons one can only guess at. Note that video is from last July. Compared to the currently shipping N8 running Symbian, well I offer that comparison as supporting evidence as to the authenticity of the video above.

Nokia CTO Rich Green has seemingly named the company’s first MeeGo device, the Nokia N950, set to launch later in 2011. Speaking at Nokia’s Developer Day keynote last week

http://www.slashgear.com/nokia-n950-meego-phone-named-very-elegant-hardware-says-cto-video-22135076/

The comments follow Nokia CTO Rich Green’s own teases about the N950, who told developers last month that “there’s a lot of work that’s gone into the technology, there’s a lot of really interesting user interface and platform design work, some very elegant hardware.” The exact nature of that hardware is currently unclear, though Nokia is believed to have axed the slide-out QWERTY keyboard of previously leaked prototypes in favor of a full-touchscreen candybar design instead.

http://www.slashgear.com/meego-gets-new-boss-promises-unique-appeal-in-n950-08138600/

I don't know where he got his numbers, but his math is solid. We have no evidence of his "statistics".

An analyst group that monitored stores reported a 16% return rate. Samsung reported 2%.

(examples: 16% and 2%, or just google "galaxy tab return rate" and you'll see headlines of 16% and 2%)

Given Samsung previously giving numbers "shipped", not sold to consumers, and tracking stores is tracking actual sales to consumers, it makes sense to assume Samsung is referring to returns from the 2 million, and the other number is returns from those sold. The rest is simple algebra as you mentioned.

It is still in question, and likely to stay there. Apple doesn't have a history of giving details about stories like this.

But isolated reports I don't really agree with.

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=960079
http://www.phonenews.com/did-apple-flip-the-ios-kill-switch-on-ndrive-11579/
http://www.slashgear.com/ndrive-gps-app-disappears-from-apple-app-store-kill-switch-the-culprit-0893419/

are just the first three links I clicked. All of them have people saying that the app was wiped from their iDevice as well as people who say it wasn't on theirs.

It does not cost the carrier $560. And they stand to gain much more than that in service charges (in this case, about $1,800 over the next 24 months). Extrapolate that across the massive defection they could suffer to Verizon, and it is easy to understand their willingness to deal.

those are not the terms.

the developer gets between 20% and 70% depending on how much Amazon choose to discount the app.

meanwhile, you are effectively barred from offering discounts elsewhere.

http://www.slashgear.com/amazon-android-app-store-tcs-leak-29104993/

there are more unpleasant terms - like the fact that if you list one of your apps, you have to list all of them. Moreover, they won't even show you the terms until you sign an NDA (or see the leak)

Advent Vega?
http://www.slashgear.com/advent-vega-review-07118007/

No one else could have handled the iPhone bandwidth demand back in 2007-2009 period any better than AT&T did.

Verizon could have handled it better than AT&T.

The Achilles heel of Apple may be when they release a CDMA iPhone for Verizon and people suddenly realize half the stuff they used to do on the iPhone does not work on CDMA where you get Talk OR Data.

Verizon is supposedly working on a way to rectify this problem. There was a story about it here or on BBR a few months ago. Here's one link that talks about the upgrade to CDMA.

I'm curious to know if this is really a big issue for a significant number of people? I've had my Android phone now for five months on Verizon and I really haven't had a problem with this. I do have the option to use wi-fi while I'm talking on the phone but I've rarely exercised it.

O frabjous day!

The Beatles are on iTunes! Truly this is a day that we "will never forget".

Move over 7/25/2006 (remember - the day that Metallica finally joined the fold?), because 11/16/2010 is the new biggest day in the history of music. Ever.
 
Remember folks, your task for this morning is to delete the 100-200 Beatles songs in your iTunes folder so that you can download the exact same files from Apple.

mSata was developed by the SATA-IO Group.

News from way back in 2009...

1. Google Sponsoring In-Flight WiFi This Holiday Season. Easy to offer something that's getting banned. Next: free bottles of water from the fountain of youth (in convenient 3oz sizes)?

2. Pilots protest of TSA's pat-down rules. But only as concerns pilots. Everyone else should still be treated like cattle.

http://www.slashgear.com/ndrive-gps-app-disappears-from-apple-app-store-kill-switch-the-culprit-0893419/

Indeed. Plus Apple have never used it yet but Google have. So who are the bad guys?

From http://www.slashgear.com/ndrive-gps-app-disappears-from-apple-app-store-kill-switch-the-culprit-0893419/

The application itself went for $2.99 in the App Store, and it provided upwards of 1.8GB of US map data. However, it sounds like people didn’t have long to download it, or enjoy it for that matter, before the application itself was pulled from the App Store. And then subsequently pulled from customer’s iPhones as well ..

Customers on forums are reporting the same thing, such as those on Apple Discussions, saying that the app was on their device, but now it’s just gone.

Already Apple is starting to bleed money thanks to the patent war on mobile devices. Most recently it lost a court case for a patent on cover flow and time machine

"Programming is like sex, one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

I just bought an add-on resistive touchscreen kit for my eeePC 901

http://www.slashgear.com/touchscreen-eee-pc-901-mod-2312854/

Haven't installed it yet, but it comes with Linux drivers. Will post on my /. journal if I reach any success with it later this week.

sorry to piss on the fanbois flames spouting "iPhones walled garden is much safer" and other such uninformed crap
the iPhone App Stores dirty secret is its worse, much worse

http://www.slashgear.com/iphone-spyware-debated-as-app-library-phones-home-1752491/

http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2009/04/13/pinch-media-statisti.html

According to this, a typical cortex a9 core draws about 250mW. As this has a very similar architecture (still ARMv7), it should be somewhere in similar regions, maybe more, as they boosted the frequency. So I guess a 16 core version will draw something like 4W+, maybe more. Non-the-less, this is still an incredibly good figure for a web server type processor, though a little heat sink might appear.

I'm only guessing here though, based on previous figures. There is no practical data so far on the exact figures.

That makes sense then. I wasn't aware that by streaming you meant that the Media Center PC was doing all of the video decoding and sending raw video ala PC Anywhere. I was thinking "Youtube streaming video".

Still, you might look into something based on Nvidia's Tegra. From what I've seen, it's really good with video decoding (h.264 at least) and even has good battery life while doing that. Maybe something like this or this.

Who could forget quality control gem?

I'm not disagreeing with you - just saying that there are some people out there using it in that way - just "because they can". iPhone Controlled RC Helicopter

First, N900 has 256 MB RAM and 768 MB swap - not 128 MB RAM as the grandposter (melikamp) stated.

To your (alvinrod's) point, Nokia's response to the Reuters article was laughter - see http://www.slashgear.com/nokia-n900-has-sold-well-in-excess-of-100000-handsets-gartner-figures-seriously-wrong-claims-source-2887458/. Nokia doesn't disclose sales figures, but the N900 has sold "well in excess" of 100,000.

But also far, far short of the Android tsunami. Granted.

Nokia has clearly stated since 2007 that they were on a 5 step plan to develop a revolutionary new phone. N770, N800, N810 and N900... that's 4. The next phone is the first in the Maemo / MeeGo line actually intended by Nokia for the masses. We'll see.

Of course, iPhans would say Apple jumped straight to step 5 in 2007... and I really can't argue that point, either. I'm just not a walled garden kind of guy.

(Full disclosure: I own an N900, my wife an Android-based Cliq, and several close friends own iPhones. They're all nice phones; pick what works best for you. I won't ridicule you. Promise. ;-)

http://www.slashgear.com/steve-jobs-denies-os-x-app-store-confirms-best-buy-ipad-3g-2683082/

It's like the rumor from five years ago that Apple was going to turn into iPod, Inc. and either
- Give up on OS X and port all of its apps to Windows like it did with iTunes
- License OS X to other companies and get out of the hardware business
- Split into two companies, a legacy one to milk the Mac and a shiny new media-focused one to build on the iPod

Having an established desktop platform is just too juicy a source of revenue and technology, even if phones and media players outsell PCs ten to one.

I think maybe people are smarter than you think they are. Would you like a Kin phone? You can get it cheap. Apparently in the past month since physical availability not one Amazon user has cared enough to even review the thing, even though you can now buy it for a penny ($349.98 off retail). Even the Microsoft haters don't care enough to log into their Amazon accounts to bash the thing, though you can be sure they will in the next day. Reports are that the platform (both Kin One and Kin Two) have moved an astounding 500 units in that month. Worldwide. That's not even one per store. Hell, that's not even one per member of the team that designed and produced the freaking thing. Just the marketing team probably has more than 500 members and even they can't be persuaded to buy it. The number is not very credible, but it's the only number we'll ever see because there's no way Microsoft is going to tell us the actual scale of their failure, and they can't deny the rumor without giving the number.

At some point in the next year a C?O is going to be troubleshooting his PC by pointing the user-side webcam of his iPhone or 'Droid at the inscrutable error display in an attempt to show exactly how his PC failed him to tech support. That'll happen with hundreds of CIOs, CEOs and CTOs, and then one accidentally freakishly intelligent member of that population will have the epiphany: the desktop sucks because it's using the wrong software, and the phone doesn't because it isn't. He'll fix it, and tell his friends, and they'll tell their friends. And then our long national nightmare will be over.

I'm thinking that Windows Phone 7 is going to be such a gorgeous failure that it will serve as a lesson to others throughout three decades of tech. It's looking like a trainwreck on the scale of a Hilton/Lohan/Spears girl's night out. It's Glitter meets Waterworld meets Uwe Boll, to give a cinematic reference. I'd make a car analogy, but such a disaster in the annals of automotive engineering doesn't come to mind. It's going to be lovely. I wish the Internet had a record button so I could replay this trainwreck over and over in slow motion in my declining years. It will be epic.

http://wetab.mobi/en
http://www.archos.com/products/imt/archos_5it/
http://www.slashgear.com/dell-streak-5-inch-3g-android-mid-leaks-2161220/
http://mashable.com/2009/11/12/vega-android-tablet/
http://www.slashgear.com/icd-vega-and-ultra-android-tablets-hands-on-video-0869180/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4OCItW6ecc
http://www.viddler.com/simple_on_site/4d5337e2
http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/08/quanta-tegra-2-prototype-hands-on/
http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/msis-10-inch-tablet-launching-this-year-at-500-patently-ignor/

Yeah, I to wouldn't want to run my whole desktop on a smartphone... and not on an iPad either. Probably better to design an UI which work well on the smaller screen ..

Depending on what it is.

http://wetab.mobi/en
http://www.archos.com/products/imt/archos_5it/
http://www.slashgear.com/dell-streak-5-inch-3g-android-mid-leaks-2161220/
http://mashable.com/2009/11/12/vega-android-tablet/
http://www.slashgear.com/icd-vega-and-ultra-android-tablets-hands-on-video-0869180/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4OCItW6ecc
http://www.viddler.com/simple_on_site/4d5337e2
http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/08/quanta-tegra-2-prototype-hands-on/
http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/28/msis-10-inch-tablet-launching-this-year-at-500-patently-ignor/

Yeah, I to wouldn't want to run my whole desktop on a smartphone... and not on an iPad either. Probably better to design an UI which work well on the smaller screen ..

Depending on what it is.

No, we're all missing the incredible technological leap in battery density and/or screen power consumption. Color screens take too much power or cost too much. Ever held an iPad? It's HEAVY. But hope is not dead: Qualcomm says they will ship a full-color, video-capable e-ink device this year.

By the way, my brother is an absolute eReader fanatic and has specs of almost every eReader imaginable: http://ereaders.bsgprogrammers.com/

As an aside, GPU's have up to 2GB and soon to be 4GB. The rest of what you said it dead on.

You are right though, the concept of gpu/cpu hybrid seems to be a possible end result if the combination can be run successfully. I suspect there is a lot of very tough engineering involved with getting such a concept working.

From http://www.slashgear.com/sony-ps3-motion-controller-coming-spring-2010-2457935/

should meet the “stringent” demands of hardcore gamers, thanks to its combination of two motion sensors, three axes gyroscope and three axes accelerometer.

Also, check out how the image keeps the same orientation as the controller on this video

Let me know when Jobs has people killed.

directly or indirectly

http://www.slashgear.com/foxconn-engineer-commits-suicide-after-losing-iphone-4g-prototype-2149841/

While Apple may prove that it is indeed possible to put a better-than-TN LCD panel in a small (laptop-like) form factor, MSI would do well to follow the lead on quality.

Of course, if you really want your tablet to also offer better-than-eInk readability (readable in direct sunlight without a glacial refresh rate)- you can just wait until the Notion Ink Adam (the first device with a Pixel Qi display) comes out.

What can I say... I like gadget rumors better than celebrities... here, have some more! http://www.slashgear.com/motorola-shadow-9-9mm-thick-1080p-smartphone-leaks-3167379/ 1080p output, 8MP camera with HD recording, only 9mm thick. But I do freely admit that its no iSlate or whatever-the-hell they're calling it now, so no *real* reason to get your drawers in a mess.

the site (appropriately called, because it's not exactly factual as a cite), doesn't have anything of hard substance itself. So, what am I missing?

I did read your article link before replying, but I hope you noticed it was a blog post (editorial). comparing cellphone components to netbook component costs is not always accurate but in case you're wondering snapdragon netbooks that could possibly be chosen for chrome os have been spotted before.

Whats surprising is how close this story follows the announcement by Technics that they're ceasing manufacture of their 1200 and 1210 turntables citing low global analog turntable sales. http://www.slashgear.com/technics-axe-1200-and-1210-turntables-2764581/

No quite. That was a rumor, the truth is that they're only axing the 1210-MK5, their newest, most luxurious and expensive one, which failed to gain a market.

http://www.skratchworx.com/news3/comments.php?id=1374

Seems like there is an article like this posted at least once a year by someone marveling at the "resurgence" of vinyl.

Whats surprising is how close this story follows the announcement by Technics that they're ceasing manufacture of their 1200 and 1210 turntables citing low global analog turntable sales. http://www.slashgear.com/technics-axe-1200-and-1210-turntables-2764581/

Since you never turn them off, they give you instant access to whatever you want. The computers running ChromeOS would have to be turned off between uses. after all, energy-miser components don't come cheap, and if there's one thing we already know about ChromeOS, it's targeted at CHEAP! One of the advantages in almost every article is the cost savings wrt licensing.

If they're going to make it as energy-efficient as a smartphone, it would end up costing as much as an unsubsidized smartphone ($600 and up), because advertisers won't pay for click-thrus from people who are too cheap to spend even $200 on a netbook, so forget about subsidizing it with advertising.

High-end phones probably cost around $250 to make.

• http://gizmodo.com/229664/iphone-only-costs-250-to-make-rest-of-price-is-fanboy-tax
• http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10258774-1.html

Chrome OS is targeting ARM netbooks, which could allow it to have some crazy efficiency. The ARM netbooks are nearly here, what is needed is a good standardized ARM netbook OS. I love my eee900, but the pegatron netbook is half the thickness, should be $199, has an 8hour battery, and is fanless ( http://www.slashgear.com/pegatron-netbook-freescale-cpu-8hr-battery-super-slim-3g-video-0445962/ )

I can't remember the last time Intel had poor yields ( or were admitting to it)
but this has been an issue for pretty much everyone else for years, particularly AMD.

This is utter nonsense. Intel has chip shortages *almost* every year. They are WORSE than AMD and others in this regard.

September 2005
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/manufacturers-report-intel-chipset-shortage,1410.html

May 2008
http://www.slashgear.com/intel-atom-demand-prompts-chipset-shortages-0111422/

Sep 2009
http://en.newspeg.com/Intel-G31-chipset-shortages-to-get-worse-in-4Q09-as-Intel-cuts-back-supply-43419056.html

I thought garmin was about to make an android device, thus ensuring that they have nothing to worry (essentially a cellphone/gps hybrid or something, same as is released).

While I don't think the need for dedicated GPS units will disappear anytime soon, it is obviously troublesome for both companies. With that said, it does appear that Garmin is at least attempting to transition more into the cell phone market.