In June, the International Trade Commission found that Apple infringed on a Samsung patent, and declared a ban on some older iPhone and iPad models. The trade agency oversees certain unfair trade practices and can block imports and sales of products. The Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission have been concerned with companies using essential technology patent lawsuits to block rivals, and are troubled with the ITC ruling. The Obama administration is now faced with whether it should veto the order. Continue reading Federal Government Faces Decision Whether to Veto ITC Order

Nvidia offered a sneak peek at its next-generation mobile processor, Project Logan, during the SIGRRAPH Conference in Anaheim this week. Logan is based on Nvidia’s advanced Kepler graphics architecture used for desktop and laptop chips. Nvidia plans to launch Logan next year, and combine its mobile phone and desktop 3D graphics architectures. This will enable new mobile applications such as augmented reality, computer vision and speech recognition. Continue reading SIGGRAPH: Nvidia Demonstrates Next-Gen Mobile Processor

While an official Google event is scheduled for today that may or may not include tablet news, a new Nexus 7 is rumored to be offered at Best Buy beginning July 30th. The leaked Best Buy flyer reveals updated hardware, with a 1920 x 1200 high definition display, 16GB of storage, and a price of $229. If true, Google will offer a seven-inch HD tablet ahead of Apple. The current iPad mini does not have a high-definition screen and has a starting retail price tag of $329. Continue reading New Nexus 7 with Android 4.3 to Be Available by Next Week

Television networks are creating companion apps for their successful shows, social TV startups are developing chats and check-ins for second screen experiences, and others are pushing for new ideas to redesign today’s programming guide. But the second screen trend has thus far been based on the premise that the TV screen in the living room is the center of most consumers’ entertainment. Some are suggesting that this viewpoint is no longer accurate and, in fact, may not have been true in the past. Continue reading Second Screen Apps: Has TV Become the Second Screen?

The experience of watching most online videos has so far been as passive as watching TV. However, several startups are developing new ways of creating interactive videos. These videos give the viewer the ability to select questions for an interview, change the course of a music video, or engage socially with video content. Some also provide content creators with a range of tools to embed websites and layer other content straight into the video. Continue reading Watching Online Video Becoming an Interactive Experience

The free IMDb app, currently available as iOS and Android versions, now offers U.S. users the ability to purchase movie tickets. The update follows similar offerings from other apps such as Fandango and Apple’s Siri. Users can also tap on the “Search via Amazon Mobile” button in the iPhone or iPad app to learn more about purchasing movies and TV shows on DVD or Blu-ray (requires that the Amazon Mobile app is installed). Continue reading New IMDb App Update Includes Ability to Buy Movie Tickets

Three new technologies have recently arrived that bring new features to eyeglasses designed to improve vision and eyeglass shopping, but none of the three bring the Internet to one’s eyes like a Google Glass. Two of the three are actual eyeglasses: One can help an individual’s vision with adjustable lenses, and the other gives medical professionals enhanced viewing of patients. The third is an app that provides consumers the ability to try-on eyeglasses virtually before buying. Continue reading New Eyeglass Technologies Create a Range of Possibilities

Apple’s App Store launched in 2008 for iPhone users to find and download apps. It has provided consumers with a great opportunity to personalize their mobile device experience, while launching a new economy where individual developers and larger companies can promote and sell their apps and services. The App Store has changed how software is purchased and distributed — and as a result, has led to a defining transition in personal computing. Continue reading App Store Has Revolutionized the Mobile Device Experience

A federal judge in Manhattan ruled yesterday that Apple colluded with five U.S. publishers in 2010 to drive up the prices of e-books. The decision threatens to limit Apple’s options when negotiating future content deals and potentially exposes the company to additional investigation of its other business practices. The decision to go to trial was considered a significant risk for Apple since the publishers, after denying any wrongdoing, had already settled similar charges. Continue reading Federal Judge Rules that Apple Colluded on E-Book Pricing

Amazon has been quietly testing what it hopes will be an improved means of viewing Flash video content on mobile devices. For the past six months, some Kindle Fire users have been provided with an “experimental streaming viewer” option when they attempt to access video clips on sites including CBS.com, Fox.com and NBC.com. The Silk browser for Kindle Fire enables the streaming by splitting the workload between the mobile devices and Amazon cloud servers. Continue reading Mobile: Amazon Turns to the Cloud for Streaming Flash Video

Netflix has launched a new recommendation service called “Max” that chats with users and plays amusing games to help viewers discover new TV shows and movies. The games center on genres and actors to help gauge user preferences. Available only on the PlayStation 3 for now, the Netflix blog reports that Max will be available for other devices in the future, with the iPad version expected next. According to Netflix, Max is “rumored to be the child of Siri and HAL 9000.” Continue reading Gamification: Max Wants to be Your Personal Netflix Host

Barnes & Noble announced this week that it will stop producing its own color tablet e-reader, the Nook, in favor of third party, co-branded devices. The company’s decision may reflect a trend in the decline of dedicated e-readers competing with the growing popularity of tablet devices. Consumers are looking to tablets, which have more features and apps available, including e-reader capability, compared to standalone e-readers. Continue reading In the Wake of Heavy Losses, Future of Nook is Uncertain

The combined shipments of PCs, tablets and mobile phones are projected to reach 2.35 billion worldwide this year. The new Gartner numbers mark a 5.9 percent increase from 2012. Sales of tablets, smartphones and ultramobiles are on the rise, while traditional desktop and notebook PCs are expected to decline by 10.6 percent. Anytime-anywhere computing is driving consumer behavior. Additionally, the growing acceptance of bring your own device will lead to an emphasis on designing for consumers inside the enterprise. Continue reading Tablet Shipments Increase as Traditional PC Sales Decline

Facebook has been quietly working on a service called Reader that could essentially become a newspaper for mobile devices, according to inside sources. The service, which has reportedly been in development for more than a year, displays content from the social network’s users and publishers in a new visual format designed specifically for smartphones and tablets. Recent versions have been similar to mobile news aggregator Flipboard. Continue reading Facebook Targets News Aggregation in Latest Mobile Effort

Video discovery and viewing service Vdio, which was created by Skype co-founder Janus Friis, officially came out of its limited beta this week, making it available for anyone interested in renting or purchasing movies and TV shows in the U.S. and U.K. Vdio is available online and as an iPad app. According to the Rdio Blog, “starting today, you don’t have to be an Rdio listener to buy, rent and share your favorite movies and shows with friends.” Continue reading Vdio Comes Out of Beta: Offers Movies and TV Episodes