Pocketables

Apple may be building a virtual reality interface into iOS

Most of the time when I talk about patents, it relates to another depressing story about how they are being used to hurt competition. Occasionally, however, a patent on something that actually looks really cool and relatively new emerges, as is the case with today's material.

What you see above is the Apple patent for navigating a 3D environment with motion control, filed back in 2010 but just now released to the public. In case you were wondering, it concerns 3D graphics on a traditional display, not actual 3D found on devices like the EVO 3D. However, it does show a new 3D graphical interface that looks like a room, which would work along with the new motion controls to create a type of virtual reality effect.

This 3D interface could be easily navigated simply by moving the device around, as if you were using the camera to look around the room. The patent seems to suggest that this would serve to eliminate difficulties using current interfaces with only one hand, but it doesn't seem to provide a great solution for zooming or tapping.

While this probably isn't going to be coming out anytime soon, it is a pretty cool application for the various sensors in modern smartphones. I'm still unconvinced as to whether it would actually make use any easier, but I certainly wouldn't mind Apple giving it a try.

[AppleInsider]

Moneto brings NFC to the iPhone, almost all Android devices

I've talked about NFC technology and its applications in the real world before, but so far adoption of the standard has been hampered by the fact that few devices included NFC, meaning that users would have to get an entirely new device just to use it. Fortunately, an innovative company called Moneto has come up with a way for users to add NFC to their current devices by building a self contained NFC radio into a microSD card.

The card is the same size as a standard microSD, so it should fit in any device with the proper slot. And don't worry if your device relies on only the SD card for storage, Moneto's NFC card will also work as regular storage for Android. Aside from putting in the SD card, you just have to install the Moneto application on your phone and then place an antenna sticker on your device's back cover to help with the signal. Things are just a bit different for the iPhone thanks to its lack of an SD slot, as you have to use a special case from Moneto that transfers data between the card and the phone.

Although it doesn't appear that the Moneto card will work with Google Wallet at least for now, the proprietary application does support MasterCard PayPass, which is also a big part of Google Wallet's framework. Security conscious users need not worry either, as the card has about as much encryption and security as you can get with NFC.

If you want to pick this up for your Android device, you should be able to get it for $30 in the next few weeks. As iPhone users need the case as well, it will run them about $80. Still, this is a great value if you have been wanting NFC on your phone (it's certainly cheaper than a new device), and it should also serve to speed up NFC's growth make compatible merchants more common.

[Moneto via Good and Evo]

Is there a difference between jailbreaking and rooting?

Last weekend was, at least for me, filled with so many technical questions from family members that I almost had to jump out of my window. Some of those questions had to do with iOS and Android, obviously, but then one of my more tech-savvy cousins asked me a question:

"Calob, Android is supposed to be open, right? I have this Verizon Fascinate and I like it and all that, but why did I have to root the thing to do this one thing?"

Boom. I love Android, but I'm starting to feel like the openness is starting to go a little too far.

HTC and Motorola can do whatever they feel like to Android, including locking down the bootloader. According to Google, that's totally fine, since Android is open. But when that happens, the openness goes away for the people that it was made for: the consumer. 

In my mind, unless you buy a Nexus device, you're buying into a platform that is almost as locked down as iOS. Obviously you can sideload apps as much as you want, but skins and unremovable bloatware is still all over, kind of like on iOS. And to get them both to the way you want, you have to do unnecessary steps. That just doesn't seem like an open platform to me.

I believe there's a happy medium, like letting skins and bloatware be removable, as well as keeping the bootloader completely unlocked. As an Android user, I honestly can't believe that this isn't how it works. 

What are your opinions on Android's openness? 

Apple has filed patent for face detection, next is trademark on little green robots

We have always known that the patent battles between big tech companies have been a little bit overreaching, but I think today's news may have upped the already high bar of oddity. According to the website Patently Apple, the site's namesake company has filed a patent claim for face unlock technology, the exact same kind that is found in Google's Galaxy Nexus, and noticeably absent from the iPhone 4S.

Now, before we get our pitchforks out, we need to be rational for a bit. Apple actually filed for the patent back in June, which was before the Galaxy Nexus was released. It was also the time when Google was buying a facial recognition software company, but whether or not that company had already envisioned or tested face unlock is not known.

Also, Apple could not have simply predicted that someone was going to create face unlock and patented it. Their application would have to explain how to actually execute a face unlock, with enough detail that someone would actually be able to build the technology from the patent. Basically, they would have to be capable of building it themselves if they wanted to.

7-inch displays were more popular than their 9.7-inch counterpart last month

While we here at Pocketables have always had an affinity for 7-inch and smaller tablets, the mass market usually doesn't share our affection. However, if current manufacturing trends are any indication, that may soon be changing. 

According to some tablet display manufacturers, there were actually more 7-inch tablet displays made last month than 9.7-inch iPad displays. Of course, the statistic is slightly skewed because the numbers for 9.7-inch displays does not include the 10.1-inch displays made for most popular Android tablet, and the iPad 2 is nearing the end of its prime with the iPad 3 coming in spring. Conversely, popular 7-inch devices like the Kindle Fire and Nook tablet have recently been released, and even devices like the PlayBook have seen a boost in sales thanks to new discounts.

Still, it is neat to see 7-inch devices making a comeback, especially during the important Holiday season. Even beating just the iPad's numbers in display production is quite an achievement for a market that used to cater only to a small niche. It looks like pocketable tablets are becoming more and more popular, and I can't wait to see how that changes what we see released next year.

[PhoneArena]

HTC already done with workaround for Apple patent infringement

Just two days ago, the International Trade Commission sided with Apple in a patent infringement case, which resulted in the firm banning the import of certain HTC devices that did actually infringe. It was a small patent, though, and today, HTC announced that it has finished a workaround that will allow it to still import and sell its devices here.

Peter Chou, HTC's Chief Executive Officer, said that the patent that was infringed was for something that is rarely used, so it was actually quite simple to rid HTC's phones of it and for the company to continue to import and sell phones in the US. 

Apple has previously stated that it thinks "competition is healthy," but I have a feeling it doesn't want any competition. Android is a pretty big threat to iOS. So is HTC, and really, every other manufacturer that uses Android or WP7. Apple was obviously trying to destroy HTC, kind of like what it's trying to do with Samsung right now. 

I'm glad that HTC was able to fix what was "wrong." My biggest hope now is that Samsung can get itself away from Apple's ridiculous case, too. 

[Mac Rumors]

International Trade Commission sides with Apple, bans import of HTC devices

Traditionally, Apple has been quite happy to sue anyone who they think may be infringing on their patents. Usually these lawsuits end in settlement, but occasionally the consequences are more serious for the defendant. Today marks one of those days, as the International Trade Commission has just ruled to block the import and sale of some HTC smartphones in the US.

This ban is the result of a patent infringement case in which Apple asserted that HTC is violating its patent #5,946,647, which relates to data analysis. Interestingly, the patent covers a system used to "detect and perform actions on structures identified in computer data," which is a technology most software, not just Android or HTC's Sense, takes advangage of. 

Despite this, unless the president vetoes the decision within 60 days, the ban will take effect on April 19, 2012. The actual HTC devices that will be affected are not known, but considering the nature of the patent it could be any of the company's flagship smartphones.

This seems to me to be a pretty serious ruling. Baning even some of HTC's handsets will be terrible for competition, and a patent as broad as this with a ruling to back it up could likely be used against numerous other manufacturers as well.

While technically the patent may be completely valid, this kind of ruling only reinforces my thinking that the current patent system has some serious problems. We certainly need to protect innovation, but patents, especially those as broad as this one, should not be able to be used to exclude a competitor from the market.

[CNET]

T-Mobile now using AT&T iPhone-compatible 3G in some areas

There are quite a few people who enjoy using their iPhones on T-Mobile's network. Unfortunately, up until now, those people were stuck on the carrier's EDGE network, since both AT&T and T-Mobile 3G bands are different. But now, the latter company has switched on its 1900MHz spectrum, which means iPhones can now enjoy faster data speeds. 

If you live in Nevada, the Pacific Northwest, or Northern California, the new, speedy network should be live for you. Try it out and let us know how it goes in the comments. 

The biggest part of this story is obviously the fact that iPhone owners can now take advantage of T-Mobiles cheaper off-contract plans and still access 3G data (or in other words, data that's fast enough to make you not pull your eyeballs out). There's nothing worse, in my mind, than slow data connections, which is the main reason I haven't gone to T-Mobile with my iPhones yet. 

Well, that, and I don't live in any of those three areas. But if T-Mobile is anything like Verizon, new areas for this new network should pop up about every week and T-Mobile may just have itself at least one new customer.

[PhoneArena]

Kinectimals for iOS released, Microsoft getting serious with iOS

I know what you're thinking: Microsoft released a game for Apple's iOS platform, so the apocalypse must be nigh. 

I don't think that's the case, but regardless, Microsoft today released a couple more apps on the App Store, including Kinectimals, originally a Microsoft platform exclusive. Also released was a Skydrive client, allowing users to manage files in a very effective way.

I never use Hotmail, but Skydrive is something I use a few times a week, so I'll be taking advantage of that app, too. I think the biggest news here, though, is the fact that Microsoft, an enormous player in the gaming space, released a game for Apple products. Apple's kind of a major player in gaming, as well, so at first glance, it just seems odd for Microsoft to do such a thing. 

I think that it's all going to turn out to be a major push by Microsoft to drive its gaming business even farther ahead of the competition. Microsoft is, after all, a software company; most of its hardware endeavours never seem to turn out well, with the exception of the Xbox. But Windows, Microsoft Office, and the games it releases are always big hits. I think that Microsoft is just taking a page from Sega and will slowly creep out of the hardware market but continue to make awesome games. 

Oh, and I did buy Kinectimals. My leopard is named Gerald.

[Mac Rumors]

OnLive lets you play console games on your mobile device

While some users are content with simple touch-based games on their mobile devices, for quite a while we have been trying different methods to improve our mobile gaming experience with more full-featured games and better controllers. Google realized this, and built support for game controllers into the Android Ice Cream Sandwich update. Now, OnLive has released a service that makes mobile gaming much more appealing by allowing you to play current console games on your smartphone.

Just to be clear, the console games do not actually run on your smartphone or tablet. OnLive actually runs them on their servers, and delivers the game to you via the cloud. This allows relatively high-power games to be played on low-powered devices without performance problems or even much battery drain, provided you have a good network connection.

The service has actually existed a while allowing users to play games over the cloud on their PCs and TVs, but today marks the company's first venture into mobile. For $10 a month, you get access to 100 free gaming titles, and you can also pay extra to purchase such popular games as Assasin's Creed Revelation, L.A. Noire, and Batman: Arkham City.

Currently, OnLive supports both the iPhone and most popular Android devices, including the Sensation, Evo View, Galaxy Tab, and Nexus One. Most other high-end Android devices should work, but some may have problems with the Bluetooth controller.

However, only 25 select games run on mobile devices with only touchscreen controls. To get access to the rest of the library, you will have to purchase OnLive's universal gamepad for $50. Still, if you are an avid gamer then $50 up front and $10 a month is a pretty small price to pay for the latest and greatest games on your tablet or smartphone.

[OnLive via AndroidCentral]