OpenSIPS 1.6 eBootcamp, Get Ready For A Torrent Of SIP Technology

OpenSIPS 1.6 eBootcamp http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/

OpenSIPS is holding a eBootcamp on OpenSIPS 1.6. This bootcamp is unique in itself because it is held over the Internet for over 7 weeks. Participants will learn from downloading installing and configuring and on to administration of OpenSIPS. It will start on September 19th 2011. The ebootcamp will accept late registrations up until 12th September 2011. So you better hurry. Contact bootcamp@opensips.org for registration and more information

The users will learn how to authenticate users, install a GUI to help with daily administration, forward calls to the PSTN through Dialplan, integrate Asterisk and Voice Mail, Presence agent, Load Balancing, Traverse Nat for SIP and generate CDR records to a Radius Server. At the end, you will learn how to use troubleshooting tools to solve end user problems.

This is basically the same OpenSIPS Bootcamp but help over a broadband connection over a longer period, seven weeks to be exact.

"The live classes will be taken online by web-conference every Tuesday and Thursday 03:00PM GMT, 11:00AM EDT 08:00AM, PDT. To attend this training you will need to have broadband Internet access. You are going to receive a DVD with a virtual machine to run the labs. The virtual machine will be available in the VMWARE format. You can download the free VMWARE player to run the VM. We suggest that you have one separate desktop or server for your VM and at least one IP Phone/ATA in your private labs to complete the training. A LMS (Learning management system) will be available with forums, quizzes and support materials."

The course of learning will cover key objectives;

Install OpenSIPS on a Linux Machine

Routing basics and the default configuration

OpenSIPS authentication using MySQL and Memcache

Install OpenSIPS control Panel.

Connect to the PSTN using Dialplan and Dynamic Routing

Voicemail integration using Call Forward and AVPs

Implement a presence agent

Understand important aspects of load balancing and high availability

Implement SIP NAT traversal using RTPProxy

Account Calls to MySQL

How to use test and monitoring tools to check your configuration

OpenSIPS

Improved Google Search With Tablets!

Google on Tablets http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/

As a part of Google's on going efforts to maximize the user experience in it's search portal, tablets are getting a better experience when visiting Google now.

Tablet users will now find an improved interface, a simplified but improved to support touch. The search results page contents, text, buttons and other touch targets have been enlarged so that touch could be focused easily.

These improvements provide tablet users a comfortable and faster experince, when visiting Google.com, either in landscape or portrait mode.

Once a search is conducted, buttons below the search box will further provide ability to compartmentalize the results in to either images, videos, shopping etc. Large buttons will receive your taps easily and take you to your destination.

Experience the new enhancements by just visiting your home page :) www.google.com.

PS above image is on a Motorola Xoom, but it looks even better on my EEE Pad Transformer!

New Google Search experience for tablets - Official Google Mobile Blog

Asus EEE Pad Transformer Gets Android 3.2

Asus EEE Pad Transformer Gets Android 3.2 http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Starting 28th of July Asus EEE Pad Transformer will receive Android 3.2 update and as we have mentioned before, it will bring Netflix to the EEE Pad Transformer.
This is the last honeycomb update before the unifying platform for 'Ice Cream Sandwich' for phones and tablets.
Android 3.2 will also bring "Compatibility zoom" to tablets to make it more pleasant to use phone apps on tablets.
All said and done I am awaiting for mine to update.






Source

Let Google Maps 5.8 for Android Take You Places And More With Photo uploads, My Places, and more!

Google Maps 5.8 for Android http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/

Looks like Google Maps for Android is ready to take you places or help you to organize and keep the memories you made at various places. Because the first thing I read bout the Google Maps 5.8 for Android was that it can complement and improve, Google Places and Google Latitude, by (I have not downloaded the Google Maps to my Android Tablet, EEE Pad Transformer, yet so I will have to take Benjamin Grol, a Google Product Manager's word for it;

Upload photos for a Place

My Places as a simple way to manage the Places you’ve starred and recently viewed
Descriptive terms for Places in search results
Add a new Place on-the-go when checking in

With photo upload feature you can enhance others experience of places you have been by contributing photos of places you have been. If your photo is a striking one, your photo might end up being the profile photo of that place page!

My places and descriptive terms came to the desktop version of Google Maps this June but now you, moblie Google map user, can enjoy the same features. Descriptive terms will appear when you search places. If you press your phones 'Menu' button while in the Google Maps, you will be taken to 'My Places'.

The other notable feature is now you are able to add places while on the go. This will come in handy if one of your favourite places is not in the Places list. If you do a search on places for a location that you know exists and come up with nada, you can use the option, 'add a place', to add the place that can be checked in via Latitude. Do not forget that ‘Download map area’ has been renamed ‘Pre-cache map area.’

So the next thing for me and you is to get the Google Maps 5.8 for Android but make sure that you have at least Android 2.1+ OS on your device.

Google Maps 5.8 for Android adds photo uploads, My Places, and more

Android 3.2 Update Will Bring Netflix To Asus EEE Pad Transformer!

Netflix on Asus EEE Pad Transformer! http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Looks like Asus is testing Android 3.2 on EEE Pad Transformer, and there are talks of owners of EEE Pad Transformer getting official Netflix app. with the Android 3.2 update.
My EEE Pad just got the Android 3.1 update. So I am hoping that the next update will come sooner and bring what Asus tells us in the EEE Pad spec page.
Most of the Android tablets are getting the Netflix app or able to sideload the app. But EEE Pad Transformer owners are in a bit of jinx in the that direction. Yes of course you can root the device and jump through some hoops to get it working like the XDA forum explains.
I cannot root my device as I am developing a vertical market app and the people who are paying for the app wants absolute clean slate. So I am out of the rooting solution for the moment
So I will stay watching Netflix on my iPad 2 :) , yes I got one of those too but that is a whole another story.
I can tell you, I love my Asus EEE Pad Transformer (which is getting a partner, a 3G enabled EEE pad soon), in fact 64GB WiFI+3G iPad sat in the very box for a few days before I opened it. It is not bad but as far as I am concerned it lives up to and because of the hype. I have not put the iPad through the hoops like I have done with the EEE pad and before that the Motorola XOOM.
In any case if you are the rooting type follow the link to XDA Forums to find out how to do it. I am going to trust Asus and wait for them to provide me with Netflix App.

Asterisk 10, Asterisk 2.0, And The Evolution Of Asterisk!

Asterisk 10, Asterisk 2.0 http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
If you thought I am missing 1. from Asterisk 10 in the title, this time you are wrong (I am prone to typos and I do not check my posts for faults very often).
Digium's Director of Software Engineering, Kevin Fleming has posted a lengthy article explaining the transition of Asterisk 1.10 to Asterisk 10.

"The conclusion that we’ve reached, and that we hope you’ll agree with, is that Asterisk is always going to be Asterisk, and that you don’t need a "1." prefix on the version number to be able to identify it. So, starting with the next major release, we’re going to drop the "1." completely. The next major release, which was going to be Asterisk 1.10, will now be just "Asterisk 10" and subsequent major releases will be "Asterisk 11", "Asterisk 12", and so forth.

We’ll continue with our plan to have both standard and long-term support releases of Asterisk, and we’ll update the Asterisk Project Wiki with this information as soon as the first Asterisk 10 beta goes out. In fact, this should occur very soon."

This transition also takes away Asterisk 2.0, and Kevin also explains why and how that came about.

"That has raised the question: Is this Asterisk 2.0? If not, will there ever be an Asterisk 2.0? After quite a lot of discussion, we came to the conclusion that this is not Asterisk 2.0, but that it’s also quite unlikely that there ever will be such a release; it wouldn’t be in the community’s best interests to release something that is fundamentally different (and not compatible) but still call it '‘Asterisk'.’ That then leaves the question we’ve been asked by many people: If there’s never going to be an Asterisk 2.0, "

Digium Blog

AT&T Now Has Google Nexus S

Nexus S At AT&T http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
When Google brought out Nexus S together with Samsung, customers from T-Mobile and Sprint have enjoyed the Android experience and the vast resources associated with Android, like hundreds of thousands of Apps for every and each need.
The Google Nexus S has also enjoyed the latest iteration of Android OS since it's inception.
Today, Google announced that this great smartphone, will arrive on AT&T frequencies. And if you fance, you can place a pre-order at Bestbuy, or you can actually pick up one on July 24th.
Nexus S is now optimized for AT&T network and sports 1GHz Cortex A8 processor, 16GB iNAND flash memory, Android OS 2.3, supported by 4" super AMOLED screen dual cameras. And by being in the forefront of the technology, the phone supports NFC, making the users life much easier with technologies that use NFC, like paying for your purchases by waving your phone.
It comes with Google Mobile apps, like Google maps with navigation, Googletalk with video chat, Google Voice and more than 250000 apps in the Android Market.
For more information follow the link below and of course at the Google Nexus site and it's twitter account, @googlenexus
Nexus S Comes to AT&T - Official Google Mobile Blog

AstLinux 0.7.9 Is Yours For The Taking!

AstLinux Firewall

AstLinux 0.7.9 http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
The AstLinux Team has announced the 0.7.9 release of AstLinux. This update covers several updates and bug fixes related to Asterisk. All current users are encouraged to upgrade at your earliest convenience.
AstLinux is a Linux distribution for Digium's open source IPPBX, Asterisk.

AstLinux contains powerful networking features including:

• Arno's IPTABLES Firewall
• Traffic Shaping
• IPSec, OpenVPN and PPTP VPN Support
• Caching DNS Support (dnsmasq)

Supported platforms include:

• Soekris net4801 and net5501
• VIA C3 and C7 based systems
• PCEngines ALIX and WRAP
• Generic x86 PC Hardware

The following telephony hardware cards are supported:

• Digium
• Rhino Equipment
• Sangoma
• mISDN v1

Samsung Smartcase! Will It Drive Steve Jobs Nuts?

Samsung Smartcase! http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Man when I saw the Samsung Smartcase, first thing came to my mind was;
That is not so smart!
via @eldarmurtazin

Smartphone Market Supremacy : iOS vs Android, A Consumer Point Of View!

Android, Apple And RIM

Smartphone Market Supremacy http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/

Looks like more people are wanting an iPhone rather than an Android phone, according to a survey conducted by ChangeWave Research.Of 4163 respondents questioned, up to 46% of consumers planning to buy a smartphone in the next 90 days say they'll choose an Apple iPhone and 32% will look for an Android and measly 4% are still attached to them BlackBerry phones.

The survey sample consisted of 89% U.S. respondents and 11% from outside the U.S.

While the sample of respondents are wide enough to conclude where consumers want, it does not reveal what consumer can afford. Apple's marketing knew how to monger hype and it is paying off. Most of the consumers these days, associate iPhone with mobile phones, when they talk about phones generally or dream about them.

This seems to be extending beyond the iPhones themselves according to the same survey, people are willing to extend the loyalty in to other Apple products as well, Specially iCloud. 26% of the current Apple customers and 13% of non-Apple users have admitted that they will be swayed towards Apple products due to iCloud.

That is exactly where Google seem to fail. Google has been providing cloud services for ages, like GMail storage but I guess beyond techies, many people do not even know it exists, let alone by a catchy name like iCloud. Microsoft and Amazon are not doing any better in that front either.

The differences do not stop there, 70% of current iOS device users said that they were satisfied with Apple products and it was 50% for Android users. Windows phone 7 users, 57% were very happy with their phones.

I was at a major retail store for electronic goods to get a protective shield installed on my iPad 2 (64GB) and my colleague's Asus EEE Pad Transformer. I saw many people lingering around Apple iPad isle but equally similar number on all other tablet isles.

I think this report will shed some light into how people are thinking when it comes to mobile phones and other associated devices. So if you are associated with selling or developing for mobile market, the information can come in very handy.

Report details include:

• Competition between Apple (AAPL), Motorola (MMI), Research In Motion (RIMM), Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), Samsung and HTC, among others
• Customer Satisfaction Ratings by Manufacturer
• Satisfaction Comparison: Apple vs. RIM BlackBerry – 4 Year Comparison
• Planned Buying Trends by Operating System – biggest winners and losers
• 3 Year Comparison of Android OS Demand vs. Apple iOS Demand
• Customer Satisfaction Ratings by Mobile OS
• Growth Trends: Overall Smart Phone Market
• Impact of Apple iCloud Service and Planned Consumer Usage
• Mobile Apps: Android OS vs. Apple iOS – comparison of money spent and number of apps downloaded in past 90 days

ChangeWave Report

Facebook Scared Of Google+ ?

Facebook VS GooglePlus http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
It appears that Facebook does not like Google+, I guess in many a ways. But to have an ad for Google+ removed and banned from facebook, is something akin to removing friends from your circles :) , when you were in kindergarten. I guess some parts of facebook is still looking to grow!
It all happened when App developer, Michael Lee Johnson decided to be a big honcho on Google+ and decided to make facebook the launching pad for his Google plus fame. So hoping that all the Google plus users among millions of facebook users will ´ĺike´ him and ¨Add Micheal to Google+¨, placed an ad on facebook under the same heading;Bam! Bam!! Flintstones time, facebook wack the mole time, according to Michael, the ad and all of his other campaigns were canceled and his account was banned;

¨Your account has been disabled. All of your adverts have been stopped and should not be run again on the site under any circumstances. Generally, we disable an account if too many of its adverts violate our Terms of Use or Advertising guidelines. Unfortunately we cannot provide you with the specific violations that have been deemed abusive. Please review our Terms of Use and Advertising guidelines if you have any further questions.¨

I guess it is another way to add users to Google+!

Your Google Voice : Global And Individual SPAM Management

Google Voice Spam Management http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Ever since I started using GMail, say for last 7 years, I have been largely shielded from spam that infects every other mail system I use.
There have been a few times that some spam gets through but I always, report those, preventing them from appearing in my inbox next time.
So same goes for my / our Google Voice accounts, there are some spammy calls that ring our phones and we again report spam.
You can activate your spam control by taking a few simple steps;

Global Spam Filtering

Global Spam Filtering makes it possible to automatically redirect calls, texts, and voicemails from any of the numbers in the Google database that have been identified as spam directly into your spam folder. To enable this feature simply:

1. Click the wrench icon and select Voice Settings.
2. Click the Call tab.
3. Check the box next to Global Spam Filtering.

1. 
   

If a number ends up incorrectly marked as spam, you can easily unblock it by selecting the message and clicking the Not Spam button in your spam folder.

And for spam individual callers management or completely blocking callers;

Spam from Individual Callers

If you get unwanted calls, you can choose to send the caller directly to voicemail, treat all calls from a particular number as spam, or block the caller. Follow these steps:

1. Go to your Contacts list in Google Voice.
2. Select the checkbox next to your contact's name.
3. Click Edit Google Voice Settings and select the second radio button under the 'When this contact calls you:' section, next to the drop-down menu.
4. Choose one of these options from the drop-down menu:
   
   • Send to Voicemail: None of your phones will ring, but the caller will be prompted to leave you a voicemail message.
   • Treat as Spam: The caller will hear ringing and then be prompted to leave you a voicemail message. None of your phones will ring. The voicemail will be automatically marked in your inbox as Spam, and you won't receive a notification for the voicemail.
   • Block Caller: The caller will hear a 'Number not in service' message when calling your Google number. None of your phones will ring. The call will be marked as 'Blocked' under 'History' and 'Missed.

Google Voice Blog: Global SPAM filtering

Spotify Will Be In US Tomorrow! Welcome Spotify!

Welcome Spotify http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/

According to TechCrunch, who got the following email from Spotify people, we can really be sure that the European Darling will be here tomorrow! I saw my friend using it while I was over in UK and thought it was OK, no fine.
Welcome Spotify!

New York, July 13, 2011 – Spotfy [sic] the award-winning digital music service loved by millions of Europeans, will become available tomorrow morning in the United States by invitation and subscription. Spotify is a new way to listen to and manage your music, discover new tracks and share songs and playlists with friends – music whenever you want it, wherever you are.

Be one of the first people in the U.S. to experience Spotify by signing up at www.spotify.com.

Spotify will announce more details at 8:00 AM EST.

TC

InMobi, 78% Our Mobile Ads Are On Smartphones!

InMobi Mobile Ads http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
InMobi published enough data about mobile advertisements, to keep any ad mob occupied for a while.
The 78% in the second quarter of 2011 was a 11% raise from the first quarter. InMobi is expecting this percentage to go up even further. They believe 90% of the ads will be on smartphones by fourth quarter.
InMobi served 18.7 billion mobile ads in North America during the second quarter and of which Android has the honor of taking first place with 33.2% but iOS share has grown since last quarter. iOS share now stands at 29.3% and it was 23% last January. So if you are planing to build mobile apps or to advertise on mobile devices, that is something to think about. There is one section, you can forget about, RIM went down to 13.9%. (Comscore had a different story last January, even in that Android was winning)
InMobi via Techcrunch (What happened to the interface TC, it is a bit lame but fast though!

Amazon Android Tablet In October (RumorMill)

Amazon Android Tablet, October http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
We all have spoken thought and sort of knew about the android tablet from Amazon. With the now famous "Amazon App Store" it is hard to imagine, Amazon without it's own tablet.
WSJ has garnered some information on the matter and telling us that we will see the Amazon Tablet in October.
The tablet is said to be somewhere around 9", powered by Android OS and will be produced by an Asian company which Amazon has outsourced the task.
Amazon will also release two Kindles, one with touch screen and the other without. Both will sport the ink on paper interface and said to take on B&N's and Kobo's readers square on. With that in mind, Amazon is also introducing a new varience of the current Kindle. AT&T ad supported Kindle 3G has been introduced at $139. If you want the ad free version, you need to pay $189.
I like the news, more Androids on the market, nasties like Apple and M$ will have hard time suing all at once.
Androids March on and I, just got an iPad 2. I paid for an AT&T version of 3G 16GB tablet and got a AT&T 3G, 64GB version. I am not complaining. And that is another story!

Via WSJ

The State Of The Internet

The State Of The Internet http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
We have written about the state of the internet in different contexts, like State of the Internet, gigantic and of course we had Secretary of the State, Hilary Clinton telling us about the Internet in the 21st century.
Today I came across another, interesting Internet.

The Internet is a strange, huge beast. It is getting bigger, faster and more mobile each day. Ferocious social networks fight each other to be on top and gain more of our attention and personal information. An entire economy is generated from our browsing habits.
This is the face of the Internet now

Yes check it out at;

State of the Internet

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore Takes Interactive iPad Apps To Another Level.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
It reminded me a bit of James and the Giant Peach, somewhat but interactivity added on. The app, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by Moonbot Studios is introducing a whole new side of interactive Apps.
The App may be a book to some and book plus a game to some, because you can interact and play with the characters on the book. There is also opportunities to play piano and a chance to play with food.
I am sure this is going to be a favorite of many a children ad adults.
If you need any further convincing, Moonbot Studios is lead by former Pixar animator, William Joyce


app store
Morrislessmore

Pandora Hits 100 Million User Mark.

Pandora Internet Radio http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
The public company Pandora just announced about it's user base hitting 100 million mark with 36 million monthly active users. Pandora lives on my phone(s) and tablets and provides me with music, when I am on a WiFi network. Also I am still grandfathered in to unlimited data from some of the carriers, allowing me to listen to music in the park. When Pandora allowed us to play music in the background (iPhone), I guess the usage increased.
In addition to the user base, company has also increased the market share from 2.3% in 2010 to 3.6% of all radio listening in the US.
I think Pandora shares are doing well to but I am no stock broker so better check Pandora stock performance that else where.

Press release;

OAKLAND, Calif., July 12, 2011 - Pandora (NYSE: P), the popular internet radio service, today announced 100 million registered users and 36 million monthly active users. More than 100 million people have registered to listen to Pandora's free personalized radio service across hundreds of consumer electronic devices including computers, smart phones, TVs, set-top boxes, alarm clocks, tablets and car dashboards. On a monthly basis, 36 million listeners access Pandora across these multiple platforms as Pandora continues to increase its share of the radio listening market.

During the Company's first Analyst Day, Pandora's CEO and President Joe Kennedy noted that Pandora is redefining radio, where 80 percent of all music listening occurs. Pandora ended 2010 with 2.3 percent market share of all radio listening in the United States. Six months later, Pandora has increased its market share to 3.6 percent of all radio listening in the United States.

Other presenters at the Pandora Analyst Day include Pandora Founder and Chief Strategy Officer Tim Westergren; Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President of Product Tom Conrad; Executive Vice President of Business Development Jessica Steel; Chief Revenue Officer John Trimble; and Chief Financial Officer Steve Cakebread.
An archived webcast of Pandora Analyst Day will be available through July 26, 2011, at http://investor.pandora.com.

Google Offers Beta In Sanfrancisco And New York!

Google Offers Beta http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Google posted, tweeted facebooked and actually launched Google offers beta in San Francisco and New York and I think I will have some of them doughnuts from Bob’s Donut & Pastry (yes I need any excuse to try and eat those.)
I am less happy about the Le Bateau restaurent in Berkeley, because as it is, it is a very busy cozy and small restaurant. Now with Google Offeres, it is going to even harder to taste food from Provence, which by the way is very good.
We all heard about Google Offeres when it ran in Portland last month and we did actually wished to see the offers in bay area!.
So from today;

New Yorkers can mix salty and sweet with Belgian fries and mango chutney at Pommes Frites, savor chocolate molten cake with a glass of Malbec at Ayza Wine and Chocolate Bar or sample a delectable red velvet mini cupcake at Tonnie’s Minis in Harlem.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, fresh donuts and apple fritters are served up 24/7 at Bob’s Donut & Pastry Shop on Polk Street. You can also get a taste of Provence at the Le Bateau Ivre Restaurant in Berkeley

But there is another side to Google offers, you can use Google Shopper 2.0 for Android to find and redeem Google Offer of the day. Saved offers will both appear on Google Shopper App and Google Offers site. I think it is time Groupon has a competitor, not that it does not in any case but this is some thing to note.

Official Google Blog: Google Offers beta launching in New York City and the Bay Area

iOS 5 Beta 3 Jailbreak Breaks App Store Apps!

iOS 5 jailbreak breaks app store apps. http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
It was discovered that iOS 5 beta 3 jailbreak has problems with apps. Many are reporting the issue prompting people to halt upgrading and / or jailbreaking. It is believed to be a problem with sandbox. So if you are not savvy with iOS and it's workings, wait for the problem to be resolved before upgrading. Even MuscleNerd says Devs only!
Earlier @MuscleNerd announced that iOS 5 beta 3 could be jailbroken with Redsn0w beta that was able to jailbreak iOS 5 earlier.
So if you are not put off by not being able to run app store apps, you can get the Redsn0w from iPhone Dev Team;
To download redsn0w, use the following links:
redsn0w 0.9.8b1 for Mac
redsn0w 0.9.8b1 for Windows

iPhone Dev Team via Modmyi

GetJar To Apple, Stuff Your Bullying In A Jam Jar!

Apple a Bully and we won't take it http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Apple among other stuff trying carve a niche, a huge niche, for itself. Bullying and suing people Big and small.
Apple wants App store for itself and want Amazon not to use the term :) and recently sent a cease and desist letter to GetJar to stop using App Store in it's service name, GetJar App Store, an Android Application store.
May be next will be all the bloggers, news sites, and services like WIP asking not to use the term App Store. I do not like bullies, I wish I could clobber the bully, like I did with High school bullies.
But it is not only me, GetJar CEO Patrick Mork had a few words to Apple too. With all the pancreatic jokes aside, seriously written lengthy article on Getjar Blog explains the legalese and timeline regarding why Getjar will not be listening to Apple's threats. It is a good article, if you are interested, like these #OFAM people, The Open And Free App Movement
Getjar blog via Androidguys

Nortel Patent Sale To Consortium Approved

http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Apple Inc., Microsoft Corp., Research in Motion Ltd., EMC Corp., L.M. Ericsson Telephone Co., and Sony Corp. will be able to share the Nortel's trove of Patents (intellectual property) in ways unknown to us.
The consortium pushed the bidding up at the bankruptcy auction to hold Google Inc., Intel Corp. and RPX Corp at bay.
Most see this as an attempt to kill Android by big boys, Apple and Microsoft.
"Why is the portfolio worth five times more to this group collectively than it is to Google? Why is the portfolio worth five times more to this group collectively than it is to Google? Why are three horizontal competitors being allowed to collaborate and cooperate and join hands together in this, rather than competing against each other?", asked Robert Skitol, an antitrust lawyer at the Drinker Biddle firm, in a discussion with Washington Post. The article concluded with the question if these patents were gathered for legal attack on competitor, rather than economic benefit!

AT&T Will Get HTC Status (The Facebook Phone), On July 17Th

HTC Status @ ATT http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
After waiting and playing the same game, AT&T finally released news saying that HTC Status will come to it's air waves, for $49.99 with a two year contract. As you can see the phone comes loaded with bunch of functions, specially the "f" button that will allow users to share, photos, videos or anything else that people share with others. This phone is a part of HTC's dancing duo, HTC Salsa and HTC Chacha, HTC Facebook phones!
Phone is supposed to ship with Android 2.3.3 and and being HTC, Sense will accompany the OS and other stuff like Led flash assisted 5MP camera, 2.6" touch panel.


AT&T Press release

HTC Status Offers One-Touch Facebook Sharing For Just $49.99

First Mobile Phone with Dedicated Facebook Share Button Available for Preorder on ATT.com Arrives in AT&T Stores on July 17

Dallas, Texas, July 11, 2011

Key Facts

* AT&T begins presales of the HTC Status today on http://www.att.com/.
* The first phone with a dedicated Facebook share button, the HTC Status is exclusive to AT&T customers for $49.99 with a two-year contract.
* Best Buy stores to offer exclusive color.
* HTC Status available in time for back-to-school shopping season.

HTC Status

The ultimate phone for customers who love posting on Facebook what they're doing, seeing or listening to, the HTC Status is the first phone to feature a dedicated Facebook share button. Not just a link to a mobile Facebook application, the button lets you quickly share what you are doing on Facebook with a simple press. It is also context aware and lights up when there is an activity to share, such as a song you are listening to, a website you are viewing or a photo you have taken.

The Facebook share button allows people to:

* Post instantly on your wall or a friend's wall by pressing the Facebook share button from your home screen.
* Take a picture or shoot a video and share it instantly with a press of the Facebook share button. You can also post multiple pictures at one time and label and tag them before posting. Or even post photos automatically as you're taking them.
* Check in to Facebook Places by pressing and holding the Facebook share button from the home screen.
* Share something cool on the Web with a quick press of the Facebook share button and be the first with the news.
* Let your friends in on the music you love with the push of a button by pressing the Facebook share button to post the song title and other details.

The HTC Status runs on the Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread) platform, AT&T's first smartphone to do so. It is also the first phone in the US with an enhanced version of HTC Sense™ that integrates Facebook into more places than ever before. Facebook content and information is integrated in the clock, dialer, calendar, address book and photo gallery. The HTC Status also features a Facebook chat application that lets you maintain your chat conversations, even when you navigate away to take a call, browse the Web or play a game. And the Facebook chat widget shows who is available to chat and allows you to initiate a conversation with just a tap.

The HTC Status, with its uni-body design with sleek metal accents, is easy to customize to reflect your style with widgets, shortcuts and wallpapers, and its customizable lock screen lets you open your favorite application quickly when you unlock the screen.

The HTC Status also sports a 5-megapixel camera with auto-focus and LED flash on the back and a front facing camera to easily capture and share self portraits. Above the dedicated physical keyboard, HTC Status has a 2.6-inch touch screen with 480 x 320 resolution and capacitive navigation buttons.

Exclusive custom cases and a screen protector will also be available for sale with the HTC Status at AT&T company-owned retail stores. Customers can choose from hard- and soft-shell case options from Speck and AGF. The HTC Status will be compatible with a number of universal micro-USB charging options, Bluetooth headsets and corded stereo headsets such as the IFrogz Luxe corded headsets with integrated microphone, which will be available in four colors, black, silver, pink and blue. Accessories will also be available for sale in AT&T's online store.

Pricing and Availability

Arriving in stores as the lead device in AT&T's back to school promotions starting July 17, the HTC Status will be available in AT&T stores and online for $49.99 after a two-year contract. (Minimum $15 data plan required.) Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile standalone stores will feature an exclusive mauve edition.

New Honeycomb Release Will Bring A New Mode for Apps on Large Screens

Android Development http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Android developer blog just published that an upcoming update fro honeycomb will bring a new screen compatibility mode to make few apps that does not behave properly on larger screen tablets.
We are just getting into Honeycomb development and hope to learn more about issues like this because one of our apps did not scale well on the larger screen (The app itself was not done properly in the first place, but we are on the path to make better apps.). According the article;

Beginning with the upcoming release, any app that does not target Android 3.0 (set either android:minSdkVersion or android:targetSdkVersion to “11” or higher) or does not explicitly set android:xlargeScreens="true" in the element will include a button in the system bar that, when touched, allows users to select between two viewing modes on large-screen devices

But not all need the compatibility mode, like apps that were designed for Android 3.0 and declare the either android:minSdkVersion or android:targetSdkVersion with a value of “11” or greater. These will scale well on larger and xtra larger screens. Like my Asus EEE Pad Transformer.

Android Developers Blog: New Mode for Apps on Large Screens

Asus EEE Pad Transformer TF101G, A 3G Enabled Transformer On Sale In Europe.

Asus EEE Pad Transformer TF101G, http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Asus EEE Pad Transformer TF101, my choice of Android Tablets, has got a cousin now with 3G capabilities. I am too late for the new device as many times I had wished for 3G connectivity for my transformer on the run. I had to settle for my MiFi to connect my transformer to the net on those occasions.
But for those who were holding on for the 3G enabled device, it has appeared in Europe for €499 (16GB) and €599 (32GB), a bit more than the amount I paid for my Transformer. The device is named Asus EEE Pad Transformer TF101G, with G at the end denoting the 3G.
Asus Italia has the product online already.
May the product reach all those who are waiting for it eagerly.
Notebookitalia via engadget

Photojojo, Mount Your Canon, Nikon Lenses On Your iPhone!

Photojojo SLR Lens Mount For iPhone http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/


I have been taking a lot of photos with my iPhone, even when I carry my Canon 7D around. (Mostly for geotagging as 7D does not have GPS capability)
But now the news from Photojojo makes me think, do I really need the 7D. Photojojo's iPhone SLR mount allows you to attach a variety of photo lenses – telephoto, wide angle, macro lenses to the iPhone. and the case has hinges to use you camera strap so you can wear it like a tourist.
At first glance, I thought this is an over kill but I am sure there will be many who will love the case, like those directors, who made a movie with an iPhone, Night Fishing!
Photojojo via Engadget

Reset iPhone 3GS To Factory Setting

Reset iPhone 3GS http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
After our post "Reset Your iPhone To Factory Setting. (Low Level Format Your iPhone)" getting much attention, we have decided to add the complete iOS based iDevices to the list. So today I will start with resetting iPhone 3GS to Factory setting.

This time we are following a different but safer path. We will be using iTunes to reset the iPhone 3GS. Before going on this path, first make sure you have the latest version of iTunes installed and running on your computer, be it MAC, Windows or Linux (with wine and that is another article) before attempting to reset your iPhone 3GS to factory setting, once you are ready, Connect your iPhone 3GS to your computer.

Select your iPhone 3GS when it appears in iTunes under Devices.
Select the Summary tab.
Select the Restore option.
Select the Back Up option if you have not backed up the device recently.
Select the Restore option when iTunes prompts you if you have the device backed up.
Once the restore process has completed, the iPhone 3GS restarts and displays the Apple logo while starting up and then iPhone displays the "Connect to iTunes" screen. Keep your device connected until the "Connect to iTunes" screen goes away or you see "iPhone is activated."
If iTunes does not have an Internet connection, you cannot complete this step, so make sure that you are connected to the Internet.

Very important---If you want to preserve previous backups that iTunes has made, be sure to back up the appropriate directory before choosing to set up as new.
On a Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/
On Windows XP: \Documents and Settings\(username)\Application Data\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\
On Windows Vista and Windows 7: \Users\(username)\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\

The final step is to setup your iPhone 3GS as New, so select "setup as new" from the following menu;

and you are done. Enjoy, sell or give away your renewed iPhone 3GS.

15 Billion Apps Served By Apple App Store.

Apple’s App Store Downloads Top 15 Billion http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/

Apple has done it again! Come on Android, catch up! Apple App store has served 15 Billion app downloads, and I am responsible for at least 150 of them.
Looks like other 200 million odd owners of iPhone, iPad (100,000 apps in the store) and iPod did the same, downloading their favorite apps from 425000 apps in the store.
Apple has also paid developers, $2.5 billions to date and Apple seems to very happy about it, from their press release.

Apple press release;

CUPERTINO, California—July 7, 2011—Apple® today announced that over 15 billion apps have been downloaded from its revolutionary App Store™ by the more than 200 million iPhone®, iPad® and iPod touch® users worldwide. The App Store offers more than 425,000 apps and developers have created an incredible array of over 100,000 native iPad apps.

“In just three years, the revolutionary App Store has grown to become the most exciting and successful software marketplace the world has ever seen,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “Thank you to all of our amazing developers who have filled it with over 425,000 of the coolest apps and to our over 200 million iOS users for surpassing 15 billion downloads.”

“We sparked musical magic when iPhone users experienced Ocarina three years ago,” said Dr. Ge Wang, a Smule co-founder and assistant professor at Stanford’s Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics. “And now with iPad, we’ve created the Magic Piano and Magic Fiddle apps. Who could’ve dreamt an iPad would make its way into the San Francisco Symphony?”

“iPad provides us with an unparalleled mobile device for creating gorgeous, immersive games,” said Mark Rein, vice president and co-founder of Epic Games. “Infinity Blade has been a runaway hit with customers around the world and we couldn’t be more excited about our success on iOS devices.”

“We’re bringing Martha Stewart, Angelina Ballerina, Sesame Street and many more of the world’s most popular books and magazines to iPad,” said Nicholas Callaway, CEO of Callaway Digital Arts. “We knew the iPad was going to be a revolutionary storytelling device, but never could have anticipated it would become so popular, so quickly.”

More than 15 billion apps have been downloaded from the revolutionary App Store and more than 425,000 apps are available, including more than 100,000 native iPad apps, to consumers in 90 countries. Users of the more than 200 million iOS devices around the world can choose from an incredible range of apps in 20 categories, including games, business, news, education, sports, health, reference and travel. Apple has paid developers over $2.5 billion to date.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

Press Contacts:
Simon Pope
Apple
spope@apple.com
(408) 974-0457

Trudy Muller
Apple
tmuller@apple.com
(408) 862-7426

How To Remove Skype Mobile From Android (Verizon HTC Droid)

Uninstall Skype Mobile VZW_Skype.apk From Android http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
If you got an Android phone with Skype Mobile preinstalled, you may have found it is hard to remove. In fact all the information I have seen are pointing you to root my Android sites.
Various reports points to that on phones like HTC Droid Incredible on Verizon, eating the precious battery life and occupying vast chunks of phone's memory, plus storage.
So how do we remove this pesky app?
Looks like you do not have to go rooting your Android.
Information And Instructions;

App name on Verizon phones : VZW_Skype.apk
Instructions;
Get the root explorer app from Android Market, once launched, go to systems>apps and click on the Mount r/w button on the top, find the "VZW_Skype.apk" and delete it.

You are done. Some people are using Titanium also to remove apps like this and of course it is your choice.
If you need to uninstall Skype from any other OS, please visit our Uninstalling Skype Page.

(sorry folks if you love Skype and enjoy it this is not a bash on Skype as it used to be. We don't love it but we use it on various platforms and from time to time, there comes the need to remove Skype or Uninstall Skype, perhaps only to reinstall.

Group Chat, New Design, Video Chat (Skype) Makes Facebook Awesome! Mark Says

Awesome, Facebook, Group Chat, New Design, Video Chat,Skype http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Mark Zuckerberg says that three things announced today will make the Social Infrastructure that he built solid, and will pave the way forward for years to come.
The tree things announced today, Group Chat, New Design, Video Chat (Skype) are not new nor awesome. But all of them plus the Facebook will make it awesome.
During the event Mark shared that people on Facebook are sharing 4 Billion things a day and certainly that is a lot of sharing.
Video calling demoed by the Facebook Seattle team and we were told that it is deployed to millions of users. They were pretty happy about one click video calling. The combination of Skype and Facebook is certainly a plus for millions of users of either service or both.
The Group Chat will have a new feature to your usual Facebook chat feature, you can add friends tot he chat and that is not much different from Group Chats we have seen over the years like GoogleTalk Group chat.
The new design, yes I am yet to see if it makes my Facebook experience awesome.
Now the Microsoft's Skype purchase seem less crazy!

Facebook "Awesome" Is It Facebook Skype?

Facebook Skype Googleplus http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Looks pretty awesome the anticipation of the crowd waiting to hear the real thing behind the Facebook Awesome and everyone seem to think it is some thing to do with Facebook on screen communication / messaging developed with Skype, which was acquired by Microsoft recently.
May be it is a jab at Google+, But wait for 10 min and we will see.

Verizon's New Profit Center, Data Plans? Verizon Confirms New Data Plans.

Verizon Data Plans http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Verizon has confirmed the pricing changes to their data plans as of July 7th. New data plans will ditch unlimited plans and offer users with four tiers;

$10 for 75 MB per month,
$30 for 2 GB,
$50 for 5 GB
$80 for 10 GB.
There will be an overage charge of $10 per GB of data

(In contrast, AT&T offers $15 for 200 MB and $25 for 2GB.) Current unlimited users will be grand fathered in and they can upgrade or get new phone and keep the unlimited plan.

The unlimited and free LTE hotspot service will also go away and will be replaced with $30 a month for unlimited hotspot service. (May be this and 2GB plan will provide and oppertunity for the wise to have unlimited data for $60 a month!)

So now we only have the Sprint with usage based smartphone data plans. Hope it will stay the same.

Via DSLReports

New iPhones To Get Standard Insurance At AT&T.

iPhone Insurance at AT&T http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/

Perhaps spurred by the lack of sales of $12 a month on insurance on iPhones, AT&T is taking iPhone owners on another ride, this time with a third party insurance provider, for the price of $4.99 a month that covers everything. (Please read the AT&T information as to "everything") after a deductible of $50 or $125, depending on the iPhone model.

$4.99 Monthly Premium: Per mobile number enrolled and a non-refundable deductible for each approved claim

Incidents Covered: Lost, stolen, accidental damage and mechanical or electrical failure after the manufacturer's warranty period has expired

Non-Refundable Deductible: $50/$125 per approved claim, depending on the device model

Replacement Time: Next business day (in most cases)

Claim Limits: Two claims within any consecutive 12 months, with a maximum device value of $1500 per claim

Replacement Equipment: Claims may be fulfilled with a new or remanufactured device. Colors, features and accessory compatibility are not guaranteed.

Cancellation Policy: Cancel anytime and receive a prorated refund of your unearned premium

NOTE: Please keep a copy of your original purchase receipt and/or proof of purchase for your insured device which may be required to process your claim

• 
  

Before you jump, please remember Apple repaires out of warranty iPhones for $199 (loss and theaft is yours to manage) and iPhones are pretty hard to break, my old iPhone 3G, which is 3 years old, still working like a champ. I did / do not have insurance on any of my devices, if I break something I buy a better one!
So read the fine print, analyze those third party insurance providers, before falling for the AT&T or any other insurance deal on your iPhone. We thought AT&T competitor Verizon's iPhone Insurance, is a total rip off.

AT&T press release.

Backtype Acquired By Twitter!

Backtype Acquired By Twitter http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Social media analytics startup has been acquired by Twitter, according to TechCrunch, who is still writing the article about the acquisition.
Backtype helps companies analyze social media impact on brands or products and tailor marketing efforts to match the conditions. Backtype already helping about 100 companies, from New York Times to startups, do so.
Via Techcrunch

4th Of July Fireworks On Your Android!

Fireworks On Your Android http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
One thing I look forward, every year on the 4th of July is the fireworks. But the fireworks have changed so much from what I remember. Basically it is not that fun any more. But we still have chance to watch great fireworks but not our own. In fact our county has banned personal fireworks altogether.
But I am going to have my own fireworks this 4th of July. om my Android Tablet! which I absolutely love. (it is another story to explain what it is and why I love it). So if you too want your own fireworks, head over to Android Market and install "Fireworks from Ndroidz software.
This is what the Android market description says about the app;

Turn your boring phone screen into a night sky full of fireworks!
Choose your favorite background and launch fireworks in the sky by tapping on screen!
Also you will get a new year eve countdown.
To set as wallpaper - enable "wallpaper mode" from menu and long tap on screen.
Android Market

Release Candidate 1 of Asterisk 1.8.5 Is Ready For Download.

Asterisk 1.8.5 - RC1 http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
The Asterisk Development Team just announced the first release candidate of Asterisk 1.8.5 branch and is available for download at Asterisk site, immediately.

The developer team thanks the community for the involving and reporting of issues with the previous release.
The following is a sample of the issues resolved in this release candidate:

• Fix Deadlock with attended transfer of SIP call Closes issue #18837. Reported, patched by alecdavis. Tested by Irontec, ZX81,cmaj)
• Fixes thread blocking issue in the sip TCP/TLS implementation.(Closes issue #18497. Reported by vois. Patched by dvossel. Tested by vois, rossbeer, kowalma, Freddi_Fonet)
• Be more tolerant of what URI we accept for call completion PUBLISH requests.(Closes issue #18946. Reported by GeorgeKonopacki.Patched by mmichelson)
• Fix a nasty chanspy bug which was causing a channel leak every time a spied on channel made a call.(Closes issue #18742. Reported by jkister. Tested by jcovert, jrose)
• This patch fixes a bug with MeetMe behavior where the 'P' option for alwaysprompting for a pin is ignored for the first caller.(Closes issue #18070. Reported by mav3rick. Patched by bbryant)
• Fix issue where Asterisk does not hangup a channel after endpoint hangs up. If he call that the dialplan started an AGI script for is hungup while the AGI script is in the middle of a command then the AGI script is not notified of the hangup. (Closes issue #17954, #18492. Reported by mn3250, devmod. Patched by rmudgett)
• Resolve issue where leaving a voicemail, the MWI message is never sent. The same thing happens when checking a voicemail and marking it as read.(Closes issue ASTERISK-18002. Reported by Leif Madsen. Resolved by Richard Mudgett)
• Resolve issue where wait for leader with Music On Hold allows crosstalk between participants. Parenthesis in the wrong position. Regression from issue #14365 when expanding conference flags to use 64 bits. (Closes issue #18418. Reported by MrHanMan. Patched by rmudgett)
• Fix timerfd locking issue.(Closes ASTERISK-17867, ASTERISK-17415. Patched by kobaz)

For a full list of changes in this release candidate, please see the ChangeLog:

http://downloads.asterisk.org/pub/telephony/asterisk/ChangeLog-1.8.5-rc1

Final Maintenance Release Of Asterisk 1.6.2.19 Now Available.

Asterisk 1.6.2.19 http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Asterisk developer team on 29th June announced the release of final maintenance release of Asterisk 1.6.2.9, taking care of some security issues and fixes. The release is available for download at Asterisk site.
The Asterisk 1.6.2.19 is the final maintenance release from the1.6.2 branch. Support for security related issues will continue until April 21,2012. More information on support for various Asterisk branches could be found here.

The following is a sample of the issues resolved in this release:

• Don't broadcast FullyBooted to every AMI connection The FullyBooted event should not be sent to every AMI connection every time someone connects via AMI. It should only be sent to the user who just connected. (Closes issue #18168. Reported, patched by FeyFre)
• Fix thread blocking issue in the sip TCP/TLS implementation. (Closes issue #18497. Reported by vois. Tested by vois, rossbeer, kowalma, Freddi_Fonet. Patched by dvossel)
• Don't delay DTMF in core bridge while listening for DTMF features. (Closes issue #15642, #16625. Reported by jasonshugart, sharvanek. Tested by globalnetinc, jde. Patched by oej, twilson)
• Fix chan_local crashs in local_fixup() Thanks OEJ for tracking down the issue and submitting the patch. (Closes issue #19053. Reported, patched by oej)
• Don't offer video to directmedia callee unless caller offered it as well (Closes issue #19195. Reported, patched by one47)

Additionally security announcements AST-2011-008, AST-2011-010, and AST-2011-011 have been resolved in this release.

For a full list of changes in this release, please see the ChangeLog:

Hulu On Facebook Connect Causes A Security Breach, Exposes Employee Accounts.

Hulu On Facebook Connect Causes A Security Breach http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Looks like Hulu sneaking on in to Facebook ahead of Netflix did not go very well. Right after it was launched, many people noticed the security breach and gave Facebook users, who tried to connect to the service, access to Hulu employee accounts.
Some how the breach was noticed and Hulu took the service offline in time. Hulu now has posted to say that everything is under control;

Here’s what we know: When we launched our Facebook Connect feature early this morning, we discovered that a small number of users weren’t seeing their own Hulu account information upon login. We’re still drilling down on the precise nature of the issue, but we know that it was a coding and configuration error on Hulu’s side, and not the result of hacking, or other third party actions, or a vulnerability in Facebook Connect. We’ve been able to confirm approximately 50 affected users whose profile data, including email addresses, could have been accessed. But no one gained access to Hulu systems or highly sensitive user information such as passwords or credit card numbers.
......
Once we are certain that the issue has been fully addressed, we will re-launch our Facebook Connect program.

So you can go soon and claim that free month of Hulu Plus they offered!
Source, Hulu Blog.

Nortel Patents Goes To A Consortium, Google Dissapointed!

Nortel Patents Auction http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Looks like there is no end to patent news today and here is another. Last night, Nortel picked a winner for their 6000 patents, it is a consortium of players who stand to benefit from the patents not going to Google. Google was expecting to win the portfolio.
The consortium consists of Apple, RIM, Microsoft, Sony, and others, and they must really be happy to have spent %4.5 billion.
They will have to wait for the courts to clear the purchase and Apple and Microsoft in the mix will ensure a lengthy review.
Of course Google is disappointed and rightly so. Google initiated to bidding for Nortel patents early on and was met with objections from, most members of the consortium.

“This outcome is disappointing for anyone who believes that open innovation benefits users and promotes creativity and competition. We will keep working to reduce the current flood of patent litigation that hurts both innovators and consumers,” Kent Walker, Google’s Senior Vice President and General Counsel said in a statement.

Get your Samsung Android Products Now, Apple Is Seeking Preliminary Injunction

http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Apple Is Seeking Preliminary Injunction against four Samsung products, Infuse 4G, Galaxy S 4G, Droid Charge, Galaxy Tab 10.1. Samsung's flagship products. I really hope judge will not grant Apple's request.
The Samsung vs Apple patent war is escalating and Samsung is firing at Apple in six countries. Again as usual, I direct you to FOSS Patents.
Source

Samsung Answers To Apple's Amended Complaint, & Says Apple Can't Take On Competition!

Mobile patents, Apple vs Samsung http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Apple has replied to Apple's amended complaint and also has dropped a separate counter claim suite to be incorporated in to the main law suite.
Samsung denies Apple's claims of copying and scoffs at apple for not being able to be a fair player and take on the competition.

"The Samsung Defendants admit that they have not ceased competing with Apple notwithstanding Apple's efforts to avoid such competition."

Samsung is also saying that they do invest in research and development and they have a quite a few patents to show for it.
So they added some of those patents in their answer it seems:

• U.S. Patent No, 7,079,871 on a "portable telephone and method of displaying data thereof"

• U.S. Patent No. 7,456,893 on a "method of controlling digital image processing apparatus for efficient reproduction and digital image processing apparatus using the method"

• U.S. Patent No. 7,577,460 on a "portable composite communication terminal for transmitting/receiving and images, and operation method and communication system thereof"

• U.S. Patent No. 7,698,711 on a "multi-tasking apparatus and method in portable terminal"

FOSS Patents covers all these patent cases well and there is a comprehensive article on Samsung answer and you can also read the same.

Via FOSS Patents.

ZTE Skate Is Coming To Orange As Monte Carlo

ZTE Skate is Monte Carlo http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
The ZTE Skate is coming to Orange with a new moniker, Monte Carlo, just like ZTE San Francisco (ZTE Blade) Orange has decided to drop the ZTE, perhaps to drop the Chinese affiliations. If that is the case, don't worry about it Orange, all the iPhones and iPads are made in China too. They don't advertise it, but everyone knows it. There were even deaths of workers associated with iPhone.
But with all the name droppings the phone has become exclusive to Orange according to Inquirer, who interviewed Orange.
Name calling and business politics aside, the phone seem to be a pretty good contender to San Francisco. With its 4.3" (480x800) touchscreen is already larger than the San Francisco's 3.5in display. The Monte Carlo also comes with bunch of other features, a rear facing 5MP camera, WiFi, Bluetooth and G-sensors that will make it very appealing if the price is right, like San Francisco, aka ZTE Blade. Monte Carlo is powered by Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and like all the phone in UK, the phone meets 2 W/Kg Specific absorption rate (SAR) requirement.

You can find more information at Orange site.
Via Inquirer
Source Orange