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Friday Grab Bag: Replacement Refs Make the Cut, Apple/Motorola Bury the Ax, Sort of

August 31, 2012 by

ESPN pays out $5.6 billion for MLB broadcast rights
ESPN will remain the broadcaster of choice for Major League Baseball for Sunday, Monday and Wednesday night baseball as the broadcast giant has inked a new deal with the league for $5.6 bn according to the Sports Business Journal.

The eight year deal will work out to be approximately $700 million per annum, more than double the current deal. Other broadcast rights are still in the process of being bid and baseball may have many windfall years ahead. I wonder what this will do to the luxury tax in the league, although I am sure that it is already covered in the CBA.

Microsoft offers SkyDrive for Android
Although it sounds vaguely like the plot for Terminator 4, it is simply Microsoft offering its SkyDrive cloud storage service as an app for Android users and they can go over to the Google Play store and pick it up. While it can run on early versions of the Android operating system it is optimized for version 4.0.

Apple’s win a loss for standard-essential patents?
While I write a good deal about patent issues due to the seemingly constant state of litigation that is ongoing in the mobile and handheld space, I am far from an expert on the topic, and do not pretend to be so. An interesting look at some of the after affects from Apple’s win over Microsoft can be found at this piece from Reuters.

An interesting conclusion I gain from the piece is that the host of patents that Google gained in the Motorola purchase may not have quite the value that the company believed that it would have, and that could make the deal a lot less valuable than previously believed.

ESPN’s top college football markets
Ever wonder why a game is on and how well it did in terms of viewership? Well ESPN did not release all of its market data but it has provided a look at the top 25 markets, but from last year and going back 12 years.

There is a lot of interesting data in there, mined quite well to show you the shifting interest in teams , regions and leagues. The only two areas that stayed in the top 5 over the entire span were Birmingham and Columbus, Ohio.

Motorola and Apple bury the ax in Ge

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Peace at last? That is probably too much to ask but at least one bone of contention between the two has been buried as Motorola Mobility and Apple have agreed on a FRAND licenses in Germany. An earlier attempt had failed when Motorola asked for 2.25% revenue rate.

Apple called the deal “fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory” and will call for Apple to pay Motorola an unspecified sum for all previous use of Motorola technology, Foss Patents reports. It also said that the deal is probably a result of the ruling in the Apple/Samsung case.

Images of next generation Sony tablet leaked
As the release date for Windows 8 nears more news about the hardware developers plans appear to be leaking out, intentionally or unintentionally. Sony is the latest with a very interesting looking tablet called the VAIO Duo 11.

Sony’s efforts in the tablet space have been met with less than open arms but the image shows a tablet that has a built-in, fold out keyboard in a sharp looking industrial design. The tablet appears to be running Microsoft Office, meaning that it uses an Intel or AMD processor.

NFL Replacement Refs to start season
Well one group made it through the pre-season without getting the chop and that is the NFL’s replacement reps. Not happy with this since I am pretty sure I saw a couple of 17 yard penalties marched off last week.

I suspect that no matter how well they actually do, fans for half of the teams will be blaming the refs on everything from their teams’ loss to costing them in the points category in their Fantasy Football league. I wonder how long this will go on or will the NFL change its mind in less than a week?

Samsung shows five pending Windows 8 phones
Samsung took the floor at the IAF trade show in Berlin and backed the truck up with a wide range of new and future devices including the Galaxy Note II, hybrid PCs and a new high end camera. It also previewed five smartphones that will be using Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system.

The devices, with info on them here from Gizmag, will all carry the brand name ATIV as the company appears ready to use that moniker to cover aa wide range of next generation devices including PCs and phones. The official launch of Windows 8 is in late October and expect to see more details from all of the players adopting Microsoft’s Windows 8 for a variety of products.

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Filed Under: Android, Apple, ESPN, Google, Intel, Microsoft, NFL, Samsung Tagged With: , , , ,

Mobile Sports Report TechWatch: Windows 8 apps, Motorola’s FTC Issues

July 2, 2012 by

Just days after Apple received an injunction banning Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 being imported into the United States Apple has received a second injunction against Samsung. U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh, who granted the first injunction, has also granted one that prevents the sale of Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus smartphone.

As with the first injunction Apple must first post a bond, this time $96 million to cover damages if the case is ultimately decided in Samsung’s favor. The judge ruled that it was likely that Samsung infringed on four Apple patents.

FTC looking at Motorola patent licensing practices
The Federal Trade Commission is looking at how Motorola licenses its patents with an eye out as to how the company deals with licenses for its patents that are adopted as industry standards. The FTC has sent investigative demands to the company this week, according to Electronista.

The FTC is examining if Google is living up to its requirements to meet fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) licensing of the patents and follows a similar investigation that has just been opened by the European on FRAND violations. A ruling against Motorola could have a major impact on the various lawsuits it currently has ongoing with rivals such as Apple and Microsoft.

HP eyes business with next generation tablet
Hewlett-Packard has said that its first Windows 8 tablet will not chase the consumer market but will instead be focused on the business side of the industry. The first offering will run on an x86 processor and run Windows 8.

It does possibly also plan on offering an ARM-based system that will use the Windows RT version of Windows 8 for consumers but has not publicly committed to that move just yet, according to PCWorld.

Asus to release Audio Dock for Nexus 7
Asus, Google’s manufacturing partner for its Nexus 7 has said that it plans to release an Audio Dock for the tablet later this year. According to Pocket-Lint it will be designed to look as if it is part of the Nexus 7 and will also come in black.

The dock will be designed to charge the tablet as well as hold it upright so that a user can watch videos at the same time, according to the article.

Pebble smartwatch unveils SDK
The Pebble e-paper smartwatch, the poster child for Kickstarter success stories, has taken its next step to mainstream product with the release of its software developer kit at the Google I/O show last week. It will be interesting to see if the support from the developer community matches the huge support it received from individual investors.

Upcoming Summer Olympics fuel increased spam
Silicon Angle is reporting that there has been an upsurge in spam that is seeking to exploit fans interest in the upcoming Summer Olympics in London. Seeking to plant malware on your system or just pushing some product that you have never heard of or care for it does not matter, they are coming for you.

According to the article, the number of message titles is large and growing. An example includes:
• 2012 Games Entertainments Co-ordinator
• 2012 Olympic Draws
• 2012 Olympic Promo
• 2012 Olympic Promotion Board United Kingdom – South Africa
• 2012 Olympics, A Lottery For The Future
• 2012 Summer Olympic Lottery
• 2012 Summer Olympic/Paralympic Games

Microsoft thinks global with Windows 8 apps
Microsoft has said that when it starts shipping its upcoming Windows 8 operating system users in 180 countries will be able to have access to the growing number of apps being developed for the operating system. While the list is a work in progress the company said that most nations will have access to ts Marketplace and App hub. According to PC Mag, apps are currently available in only 63 countries for the current Windows Phone and Windows 7 operating systems.

Nielsen starts tracking top YouTube Channels
Nielsen has started tracking streaming video on YouTube’s growing family of partners and the first results are in about who is included in the Top 5 . The race is led by Vevo, followed by WMG, Machinima, Fullscreen and Maker.

The names in some cases might not ring a bell, but the traffic is enough to make you stand up and take notice. Vevo has 695 million streams and 41 million unique viewers! Maker, the #5 drew in an impressive 9.6 million unique viewers. All of this is just for the month of May, 2012. One interesting tidbit was that more than half of the viewers to each channel were under 35 years of age.

Filed Under: Android, Apple, Apps, Asus, FTC, Google, iPad, iPhone, Kickstarter, Lawsuit, Microsoft, Motorola, Nielsen Ratings, Olympics, Tablets, Windows 8, YouTube Tagged With: , , , , ,

Twitter Fans of Bubba Watson’s Masters Victory Can Win Too — From Motorola

April 10, 2012 by

Bubba Watson did not just win the Masters and its impressive trophy and the fabled green jacket but he also stands to make 10 Twitter followers winners as well due to his partnership with Motorola Mobility and its recently introduced MotoActv Golf Watch.

Watson had just announced his partnership with the company prior to the event and so to celebrate both the partnership and Watson’s achievement Motorola has launched a program that will enable 10 fans to be among the first to try out the Golf Watch.

To participate all a user needs to do is follow @MOTOACTV and retweet #10under, which represents his score for those of you who do not know, for a chance to win one of the Golf Editions of the MotoActv,.

The golf watch, which sells for $299.99, enables users to track and measure a number of factors in their golf game, including providing 20,000 course layouts, serving as a virtual caddie and providing distances to front, middle and back of greens.

Filed Under: Apps, Contests, Golf, Motorola, Twitter Tagged With: , ,

Motorola takes a Swing at Golf with MotoActv Golf Edition

March 23, 2012 by

Motorola Mobility is taking its MotoActv onto the golf course with its latest release of its mobile sports technology that helps track activity and it has brought along PGA golf pro Bubba Watson to help design and promote the device.

The MotoActv Golf Edition does not track heartbeat or speed and distance a user has run but rather serves as a virtual caddie, recording your course and providing distance and hole placement advice.

Three-time PGA Tour winner Bubba Watson has assisted in the development of the technology and is serving Motorola as the products spokesman. He said that the program will help allow players to make better decisions on the course.

“From the weekend warriors trying to find the distance to the back of the green to great golfers who want to analyze their game and share their stats with friends, MotoActv helps improve scores and makes the game more enjoyable,” Watson said in a statement.

According to Motorola the platform enables golfers to track their performance on 20,000 courses and includes a GPS system that gives distances to the front, center and back of greens as well as hazards. For those telling their spouses that golf is a good workout the program tracks your steps and distance traveled and tells you the amount of calories you have burned (without taking into account any 19th hole entertainment).

It serves as a Virtual Caddie
The GPS and distance capabilities of MotoActv replicate the findings provided by laser finders and other reference equipment. It also not only tallies your score but also keeps track of a wide variety of additional statistics such as clubs used, greens hit in regulation and number of putts on each hole played. It also can be customized to match the clubs in your bag. So no Mashie Niblick — no problem.

The golf program does not just rely on the GPS data to provide users with information about their position and hole and course layout. There is also a satellite view available (not live) that can be manipulated using the mouse to set the arc of the ball and so provide you with details of your most recent shot. For selected courses you can see how Bubba Watson would play the course in advance of your actually playing it yourself.

This is a great extension of the MotoActv lineup, in my opinion. The platform itself is really designed for serious users, be they bikers, runners or now golfers. The advantages that it brings to table seem pretty obvious. It also helps to expand out from the very competitive biking and running field. The MotoActv Golf Edition is available now for preorder at $299.99 and is expected to ship on April 1.

Filed Under: Apps, Golf, Motorola Tagged With: ,

Mobile Sports Report TechWatch: Apple Files New Complaint Against Motorola

February 20, 2012 by

Congress approves spectrum sale
The US Congress has approved of the sale of spectrum that had formerly been allocated to television. The move will enable an increase in the amount of spectrum available for use by telcos in supporting greater bandwidth for mobile phones, especially smartphones.

Are Facebook’s numbers not what they appear?
Shel Israel over at Forbes does a nice takedown on Facebook’s claims that it has 850 million users that visit the site at least once a month. While he admits to a few potential flaws in his math, and points out Facebook may have the same flaws or slightly different ones and he does come to an interesting conclusion. Head over and see if your math is any better.

Mobile app platform developer July Systems lands $15 million in VC money

July Systems, a developer of a cloud-based mobile application platform has raised $15 million in equity investment. The round was led by Updata Partners and included both Intel Capital and WestBridge Capital.

July, which has already had three previous funding rounds including a $7 million Series C, said that the funds will be used to accelerate its product roadmap, boost the sales momentum, and increase the company’s market reach.


Will the lack of a single unified version of Android harm tablet market?
That at least is the point that James Kendrick makes over at ZDNet. He has a strong point and it was the fact that at the last minute Sun prevented Java from becoming fragmented that helped make that platform ubiquitous. Will Google do the same here?

This week in lawsuit news

Apple wins a round vs HTC
The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has handed Apple a victory in one of its battles with Android handset manufacturers. The ITC ruled that Apple did not infringe on patented technology that is owned by HTC.

The complaint, filed two years ago alleged that Apple was infringing on five HTC patents that had to do with technologies related to power management and phone dialing. In its complaint HTC had requested that Apple be prohibited from importing some versions of the iPods, iPads and iPhones into the U.S.

Apple files competition claim against Motorola Mobility
Fresh off a victory in German court against Motorola, Apple has filed a filed a complaint with the European Union claiming that Motorola is violating a pledge to license industry-standard patents on fair terms.

According to a report from Bloomberg Motorola has said that it is willing to work with Apple to negotiate a patent license deal. Earlier reports have showed that Motorola was purportedly seeking 2.25% of Apple sales for a license.

This will be an interesting one to watch since that very topic was explicitly mentioned by the EU when it gave the Motorola/Google deal its approval. It said that it would be watching to ensure fair practices not only going forward but also looking at past practices as well.


Today’s foolishness

I will take that iPhone with a side of mace
Well not really mace but pepper spray. Piexon, A Swiss developer has created an iPhone case called the SmartGuard iPhone 4/4S that features a detachable canister of pepper spray, for emergency uses only, of course. I can see this going bad very quickly.

Technology at the Olympics
Here is an interesting look at how technology usage has evolved at the Olympics since the founding of the modern game. First radio broadcast was in 1924 for instance or that the 1956 games in Melbourne resulted in only three hours of footage shown in the US.

Filed Under: Android, Apple, Apps, Intel Capital, iPad, iPhone, Motorola, Olympics, Smartphone Tagged With: , , ,

Google/Motorola deal now awaits Chinese Approval

February 16, 2012 by

While it looks like a certainty that the Google/Motorola $12.5 billion deal is going through after getting approval from the appropriate regulatory bodies in both the United States and Europe there is still one major hurdle to overcome.

The wildcard is China, which is also taking a look at the deal and wants to have its say in the matter, and when the world’s largest market wants a say it will get one. The Anti-Monopoly Bureau, part of the Chinese Commerce Ministry is examining the deal; a move that it says is just a routine procedure in all acquisitions, according to Reuters.

The issues they are examining are pretty much the same as in the US and the EU; the deal gives Google a huge number of patents in the mobile phone space and the company already has a popular phone operating system in Android and the capabilities to build smartphones.

Google said that it submitted filings on the deal last September and that China has until March 20th to approve the deal or move to another stage of investigation. Everyone is seeking to ensure that with this wealth of resources Google does not seek to price out rivals or even close the door to competitors that have invested in its OS, leaving them out in the cold.

That issue was recently raised by Meg Whitman, Hewlett-Packard’s CEO, who said that there is a possibility that Android will become a close source OS, moving away from its current position. Of course it should be noted that she was also then touting HP’s WebOS as a viable alternative if this should happen.

Chinese officials said that they doubted that their regulatory bodies would find any more issues that their counterparts elsewhere on the globe. However China has had issues with Google in the past and so there could be bad blood between the two.

Filed Under: Android, Google, Motorola, Smartphone Tagged With: , , ,
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