12/30, 12:55pm
EU settles on micro USB for universal phone power
The European Union on Wednesday formally established its micro USB charging standard for phone charging. The approach proposed over a year ago will guarantee that phones and phone chipsets from at least 14 companies, including Apple, LG, Motorola, Nokia and RIM, will support charging over a micro USB connection without needing to switch chargers. The measure was implemented to cut back on both wasted chargers and to let users switch chargers without risking damage or undercharging.
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07/30, 9:55am
Emblaze takes action on Apple after patent warning
Apple has been embroiled in two lawsuits in the past day, starting with a quietly negotiated deal settling a two-year-old lawsuit from Minerva. The two asked Eastern District of Texas Judge Charles Everingham to dismiss the case after privately reaching an agreement, the terms of which aren't known. Companies such as Minerva, which are billed as "patent trolls" since they make no products of their own, often hinge their businesses on either royalties on sales or large cash settlements.
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06/30, 7:50am
Emblaze says First Else facing lack of interest
Israel-based Emblaze on Wednesday said it was canceling development of the First Else. Partly confirming early suspicions, the company said there had been "encouraging interest" from partners but said it couldn't reach a deal. It similarly faced "critical delays" in getting the project done.
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02/10, 1:50pm
Emblaze says IIS as guilty as iPod of infringing
Emblaze today sued Microsoft for allegedly violating the same patents that resulted in a lawsuit against Apple late last year. The Israeli patent holder believes that Microsoft's IIS Smooth Streaming, an important ingredient behind both Silverlight and the 1080p movies at the Zune Video Marketplace, infringes on the same patents for device-to-device media streaming.
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12/02, 2:30pm
Company claims to own rights to streaming tech
Emblaze has warned Apple that a new app for the iPhone and iPod touch infringes on Emblaze's US patent related to media streaming technology. Although the company did not provide the name of the app in question, Apple on Tuesday approved an app, Knocking, that is the first to allow live video streaming, on the 3G network, directly from one device to another.
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10/23, 10:15am
Access unveils ELSE and ELSE INTUITION
Best known for having bought the rights to Palm OS, Access late on Tuesday entered phones itself by previewing the ELSE and a matching Linux phone operating system, the ELSE INTUITION. The 3.5-touchscren phone is co-designed by Emblaze and has a heavily upgraded version of Access' Linux Platform with a custom interface: it centers on a unique rotary-like home screen and menus that are easier to use with one hand as well a more intuitive multi-tasking interface that shows running all running apps at once. A side strip of buttons simplifies navigating through lists or back to higher levels.
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