Creating (and maintaining) a great app can require a ton of work, so we're happy to compensate developers for all that effort by shelling over a few bucks for their content in the Play Store. But while many app-makers rely on this income stream, a new bug that's popped up in a recent Play Store update threatens to toss a wrench in the works, interfering with how apps can verify paid licenses.
Read More[Update: Fix now available] Google Play Store app licensing bug is putting developers in a horrible spot
Qualcomm's purchase of NXP is under investigation in the EU
The European Commission has opened an investigation into the proposed purchase of NXP Semiconductors by Qualcomm. The EC's examination of the acquisition is being launched under concerns that the purchase may result in a decrease in market competition for the automotive semiconductor space. NXP is a big provider for that market, particularly when it comes to NFC and "secure element" cryptographic devices. In cars, these features are used in things like key fobs.
Read MoreGoogle and Intertrust launch PatentShield to protect startups from patent lawsuits
One of the biggest hurdles you can run into when starting a company is the issue of patents. Often larger companies don't like the competition whether or not they actually have a patent on your technology. There's right and wrong, but independent of the merit of a case brought against you, it doesn't matter if you can't defend yourself. Now Google and Intertrust are launching a new service called PatentShield that provides startups with access to a patent portfolio from contributing companies like Google, giving them a means of defending patent-based attacks with their own.
Read MoreGoogle Forms Alliance For Open Media Along With Microsoft, Amazon, Netflix, And Others
Amidst news that Google has adopted a new logo (and everything that comes along with that), Sundar Pichai let slip that Google is joining the likes of Microsoft, Amazon, Netflix, and others to form the Alliance for Open Media (AOM). The organization's goal is to collaborate on open and royalty-free digital formats for "next-generation ultra high definition media." In other words, it will develop new image, audio, and video codecs and container formats that are totally free for non-commercial and commercial use.
The Alliance’s initial focus is to deliver a next-generation video format that is:
- Interoperable and open;
- Optimized for the web;
- Scalable to any modern device at any bandwidth;
- Designed with a low computational footprint and optimized for hardware;
- Capable of consistent, highest-quality, real-time video delivery; and
- Flexible for both commercial and non-commercial content, including user-generated content.
Om Nom, The Star Of ZeptoLab's Cut The Rope Series, Will Get Its Own Animated Movie In 2016
Did you think the Angry Birds movie was an insane bit of zealous over-licensing at the peak of a mobile gaming fad? You ain't seen nothing yet. According to IGN, Cut The Rope developer ZeptoLab has partnered with production company Blockade Entertainment to create a computer animated movie based on the game's adorable monster protagonist Om Nom. Om Nom: The Movie is currently scheduled to release in 2016, notably the same year that the Angry Birds movie will hit theaters.
The official synopsis for the movie makes surprisingly little mention of ropes or candy, and sounds like an E.T. rip-off that came 30 years too late:
Read MoreOm Nom tells the story of 13-year old Evan, a boy whose impulsiveness leads him to open a secret package containing a living scientific experiment - with mischievous intentions!
MX Player Removes Native Support For AC3 and MLP Audio Codecs, Workaround Available
Since the recent update to MX Player, many users are running into a new problem: there's no sound in certain videos. It turns out the latest release of the popular video player removed support for two audio codecs: AC3 and MLP. Unfortunately, it seems this is a result of licensing issues, meaning MX Player will no longer ship with built-in support to play these audio formats. However, there is a simple workaround that will get things working again with relatively little hassle.
Restoring functionality is pretty simple, it only involves downloading a custom-built codec and pointing MX Player to the right file.
Read More
Google And LG Enter Into A 10-Year Cross-Licensing Agreement For Current And Future Patents
Following its similar deal with Samsung earlier this year, Google has just entered a cross-licensing patent agreement with South Korea's second largest smartphone manufacturer, LG Electronics. The deal covers both companies' current patents and those filed over the next ten years. The patents in question span "a broad range of products and technologies" as per LG's press release.
LG's relationship with Google has been solid over the past couple of years, with the company getting chosen to develop two Nexus devices. So it's no surprise that the agreement being championed by both parties. Allen Lo, deputy general counsel for patents at Google said that "by working together on cross-licenses like this, companies can focus on bringing great products and services to consumers around the world." And LG Electronics Intellectual Property Center's executive vice president, J.
Read More
Google Is Not The Only Company To Sign A Cross-Licensing Patent Deal With Cisco - Now So Has Samsung
It wasn't that long ago when Google announced that it had entered a cross-licensing deal with Samsung, and just two days ago, it entered one with Cisco as well. Not to be left out, Samsung announced today that it, too, had signed a deal with Cisco. As a part of this deal, both companies will have access to the other's patent portfolios for the next ten years.
Like the deals that came before, this agreement aims to reduce the risk of unnecessary patent lawsuits in the future. In March of last year, Google started an initiative called the Open Patent Non-Assertion Pledge, which provides a pool of patents the company owns that it won't sue anyone ever as long as everyone's playing along nicely.
Read MoreThe Best Of AP
Google And Samsung Reach Cross-Licensing Deal For Current Patents And Those Filed Over The Next Ten Years
Through its official global blog, Samsung today announced a new patent licensing deal reached with Google, whereby both companies will have access to each other's existing patents and those filed over the next ten years, covering "a broad range of technologies and business areas."
The cross-licensing agreement is described by Google's Deputy General Counsel for Patents, Allen Lo, as one that will help the two giants "reduce the potential for litigation, and focus instead on innovation." Indeed that has been a popular refrain as both Google and Samsung have historically faced (and continue to face) patent challenges from various other companies on various grounds.
Read More
HTC, Apple End Patent Quarrels, Settle On Ten-Year Licensing Deal
It would appear that the patent battle between HTC and Apple, which has been going on since early 2010, is finally closed, with the two companies agreeing to opt for a ten-year licensing agreement.
The dispute began over two years ago when Apple levied a complaint regarding twenty patents at HTC, claiming infringement. Of course after that the two slapped each other with dispute after dispute, and the fight has boiled on ever since. The sudden conclusion comes as something of a shock, since – as the Verge reports – HTC Chairwoman Cher Wang said just three months ago the Taiwanese manufacturer had no plans to settle its spat with Apple.
Read MoreLatest Deals
-
6
25 temporarily free and 28 on-sale apps and games to start the week
-
9
[Deal Alert] Samsung Galaxy Note9 dual-SIM (Exynos) listed for $830 on eBay ($170 off)
-
1
7 of our favorite tech deals this week: Nokia and LG phones, Amazon Fire hardware, and more
-
0
[Deal Alert] Anker Nebula Mars II Android projector is $400 ($200 off), Mars Lite is $230 ($170 off)
-
10
[Deal Alert] Google Home Max down to $349 ($50 off) at Google Store, Best Buy, Target, and more
-
6
Latest Poll
Loading ...Recent Reviews
-
51
Myki review: A great offline password manager with the convenience of a cloud solution
-
16
Ricoh Theta V review: The DSLR of 360-degree cameras
-
16
Jaybird X4 review: Great earbuds without much new to offer
-
40
JBL Link View review: Great sound from JBL, but Smart Displays still have a long way to go
-
47
Samsung Galaxy Watch review: A competent smartwatch you probably shouldn't buy right now
-
51
Latest Roundups
-
200
7 smartphone trends that were terrible ideas
-
7
30 best new Android games released this week including Life is Strange: Before the Storm, Flipflop Solitaire, and Phantomgate : The Last Valkyrie
-
2
[Bonus Round] BestLuck, Stockpile, Cube Escape: Paradox, Tsuki, TOKYO GHOUL [:re birth], Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realm War, and Brave Frontier: The Last Summoner
-
5
16 best new Android games released this week including Chaos Reborn: Adventures, Vampire's Fall: Origins, and Paper.io 2
-
12
22 new and notable (and 1 WTF) Android apps from the last two weeks including Tor Browser, Yahoo!, and FameBit (9/1/18 - 9/15/18)
-
200
Recent Apps and Games
-
4
Snapchat now lets you buy products on Amazon by taking pictures of them
-
36
Apple completes acquisition of Shazam, will remove ads from free version
-
6
PAYDAY: Crime War hands-on: A solid online shooter hobbled by poor controls and uneven matchmaking
-
11
New feature in Microsoft Excel app for Android turns photos of data tables into spreadsheets
-
14
SiriusXM plans to acquire Pandora for $3.5 billion
-
4
Blast from the Past
-
40
1 Year Ago Today
[Revolutionary] Google Assistant now lets you search through first and third-party services
-
64
2 Years Ago Today
[Update: Best Buy too] [Deal Alert] Chromecast Audio only $25 ($10 off) on the Google Store
-
197
3 Years Ago Today
The FCC Just Listed The LG-H790 And LG-H791 (Nexus 5X) With Dimensions, Screen Size, And LTE Bands
-
111
4 Years Ago Today
Hands-On With The $199 Seek Thermal Smartphone Infrared Camera (Yes, Really Actually): This Is Amazing
-
39
5 Years Ago Today
YouTube Updated To Version 5.1.10 With New Video Notifications, Better Contextual Menus, More [APK Download]
-
18
6 Years Ago Today
Barnes & Noble Launches 7" NOOK HD And 9" HD+, A Duo Aiming To Beat Competition With Better Displays, Lower Prices
-
10
7 Years Ago Today
Superuser Updated To Version 3.0 - Major Overhaul Brings PIN Lock, NFC Tag Writing, App Backup, And More
-
2
8 Years Ago Today
Wirefly Launches T-Mobile G2 Preorders, Bests The Competition: $149.99, No Tax, Free Shipping
-
40
