Apple, Google Patent Bloodbath May Be Indefinitely Postponed

Despite the acrimony that has grown between Apple and Google over patent infringement allegations -- mostly related to Android -- the companies apparently are open to talking through some of their differences. Or perhaps they're just setting up the appearance of good-faith negotiations in advance of a no-holds-barred legal slugfest.

The great patent showdown expected to eventually take place between Apple and Google in some courtroom, somewhere, may never happen. The two companies are in talks on a range of intellectual property issues, according to an exclusive report by Reuters that specifically cites the issues the two companies have with each other over mobile patents.

To date, the talks have consisted of a phone conversation between Google CEO Larry Page and Apple CEO Tim Cook, supplemented by lower-level executive discussions, according to Reuters.

Of course, the uber conglomerates may wind up in a courtroom despite the outreach. Certainly, neither company would be cowed by the prospect of huge legal fees if it comes to that.

Apple has just scored an unmitigated victory against Samsung and has many reasons to press forward, not the least of which is Steve Job's legacy. Jobs was never one to shy away from a patent fight, especially against Google.

An Easier Path

On the other hand, avoiding the courtroom through a negotiated truce undeniably makes sense, Peter S. Vogel, a partner with Gardere Wynne Sewell, told. Why go through a protracted legal battle that could have surprising turns if a settled offer gets you at least some of what you want?

Also, Samsung has vowed to appeal; Apple can count on years of legal wrangling with Samsung.

"Apple may be pleased about its award against Samsung, but as you point out, it's not over until all appeals are resolved or a final settlement agreement is signed," Christopher M. Collins, an attorney with Vanderpool, Frostick & Nishanian, told.

The companies have numerous areas of dispute, he noted, but there are also numerous areas where they can help each other.

A global settlement between Apple and Google is possible, Collins added.

"Due to the fact that there are so many details to be worked out, Cook and Page would have to reach agreement at the top level of abstraction first," he explained. "Then, by power of their respective personalities, they would have to ensure that the details would be worked out at the lower levels."

If that is the direction these talks take, then we will hear about it from numerous sources as the implementation is ramped up, which would probably be months away, Collins speculated. "In the meantime, you may still hear the saber-rattling from Apple and the necessary beating on the Google shields in response."

Tim Cook's Quieter Approach

If Steve Jobs were still at the helm of Apple, such speculation would be moot -- but he is not. Cook has a number of new considerations to attend to, such as proving that Apple still has the innovation gene, N. Venkat Venkatraman, a professor of management at Boston University, told .

"I think Tim Cook now has the moral upper hand to deal with Google while he is quietly distancing Apple's dependence on Google with its own Maps -- and possibly other software applications as well," he said. "I am also sure that if the talks fail, Apple and Google will be in the courts just as Apple did with Samsung after their talks failed."

Another consideration for Apple is that it must now look reasonable to the courts -- which an effort at negotiation could achieve, Rob Enderle of the Enderle Group told.

"This isn't a change in strategy ; it is consistent with a strategy tied to winning," he pointed out. "It is unlikely, unless Samsung/Google get more leverage, that Apple's goal of eliminating Android will change."

Sony’s New TV Could Put HD to Shame – If Anyone Buys It

High-definition TV has hit its stride, but already television makers like Sony want to usher in the next wave of ultra-sharp resolution. 4K a standard with four times the pixels of 1080p. Basically that means the viewer can sit closer to a larger TV without seeing individual pixels. But questions remain, including where viewers will need to go to get 4K content.

Sony on Thursday showed off an 84-inch TV set with 4K resolution technology at the IFA consumer show in Germany.

The Sony set adheres to the 4K UHDTV standard, which is 3,840 by 2,160 pixels. It offers four times the number of pixels found in the 1080p HDTV standard, which measures 1,920 x 1,080.

“With 1080p passive 3D TV, the viewer sees 540 lines of resolution instead of the full 1,080,” Michael Inouye, a senior analyst at ABI Research, told TechNewsWorld. “With 4K users will get the full 1080p 3D image. Sony’s TV will offer passive 3D.”

Spec’ing Out the Behemoth

Sony’s 84-inch TV incorporates the company’s 4K X-Reality Pro super-resolution picture quality engine optimized for 4K TV. This can render content with different resolutions, such as HD digital broadcasts or Blu-ray disc content, into 4K images, the company said.

The TV has a 60-degree viewing angle, and the resolution allows users to sit quite close to the screen and still see clear images. “At 84 inches, the 4K resolution on this set allows for viewing images even close up, without degradation or pixilation,” Sony spokesperson Rob Manfredo told TechNewsWorld.

“Some TV vendors have claimed that existing technology can help them make larger-screen TVs that only require the same viewing distance as current major TV models,” Jia Wu, a research director atStrategy Analytics, remarked.

“We were standing one-and-a-half to two feet from the screen and the images looked really great,” Sweta Dash, an analyst at IHSiSuppli who was at IFA, told TechNewsWorld. “Sony was showing Blu-ray content.”

“PlayMemories Studio 3,” a PlayStation 3 software package that lets users organize and play back photographs on the 4K TV, will be offered with the device by next year. The TV comes with 3D glasses.

Owners will be able to access services from the Sony Entertainment Network through the TV.

Whatcha Gonna Show Me?

Will there be sufficient content for the Brava 4K TV?

“Content is a limiting factor,” ABI’s Inouye said. “There have been select demonstrations of 4K, Sony offers an upscaling 4K Blu-ray player and YouTube has a few videos in 4K, but aside from this, there’s not much else.”

Most movie content can be rendered on 4K TVs because 4K is equivalent to cinema-quality content, Strategy Analytics’ Wu told TechNewsWorld. However, the format in which this content will be delivered has not yet been decided.

“There have been talks between the Blu-ray Disc Association and Sony and other vendors about compressing 4K content into Blu-ray discs,” Wu continued. “But clearly the lack of 4K content will be an issue for the first few years.”

Apart from content upscaled from HD footage from digital broadcasts or Blu-ray discs, “many digital cameras already photograph in 4K resolution or higher as standard,” Sony’s Manfredo stated. “We hope that the popularity of such a TV will help accelerate the development of more 4K content.

Who’s Gonna Take You Home Tonight?

Sony’s Brava 4K isn’t the only, or even the first, 84-inch 4K TV set to be unveiled. Korea’s LG launched the first device in this category last week. Toshiba is reportedly prepping its own 84-incher for release early next year.

But who’s going to purchase what will undoubtedly be a very expensive TV set like this?

“The key question is, how much are consumers willing to pay for this superior experience,” Strategy Analytics’ Wu asked. “Before the price comes into an affordable range, these TVs will remain in a niche segment.”

Panasonic ToughPad Tablet Computer

Problem with tablets -- and this includes all of the Android tablets, the iPad, and the Kindle Fire -- is they suck outdoors and they are relatively fragile. Tablets are attempting to do things like replace books and magazines, which you read in bathtubs, on the beach, or outside on a lawn, and they suck in all of those places.

An accidental drop or a little sand or water will turn them into a doorstop, and their displays wash out outdoors. If you want to use one to doodle or draw, their screens are generally not accurate enough -- and even if they were, they typically don't come with anything to draw with.

The Panasonic ToughPad (there's even a 7-inch mini version coming), while much more expensive than an iPad, addresses all of these problems.

It is semi-hardened so it will survive drops or getting wet, and it will shrug off sand. It has a high nit (very bright) non-glare display for outdoor use, so it will work well everyplace except in the brightest of direct sunlight -- and even there you can still see the screen -- and it comes with a built in stylus you can use for drawing.

Besides the display, it has some other decent features that the iPad lacks. It has built-in 4G with a hotspot router that lets you connect your friend's iPad to the Internet, a MicroSD slot for memory expansion, and a micro HDMI to connect to a display or TV. And, of course, it is military specification certified.

Until a product ships in the U.S. with a transflective display -- like the Qualcomm Mirasol (apparently now shipping in Asia) -- and is hardened to boot, the Panasonic ToughPad is my own gold standard for a tablet. I like being outside, and that makes the Panasonic ToughPad my product of the week. This is the product the guys in The Expendables (fun movie by the way) would likely carry.