The agency did not (yet) accept the publisher’s complaints which echo sentiments we all heard from media mogul Rupert Murdoch. They would like to get a lot of money from Google for “stealing our content” and would also like to have some influence on search results. Online maps service Euro-Cities AG would like to have Google investigated not liking the fact Google Maps are free of charge.

An investigation was now essentially prompted by Microsoft’s complaints, which is a complicated story in itself. There was a first Microsoft complaint claiming abuse of monopoly by Google. The agency did not follow on this complaint, though.

In a second complaint Microsoft claimed Google was annoyed about the first complaint and for this reason stopped negotiating the extension of an advertising contract with shopping portal Ciao which was acquired by Microsoft. If proven, this could violate German antitrust law which explicitly forbids causing business disadvantages to competitors who filed an antitrust complaint.

It is an official investigation now albeit a minor one, though it theoretically still could result in a fine of several millions Euro.

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Credits: Bundeskartellamt

Teczilla (German)

Wirtschaftswoche (German)

Backflip doesn’t get bigger, as previously assumed, but more versatile. It is more compact than Motorola Droid, still sports a physical keyboard of good size and quality. Yet it is neither a slider nor a traditional clamshell.

Actually the keyboard is reverse flipped so it is on the back of the closed phone. This means it can open into “tabletop” mode and present itself like a digital picture frame or an alarm clock.

Another surprise is a touch sensitive trackpad on the display’s backside. It allows to surf the web or the phone’s home screens without obscuring the display. Sounds a bit awkward but seems to be quite useful as seen in PhoneScoops hands-on video.

The screen is 3.1 inch, accompanied by all the goodies in this Android class: Wi Fi, 3G, 5 megapixel cam, GPS, Bluetooth stereo, microSD slot, 3.5mm headset jack. Motorola didn’t want to disclose the chip and its speed yet.

Backflip is to debut in the first quarter of 2010 in Europe, Asia and North America.

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Credits: Motorola

Trip Chowdhry from Global Equities Research cites sources indicating an Android phone with OLED display and physical keyboard. It may run “Google experiences” instead of Motorolas own user interface Motoblur. A second Android phone may also sport an OLED screen but get along without a physical keyboard and rely on a virtual keyboard only.

This seems to be supported by a vague rumor from a Chinese tech site which also presents an incomplete rendering. Mirage / Shadow are supposedly the names for new Motos. The specs sound record-breaking: HDMI port, 8 megapixel camera, 1080p video playback, yet to be only 9mm thick. Most unbelievable is a 4.3 inch display (800×484 pixel resolution) which other vendors would like to call a tablet. Motorola Mirage / Shadow is said to be launched in the first half of 2010.

We should know more on January 6 …

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Barron’s

Mobile01 (Google translation)

Credits: Mobile01

DARPA invites industry and research community to a TX Proposers’ Day Workshop. The agency already has a clear vision of the cars and their flying functionality:

“The objective of the Transformer (TX) program is to demonstrate a 1 to 4 person transportation vehicle that can drive and fly, thus enabling the warfighter to avoid water, difficult terrain, and road obstructions as well as IED and ambush threats. The vehicle will be capable of driving on prepared surface and light off-road conditions, while flight functionality will require Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL).”

Haven’t we seen flying cars already? For years companies have been promoting their flying cars and even published demo videos. Terrafugia, Moller International, Urban Aeronautics and PAL V Europe, just to name some of them. But they are not selling them yet, maybe never. Terrafugia promises to take its “street-legal airplane” to the streets in 2011, and the street price will supposedly be less than $200.000. Also in 2011 the PAL V One (as seen in the illustration above) is going to fly over Europe, price not yet known.

With the TX program DARPA wants companies and researchers to provide more precise information:

“1) Develop a robust vehicle design that maximizes military utility at a reasonable cost, 2) Identify and mature the critical enabling technologies necessary to vehicle development, and 3) Build a single prototype vehicle that demonstrates the program goals through ground and flight tests.”

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Sphere

DARPA

PAL V Europe

Credits: PAL V Europe

The bigger Vega tablet with display sizes up to 15″ was first shown off by Nvidia boss Jen-Hsun Huang and led to speculations about being the mystical Apple tablet. But it was soon to be unmasked as a tablet running Android 2.0 “Éclair”.

The more compact Ultra is also based on Nvidia’s Tegra platform including 1 GHz chip Tegra T20, fast graphics, 256 MB DDR and 512 MB NAND Flash. Mass storage is 4 GB and can be expanded with Micro SD cards. The tablet also includes FM radio, dual digital microphones, 3.5 mm audio jack, USB, Bluetooth, WLAN, 1.3 MB video camera, accelerometer and ambient light sensor. Cellular, 2g/3g Data and GPS are optional.

The resistive touchscreen (optionally capacitive) has a resolution of 800×480 (optionally 1024×600). Its Mini HDMI port reveals the Ultra is not only meant to be a surf tablet but also a media tablet able to display HD video on any HDMI TV or anywhere on its own display. ICD promises a minimum 4 hours of battery life and 2 hours to charge.

With its size of 186mm x 158mm x 18mm the Ultra tablet weighs about 600g. It could be sold for about $250, there may even be a subsidized version for free from mobile carriers.

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Innovative Converged Devices (ICD)

Credits: ICD

Apple shocked by nudity?

Apple is expanding its censorship aspirations internationally. It followed the well known ritual: Censorship without any communication in advance. The inevitable public uproar Apple had many reasons to expect. And finally Apple retreating and again offering the app, mostly without any public statement.

It happened with Ninjawords, a dictionary which contained no more “urban slang” than other respected dictionaries. It happened with Bopple Rep because of its funny cartoon drawings depicting members of congress. Apple considered these benign caricatures “content that ridicules public figures”, therefore being “defamatory” and in violation of the iPhone Developer Program License Agreement.

The app from German magazine Stern (meaning “star”) was pulled because of some light nudity. Gruner+Jahr, one of Germany’s leading magazine publishers, confirmed “different opinions about erotic illustrations”:

“But as we don’t want to let the situation escalate we are in talks with Apple about other content which may be found ethically offensive. But it is really annoying the app was deleted without any announcement. Also, the debate about scantily dressed women seems to be lacking in practical relevance.”

Censorship has never been a practical matter, as Apple may realize one day.

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TecZilla (German)

Screenshot: Itunes / Stern.de

This hands-on-video originates from Kiamanokia.it – “Il blog dei Nokia Lovers”. It was their mission to get a pre-production unit and present it to the world.

Passionately they are praising the virtues of Linux-based Maemo 5 OS. They are obviously thrilled by N900 hardware, give us a glimpse of its inside and demonstrate the GUI with multi-desktop and Flash-supporting browser.

The zoom function seems to be even more intuitive than the Iphone’s pinch-zoom-gestures. Slightly rotating a finger zooms in and out. It looks as easy as if Steve Jobs’ dreams had come true. And it doesn’t need two fingers, just one. Take that, Apple!

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Related TecZilla links:

Nokia N900 smartphone confirmed

Nokia Uber-smartphone N900 previewed

Nokia not ditching Symbian, to announce Microsoft deal

Web links:

Kiamanokia.it

Screenshot: Kiamanokia.it ]]> http://www.teczilla.de/en/nokia-n900-first-hands-on-video/293/feed 0 http://www.teczilla.de/en/nokia-n900-smartphone-confirmed/286 http://www.teczilla.de/en/nokia-n900-smartphone-confirmed/286#comments Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:06:18 +0000 Bernd Kling http://www.teczilla.net/?p=286 Also known as RX-51 or “Rover”, N900 is now officially confirmed as a smartphone, a surf tablet and more. It runs the Linux-based Maemo 5 OS and will be offered starting in October.