Microsoft and Samsung Gets In To A Smartphone Patent Bind. Samsung Pays.

Well, this is some news to wake up to. Samsung has entered in to an agreement with Microsoft regarding Android and windows phones. Under the terms of the agreement, Microsoft will receive royalties for Samsung’s mobile phones and tablets running the Android mobile platform and yes, Android Patents are pretty hard to come by. they will also be developing and marketing windows phone.

“Through the cross-licensing of our respective patent portfolios, Samsung and Microsoft can continue to bring the latest innovations to the mobile industry, We are pleased to build upon our long history of working together to open a new chapter of collaboration beginning with our Windows Phone “Mango” launch this fall.” ” said Dr. Won-Pyo Hong, executive vice president of global product strategy at Samsung’s mobile communication division.

Man what happened to the Android protection from Google Motorola deal? Looks like everyone in Android Arena, running for their own cover.
Geemodo: Samsung Buys Android Protection From Microsoft!

Why Would Google Pay $12.5 Billion For Motorola Mobility? Four Possibilities!

Why Will Google Pay $12.5 Billion For Motorola Mobile? Four Possibilities! http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
We all were surprised when we heard that Google is willing to pay $12.5 Billion for Motorola Mobility (MMI) to get the company and it's assets into Google's (GOOG) fold. No one really know the answer yet but FOSS Patents have brought together four possible scenarios;

1. MMI would have taken a royalty-bearing patent license from Microsoft (MSFT), and possibly also settled with Apple (AAPL).
2. MMI would have revisited its exclusive focus on Android and possibly adopted Windows Phone.
3. MMI would have attacked other Android device makers with its patents to make their products more expensive.
4. MMI would have conducted a public or private auction of the entire company or large parts of its patent portfolio.

To fathom the reasons behind the thinking, please visit FOSS Patents and read Post "These four threats against Android secured Motorola Mobility a $12.5 billion offer from Google"

Google Proposal : OEM's Adhering To Android Standards To Get Lead Device Time To Market Advantage.

Google Proposal Lead Device Time To Market Advantage To Some OEMs. http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Again another juicy bit from Oracle VS Google via FOSS Patents, that was indicated as a bombshell, but I do not. The statement posted indicates;
Lead device concept: Give early access to the software to partners who build and distribute devices to our specification (ie, Motorola and Verizon). They get a non-contractual time to market advantage and in return they align to our standard.
And nowhere it describes it is a Motorola only deal. Any OEM who is willing to adhere to Google Android standard might be able to get the same deal. In any case it is thousand times correct me million times better than the OEM deals Apple give ( except for Foxconn, even without any squirms about deaths of Foxconn employees).
Follow the link below to read the report and the analysis.

Motorola Facebook Phones, EX225 & EX226

Motorola Facebook Phone EX225, EX226 http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/

Just like the other facebook phones, facedroids and others like HTC Status, during the first discovery, this facebook phone from Motorola too has scant information. But from the photos Grabbed from Bluetooth SIG clearly shows a facebook button displayed prominently at the left end of the keypad and full screen Facebook UI components. It also sports a full QWERTY keyboard, and a 2.4 inch landscape display.

There is also another model named EX226, carrying very similar details and photos so the difference must be internal. Here is the description of the phone on Bluetooth SIG;

A GSM/GPRS/EDGE/3G, 3MP camera, Qwerty Keypad, Single/dual SIM phone with 2.4? TFT display ; product for trendy generation who enjoy connecting to the world anytime, anywhere, and multimedia services on the go, all easy as via a fully personalized UI

Beyond that there are no information at the moment.

Bluetooth SIG via Unwiredview

HTC Sues Apple With Google Patents

HTC Sues Apple http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
HTC is the first Android device make Apple sued in it's Droid Wars series and currently in the courts. HTC does not have a large enough patent portpolio to talk Apple in to a de. If HTC loses to Apple here, it could set a precedence for Apple to after other Android device  makers.
So it seems that HTC got nine patents from Google Patents which Google itself obtained earlier from Palm Inc., Motorola Inc. and Openwave Systems Inc. So using four of those patents (Motorola), HTC sued Apple today in federal court in Delaware, claiming infringement.
HTC also amended a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) in Washington, alleging infringement of three patents first issued to Openwave and two others originally owned by Palm.
Bloomberg

Motorola FIRE Heats Up UK With Android Goodness.

Motorola FIRE Heats Up UK http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/

Motorola Mobility EMEA announced today that the Motorola Fire will be released to UK market in September. Motorola Fire, a 2.8-inch Android 2.3 touchscreen device with a physical QWERTY keyboard kept alive with a 1420mAh battery which Motorola says will deliver best-in-class battery life, giving users a phone that will run through an entire day on a single charge. The Moto-Fire will be available in black and white versions.

"“We are excited about extending our growing smartphone range in UK, and Motorola FIRE opens up new possibilities in the smartphone market. The device’s stylish design and its exciting and versatile social media applications will wow younger, tech-loving users in particular,” said Victoria McManus, UK marketing director, Motorola Mobility EMEA."

BASINGSTOKE, UK – Aug. 24, 2011 ─ Never compromise individuality with the new, budget-friendly Android™-powered smartphone from Motorola Mobility. The fashionable Motorola FIRE™ smartphone offers a full QWERTY keyboard with touchscreen display and ultimate personalisation options users expect from the fun and versatile Android platform. The Motorola FIRE is expected to be available in the UK towards the end of September.

Motorola FIRE has a sleek, modern design and a sophisticated finish. Its full QWERTY keyboard and 2.8-inch touchscreen display provide the perfect combination of tools for emailing, texting and browsing the Web. Users can stay in constant contact with friends and family through the world’s leading social media applications.

Motorola FIRE also comes with best-in-class battery life, allowing users to talk, browse the Web, text, play games and videos all day long1. Motorola FIRE also has the Moto Switch user interface, which allows users to switch to a friends-centric mode when they finish work and head home for the day.

“We are excited about extending our growing smartphone range in UK, and Motorola FIRE opens up new possibilities in the smartphone market. The device’s stylish design and its exciting and versatile social media applications will wow younger, tech-loving users in particular,” said Victoria McManus, UK marketing director, Motorola Mobility EMEA.

Key features and specifications:

• Motorola FIRE runs on Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
• Access to thousands of apps in Android Market™
• Dual-band HSDPA/Quad-band EDGE
• 2.8” QVGA touchscreen display
• Full QWERTY keyboard
• 3MP camera
• Moto Switch user interface allows users to shift easily into different modes
• MicroSD card slot up to 32GB2
• Access to Google Maps™ with Navigation, Google Talk™ and Web browsing
• FM radio with radio data system (RDS) support
• Wi-Fi conforming with 802.11b, 802.11g or 802.11n standards
• E-compass, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, accelerometer
• Assisted global positioning system (aGPS)
• LED notifications
• 3.5mm audio jack
• 1420mAh battery; eight hours of talk time or 30 days of standby in 3G mode1

About Motorola Mobility

Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE:MMI) fuses innovative technology with human insights to create experiences that simplify, connect and enrich people's lives. Our portfolio includes converged mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets; wireless accessories; end-to-end video and data delivery; and management solutions, including set-tops and data-access devices. For more information, visit motorola.com/mobility.

Motorola - Microsoft Patent Case Before ITC Today!

http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/



Microsoft’s patent case against Motorola Mobility began today in front of the International Trade Commission in Washington and according to media reports, the battle is set to get ugly,



Microsoft is accusing Motorola Mobility of infringing seven of Microsoft patents, is demanding an injunction from the ITC to stop some Motorola’s phones from being imported into USA. “Microsoft is one of the world’s most innovative companies and we have a responsibility to our employees, customers, partners and shareholders to safeguard our intellectual property, Motorola is infringing our patents and we are confident that the ITC will rule in our favor." said ” David Howard, deputy general counsel for litigation at Microsoft, in a statement to AllThingsD.



Motorola and the new intended suitor, Google will not be happy if ITC to that. Google offered 12.5 Billion to Motorola Mobile and was intending to protect Android OS and Android based phones from bullies in arms like Microsoft, Apple and RIM.

Motorola sees sagging Microsoft's attack as it's new business strategy and promises to do everything to to protect Motorola Mobility and how;



“We are vigorously defending ourselves against Microsoft’s patent attack business strategy, We have also brought legal actions of our own in the U.S. and in Europe to address Microsoft’s large scale of infringement of Motorola Mobility’s patents.” ” Motorola said in a statement.



For all it's goodness and Microsoft's need to make it's lawyers rich, it looks like will end up in a licensing deal, so Microsoft can continue to make those not so popular windows Phones.



allthingsD

Win A MOTOROLA PHOTON™ 4G

MOTOROLA PHOTON™ 4G http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/

Closer ten times faster than than average 3G connection, the MOTOROLA PHOTON 4G from Motorola / Sprint allows you to download media in seconds; even a concert from your girlfriend at Wembley Stadium. MOTOROLA PHOTON 4G could very well be my next phone as I plan to ditch my iPhone and AT&T for unlimited data from Sprint.

Watch the video in its entirety for a chance to win a phone. Follow the link after the jump.

Act before 6:00 PM eastern time. http://t.co/s2FaVqz

Motorola To Collect IP Tax From Other Android Makers?

Motorola To Collect IP Tax http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/

Now the Android world is going totally mad. Google what you say? Add $50 to Android Phone Cost of Manufacturing with all these taxes? Get your partners together!



"Motorola, who has long been one of Google’s key Android partners, happens to have a pretty massive patent portfolio. You’d think that would work in Google’s favor, since at least one of its major partners can hold its own against the likes of Apple and Microsoft. Yeah, not so much. Motorola has actually hinted, and subsequently more-than-hinted, that it may “potentially collect royalties” with its patent trove, rather than just defend itself, reports Unwired View. "



Unwired View Via Techcrunch

Motorola Kore, Next Android Tablet From Motorola

Motorola Kore Android Rumors http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/

Looks like Motorola is gearing up for a new Android tablet. The new tablet seem to concentrate on the screen real estate rather than the real reasons the Motorola XOOM's failure to dethrone iPad2 or iPad.

The new tablet is slated to run Android Ice Cream Sandwich, and ditching the 16:9 screen ration for for squarish 4:3 ration screen, just like the iPad2. I am sure with assumed high resolutions like 2048 X 1536 will surely beat iPad2. Wake up Motorola, if your Motorola XOOM 16GB was $399, I would be holding it instead of far better Asus EEE Pad Transformer. If the tablet is tad lighter, it would have been a bonus as well.

There are also guesses that the slate will have Kal-El quad core processor from Nvidia. That wold be nice and people will ditch their notebooks, like I have with with Asus EEE Pad, with the keyboard attachment.

The name information was gleamed from some domain names Motorola registered last week, MotorolaKore.com, KoreMotorola.com, Moto-kore.com, MotoKore.com, and Motorola-Kore.com.



fusible via BGR, Plus Engadget

Masalah Google Berkaitan dengan Kesuksesan Android

Belakangan ini kita semakin merasakan perkembangan teknologi
yang semakin berkembang, kita bisa melihat ada banyak perangkat yang modern.
Banyak teknologi kini yang mempengaruhi gaya hidup kita seperti Smartphone
misalnya.

Smartphone merupakan ponsel pintar seperti misalnya Smart
TV. Kebutuhan akan ponsel pintar membuat perusahaan ponsel menciptakan
smartphone ini. Berbagai jenis produk smartphone seperti Apple, HTC, LG,
Motorola dan sebagainya. Apple saat ini merupakan produsen smartphone yang
terbesar. Sayangnya kini sebagian besar dari smartphone menggunakan Android.

Kini Android mulai menebar sukses di bidang ponsel, namun
kabarnya Android menyebabkan masalah untuk Google dan vendornya, yakni Apple
dan Microsoft. Masalah tersebut adalah masalah tentang mengklaim hak paten dari
Nortel.

Hak paten perusahaan nirkabel Nortel diperebutkan oleh
beberapa perusahaan besar, seperti Apple, Microsoft, RIM BlackBerry dan juga
Google. Namun harga lelang hak paten Nortel ini lebih besar dari yang
ditawarkan oleh Google. Sehingga Google gagal mendapatkan hak paten Nortel.

Walaupun gagal memperoleh hak paten Nortel tersebut,
Google tetap berencana meningkatkan portofolio paten. Salah satu cara yang
menjadi rencana Google adalah dengan membeli perusahaan chip nirkabel Amerika
Serikat, yakni Interdigital. Saat ini Interdigital memiliki nilai pasar 3,11
miliar dollar AS.

Motorola Siapkan Superphone Baru

Motorola Siapkan Superphone Baru - Motorola kini kembali menyemarakkan pasar superphone. Kabar yang berhembus saat ini menyebutkan bahwa Motorola tengah menyiapkan model unggulan berikutnya yang disebut dengan nama Motorola Dinara. Superphone baru ini konon akan mulai hadir di pasar pada musim dingin, yaitu sekitar akhir tahun ini.

Saat ini Motorola Dinara memang masih berupa code name. Namun rumor yang beredar menyebutkan bahwa Dinara akan memiliki fitur dengan HD display, kamera 13 megapixel, front-facing VGA camera untuk video call dan baterai internal.

Berjalan dengan Android 2.3 Gingerbread, Dinara disebutkan akan menyerupai Bionic dari segi desain. Dilengkapi juga dengan Texas Instruments processor, 1GB RAM dan lock button di samping. Namun masih belum ada informasi apakah Dinara akan menggunakan model 4G LTE atau tidak.

6 Keunggulan Motorola DROID 3

6 Keunggulan Motorola DROID 3 - Motorola DROID 3 adalah smartphone dual-core OMAP4 dengan Android 2.3 dan dilengkapi dengan versi terbaru dari MotoBlur UI. DROID 3 juga bisa merekam video 1080p menggunakan sensor 8 MP dengan display toucscreen 4 inci dan keyboard QWERTY. Penasaran bagaimana perforama Motorola DROID 3? Berikut review singkatnya:

1. Generasi penerus  DROID terbaik
Jika Anda tidak puas dengan DROID 2 dan lebih menyukai DROID 1 maka sebaiknya kini Anda beralih ke DROID 3. Banyak alasan kenapa DROID 3 lebih baik dari dua pendahulunya itu. Keyboard yang ada telah didesain ulang menjadi 5 baris sehingga mempermudah pengetikan. Layar 4 inci memberikan kenyamanan karena mampu menyajikan area yang lebih luas untuk bekerja dan bereksplorasi dengan Android Gingerbread. Adanya prosesor dual-core juga menjadi jaminan Android device ini bisa bekerja dengan baik. Secara keseluruhan, DROID 3 merupakan upgrade penting dalam segala hal, tidak hanya dari original DROID 1 tapi juga dari DROID 2.

2. Keyboard
Motorola mendesain ulang keyboard DROID menjadi 5 baris. Tidak hanya itu, jarak antar button di keyboard DROID 3 juga lebih renggang sehingga memudahkan dalam mengetik. Semua button sangat empuk sehingga sama sekali tidak menyulitkan saat menekannya.

3. Dual-core
OMAP4 chip memang luar biasa; sangat cepat dalam memproses data. Bahkan versi terbaru MotoBlur sama sekali tidak terasa berat saat dijalankan. Berpindah antar aplikasi dan scrolling dalam list dan webpage terasa sangat halus dan tidak merepotkan. Sepertinya versi terbaru dari MotoBlur telah disempurnakan kode-nya sehingga menghasilkan performa yang luar biasa.

4. Kamera
Kamera di DROID 3 sangat mumpuni. Setelah menggunakannya untuk beberapa kali jepret dan merekan video, Anda akan menyadari bahwa Motorola telah melakukan kerja keras untuk memperbaiki kualitas kameranya. Hal yang sama juga terlihat pada kamera depan, keren!

5. Hardware
Seperti halnya ponsel lain keluaran Motorola, hardware pada DROID 3 ini juga terlihat sangat kokoh tanpa menghilangkan kesan elegan. Display 4 inci qHD sangat berkelas dan berada beberapa tingkat lebih baik dari yang ada di DROID X2 ataupun Atrix 4G.

Di dalamnya Anda bisa menemukan internal storage sebesar 16GB, prosesor OMAP4 dan RAM 512MB. Jika melihat handsets lain milik Motorola yang telah diberi RAM 1GB pastinya jumlah RAM dalam DROID 3 ini bisa disebut kekurangan. Tapi perlu diketahui dengan RAM 512MB, DROID 3 tidak terlihat bermasalah dengan multi tasking dan banyaknya aplikasi yang terinstall. Adanya support prosesor dual-core, microSD card slot, microUSB port dan microHDMI port juga menjadi nilai tambah bagi DROID 3.

6. Software
Android 2.3.4 dipadu denga MotoBlur versi terbaru menghasilkan tampilan yang sangat keren. Meski Blur masih kalah jika dibanding skin milik OEM lain, namun apa yang disajikan DROID 3 ini merupakan terobosan baru dari Motorola yang layak diacungi jempol. Setiap fungsi bekerja lebih halus dibanding ponsel Motorola lainnya meski akan lebih baik lagi jika Motorola mau unlock bootloader suatu hari nanti

Double The Does, Motorola Droid X2 Is Coming To Verizon

Motorola Droid X2 http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Putting an end to months of speculations and rumors, Motorola and Verizon Wireless has announced that Motorola Droid X2 will be available beginning May 19th.
Droid X2 comes with a dual-core 1 GHz CPU, a 4.3-inch scratch-resistant, anti-reflective qHD display and an 8-megapixel camera with autofocus and HD video recording ability as well as HDMI connection to display those videos on a large screens.
The Droid X2 comes with Android 2.2 but soon will have upgraded to Android 2.3 putting it in par with other newer phones.
The mobile hot spot feature will allow users to share the 3G connection with up to five users.

Following is the press release by Motorola;

DROID X2 by Motorola Coming to Verizon Wireless with Double the Power, Double the Does

Fast and Powerful DROID X² by Motorola to be Available Online Beginning May 19

May 18, 2011

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and LIBERTYVILLE, Ill.– Verizon Wireless and Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE: MMI), today announced the second-generation Android™-powered DROID X2 by Motorola, designed for the consumer who does everything on their smartphone.

Fly through the Web with the DROID X2, which boasts Verizon Wireless’ first dual-core 1GHz processor for fast webpage loading and Adobe^® Flash^® Player, allowing customers to experience rich content online. The 4.3-inch scratch-resistant and anti-reflective qHD display delivers a sharp, clear view ideal for watching movies, typing emails and playing your favorite games. Never miss a moment using the 8-megapixel camera with continuous autofocus and stunning HD video capture. Use the new Gallery app to view, tag and post photos on sites like Flickr^® and Facebook^®, all from one place.

Additional features:

• Powered by Android 2.2, to be updated to Android 2.3
• Mirror Mode allows you to view and share your photos, videos and downloaded movies on a larger TV via HDMI output
• Enterprise-ready with security and IT-grade policies, allowing you to use your DROID X2 for work and play
• Support for Google™ Mobile Services, including Gmail™, YouTube™, Google Talk™, Google Search™, and Google Maps™, as well as access to more than 200,000 apps available to download from Android Market™
• Mobile Hotspot capability, allowing you to share your 3G connection with up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices
• Virtual QWERTY keyboard featuring SWYPE technology for quick and easy typing of messages and emails

Pricing and availability:

• The DROID X2 will be available online at www.verizonwireless.com on May 19 and in Verizon Wireless Communication Stores on May 26for $199.99 with a new two-year customer agreement.
• DROID X2 customers will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan and a smartphone data package. Nationwide Talk plans begin at $39.99 for monthly access and an unlimited smartphone data plan is $29.99 for monthly access.

Motorola XOOM Gets Android 3.1

Android 3.1 http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/

Android 3.1 update announced at the annual Google I/O event is now alive on some of the Motorola XOOM tablets. The mostly under the hood improvements will make the tablet experience even smoother. These improvements include host mode for the tablet which allows import photos directly from a digital camera, better HTML5 support, faster performance, and USB host functionality for connecting peripherals like game controllers and mice.
But on the surface there are improvements too. On the apps front, there is Google's new Movies app through which you could rent thousands of movies from the Android market for $1.99 to $4.99 for 24 hours of playback. In addition there are few more apps, a new Books app, a new video editing app called Movie Studio. The standard Google's main apps are also updated which include a faster web browser with a new Quick Controls menu assisting and enhancing the browsing experience.
There are re-sizable widgets for email, Gmail inbox, calendar and bookmarks which lets users stretch or shink widgets. The other most noticeable is the  task switcher upgrade that now lets one scroll through last 18 launched apps.

iPad2 One Weeks Later? How Do You Like It??

iPad2 One Weeks Later http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
I do not have an iPad2 so one of the votes above are mine (Don't have a iPad 2) But one of my colleagues does and he is happy about it overall. Except he is pissed off about not having location services or GPS on his WiFi only version.So his verdict is Get a 3G version if you care about location services. (But I do not know if the GPS works if you do not have service activated on a 3G version)
From the poll above, it seems people are happy about it and the poll just began. So hop over to TiPb can cast your vote. More the participation, better the samples will be. I am holding off for a white iPad2 3G or Motorola XOOM WiFi version.
To me the black iPad2 looks like a digital photo frame!
TiPb iPad2 Poll

WiFi Only Motorola Xoom Tablet To Take On iPad2 Surge!

Motorola Mobility Unveils WiFi Only Motorola Xoom Tablet   http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/

After a long enough wait, Motorola Mobility has unveiled that Motorola XOOM without 3G to be arriving soon, on 27th of March.
After lackluster sales of Motorola XOOM 3G, even without the iPod 2 attack, the Motorola XOOM was beyond the the reach of many consumers with $800 but the new lower price, $599 Motorola XOOM for 32GB WiFi might sway me away from a similarly equipped and similarly priced iPad 2, just to get away from draconian Apple measures. But what I do not understand is why Motorola lack market analysis brains. They had a good product and yet lost to Apple with it's iPad 2 Surge! I am sure there is a way Motorola could jump back on the road, hope they know how!

Press Release;

LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. – March 16, 2011 – Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: MMI), today announced the upcoming availability of MOTOROLA XOOM^™ Wi-Fi edition from leading retailers across the United States starting March 27. Amazon.com, Best Buy, Costco, RadioShack, Sam’s Club (select locations), Staples and Walmart will be offering the 10.1-inch widescreen HD tablet with Android^™ 3.0 (Honeycomb) through both online and retail store channels. The MSRP for MOTOROLA XOOM Wi-Fi with 32 GB of memory will be $599.

“MOTOROLA XOOM is a truly innovative tablet – its design, coupled with being the first tablet to have Android 3.0, results in a user experience that is one-of-a-kind,” said Dan Papalia, vice president of retail sales for Motorola Mobility. “We are now continuing to expand the choices available to consumers with the MOTOROLA XOOM Wi-Fi to be available soon from numerous leading retailers in the United States.”

In addition, the MOTOROLA XOOM Wi-Fi will be available to commercial IT channels and regional retailers through a distribution agreement with Synnex Corporation, and regional carriers through Brightpoint, Inc.

MOTOROLA XOOM showcases the innovations of the Honeycomb user experience – including widgets, true multi-tasking, browsing, notifications and customization – on a 10.1-inch widescreen HD display, enabling video content that’s richer and clearer than ever before. With a 1GHz dual-core processor and 1 GB of RAM, MOTOROLA XOOM delivers exceptionally fast web-browsing performance. The latest Google Mobile services include Google Maps 5.0^™ with 3D interaction and access to more than 3 million Google eBooks and apps from Android Market^™. MOTOROLA XOOM also supports a Beta of Adobe^® Flash^® Player 10.2 downloadable from Android Market, enabling the delivery of rich Flash based web content including videos, casual games and rich Internet applications.

As the first device running Android 3.0, MOTOROLA XOOM benefits from our aggressive work with developers across the ecosystem through MOTODEV, Motorola’s developer support program to enable world-class tablet and smartphone experiences. These devices will be able to access more than 150,000 applications within the Android Market as well as the rapidly increasing number of applications optimized directly for the Android 3.0 OS. In addition, thousands of Flash-based web applications and sites will become available for the MOTOROLA XOOM.

As a part of the company’s commitment and leadership -- along with Google’s -- to the Android ecosystem, Motorola announced a series of global developer events in 11 cities across North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia. These MOTODEV events give developers access to tools, support and Motorola's team of Android experts. The first of these events was hosted in San Francisco on March 1 and had more than 665 developers in attendance.

MOTODEV also recently announced a new testing and certification program for Honeycomb applications, encouraging developers to submit their applications to get early feedback and support on MOTOROLA XOOM performance. This is a part of the company’s ongoing commitment to supporting the ecosystem in delivering high quality experiences to the consumer.

More information about MOTODEV tools, resources and events can be found athttp://developer.motorola.com.

iPad2 Review, It Is So Good!

http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Looks like Apple is cementing it's position of tablet king with the iPad 2. The competition has got work laid out for them.

Yes, tablets like XOOM are attractive on the hardware side and the OS front with non restrictive Android OS. But like with XOOM price, is killing the product. On the hardware front the iPad has improved but aside from the dual core processor, more memory and dual cameras, there is nothing much to the original iPad.

But the presentation has the people wowed, one of my friends stood in the line to get 32GB White version,WiFi only but ended up buying a black one as the white versions got sold out before he could reach the counter. That is good news for Apple and not so good for the competition.

The iPad 2 is not what I really want. The display is of high quality but it is the same resolution as last year and the iOS has some kinks to be worked out. What is good about the iPad 2 is the price point, Starting point of $499 and all the options like memory and carriers make it the tablet for the consumers.

After reading how the apps like Garage Band operates, even though the tablet is yet to gain the business usage capabilities, stands out in the crowd.

One striking feature is the cover or screen protector. With some clever engineering and with the help of magnets the cover protects the screen, put the tablet to sleep when closed and wakes it up when opened. It is also an stand for the iPad 2 when folded at various angles. One thing it does not do is protecting the back of the iPad 2. If you are looking to keep the back clean and nice, better look for other covers for the iPad 2, like portfolio type.

The apps, iMovie and the Garage Band were favored by testers and users. Both providing some surprising results and crashes.

Browser performance has improved but not spectacular. Much slower than others, even XOOM according to Sunspider results by Engadget.

The disappointment seem to be concentrated around the iPad 2 cameras. Both front and back cameras seem to be doing a pretty bad jobs. Yes they look really bad.

Battery life seem to be very good, in a video test (running an MPEG4 video clip on loop, WiFi on, screen at roughly 65 percent brightness), the iPad 2 managed an astonishing 10 hours and 26 minutes of non-stop playback.

Testers found the processor on the iPad 2, 1GHz, dual-core chip called the A5 drove everyone happy with the performance. According to Geekbench, the CPU has a 800MHz clock and is as fast as twice of the previous iteration of the tablet.

But I am waiting for Motorola to reduce the price of Motorola XOOM and to bring out the WiFi only version., then I will compare!

Engadget has the scoop.

Limited Gold Edition Motorola XOOM™ Sweepstakes By Motorola!

Follow @Motorola and RT for a Limited Gold Edition Motorola XOOM http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/

Limited Gold Edition Motorola XOOM™ Sweepstakes
OFFICIAL RULES
NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. MAKING A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCE OF WINNING. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.
THE FOLLOWING SWEEPSTAKES IS INTENDED FOR PLAY IN THE UNITED STATES ONLY AND SHALL ONLY BE CONSTRUED AND EVALUATED ACCORDING TO UNITED STATES LAW. DO NOT ENTER THIS SWEEPSTAKES IF YOU ARE NOT LOCATED IN THE UNITED STATES.
Entry into the Limited Gold Edition Motorola XOOM™ Sweepstakes (“Sweepstakes”) constitutes your acceptance of these Official Rules.
DATES: Sweepstakes will take place starting at 1:00 pm Eastern Time (“ET”) on 2/23/11 and end at 11:59 pm ET on 2/28/11 (“Sweepstakes Period”).
WHO MAY ENTER: Open to all legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, age 18 and over. Individuals employed by Motorola Mobility, Inc. (“Sponsor”), Weber Shandwick and their respective parents, affiliate companies, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies, and judges (collectively “Sweepstakes Parties”), Twitter and members of their immediate family (parent, child, spouse, sibling and their respective spouses, regardless of where they reside) or persons living in the same household, whether or not related, are not eligible to enter or win. The Sweepstakes is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Twitter.
HOW TO ENTER: To enter the Sweepstakes, during the Sweepstakes Period, re-tweet (“RT”) the specified tweets sent from the Motorola Twitter account (@motorola), located at http://twitter.com/motorola in their entirety, including the hashtag #motoxoom. One (1) re-tweet shall be equal to one (1) entry.

The complete rules here at Tweetpic