As I sit here at FF HQ in Austin, TX staring out the window, it is raining. The sky is dark like the evening even though it is only 3PM in the afternoon. A slow rumble of thunder can be heard in the distance, and all of these elements come together painting a somber picture. I can't help but think this must be what it is like to be working for HTC right now as I am about to share the latest news from them.

There are two new dark clouds gathering over the horizon for HTC. First, HTC is being assailed from the outside again. Nokia, now firmly in bed with Microsoft, has just filed to block the US import of the HTC One, claiming six new patent infringements added to the 44 it has already claimed against the beleaguered OEM. Here's a quick quote with some of the details,

The ITC legal attack sees six patents join the 44 Nokia has already claimed infringement of by HTC, and includes how internal components are arranged in a unibody device, how signal-to-noise ratio is handled in speech and data, and several elements to do with Google’s Android OS.

For instance, Nokia claims HTC infringes its patent on the video encoding/decoding with Android’s VP8 codec, something FOSS Patents suggests might even force Google to look instead to H.264 which may be more legally palatable. H.264 would involve royalties, but at least avoid wholesale import bans of the sort which Nokia is chasing.

“We began actions against HTC in 2012 to end the unauthorized use of our proprietary innovations and technologies” Nokia said in a statement on the newly added patent action. “Since then, despite the German courts confirming infringements of Nokia patents in HTC products, HTC has shown no intention to end its practices; instead it has tried to shift responsibility to its suppliers. We have therefore taken these further steps to hold HTC accountable for its actions.” ~ SlashGear

This isn't the worst news for HTC right now, however. It seems the recent exodus of executives from the company is actually the least of their worries. According to the reputable and reliable blogger Sascha Pallenberg, who supposedly has insider information of the inner workings at HTC right now, the real problem at HTC is the large number of engineers and designers who have left for sunnier pastures. This has left the company hobbled and broken from within, and according to Pallenberg, HTC is now "in survival mode."

At this point it's hard not to feel sorry for the embattled former industry leader. At the same time that HTC's leadership is imploding over the failure of the HTC First (Facebook Phone), we find out there is also a mass departure of engineers and designers. On top of that, they are now getting hammered with more lawsuits designed to stop the sale of the only phone that can save them. It's like Nokia is still kicking an already defeated opponent.

It's amazing how quickly the sky can go from sunny to scary. The HTC One is selling very well and has hit 5 Million units shipped, but will that be enough for HTC to weather the storm?

Source: ... [Read More]

AT&T just enacted a new administrative fee of $.61 cents to the bills of its wireless subscribers. Most people won't even bat an eye at such a paltry price increase, and apparently AT&T is counting on that. At worst, when some folks see the fee they may have a twinge of frustration that a new fee has been added, but its small amount might not even get the attention of others. What is interesting is that this new fee will actually generate over $500 Million more dollars for the company, and there is no reason for it whatsoever. In fact, a research analyst recently commented that the only reason they are adding this fee is simply "because they can."

Joe Hoffman, principal analyst at ABI Research said, “Why would AT&T do this? Because they can, and it is all in the pricing strategy. Now that AT&T is comfortable with their shiny new pricing tools and flexibility that comes with them, looks like someone in the Executive MBA program has discovered Price Elasticity of Demand.” Furthermore, there is talk that they may even introduce slight increases to this fee over a period of six to nine months, just to gauge the reaction.

Mr. Hoffman elaborated,

“Why 61˘, why not $1 or $5 or $10? Because AT&T understands price elasticity of demand. When AT&T raises the price by 61˘, they know hardly anyone is going to bail on them, and so can impose this with impunity. $1 or $5 or $10 is just too much to swallow all at once, but give them time. For now, $500 – $600 Million will flow right to the bottom line. Brilliant! No fancy software tools, no focus groups, no high priced engineers and programmers, and no iPhone subsidies. Just a raw, brute force price increase.”

What do you guys think? At what level would a price increase start sending you heading for another carrier?

Source: BGR

It looks like forces are moving in the industry and the manufacturing phase of Google Glass is pushing forward. New intel has surfaced that Samsung will be providing the OLED displays for the consumer version of the Google Glass wearable computer. Here's a quote with the details,

The current versions of Glass, which Google has so far sold to developers and enthusiasts through the Explorer program, is said to feature a liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) microdisplay, though official technical information isn’t available.

If the report is accurate, Samsung will provide OLED on silicon displays to replace the LCOS technology. OLEDs (organic light emitting diodes) require no backlighting, as liquid crystal displays do, which may let Google save space in the Glass by removing the lighting source. In addition, OLEDs have lower power requirements than LCDs, which is important in applications where the size of the battery is limited, such as Glass.

At the Society for Information Display convention in Vancouver, Samsung Display’s CEO hinted at this collaboration: “OLED on silicon may be used for glasses-type, augmented-reality devices much like the Google Glass”. The executive went on to say that Samsung’s flexible OLED technology could be used in other wearable devices, such as smartwatches and health bands. Sources told Android Authority ahead of Google I/O that the Mountain View company is working on a smartwatch that has been demoed internally in several offices. ~ AndroidAuthority

It's interesting how hindsight allows us to read between the lines of statements made in the past and see the hidden meaning. It's also interesting to see the relationship between Google and Samsung continue to strengthen despite all the media speculation that Samsung is looking for a way to dump Android in favor of Tizen. Perhaps Samsung is simply "hedging their bets" and creating a backup plan in case things go sour with Google. After the way things went with Apple, it's hard to blame them.

If you are in the market for an ultra-affordable tablet, you might want to head into your nearest Walmart. Hisense just officially launched two new super-cheap tablets that are already on sale there. They are the Hisense Sero 7 LT which retails for $99.99 and the Sero 7 PRO for $149.99. Despite their inexpensive price, these tablets have decent specs. In fact, they are fairly comparable to last year's Nexus 7 tablet. Here's a press release with all the details,

Hisense Launches Sero 7 LT and NVIDIA Tegra 3-Powered Sero 7 PRO Android Tablets Exclusively at Walmart

Category-Leading Battery Performance, Screen Quality And Pricing Redefine Value For Broadest Market Appeal

New York, NY, May 23, 2013 – Hisense today entered the tablet marketplace with the Sero 7 Series, delivering category-leading battery performance, stunning screen quality and exceptional value. The Hisense Sero 7 PRO ($149) and the Sero 7 LT ($99) are available in Walmart stores and on Walmart.com on May 24.

“Hisense is proud to introduce cutting-edge tablet technology that is accessible to the broadest demographic, with unmatched performance in the current market landscape,” said Jonathan Frank, Vice President of Marketing, Hisense USA. “Our new Hisense Sero 7 tablets provide Walmart customers with an attractive, robust and highly powerful entertainment, communication and productivity tool.”Powerful, High Quality Tablet at $149

Hisense Sero 7 PRO is a 7-inch 1280 x 800 High Definition touch screen powered by NVIDIA's Tegra 3 quad-core processor and runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. Key features include:• NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor

• Android 4.2 Jelly Bean

• 7 inch, 1280 x 800 IPS display

• 1GB of RAM

• 8GB of on-board memory

• 2.0MP front camera

• 5.0MP rear camera with flash and auto-focus

• Mini HDMI, SD, and USB ports

• 10-hour battery life – Twonky Beam, which allows users to share local and Internet resources with other equipment via a DLNA network• Built-in NFC (Near Field Communications) to share pictures, playlists and videos clips

• Bluetooth enabled, providing secure transmission of data to and from devices

“Tegra 3′s quad-core processor and fifth battery saver core deliver outstanding performance and amazing battery life,” said John Lonergan, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Americas, NVIDIA. “The Hisense Sero 7 PRO, powered by Tegra 3, functions effortlessly with battery-saving technology and brilliant graphic capabilities, providing an amazing experience at a fantastic price for consumers.”$99 Tablet With Stunning Screen, Unmatched Features

The Sero 7 LT is a feature-packed introductory tablet that is the foundation for the Sero 7 family. It is a perfect gift, PC companion or introduction of technology to a young child at just $99. Features include:• 1.6 GHz dual core processor

• Android 4.1 Jelly Bean

• 7 inch, 1024 x 600 pixel display

• Built-in WiFi, Mini HDMI, SD, and Micro USB ports

• 1GB of RAM

• 4GB internal memory

In addition to being Google Play certified which provides users with an almost-endless array of

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This intel comes from DigiTimes, which has a sketchy history on reliability, but because they sometimes get it right, we felt it was worth sharing with you guys. Supposedly, AUO (AU Optronics) will be providing the newly improved 1900 x 1200 display panels for the next generation Nexus 7. Google is still partnering up with Asus for the overall device, but even Asus uses third parties for its displays, making this rumor more likely to be accurate. Here's a quote with some of the details,

Co-created by Google and Asustek Computer, the second-generation Nexus 7 will start shipping the end of the second quarter and is expected to hit market shelves in the third quarter, according to supply-chain sources. The new tablet will feature a 7-inch low-temperature poly-silicon (LTPS) panel, produced mainly by AU Optronics (AUO), the sources claimed.

DigiTimes also shared that Asus and Google expect to ship a great deal more units of the new Nexus 7, to the tune of 8 Million for all of 2013. If this information turns out to be correct, that means we are only a couple months away from a launch for the new Nexus 7. As always, stay tuned and we will share more details when they hit the electronic highway.

Source: DigiTimes

It's amazing what a truly talented digital artist can come up with sometimes. The above pic is a concept render of a device idea that Samsung patented not too long ago. The idea is a flexible tablet whose bottom portion folds to create a stand and keyboard. Below is the picture from Samsung's patent filing to show you a good comparison. Here are the supposed specs of the device:

• Flexible AMOLED screen
• 1920X1080 pixels
• 10.1 inch
• 2 GB RAM
• 32 GB internal memory
• Expandable up to 64 GB
• 1.6 GHz Exynos 5 Octa processor
• 3 megapixel front camera
• 8000 mAh battery

There is no word on if this leaked render is actually "official," or is simply a fan's production, although there was some additional info shared with this render suggesting it might be something in the production stages right now.

Source: PhoneArena

Sprint users who are ready to pull the trigger on purchasing the new HTC One flagship will be wise to check out Amazon's new deal. You can grab the phone for just $99.99 on a contract renewal, or if you are signing up for new Sprint service it's only $79.99. This is an amazing bargain for a phone that many consider to be better than the Samsung Galaxy S4 (at least according to a plethora of reviews around the web).

The deal works for either the Silver or the Black version, and is $100-120 bucks cheaper than if you get it directly through Sprint. Here is a link below to grab yours.

Source: Amazon

This next bit of news will come as a huge surprise to Verizon Wireless customers. Samsung has announced that it will be releasing their Galaxy S4 Developer Edition smartphone on both Verizon Wireless and AT&T. Yes you read that right. Verizon Wireless is actually going to allow a bootloader unlocked Samsung Galaxy S4 on their network. Keep in mind though that these phone will not come subsidized, so customers will be paying full retail for the handset. The handset will be available with 16GB of onboard memory and in one color (Black Mist.) There is no official word on release dates or how these handsets will be offered, but that info should be hitting the web sometime soon.

Anyone going to pull the trigger when this handset is released?

Source: Samsung/Samsung

The launch of the HTC First, (aka the Facebook Home phone), in the UK has been cancelled. We've recently heard rumblings that the phone was a colossal failure for HTC, and this seems to confirm that. Apparently, due to poor feedback from US customers, they decided to pull the launch in the UK. Here's the quote,

“Following customer feedback, Facebook has decided to focus on adding new customisation features to Facebook Home over the coming months. While they are working to make a better Facebook Home experience, they have recommended holding off launching the HTC First in the UK, and so we will shortly be contacting those who registered their interest with us to let them know of this decision.

Rest assured, we remain committed to bringing our customers the latest mobile experiences, and we will continue to build on our strong relationship with Facebook so as to offer customers new opportunities in the future.” ~ Online Retailer EE

It looks like the cost to launch the device was going to be greater than the expected numbers on sell through.

Source: SlashGear

For folks who have been yearning for the HTC One on Verizon, and building up false hope because of the rampant rumor-mill, you should probably stop torturing yourselves. Sadly, HTC indirectly confirmed for the second time, that the HTC flagship will not be coming to Big Red. HTC’s Senior Global Online Communications Manager, Jeff Gordon (one of the execs who recently left the company) said,

“it’s always a great thing to have our phones on as many operators as possible, but we’ve got nothing to announce in terms of Verizon.”

This quote was his response to the direct question of why Verizon doesn't have the HTC One. Reading between the lines it's obvious that Verizon didn't want it, again probably because they already have a similar device with the HTC Droid DNA. There is another small rumor floating around that the reason the HTC One didn't come to Verizon was because Verizon wanted their own special branded/named version of the device but HTC wasn't willing to comply with this.

There was one other bit of news from HTC. They also explained why there is no MicroSD card slot on the the US and UK versions of the HTC One, yet the Chinese and Japanese versions do. Apparently space was the issue. The Chinese and Japanese cellular radios take up less space, so they were able to squeeze a MicroSD slot in for those devices. The larger radios in the US and UK versions wouldn't facilitate that.

Source: TalkAndroid

LG has a new water-proof active-lifestyle phone in the works. They just officially announced the LG Optimus GJ E975W. It will be priced at $599.99 without a contract, and will first go on sale in Taiwan. There is no word yet on if/when it will launch in other markets, but we will keep an eye out just in case it does. Here's a spec breakdown:

• IPX7 certification – up to 1m underwater – for up to 30 minutes
• 4.7 inch IPS HD display
• Bluetooth 4.0
• 13MP rear camera
• Quad-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor
• 2GB of RAM
• 16GB of internal memory
• MicroSD card slot
• 2,280 mAh battery

As you can see, the specs are pretty robust for an "active lifestyle" phone. Is this something you guys would like to take to the pool or the beach?

Source: UnWiredView

Today's the official day. You can now get the Verizon version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 from Verizon online or their retail stores for $199.99 on a new two year contract. For now this is the 16GB version only. The 32GB version is unavailable at the moment.

If you want to save some cash, Amazon has the same phone on the same new contract with Verizon for twenty bucks cheaper, at $179.99. Here's a link below to both companies so you have your choice.

Verizon - Official Launch day of the Samsung Galaxy S4 for $199.99 On Contract

Amazon - Verizon Samsung Galaxy S4 for $179.99 On Contract