Google to host games on YouTube

A recent patent application was brought to the public’s attention on Bnet. The patent lends people to believe that Google may begin using YouTube to host some sort of online games. Google’s patent, Web-Based System for Generation of Interactive Games Based on Digital Videos, was filed back in February, but was just published in December. The patent brings about the idea of interactive video clips that can contain link objects, which can be used to jump to specific parts of the video. This can sort of be understood like a DVD menu, where clicking on a certain choice will jump you to a certain scene of the movie.

Here’s the patent description:

“A video may have associated with it one or more annotations, which modify the appearance and/or behavior of a video as it was originally submitted to an online video hosting site. Some examples of annotations are graphical text box annotations, which display text at certain locations and certain times of the video, and pause annotations, which halt playback of the video at a specified time within the video. Some annotations, e.g. a graphical annotation (such as a text box annotation) comprising a link to a particular portion of a target video, are associated with a time of the target video, which can be either the video with which the annotation is associated, or a separate video. Selecting such annotations causes playback of the target video to begin at the associated time. Such annotations can be used to construct interactive games using videos, such as a game in which clicking on different portions of a video leads to different outcomes.”

As confusing as the above description is, it’s very hard to ignore the possibilities implied. The ability to create games that jump in and out of videos would be possible. Not only that, but one could even create a game by just recording video clips and setting anchors at specific points in the video, giving each choice in the game a unique outcome. Bnet points out that this has the potential to allow anyone with a video camera and a basic video editing program to create games.

It will be interesting to see if this patent actually gets put to use. Big companies patent things all the time, and many of those patents never see the light of day. YouTube Games. Interesting indeed.

Source: neowin

Apple censors Dalai Lama in China

Apple is blocking several iPhone apps related to the Dalai Lama at the Chinese App Store, a company spokeswoman admits. “We continue to comply with local laws,” Trudy Muller tells IDG News. “Not all apps are available in every country.” The titles are notably available in most other regions. The Chinese government considers the Dalai Lama an enemy, as a result of his advocating freedom for his former homeland of Tibet. The country was invaded by China in 1950 and remains under foreign control.

Some of the censored apps refer specifically to the Buddhist leader, including Dalai Quotes, Dalai Lama Quotes, Paging Dalai Lama and Dalai Lama Prayerwheel. Also blocked however is Nobel Laureates, an app which merely mentions the Dalai Lama as a Nobel Peace Prize winner.

Apple’s censorship is further noted to extend to an exiled Uighur leader, Rebiya Kadeer, whom China considers a supporter of separatism and terrorism. A related app called 10 Conditions cannot be found at the Chinese App Store, and developer James Boldiston confirms that the app was originally submitted for all countries.

The creator of Dalai Quotes, James Sugrue, comments that he was likewise never told that his app would be withheld. “I didn’t know the app had been pulled, and wasn’t informed,” says Sugrue. He adds however that “Apple reserve[s] the right to do this sort of thing, and while from a censorship point of view I disagree with this, I can understand why they did.”

Apple is believed to have conceded to government demands in order to secure a new market for the iPhone. While most Chinese cannot afford the device, the sheer size of the country ensures that those who do have the money will nevertheless be a large demographic. Over 300,000 iPhones have been sold in association with carrier China Unicom, and at least five times that many are thought to exist on the gray market.

Source: ipodnn

Google’s Nexus One gets pricing details

After just hearing that the Nexus One phone from Google will be coming on January 5th, information about its pricing has leaked. T-Mobile will be selling the Nexus One for $179.99 with a two-year contract, or consumers can purchase off of Google directly, for $529.99 unlocked.

There is only one contract offered with the Nexus One phone, priced at $79.99 a month for Even More + Text + Unlimited Web. The only contract offered, unless you purchase the phone separately, will have 500 talk minutes, unlimited nights and weekends, plus unlimited T-Mobile to T-Mobile minutes. The plan also offers unlimited domestic messaging including SMS, MMS, IM and unlimited Android (3G) web access.

Image courtesy of Gizmodo.com

Customers who wish for any other plan will need to purchase the phone on its own, which could possibly save them money in the future, if their plan is cheaper. However, Google will be offering the phone unsubsidized, which will come unlocked, allowing consumers to use it on any network.

Consumers can only buy five Nexus One phones per Google Account and the phone will be sold at www.google.com/phone (page currently unavailable).

Source: neowin

Windows Mobile 6.5.3 release confirmed by Microsoft

Microsoft has confirmed the existence of Windows Mobile 6.5.3 and possibly its imminent release too in documentation provided for developers.

On Microsoft’s Windows Mobile Developer Center an entry appears detailing Widget development for Windows Mobile. “Beginning with the Windows Mobile 6.5.3 release, touchable tiles replace soft keys” is stated in the first paragraph. Windows Mobile 6.5.3 builds have been leaking left, right and centre over at XDA-Developers for months but Microsoft has kept a tight lip about it’s plans. There were rumours that the software giant may name the next point release, designed to add better touch functionality, Windows Mobile 6.7.

WMexperts notes the timing is suspicious. Microsoft’s CEO, Steve Ballmer, is due to kick off a CES keynote next Wednesday and we firmly believe the company will detail the point release during CES. Ballmer is also due to hold a joint press conference with LG and Sprint shortly after the keynote where it’s rumored a WiMax smart phone will be unveiled.

Source: neowin

HTC Touch2 Smartphone Review

Having used the original HTC Touch for a few months, I can say that the Touch2 is a huge improvement over the original. It comes with the newly released Windows Mobile 6.5 O/S and HTC’s TouchFlo interface. From a design point of view, the device comes out triumphant over its predecessor. The phone is a lot sleeker to look at and the additional back, home and start buttons are a welcome addition. It’s quite compact as well and will easily slip into your pocket. On your first power up, you are greeted with a mini tutorial on how to use the phone’s on-screen keyboard and functions effectively. If you’ve been using Windows mobile, you’ll have become accustomed to using the stylus for practically everything. Thankfully, the Touch2 is more finger friendly and in the three weeks I used this phone, I barely felt the need to pull out the stylus from its socket. Keep in mind that it’s still a resistive touch screen though, so the touch experience is far from perfect. The HTC Touch2 comes loaded with features. Here’s a list of some of them: * 2.8″ 65K-color QVGA display * Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional OS with TouchFLO * Qualcomm MSM7225 528MHz CPU and 256MB RAM * 3G with HSDPA 7.2Mbps * Wi-Fi connectivity * Built-in GPS receiver with A-GPS support * Stereo FM radio with RDS * 3 MP fixed focus camera * microSD card slot * Touch-sensitive zoom bar * Standard miniUSB port and Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP * Standard 3.5mm audio jack * Great audio quality * MS Office Mobile document editor * Opera 9.5 web browser * YouTube client, Facebook integration * Excellent video playback performance As a basic phone, the device is not without flaws. Scrolling through a contact list on a resistive screen is a pain. You’re a lot better off not bothering to check the contact list. Simply dial out the letters of the contact you’re looking for and it will pull up the contact for you. Sending text messages is relatively painless thanks to a well-defined keyboard. On the bright side, the phone does boast pretty decent battery life thanks to a 1000 mAh lithium ion battery. During our testing, a single charge lasted about two days with limited 3G and wireless usage. The Touch2 works wonderfully as your Smartphone but has an odd spot or two. While it does have an improved email offering, it falls short in comparison to some of the newer handsets. For example, HTML-coded emails are displayed as text, and not how they should be which is disappointing. Also managing a large amount of emails such as deleting spam could be more intuitive.

As an entertainment device, the phone is a little more impressive. Audio quality on the Touch2 is quite good for a phone. The 3MP camera is a welcome addition to the phone but lacks zoom or a flash. It’s great for your basic photo shots though. The device has 512MB internal storage which can be upgraded using a MicroSD card. The Opera web browser also makes a welcome appearance and you have a special YouTube channel to watch all your favouite videos without having to access the browser.However, watching YouTube or browsing the web will simply leave you craving for a bigger screen. While browsing, the Touch2’s 2.8inch screen and QVGA resolution will keep you constantly zooming in and out of your websites. Overall, the HTC Touch2 is a decent phone that’s held back by the limitations of its Windows mobile operating system and a resistive touch screen. If you’re looking for a device that stands somewhere between a business phone and an entertainment device, the Touch2 is a good choice.

iPhone causing data strain, O2 admits

The UK’s leading provider of mobile phones, O2, is openly admitting to having iPhone related network issues. It seems AT&T might not be alone after all, as O2 chief executive Ronan Dunne recently let out the secret that the last 6 months the iPhone had overwhelmed its network in London. Of course, O2 is claiming that the issues are all fixed and the network is as healthy as ever.

O2 iPhone owners have suffered through some of the same issues as some AT&T customers have experienced – dropped calls, data inconsistency, etc… So the big question is what has O2 done to solve the issue at hand? They’ve gone and spent a ton of money on the network to meet it’s demand including adding 200 additional mobile towers in the areas of need.

Any of our readers currently on the O2 network care to comment on your current service? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: theiphoneblog

DIXAU DX3? Unichal’s new pocket dictionary!

At first glance, this looks a tiny bit like a flip phone of yesteryear, sure. Closer inspection, however, will prove it to be… a tiny dictionary! Korean company Unichal’s recently shown off its newest pocket dictionary, the DIXAU DX3. This tiny source of knowledge boasts a built-in camera which can scan unknown words and deliver definitions on the front facing stylus-enabled touchscreen. The unit boasts a microSD card for multimedia storage, and is also equipped with the ability to speak back words to you — in case you really can’t be bothered to read them for yourself. It’s available now in Korea, and though we doubt it’ll ever make its way to the US of A, we’ll keep watch for you.

Source: engadget

Google’s Nexus One in January 5th press event

Google this afternoon removed all doubt as to its plans for the Nexus One by sending an invitation to the media to attend a January 5th press event at its Mountain View campus. The company is short on details other than to confirm it’s Android-related and teases the added possibilities of the Android 2.1-based phone in the notice.

“With the launch of the first Android-powered device just over a year ago, we’ve seen how a powerful, open platform can spur mobile product innovation,” Google says in the invitation. “And this is just the beginning of what’s possible.”

The Nexus One, possibly rebadged as just the Google Phone, is expected to be the flagship for the entire Android platform and to be one of the first running Android beyond the Droid’s 2.0 release. HTC is manufacturing the device and gives it some of its best features, including a fast 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor as well as 512MB of RAM. A 3.7-inch AMOLED touchscreen, 4GB of bundled microSDHC storage (up to 32GB) will be part of the package along with GPS, Wi-Fi and 3G native to T-Mobile.

Source: electronista

Nokia expands claim to include all of Apple’s products

Nokia began a legal fight with Apple in October this year when they announced their plans to sue Apple over the iPhone.

Today Nokia filed a complaint with the International Trade Commission (ITC) saying almost all of the company’s products violate its patents not just the Apple iPhone. According to Reuters, Nokia believes Apple’s iPhone, iPods and computers all violate its intellectual property rights.

Nokia, the world’s giant in the manufacturing of mobile phone technology, sued Apple in October for infringing patents on mobile phone technology used in the iPhone. According to Nokia the patent breach applied to all iPhones since its launch in 2007. Nokia accused Apple of “trying to get a free ride on the back of Nokia’s innovation”. These alleged infringements, of which there were ten- involved wireless data, speech coding, security and encryption. Nokia have said that they hold agreements with roughly forty firms who use the technology which Nokia has worked hard to develop, including most mobile phone handset makers – allowing them to use the firm’s technology. Apple however, have not signed any such agreement with Nokia and as such find themselves in this situation.

The ITC is expected to make a decision on whether to pursue the case by the end of January.

Source: neowin.net

Google Phone confirmed, coming January 5th on T-mobile

According to TmoNews and their sources, T-Mobile has pretty much confirmed the release date and information about Google’s upcoming phone. The phone will be available through Google only, with T-Mobile acting as the service provider. On January 5th at 9AM, the phone should be available straight from Google. Here are the juicy details…

“Google, with support from T-Mobile, is scheduled to launch a new Android device in early January. The Google Android phone will be sold directly by Google via the Web.

* Support for the device including troubleshooting and exchanges will be managed by Google and HTC.

* T-Mobile will offer service support including billing, coverage, features, and rate plans.

Additional details Streamline content regarding the launch of Google’s Android phone will be coming in early January.”

This release date falls perfectly in line with Google’s press conference, which was just reported by Engadget. The conference is scheduled for January 5th in Mountain View, CA. Here’s the text from the invite…

“With the launch of the first Android-powered device just over a year ago, we’ve seen how a powerful, open platform can spur mobile product innovation. And this is just the beginning of what’s possible. Please join us in Mountain View on January 5, for an Android press gathering.”

According to AllDroid,” the phone may also have a different name at release. It’s possible that the “Nexus One” name is only being used for the developer version of the device. However, the source may not be so credible, as he also claims that the phone would not be available to the masses in January. In any case, all will soon be revealed. Keep your eyes glued to Neowin for more details as they come in.

Source: neowin.net

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