Apple has lost nearly half of the $1 billion in damages it was awarded last August after beating Samsung in a high-profile U.S. patent lawsuit. The presiding judge over the case, Lucy Koh, decided to invalidate $450.5 million of the original damages owed to Apple in a new ruling today.
Damages were incorrectly calculated for 14 Samsung devices related to the trial, and Koh has ordered a retrial for the updated damages amount.
Teardown specialists iFixit have published a new tablet repairability guide that quickly tells you how difficult it’s going to be to mend your broken Android, iOS, or Windows 8 slate. The guide features 18 popular tablets, which have been given a repairability score between one and ten. The higher the score, the easier they are to repair.
Unsurprisingly, Apple’s iPads are some of the hardest tablets to fix, second only to the Microsoft Surface Pro — the only tablet with a score of one. Amazon’s Kindle Fire’s, on the other hand, are relatively easy to repair, as are Dell’s devices.
BARCELONA, MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS — Sony’s initial unveiling of the Xperia Tablet Z came just after CES back in January, so Mobile World Congress here in Barcelona this week is the first chance we’ve had to get our hands on it. On paper, the device is very impressive, featuring a speedy quad-core processor, a high-resolution display, and a sleek form factor that measures just 6.9mm thick and boasts water resistance.
But specifications aren’t everything; we were itching to find out what the Xperia Tablet Z is like, so we went hands on with it this morning to find out.
BARCELONA, MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS — Chip maker Qualcomm has teamed up with DoubleTwist, the creator of one of the most popular media players for Android, to develop a new media streaming service called MagicPlay. The open source protocol will allow any Android device to stream media — including music, movies, and photos — to anything with a Qualcomm chip running the AllJoyn protocol, competing with existing streaming services like DLNA.
BARCELONA, MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS — HTC hasn’t announced any new devices here at Mobile World Congress, but that’s because it chose to give its latest Android flagship, the HTC One, its own press event earlier this month. It is here to show off that device, however, and it’s easy to see why the Taiwanese company wants everyone to get their hands on it.
Android smartphone vendors are often criticized for using too much plastic, and making devices that feel cheap — especially in comparison with Apple’s premium iPhone. But the HTC One is very different. Made from a block of aluminum, the device actually has a lot in common with the iPhone, and it looks and feels exactly how a high-end smartphone should.
