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Daily Update for December 10, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Google and Apple team up to buy Kodak patents
Google and Apple are more often seen as rivals rather than teammates, but they've joined forces to pool a bid of US$500 million to buy patents from bankrupt Eastman Kodak Co. The companies are planning to buy some of Kodak's 1,100 imaging patents in a bankruptcy auction. Apple was part of a group that purchased more than 6,000 patents from Nortel Networks for $4.5 billion in a similar proceeding last year; Google went alone and lost out on those patents. The patents in question pertain to the "capture, manipulation and sharing of digital images." Apple had previously joined with Microsoft and Intellectual Ventures Management LLC in July to try purchasing some of the patents at auction, while Google joined up with several Android manufacturers and RPX Corp to make an offer. Each group offered less than the $500 million that Kodak is seeking, so the two groups have now teamed up to offer the requested amount. Eastman Kodak wishes to exit bankruptcy in the first half of 2013. The reorganized company will focus on commercial, packaging and functional printing, and enterprise services instead of photography.
Kodak's stock price exploded after restructuring announcement
It's only January 10th and Kodak's already having a terrible year: six days ago the beloved photography company was preparing for Chapter 11, but today its stock price leapt by 45 percent (and counting). The cause? The announcement of a new plan intended to pull the troubled company into the 21st century and, more importantly, into the black. It's planning to simplify its business structure down to two divisions and reduce costs while pushing its successful range of printers. We've got the announcement after the break but hopefully we'll see the century-old company live to see another day.
Kodak files new ITC lawsuits against Apple and HTC
Kodak and Apple might already be embroiled in an existing brouhaha, but that's not stopping the company from going on the offensive with two new suits. Filed in the Western District of New York, the company alleges Apple's violated four of its patents and HTC five. The claims primarily center around transferring images on and off devices and cover a wide gamut including iPhones, various EVOs and tablets. FOSS Patents muses it's all a ruse to demonstrate there's still gold in Kodak's patent mine -- either way, the market's eating it up.
Kodak shopping its IP wares, looks to cash in on the patent buying craze
Pssssst... wanna buy some Kodak patents? The venerable photography firm has decided to unload a fair chunk of its IP -- 1,100 patents, give or take -- to boost its bottom line. You see, Kodak's got cash flow problems, and it thinks selling a portion of its portfolio is part of the solution. The company must've seen dollar signs after Nortel made a mint selling its patents, as Kodak's now marketing its IP merchandise using the same firm that helped Nortel do its record deal. Strong move Kodak, now if you can just settle up with Apple and RIM, you'll really be in the money.
Samsung and Kodak put an end to patent squabbles
It looks like Kodak and Samsung's 'patent squabble' can be attributed to misplaced affection. According to some newly minted PR, the companies have inked a technology cross-license that will allow each access to the other's portfolio. Details are scarce, but apparently Sammy has already made a payment to Kodak as credit towards the royalties it will owe once it dives into the classic imaging company's back catalog. And how about all that alleged patent infringement? The lovebirds have agreed to file joint requests to terminate proceedings and settle their lawsuits against each other, heralding a new era of peace, love, and cooperation -- a great way to begin a new decade, don't you think? Chuck Woolery, you've done well. PR after the break.
Kodak wins preliminary ruling in patent squabble with Samsung
Good old December, the busiest time of the year for elves, reindeer, jolly old fat guys... and lawyers, apparently. Joining the rush to make momentous decisions before Santa arrives, the International Trade Commission has made a preliminary ruling in favor of Kodak in its dispute over digital camera patents with Samsung. Though the original lawsuit included LG, an out of court settlement has left only Sammy in the firing line, and this early decision has affirmed that two of Kodak's patents were infringed in the production of its cameraphones. It's still necessary for the full commission to look at and approve the judgment, but considering Samsung's vast range of camera-equipped phones, we'd throw legal caution to the wind and start bombarding the ITC with "holiday cheer" pronto.
Nanocrystal breakthrough promises more versatile lasers, world peace
For the longest while, scientists have been flummoxed by the incessant coruscating emitted by individual molecules; no matter their methods, they could never quite seem to overcome a troubling optical quirk known sensibly as "blinking." Thanks to a brilliant crew at the University of Rochester, however, we now understand the basic physics behind the phenomenon, and together with a team from Eastman Kodak, a nanocrystal has been created that can constantly emit light. In theory, the discovery could lead to "dramatically less expensive and more versatile lasers, brighter LED lighting, and biological markers that track how a drug interacts with a cell at a level never before possible." Indeed, one could envision that future displays could be crafted by painting a grid of differently sized nanocrystals onto a flat surface, making even OLED TVs look chubby in comparison. Now, if only we had a good feeling that such a device was destined for a CES in our lifetime...
Sprint looking to wholesale bandwidth to connected gadget makers
So, what's a flagging cellular operator to do once it has succumbed to the grim realization that no one wants to sign up for your service and you've already collected the dough from selling off nearly all of your towers? Go wholesale, of course! Unbeknownst to most, all of the Kindle downloads on Amazon's white-hot e-reader go through Sprint's network, and given just how successful that little venture has been, the carrier is hoping to expand its revenues from wholesaling bandwidth (which currently sits at just 3 percent of its total) by inking similar deals with connected gadget makers. From internet-connected vehicles to GPS systems to cameras, the options are darn near limitless, and with so much free capacity on Sprint's network, it might as well find companies to use it. 'Course, it's not like Sprint's the only one out there trying to carve these kinds of deals into stone, but it's definitely the one that needs to do it most immediately.
Kodak's Theatre HD Player reviewed: not all smiles
It's mildly unfathomable that we're just now seeing a review on Kodak's July-announced Theatre HD Player, but maybe that's because most folks could smell the lameness from the press release. Nevertheless, one critic finally got up the courage to publish his feelings online, and while the unit did have its bright spots, not everything was fine and dandy. First and foremost, the $299 price point was deemed absurd given the omission of any built-in storage and the unit's inability to access HD movies / TV shows. That said, the user interface "shined in its simplicity and was a lot of fun to use," which inevitably left the reviewer simply wanting more. In other words, you're probably better off passing this one by until Kodak figures out a way to add in a bit more functionality, but feel free to give the read link a look if you're still in doubt.
Lawsuit whirligig: Spansion and Kodak sue Samsung, LG sued only by Kodak
Mark it down as a coincidence if you'd like, but a flurry of lawsuits revolving around the same companies just became public knowledge. For starters, Eastman Kodak has decided to sue Samsung and LG, alleging infringement of digital camera patents relating to image capture, compression and data storage; the suit is asking for "unspecified damages, and both cases seek injunctions prohibiting Samsung and LG from further imports and sales of the products." Just hours later, Samsung hit back with this response: "Samsung plans to respond actively to these litigations and will remain committed to serving our customers by ensuring that accurate and reliable delivery of our products is not compromised in any way." Got all that? Good. Moving on, we've also got chipmaker Spansion tossing a suit in Samsung's direction, which is asking for "billions" in damages for patent infringement presumably related to flash memory. Who says it's a slow period in the courtroom?Read - Kodak sues Samsung / LGRead - Samsung's reply to lawsuitsRead - Spansion sues Samsung
Kodak signs into patent cross-license agreement with Nokia
Details are pretty scant at the moment, but Eastman Kodak Company has entered into a mysterious patent license agreement with Nokia. All we're told is that the deal will enable each outfit "access to the other's intellectual property portfolio," and it'll also provide "significant benefits to both companies, [while being] royalty bearing to Kodak." Outside of that, we're left to wonder what's in store here, so what they hey -- we'll take a stab: a Kodak sensor within the not-yet-conceived N97? Or maybe a Kodak-branded printer-scanner-fax machine in the Tube 2? The intrigue is killing us.[Via phonescoop]
HP mulling a bid to acquire Kodak?
It doesn't feel like this one has too sturdy a leg to stand on just yet, but according to Financial Times, Hewlett-Packard may be (once again) looking to acquire Kodak. Reportedly, the rationale is that combining the strengths of the two would "create a global imaging powerhouse." Additionally, it was noted that Kodak is "trimmer and in better financial shape largely because of steps taken by CEO Antonio Perez, a 25-year HP veteran recruited in 2003 and CEO since 2005." As expected, spokespeople from both outfits declined comment, but we wouldn't be surprised if this here acquisition was at least on someone's table.
Kodak 'phasing out' low-end digicams, creating 5MP sensor for cameraphone
During the same 24 hours that BenQ called it quits on the digital camera market, Kodak has reportedly had similar thoughts when eying its low-end camera lineup. According to CNET, Kodak President Antonio Perez shared that the firm would be "abandoning the low-end of the digital camera business" at the JPMorgan Technology Conference in Boston. He also added that while the company "wasn't making much money" in that segment, it was developing its own five-megapixel CMOS sensor to be used in a (presumably mid-range) Kodak-branded digicam. More interesting, however, was the addition that this very sensor would also make its way into "several Motorola cell phones by the end of the year." Unsurprisingly, Mr. Perez was fairly tight-lipped about any further details on the deal, but it's about time we saw something more advanced than a grainy 1.3-megapixel shooter built into mainstream handsets.
