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The Moto G lands on US Cellular for $99 sans contract
The Moto G is the best cheap Android phone you can get your hands on, and now you've got another way to nab one. US Cellular today confirmed what a blurry screenshot told us yesterday: the 8GB model will hit store shelves on February 10. Just can't wait? Those with itchy trigger fingers can order one online now for $99, just like you can at Verizon. It's almost the same Moto G we fell for in our review, albeit with Android 4.4 KitKat instead of the Jelly Bean build the phone first shipped with. Just remember that you won't be able to hop on the carrier's LTE network - despite a solid spec sheet, the G (sadly) lacks LTE support. You can't unlock the thing since it's technically Motorola's CDMA variant, but hey: a good deal's a good deal.
Moto X coming to Canada as a Rogers exclusive priced at $190 on a two-year contract
Motorola just made headlines here in the US with the official unveiling of the Moto X, and now it's making waves with similar news in the Great White North. That's right folks, the Moto X is coming to Canada, but will be exclusively available to customers of Rogers. The handset arrives in August for as low as $189.99 when attached to a two-year contract, and existing Rogers customers can reserve one for their very own right now. Unfortunately, the X will only be available in black or white (initially, at least), but hopefully additional colors and perhaps even the wood veneer versions will come later -- we're thinking maple's a good way to go.
Motorola's Dennis Woodside and Regina Dugan: live from D11
Google I/O came and went with nary a word of that rumored X Phone, but according to Eric Schmidt's recent comments at D: Dive Into Mobile, there are clearly some big, big plans for Moto that have yet to be fully realized. Dennis Woodside, CEO of Motorola Mobility will be joined by Dr. Regina E. Dugan, senior vice president of the same company, here on the D11 stage. We're expecting plenty of questions surrounding market share, the interaction with the Android team and a vision for generating RAZR-type buzz once more. Join us after the break for the liveblog!
EC says Motorola broke antitrust rules, abused its patent position
It was almost a year ago to the day that the European Commission began investigating Motorola over reported abuse of its standard-essential patents (SEPs), and now the regulators have a little more to say on the matter. The Commission has issued Motorola Mobility a Statement of Objections, which doesn't mean any judgment has been reached, but lets the company know its preliminary view, and it ain't good news. According to these initial findings, Motorola wanting an injunction against Apple in Germany based on some of its GPRS-related SEPs -- the particular legal encounter that was the catalyst for a complaint by Cupertino and ultimately, the EC's investigation -- "amounts to an abuse of a dominant position prohibited by EU antitrust rules." Motorola originally said it would license these patents under FRAND terms when they became standard-essential, which Apple was happy to pay for. However, the company pursued an injunction nonetheless. The Commission's statement goes on to say that while injunctions can be necessary in certain disputes, where there is potential for an agreement under FRAND terms, companies with bulging SEP portfolios should not be allowed to request injunctions "in order to distort licensing negotiations and impose unjustified licensing terms on patent licensees." Joaquín Almunia, the Commission Vice President who's responsible for competition policy, echoed what we've heard from other important folks entrenched in the never-ending patent battlefield (such as Judge Koh), saying: "I think that companies should spend their time innovating and competing on the merits of the products they offer -- not misusing their intellectual property rights to hold up competitors to the detriment of innovation and consumer choice." So, what happens next? Motorola will first have its right to address the statement before the EC makes a final decision, but it's looking like a fine is headed the company's way. Hopefully, the outcome will also have a wider impact on patent cases of the future, so companies will spend more time making shiny things for us, and less on courtroom squabbles.
Motorola workforce to drop by 10 percent, cuts being made in US, China and India
Google's Motorola unit seems to be facing some hard times -- according to an email acquired by the Wall Street Journal, up to ten percent of the division's workforce is facing layoffs. "While we're very optimistic about the new products in our pipeline, we still face challenges," explained the email. High costs and losses in competitive markets are forcing the company to make staffing cuts. "These cuts are a continuation of the reductions we announced last summer," a spokesman told the WSJ. "It's obviously very hard for the employees concerned and we're committed to helping them through this difficult transition. Much like the company's August staff reduction, the new layoffs will effect workers in China, India and the US, reducing the team by about 1,200 employees overall. It's a rocky start to the season, but one the company deems necessary to get it through the next generation of mobile devices. Hopefully it has something in store with enough "wow" factor to stave off future cuts.
ITC awards victory to Apple in Motorola patent case
Apple won another round yesterday in a patent suit brought by Motorola Mobility against the Cupertino company. Motorola had complained to the International Trade Commission (ITC) about Apple's use of a proximity sensor in all versions of the iPhone, stating that it owned that patent. ITC Judge Thomas Pender ruled that the Motorola patent is invalid, and that Apple didn't violate it in designing the iPhone. This is the latest skirmish in the ongoing patent fight between Apple and Google, which purchased Motorola Mobility for US$12.5 billion mainly for a stash of 17,000 patents. Google hopes that those patents will help defend Android phone designs against infringement claims being made by Apple. Earlier this month, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) agreed that a district court decision to deny Motorola's bid for an injunction on several Apple products was correct. In that case, the FTC felt that been using the threat of an injunction in what's called a "patent hold-up," when the owner of a standard-essential patent threatens legal action to pull in higher-than-usual royalty rates and licensing terms.
Motorola scales back ITC case against Xbox, drops WiFi patent complaints
Since taking over Motorola Mobility, Google has started to rein in some of the manufacturer's legal adventures. First, it struck a licensing deal with Apple in Germany, then it withdrew an ITC complaint against the company in early October. Now Microsoft is benefiting from its new, seemingly less lawsuit-happy adversary. Moto has decided to pull its WiFi-related patent claims from a complaint against the Xbox 360. That still leaves its H.264 patents on the docket, though, we wouldn't be surprised to see the case disappear completely before the two companies go to trial in December. Microsoft claims it's entitled to a reciprocal license from Google due to an existing agreement between Mountain View and MPEG LA. German courts have already ruled that Motorola's claims regarding its H.264 patents are strong enough to issue injunctions against the Xbox 360 and Windows 7, however the company has been unable to enforce those sales bans due to ongoing investigations in the US.
Droid Bionic finally gets an ICS update as everyone else moves on to Jelly Bean
After nearly a year of suffering with Gingerbread, Droid Bionic owners who haven't given up on their phone will finally be rewarded with that long-awaited ICS update; the rollout starts October 19th, according to Verizon. Those who get it will receive a new customizable launch bar, a direct access lock screen, enhanced notifications, Motorola's SmartActions app, Face Unlock, easier multitasking, and many other goodies most Android owners have enjoyed for awhile now. It looks like Motorola Mobility actually made good on some of its promises to fix the handset that has suffered a number of different problems since its launch (which itself took almost nine months from the initial announce date). However, now that Jelly Bean has taken over as the firmware of choice with no word yet if that'll come to the Droid Bionic, we wonder if it's too little, too late. Update: We've learned from the comments, Motorola's owner support forum and its own Facebook page that the company is planning on rolling out Jelly Bean to the Droid Bionic "in the coming months" so don't lose hope just yet, Bionic faithful. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Moto pulls phones and tablets from German site pending software update
We wouldn't quite call it an unexpected turn of events, but it certainly qualifies as dramatic -- Motorola has pulled almost every Android device in its roster from its German site, leaving only the RAZR HD and RAZR i behind. German site Areamobile first reported the disappearance, and received word from Moto PR that the devices were removed while the OS was "being reworked." Though the company did not say it expressly, it appears the removal is related the various lost patent suits and injunctions awarded to its competitors. The manufacturer has been promising software fixes to address those complaints since early summer, but has yet to deliver them. We're sure the Xoom family and its sizable stable of mid-range phones will return to the site in good time, though, it wouldn't be a tragedy if the only surviving options were the newest members of the RAZR family. They're certainly the most compelling products currently offered (or soon to be offered) by the Google property.
Googlerola buys Viewdle, ups Android's augmented reality and face recognition game
From existing tech like Face Unlock and Google Goggles to patent filings and Project Glass, it's clear that Google sees augmented reality and image recognition playing a big part in our computing future. It makes sense, then, that Big G subsidiary Motorola has bought Viewdle -- a Silicon Valley company that builds face, object, and gesture recognition technology for mobile devices. We don't know how much MMI paid for Viewdle, but we do know, thanks to a statement obtained by the good folks at TechCrunch, that the two firms "have been collaborating for some time." So, hopefully Android will reap the benefits (and fix those Face Unlock flaws) in the not-so-distant future.
Apple wins injunction against Motorola in Germany over 'rubber-banding' patent
Hope and pray all you want, but the patent wars are far from over. The latest chapter in the ongoing game of IP Risk hands Apple a victory over the Google-owned Motorola Mobility in Germany. If you thought the recent licensing deal would put the kibosh on further flare ups between the two, you were sadly mistaken. The Munich I Regional Court awarded Cupertino an injunction against Moto devices over the so-called "rubber-banding" patent, which relates to the bounce back animation when scrolling to the bottom or top of a list. The fate of infringing phones isn't set in stone yet, as there's still room for appeal, though, a €25 million bond would score Apple an enforceable preliminary injunction. One relatively simple solution would be for Moto to implement the stock Android "glowing" animation, which would bypass Apple's claims. Though, an even better solution would be for all parties involved to quit their bickering over patent minutia and focus on making the best products possible.
Motorola's RAZR HD LTE coming 'exclusively' to Rogers in Canada later this fall
Amidst all the exciting chaos from yesterday's events, Canadian availability of Motorola's newfangled RAZR HD were wistfully lost. Fret not, however, as the Google-owned outfit has let it be known that its recently announced 4.7-inch slab will be coming to Canada as an exclusive to Rogers -- not to mention with a slightly tweaked moniker. The RAZR HD LTE -- as it'll be known in Great White North territory -- is still the same unit we got our grubby paws on, meaning you'll have the same 8.4mm thin body, 2,500mAh battery, dual-core, 1.5GHz S4 CPU and, naturally, that trademark Kevlar backing found on the RAZR family. There's no word yet on how much folks will have to shell out once it hits Canadian shelves "this fall," but there is a registration page open for anyone interested in being kept in the loop -- link to that is just down below.
Apple strikes licensing deal with Motorola in Germany, heralds more peaceful times?
Motorola's war with Apple has certainly been overshadowed by the showdown with Samsung. But, with the latter melodrama shifting into quiet mode, focus is coming back to the battle with Moto. That ongoing story has taken a rather unexpected turn, however. A filing on Monday revealed that the Google subsidiary has agreed to license some (if not all) of its standards-essential patents to Cupertino... in Germany, at least. When exactly the deal was struck isn't clear, and neither side has announced a royalty rate as of yet. It could be that the German courts will decide what is appropriate according to FRAND rules, but the agreement also includes an admission by Apple that it is liable for past damages relating to these patents. The terms seem to include only "cellular standard-essential" patents, which means the company's claims regarding WiFi and video codecs could still be used as an avenue of attack. But, with at least one set of FRAND patents set aside, we wouldn't be surprised if the rest followed. It may be that Moto has simply decided to pick its fights more carefully, in light Apple's recent legal victory and growing pressure from the European Commission surrounding potential abuse of standards-essential patents. Or, it could be an olive branch and a sign that the patent wars are winding down -- a possibility we'd joyously embrace.
Motorola to cut its workforce by 20 percent, shutter a third of its offices worldwide
When Google acquired Motorola Mobility, Larry Page said the move would help "supercharge the Android ecosystem," but first, the firm needs to reorganize. That seems to be starting -- the company just announced that it will be closing a third of its 94 offices and laying off 20 percent of its workforce, including 40 percent of its vice presidents. The move will scale back its presence in Asia and India, says the New York Times, and will center its operations in Chicago, Sunnyvale and Beijing. The new, smaller Motorola will be working on less devices too, focusing on releasing a few high quality handsets each year as opposed to several dozen. Less phones means less parts, of course, and the firm says it will be dropping some suppliers and will be buying half as many components as a result. We're all for the new Moto's less-is-more approach and the potential it has to breed a new Nexus device, but Google's already made it clear that it isn't playing favorites with OEMs. Either way, it's a start.
Apple and Google appealing dismissal of Apple versus Motorola lawsuit
Back in June, TUAW reported on the dismissal of reciprocal lawsuits brought by Apple and Motorola Mobility -- now part of Google -- against each other. At the time, it was stated that "both companies apparently failed to adequately demonstrate that injunctive relief would be appropriate, nor did they put solid justifications for damages into play." Well, after cooling down a bit, the two companies are at it again; they both filed appeals to Judge Richard Posner's dismissal on July 20, 2012. Judge Posner, author of a number of scholarly books on law and economics, is considered an antitrust law expert, and volunteered to preside over the Apple v. Motorola case because he "enjoys" patent cases. Both parties were very unhappy with Posner's decision, with FOSS Patents' Florian Mueller saying that Apple and Google are opposing every ruling that was not in their respective favor. By moving to the Federal Circuit, Apple and Motorola are hoping that part of Posner's decisions will be overturned. As Mueller notes, "given the large number of claims at issue in that action and the fact that the Federal Circuit reverses at last part of an appealed ruling in more than 40% of all cases, it would be a statistical anomaly if each and every one of Judge Posner's decisions was affirmed." [via AppleInsider] #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
Motorola Atrix HD now on sale at AT&T: $100 on contract for LTE, 720p and ICS
Well, lookie here. It didn't take long for Motorola's latest Atrix variant to go from unveiled to launched, as the Atrix HD is now on sale at AT&T for a wallet-pleasing $99.99 on contract. Sign the dotted line for two years, and you'll be getting a 4.5-inch Android superphone, complete with Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0), a true 720p display, Kevlar-infused backing, a "splash resistant" casing and an LTE radio. Those who indulge quickly are set to grab a gratis Vehicle Dock for "a limited time," and you'll also enjoy the first Moto handset to bring the outfit's Circle Widget to the homescreen -- which is engineered to take owners directly to their AT&T account info, displaying data usage, battery status and more. The phone's listed right now in AT&T's smartphone section in Titanium and Modern White, but the link to buy it seems deactivated for the moment. Still, it's all square to go on sale today, so keep a close eye on the source link if you're dead-set on an upgrade. Psst... you can learn more about the Atrix lineage through our original Atrix 4G and Atrix 2 reviews.
Atrix HD continues locked bootloader tradition, may be set free... eventually
Motorola's record on the whole smartphone bootloader thing is a tad spotty. The world has been promised unlocked bootloaders and, sometimes, the manufacturer has delivered. After the phones have already been on the market for some time, of course. Continuing that trend, will be the recently revealed Atrix HD. The 4.5-inch AT&T-bound phone will follow in the footsteps of its predecessors, the Atrix 4G and Atrix 2, by shipping without the ability to touch the kernel. Of course, that means that not only are custom kernels out the window, but so are custom ROMs as a whole. There is some good news, however. Moto indicated via its Twitter account that an unlock tool would be coming, saying "our goal is still to provide a way to unlock the bootloaders on our devices to those who wish to do so, more details to come." So, that's gotta be worth something.
AT&T Atrix HD priced at $99: coming July 15 (video)
While we've already stared down the specifications, AT&T's announced that it will bring Motorola's big and skinny slab to the US later this month, while Bell will do the honors in Canada "this summer." Priced at $99, the Atrix HD will tie together LTE connectivity with a 4.5-inch 720p display, available in both Modern White and Titanium colors. Better still, it's all arriving later this week, on July 15. If you're thinking about becoming an early adopter then you'll want to move quickly, as a free Vehicle Dock will ship with each one for a "limited time", designed to work perfectly with the included Smart Actions. Finally, this is the first phone to feature Motorola's "circle widget" on the home screen, designed to take owners directly to their AT&T account info, displaying data usage, battery status and more. Check after the break for a quick video walkthrough from AT&T plus a press release with all of the specs and details. %Gallery-160067%
'Free form' lens over mobile display could improve audio and haptics, says Motorola patent filing
It's hard to tell exactly what Motorola is thinking of here, but it probably isn't a billowing sheet of fabric stretched loosely over the face of a smartphone -- even if that's what it looks like. Instead, this appears to be a patent application for a "free floating display lens" that helps the panel of a mobile device to be used as a Beo-style acoustic speaker. The idea is that you can get louder and less resonant sound without having to dedicate more precious real estate to a larger traditional speaker unit. The application also talks about generating haptic feedback on the lens, using the same underlying piezoelectric structures that would power the audio. Creating vibrations this way could require "eight times" less voltage than current methods while also delivering a higher-amplitude sensation. Merge that with KDDI's weird vibrational speaker technology and the results could be deafening.
Judge refuses to bar Steve Jobs quotes from patent trial
Reuters reported on Friday that a judge has rejected Apple's request to have several incendiary quotes about Google's Android platform from former CEO Steve Jobs blocked from being used in the upcoming patent trial between Apple and Google's Motorola Mobility unit. In the Walter Isaacson biography of Steve Jobs, the late CEO expressed his fiery feelings about the patent litigation: "Our lawsuit is saying, 'Google, you f**king ripped off the iPhone, wholesale ripped us off.' Grand theft. I'm willing to go to thermonuclear war on this." Apple lawyers made a court filing last month asking to have any reference to the book blocked during the trial "to avoid any potential prejudice to Apple if Motorola attempts to use the book to appeal to the jury's passion." On Thursday, federal judge Richard Posner rejected Apple's request. In a separate order, he also forbid Apple from arguing that jurors should favor Apple over Motorola if they admire Jobs or like Apple products. Apple has separately asked a California federal judge to block quotes from the Walter Isaacson biography from being used in the upcoming patent trial against Samsung. That trial is scheduled for July.
