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Kodak to shutter digital camera production this year
This year has not been a kind one for Kodak. Last month, the photography pioneer announced that it was filing for bankruptcy (and suing Samsung, incidentally), and now the company has let it be known that it will be dropping out of the digital camera business -- and then some -- marking an end to its line of digital point-and-shoots, pocket camcorders and digital photo frames. Production will end the first half of this year. The future for the company will hold printers, brand licensing, enterprise services and photo labs. Kodak will, however, continue to honor warranties on existing products.
Kodak files Chapter 11 bankruptcy, expects to complete restructuring by 2013
Apparently suing Samsung (again) wasn't the only pressing business for Kodak today, as it just announced it has -- as expected -- filed for Chapter 11 business reorganization in New York. You can read the details in the press release after the break or at the Kodak Transforms website, where Chairman and CEO Antonio Perez is quoted saying he hopes Kodak will "emerge a lean, world-class, digital imaging and materials science company". The company has obtained $950 million debtor-in-possession financing, which it claims will provide the liquidity needed to continue operations during the restructuring. As far as its recent parade of lawsuits against Samsung, Apple and HTC, Perez comments on "monetizing non-core IP assets" so we'd assume its lawyers will stay busy going forward.
Kodak says smile Samsung, you're being sued for infringing five digital imaging patents
Kodak's been in a bit of a financial bind lately, and has been exploring various options to maximize profitability and get its balance sheet back in the black. After recently filing actions against Apple and HTC in the International Trade Commission, Kodak's legal team now has Samsung in its sights. According to a press release, Kodak has filed a federal suit in the Western District of New York alleging that several Sammy slates are infringing five of Kodak's digital imaging patents. The patents in question claim various image capture and transmission technologies, from taking and sending images via email to transferring digital pictures over a cellular network. We haven't gotten a peek at the complaint just yet to see which devices allegedly run afoul of Kodak's IP, but you can find the five patents in question in the PR after the break.
Kodak sues HTC, Apple
In a desperate bid to keep itself afloat, Kodak has filed another lawsuit against HTC and Apple. The struggling company is now claiming that Apple and HTC infringe on four patents related to the transfer of digital images. A previous lawsuit against Apple focuses on technology for previewing images. In this latest legal skirmish, Kodak filed both a complaint with the ITC and a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York. Kodak says it doesn't want to halt the sales of Apple and HTC products. It's only looking for "fair compensation for the unauthorized use" of its imaging technology. Kodak is struggling financially and this "fair compensation" may prevent the company from declaring bankruptcy.
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 intros new connected Easyshare M750 and Playfull Dual Camera, adds instant uploads over WiFi
Fancy taking photos on the fly and then uploading them to your preferred list of social networks? Good thing, then, that Kodak has your best interests at heart. Announced at this year's CES extravaganza, the company's showing off two of its newest connected imaging devices -- the Kodak Playfull Dual Camera and Easyshare M750. The compact Playfull has a 12MP camera capable of full HD 1080p video capture at 60fps, with an accompanying Xenon flash and a port for an external mic. But those specs aren't the camera's real draw -- that'd be it's built-in WiFi ability. Using the Share Button, users can instantly upload photos and video to YouTube, Kodak's own Gallery, as well as Facebook. The company's more traditional looking point-and-shoot refresh, the Easyshare M750, touts a 16MP module, 3-inch capacitive touchscreen, a RETINAR HD 5x zoom lens and a similar capability to share content wirelessly via an available network or through an installable app on iOS, Android and BlackBerry. When it launches later this spring it'll retail for around $170 and come in a smattering of colors, like silver, teal blue and red. As for the Playfull, well, nothing's quite been announced on it yet, but that could all very well change this week. Check out the official pressers after the break.
The Kodak Moment it never wanted: company reportedly prepping for Chapter 11 filing
Tough to smile in times like these, folks. Barely three years after yet another staple in the photography business filed for Chapter 11, Kodak is reportedly getting its paperwork in order to do the same. The Wall Street Journal has it that bankruptcy protection is looking all the more likely in the coming weeks, as its efforts to hawk a "trove" of digital patents proved to be in vain. As it stands, the employer of around 19,000 is currently working with lenders to secure around $1 billion in debtor-in possession financing to keep it alive during the actual bankruptcy process. Should this all pan out, its portfolio of 1,100 patents would then be re-listed via a court-supervised bankruptcy auction. Oh, and to make matters worse, it warned earlier in the week that it could be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange after Kodak shares closed at under $1 for thirty straight trading days.
Kodak's Document Print app means never visiting the girl from the Xerox place
Printing on the road usually leaves you at the mercy of your local Kinkos FedEx Office, but as long as you've got one of Kodak's cloud-print enabled Hero printers, you can avoid getting gouged. The company's just released an Android app that lets you print nearly everything, even webpages as long as they're accessed from the baked-in browser -- provided that you've left your home printer switched on. You can pull it down for free from the Android market from today and if you're interested, head on past the break for an unusually terse press release from the company.
Kodak's Waterproof Playfull records your pool parties in 720p, lets you relive that belly flop
Do you like to play rough? Good, then this Kodak's for you. Up for pre-order on the imaging company's website, is an update to the Playfull we got eyes-on with at CES earlier this year -- except this handheld camera's waterproof, as well as dustproof and drop-proof (although, only "onto plywood"). The slim 720p shooter weighs in at about 85 grams and sports a 2-inch LCD display, HDMI out, pop-out USB 2.0 and an SD card slot expandable up to 32GB. Kodak's offering this pocket and pool-friendly portable in mid to late October with a premium $120 price tag set for the black version, and the white at a lesser $100. If your high-end smartphone's just not cutting the HD-recording mustard, go ahead and hit up that source link below.
Kodak dons cape for a Google Cloud Print-compatible Hero all-in-one printers
Looks like HP will be getting some company in Google's print cloud. Kodak today announced a new line of Cloud Print-friendly all-in-one devices, which let users print documents without all of those pesky cords. The imaging company is rolling the Hero 3.1, 5.1, 6.1, 7.1 and 9.1. The low-end 3.1 features a 2.4-inch display and does printing, scanning, and copying for $99, while the top of the line 9.1 adds faxing, a 4.3-inch display, a 30 page automatic document feeder, automatic two-sided printing and Smart Sensor technology to the mix at $249. The $199 6.1, meanwhile, is the most business-minded of the bunch, with its home office networking capabilities. All of the models will be available this month. Printable press info after the break.
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.
ITC judge presiding over Kodak-Apple patent case retires
ITC Chief Administrative Law Judge Paul Luckern has stepped down from his position after 27 years of service. This departure is notable as Luckern presided over the patent complaint filed by Kodak against Apple. In January, Luckern issued an initial ruling that Apple did not infringe on Kodak's patent for image preview. This early win for Apple was surprising as Kodak had collected over US$900 million from LG and Samsung in licensing fees for this same image preview patent. The final decision on this complaint has been delayed twice and is now scheduled for the end of August. With the departure of the presiding judge, the outcome of this case is uncertain and could swing in favor of Kodak. Such a reversal would be a huge win for the imaging company as licensing fees from this complaint could climb as high as $1 billion.
Kodak may sell image patent in Apple lawsuit
Kodak may sell the image previewing patent that is the subject of a US$1 billion infringement lawsuit filed against Apple and RIM. This patent is one of 1,100 patents that Kodak is looking to sell as it tries to raise cash. Analysts estimate these patents may be worth more than $650 million, the market value of the company. In the past, Kodak has used patents to fund its struggling imaging and printing business. It has licensing agreements with 32 companies including Samsung and LG which have collectively paid Kodak $950 million to use the technology in Kodak's image-preview patents. Kodak was hoping to cash in on the RIM and Apple lawsuit, but this potential influx of cash has stalled. Kodak was handed a setback earlier this year when the ITC delayed its ruling on the Apple/RIM lawsuit until August 31.
ITC rules for Kodak in Apple patent infringement complaint
The ITC handed down its final judgment in a patent infringement case Apple filed against Kodak. In a setback for Apple, the panel let the initial decision stand and ruled in favor of Kodak. On May 12, ITC Judge Robert Rogers found one of Apple's patents was invalid and that Kodak did not violate the other two cited in the complaint. The Apple patents in this case focused on image processing in cameras. One described a method for a camera to process two images at the same time, while the other lets users simultaneously adjust multiple settings like balance, color, sharpness and resolution. Apple's legal battle with Kodak is not over. The Cupertino company also faces an ITC complaint filed by Kodak. This complaint was filed against Apple and RIM and accuses the two companies of violating several camera patents held by Kodak.
ITC patent ruling against Apple will stand, Kodak nods approvingly
July is shaping up to be a pretty good month for Kodak. Just a few weeks after granting the camera-maker a second wind in its ongoing patent battle against Apple and RIM, the ITC has issued yet another decision in its favor, determining that a May ruling against Cupertino will stand. At issue is an Apple complaint, filed in April 2010, charging Kodak with infringement of two patents on image processing and power management. On May 12, ITC Judge Robert Rogers shot down Apple's attack, ruling that the patents were not infringed and that one of them was invalid. The full Court had been scheduled to review Rogers' decision later this year, but that won't be happening, now that the ITC has decided to close the investigation (see the PDF, below). Kodak was understandably pleased with the result, though its focus will now turn to August 30th, when an administrative law judge is expected to weigh in on the company's patent offensive against both RIM and Apple.
Kodak granted reprieve in its ITC battle with Apple and RIM
Kodak scored a small victory this week in its International Trade Commission (ITC) case against Apple and RIM for their devices' infringement of Kodak's patent on picture previews. Back in January, an ITC administrative law judge (ALJ) made an initial determination that the patent was invalid and that iPhones and Blackberrys don't infringe Kodak's IP. After reviewing the decision per the parties' request, the Commission changed a few of the ALJ's patent claim interpretations and remanded the case for fresh analysis regarding both infringement and validity. Kodak, naturally, is painting the remand as a victory, even going so far as issuing a celebratory press release. Such swagger seems a bit premature, however, as the judge could once again find in favor of the crowds from Cupertino and Waterloo. The next Kodak moment isn't until August 30th, when the ALJ is due to render his ruling. Stay tuned. Brian Heater contributed to this post.
Rugged gadgets put to the test in Engadget labs, wanton destruction ensues
Lets be honest, we've all had those moments where we've wanted to hit our phone with a hammer or throw our laptop against the wall. Generally though, we resist those urges, knowing full well that it would spell the end for our precious gadget. There's a special class of rugged devices though, that are designed to withstand anything you throw at it -- or throw it at, as the case may be. We took a few of these beefy products, as well as one Extreme Sleeve for your non-military grade electronics, and put them through a battery of tests that would turn your average gadget into an unrecognizable pile of silicon and plastic. Head on after the break for a dose of dramatic destruction porn and to find out how this bevy of brawny portables held up against our gratuitous onslaught.
ITC issues partial ruling against Kodak in patent-infringement case
Today was the day that the ITC was supposed to make a ruling about the patent infringement case it filed against Apple and RIM in early 2010, and sure enough, the word is out. The commission is upholding an earlier ruling by one of its judges which basically threw out the main image preview patent claim made by Kodak. However, two other claims have been restructured by the ITC, siding with Kodak on one claim and not making a determination on a third. The entire case is being sent back to lower courts for further review, giving Eastman Kodak Co. a remote possibility of prevailing with the other claims. Kodak was hoping for up to US$1 billion in damages, a sum that would let the beleaguered former photo giant restructure and develop products that would help it compete in the world of digital photography. With the case going back to the lower courts and the major claim essentially dead in the water, it's unlikely that the company will win much -- if anything -- in this patent infringement battle.
ITC delays Kodak vs. Apple and RIM decision
The ITC has announced on Thursday that a decision on RIM vs. Apple and Kodak will be delayed [PDF] by one week. It's a bit of a surprise, especially this late in the day, as ITC was supposed to make a decision today. There's no clear reason for the postponement that we could find, but FOSS Patents suggests, "This could either be due to a delay on the ITC's part or a way for the ITC to give the parties more time to negotiate a settlement." You'll remember that Kodak sued both Apple and RIM, focusing mainly a patent broadly described as an "image-preview feature in camera phones." Kodak CEO Antonio Perez told Bloomberg that the company is seeking US$1 billion.
