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Tag: Motorola

  • Dennis Woodside Said To Be New Motorola Mobility CEO

    If a tweet from Bloomberg is accurate, Google has found a new CEO for its Motorola Mobility unit. Google’s acquisition of Motorola Mobility received regulatory approval ten days ago.

    The man would be Dennis Woodside, who currently heads Google’s Americas operations.

    Bloomberg tweeted the following:

    BREAKING: Google said to pick Dennis Woodside as Motorola Mobility CEO | http://t.co/CNpfDT3d $GOOG 56 minutes ago via HootSuite ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    Update: Bloomberg now has an article to go along with the tweet. It cites “three people familiar with the matter” with revealing the news. It reports that Woodside would succeed CEO Sanjay Jha.

    Woodside has been with Google since 2003. The following clip has nice little introduction to him:

    Dennis Woodside, Google’s VP of Americas Operations from The Paley Center for Media on FORA.tv

    Here’s a quick look at his LinkedIn profile:

    Dennis Woodside LinkedIn

  • Will Google Put An End To Motorola Abuses?

    Will Google Put An End To Motorola Abuses?

    This morning I reported on complaints lodged to European Union’s (EU) competition regulators by Microsoft against Motorola. The main gist of the article is that Motorola neglects to make its patent technologies available at a fair cost to other manufacturers who wish to use their technology in non-motorola devices. Microsoft and others say this has been a huge revenue stream for Motorola to the point where it represents a substantial competitive advantage.

    With the acquisition at hand and Motorola transitioning ownership, many are wondering if Google will reverse the trend and offer patented technology at an affordable rate. Because many of the patents Motorola currently holds control wi-fi connectivity and wireless video transfer, high prices could jeopardize our ability to enjoy these features on many of the most popular products. More importantly, these technologies are industry standards and motorola is violating a major component of modern industry: fair competition.

    Microsoft has stepped to the plate and said that it will not seek any injunctions on firms that pursue industry standard solutions with technology Microsoft holds patents on. While Apple and Cisco have agreed to the same policy, Google is not buying into it. This leaves us wondering what will happen once Google is in control of the Motorola patents.

    The European Union and the U.S. Department of Justice have turned their attention to the issue and the EU Commissioner made this statement in connection with the complaints:

    “I can assure you that the Commission will take further action if warranted to ensure that the use of standard essential patents by all players in the sector is fully compliant with EU competition law and with the FRAND commitments given to standard setting organisations.”

    The U.S. Department of Justice makes similar assertions in their statement:

    “In light of the importance of this industry to consumers and the complex issues raised by the intersection of the intellectual property rights and antitrust law at issue here, as well as uncertainty as to the exercise of the acquired rights, the division continues to monitor the use of standard essential patents (SEPs) in the wireless device industry, particularly in the smartphone and computer tablet markets. The division will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action to stop any anticompetitive use of SEP rights.”

    So consumers should hope for a resolve to this issue soon, as these expensive patent prices are being passed on to us. I am surprised that there is not a standardized prize for using industry standard patents. Perhaps that is a solution, but I am sure there is more to the patent laws and pricing than I can conclude from this article. I will follow up any any actions taken by Google, Motorola, or the regulators involved.

  • Microsoft Argues Motorola’s Policy On Patents

    Microsoft has filed formal complaints with European Union’s competition regulator regarding the price Motorola is charging for the use of patented technology. Microsoft is claiming the the 2.25% they are charging for a video patent is well over what other patent holders charge for their use. For example, Motorola receives almost $23 dollars for patents that many others receive 2 cents for. This is a pressing matter for many in the industry as Motorola is on the path to changing hands; Google has just acquired the company for $12.5 million.

    Microsoft’s deputy general counsel, Dave Heiner, comments on the complaint in a recent blog post:

    “We have taken this step because Motorola is attempting to block sales of Windows PCs, our Xbox game console and other products,”

    “Motorola is on a path to use standard essential patents to kill video on the Web, and Google as its new owner doesn’t seem to be willing to change course,”

    “If every firm priced its standard essential patents like Motorola, the cost of the patents would be greater than all the other costs combined in making PCs, tablets, smartphones and other devices,”

    “Obviously, this would greatly increase the prices of these devices for consumers.”

    EU rules for essential technology and industry standards require that patent holders allow other companies use technology at a fair price to ensure fair competition. It is also important to consumers because it allows products from different manufacturers to function in a similar manner and in many cases to share compatibility on many features. Google and Motorola should take note of this guideline as the EU has already launched an investigation of Samsung for similarly oppressive patent enforcement.

    I think it is important to control companies in this capacity. It is true that technology is more affordable than ever before, but if we allow certain patent holders to drive up costs for their competition, it has the potential to create a monopoly and eliminate true consumer choice. I will be following the progression of these complaints to the EU.

  • Google’s Motorola Mobility Acquisition Approved By Justice Department

    Earlier, we reported that Google had won approval from the European Commission for its $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility. Now, the United States Department of Justice has granted its approval as well.

    Now things should start getting interesting.

    The DoJ said it was closing its investigations into not only this acquisition, but also into Acquisitions by Apple, Microsoft and RI of Nortel patents, and Apple’s acquisition of Novell patents.

    As you may recall, said patents were a major driving force of Google’s Motorola Mobility acquisition from the start, as Google CEO Larry Page even referenced the “patent war” when the acquisition was announced. The company positioned the acquisition as a defensive strategy to “anti-competitive attacks” from companies like Apple and Microsoft. Page wrote at the time:

    We recently explained how companies including Microsoft and Apple are banding together in anti-competitive patent attacks on Android. The U.S. Department of Justice had to intervene in the results of one recent patent auction to “protect competition and innovation in the open source software community” and it is currently looking into the results of the Nortel auction. Our acquisition of Motorola will increase competition by strengthening Google’s patent portfolio, which will enable us to better protect Android from anti-competitive threats from Microsoft, Apple and other companies.

    The combination of Google and Motorola will not only supercharge Android, but will also enhance competition and offer consumers accelerating innovation, greater choice, and wonderful user experiences. I am confident that these great experiences will create huge value for shareholders.

    This passage from the DoJ’s announcement sums up its conclusion: ““After a thorough review of the proposed transactions, the Antitrust Division has determined that each acquisition is unlikely to substantially lessen competition and has closed these three investigations.”

    Here’s the release in its entirety:

    WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division issued the following statement today after announcing the closing of its investigations into Google Inc.’s acquisition of Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc., the acquisitions by Apple Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Research in Motion Ltd. (RIM) of certain Nortel Networks Corporation patents, and the acquisition by Apple of certain Novell Inc. patents:

     

    “After a thorough review of the proposed transactions, the Antitrust Division has determined that each acquisition is unlikely to substantially lessen competition and has closed these three investigations.  In all of the transactions, the division conducted an in-depth analysis into the potential ability and incentives of the acquiring firms to use the patents they proposed acquiring to foreclose competitors.  In particular, the division focused on standard essential patents (SEPs) that Motorola Mobility and Nortel had committed to license to industry participants through their participation in standard-setting organizations (SSOs).  The division’s investigations focused on whether the acquiring firms could use these patents to raise rivals’ costs or foreclose competition.    

     

    “The division concluded that the specific transactions at issue are not likely to significantly change existing market dynamics. 

     

    “During the course of the division’s investigation, several of the principal competitors, including Google, Apple and Microsoft, made commitments concerning their SEP licensing policies.  The division’s concerns about the potential anticompetitive use of SEPs was lessened by the clear commitments by Apple and Microsoft to license SEPs on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms, as well as their commitments not to seek injunctions in disputes involving SEPs.  Google’s commitments were more ambiguous and do not provide the same direct confirmation of its SEP licensing policies.

     

    “In light of the importance of this industry to consumers and the complex issues raised by the intersection of the intellectual property rights and antitrust law at issue here, as well as uncertainty as to the exercise of the acquired rights, the division continues to monitor the use of SEPs in the wireless device industry, particularly in the smartphone and computer tablet markets.  The division will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action to stop any anticompetitive use of SEP rights.”

     

    BACKGROUND

     

    Google/ Motorola Mobility

     

    On Aug. 25, 2011, Google entered into an agreement to acquire Motorola Mobility, a manufacturer of smartphones and computer tablets and the holder of a portfolio of approximately 17,000 issued patents and 6,800 applications, including hundreds of SEPs relevant to wireless devices that Motorola Mobility committed to license through its participation in SSOs. 

     

     

    Rockstar Bidco

     

    Rockstar Bidco, a partnership that includes, among others, RIM, Microsoft and Apple, was formed to acquire patents at the June 2011 Nortel bankruptcy auction, and to license and distribute them to certain partners.  Nortel’s portfolio of approximately 6,000 patents and patent applications includes many SEPs that Nortel committed to license through its participation in SSOs and that are relevant to wireless devices (the Nortel SEPs).   

     

    Apple/Novell

     

    Apple also proposes to acquire patents held by CPTN Holdings LLC, formerly owned by Novell, following CPTN’s acquisition in April 2011 of those patents on behalf of Apple, Oracle Corporation and EMC Corporation.  As a member of the Open Invention Network (OIN), Novell committed to cross-license its patents on a royalty-free basis for use in the open source “Linux system,” a defined term in the OIN. 

     

    Competitive Landscape

     

    Google, Apple, Microsoft and RIM have each developed mobile operating systems for smartphones and tablets. Apple and RIM manufacture and sell the smartphones and tablets that run on their proprietary mobile operating systems.  In contrast, Microsoft licenses its proprietary mobile operating systems, Windows Phone 7 and Windows Mobile, to non-affiliated wireless handset original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).  Google, in turn, sponsors Android, a mobile operating system that it distributes to OEMs without monetary charge under an open source license.  These operating systems provide platforms for a variety of products and services offered by competing handset and tablet manufacturers, as well as, application developers.

     

    At the end of 2011, Google’s Android accounted for approximately 46 percent of the U.S. smartphone operating system platform subscribers and Apple’s iOS was used by about 30 percent of subscribers.  RIM and Microsoft accounted for approximately 15 percent and 6 percent of the share of smartphone subscribers, respectively.

     

    Apple’s iPad is the leading tablet in the market, although the recently introduced Android-based tablets are rapidly gaining share.  Thus far, tablets running RIM’s and Microsoft’s operating systems have a minimal presence in the marketplace.

     

    The Importance of Standard Setting in the Wireless Industry 

     

    Today’s wireless device industry, which includes smartphones and tablets, relies on complex operating systems that allow seamless interaction with wireless communications technologies while providing audio, video and computer functionalities. 

     

    To facilitate seamless interoperability, industry participants work through SSOs collectively to develop technical standards that establish precise specifications for essential components of the technology.  For example, wireless devices typically implement a significant number of telecommunication and computer standards, including cellular air interface standards (e.g., 3G and 4G LTE standards), wireless broadband technologies (e.g., WiFi and WiMax) and video compression technologies (e.g., H.264).  As with other industries, these standards facilitate compatibility among products and provide consumers with a wider range of products and capabilities than would otherwise be available.

     

    Often, many technologies adopted by the SSOs fall within the scope of existing patents or patent applications.  Once a patent is included in a standard, it becomes essential to the implementation of that standard, thus the term “Standard Essential Patent.”  After industry participants make complementary investments, abandoning the standard can be extremely costly.  Thus, after the standard is set, the patent holder could seek to extract a higher payment than was attributable to the value of the patented technology before the standard was set.  Such behavior can distort innovation and raise prices to consumers .  A comparable harm may also arise in situations outside of the SSO context where a patent holder’s prior actions, such as open source commitments, lead others to make complementary investments (See U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission, Antitrust Enforcement & Intellectual Property Rights:  Promoting Innovation and Competition, April 17, 2007 at 35-6). 

     

    Most SSOs therefore require the owners of patents essential to the proposed standard that are participating in the SSO’s standard-setting activities to make disclosure and licensing commitments with respect to their essential patents.  These commitments are intended to reduce the subsequent inappropriate use of the patent rights at issue, and thus prevent disputes that can inhibit innovation and competition.  One com mon licensing requirement is to require SSO members to commit to license patented technologies essential to a standard on reasonable and nondiscriminatory (RAND) terms (for SSOs based in the United States) or on fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory (FRAND) terms (for SSOs based outside the United States) (collectively F/RAND).  In practice, however, SSO F/RAND requirements have not prevented significant disputes from arising in connection with the licensing of SEPs, including actions by patent holders seeking injunctive or exclusionary relief that could alter competitive market outcomes.

     

    ANALYSIS

     

     

    The division’s investigations regarding the acquisitions of the Motorola Mobility and Nortel SEPs focused on whether the acquiring firms would have the incentive and ability to exploit ambiguities in the SSOs’ F/RAND licensing commitments to hold up rivals, thus preventing or inhibiting innovation and competition (The division’s analysis was limited to SEPs encumbered by F/RAND commitments).  Such hold up could include raising the costs to rivals by demanding supracompetitive licensing rates, compelling prospective licensees to grant the SEP holder the right to use the licensee’s differentiating intellectual property, charging licensees the entire portfolio royalty rate when licensing only a small subset of the patent holder’s SEPs in its portfolio, or seeking to prevent or exclude products practicing those SEPs from the market altogether.  In this analysis, the critical issue is whether the patent holder has the incentive and ability to hold up its competitors, particularly through the threat of an injunction or exclusion order.  The division’s analysis focused on how the proposed transactions might change that incentive and ability to do so.  

     

    The division concluded that each of the transactions was unlikely to substantially lessen competition for wireless devices.  With respect to RIM’s and Microsoft’s acquisition of Nortel patents, their low market shares in mobile platforms would likely make a strategy to harm rivals either through injunctions or supracompetitive royalties based on the acquired Nortel SEPs unprofitable.  Because of their low market shares, they are unlikely to attract a sufficient number of new customers to their mobile platforms to compensate for the lost patent royalty revenues.  Moreover, Microsoft has cross-license agreements in place with the majority of its Android-based OEM competitors, making such a strategy even less plausible for it. 

     

    Apple’s and Google’s substantial share of mobile platforms makes it more likely that as the owners of additional SEPs they could hold up rivals, thus harming competition and innovation.  For example, Apple would likely benefit significantly through increased sales of its devices if it could exclude Android-based phones from the market or raise the costs of such phones through IP-licenses or patent litigation.  Google could similarly benefit by raising the costs of, or excluding, Apple devices because of the revenues it derives from Android-based devices. 

     

    The specific transactions at issue, however, are not likely to substantially lessen competition.  The evidence shows that Motorola Mobility has had a long and aggressive history of seeking to capitalize on its intellectual property and has been engaged in extended disputes with Apple, Microsoft and others.  As Google’s acquisition of Motorola Mobility is unlikely to materially alter that policy, the division concluded that transferring ownership of the patents would not substantially alter current market dynamics.  This conclusion is limited to the transfer of ownership rights and not the exercise of those transferred rights.

     

    With respect to Apple/Novell, the division concluded that the acquisition of the patents from CPTN, formerly owned by Novell, is unlikely to harm competition.  While the patents Apple would acquire are important to the open source community and to Linux-based software in particular, the OIN, to which Novell belonged, requires its participating patent holders to offer a perpetual, royalty-free license for use in the “Linux-system.”  The division investigated whether the change in ownership would permit Apple to avoid OIN commitments and seek royalties from Linux users.  The division concluded it would not, a conclusion made easier by Apple’s commitment to honor Novell’s OIN licensing commitments. 

     

    In its analysis of the transactions, the division took into account the fact that during the pendency of these investigations, Apple, Google and Microsoft each made public statements explaining their respective SEP licensing practices.  Both Apple and Microsoft made clear that they will not seek to prevent or exclude rivals’ products from the market in exercising their SEP rights.  

     

    Apple outlined its view of F/RAND in a letter to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) on Nov. 11, 2011, stating among other things:

     

    “A party who made a FRAND commitment to license its cellular standards essential patents or otherwise acquired assets/rights from a party who made the FRAND commitment must not seek injunctive relief on such patents.  Seeking an injunction would be a violation of the party’s commitment to FRAND licensing.” (emphasis supplied) 

     

    Microsoft stated publicly on Feb. 8, 2012, among other things:

     

    “This means that Microsoft will not seek an injunction or exclusion order against any firm on the basis of those essential patents.”

     

    If adhered to in practice, these positions could significantly reduce the possibility of a hold up or use of an injunction as a threat to inhibit or preclude innovation and competition. 

     

    Google’s commitments have been less clear.  In particular, Google has stated to the IEEE and others on Feb. 8, 2012, that its policy is to refrain from seeking injunctive relief for the infringement of SEPs against a counter-party, but apparently only for disputes involving future license revenues, and only if the counterparty:  forgoes certain defenses such as challenging the validity of the patent; pays the full disputed amount into escrow; and agrees to a reciprocal process regarding injunctions.  Google’s statement therefore does not directly provide the same assurance as the other companies’ statements concerning the exercise of its newly acquired patent rights.  Nonetheless, the division determined that the acquisition of the patents by Google did not substantially lessen competition, but how Google may exercise its patents in the future remains a significant concern.

     

    For these reasons the division continues to have concerns about the potential inappropriate use of SEPs to disrupt competition and will continue to monitor the use of SEPs in the wireless device industry, particularly as they relate to smartphones and computer tablets.  The division’s continued monitoring of how competitors are exercising their patent rights will ensure that competition and innovation are unfettered in this important industry. 

     

    All three of the transactions highlight the complex intersection of intellectual property rights and antitrust law and the need to determine the correct balance between the rightful exercise of patent rights and a patent holder’s incentive and ability to harm competition through the anticompetitive use of those rights. 

     

     

    Agency Cooperation

     

    During the course of its investigation of the Google/Motorola Mobility transaction, the Department of Justice cooperated closely with the European Commission.  In addition, the Department of Justice had discussions with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Canadian Competition Bureau, Israeli Antitrust Authority and the Korean Fair Trade Commission.  In connection with the investigations relating to the Nortel patent assets, the division worked closely with states of New York and California and with the Canadian Competition Bureau. 

     

    The Antitrust Division’s Closing Statement Policy

     

    The division provides this statement under its policy of issuing statements concerning the closing of investigations in appropriate cases.  This statement is limited by the division’s obligation to protect the confidentiality of certain information obtained in its investigations.  As in most of its investigations, the division’s evaluation has been highly fact-specific, and many of the relevant underlying facts are not public.  Consequently, readers should not draw overly broad conclusions regarding how the division is likely in the future to analyze other collaborations or activities, or transactions involving particular firms. Enforcement decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, and the analysis and conclusions discussed in this statement do not bind the division in any future enforcement actions.  Guidance on the division’s policy regarding closing statements is available at:www.usdoj.gov/atr/public/guidelines/201888.htm.

  • Breaking: EU Approves Google To Buy Motorola

    Breaking: EU Approves Google To Buy Motorola

    After five months, European Union regulators have approved of the purchase of Motorola Mobility by Internet search giant Google, Inc.

    The main reason Google wants to purchase Motorola is to increase its stable of patents. The EU was mainly concerned about the stifling of competition of the deal were to go through. At this point, the commissioners charged with making the decision of whether to approve the buy or not have determined that there is no current cause for concern. But, they have said that they will keep an eye on Google to see how they behave in the future.

    Google is currently involved in a series of legal battles with other firms over intellectual property rights. Purchasing other tech companies is a common way for tech giants to secure the patents that those companies hold. Google wanted Motprola’s patents to better position itself to compete with Apple, Inc. in the handheld market, as well as to better position themselves against other lawsuits in the future. There are 17,000 patents and 7,500 patents pending up for grabs in the Motorola buy.

    In an announcement earlier today, Google+Blog%29″ target=”_blank”>Google stated:

    “This is an important milestone in the approval process and it moves us closer to closing the deal. We are now just waiting for decisions from a few other jurisdictions before we can close this transaction.

    As we outlined in August, the combination of Google and Motorola Mobility will help supercharge Android. It will also enhance competition and offer consumers faster innovation, greater choice and wonderful user experiences.”

    The deal still needs the approval of regulators in the United states and China. The U.S. Justice Department is expected to approve the buy later this week. Chinese regulators are expected to decide by March 20 on the deal.

  • Apple Sues Samsung, Gets Sued By SmartData

    Apple Sues Samsung, Gets Sued By SmartData

    This morning we ran a story about Apple’s victory in a patent lawsuit against Motorola. In that story I pointed out that one chapter in Apple’s ongoing patent battles appeared to be finished. Well, now it seems that Apple’s patent suits are doing a fair impression of a hydra: cut one head off, and two more take its place.

    Apple has filed another suit in Germany against Samsung today, citing infringement of a patent relating to list-scrolling and display manipulation behaviors on a touchscreen display. This suit was filed as an extension to a prior complaint. The older complaint centered on a similar patent relating to scrolling within a photo gallery.

    At the same time, a Swiss company called SmartData has filed suit against Apple for patent infringement. SmartData claims that the AppleTV, Remote app, and iPhone all infringe on SmartData’s lone patent, which “concerns a pocked-size computer comprising a central unit, an input device, a communication interface with a remove network and display and/or sound reproduction means.” According to SmartData’s website (whence comes the description I just quoted) the patent is for a product of theirs called Zukero. Interestingly, the website contains no option to purchase Zukero, nor any more details than a description lifted from the patent abstract and an animation purporting to show Zukero in action.

    (image)

    The “news” section of SmartData’s website consists of six items. The most recent item, dated May 5, 2008, says that “Smartdata is looking to license Zukero (modular computer) patent rights” and offers would-be licensees an email link. Otherwise, SmartData’s website is virtually barren.

    All in all, SmartData smells like a troll. Their complaint, which was filed in U.S. Federal court in San Jose, accuses Apple of willful infringement on SmartData’s patent. SmartData asks for a permanent injunction barring the sale of the offending products, a percentage of royalties from the sale of the infringing products, and that all damages be tripled due to “the willfulness of Defendant’s infringement.” The complaint also asks that the court order Apple to pay SmartData’s costs and attorney fees.

  • Motorola Suit Against Apple Dismissed In Germany

    Another chapter in Apple’s seemingly endless patent wars appears to be over as a German court has dismissed a suit brought against the company by Motorola. In December the court issued a ruling that several of Apple’s 3G-capable devices infringed on patents owned by Motorola. Last week Motorola began enforcing the ruling, prompting Apple to pull the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and 3G-capable iPad 2 from their online store in Germany. Apple appealed however, on the grounds that Motorola had consistently refused to license the relevant patent on Fair, Reasonable, and Non-Discriminatory (FRAND) terms, as required by European Union rules. The court in Mannheim overturned the injuction, allowing Apple to put its devices back up for sale.

    Today the court ruled that Apple’s devices do not, in fact, infringe on Motorola’s 3G patents at all, and dismissed the case. According to Florian Mueller of FOSS Patents, Motorola’s claim centered on the relevant patent being industry essential, rather than on demonstrating that Apple had actually infringed the patent itself. Judge Voss of the Mannheim court did not agree that the patent was essential, and ruled that Apple had not violated Motorola’s specific patent, and so dismissed the case.

    This is not a total victory for Apple however. Motorola also won an injunction last week concerning push notifications for Apple’s iCloud service. As that is a separate case, the injunction still stands and Apple must continue to move forward with the modifications to iCloud in Germany.

  • Apple Putting iPad And iPhone Back On Sale In Germany

    Just a little while ago we brought you news that Apple had withdrawn most of it’s 3G capable iOS devices from its online store in Germany. The devices were pulled when Motorola began enforcing a decision handed down in December that found that Apple’s iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and iPad 2 3G infringed on patents held by Motorola in Europe.

    The ban didn’t last long at all, however, as the devices are now back up in Apple’s online store in Germany. Apparently a higher court suspended the injunction this morning in response to Apple’s appeals. Apple appealed on the grounds that Motorola refused to license the relevant patents according to the EU’s FRAND (Fair, Reasonable, And Non-Discriminatory) rules.

    The suspension is temporary, however, which means that Apple could be required to remove the devices again if further appeals are unsuccessful. The wi-fi iPad and the iPhone 4S are exempt from the injunction, which means that they have remained available despite the injunction. Also, as noted this morning, the injunction did not cover sales of the devices in physical stores, only in Apple’s online store.

  • Google Acquired 79 Companies In Fiscal Year 2011

    If you’re having trouble sleeping this weekend, I suggest pouring over the entire 99-page report of Google’s 10-K for the 2011 fiscal year. It. Is. Dry.

    However, the crew over at 9to5Google are more dedicated Google readers than I am and, from the document, tallied up that Google added 79 companies to their empire for the everyday low price of $2 billion. Some of the companies you might recognize: Motorola (this one’s still pending approval), ITA Software, AdMob, On2 Technologies, and a new office building in NYC (that’s kind of an unofficial acquisition, right?). In the document, Google claims that “These acquisitions generally enhance the breadth and depth of our expertise in engineering and other functional areas, our technologies, and our product offerings.”

    The 9to5Google folks pointed out some other acquisitions that I didn’t find in the document: Zagat, DailyDeal, Dealmap, and Admeld.

    With all those acquisitions happening, they’re not just gonna run themselves, are they? No, they’re not, so Google brought some more hands on deck in 2011 – over 32,000 pairs of hands, in fact, that were connected to 32,000 new employees.

    And if you think this is big, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet because Google was clear about their plans for this year:

    Our plans to continue to invest in systems, facilities, and infrastructure, increase our hiring, provide competitive compensation programs, and continue our current pace of acquisitions.

    Place your bets now on which company will be carrying the Google banner by this time next year.

  • Verizon Expanding 4G LTE Network To Five New Markets

    Verizon announced today that they are expanding their 4G LTE network. The network will be activated in five new markets tomorrow and expanded in three others. Tomorrow’s launches bring the total number of markets with access to the 4G network to 195.

    Verizon will flip the switch tomorrow on networks in Glens Falls and Utica in New York, Brownsville and McAllen in Texas, and Lawton, Oklahoma. Networks in Atlanta, Houston, and Spokane are being expanded.

    Verizon 4G Coverage Map

    Users connected to Verizon’s 4G network should generally experience downlink rates from 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps), and uplink speeds of 2-5 Mbps.

    Verizon offers a wide variety of 4G devices on its network, including LG’s Spectrum, which was announced at CES 2012, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7, and Motorola’s Droid line of phones. The iPhone 4S is not LTE capable, so it cannot run on Verizon’s network (a problem AT&T worked around by dual-layering their LTE network with an HSPA+ network, which the iPhone 4S is compatible with). The next-generation iPhone, presumably coming this summer, will probably have LTE capability.

  • Comcast Brings TV To Your iPad With AnyPlay

    The array of options for streaming content to tablets like the iPad or its Android competitors is vast and seems to be growing all the time. Services like Netflix, Hulu, and a host of others allow users to watch all sorts of movies and TV shows right on their devices. Despite the plethora of options, one kind of content has remained underrepresented on the tablet: broadcast television. Comcast, however, has announced a plan to change that.

    On their blog today Comcast announced AnyPlay. This service, which will be available to Comcast Xfinity TV subscribers, allows users to stream Comcast’s broadcast content to their tablet over their home wi-fi network. In essence, AnyPlay turns users’ home wi-fi router into another cable box, broadcasting content over the network for tablets to pick up.

    The service is initially available only for iPad users via the Xfinity TV app. Comcast says the service will soon be coming to the Motorola Xoom, however, as well as a variety of other devices. AnyPlay is currently available only to customers in the Nashville and Denver markets who have subscribed to the Xfinity HD Triple Play service. Those customers are being given the service for free, and Comcast promises that the service will roll out to more markets in the next few months.

    Do you have access to AnyPlay yet? If so, let us know what you think of it in the comments.

    [Source: Comcast Blog]

  • Google Motorola Deal Review Suspended By European Commission

    Google Motorola Deal Review Suspended By European Commission

    The European Commission has suspended the provisional deadline for its review of Google’s proposed acquisition of Motorola Mobility.

    Bloomberg obtained comment from both the Commission and from Google. A spokesperson for the Commission said the review will continue after it’s btained certain documents that “are essential to its evaluation of the transaction”.

    Google’s Al Verney is quote as saying, “We’re confident the commission will conclude that this acquisition is good for competition and we’ll be working closely and cooperatively with them as they continue their review.”

    Deadline Suspended

    This comes as Google faces further scrutiny from the European Commission. Earlier this month, the commission was reported to be serving Google a 400-page document discussing complaints about the company’s competitive practices. More on that here.

    The price of Google’s proposed acquisition of Motorola Mobility for is $12.5 billion.

    On the subject of Google and Motorola, Verizon released the new Motorola Droid Xyboard tablets today, running Google’s Android operating system.

  • Droid Xyboard Tablets Released By Verizon

    Verizon announced today that the Motorola Droid Xyboard tablets are available in stores today.

    The Droid Xyboard 10.1 will be available in three models: 16 GB for $529.99 and 32 GB for $629.99. The 64 GB model will be available online for $729.99. Each comes with a new two-year contract.

    The DROID XYBOARD 8.2 will be available in two models: 16 GB for $429.99 and 32 GB for $529.99, both with a new two-year contract.

    The display sizes are 10. 1” and 8.2” respectively. Device dimensions are 10×6.8x.35 and 8.5×5.5x.35.

    Both versions of the tablet run Android 3.2 Honeycomb, and will be upgraded to 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Both are 4G. They have dual-core 1.2 GHz processors.

    They come with Motocast fro music, photos and documents. The 10” version comes with a stylus pen.

    They have both rear-facing and front-facing cameras. They serve as 4G mobile hotspots, with support for up to 6 Wi-Fi enabled devices. They have 4,000 mAh batteries.

    Customers are required to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Mobile Broadband data plan (starting at $30 a month for 2 GB).

  • Droid RAZR Pre-Orders Available Today

    The Motorola Droid RAZR became available for pre-order this morning at 8AM for Verizon Wireless customers. It costs $299.99 with a new two-year contract and data plan.

    Here’s an early look at the device:

    Verizon talks it up:

    The DROID RAZR not only shreds through the Web at blazing 4G LTE speeds, it does it in style with a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Advanced display and measuring 7.1 mm thin. DROID RAZR is also packed with brains and security giving customers apps like MotoCast and features like remote wipe, pin lock and government-grade encryption for email, calendar and contacts.

    DROID RAZR customers can take advantage of the Super AMOLED Advanced display and 4G LTE speeds to stream videos with NFL Mobile, only from Verizon. Fans can stay up to date on news, schedules and scores from their favorite teams. NFL Mobile is included at no additional charge for 4G LTE customers for the remainder of the 2011 season. DROID RAZR customers will have access to Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network that now covers more than 186 million Americans coast to coast with additional markets planned before year end.

    The device can be ordered here, in stores, or by calling 1-800-2JOININ.

    The device will ship buy November 10.

  • Ice Cream Sandwich Coming To Droid RAZR In Early 2012

    Two big Android-related launches happened on Tuesday: First, Motorola unveiled the Droid RAZR, and second, Samsung and Google unveiled the Galaxy Nexus alongside their brand new Android OS, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0.

    The Droid RAZR has impressed many first-lookers with its sleek design and beefed up durability measures. At 7.1 mm thick, it is the world’s thinnest LTE smartphone. And it is made out of KEVLAR fiber and scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass for maximum protection. It also sports water-repellant nanocoating to help with accidental splashes and spills.

    But many made a point out of the fact that it will run Android 2.3.5 (Gingerbread OS). And now that Google has just unveiled the impressive new Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0, the Droid RAZR suffers from its outdated operating system.

    However, there is some good news on the horizon for Android lovers who plan on purchasing the Droid RAZR.

    Speaking at a conference in Berlin, Motorola Mobility’s SVP of Product Management Alain Mutricy said that RAZR owners won’t have to wait too long for Ice Cream Sandwich.

    He said that they should expect the update sometime in Q1 2012, and that Motorola is Google+Reader”>currently in the process of making sure the Droid RAZR’s many new features are compatible with the new OS.

    Ice Cream Sandwich was just launched in Hong Kong, and hands-on reports seem to fall towards impressed. The new OS improves the keyboard, notifications, widgets, and integrated Google+ into the contacts function. It also supports “Face Unlock,” a function that allows users to unlock their phone through facial recognition. For more on ICS and the Galaxy Nexus, check here.

    If you want to see the new Droid RAZR in action, check out this hands-on from the launch event, courtesy of Phandroid –

  • Droid RAZR Release Date Early November, World’s Thinnest LTE Smartphone

    It’s a good time for people needing a new smartphone, as a couple of high-profile devices are dropping around the same timeframe. Last week, the new iPhone 4S went on sale and current projections show that it has done pretty well.

    If you’re looking to go the Android route, Samsung is about to unveil the next Google phone, the Galaxy Nexus, at an event taking place October 19th in Hong Kong (this evening for us in the West). And today, Motorola just unveiled their new Android device – the Droid RAZR.

    And this is not your older brother’s RAZR.

    The most talked-about spec of the new device is its size. The RAZR is only 7.1 mm thick (a little larger at the top), making it the thinnest device of its kind.

    It will be launching on Verizon’s 4G LTE network and contain a dual-core 1.2 GHz processor, making it no slouch in the speed department either. Furthermore, in the aesthetics department, it sports a 4.3 inch Super AMOLED display.

    Motorola has also beefed up the durability by building the Droid RAZR out of KEVLAR fiber and Gorilla glass for scratch resistance. It also has water-repellant nanocoating to protect the phone from damage from spills and splashes.

    “DROID RAZR by Motorola is a testament to the innovation and design possibilities that stem from a strong partnership between Motorola Mobility and Verizon Wireless,” said Sanjay Jha, Chairman and CEO, Motorola Mobility. “We set out to design the best smartphone on the planet and delivered DROID RAZR which is thinner, smarter, stronger than any device on the market.”

    Additionally, its sports 1GB RAM and an 8-megapixel camera with 1080p HD video capabilities, similar to what is available on the new iPhone 4S.

    Pre-orders begin on October 27th and it will run you $299.99 with a contract. They have given a non-specific “early November” release date for the device.

    At first glance, it appears to be a solid entry in the ongoing battle for device supremacy. What do you think? Are you excited about the Droid RAZR? More excited about the Nexus Prime? Let us know in the comments.

  • Google’s Motorola Mobility Acquisition Draws Suit From Share Holder

    Google’s Motorola Mobility Acquisition Draws Suit From Share Holder

    Earlier this week, Google announced its intent to acquire Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion, which if approved, would be Google’s largest acquisition to date.

    Apparently, that price was not high enough for at least one Motorola Mobility shareholders, however. Bloomberg BusinessWeek reports that Motorola Mobility Holdings and CEO Sanjay Jha have been sued by shareholder John Keating who doesn’t think they got the best price, and is seeking class action.

    The publication quotes Keating:

    The offered consideration does not compensate shareholders for the company’s intrinsic value and stand-alone alternatives going forward, nor does it compensate shareholders for the company’s value as a strategic asset for Google.

    “Motorola has experienced an economic resurgence since separating into two separate companies…The Android smartphone technology it relies on continues to gain ground on Apple’s iPhone.
    Neither Motorola Mobility nor Google have offered any real comment on the suit at this point.

    Separately, FOSS Patents reports that Motorola Mobility’s defense in a legal battle with Microsoft over patents, was dealt a “huge setback” as an order was issued. “The best defense in patent disputes is a good offense, but after an order issued today, it’s clear that MMI’s federal countersuits against Microsoft are not going to trial anytime soon. There are several federal lawsuits going, and the earliest trial date is in late November 2012 — for the others I haven’t even seen a scheduling order, so they will hardly go to trial before 2013,” it reports. “In the meantime, Microsoft will get a decision on its ITC complaint against MMI.”

    The acquisition has been positioned by Google has mainly a defensive strategy to protect its Android operating system, with the help of the patents it receives from the Motorola deal.

    When the deal was announced, Google announced that Android has had 150 million devices activated. The company maintains that Android will remain open source, and Motorola Mobility will operated as a separate company without any favorable treatment.

    It’s manufacturer competitors have said things like:

    J.K. Shin, President of Samsung’s Mobile Communications Division said, “We welcome today’s news, which demonstrates Google’s deep commitment to defending Android, its partners, and the ecosystem.”

    Sony Ericsson President and CEO Bert Nordberg said, “I welcome Google‘s commitment to defending Android and its partners.”

    HTC CEO Peter Chou said, “We welcome the news of today‘s acquisition, which demonstrates that Google is deeply committed to defending Android, its partners, and the entire ecosystem.”

    LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company president and CEO Jong-Seok Park said, “We welcome Google‘s commitment to defending Android and its partners.”

    Those are just the public comments, and one can only imagine what is really being said outside of the spotlight.

    Jha said, “This transaction offers significant value for Motorola Mobility’s stockholders and provides compelling new opportunities for our employees, customers, and partners around the world. We have shared a productive partnership with Google to advance the Android platform, and now through this combination we will be able to do even more to innovate and deliver outstanding mobility solutions across our mobile devices and home businesses.”

    Google is getting more than just a phone maker with Motorola Mobility. Google baby monitors anyone?

    Motorola Products

    The Taiwanese Next Media Animation released one of its popular videos this week, dealing with the acquisition. Enjoy:

    Do you think the price of the acquisition was too low?

  • Google’s Motorola Acquisition Gets Taiwanese Animation Treatment

    When it was announced that Google purchased Motorola you knew it was only a matter of time before Taiwanese Next Media Animation got their hands on it. The creators of very odd, yet hilarious, reenactments of current news events depicting the $12.5 billion dollar acquisition.

    The video features Steve Jobs in a Darth Vader helmet, Larry Page and Sergey Brin “desperately searching for a second act”, and a Frankenstien-esque droid terrorizing Samsung and Nokia and their possibility of jumping on the Windows Phone bandwagon.

    For Google, in addition to the patents, included in the $12.5 billion package are Motorola Mobility’s 19,000 employees, $3 billion in cash, and $3.3 billion in revenue last quarter. But the real winners of this deal may be Motorola CEO and Chairman Sanjay Jha, who is reportedly going to make $90 million from the acquisition; or billionaire Carl Icahn, who just became $415 million richer,” they say about this new video.

    NMA is well known for their timely animations of current events. They’ve animated an odd Dark Knight Rises trailer, Supreme Court video game decision, and LulzSec attempted takedown of CIA.gov among others.

  • Motorola Mobility: Google to Get Into Baby Monitor Business?

    Everybody in the tech industry is talking about Google’s pending acquisition of Motorola Mobility, which Google has positioned as a defensive maneuver to protect Android from patent wars with the likes of companies like Microsoft and Apple.

    While that may very well be the main reason for Google’s most expensive acquisition to date (provided it gets regulatory approval), there are certainly other factors at play and other bonuses that Google gets with the acquisition.

    Henry Blodget at Business Insider thinks the whole thing could be a disaster. “Well, for starters, the deal creates major channel conflict: Google is now competing with its partners,” he writes. “And hardware manufacturing is an entirely different kind of business than Google’s core business. And hardware manufacturing is a crappy, low-margin commodity business. And Motorola is massive–Google has just increased the size of its company by 60%. And the deal appears to be purely a defensive move, not an offensive one. And so on.”

    HTC, Samsung, LG and Sony Ericsson have all lent their public support of the deal. They all pretty much say the same thing: “We welcome it.” I’m guessing the reaction isn’t quite as simple out of the public eye.

    Meanwhile, Larry Dignan at ZDNet gives six compelling reasons why it “makes sense” These (in a nutshell) are: “Integration may be all that matters” in wireless, the patents “treasure trove,” TV (Motorola’s set-top box business), Google can likely keep hardware partners “in the fold” at least for now, the deal forces Microsoft’s hand, and Android “boxes in Nokia and RIM”.

    The point about the set-top boxes is quite interesting. It’s no secret that Google TV hasn’t quite worked out the way the company hoped, at least as of yet. Could owning Motorola Mobility provide a needed boost to give Google TV more legs to stand on?

    There’s also things like:

    The Motonav GPS, Modems and routers, and even Baby Monitors. Here’s a look at Motorola’s product page:

    Motorola Products

    Then there’s the various software, like Motoblur, Media Link, Motospeak, etc.

    Motorola Software

    Last year, Motorola Mobility acquired Aloqa, a mobile service that notifies users of places, events, music, movies and other activities based on location and personalization. One has to wonder if Google will do something with this:

    Motorola Mobility also acquired Zecter last winter. This was a media sync/streaming company. This could come in handy as the company competes with Apple’s iCloud.

    At the time of this writing, Google stock is down 2.58%.

  • Google Motorola Deal: What Samsung, Sony Ericsson, HTC & LG Think About It

    As you may know, Google announced its intent to acquire Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion. The company has positioned the acquisition as a defensive strategy to “anti-competitive attacks” from companies like Apple and Microsoft.

    Google CEO Larry Page wrote on the official Google Blog this morning:

    We recently explained how companies including Microsoft and Apple are banding together in anti-competitive patent attacks on Android. The U.S. Department of Justice had to intervene in the results of one recent patent auction to “protect competition and innovation in the open source software community” and it is currently looking into the results of the Nortel auction. Our acquisition of Motorola will increase competition by strengthening Google’s patent portfolio, which will enable us to better protect Android from anti-competitive threats from Microsoft, Apple and other companies.

    The combination of Google and Motorola will not only supercharge Android, but will also enhance competition and offer consumers accelerating innovation, greater choice, and wonderful user experiences. I am confident that these great experiences will create huge value for shareholders.

    Here’s more on Google’s war of words with Microsoft on patents.

    Google has maintained that it will keep Motorola Mobility as a separate business, and that the acquisition will not change Android as an open source platform. Wondering what other Android manufacturers are thinking about the deal? Well, a few of them lent their words to Google’s mini-site for the acquisition.

    J.K. Shin, President of Samsung’s Mobile Communications Division said, “We welcome today’s news, which demonstrates Google’s deep commitment to defending Android, its partners, and the ecosystem.”

    Sony Ericsson President and CEO Bert Nordberg said, “I welcome Google‘s commitment to defending Android and its partners.”

    HTC CEO Peter Chou said, “We welcome the news of today‘s acquisition, which demonstrates that Google is deeply committed to defending Android, its partners, and the entire ecosystem.”

    LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company president and CEO Jong-Seok Park said, “We welcome Google‘s commitment to defending Android and its partners.”

    Nokia, of course, has a big deal in place with Google’s chief rival Microsoft.

    Motorola Mobility CEO Sanjay Jha said, “This transaction offers significant value for Motorola Mobility’s stockholders and provides compelling new opportunities for our employees, customers, and partners around the world. We have shared a productive partnership with Google to advance the Android platform, and now through this combination we will be able to do even more to innovate and deliver outstanding mobility solutions across our mobile devices and home businesses.”

    Google says that over 150 million Android devices have been activated.

    More on the acquisition here.

  • Android Up to 150 Million Devices Activated

    Android Up to 150 Million Devices Activated

    Google announced plans to acquire Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion, and discussing the acquisition on the Official Google Blog, Google CEO Larry Page also noted that over 150 million Android devices have been activated worldwide.

    Android must be doing quite well, as just last month during Google’s Q2 earnings call, Page announced the number to be 130 million. Apple announced it was up to 222 million iOS devices on its earnings call.

    He also said that over 550,000 devices are “now lit up every day.” That’s through 39 manufacturers, 231 carriers and 123 countries.

    “The combination of Google and Motorola will not only supercharge Android, but will also enhance competition and offer consumers accelerating innovation, greater choice, and wonderful user experiences,” said Page. “I am confident that these great experiences will create huge value for shareholders.”

    If you like the Android operating system, but aren’t high on Motorola for some reason, you shouldn’t have to worry if Google holds true to what it’s saying, which is that it will run Motorola Mobility as a separate business without giving it preferential treatment compared to other manufacturers like HTC, Samsung and others.

    Google maintains that Android will remain open source, and that the acquisition will not impact this.

    More on the acquisition here.

    Android