Samsung files another patent infringement case against Apple in Germany

And they are back again, in court of law of course! The legal battle between Samsung and Apple is here to grab some more eyeballs. And this time it is Samsung who has accused Apple for infringing four of its patents and has filed a fresh case in Germany on December16.

According to Samsung, a case has been registered with the Mannheim regional court against Apple accusing the Cupertino based company for allegedly infringing patents held by Samsung related to telecommunication and user interface.

The legal battle is on between the two technology giants since April this year when Apple first blamed Samsung for 'slavishly' copying the design of its iPhone and iPad. Recently this month Samsung has been able to secure two wins in separate cases in Australia where the judge dismissed Apple's request to extend the ban on Samsung Galaxy 10.1. And the second win comes from the US where Apple tried to enforce a preliminary injunction against Samsung's Galaxy range of handsets and tablet but the judge didn't give into Apple's appeal.

What next? Well there are still more than two dozen of patent cases pending between both the companies in court around the world.

Samsung now offering free games for Galaxy devices

Samsung who has secured a safe and handsome market share with its Galaxy range of devices is now offering a range of free games for the Galaxy devices. Samsung apps is offering up to 12 free games for the Galaxy Note which include Air Penguin, Air Attack HD, Riptide GP, Samurai 2, Grow, Paladog, Sprinkle and more.

Whereas the Galaxy S and Galaxy S II devices can download about 16 free games and have great fun. The free games include Air Penguin, Air Attack HD, Riptide GP, Samurai 2, Grow, Guru Planet, Bubble Fish, Trial Xtreme, Paladog, Sprinkle and more. Also the Galaxy Ace and Gio will get Air Penguin as a free game.

In an official statement Samsung said, "We are pleased to offer our users a promotion which enables them to download popular apps, optimized to their Galaxy smart device, for free. The apps we offer will challenge game lovers, while also raising awareness about Samsung Apps as an exclusive destination for Samsung smart device users."

Samsung offers 16 popular games for free for Galaxy smartphones

Samsung now offers 16 popular games for Galaxy smartphones for free on their Samsung Apps app store. They are also running Samsung App Tournament Event on their Facebook page that would let you win prizes. The list of supported devices include Samsung GALAXY Note, GALAXY S II HD, GALAXYS II, GALAXY S Wi-fi, Galaxy Ace and Galaxy Gio.
List of free Games from Samsung Galaxy Smartphones

Supported Device
GALAXY Note and more
GALAXY S II, GALAXY S and more
GALAXY Ace GALAXY Gio

Fans can enter Samsung App Tournament Event on their Facebook Page and vote for their favorite apps to win exciting prizes including Samsung Smart TVs, Samsung Slate PCs, and GALAXY Tab 10.1 Wi-fi. The contest is open to all countries and ends on 1st January 2012. Hurry!

Samsung to roll out Ice Cream Sandwich update for Galaxy devices starting Q1 2012

Samsung has officially announced that they plan to provide Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich for Galaxy devices from the first quarter of 2012. Samsung GALAXY S II and GALAXY Note would be the first devices to get this update in the first quarter of 2012 and other devices would follow soon.
The list of devices that are upgradable to ICS include, GALAXY S II, GALAXY S II LTE, GALAXY Note, GALAXY R, GALAXY Tab 10.1, GALAXY Tab 8.9, GALAXY Tab 7.7, and GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus.
They would make separate announcements on details of OS updates schedule for each market according to market situation and carriers’ requirements for these upgradable devices.
Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich brings redesigned user interface with improved multi-tasking, notifications, Wi-Fi hotspot, NFC support and a full Web browsing experience. It also features a new People App which lets users browse pictures, messages and social network updates from friends, family and co-workers.
Other features include, Face Unlock, which uses facial recognition to unlock the smartphone. Using NFC technology, Android Beam allows users to quickly share Web pages, apps and YouTube videos with friends by simply tapping two phones back-to-back. Users can even use fun effects while shooting video or video chatting with Google Talk

GSM Galaxy Nexus gets 4.0.2 update, 4.0.3 announced already

Google is on a roll with the Ice Cream Sandwich updates for the Galaxy Nexus. After releasing the 4.0.2 update for the LTE version of the Galaxy Nexus, the have now released the same update to its GSM sibling as well. This update brings the same changes as the one on the LTE version and is 8.7MB in size.


But that's not all. Google has also announced the upcoming 4.0.3 update for the Galaxy Nexus, which includes bug fixes, performance updates and new APIs for the developers that includes social stream API in Contacts provider, Calendar provider enhancements, improved access to camera features and improvement to accessibility features.
Google also wants 4.0.3 as the base version of Ice Cream Sandwich to be used by Android handset manufacturers. The update is said to be made available in the coming weeks.

Samsung files new patent claims against Apple in Germany

Not only is the legal battle in the mobile industry not showing any signs of slowing down, but it appears that it's still picking up speed. Today news came from a German court that Samsung has filed yet another claim against Apple.
The Koreans have extended their ongoing infringement case by adding four new patents. The new patents that Samsung says are violated include a couple of standard-related patents and two utility patents, including one related to the use of emoticons.


The regional court in Manheim spoke after the hearing on Friday and said it will announce its decision on March 2, according to Samsung officials. Apple spokespersons weren't available for comment, but we shouldn't expect to learn much before the lawsuit is over.
The only problem is that at the rate lawsuits are currently filed we can't see the whole court saga ending anytime soon.

Official Samsung Galaxy Nexus accessories go on preorder

If you are looking for a way to spice up your Galaxy Nexus user experience, we've got just the thing for you. The official accessories for the Android flagship just went on pre-order, so you can book a desktop dock or a car holder for your beloved smartphone right now.
The official accessory range includes a Desktop Dock with and HDMI port, a Desk Stand with a 3.5mm jack, a stand with a charging port for a second battery and a car holder that will let you turn your Galaxy Nexus into a proper SatNav replacement. All of the accessories feature a microUSB port so you can charge the phone while using them.
Sadly, none of the accessories is particularly cheap, but that is usually the case with official gear. The two docks and the vehicle holder will set you back £49.99, while the battery charger stand costs the easier to swallow £14.99.
If you are still interested you may follow the source link below and book your official Nexus accessories. Unfortunately, there's no saying when exactly they will become available, so if you want to get those as a Christmas present for you or someone else you better not risk it as they probably won't make it.

Samsung unveils ICS update schedule for Galaxy line

Samsung has already confirmed that certain models will be getting the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update, but now they've provided the full list along with some expected release dates.
The Samsung Galaxy S II and Samsung Galaxy Note will make the jump to ICS first, in the first quarter of 2012. The Google Nexus S by Samsung is already munching on Ice Cream Sandwich, but the Nexus line is a special case.
The other Galaxy phones that will receive the update are the Galaxy S II LTE and the Galaxy R. The new tablets will be getting it too - Tab 10.1, Tab 8.9, Tab 7.7 and Tab 7.0 Plus.
The update schedule for these models will be released later on. Samsung warns that the update might come at different times depending on your market and carrier.
The rest of the Galaxy line seems to be out of luck, at least as far as official means are concerned. You can always try a custom ROM though, we've already seen the Galaxy Ace run ICS.