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Thursday 05 July 2012

Video: Fat Thumb Promises Better One Handed Smartphone Use [ 05-07-2012 17:26 ]

Author: Serge Novikov Source: University of Calgary Translation by:

Modern smartphones have certainly brought a lot more to the table in terms of features and functionality ... if you can use both hands to operate them. Trying to get the usual level of performance from your smartphone using just one hand is often problematic at best, and at worst results in dropped phones or simply not bothering. Researchers at the University of Calgary are attempting to overcome the one handed operation shortcomings using a new system called Fat Thumb. The premise is pretty simple; the system relies on pressure for input with a light touch of the thumb counting as a single tap and a harder press, using more of the thumb's surface area, counting as a multi-touch gesture. The project is still at an early stage, but check out some of its capabilities in the video below:

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Judge In Apple/Moto Case Thinks Patents Bad For Technology Industry [ 05-07-2012 17:22 ]

Author: Serge Novikov Source: Reuters Translation by: Paul Smith

Last month a Chicago judge threw out the whole Aple vs Motorola case before him. That in itself was an interesting development, but the judge has now given an interview to Reuters and it makes for even more interesting reading. Specifically the judge, Judge Posner, expressed his views on the patent system and how it is affecting the industry. Posner himself actually volunteered for the case and described himself as being 'really neutral', being a BlackBerry user, although he did have an iPhone that he ays he only used for calls and emails. Summing up his position he stated "I'm not actually that interested in becoming part of the smarthone generation".

In Posner's view the technology industry is akin to the law of the jungle, it's survival of the fittest. He views companies using the legal system as similar to an animal using every tool nature has provided it in order to survive. In that sense, Posner said, the companies shouldn't be blamed for looking towards the legal system to get one over on their rivals as they are merely using the tools that the system has provided them.

However, Posner thinks that the patent system isn't best suited to the technology industry. He points out that pharmaceutical industry has to invest far more money to develop a successful drug and that as such intellectual property claims make more sense there. By comparison developments in software tend to cost far less and even without a patent a company developing some new software innovation would still have the benefit of being the first to bring it to market. With devices becoming ever more sophisticated each feature has its very own patent, sometimes numbering in the thousands for each device. Every single one of them is a potential legal case.

Posner summed it all up: "It's not clear that we really need patents in most idustries. You just have this proliferation of patents. It's a problem".

Posner isn't a lone voice either it has to be said. With the global patent wars between technology companies in recent years more than a few have pondered at how well the patent system is working and how much it protects versus how much it retards the industry.

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