Well, it looks like it's finally over, folks. Yes, I'm talking about the Nokia and Qualcomm patent feud that feels like it's been going on for the past century. Okay, so really they've only been fighting since April of 2007 but it sure has felt like a long time!   But now it's over without much fanfare. Basically, both sides agreed after ... continued »

There is a rumor floating around that RIM is working on a touch screen BlackBerry, which is code named AK, for Apple Killer. Putting aside the fact that the name makes it sound like another one of the pointless knock-offs and failed competition, the idea of a BlackBerry with a touch screen is intriguing. RIM usually does not do the ... continued »

Regardless of how crazy someone might look when waving their hands around in front of their phone, this idea seems like a winner. Samsung has just patented a system, in which a phone get information from the user based on hand gestures that the user makes. As you can see in the diagram, there are quite a few gestures that ... continued »

Samsung has patented a system of cellphone and mobile device control that responds to a users gestures, not on the screen as with the multitouch iPhone but as recognised in the space around the handset.  Using the cellphone's front-mounted camera, the software recognises preset motions and translates them into on-screen control.  For instance, pointing at the screen and then moving the ... continued »

Despite having only been available for less than 12 months, the iPhone's form-factor is already well-cemented; could an Apple handset sporting anything other than a full-face touchscreen be viewed as a true iPhone? Brand recognition is great, but it can be stifling as well, especially if you want to introduce new form-factors but still preserve the functionality you've built ... continued »

If your goal is to fit as large a keyboard, preferably full QWERTY, into as small a form-factor as possible, while still recognising that people like to use their cellphones in portrait orientation for calls and landscape for messaging, you've got yourself a challenge.  It's a challenge HTC's latest patent has taken on, though, using a nifty diagonal slider format ... continued »

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Apple must be blushing all over; a Microsoft patent has just shown up that documents "Stacking Data Wheels" in a format that many have compared to CoverFlow.  Dating back to 2006 but only just made public, the application suggests the system would be applied to mobile devices, such as Windows Mobile smartphones, ... continued »

A recent patent application by Sony Ericsson documents what could be the basis of the well-rumored PSP Phone which even the official Sony magazine has suggested is in development.  Titled "Orientation based multiple mode mechanically vibrated touchscreen display", the document basically describes a handset with a full touchscreen that can be reconfigured to display gaming or more traditional cellphone controls, using haptic feedback to ... continued »

The ongoing patent dispute between Qualcomm and Nokia has reached another milestone this week, as a UK high court judge issued a ruling in favour of Nokia, dismissing all of Qualcomm's GSM patent claims.  It makes for the second major decision in the Finnish company's favour, after the US International Trade Commission (ITC) similarly ruled in their favour back in December, ... continued »

A second RIM patent documenting a smartphone where the keyboard is hidden on a sliding panel has been published, submitted a month later than the first we saw at the beginning of February.  Titled "Hybrid portrait-landscape handheld device with trackball navigation and hide-away keyboard" the patent describes a smartphone similar to HTC's TyTN, with its QWERTY keyboard sliding out from behind ... continued »