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Motorola Wins Microsoft Injunction

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There's no stopping the legal patent battles-- the German Mannheim Regional Court decides against Microsoft in a set of 4 lawsuits against Motorola, FOSS patents reports.

Microsoft MotorolaThe decision awards Motorola with an injunction against the distribution of Windows 7, Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player and the Xbox 360 console in Germany... an injunction the courts cannot currently enforce, as US courts issued a ruling back in April preventing Motorola from enforcing sales bans in Germany for the near future.

This particular legal battle involves patents covering the H.264 video codec. Motorola demands huge royalties (reaching $4 billion annually according to "conservative" estimates), despite an obligation to make licenses to such patents available under fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms.

The First Sony Ultrabooks

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Sony reveals its take on the ultrabook format with the VAIO T series-- a 17.8mm-thick model inside a brushed metal body, available in 11- or 13-inch options.

VAIO TIt carries an Intel Core i3 Sandy Bridge processor (no Ivy Bridge yet), 4GB RAM and integrated Intel HD 3000 graphics. Handling storage is either SSD or hybrid HDD-SSD.

Connectivity options include HDMI, VGA, RJ45, wifi, Bluetooth and SD/MMC media slot.

Sony says battery life (for SSD-only models, at least) reaches 9 hours, with an energy-efficient "deep sleep" mode storing data for up to 90 days.

Go Sony Debuts Ultrabook VAIO T Series

ViewSonic Ships Super-Thin LED Monitor

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ViewSonic announces the VX2460h-LED-- a backlit LED monitor the company says has the thinnest profile (6.8mm) available for its size and class category.

Viewsonic displayIdeal for enthusiasts and gamers, the VX2640h is a sleek 24" widescreen display using advanced imaging technologies to reduce eye fatigue after extended viewing.

It handles 1080p resolution, with 2ms response time and a 40000000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. Input come through x2 HDMI ports.

For your more environmentally-conscious customers, the VX2460h is mercury-free, Energy Star-certified and has an ECO-mode feature ViewSonic says delivers further energy savings.

Go ViewSonic

Samsung Beats Nokia, is Mobile Market Leader

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Samsung reports record profits for Q1 2012 as it gains mobile market share through Galaxy and Note sales while beating Japanese rivals in the TV stakes.

Samsung PhonesOperating profits for Q1 2012 total $5.15 billion (or 5.85 trillion won), with 98% Y-o-Y growth. Accounting for 73% of total profits is a strong mobile division, with profits reaching $3.8bn.

The Galaxy Note proved to be something of a dark horse for Samsung, emerging as the surprise consumer hit of recent months. The company should also launch the next Galaxy S flagship smartphone later this week.

Total Q1 Samsung handset sales reach 93.5 million-- or 25.4% of the global mobile market according to Strategy Analytics. Such numbers make Samsung the current WW biggest mobile vendor, as Q1 2012 Nokia sales reach 82.7m units (with 22.5% market share).

Microsoft and Barnes & Noble in Joint Venture

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Microsoft invests $300 million in a strategic partnership with Barnes & Noble-- forming a subsidiary with plans to take on Amazon by spinning off B&N's Nook and College businesses.

Barnes and MicrosoftThe new subsidiary will focus on eReaders and tablets and retain close relationship with the B&N bookstore company.

The first result of Microsoft's investment is a Windows 8 Nook app-- a move making plenty sense, seeing how Windows 8 is tablet-ready while Microsoft lacks an eReader strategy.

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