ITT sues Verizon, phone makers aplenty over GPS patent

This one's pretty light on specifics at the moment, but it looks like manufacturing giant ITT Corp is none too happy with Verizon and a whole host of cellphone manufacturers including the likes of Motorola, Nokia, LG, and Kyocera, and it's now gone so far as to sue the whole lot over alleged patent infringement. Apparently, ITT thinks that the group of companies all violated one of its GPS patents that relates to position information being transmitted in urban areas with line-of-sight obstructions. As a result of that alleged wrong doing, ITT says it has been "irreparably harmed," and that it "has suffered, and will continue to suffer substantial damages." To remedy that situation, ITT is asking for a jury trial, unspecified royalties, and a permanent injunction against all of the defendants, although it is being kind enough to allow for an exemption for any activities necessary to support 911 emergency functions.

Nokia N78 Released in the US [Announcements]

Those of you who've been patiently waiting for your fancy new smartphone (you know, one that lacks any real buttons) will be happy to know that the Nokia N78 has been released in the US for $560. We pasted all the spec info after the jump in case you're in need of a refresher, but to pick up your N78 you'll have to venture to a Nokia flagship store in NY or Chicago—or just go online. But go online sounds too plebeian for purchasing a phone that costs as much as a laptop, no?

A perfect fusion of features and services - the Nokia N78 now available in US Newest Nseries device enhances the mobile lifestyle by merging new technologies and Ovi services New York, NY, USA - Starting today, convergence craving consumers across the United States can set their sights on the newest Nokia Nseries device to hit American store shelves, the Nokia N78. Combining advanced mobile features such as integrated A-GPS, a 3.2 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and high-speed HSDPA connectivity on North American 850/1900 MHz networks, the Nokia N78 is perfect for enjoying new Nokia services such as Nokia Maps and Share on Ovi. Along with this full suite of data features, the Nokia N78 has also been engineered for maximum voice and messaging performance as well. Now available through select consumer electronics and wireless retailers, online retailers and at the Nokia Flagship Stores in Chicago and New York, the Nokia N78 retails for approximately USD 560. Specific information on retailers offering the Nokia N78 and other Nseries devices can be found at www.nseries.com. "Offering the robust feature set expected from an Nseries device, the integration of these features with Nokia's new suite of Ovi services is what makes the Nokia N78 a perfect companion for a connected and mobile lifestyle," said William Plummer, Vice President of Go-to-Market for Nokia. "Whether using GPS to find my way across town, adding geotag information to the images I capture and upload to Share on Ovi, or using the FM transmitter to listen to my music collection through my car stereo, the Nokia N78 keeps me connected and entertained wherever I go." Each Nokia N78 includes a free three-month trial navigation license for the Nokia Maps service, which enables users to calculate routing information, provides details on up to 15 million different points of interest, and gives audible and visual turn-by-turn directions from point A to point B. With the integrated A-GPS, users can 'geotag' images they capture on the Nokia N78 with location information. With this information images uploaded to Share on Ovi or other selected image sharing sites can include not only when the picture was taken - but also where the picture was taken, even displaying that information visually on a map. For music fans, the Nokia N78 combines two exciting features - a digital music player and an integrated FM transmitter - to enable a complete audio experience. With storage for up to 8GB of music on an optional MicroSD memory card, a music collection can be easily shared and enjoyed in the home or car by playing it wirelessly through the FM radio. Yet another useful tool that the Nokia N78 offers is widget support enabled by Web Runtime technology. This functionality allows easy mobile access to valuable online information, including weather, sports, news and more. A wide variety of widgets are available through the Download! client on the Nokia N78 or through the MOSH mobile content distribution platform at http://mosh.nokia.com. To further enhance the overall experience of the Nokia N78, a variety of Nokia Original Accessories are also available. Offering exceptional sound in an over-the-ear style headset, the Nokia Stereo Headset WH-600 offers the perfect blend of comfort and sound quality. If the occasion calls for sharing tunes with a friend, the Nokia Bluetooth Stereo Speakers MD-7W offer full range sound in a compact easy to carry package. Unlike most portable speakers, the Nokia Bluetooth Stereo Speakers MD-7W features 3D sound, dynamic compression for optimal audio at all volume levels and dynamic bass control for powerful low frequencies.

[Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
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Lightning Review: Nokia E66 Slider Smartphone [Reviews]

The Gadget: The Nokia E66, a slim but luxurious GSM slider smartphone running Symbian S60, with Wi-Fi, GPS, 3G and a 3.2MP camera, to name a few of its many features. The Price: Around $500—official price not announced yet. The Verdict: It's good, but it's not $500 good, esp without a qwerty. The E66 is the first number-pad cellphone I've used in 3 years that I wasn't afraid of. Calls on the phone are loud and clear both directions. Its thin form factor and grippy textured back make it enjoyable to hold and you can perform a decent amount of functions without sliding up the top. It has tons of features and it doesn't half-ass any of them. Like the N95, it's got a decent flash camera that takes sharp pictures and video, and has options comparable to most point-and-shoots. The Wi-Fi and 3G load fast in the browser, and GPS found my position when I was outside. (It didn't locate me inside, though, like some phones with assisted GPS.) OTA app downloading was painless and so was setting up my Gmail account. Still, I have some beefs. Symbian doesn't feel very fast. Like many S60 devices, apps and options are buried deep in menus. The phone is too quick to auto-rotate between portrait and landscape modes, a feature that seemed pointless given the cramped real estate of the E66's 2.4" screen. Also, though there are third-party browsing options available that are probably much better, Nokia's built-in S60 browser sucks, plain and simple. It loads non-optimized pages in actual size so it's hard to navigate the screen, only allows for one page to be open at a time, and sorely needs touchscreen functions provided by other modern smartphone browsers. I hate to mention it, but there's a touchscreen phone coming out in a few days on the same network that costs $300 less. This is the problem with a lot of unsubsidized phones. [Product Page]

[Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
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Nokia 6205 Dark Knight Batphone is for Bruce Wayne Wannabes

As if you needed any more reason to get excited for the new Batman movie, the Nokia 6205 Dark Knight edition is coming soon. The black flip phone with the movie's logo on the back comes loaded with the trailer, as well as themed wallpapers, ringtones and screensavers. It also comes in white, if you hate Batman as much as Harvey Dent. The 6205s have 1.3MP cameras with flash, microSD slots expandable to 4GB, and external music controls. It's $120 before rebate with a two-year Verizon contract, press release below. [Verizon]

Verizon Wireless and Nokia team up to fight for Gotham City with the new Nokia 6205 phone Verizon Wireless Exclusive: Phone Debuts with Limited “The Dark Knight” Edition Inspired by one of the Summer’s Most Highly-Anticipated Movies BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – Verizon Wireless, builder and operator of the nation’s most reliable wireless network, and Nokia (NYSE: NOK), the world leader in mobility, today announced the availability of the Nokia 6205 The Dark Knight edition mobile phone. Celebrating the upcoming July 18 theatrical release of “The Dark Knight,” the Nokia 6205 The Dark Knight edition will be available exclusively online at www.verizonwireless.com beginning, Sunday, June 15. Clad in a mysterious black color and embellished with a subtle The Dark Knight emblem, this themed-edition flip phone comes pre-loaded with wallpapers, voice tones, animated screensavers inspired by the film, and a full movie trailer. The Nokia 6205 The Dark Knight edition has a generous set of features designed to enhance the mobile lifestyle. Touch-sensitive external music keys make it simple to access tracks purchased from Verizon Wireless’ V CAST Music service, while the crisp two-inch display that supports up to 262,000 colors, makes watching news, sports and entertainment content from V CAST Video more enjoyable. In addition, the Nokia 6205 The Dark Knight edition includes: o 1.3 megapixel camera with flash and 4x digital zoom
o 58 MB internal memory; expandable up to an additional 4 GB with an optional microSDв„ў memory card
o Support for text, picture and video messaging
o Get It NowВ®-capable for downloading games, ringtones, wallpapers and other mobile content
o VZ NavigatorSM-compatible for audible turn-by-turn directions and location information
o Mobile Web for access to the latest news, sports, weather and more
o Voice dialing and voice commands for touch-free phone operation
o Built-in speakerphone
o Bluetooth®-enabled for wireless headset support Like the phone, the unique packaging of the Nokia 6205 The Dark Knight edition is also sure to be a hit with fans, featuring iconic images drawn straight from Gotham City. Verizon Wireless customers will also find a Joker playing card with a code and a link to the www.fightforgothamcity.com Web site. Once on the Web site, customers can instantly find out if they have won The Joker’s “bag of cash” containing $10,000, play games to win more The Dark Knight-themed prizes, and download exclusive The Dark Knight content from Verizon Wireless’ V CAST service. The Nokia 6205 The Dark Knight edition will be available online for $69.99 after a $50 online instant rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. Following the premiere release of The Dark Knight edition, the standard edition of the Nokia 6205 phone – containing all of the same features and a striking metallic blue and silver color scheme – will be available both online and at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores next month. For more information about Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

[Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
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Nokia Maps 2.0 Now Available [Nokia]

The Nokia Maps 2.0 Beta we told you about back in February has matured into an official release, and is available now. The service is subscription-based for Nokia devices running the Symbian S60 operating system. It features more than 200 downloadable maps and points of interest for countries worldwide. The software is available for download at the Nokia link provided. Right. Now.
[Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
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Concept Nokia's People First, a Concept Cellphone that Encourages Hacking

Nokia's fired out some interesting concept phones this year, but this newest "People First" design centers more on the functionality of the device than its physical shape. The idea is based around what Nokia calls "three human universals of the way people think about communication" which are time, lists and people. So instead of being the standard pile of multi-option menus, the UI relies on a scrolling history list, with the most relevant and recent things popping onto the top.The phone would have a kind of dual-layer display: the main monochrome "history" scroller, and a smaller color display that deals with your selected options. At heart it's very simple, having just the "mobile essentials" of phone (or push-to-talk), camera, calendar and calculator. But this is where hacking comes in: the idea is that the phone would have widgets support, a simple and accessible programming language and openly available software and hardware specs. Presumably Nokia imagines a host of applications would arise, better-suited to user's needs than "default" applications, and saving them the bother of designing them too.

Matching the list-like, graphic-heavy nature of the UI, the phone would have a long, slender screen with a kind of jog-dial interface. Do we expect to see a real phone just like this anytime soon? Probably not. But we kind of like the direction this concept is taking— placing how people use their phones at the heart of design. What's your opinion guys: do you think this would work? [Nokia, Like Cool and Behance]

[Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
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Long Awaited Nokia E71 May Hit On May 8th

Based on its appearance on various Dutch retail sites, rumor has it that the long awaited Nokia E71 may be announced as early as May 8th. The device is expected to feature 3G connectivity, a 3.2 megapixel camera, GPS navigation and Wi-Fi in a 112 x 57 x 10 mm package. [MPHD via Unwired View via BGR]

[Via: Gizmodo, The Gadget Blog ]
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