| Apple secures patent on multiple-arm, multiple-frequency antenna design Mar 27th 2012, 14:38  If not for Leap Day, Apple would've seen this one granted a year to the day after it was filed; as it stands, 365 days will just have to do. At any rate, Apple has not only managed to secure a patent this fine morning for an ejectable SIM tray, but also one for an antenna isolation apparatus. In simple(ish) terms, the patent details an antenna structure in a portable electronic device that's comprised of "first, second, and third resonating elements aligned along a common axis parallel to a ground plane," with a multiple-arm, multiple-frequency design taking shape. It's also pretty clear that the intention here is to reduce radio-frequency interference between the antennas -- something that'll prove increasingly important as wave support is added in future iPhones. Unfortunately, there's no word on whether this patent will allow AT&T-infused iPhone 5 handsets to display "7G" in the indicator bar.
Apple secures patent on multiple-arm, multiple-frequency antenna design originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 10:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink |  USPTO | Email this | Comments | | Samsung launches Switch Grip QF20 WiFi camcorder, shoot with both guns Mar 27th 2012, 14:33 Samsung trotted out a cluster of new video shooters back at CES, including a refresh of its hand-impartial HMX-Q10 movie maker. Now, it looks like sinister filmmakers can finally get their (left) paws on the WiFi enabled QF20. The debut also brings with it mention of a few minor details that we didn't hear about in Vegas, namely an on board "BGM" background music tool, a 230,000 pixel count on the LCD viewfinder, and news that the sensor is a 5-megapixel BSI CMOS affair. If this sounds like the answer to your camera-handling dreams, Samsung wants ₩449,000 (about $395) no matter which hand you reach for your wallet with.Samsung launches Switch Grip QF20 WiFi camcorder, shoot with both guns originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 10:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Samsung Tomorrow | Email this | Comments | | Apple patents ejectable SIM card tray as nano-SIM battle rages on Mar 27th 2012, 13:48 We're guessing it's just coincidental timing here, but it looks as if Apple has been granted a patent surrounding "ejectable component assemblies" that are designed to be "flush with the external surfaces of the housings of the devices, despite variations in their manufacture." In other words, a SIM card tray. Granted, there's no specific verbiage in the independent claims of this one letting us know what exact size we're talking about, so it's highly unlikely that a patent application filed in December of 2010 (but granted today) would be directly referencing the nano-SIM war that's currently ongoing. That said, the description most certainly sounds like the tray that we've seen throughout the iPhone's life cycle, and if Apple's trying to go small in future handsets, there's a better than average chance that the ejection mechanism will be all too familiar. Legalese lovers can find the usual load down in the source link. Apple patents ejectable SIM card tray as nano-SIM battle rages on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink  Slashgear | USPTO | Email this | Comments | | LG Lucid becomes official on Verizon, can be yours March 29th for $80 Mar 27th 2012, 13:43 That LG Lucid we've heard so much about lately? Yep, it's real, and Verizon is now ready to publicly acknowledge its existence.The LTE-capable device resides in the mid-range, but for $80 (with a two-year commitment and after a $50 mail-in rebate) you're getting a 4-inch display covered in Gorilla Glass, 1.2GHz dual-core CPU, 1GB of RAM, 5MP rear-facing camera with 1080p video capture and a front-facing cam of unknown resolution. And for the folks keeping track at home, the Lucid will be shipping with Gingerbread installed, though Verizon is quick to admit that ICS is in the works. Sound like your cup o' tea? You won't have to wait long -- it's heading your way on March 29th. Continue reading LG Lucid becomes official on Verizon, can be yours March 29th for $80 LG Lucid becomes official on Verizon, can be yours March 29th for $80 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | Samsung's own Facebook page shows Galaxy Note wearing Ice Cream Sandwich Mar 27th 2012, 13:18 Hard to believe we're mere months from learning all about Android 5.0, and the lion's share of Android devices haven't even heard of v4.0. That said, Samsung already promised that its polarizing Galaxy Note would be grabbing ICS in the second quarter of this year, and it looks as if the company's designers already have an inkling as to what that'll look like. Shown here at Samsung Mobile USA's official Facebook portal, we have one Galaxy Note sporting Ice Cream Sandwich, but there's no fuss made about (officially, anyway) in the description below. We'd probably still hope for late Q2 based on history, but perhaps the update really is closer to seeing the light of day than we'd been led to believe. [Thanks, Binyamin] Samsung's own Facebook page shows Galaxy Note wearing Ice Cream Sandwich originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Samsung USA (Facebook) | Email this | Comments | | MLB.tv lands on Xbox 360, gets cozy alongside ESPN and UFC Mar 27th 2012, 13:01 You knew it was coming, and now Microsoft's ready to make MLB.tv on your Xbox 360 official. Just like previous sporting efforts on the console, Redmond's gone and built a custom layer atop a partner's content in hopes of creating a richer and more immersive experience. A premium MLB.tv subscription still applies here, which'll grant you access to HD streams of every out-of-market game -- all of which are watchable live, in recap or archived forms. We liked the "My Teams" functionality which enabled us to quickly earmark content from teams we cared about, which makes triaging through MLB's rather large catalog far more palatable. There's a spiffy mini guide too, which makes for swapping between games a painless affair, in addition to split screen view, where two games are splayed side-by-side -- each which can be paused, or rewound to your hearts content. And it wouldn't be a party if gesture and voice controls, courtesy of Kinect, didn't make an appearance here too. So go peep that dashboard for the update, or hop past the break for a demo video of the whole shindig. Continue reading MLB.tv lands on Xbox 360, gets cozy alongside ESPN and UFC MLB.tv lands on Xbox 360, gets cozy alongside ESPN and UFC originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | |
