| Nokia: 'We don't have a Plan B' Feb 8th 2012, 16:45 Wander into Nokia's corporate HQ and, if Victor Saejis is to believed, you'll be hard pressed to find any manilla folder bearing the legend "Plan B." The handset maker's European Manager told Swedish financial daily Dagens Industri that the company has no contingency plan in the event that Windows Phone loses out to Android and iOS saying that "Plan B is that Plan A is to succeed." It's a pretty unequivocal statement that Espoo's betting the farm on consumers embracing Microsoft's OS. Commenting on the company's recent troubles and winding down of Symbian and demise of MeeGo, he said "it's like starting all over again. But we must succeed in the U.S. if we are to succeed in the world" -- pretty honest, if a little disappointing to anyone who hoped there was an Android-powered white N9 lying in a Finnish skunkworks. Nokia: 'We don't have a Plan B' originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink  Slashgear |  DI.se (Translated) | Email this | Comments | | Baidu-powered Dell Streak Pro D43 gets hands-on treatment Feb 8th 2012, 16:22  Dell's dual-cored Streak Pro D43 has arrived in the hands of our colleagues over at Engadget Chinese. In a detailed tour of the first Baidu Yi smartphone, they've unearthed a built-in battery and perused the Super AMOLED Plus qHD display, tempered with Gorilla Glass. The casing is little thick (10.3mm) but by no means a deal-breaker, with a rubberized texture apparently helping to protect the phone if you're a little rough and ready with your devices. The Baidu platform is another Chinese interpretation of Google's feature-set, so you get the likes of email, maps, cloud services and voice input search -- in Mandarin, naturally. If you're intrigued by that Baidu base, scope out the full hands-on (and video walkthrough) over on our Sino sister site. Baidu-powered Dell Streak Pro D43 gets hands-on treatment originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Engadget Chinese (translated) | Email this | Comments | | HP Envy 14 Spectre available now, starts at $1,399 Feb 8th 2012, 15:53 Weeks after teasing the masses with bits of what it could become, the HP Envy 14 Spectre is quietly hitting the virtual shelves today. A whopping $1,399 (with an instant discount courtesy of Meg Whitman & Co.) will get you the entry level model. If that's indeed the route you're willing to take, you can be walking out with Intel's Core i5-2467M processor and HD Graphics 3000, as well as NFC capabilities, a 128GB SSD, 4GB of memory and a 14-inch BrightView Infinity LED (1366 x 768) display. Needless to say, if you feel like this isn't quite up to par with your standards, you can head over to the source and customize one to your heart's content. Meanwhile, you can check out our own preview of the Envy 14 Spectre to decide if it's the right fit for you. HP Envy 14 Spectre available now, starts at $1,399 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink Laptop Reviews | HP | Email this | Comments | | Apple asks European standards body for more transparency on FRAND licensing Feb 8th 2012, 15:05 With its legal battles intensifying across the globe, Apple has appealed to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute, calling for a more consistent approach to the licensing of essential patents. In a letter dated November 11th, Cupertino outlined its issues with today's licensing system, with a particular emphasis on patents licensed on a FRAND basis. According to Apple, the entire telecom industry lacks a "consistent policy" on FRAND licensing -- an issue that, not surprisingly, is especially critical to the company's ongoing court cases in Europe. Because of this inconsistency, Apple argues, patent royalty rates are often negotiated arbitrarily and in secret, resulting in abnormally high rates and, of course, plenty of lawsuits. "It is apparent that our industry suffers from a lack of consistent adherence to FRAND principles in the cellular standards arena," wrote Bruce Watrous, Apple's head of intellectual property. The company went on to suggest an alternative solution, calling for ETSI to establish "appropriate" FRAND licensing rates for companies to follow, adding that these rates should be limited to an industry-wide standard, and that companies should be barred from using industry-essential patents to force injunctions. Apple asks European standards body for more transparency on FRAND licensing originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | The Wall Street Journal | Email this | Comments | |
