Samsung’s recent run of television commercials depicted iPhone owners as mindless hipster sheep who line up for days just to get their hands on a boring incremental update. While Samsung and its advertising firm had some fun poking at Apple and its legions of dedicated fans, the truth was made known during an interview earlier this year with Samsung marketing boss Younghee Lee: Samsung wants people to be obsessed with its products just like they are with Apple’s products.

The South Korea-based consumer electronics giant still has plenty of work left to do before it manages to build a formidable sSheep army, but the company’s dreams began to come true on Tuesday — Samsung took a page from Apple’s book as lines full of anxious consumers began to form ahead of the Galaxy S III launch.

One such line was captured on video, as noted by CNNMoney, and while it doesn’t quite measure up to lines we have seen outside Apple Stores in the past, launch-day lines certainly aren’t the norm in today’s crowded smartphone market. A successful global launch of Samsung’s latest flagship phone is paramount as the company looks to create more hype surrounding its devices and continue its record-setting run that has been fueled by strong smartphone sales.

The video of a line forming outside a Samsung store at the Westfield Stratford City mall in London recorded by YouTube user MrThaiBox123 follows below.

[Via CNNMoney]

Apple makes use of a number of open source technologies in its software products, but operating systems like iOS and OS X are hardly considered “open.” Apple has tight control over nearly every aspect of its mobile and desktop operating systems, ensuring that its products come as close as possible to resembling Apple’s vision from the moment they reach consumers’ hands until they are eventually replaced. While no one can deny the fact that Apple’s strategy has been a recipe for success thus far, a number of pundits believe Apple needs to loosen its grip on iOS and OS X if it hopes to maintain this success moving forward. Now, digital freedom fighters at the Electronic Frontier Foundation have weighed in on the issue.

“Apple’s recent products, especially their mobile iOS devices, are like beautiful crystal prisons, with a wide range of restrictions imposed by the OS, the hardware, and Apple’s contracts with carriers as well as contracts with developers,” the EFF’s Micah Lee and Peter Eckersley wrote in a post on the group’s blog. “Only users who can hack or ‘jailbreak’ their devices can escape these limitations.”

Apple pundits argue that this very notion is the reason Apple’s products are so successful. According to the EFF, however, consumers are being hurt by Apple’s closed model. Using the iOS App Store as an example, the group states that Apple is locking down its devices and preventing users from accessing an endless supply of great apps since only software approved by Apple makes it into the App Store.

“Apple changed the way we think about mobile computing with the iPhone, but they have also lead the charge in creating restrictive computers and restrictive marketplaces for software,” the EFF wrote. “You may have purchased an iPad, but unless you’ve exploited a vulnerability in iOS to jailbreak it, there are many things you cannot install on it. The App Store has thousands of apps to choose from, but your choices are limited to apps that both Apple has approved, and which can function without ‘root’ or ‘administrator’ privileges.”

The organization continued, “Apple has been known to reject or remove apps from sale because of their content (WikiLeaks app banned, eBook reader with access to Kama Sutra banned), for not using Apple to process payments, and for being capable of executing code that Apple can’t approve. While Apple’s policies have improved in the the years since the iPhone first launched, the company still maintains total control over what apps are available to consumers. Unlike Android, iOS does not have an option to install apps from sources other than the App Store.”

Lee and Eckersley conclude that Apple and its customers would be best served if the company takes the advice of Apple co-founder and former executive Steve Wozniak, who recently called for the Cupertino, California-based company to open its platforms for those who wish to alter them or add functionality not approved by Apple. ”No place, and no system, can be perfect if it denies its citizens the freedom to change it, or the freedom to leave,” the EFF said.

Apple CEO Tim Cook opened up All Things Digital’s tenth annual conference on Tuesday evening and while no one expected any product announcements during his time on stage with Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher, all eyes were on Cook during one of his first public appearances as CEO. Highlights from the interview:

• Cook believes the system that governs standards-essential patents is broken, and he says that Apple’s ongoing patent disputes with rival vendors like Samsung and HTC are a “pain in the ass.” We’re sure Samsung, HTC and other vendors targeted by Apple would agree.
• While the company is considering killing off its social network flop “Ping,” integration with social services like Facebook will play a more important role in iOS moving forward.
• Tim Cook would like to see his company launch products that are made in America.
• Where Apple’s voice-controlled virtual assistant Siri is concerned, Cook made it clear that big things are coming in the next few months. “There’s more that it can do,” Cook said. “We have a lot of people working on this. You’ll be really pleased with the things you’ll see over the coming months. The breadth that you’re talking about… we’ve got some cool ideas about what Siri can do. We have a lot going on on this.”
• Cook wouldn’t comment specifically on the upcoming “iTV” Apple is widely rumored to be readying for launch, but he did say Apple will focus more on the television market moving forward. ”This is an area of intense interest for us,” Cook said while speaking about Apple TV, noting that Apple has sold more than 2.7 million Apple TVs so far in 2012. “We’re going to keep pulling this string and see where it takes us.” Some reports suggest Apple’s HDTV will launch in the fourth quarter this year.
• While he obviously didn’t get into specifics, the CEO mentioned that we can expect exciting new product launches from Apple in the near future. Apple’s annual WWDC convention kicks off next month and the rumor mill suggests we’ll see new MacBooks and iMacs unveiled with Retina Displays.

Social networks like Facebook and Twitter are become focal points of our digital lives, and just as they did with email and other popular digital technologies, spammers are looking to capitalize. According to Mark Risher, chief executive officer of anti-spam software company Impermium, spammers are responsible for creating as much as 40% of the accounts on popular social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. “Social spam can be a lot more effective than e-mail spam,” Risher told Bloomberg Businessweek in a recent interview. “The bad guys are taking to this with great abandon.” Roughly 8% of messages sent on social networks are spam according to Risher, and that figure has doubled in the past six months, the spam expert estimates. Businessweek notes that companies like Twitter and Facebook are beginning to increase their efforts to quell spam, having recently sued several perpetrators and increased their respective investments in anti-spam personnel and resources.

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Social networks like Twitter and Facebook are among the thousands of sites monitored for suspicious activity by the Department of Homeland Security, and the government agency was recently forced to tip its hand. As part of a freedom of information request made by watchdog group Electronic Privacy Information Center, DOHS recently published a list of hundreds of words and terms it watches for on social media sites. Some are obvious, such as Al Qaeda, terrorism and domestic nuclear detection, while others are potentially a bit more innocent such as Mexico, social media and burst. Innocent or not, the wrong combination of the terms published in this list could result in a user’s online activity being monitored by DOHS — and if they don’t like what they see, users could end up being watched more closely. A spokesperson for the government agency called the list a starting point used to maintain situational awareness of natural and man-made threats, rather than an endgame.

[Via Daily Mail]

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Samsung’s flagship smartphone for 2012 is now available in 28 countries around the world but unfortunately, the United States is not one of them. The Galaxy S III Android smartphone saw record demand ahead of its launch, and now the handset is available in more than two dozen markets globally. First announced at a press conference in London earlier this month, the Galaxy S III features an ultra-thin design that was inspired by nature. Spec highlights include a quad-core 1.4GHz Exynos processor, a 4.7-inch 720p HD display, an 8-megapixel camera, 1GB of RAM, 4G LTE connectivity, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and a case that is just 8.6 millimeters thick. The international version of the Galaxy S III is currently available for preorder in the U.S., however carrier-branded versions not expected to launch until some time this summer.

Strong orders of Apple’s next-generation MacBook laptops are causing labor shortages within the Cupertino, California-based consumer electronics company’s Asian supply chain, a recent report claims. Citing multiple unnamed sources, Digitimes on Monday reports that heavier than expected MacBook orders have created labor shortages so serious at some Apple suppliers that they have been forced to outsource orders to meet shipment schedules. The report notes that May and June are typically slower months among PC component suppliers in eastern China, however Apple’s orders have caused recent labor shortage issues to grow more serious. New MacBook laptops and iMac all-in-one PCs will reportedly launch this summer. Apple’s new notebook computers are expected to be thinner than previous models, and both the MacBook Pro and iMac lineups are expected to include new high-definition Retina displays. Apple’s next-generation MacBook Air laptops may be updated with Retina displays as well, recent reports claim.

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Research In Motion will reportedly lay off at least 2,000 workers as the company struggles to regain its footing in a smartphone market dominated by just two vendors. RIM added two new executives earlier this month, chief marketing officer Frank Boulben and chief operating officer Kristian Tear, but the Waterloo, Ontario-based smartphone maker is now preparing to make more drastic moves in an effort to cut costs, The Globe and Mail reported. The restructuring may begin in the next two weeks according to the report, and more than 10% of RIM’s global workforce of approximately 16,500 will be affected. RIM’s smartphone business has declined rapidly in the past few years as Apple and Samsung have risen to dominate the industry. In the first quarter this year, Apple is estimated to have accounted for 80% of global smartphone profits among major vendors while Samsung took in the remaining 20%. RIM plans to respond in the fourth quarter with the launch of its first BlackBerry 10-powered smartphone, code-named the BlackBerry London.

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Facebook has reportedly hired more than half a dozen former Apple engineers as part of renewed efforts to build an own-brand smartphone. According to a recent report from The New York Times, the hires are comprised of former hardware and software engineers who worked on the iPhone, and one engineer who worked on the iPad. Why the renewed interest in a Facebook phone? “Mark is worried that if he doesn’t create a mobile phone in the near future that Facebook will simply become an app on other mobile platforms,” an anonymous Facebook employee reportedly told the Times. Rumors of the “Facebook phone” resurfaced last month after the rumor mill had been silent on the matter for some time. The previous round of rumors suggesting Facebook was working with HTC on an own-brand phone were off base; HTC ended up launching a pair of low-end smartphones with dedicated Facebook sharing buttons rather than a Facebook-branded device. It may have been for the best, however — a study conducted earlier this year found that most consumers wouldn’t be interested in a smartphone offering from Facebook.

Pennsylvania-based law firm Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP on Friday filed a class action lawsuit against Facebook regarding the handling of its initial public offering, which was made on March 18th. On the day of its IPO, the company was hit with a privacy-related class action lawsuit seeking $15 billion in damages. This new complaint, which was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, charges Facebook and multiple officers, directors and underwriters with violating the Securities Act of 1933 by failing to disclose or disregarding material adverse facts that were known to them.

“The Complaint asserts that defendants failed to disclose at the time of the IPO that Facebook was then experiencing a severe and pronounced reduction in revenue growth due to an increase in users of its Facebook mobile applications (“apps”) or website through mobile devices rather than through personal computers,” the firm said in a release.

The firm continued, “Additionally, defendants failed to disclose during the roadshow conducted in connection with the IPO, certain Underwriter Defendants reduced their second quarter and full year 2012 performance estimates for Facebook, which revisions were material information which was not shared with all Facebook investors, but rather, was selectively disclosed by defendants to certain preferred investors and omitted from the Offering Materials.”

Investors who purchased Facebook stock can join the class on the firm’s website if they wish to participate in the suit, which is still seeking a lead plaintiff.

Usage of Apple’s third-generation iPad in the United States has passed the original iPad model after just over two months of availability. According to a recent report from software analytics firm Localytics, Apple’s latest iPad captured a staggering 14% of the U.S. iPad market in just four days when Apple sold more than 3 million devices during the tablet’s debut. Now, a week and two months after the third iPad launched on March 16th of this year, the new model’s share of U.S. usage topped 20% during the week of May 16th, narrowly surpassing the original model for the first time. Apple’s first iPad tablet launched in the U.S. on April 3rd, 2010 — more than two years ago — and was available for purchase at a discounted price until the third-generation iPad launched in March of this year. According to Localytics, Apple’s iPad 2 currently accounts for 60% of all iPad usage in the U.S.

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CBS, Fox and NBC have independently filed lawsuits against Dish Network, claiming its new automatic commercial-deleting service Auto Hop violates copyright laws; Fox even goes as far as to state that Auto Hop is “destroying the fundamental underpinnings of the broadcast television ecosystem.” Auto Hop is a feature launched recently for Dish Network’s Hopper DVR. When enabled, the free add-on allows users to automatically skip over commercials aired during prime time shows on each of the four major television broadcast networks — ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC. Networks took issue with the feature immediately, of course, and now complaints have been filed by three of the four affected networks, BGR sister site Deadline reports. Dish has already filed its own complaint with a New York district court seeking a declaratory judgement that its new service is “in full compliance with copyright law and its re-broadcast agreements.”

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iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users running the latest version of Apple’s iOS software now have access to full-featured untethered jailbreak software courtesy of iOS hackers Chronic Dev Team and pod2g. The software needed to perform the jailbreak, Greenpis0n Absinthe 2.0, is now available for download and is compatible with A4-powered devices like the original iPad and the iPhone 4, as well as newer A5-powered devices like the new iPad and iPhone 4S, JailbreakUntethered reports. The updated software allows users to jailbreak their newer A5-powered iOS devices without having to connect to a computer while booting, though it is not compatible with iPad 2 models powered by Apple’s newer 32-nanometer chipset. Download links for Greenpois0n Absinthe 2.0 and a how-to guide details each step of the jailbreaking process can be found through the read link below.

UPDATE: A large number of users are reporting problems with the new software and as such, users may want to wait for a subsequent release before attempting to jailbreak their devices.

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Note: For those asking, Typophone 4 is the name of the lock screen theme pictured above, and it is available for free in Cydia.

GameFly announced on Wednesday that it plans to begin publishing mobile games for Apple’s iOS platform and Google’s Android operating system. In addition, the video game rental service plans to further expand into mobile by launching its own Android app store to take on the Google Play store.  ”GameFly is dedicated to giving consumers the best user experience possible, and to be their single destination for console, PC and mobile gaming needs,” GameFly co-founder Sean Spector said in a statement. “We plan to be a leading player in mobile games by launching our retail GameStore for Android and helping to fund mobile developers of all sizes to publish, promote and sell their smartphone and tablet games.” The GameFly GameStore will launch this fall on Android tablets and smartphones. GameFly’s full press release follows below.

GameFly To Publish Mobile Games For iOS And Android Platforms And Launch GameFly GameStore For Android

LOS ANGELES, May 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — GameFly, Inc., the leading video game service, announced today its plans to begin publishing mobile games for the iOS and Android platforms, as well as launching the independent GameFly GameStore for Android later this fall. Continuing its foray into digital initiatives, the company has set aside a game development fund to work with mobile developers that are in the process of making a great game, but need the extra resources to publish and promote their titles. GameFly will also expand its mission to be the top resource for all gaming needs, offering expertly curated Android games in the GameFly GameStore with thousands of the best games and daily deals. With its large social network for gamers, game discovery will also be made easier via friend recommendations, and ratings and reviews from fellow gamers.

“GameFly is dedicated to giving consumers the best user experience possible, and to be their single destination for console, PC and mobile gaming needs,” said Sean Spector, GameFly co-founder and SVP of Business Development and Content. “We plan to be a leading player in mobile games by launching our retail GameStore for Android and helping to fund mobile developers of all sizes to publish, promote and sell their smartphone and tablet games.”

GameFly is currently accepting submissions from mobile game developers at GameDev@GameFly.com, and expects to publish its first title this summer. The GameFly GameStore will be available for Android phones and tablets by this holiday season. GameFly’s Game of the Day feature was launched on the popular GameFly mobile App in April, enabling iOS users to discover high quality games or find great deals on titles they may have missed.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation recently formed a new unit tasked with developing technologies that enable more effective means of monitoring Internet, mobile and VoIP communications, CNET reported. The secretive new unit, reportedly called the Domestic Communications Assistance Center, aims to develop new surveillance technologies that make it easier for law enforcement to spy on suspects as they communicate using modern technology. Joined by agents from the U.S. Marshals Service and the Drug Enforcement Agency, the FBI reportedly formed the DCAC because it believes technology has developed too quickly, leaving law enforcement without the tools necessary to effectively monitor these new communications channels.

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