On those rare occasions when the U.S. gets an HTC handset before it makes its way to market across the pond, we have no choice but to feel some odd sense of satisfaction… until we inevitably hear that said handset will finally launch abroad. And that is exactly the case today — even if it is just the HTC Aria. Actually, this slick little Android kit is nothing to scoff at despite its diminutive stature. When the Gratia launches across Europe next month, it will feature the Android 2.2 OS, a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen, a 5-megapixel camera and plenty more; all in a tight little 4.06-ounce package that stands just over 4-inches tall. Sure, once the Gratia launches we’ll have one less thing to hold over the heads of our European friends, but until then we can all hold our Arias high. Hit the jump for the full press release and a shot of the Gratia looking sleek in white (something our European friends will no doubt hold over our heads next month).

HTC LAUNCHES SLEEK AND COMPACT HTC GRATIA FOR EUROPEAN MARKETS

LONDON, UK – 18 October, 2010 – HTC Corporation, a global designer of smartphones, today announced the European launch of HTC Gratia, a rich and elegant addition to Android’s smartphone portfolio.

Combining style and functionality, the sleek and compact HTC Gratia features a seamless wrap-around soft-cover that eliminates hard edges and a five megapixel colour camera with auto focus. At just over four inches in length and weighing 4.06 ounces, it packs power thanks to Android 2.2 – the latest version of Android.

HTC Gratia also embodies the acclaimed HTC Sense™ experience, which places you at the centre, by making your phone work in a more personal and natural way, while providing unexpected features that put a smile on your face. It also offers you more ways to stay connected with Friend Stream – an application that brings all of your Facebook, Twitter and Flickr updates into a single, organized flow of updates – making keeping in touch with friends on social networks even easier.

“HTC’s mantra is to provide a unique mix of experience and choice to people using our phones,” said Florian Seiche, President of HTC Europe, Middle East and Africa. “HTC Gratia offers something completely different. Its compact size, beautiful design and power with Android 2.2, combined with its personalised experience through HTC Sense, is uniquely compelling. We can’t wait to bring HTC Gratia to our customers in Europe.”

Availability
The HTC Gratia will be available through mobile operators and retailers across major European markets from November 2010.

Texas-based InNova Patent Licensing LLC has filed a broad lawsuit against thirty-six defendants accusing them of infringement upon an email spam patent that was granted to InNova founder Robert Uomini. The patent describes a method of identifying incoming email as spam by using external context information obtained from the sender and according to Christopher Banys, lead counsel for InNova, it is “one of the building blocks for all email communications”. The thirty-six defendants are a motley crew and include technology giants like Google, Apple, Yahoo, RIM, and HP, retail giants like JCPenney Co., food manufacturers such as Frito-lay and Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Inc, and finance stalwarts including JPMorgan Chase & Co and Wells Fargo & Company. Full press release is after the jump.

The Lanier Law Firm Files Infringement Lawsuit Over Email Spam Patent

MARSHALL, Texas, July 21 /PRNewswire/ — The Lanier Law Firm is announcing a patent infringement lawsuit filed on behalf of Longview, Texas-based InNova Patent Licensing LLC against a group of 36 corporate defendants accused of infringing an InNova patent that represents one of the cornerstones of email communications.

The lawsuit, filed July 20, 2010, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in Marshall, names some of the world’s most recognizable companies as defendants, including iPhone maker Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), retailer JCPenney Co. (NYSE: JCP), search engine giant Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) and others. The case is InNova Patent Licensing, LLC v. 3Com Corporation, et al., No. 2:10-cv-00251.

The federal lawsuit focuses on a revolutionary InNova patent, U.S. Patent No. 6,018,761, that covers technology used to differentiate between spam email messages and those that users actually want to receive. The InNova patent was awarded to inventor and mathematician Robert Uomini nearly 15 years ago when Internet email was still in its formative stages. Mr. Uomini is the founder of InNova.

Patent-infringement attorney Christopher Banys, lead counsel for InNova, says the company’s patent is one of the building blocks for all email communications. InNova’s complaint alleges that the defendant companies have used InNova’s invention without permission for years.

“Email as we know it would essentially stop working if it weren’t for InNova’s invention,” says Mr. Banys, who leads The Lanier Law Firm’s national intellectual property practice. “More than 80 percent of email is spam, which is why companies use InNova’s invention rather than forcing employees to wade through billions of useless emails. Unfortunately, the defendants appear to be profiting from this invention without any consideration for InNova’s legal patent rights.”

In addition to Apple, JCPenney and Google, the lawsuit also names as defendants 3Com Corporation; Alcatel-Lucent Holding, Inc.; American International Group, Inc.; AOL, Inc.; Bank of America Corporation; Capital One Auto Finance, Inc.; Capital One Financial Corporation; Cinemark, Inc.; Cinemark Holdings, Inc.; Citigroup, Inc.; Crossmark, Inc.; Dell, Inc.; Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Inc.; Ericsson, Inc.; Frito-Lay, Inc.; Frito-Lay North America, Inc.; Hewlett-Packard Company; HP Enterprise Services, LLC; International Business Machines Corporation; J.C. Penney Corporation, Inc.; J.C. Penney Life Insurance Company; J.C. Penney Mexico, Inc.; J.C. Penney Reinsurance Company; JCP Publications Corp.; JPMorgan Chase & Co.; McAfee, Inc.; Perot Systems Corporation; Rent-A-Center, Inc.; Research in Motion Corporation; Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software, Inc.; Symantec Corporation; Wells Fargo & Company; and Yahoo!, Inc.

With offices in Los Angeles, Palo Alto, Houston and New York, The Lanier Law Firm is committed to addressing client concerns with effective and innovative solutions in courtrooms across the country. The firm is composed of outstanding trial attorneys with decades of experience handling cases involving pharmaceutical liability, asbestos exposure, intellectual property, business litigation, product liability, toxic exposure and maritime law.

Did we nail it or what? Today Rogers announced the creation of chatr, the low-cost wireless brand we exclusively told you about last week. Created to serve what Rogers calls a “niche” market that is not currently served by its flagship and value brands Rogers Wireless and Fido, chatr will offer no contract voice and text plans as well as unlimited talk and text plans. Data is not a part of chatr’s game plan. According to Rogers, the big draw of chatr is not only its great plans, but that for the first time it gives urbanites who simply want to make calls and send texts affordable service from a “network they can trust.” We were pretty curious about the timing of this launch, what with WIND Mobile now being half a year old and Mobilicity having only been on the scene for six weeks, so we asked Rogers about it. Surprisingly, they were adamant that they could not care less what their competitors are doing or where it is they are operating. They were quick to point out that chatr has been one year in the making and that it actually designed to mimic business model that allowed MetroPCS to go from a small time carrier to the 5th largest in the United States. Sadly this was about as much extra information as we could squeeze out of Rogers. As much as they want to get chatr up and running today, they’ve still got a few more things to do behind the scenes before it launches by the end of summer. This means that they can’t get into specifics about when the network will launch. But as we have said before, thanks to our connects we know that Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, and Ottawa are a lock. Anyone planning to wait with baited breath?

Read

Thanks to a partnership with Bell, Starbucks Canada has announced that it will be joining its American brethren in offering free Wi-Fi to all customers come July 1st. A one-click login system means that passwords and users names are not required. Anyone planning to waste away Canada Day holed up in a Starbucks with an iPad and Frappuccino in hand?

P.S. Are we the only ones that find it odd that Starbucks would take the time to mention that its free Wi-Fi is perfect for people who are unemployed?

Read

After away slaving for many months, AT&T announced today that it has completed its 3G network upgrades in the New York City region. Now a 7.2Mbps network that relies heavily on the urban-friendly 850MHz band, AT&T says that the reworked network should deliver “improved 3G wireless voice and data connectivity and performance, especially during peak hours.” To support these claims, AT&T notes that call quality has improved 47%, while data speeds have gone up 25%. So tell us, AT&T users in NYC. Have things improved, or are things still as bad as they ever were?

Read

The Samsung Galaxy S Vibrant has been a long time coming, but today an official release date and pricing were finally announced. As of July 21st, T-Mobile will be selling the Vibrant for $199.99, that price of course assuming a new 2-year contract. T-Mobile might have a bit of a tough sell on its hands considering that AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and even U.S. Cellular will be offering the Galaxy S in one form or another, but T-Mobile has a trick up its sleeve: anyone who purchases a Vibrant will get a free copy of The Sims 3 Collectors Edition, and a 2GB microSD card pre-loaded with Avatar. Triple win, right?

Read

Sure it might have a laughably bad name, but there’s no way in hell you can laugh at the Samsung Epic 4G’s specs. A part of the Galaxy S family, the Epic 4G is Sprint’s second 4G WiMAX smartphone. To go on sale later this year for an undisclosed price, the Epic 4G has a 4″ WVGA Super AMOLED display, sliding QWERTY keypad, 5 megapixel camera with 720p video capture, front-facing camera for video calling, GPS, Wi-Fi b/g/n, mobile hotspot support for five devices, six-axis motion sensor, 1GHz Hummingbird processor, and 512MB RAM / 1GB ROM. It will come to market running Android 2.1 — with a bit of help from Samsung’s TouchWiz 3.0, naturally — but Sprint has gone on the record as saying an update to Android 2.2 won’t be that far off once the Epic 4G is released. Good to know.

Read

AT&T has the Captivate, T-Mobile has the Vibrant, and now Verizon Wireless has the Fascinate, it’s very own iteration of the Samsung Galaxy S. Featuring the same 4″ WVGA Super AMOLED display, 5 megapixel camera and 1GHz Hummingbird processor as its siblings, the Fascinate also has a six-axis motion control for an enhanced gaming experience, Swype virtual keyboard, and comes pre-loaded with Bing Search and Bing Maps. U.S. Cellular also announced that it will be jumping on the Galaxy S bandwagon, although what its model will be named and what most of its tailor-made features will be are still a mystery. Then again, so are its price and release date. All we know is that it, just like the Fascinate, will be available this Fall.

Read [Verizon] Read [U.S. Cellular]

Apple has confirmed that the white iPhone is delayed and will not be available until the second half of July. An unspecified challenge in the manufacturing of the handset is at the root of this unfortunate hold up. Whatever the cause, it thankfully does not affect the availability of the black iPhone 4 which is expected to launch June 24th. All you folks camping out in front of Walmart hoping to score a white iPhone should either change your color preference pronto or pack up your gear and go home.

Read

At $49.99 per year, a subscription to Xbox Live Gold isn’t all that bad of a deal — unless you compare it to the newly announced Xbox Live Gold Family Pack. Starting in November, $99.99 a year will give up to four users access to all of the perks that the single user membership offers. You know, great stuff like multiplayer gaming, a Zune Pass, Netflix streaming, video chat and 3,500 live sporting events from ESPN. Hit the jump to check out the press release.

Xbox 360 makes family time, quality time. Only Xbox LIVE delivers a world of games, movies, social entertainment and starting this November, live sports, allowing you to share them with the people you care about, around the world.

This November, the new Xbox LIVE Gold Family Pack will offer up to four individual Xbox LIVE Gold memberships for only US$99.99 – the price of two regular Xbox LIVE Gold subscriptions. Now as you prepare for the launch of Kinect for Xbox 360, which makes YOU the controller, consider giving your family premium Gold experience and access to the biggest names in entertainment.

Perfect for families, the Xbox LIVE Gold Family Pack will also offer access to additional conveniences and services including the new Family Center, accessible on the Xbox dashboard and Xbox.com for easier family management, access to activity monitoring reports, and the ability to purchase and give Microsoft Points to other Xbox LIVE Gold Family Pack members.

An Xbox LIVE Gold Family Pack includes:

• Up to four individual Xbox LIVE Gold memberships for the price of two – (US) $99.99.
• Family Center – a single, easy to use, destination for Family Settings and account management, accessible on the Xbox dashboard and on Xbox.com.
• The primary account member has the ability to purchase and dispense Microsoft Points to other Xbox LIVE Gold Family Pack members.
• Activity monitoring reports viewable on Xbox.com to help encourage discussions about safer more balanced gaming and entertainment habits.
• Simplified billing that applies all purchase charges to the primary account holder’s billing account and the ability to authorize purchases, helping to manage the family’s entertainment budget.
• Exclusive family content and discounts.

The industry-leading, built-in Xbox 360 Family Settings are also being taken to the next level this November. It’s Microsoft’s goal to provide parents and caregivers with tools and resources to manage their children’s gaming and entertainment experiences, and these features are available to all Xbox LIVE members:

• Family Programming that removes all mature games, movies, and content from the dashboard, based on ESRB, Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) ratings and the TV Parental Guidelines system. Family Programming is password protected, and easy to turn on and off for each member. (Compatible with international ratings systems.)
• Title exceptions – the ability to allow your family members to play specific games above the console’s designated ESRB rating if you deem appropriate. (Compatible with international ratings systems.)
• Intelligent default settings for child, teen, and adult profiles. Xbox will automatically assign default privacy and activity settings for each member that can later be individually customized.
• Family Settings are displayed prominently in the MyXbox channel. Current tools include the Family Timer, which allows you to control the amount of time – either daily or weekly – your children may use the console.

Whether you want to play your favorite games, stream movies and music from Zune, or watch the latest sporting event together via ESPN on Xbox LIVE, Xbox 360 brings the best family-friendly entertainment straight to your living room.

Slingbox owners rocking the latest Android handset will be happy to know that SlingPlayer has made its official debut in the Android Market. Available for $30, the app will allow you to Sling over 3G, 4G, and WiFi and is as full featured as its iPhone counterpart; as it has support for local channels, local sports coverage, video on demand, pay per view, and home DVR control. If you are an Android-toting, Slinbox-owning resident of Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom or the United States, head over to the Android Market and get your Sling on.

Read

Windows Mobile 6.5 isn’t dead, it’s just been given a bizarre makeover and loaded onto a strange new handset from Motorola in the ES400. Created specifically for enterprise customers that need a handset that’s as secure as it is rugged, the Sprint-bound ES400 will run Microsoft’s newly announced Windows Embedded Handheld, an OS that is currently based on WinMo 6.5.3. An EV-DO world phone with support for HSDPA roaming, the ES400 is kitted out with a 3″ VGA touchscreen, 3.2 megapixel camera, GPS, Wi-Fi a/b/g, barcode scanner, 600MHz ARM 11 processor, 256MB RAM and 1GB of internal flash memory. Pricing and a release date have not been set.

Read

Feeling the Xperia X3 too small and the Xperia X10 too large, yesterday Sony Ericsson announced what we like to think of as the Goldilocks handset in the Xperia X8. Better known as the Shakira, the X8 comes with a 3″ HVGA display, 3.2 megapixel camera, A-GPS, Wi-Fi, 128MB of internal memory, 600MHz processor, and Android 1.6 with UX UI. We can’t say for sure if the Xperia X8 will arrive on U.S. soil, but the fact that there is a quad-band version with the 850 and 1900MHz bands of UMTS/HSDPA means it’s a definite possibility.

Read

The original bada-powered Wave has only been on sale for a couple of months, but two new models were announced today by Samsung.  Known as the S5250 Wave 2 and S5330 Wave 2 Pro, both devices are more or less identical save for the fact that the Pro model has a sliding QWERTY keypad. This means that everything else, be it the 3.2″ WQVGA touchscreen display, 3 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, A-GPS, 80MB of internal memory, quad-band EDGE (no UMTS/HSDPA) and TouchWiz 3.0 UI is the same across the two devices. Both the Wave 2 and Wave 2 Pro will be available in South East Asia and Russia this August.

Samsung launches Wave 2 and Wave 2 Pro smart phones – an extension of the Wave range based on Samsung’s bada platform

New Wave phones deliver a fully integrated experience for social media enthusiasts, keeping you effortlessly connected in style

Singapore – June 15, 2010 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a leading mobile phone provider, today launched the Wave 2 (S5250) and Wave 2 Pro (S5330) – the newest smart phones to support bada, Samsung’s open mobile platform. The devices, on display at the CommunicAsia conference in Singapore, offer instant connectivity so that you can message your friends anytime, anywhere.

With Samsung’s Social Hub, all of your contact details, social networks, and email services are integrated into a single space, making connecting and sharing easier than ever before. Whether you’re looking for that always-on connection or key business features, the Wave 2 and Wave 2 Pro are designed for you, whatever your lifestyle.

“The Wave 2 and Wave 2 Pro are testament to Samsung’s continuing commitment to deliver a smartphone for every lifestyle,” said JK Shin, President and head of the Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “I expect significant growth of bada smartphones volume thanks to the launch of mass market targeting Wave 2 and Wave 2 Pro. We will continue to invest in our open bada platform and offer a wide range of choices and experiences for consumers.”

Making Waves with Social Hub

Samsung’s Social Hub brings you closer to your contacts and connections by seamlessly integrating your email, IM and social networking sites on the device. You’ll love this “ultimate inbox” and the ease at which you can view all your messages and manage your accounts. The Wave devices also come with pre-installed Facebook and Twitter apps so you’ll never be out of touch with the latest updates and tweets, all from the convenience of your home screen. When you slide the ‘WAVE 2 pro’ open, you can quickly and easily send an important IM to a friend using a full QWERTY keyboard or leisurely browse e-mails on an easy-to-view screen in landscape mode.

Constant Connectivity

The Wave 2 and the Wave 2 Pro offer a constant connection with lightning-fast WiFi support. Google Latitude and geo-tagging features let you stay connected with your friends no matter where you or they are. With Google Latitude, you can update your status and easily find out where your friends are headed after school or work by glancing at a map. Geo-tagging lets you tag photos by location so that you can easily sort images based on whether they are from your summer vacation or a business trip. The feature also allows you to use GPS for other useful apps on your Wave smart phone.

Dive in for Entertainment

Samsung’s bada platform gives you access to an abundance of applications from Samsung Apps, an integrated application store accessible from the Wave phones or your PC. Featuring a wealth of gaming, navigation, social networking, e-book, health and lifestyle applications, Samsung Apps delivers instant access to a huge range of mobile experiences. You can easily download an app without having to install any software by accessing Samsung Apps right on your phone or synching the device to a PC. Samsung Kies allows you to browse Samsung Apps on your PC and comes in handy for downloading large files and content. Java Applications will also be offered on Samsung Apps for Wave 2 and Wave Pro to enhance your experience with an even wider range of content. The Wave devices can also serve as complete media centers, offering rich, entertainment experiences on-the-go with a 3.5mm ear jack and an intuitive menu for music and other content.

The Samsung Wave 2 (S5250) and Wave 2 Pro (S5330) will be available from August in Russia and South East Asia. Customers can choose from the colors metallic black, pearl white and romantic pink.

Apparently square-ish handsets are the cool new thing for 2010, as Nokia has just pulled a Flipout and announced the X5-01. Said to “plug the gap” between the X3 and X6, the X5 packs 2.36″ QVGA display, 5 megapixel camera and a sliding QWERTY keypad into its aesthetically and ergonomically awkward 74.3mm x 66.4mm x 16.8mm frame. It runs Symbian S60 3rd Edition and comes with support for all major social media networks as well as email from Gmail, Yahoo!, Hotmail and Ovi Mail. The X5 doesn’t really have much in the way of special features, though Nokia says there are some motion-controlled features such as spinning the phone to switch to a random track and shaking it to check the number of unread messages. The Nokia X5 will be available in pink, azure, graphite black, yellow green, and purple in Q3 for around 165€ ($200 US).

Read