The Dolcera Blog

Oracle sued Google on its famous operating system ‘Android’. Oracle says Google infringed patents on its Java software platform while developing Android and also violated the copyrights owned for Java platform (including without limitation code, specifications, documentation and other materials) by Oracle.

The following is a brief background on this news and a summary along with patent numbers to digest.

Oracle acquired Sun Microsystems on January 27, 2010. Sun is now Oracle America, a subsidiary of Oracle. Oracle acquired the Java technology from Sun. Android competes with Java as “an operating system software platform for cellular telephones and other mobile devices” and that the Android stack employs Java apps running on a Java-based object oriented application framework and core libraries running on a “Dalvik” virtual machine that features just in time (JIT) compilation.
Android (including without limitation of the Dalvik virtual machine and the Android software development kit) and devices that operate Android infringe one or more claims of each of the following US patents.
US6125447A-Protection domains to provide security in a computer system
US6192476B1-Controlling access to a resource
US6192476B1-Method and apparatus for pre-processing and packaging class files
US7426720B1-System and method for dynamic preloading of classes through memory space cloning of a master run-time system process
USRE38104E1-Method and apparatus for resolving data references in generated code
US6910205B2-Interpreting functions utilizing a hybrid of virtual and native machine instructions
US6061520A-Method and system for performing static initialization

Source: Oracle Google Complaint

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Summary: Use of both wikis and iPhones is growing within enterprises. Using wikis from iPhones is not very easy yet, though there are some promising applications/approaches in the works. A notable application is Mini Confluence for the iPhone.

Wiki usage is growing rapidly in enterprises, and the success of Wikipedia has encouraged information technology (IT) and business units to try and set up something similar to a Wikipedia within their organizations as well.

A concurrent trend is the growth of smartphone use by business users. The Blackberry devices, currently the favorites of enterprise users, have always had top-notch email capabilities, but have not focused on the web browsing experience, though that’s changing rapidly.

The Apple iPhone is the real game-changer when it comes to mobility. Now comes the news that it is making big strides in enterprise adoption. Via GigaOm, we have the following quote from the Apple COO, Tim Cook:

The phone is particularly doing well with small business and with large organizations that allow people to purchase the phones for individual use, and this is both in corporate and government settings. Specifically, to give you some numbers, almost 20% of the Fortune 100 have purchased at least 10,000 units or more and there’s now multiple corporations and government agencies who have purchased in excess of 25,000 each.

Business users will soon want to access their wikis from their iPhones. In most cases, they will want read-only access and for that, a variety of options are already available. For example, there is an iPhone app out for the the popular Confluence wiki. The app’s called Mini Confluence

and it allows for browsing, searching and commenting. Editing does not seem to be supported.

Other wikis are taking a different approach. SocialText made an announcement in 2006 for something called the Miki, which, for all practical purposes, seems like a ’skin’ or a stylesheet that makes the wiki content readable on a mobile device. Many other wikis (including Twiki) follow the same model.

Yet a third approach is that of dumping the entire wiki on to the phone, since these phones have plenty of memory. Wikipedia-iPhone, for example, lets you take the whole encyclopedia with you on your device.

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http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/opinions/07-1583.pdf

In this classic case of Friskit v/s Real networks, Friskit alleged Real networks media players had infringed its patents that claimed as its inventive the following (a) a media player with integrated search and playback features and (b) wher the entire control of the media player rest with the server side with no software (OS) from the client side assisting in the operation of the media player.

Real cited the following product and website evidence to counter Friskit. It cited the features available at www.iuma.com and Winamp to counter Friskit’s claims. In both cases of iuma.com and Winamp offered a media player interface with a search box. When a search was conducted, a new mini-browser window would pop up that would get populated with the search results. These search results could be dragged and dropped into the media player interface for immediate play-back with minimal intervention from the client side. Friskit’s only difference was the same interface (with no special mini-browser) window poping up providing this functionality.

The court cited KSR v/s Teleflex and found Friskit’s claims as obvious stating that as per the KSR case ‘predictable use of known elements according to their cited function’ results in obviousness.

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*Indoor Positioning technology is to determine the location or position of the user with in a closed space(airports, malls, buildings etc) without the use of Satellite location systems such as GPS.
*Nokia has its Research center in Helsinki where it has been working on WLAN based Indoor Positioning system.
*Recently they have launched a trail at Kamppi shopping center in Helsinki.
[http://www.symbian-freak.com/news/009/01/indoor_positioning_nrc_helsinki.htm For more details]

Cutler’s predictions:
1. New classes of portable devices with ten times more battery life
2. Low-cost silicon photonics for faster, more reliable data transmission
3. New heights of realism in visual computing
4. Realistic computer generated images
5. Malware will become a thing of the past
6. Personal internet devices will be truly personal
7. Interactive computing devices make ‘composable computing’ a reality
8. Next-generation TV will not be about pixels
9. Seamlessly connected 3-D worlds
10. A spectrum revolution is looming

For More Details

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Cutler’s predictions:
1. New classes of portable devices with ten times more battery life
2. Low-cost silicon photonics for faster, more reliable data transmission
3. New heights of realism in visual computing
4. Realistic computer generated images
5. Malware will become a thing of the past
6. Personal internet devices will be truly personal
7. Interactive computing devices make ‘composable computing’ a reality
8. Next-generation TV will not be about pixels
9. Seamlessly connected 3-D worlds
10. A spectrum revolution is looming

For More Details

Here’s a cool use for a phone that has both cellular broadband and Wi-Fi: Turn it into a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot so your friends can surf the Internet on their laptops.

A couple startups have created and made available software like this in the last year. But a more established software maker said Wednesday that it has created a package for carriers to offer their customers.

TapRoot Systems Inc. of Research Triangle Park, N.C., said it was talking with carriers about providing their customers with the software, which would let up to five Wi-Fi users connect to a phone.

A possible free trial version would let only one Wi-Fi user connect to the phone at a time.

The software works on phones with Windows Mobile or Symbian S60 software. Windows phones are common in the U.S., while Symbian is championed by Nokia Corp. and more common in Europe. There already is an independent program called WMWifirouter that turns Windows phones into hotspots, and there’s one called JoikuSpot for Nokia phones.

Capacity is limited on third-generation cellular broadband networks, and carriers are somewhat restrictive of the applications they allow, for fear their networks will be overwhelmed.

TapRoot’s system attempts to assuage that fear by letting carriers control access through a server, said Chief Executive Bob Bicksler. The carriers could then charge extra for the service, he said.

Not many phones have both 3G and Wi-Fi. U.S. carriers have in some cases removed or disabled Wi-Fi antennas for the U.S. launches of some phones by overseas manufacturers, apparently because they fear customers would be less likely to pay for 3G. However, combined Wi-Fi and 3G phones are becoming more common.

Bicksler mentioned AT&T Inc.’s Tilt and 8525 models and Sprint Nextel Corp.’s Mogul by HTC as phones that would work as mobile hotspots.

Another way of using a 3G network to create a Wi-Fi hotspot is to buy a Wi-Fi router that accepts a cellular broadband card. Cisco Systems Inc. makes such a router for the Sprint network.

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The Square Piston Engine (SPEC) represents the next stage in the evolution of the reciprocating internal combustion engine. It is a two-stroke engine with a square piston. In essence, the SPEC has a superior power-to-weight ratio compared to existing two-stroke engines. However, more importantly, it has significantly reduced emissions achieved by more complete combustion and a closed-loop oiling system. The engine is also modular in design, which provides significant manufacturing flexibility. The SPEC engine leverages existing two-stroke engine technology (lightweight, powerful, three moving parts only, cheap to manufacture, etc.) and at the same time eliminates the disadvantages. The port placement delays the opening of the exhaust port on the power stroke, yielding more torque and much lower emissions. A number of prototypes have been constructed and have operated on a variety of fuels. One such prototype has run in excess of 500 hours. Further development work is required to enhance engine efficiency through software modeling of port placement.

Technology Benefits Description

The SPEC engine provides a number of benefits over existing engine design.  These include:

• The engine is two-stroke by design, providing a superior power to weight ratio over comparable four-stroke engines.  It leverages existing engine technologies but eliminates the inherent disadvantages of current two-stroke engines.
• The engine has the same three moving parts as a conventional two-stroke engine (crank, gudgeon and piston) and remains simple in its design.  This means it has a low cost to manufacture and is simple to maintain.
• The engine is modular by design.  Multi-cylinder engines are simply a collection of single cylinder engines bolted together with a common crankshaft.  This feature provides flexibility and a lower cost manufacture.
• The delayed opening of the exhaust port on the power stroke provides a cleaner more complete burn of the fuel.  This means the engine has lower exhaust and noise emissions and more engine torque than conventional two-stroke engines.  This advantage extends to the compression stroke, where the trapped volume is a higher percentage of the swept volume. Current loop scavenge engines trap about 50% whereas with porting on all four walls this engine should trap around 80%.
• The closed loop engine oiling system that replaces the conventional two-stroke total loss system, provides for significant increase in the durability of components, reduced hydrocarbon consumption (and no blue smoke) and increased fuel flexibility.
• The basic design of the engine lends itself to other manufacturing techniques, for example, extrusion.  This will yield lower manufacturing costs.

Technology Differentiation and Uniqueness

The engine is unique in a number of ways.  These include:

• The engine oiling system is wholly contained within the piston itself.  This provides the closed loop system.
• The cylinder and piston used in this engine are square.  This provides for increased flexibility of design and a lower cost of manufacture.
• The base design lends itself to other manufacturing techniques and materials.

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Skype announced a beta version of its client for Java-enabled mobile phones with the current list of compatible devices from Motorola, Nokia, and Samsung. The intent of this new mobile client is to expand Skype to the mass market feature phone.

While Skype is a VoIP solution that is extremely popular around the world, this current beta mobile implementation actually uses standard calls over carrier networks to make the actual call from your mobile phone. Most feature phones/mass market phones do not support WiFi or 3G networks in the U.S. so this is probably the best way to currently get the calls initiated. There are a few select countries where you can actually make calls via the Skype network directly in this current beta too, including Brazil (Rio de Janeiro), Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Poland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The call is then routed through Skype’s network to the person you are calling and the only charges that will apply are your carrier minutes. When you initiate a call a pop-up appears to ask if you want to make the local call and my phones kept calling an 813 area code number. It still does use WiFi or 3G networks to maintain your presence and carry out chats so it is a rather seamless experience on your device.

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Search related patents provide insight into what’s going on in search engine algorithms, and search marketers who understand these “rules of ranking” are better positioned to win top position in search results.

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