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#TechTuesday: Nokia Suing Apple, Sustainable Speakers, SpaceX Launch and other stories

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Nokia sue Apple over design patents

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Mere weeks after the tech giant lost out to Samsung in a gigantic patent court case over design, another competing company, Nokia, has now accused Apple of infringing more than 30 of its design patents, filing legal complaints against the tech giant both in Germany and the US. Nokia has filed actions for 32 patents in total so far, accusing Apple of using its technology in products such as the the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac computer products. The patents include design elements and technologies such as displays, user interfaces, software, antennae, chipsets and video coding. Nokia claims both companies signed a licensing agreement covering some of its patents in 2011, but alleges that since then, Apple has “declined subsequent offers made by Nokia to license other patented inventions which are used by many of Apple’s products.” The actions have been filed in courts in Munich, Dusseldorf and Mannheim in Germany, as well as the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in the US. Nokia says it also preparing to launch further legal action in other jurisdictions as well. Nokia’s phone and smartphone businesses were acquired by Microsoft in 2013, and its branding and licensing rights were subsequently bought by Finnish private firm HMD Global in May last year.

After years of negotiations trying to reach agreement to cover Apple’s use of these patents, we are now taking action to defend our rights” Ilkka Rahnasto, Head of Patent Business at Nokia

 

Fiat Chrysler and Google team-up for in-car tech

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Google is reportedly looking set to team up with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) to provide all the automotive brand's in-car system tech, using Android as the base for a new infotainment and connect car platform. The new FCA in-car system is called “Uconnect” and uses Android 7.0 to deliver a range of features, including Android app compatibility alongside more traditional in-car controls like air conditioning and heat, also with terrestrial radio. Google’s work with FCA goes well beyond the Android Auto model, which essentially layers on a simplified, driver-friendly and distraction reducing version of Android to an in-car display (or mounted smartphone). In my opinion, it's a natural step forward from the now standard dashboard display.

Google is committed to building Android as an automotive platform that integrates deeply with the vehicle in a safe and seamless way” Patrick Brady, Director of Android Engineering

 

Amazon files patent for giant flying Drone Warehouses

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In a story that gained a fair amount of traction on social media over the festive period for obvious reasons, Amazon recently filed a patent for gigantic flying warehouses that could house its upcoming fleet of delivery drones. The patent, originally filed by the online retailer in 2014, details that the warehouses, referred to as “Airborne fulfilment centres” (AFCs) would be carried by airships that could be stationed above cities, and would be used to store and rapidly deliver items at times of high demand using the drones; also known as “Unmanned aerial vehicles” (UAVs). The document also states that drones dispatched from AFCs would use no power, as they would 'glide' rather than fly, at altitudes of up to 45,000 feet. The filing also details a series of shuttles which may be used to replenish the larger AFCs with stock and fuel, or even to transport workers to and from the airborne warehouses. Areas the document suggests the AFCs would be most useful are sports arenas or music festivals, where high volumes of merchandise is sold, but where access is difficult.

The AFC may be an airship that remains at a high altitude and UAVs with ordered items may be deployed from the AFC to deliver ordered items to user-designated delivery locations”

 

SpaceX set for January 8 launch after setback

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Elon Musk's SpaceX space transport company, which aims to take mankind to mars by 2022, has concluded its investigation into the cause of an accident on a Cape Canaveral launchpad during which one of its Falcon 9 rockets exploded during a pre-launch fuelling last September. The investigation, conducted in partnership with federal safety and space agencies including the FAA and NASA, found that there was a failure of a pressure vessel found inside a tank used to store liquid oxygen for the rocket’s second stage fuel burn. SpaceX says it will enact both short- and long-term fixes to address these problems and is confident they will ensure a safe fuelling process both immediately and in the future. Now that the investigation is concluded, SpaceX hopes to get back to flying on January 8, the target date for its launch with client Iridium satellites. SpaceX will use a Falcon 9 to deliver a payload of 10 Iridium satellites to orbit, which the telecommunications network is using to create a voice and data network. The satellites from Iridium are already loaded into the Falcon 9’s transport capsule.

 

Electricity-free Egloo heater uses candle power to heat a room

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A terracotta heater that uses candles to store and gradually release heat will allow rooms to be warmed adequately without the need of electricity. The base of the device has room for four tea lights, which are placed underneath a metal grill. Two terracotta domes are then placed on top, with an exterior hole allowing warm air to circulate up and into the room. Terracotta stores and slowly emits heat, meaning it radiates warmth even after the candles have gone out. According to designer Marco Zagaria, who launched the heater on Indiegogo in 2015, raising 488% of his original goal, the device takes five minutes to warm up and equates to a cost of 10 cents (around 8p) to heat a 30-square-metre room for five hours. The monthly cost of Egloo is around $3 (£2.45), which is significantly less than using an electric heater. Its compact shape was designed to be easily moved from room to room, allowing owners to place it nearby. Handmade in Italy, the heater is available in several different colours and finishes, including enamelled and natural versions.

 

Sustainable see-through speaker alerts user when parts need replacing

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A new transparent speaker has built-in sensors that detect when parts need to be replaced, repaired or updated, and notifies users via their smartphones. The Small Transparent Speaker was designed and launched on Kickstarter by Stockholm studio People People, and is intended as a reaction against excessive consumer waste, particularly electronic waste. According to the designers, every speaker purchased is helping to promote a “closed-loop industry,” where products and their materials have the potential to last forever. Made completely from recycled materials, the speaker can be totally disassembled to allow for each specific part to be replaced. If it should need repairing, users are alerted and instructed on what to do via an app on their smartphone. Broken products that can't be repaired at home would be sent back to the manufacturers. To allow this, they would be encased in packaging that can be refolded to expose the prepaid return shipping label. The Transparent Speaker features premium audio components, including two custom-made drivers that the studio claims provides lifelike vocals. Made up of hardened glass sides and a white-coated aluminium frame, the minimal speaker is designed to blend in with any home environment. A volume adjustment knob is located on its front, along with a rocker power switch, a LED that shows when the speaker is on, and a cable jack. The speaker can connect to phones, tablets, or computers to allow users to wirelessly stream audio. It also supports Apple Airplay and Google Cast and wireless connectivity also means the product's software can be remotely updated by the studio.

By considering potential ways the product might break, and designing the product to outsmart the landfill, we can make a big difference”

 

LG look set to bank on portable robotics at CES this year

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The Seoul-based electronics giant LG, who have already revealed a floating speaker for this year's show, will also reportedly be showing off a bunch of new robots at the upcoming 2017 CES. A trio of “non-cleaning” robots teased by the company, include what sounds like a lawn mowing model, a commercial model designed to offer up travel info to humans at airports and hotels and, perhaps most intriguingly, the “Hub Robot,” which, sounds a bit like a mobile Amazon Echo. The company is calling the Hub Robot a “smart home gateway and a personal assistant for consumers.” All of the above robots will be equipped with some form of AI, but it's unclear yet if this AI will take a similar form to Amazon'a Alexa or Microsoft's Cortana.

 

Drones offer fly-through preview of Herzog de Meuron's Elbphilharmonie Hamburg

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For those who can't wait for the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg to open, creative agency Jung von Matt has released an interactive movie tour of the building filmed by drones. Jung von Matt worked with producers Simon & Paul to create the movie tour of the opera house; a building designed by Swiss architects office Herzog & Meuron. The long-delayed project finally opens to the public in the second week of January, but has been officially complete since November, marking the end of a 10-year construction period. For those who aren't able to visit, this video allows any viewer to fly through the building, touring spaces including the 2,150-seat auditorium, the foyer areas and the elevated outdoor plaza. An interactive version of the film can be found on the Elbphilharmonie's website. Switzerland-based Herzog & de Meuron renovated a 1960s warehouse by Hamburg architect Werner Kallmorgen to create the concert hall, which is located beside Hamburg's Elbe river. The project was originally projected to cost just €77 million (£60 million) but, thanks to construction issues and spiralling costs, the most recently reported estimate was €789 million (£617 million) - more than 10 times as much. The first concert is scheduled to take place on January 11.

The Elbphilharmonie's unique architecture can be experienced in an enjoyable 'slow' mode; thrill seekers on the other hand may find 'motion' mode more to their liking” Kai Heuser, Creative Director at Jung von Matt

 

Change4Life launch Food Tracker app as part of £6.3 million campaign

Change4Life has launched a new food tracker app in its annual January health push, helping parents keep an eye on kids’ salt, sugar and fat intake. Be Food Smart builds on Public Health England’s sugar tracking app from last year, which was a runaway success with more than two million downloads. It works in a similar way, showing the amount of sugar, fat and salt as cartoon renderings of a sugar cube, fat globule and salt packet. Users can scan food or drink to see how healthy the item is. The app makes use of food “traffic light” labelling to signal whether the item is high, medium or low in each ingredient. The app can currently scan 114,000 products, using data from Broadbank and FoodSwitch, plus information from manufacturers and retailers. The £6.3 million campaign is supported by outdoor ads, social media, experiential events in school and app install ads. Dogfish built the Be Food Smart app, with M&C Saatchi handling creative and MEC handling media.

Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance writer and struggling musician from Kidderminster in the UK.

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