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RIM Patents the HTC XV6800

OK, this one came as a surprise but not really. I have seen many companies patent technologies invented elsewhere and then use these patents to sue companies without patents. It happens all the time -- especially in IP communications.

I am (maybe a bit) surprised however to see that RIM has applied for a patent on the HTC 6700, 6800, etc. Check out this patent photo and one of the HTC 6800.





In fairness, engadget does point out that the RIM device has a trackball while HTC does not.

So here is the deal on this device. The reason I use the XV6800 is because of this slider keyboard design and the wider screen that goes with it. I would likely switch from Windows Mobile to a Blackberry if this device ever came out. Why? Because I don't like to reboot my phone on a daily+ basis.

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Tellme Just a Small Yahoo?

If you want to get an idea of what Yahoo could possibly look like after a Microsoft acquisition, it may be useful to look at Tellme, a company Microsoft acquired last year. It is worth pointing out that Tellme was able to keep its corporate culture and DNA. Microsoft seemed to realize it was better to keep the company intact and while providing it with the resources it needs to grow.

I do remember my first visit to Tellme offices about seven years ago. I was surprised by the open warehouse style of the office, the desks and dogs in the office.

Today, I came across a great article comparing the Tellme acquisition with Yahoo and I thought it worth sharing.

Here is an excerpt:

Tellme's warehouse-like office located along some railroad tracks about six miles north of Yahoo's Sunnyvale headquarters looks pretty much like it did during a visit seven years ago. Some workers dart down the aisles on scooters and patio-style umbrellas loom over desks made out of doors bought from Home Depot.

"We were a little skeptical when Microsoft first bought us, but they really do seem to value our talent and the DNA our of our company," said Sarah Caplener, a Tellme employee since she got out of college seven years ago.

Caplener and other employees aren't thrilled with the added layers of bureaucracy that the Microsoft ownership has wrought. There are also regular trips to Redmond, Wash., a journey some would rather not have to make.

But Microsoft's executives sometimes make it easier by coming to Tellme. Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates even paid a visit last August and spent several hours swapping ideas with the Tellme engineers responsible for programming a system that provided voice-automated responses to about 2 billion phone calls last year.

The Gates session is just one example why Tellme employees believe they are helping Microsoft develop technology that's more elegantly designed and easier for customers to use, said Peter Monaco, Tellme's director of application engineering. "We feel like we are having as much of an influence on Microsoft as they are having on us."

McCue's background made it seem unlikely that Tellme would ever end up being sold to Microsoft.

Before starting the company in 1999, McCue struck it rich as a vice president of technology for Netscape Communications, the Web browser pioneer that helped open up the Internet to the masses.

Netscape fell on hard times, though, after Microsoft began bundling its Web browser into its ubiquitous Windows operating system, relying on tactics that a federal judge later determined were illegal.

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Bain and Huawei Resubmit Bid

Bain and Huawei are changing their bid for 3COM in a manner that does not change the financial elements of the deal but it minimizes Huawei's access to certain Ethernet technologies.

Last week, the parties pulled their application with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., or CFIUS, a 12-agency government panel amid concerns it would be rejected. A number of members of Congress had expressed concern about the security implications of allowing a Chinese-owned entity to exercise influence over the technology company.

If this transaction does go through, I believe it will increase the number of Chinese companies investing in US-based companies.

This may lead to more consolidation in the market but just as important, it is possible the Chinese will have the deep pockets needed to help grow a number of US-based technology companies at a time when capital may be more difficult to come by.

More from the AP and Wall Street Journal

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David Yedwab Live on TMCnet

You may know David Yedwab as one of the leading analysts in telecom. If you aren't aware of him, then I am glad to let you know that David is now writing for TMCnet and his columns can be found here.

His first two columns are:

• 2008 - The Year for SMB VoIP
• SOA What?

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Daimler Battery Breakthrough

                                            An S Class Mercedes

For over a decade now we have witnessed Moore's Law in action, making microprocessors cheaper and faster. Ditto for hard drives and memory. What we haven't seen however is a dramatic improvement in battery technology.

It seems lately this may be coming to an end as Daimler has announced they have adapted lithiom-ion battery technology for a passenger car.

The new battery will be used in the series-production S 400 BlueHYBRID beginning next year. Apparently there are 25 patents held by the company which cover the battery technology being used in a car.

Here are some salient points from a company announcement:

The main advantages offered by the newly developed lithium-ion battery are its very compact dimensions and its far superior performance compared to conventional nickel-metal hydride batteries. The weight/power ratio of the entire battery is 1,900 watts per liter (W/L). What's more, the battery stands out by virtue of its high ampere-hour efficiency, long service life, and great reliability, even at very low temperatures. Its high level of safety is the equal of that provided by today's auto batteries.

Lithium-ion batteries are ideally suited for use in hybrid vehicles to help reducing fuel consumption and thus also CO2 emissions. At the same time, the Daimler engineers are investigating to what degree this technology can be applied to other vehicle concepts, such as electric and fuel cell-powered cars.

S 400 BlueHYBRID -- the world's most economical luxury sedan

The S 400 BlueHYBRID consumes only 7.9 liters of gasoline per 100 km in the NEDC. This results in very low CO2 emissions of only 190 grams per kilometer, a very low value for this vehicle class and power class, making the S 400 BlueHYBRID the world's most economical luxury sedan -- unrivaled by any gasoline, diesel, or hybrid drive system offered by any competitor. And S 400 BlueHYBRID drivers will still enjoy impressive performance: combined with the hybrid module, the maximum output is 220 kW/299 hp, and the corresponding maximum torque is 375 Nm. The S 400 BlueHYBRID accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 7.3 seconds on its way to an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h.

While on the topic I should mention Toshiba recently had a battery breakthrough called SCiB which allows a battery to charge to 90% of its capacity in five minutes. I wonder how getting SCiB technology into cars will change the world.

I should also point out that Tesla Motors was the first company to use Lithiom Ion technology in a car. The Tesla however is more of a performance automobile touting a sub 4-second zero to sixty time.




Mercedes is differentiating itself by saying their technology applies to a passenger car. It will be interesting to see what the blogosphere does with this Daimler announcement and moreover will the German automaker come after Tesla Motors for patent infringement?

This news may not have an immediate benefit in the consumer electronics space but assuming this trend continues, the sheer volume of batteries needed by the automotive market will make these batteries much better. While a single lighter battery is great for a laptop, when you are using these batteries by the hundred in a moving vehicle, every fraction of an ounce of weight translates into worse fuel economy.

The automotive market may end up being what gets battery technology in the tech and consumer electronics market to drastically improve.     

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Web 2.0 comes to CRM

The above graphic is a bank mashup showing all banks in Norwalk, CT -- where TMC headquarters are located. (credit: Webmashup.com)


A logical place for mashups to show up are in customer relationship management applications where they can allow field sales and support personnel to see the locations of their customers in real-time. Funny, I have been hoping for more and more business mashups to be invented and one shows up right in the CRM space.

TMCnet's own David Sims broke the story yesterday in fact.

Here is an excerpt:

SMaps automatically links addresses and locations of individuals or companies to their location in Google Maps. Viewing full contact information from their CRM database with Google's mapping functionality makes scenes from recent movies like Minority Report "a reality for companies," according to the CRM Workers.

 

The product lets users use Google's mapping capability with their CRM information such as contact details, price and order history to zoom in and make decisions.

SMaps is billed as a product to "boost efficiency of mobile workers, helping them save time and cost." The Target List functionality provides "access to geographic information to sales managers and personnel who can then use that information to focus marketing and sales efforts," explains CRM Principal Consultant for Asia Pacific David Gill.

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