Microsoft Continues to Add Android & Chrome Patent Agreements

[Parsad]

While Android continues to eat up the smartphone market, Microsoft continues to negotiate Android patent agreements with phone makers.  Now they've started to also add agreements related to Chrome.  Kaching!  Cheers!

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2011/09/08/microsoft-inks-two-more-android-patent.html?ana=yfcpc 

[Ravi]

Will finally Microsoft becomes a patent play. That would be very interesting. They should stop doing large capex deals like skype and just do a cash cow play. that would be funny ending for a great company like msft

[Liberty]

That might not last long. If Goog + Motorala creates a patent pool for Android phone makers, chances are some will sue MSFT for amounts similar to what they're paying. Software patents are mostly worthless, it's just extortion and counter-extortion... Hopefully when it gets bad enough we'll see some true reform.

[Guest misterstockwell]

Looks like "Google will protect us by buying MOT" was all BS. Samsung paid up today and will pay MSFT for android related patents.

[Guest misterstockwell]

Lame Google response:

 

“This is the same tactic we’ve seen time and again from Microsoft. Failing to succeed in the smartphone market, they are resorting to legal measures to extort profit from others’ achievements and hinder the pace of innovation. We remain focused on building new technology and supporting Android partners.”

[Liberty]

They don't have access to Motorola patents yet, no? And whatever deals we're hearing about now have probably been going on for a while. I think it's too early to tell if it did anything against the patent trolls.

[Parsad]

Here's an article on the Samsung deal.  Microsoft, the old gal, still has some tricks left in her bag...making profits out of thin air, where somebody else did all the work.  Cheers!

 

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204226204576598661866214854.html?ru=yahoo&mod=yahoo_hs

[Guest valueInv]

Lame Google response:

 

“This is the same tactic we’ve seen time and again from Microsoft. Failing to succeed in the smartphone market, they are resorting to legal measures to extort profit from others’ achievements and hinder the pace of innovation. We remain focused on building new technology and supporting Android partners.”

 

I found Microsoft's response to be much more intelligent ;):

 

http://techcrunch.com/2011/09/28/microsoft-to-google-pay-up/

[Guest valueInv]

They don't have access to Motorola patents yet, no? And whatever deals we're hearing about now have probably been going on for a while. I think it's too early to tell if it did anything against the patent trolls.

 

I'm not sure if that is correct. HTC seems to have access to them:

 

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-20102903-94/htc-sues-apple-using-google-patents-report-says/

[Guest valueInv]

They don't have access to Motorola patents yet, no? And whatever deals we're hearing about now have probably been going on for a while. I think it's too early to tell if it did anything against the patent trolls.

 

I'm not sure if that is correct. HTC seems to have access to them:

 

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-20102903-94/htc-sues-apple-using-google-patents-report-says/

 

Here's Samsung's point of view:

 

http://gigaom.com/2011/09/29/samsung-shows-lack-of-confidence-in-google/

 

[Liberty]

They don't have access to Motorola patents yet, no? And whatever deals we're hearing about now have probably been going on for a while. I think it's too early to tell if it did anything against the patent trolls.

 

I'm not sure if that is correct. HTC seems to have access to them:

 

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-20102903-94/htc-sues-apple-using-google-patents-report-says/

 

That's a bit ambiguously worded, but I think it refers to some individual patents that Google licensed/bought, not patents from the acquired Motorola patent pool.

[Kiltacular]

Speaking of Google, how do I opt out of "Google+".

 

Now, everywhere I go (even when I'm logged out of Google Finance), I see a little "+1" icon that ask if I want to publicly "+1" whatever it is I'm reading. 

 

After casually reviewing this matter, my read is that I can't "opt out" of this.

 

I'm sure I can't figure this out simply because I'm not tech savvy enough. 

 

Anyone got the answers?

[Parsad]

Speaking of Google, how do I opt out of "Google+".

 

Now, everywhere I go (even when I'm logged out of Google Finance), I see a little "+1" icon that ask if I want to publicly "+1" whatever it is I'm reading. 

 

After casually reviewing this matter, my read is that I can't "opt out" of this.

 

I'm sure I can't figure this out simply because I'm not tech savvy enough. 

 

Anyone got the answers?

 

Hi Kilt,

 

Google+ and "+1" are two different things.  Google+ is their social networking option and "+1" is just a new recommendation for websites, so Google can rank them better. 

 

You can't get out of the latter.  It's part of Google's search results now, and website operators can add the "+1" all over the place so that people recommend something.  Cheers!

[Kiltacular]

Thanks for the explanation Parsad.  I guess I'll just have to be cautious about avoiding accidentally publicly recommending I'm reading but don't want to recommend.

 

I think it is weird I can't adjust these settings to prevent this possibility.

 

 

[Liberty]

Thanks for the explanation Parsad.  I guess I'll just have to be cautious about avoiding accidentally publicly recommending I'm reading but don't want to recommend.

 

I think it is weird I can't adjust these settings to prevent this possibility.

 

If you have a google account, you can go to your account page and change the settings so that your +1s aren't public.

[Kiltacular]

Thanks Liberty.

 

When I go into account settings, it tells me that I don't have public profile (which looks good).

 

So, when I scroll over one of these +1 icons and it tells me: "click if you want to publicly recommend as John Doe" is it just a glitch since I don't have a public profile?

 

If not, then can you guide me where in account settings I turn this off b/c I can't find it.