HTC announced via a press release on Thursday that it's not caving in to Apple's recently filed patent lawsuit. Google has previously said that it would back its partner, since this lawsuit is obviously really about Android, and not HTC.

The company said that it would "fully defend itself" and that it (naturally) "disagrees with Apple’s actions." Peter Chou, chief executive officer, HTC Corporation, said in the press release:

“HTC disagrees with Apple’s actions and will fully defend itself. HTC strongly advocates intellectual property protection and will continue to respect other innovators and their technologies as we have always done, but we will continue to embrace competition through our own innovation as a healthy way for consumers to get the best mobile experience possible. From day one, HTC has focused on creating cutting-edge innovations that deliver unique value for people looking for a smartphone. In 1999 we started designing the XDA and T-Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition, our first touch-screen smartphones, and they both shipped in 2002 with more than 50 additional HTC smartphone models shipping since then.”

HTC apparently hasn't filed an official legal response yet, and the press release doesn't really respond to the points that Apple raised. Still, it is clear that they won't back down without a fight.

Here is the full text of the press release:

Seattle – March 17, 2010 – HTC Corporation today outlined its disagreement with Apple’s legal actions and reiterated its commitment to creating a portfolio of innovative smartphones that gives consumers a variety of choices. Founded in 1997 with a passion for innovation and a vision for how smartphones would change people’s lives, HTC has continually driven this vision by consistently introducing award-winning smartphones with U.S. mobile operators.

“HTC disagrees with Apple’s actions and will fully defend itself. HTC strongly advocates intellectual property protection and will continue to respect other innovators and their technologies as we have always done, but we will continue to embrace competition through our own innovation as a healthy way for consumers to get the best mobile experience possible,” said Peter Chou, chief executive officer, HTC Corporation. “From day one, HTC has focused on creating cutting-edge innovations that deliver unique value for people looking for a smartphone. In 1999 we started designing the XDA[i] and T-Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition[ii], our first touch-screen smartphones, and they both shipped in 2002 with more than 50 additional HTC smartphone models shipping since then.”

The industry has recognized HTC’s contributions through a variety of awards including Fast Company’s 2010 Top 50 Most Innovative Companies and MIT Technology Review’s 2010 50 Most Innovative Companies. The GSMA also recently awarded the HTC Hero as the “Best Phone of 2009.” Some of HTC’s technology firsts include:

• First Windows PDA (1998)
• First Windows Phone (June 2002)
• First 3G CDMA EVDO smartphone (October 2005)
• First gesture-based smartphone (June 2007)
• First Google Android smartphone (October 2008)
• First 4G WIMAX smartphone (November 2008)

In 2009, HTC launched its branded user experience, HTC Sense. HTC Sense is focused on putting people at the center by making phones work in a more simple and natural way. This experience was fundamentally based on listening and observing how people live and communicate.

“HTC has always taken a partnership-oriented, collaborative approach to business. This has led to long-standing strategic partnerships with the top software, Internet and wireless technology companies in the industry as well as the top U.S., European and Asian mobile operators,” said Jason Mackenzie, vice president of HTC America. “It is through these relationships that we have been able to deliver the world’s most diverse series of smartphones to an even more diverse group of people around the world, recognizing that customers have very different needs.”

For more information on HTC’s history of innovation, please visit: www.htc.com/history.

Tags: Android, Apple Lawsuit, Chief Executive Officer, Creating A Portfolio, Disagreement, Edge Innovations, Google, Innovators, Intellectual Property Protection, Legal Actions, Legal Response, March 17, Mobile Experience, Mobile Operators, Patent Lawsuit, Smartphone, Smartphones, T Mobile, Touch Screen, Xda

Google has expanded its Android version coverage for its Gesture Search app, announced earlier. Previously the app, downloadable for free from the Android Market, supported only Android version 2.0+; it now supports 1.6+.

Gesture search allows users to allows you to search your phone (contacts, bookmarks, applications and music) by drawing alphabet gestures on the touch screen.

It can now also be downloaded in any country where the Android Market is "open for business." However, it still only recognizes the English alphabet.

It is obviously still a work-in-progress, and would definitely be better if it was integrated into the OS instead of being a stand-along application. Additionally, there are still plenty of Android 1.5 devices out there, including some just introduced (like the Backflip on AT&T).

Tags: Backflip, Blogspot, English Alphabet, Gesture, Gestures, Google, Music, Touch Screen, Work In Progress

On Tuesday, Google announced it had filled a major hole in the HTC Nexus One's feature set, adding support for 3G on both AT&T and Canada's Rogers network.

Earlier, we noted that HTC Nexus One sales have been underwhelming. There are several possibilities for this, but one was pigeon-holing it with one GSM carrier in the U.S., T-Mobile. The Nexus One ships unlocked, meaning you could drop in any SIM, but it previously wouldn't support the 3G frequencies of AT&T and Rogers prior to this.

However, T-Mobile remains the only carrier that subsidizes the Nexus One. If you buy an AT&T 3G compatible version, it will be sans contract (a good thing) but at $529 instead of $179 subsidized (a not-so-good, but not necessarily bad, thing).

Check out the new option at Google's Nexus One site.

Time will tell if this change will cause a spike in Nexus One sales. Quite a few consumers have been waiting for a decent Android phone to hit AT&T, but it appears that that Motorola Backflip ain't it, according to many reviewers.

Tags: 3g, Amp, Backflip, Blogspot, Canada, Compatible Version, Consumers, Google, Motorola, New Option, Nexus, Pigeon, Possibilities, Reviewers, S Rogers, Ships, Sim, Spike, T Mobile

The New York Times has an interesting piece on the falling out between Google and Apple. The rancor has reached the point where, according to once unnamed source, "It’s World War III." What brought the two companies to this point, such that we may even see Microsoft's Bing replacing Google on the iPhone, if things work out as rumored?

After all, when the first-generation iPhone was launched, Google CEO Eric Schmidt was on-stage with Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Schmidt joked that the collaboration between the two, necessary to get Google's services on the iPhone, was so close that companies should be merged and called “AppleGoo.” He added, “Steve, my congratulations to you. This product is going to be hot.”

Of course, the iPhone was, and is, hot. Then came Google's Android platform, which Jobs feels was a stab in the back.

During an all-hands meeting shortly after the iPad was introduced in January, Jobs went on a rant about Google: “We did not enter the search business. They entered the phone business. Make no mistake: Google wants to kill the iPhone. We won’t let them.” He also added, “Don’t be evil is a load of crap” (originally reported as Jobs saying it was "bullsh*t").

It is doubtful the Android platform will "kill" the iPhone. However, many analysts believe that Android will eventually overtake the iPhone. The reasons should be common sense to anyone watching the industry:

• The iPhone, because of its App Store and rather draconian policies over what can and cannot be installed on the device, is a closed system. Android is not. The singular example of Google Voice is obvious.

• The iPhone comes (at least so far) in one form factor per year. Android phones are shipping in many varieties, with more to come.  To consumers who like differentiation, this may eventually be an issue.  

• While the iPhone's App Store far outstrips Android in terms of the sheer number of apps, exactly how many of those are truly useful? The better-known apps will show up on Android, if they haven't already. Of course, there are apps that may never show up on Android, such as, say, an app for your favorite bank. Many of those are simply an easy way to get into the web site of the company involved, and can still be done via Android's browser, which is just as capable as the iPhone's, at least for now.

Therein lies the rub, of course: "at least for now." While Apple has not sued Google over the Android platform, it has sued one of Google's hardware partners, HTC. Google, quite naturally, said it will back its partner.  Multi-touch, for example, is at issue in the fight, and that allows pinch-to-zoom functionality, something highly valued by consumers. Loss of such features to iPhone exclusivity will surely hurt Android adoption.

It's not just Google that's "picking on" Apple. Its Android partners are as well. Verizon, which reportedly passed on the iPhone, has made no bones about AT&T's coverage issues, which many iPhone users are aware of. They also were quick to point out that things the iPhone can't do, the Droid can.

It's not just about smartphones, either. The NYT points out that Apple made an offer of $600 million for AdMob, the mobile ad company, but after requiring a 45-day routine clause that prevented the start-up from shopping itself to others, Apple inexplicably let the 45 days pass. Once the period expired, Google immediately pounced.

Within three days of the no-shop provision's expiration, Google announced it had agreed to buy AdMob, for $750 million, a 25 percent premium over Apple's offer. In addition, Google made sure to point out that it, unlike Apple, was an old pro in advertising, and thus better suited to AdMob. Finally, the company also promised that AdMob employees would be able to cash out stock options sooner than Apple’s deal would have allowed.

An unnamed source told the NYT:

“There is no way AdMob would have gotten $750 million if he (Eric Schmidt) wasn’t worried that it would end up in the hands of Steve. Are they going to get $750 million in cash flow back? No way.”

Apple settled for seconds, signing a deal with Quattro Wireless, an AdMob rival, for close to $300 million in January. Of course, AdMob was the prize fruit in all this pursuit. This, and the contentiousness over Android and HTC, signal that Apple and Google's World War III is nowhere near an end.

Tags: Android, Apple Ceo, Ceo Eric Schmidt, Ceo Jobs, Common Sense, Differentiation, Eric Schmidt, Google, iPad, iPhone, New York Times, Phone Business, Rancor, Rant, Search Business, Sheer Number, Stab In The Back, Steve Jobs, Unnamed Source, World War Iii

Google is 99.9 percent certain to shut down its Chinese search engine, google.cn, after coming to an impasse with Chinese authorities, according to report in the Financial Times. The report cites an unnamed source "familiar with the company’s thinking."

It's been slightly more than two months since Google stopped censoring its search results in China. The company did this as a result of what the company called an attack on its infrastructure, originating from Chinese authorities. The hacking was an attempt to access the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists.

The report comes a day after by Li Yizhong, China's minister of industry and information technology stated that Google must obey Chinese law, or "face the consequences." Li made the statement at the National People's Congress in Beijing on Friday.

"If you want to do something that disobeys Chinese law and regulations, you are unfriendly, you are irresponsible, and you will have to pay the consequences"If you want to do something that disobeys Chinese law and regulations, you are unfriendly, you are irresponsible, and you will have to pay the consequences, Whether they leave or not is up to them. But if they leave, China's Internet market is still going to develop."

Unlike its overwhelming global market share, Google in China has only a 30 percent share of a market dominated by Baidu, a Chinese company.

The FT's source said:

[...] that its senior executives remained “adamant” about ending the censorship. The company has also ruled out keeping the search service going by handing majority control, or even the entire business, to a local player.

On Wednesday, while in the UAE, Google CEO Eric Schmidt said that negotiations are continuing and that he expects a resolution soon.

Despite any legalities involved in the matter, many have been critical of the actions of not just Google, whose unofficial motto is "Don't be evil," but also Microsoft, Yahoo!, and more. In 2007, for example, a Chinese political prisoner sued Yahoo! in U.S. federal court, stating that the company essentially aided the Chinese government in torturing him by providing information that led to his arrest.

Tags: Ceo Eric Schmidt, China Report, Chinese Authorities, Chinese Company, Chinese Human Rights, Chinese Law, Chinese Search Engine, Eric Schmidt, Financial Times, Global Market Share, Google, Human Rights Activists, Internet Market, Li Yizhong, Majority Control, Minister Of Industry, Search Engine Google, Search Google, Unnamed Source, Unofficial Motto

Some are surprised, but they shouldn't be. Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helu, 70, (mostly known just as Carlos Slim) has taken the title of the "World's Richest Man" from Bill Gates, 54, on the Forbes Billionaire List. It is not, however, as though Gates hasn't lost the title before. He's been tussling with Warren Buffett, 79, as well, who held the title in 2008. Gates reclaimed the crown in 2009.

In 2008, in fact, Carlos Slim Helu was second behind Buffett, with Gates third. Gates weathered the recession and stock drops better than Buffett and Slim in 2009, as all saw massive drops in their fortunes, with Slim dropping to third.

In 2007, Carlos Slim Helu was named the world's richest man, but not by Forbes. This is the first time that Slim has been atop the list on the Forbes "official" roster of the wealthy.

All three (now placed Slim #1, Gates #2, Buffett #3) saw their fortunes rise drastically during the last year. Carlos Slim Helu saw his net worth rise $18.5 billion to $53.5 billion, just above Gates at $53 billion. Meanwhile, Buffett saw his fortune rise $10 billion to $47 billion, mostly on the shares of Berkshire Hathaway.

Aside from Carlos Slim Helu's move to number one, other interesting tidbits from the Forbes Billionaire List:

• Finland and Pakistan both welcomed their first billionaires.
• For the first time China (including Hong Kong) has the most billionaires outside the U.S. with 89.
• Larry Ellison, 65, CEO, of Oracle is in 6th place with $28 billion.
• Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, 57, is in 37th position with $13.5 billion, tied with Michael Dell, 45, CEO of Dell.
• Jeff Bezos, 46, of Amazon.com is 43rd at $12.3 billion.
• Sergey Brin, 36, and Larry Page, 37 co-founders of Google are tied for 24 at $17.5 billion.
• Apple CEO Steve Jobs, 55, is tied with six others for 136th place with a net worth of $5.5 billion.

Assuming it does not depress you too much, you can find the full list here.

Tags: Amazon, Apple Ceo, Berkshire Hathaway, Bill Gates, Carlos Slim Helu, Ceo Of Dell, Forbes Billionaire List, Founders Of Google, Google, Interesting Tidbits, Jeff Bezos, Larry Ellison, Larry Page, Mexican Billionaire Carlos Slim, Michael Dell, Paul Allen, Richest Man, Sergey Brin, Time China, Warren Buffett

Google Maps already had directions via car, on foot, and public transit. But what about those two-wheeled people-powered vehicles? Problem solved, as on Wednesday, the company added biking directions to the service.

You can also turn on a bicycling "map layer" through use of the "More option" as shown above. Do that, and you'll see three different types of lines appear on the map:

• Dark green indicates a dedicated bike-only trail;
• Light green indicates a dedicated bike lane along a road;
• Dashed green indicates roads that are designated as preferred for bicycling, but without dedicated lanes

One thing that's missing that would be great: a difficulty level, meaning how much incline a route might have, increasing the difficulty of the ride.

At any rate, this is still in beta (as most Google services are), so just be aware that you may run into some issues. Google encourages riders to send feedback (such as corrections) via the “Report a Problem” tool.

Oh, and Google is also running a promotion at the same time. If you tweet using the hashtag #bikewithgoogle, you might just win a new bicycle. The winner (official rules) can get a $2,500 voucher to use at American Cyclery.

Watch a video on the new feature.

Tags: Beta, Bicycle, Bike Lane, Bike Light, Bike Trail, Biking, Difficulty Level, Directions Maps, Google, Google Maps, Map, Maps Directions, New Feature, Public Transit, Running, Tool, Voucher

Google has announced a Google App Marketplace. While there's already a marketplace for Android applications, this is about 3rd-party applications that integrate and work with Google's Apps, such as Docs, etc.

The big question when any new marketplace opens is: does it have sufficient applications to have critical mass so that people even care? It appears that Google does.

The advantage of the Google Apps Marketplace is that you don't have to be "in the know" about relatively unknown applications that may be something that is exactly what you are looking for. For example, Offisync, which allows Office 2003, 2007, and 2010 users to save their files on Google Docs is already number 3 on the "most installed" list in the sidebar on the Apps Marketplace home page.

Google notes the following in their announcement:

With OpenID integration, Google Apps users can access the other applications without signing in separately to each. The Google Apps Marketplace eliminates the worry about software updates, keeping track of different passwords and manual syncing and sharing of data, thereby increasing business productivity and lessening frustrations for users and IT administrators alike. That's the power of the cloud.

Google has an overview video of the Apps Marketplace available. You can view it below.

Tags: Access Applications, Advantage, Business Productivity, Critical Mass, Frustrations, Google, Google Apps, Integration, New Marketplace, Number 3, Party Applications, Passwords, Sidebar, Software Updates, Worry

VoiceCentral announced Black Swan, a Google Voice iPhone web app in December of 2009, but it was somewhat upstaged by Google itself, which released an official Google Voice iPhone web app in late January. Now Black Swan is out, so how does it compare with Google's web app?

The need for web apps for Google Voice on the iPhone arises because Apple has purged the App Store of Google Voice apps in mid-2009, and has refused to accept Google's native iPhone app. Web apps, which use the Safari's capabilities instead of a native app, are subject to the App Store approval process, and thus can't be blocked by Apple.

To install the Black Swan web app, you simply navigate to http://voicecentral.riverturn.com/install from your iPhone's browser. You'll then see a message says the app is installed, and it will then prompt you to add a bookmark to your Home Screen.

After that, you just add your account information (you do have a Google Voice account, still only invitation only, right?). The app is free, but VoiceCentral also offers a premium version, for $10 a year (currently on sale for $6). The premium version adds the ability to import contact photos, see billing transactions, Do Not Disturb, Favorites, and Inbox Search. You also get real customer support, as opposed to forums only.

Just remember, as a weblication, or a web app, Black Swan does have limitations imposed on it.

• Currently, weblications cannot access the iPhone's contacts. However, Black Swan can import your Google contacts to provide similar functionality.
• The earpiece cannot be accessed by the app, so voicemails play through the speaker or the headphone jack.

The lack of an ability to link to your iPhone's native contacts is annoying, but understandable.
There are also no push notifications. If, for example, there is a voicemail left on your Google Voice number, there isn't a way for Black Swan to send you a push notification. Well, there is a way, but not without "help," at any rate.

Additionally, unlike the official Google Voice web app, when you want to make a call Black Swan has Google Voice call you and then connects you to the actual number. The official web app uses an intermediate number and doesn't require you to answer the "callback." That's a big convenience.

So, does the world really need another Google Voice web app? Not really, not in addition to the official web app. What it really needs is a more open App Store.

Watch a Black Swan video:

Tags: Apple, Black Swan, Capabilities, Contacts, Customer Support, Earpiece, Google, Google Web, Headphone Jack, Invitation, iPhone, Native App, Notifications, Photos, Safari, Swan, Swan Web, Voice Number, Voicemail, Web Apps

How to use/install it?

Tags: Direct Download, Direct Links, Download Browser, Download Links, Download Music, Download Sites, Download Videos, Google, Icon, Lower Right Corner, Myspace, Play Button, Screenshot, Streaming Music, Video Player