Google bids $900 million for Nortel patent portfolio, will use it as shield against patent trolls (update)

Google and Nortel have agreed on the princely sum of $900 million to start off a "stalking horse" auction -- wherein outside parties are still free to outdo Google's bid -- for the acquisition of Nortel's rather vast patent portfolio. The sale comes as part of the latter company's bankruptcy selloff and involves some 6,000 patents and patent applications, which encompass both wired and wireless communications, semiconductors, data networking, voice, and the internet -- going so far as to even touch on web search and social networking. The thing is, Google's not really enamored with these tidbits of intellectual property to the tune of nearly a billion dollars. No sir, a rather bitter blog post from the company this morning makes it quite clear that Google's acting in order to bolster its own intellectual property library and to "create a disincentive for others to sue." Both Android and Chrome get obliquely mentioned in Google's announcement as benefiting from the move, which should be completed by June of this year pending other bids and regulatory approvals.

Update: Microsoft has noted that it has "a worldwide, perpetual, royalty-free license to all of Nortel's patents that covers all Microsoft products and services, resulting from the patent cross-license signed with Nortel in 2006." That license will also transfer with the sale of the patent rights. All that means is that Microsoft cannot be sued for infringing on that bundle of rights as it is already licensed to use them. That means Microsoft is extremely unlikely to participate in this auction -- other than, of course, as a means to prevent others from obtaining the same rights.

Apr 04, 2011 10:53 ET

Nortel to Sell Patent Portfolio

- Enters into Stalking Horse Sale Agreement with Google Inc. for US$900 million in cash
- Planned sale includes approximately 6,000 patents and patent applications covering a broad range of wired, wireless and digital communication technologies
- Subject to Canadian and U.S. court approvals, auction expected in June 2011

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - April 4, 2011) - Nortel(1) Networks Corporation (OTCBB:NRTLQ) announced today that it, its principal operating subsidiary Nortel Networks Limited (NNL) and certain of its other subsidiaries, including Nortel Networks Inc. and Nortel Networks UK Limited (in administration), have entered into a stalking horse asset sale agreement with Google Inc. for the sale of all of Nortel's remaining patents and patent applications for a cash purchase price of US$900 million.

The agreement includes the planned sale of approximately 6,000 patents and patent applications spanning wireless, wireless 4G, data networking, optical, voice, internet, service provider, semiconductors and other patent portfolios. The extensive patent portfolio touches nearly every aspect of telecommunications and additional markets as well, including Internet search and social networking.

This agreement follows a confidential, multi-round bidding process involving several interested companies and consortia from around the world.

"This is an unprecedented opportunity to acquire one of the most extensive and compelling patent portfolios to ever come on the market", said George Riedel, Chief Strategy Officer and President of Business Units, Nortel. "We look forward to what we hope will be a robust auction, following the requisite court approvals, currently expected to be held in June 2011".

Details of Sale Process

Nortel will file the stalking horse asset sale agreement with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware along with a motion seeking the establishment of bidding procedures for an auction that allows other qualified bidders to submit higher or otherwise better offers, as required under Section 363 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. A similar motion for the approval of the bidding procedures will be filed with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. Following completion of the bidding process, final approval of the U.S. and Canadian courts will be required.

In addition to the processes and approvals outlined above, consummation of the transaction is subject to the satisfaction of regulatory and other customary conditions.

As previously announced, Nortel does not expect that the Company's common shareholders or the NNL preferred shareholders will receive any value from the creditor protection proceedings and expects that the proceedings will result in the cancellation of these equity interests.

ZDNet

The Official Google Blog

Viewsonic ViewBook 730 7-inch Android tablet hits the FCC, gets the full teardown treatment

It isn't the ViewPad 7 and it sure doesn't look like this seven-inch wild child either, so what you're looking at is another entry from Viewsonic, the e-reader focused ViewBook 730. It's a seven-inch tablet with WiFi sporting HDMI output and microSD in. We know it's running Android and, while the exact flavor remains to be seen, based on the lock screen image shown in the device's manual it's not looking like the ViewBook 730 will not follow the Iconia Tab A100 as one of the few seven-inchers to be rocking Honeycomb. Android 2.X looks to be on the docket for now. Additionally, that manual talks about copying APK files around to install apps, making Android Market inclusion sound a bit doubtful, too. All that should equate to a low-low price, but such expectations are never safe in this world.

Zatz Not Funny

FCC

ASUS claims Transformer is better than a generic tablet, is probably right

ASUS, you naughty tablet maker, you. Not content with giving your Eee Pad Transformer its own sitcom, you're now coming at the US with an aggressive price and some rather eye-catching promo material to boot. Reminding the world that most tablets come without a keyboard and highlighting your tailor-made solution is all well and good, but did you have to make your "generic" slate look so iPad-ish?
 

Phandroid

Best Buy

Kyocera Katsura 'gaming tablet' blurs for the camera

This one's about as mysterious as you'd expect from the image above but, according to Android Community, that black slab you see is Kyocera's new Katsura "gaming tablet." Not many other details at the moment, but it is apparently Android-based, and it has what appears to be a rubbery matte black back adorned with a stylized design of some sort. A bit of an oddity, to be sure, but stranger things have come out of Kyocera recently. Hit up the link below for a few more pics, and look for the tablet to make a more official appearance "soon" if Android Community's tipster is to be believed.

Android Community

Toshiba's P770 and P775 3D Satellite laptops do 120Hz on the go

Toshiba's 3D monocle may have been a joke, but what you're looking at above is not. It's one of the latest additions to its 3D Satellite lineup, now growing to include the P770 and P775 3D. Both include massive 18.4-inch displays that clock in at 120Hz, enabling use of NVIDIA active-shutter glasses -- which you'll have to find a spot for in your laptop bag. Dual webcams in the bezel let you add a little depth to your video calls, while the HDMI output can manage depth-enabled content too. There's a re-writeable Blu-ray drive and what's sure to be a massive price tag to match, though that part has yet to be confirmed by Toshiba. We don't have a release date just yet either.

Notebook Italia

AT&T and Verizon join National Clear Fleet Program, thumb their noses at petrol

Thought the Prez was just kidding about those alternative fuel initiatives? Think again. Just hours after stating that the US government fleet would be 100 percent alternative fuel, hybrid, or electric vehicles by 2015, Obama has announced the National Clean Fleets Partnership, an initiative of the Department's Clean Cities program. It's a rather unique public-private partnership, and it'll be assisting large companies to "reduce diesel and gasoline use in their fleets by incorporating electric vehicles, alternative fuels, and fuel-saving measures into their operations." A handful of Charter members have made themselves known, with AT&T, Verizon, FedEx, Pepsi-Co and UPS all committed to deploying over 20,000 advanced technology vehicles in the years to come -- an effort that should save over seven million gallons of fuel per year. Ma Bell in particular will be replacing over 15,000 rides with 7,000 hybrids and 8,000 compressed natural gas vehicles during the next decade, while Verizon looks to use a raft of cars (er, vans) that rely on biodiesel and ethanol. Whether or not such a program leads to the installation of more EV charging stations remains to be seen, but if it's good enough for Brown, surely it'll be good enough for your future Tesla. Vid's after the break, kiddos.

DOE Blog

Hello, again

An unfamiliar face I'm not, but you'll be hearing a lot more from myself and Mr. Tim Stevens in the months to come. I've been around these parts since the summer of 2006 -- barely two years after the site launched -- when I (unknowingly) began a march to writing more professional blog posts than anyone else in the world. I have to credit Ryan Block and Peter Rojas for showing me the ropes (and Josh Topolsky for everything else), and I'm elated to admit that I've been here long enough to witness every Editor transition that Engadget has seen. To say I'm humbled to be in a position to take over the reins as Managing Editor would be a tremendous understatement; this brand is iconic not because of tricky advertising or dumb luck, but only due to the sleepless nights and incredible determination of the individuals that work here.

We've got a lot of moving parts right now, but there are two things that won't ever change: our dedication to our craft, and our insistence on delivering the best in breaking news within the consumer electronics space. I'd ask that you not take my word for it, and rather look to these very pages to see that vow borne out. You should expect a lot of new and exciting things from us in the future -- things like a renewed focus on tightening the integration with our mobile applications, more frequent reader meetups, zany new Engadget Show segments from across the tech universe, and expanded live event coverage. The foundation that Engadget was built upon (and that was drilled into me at an early age) remains firmly in place, and there's a stellar senior staff here intently focused on keeping it that way.

If you haven't managed to pick up on anything from my last half-decade here, you can dig into a bit of backstory with my Growing up Geek piece, raise your stalker status one higher by visiting my About.me / Tumblr pages, and complete the holy trinity of digital friendship by following me on Twitter. Let's keep in touch, cool?

Twitter finally gets a legitimate search function, lets you filter tweets using smiley faces

Like Google's web search, Twitter started off life doing one single thing and doing it very well. And, just like Google, it's kept adding subtle little enhancements along its way to becoming a mature internet tool. Today, its own famously simplistic search functionality has take a turn through the makeover booth and has emerged shinier, happier, and much smarter on the other side. No longer do you need to have, for example, the specific names of your favorite smartphone jailbreak artists, you just search for the general term and Twitter will do some actual searching for you instead of merely matching your query to usernames. You can even step up to an advanced search, where adding the ":)" and ":(" operators determines whether you'll get happy or downbeat tweets on the topic. Come to think of it, that is pretty advanced. Yo Google, where are your emoticon operators?

Twitter

BlackBerry Bold Touch previewed in leaked tutorials: prepare to pinch-to-zoom (updated)

A slew of leaked video tutorials for upcoming BlackBerry devices is finally giving us a glimpse into what RIM has in store to keep its diehard fans from ditching the platform. Among some more video of the all-touchscreen BlackBerry Monaco / Touch, we're finally seeing how the popular Bold form factor will benefit from some touchscreen magic in the aptly named Bold Touch. We're longtime fans of the traditional form factor, but if anything, the addition looks to be more trouble than it's worth. Like its sliding cousin, the Torch, touch input seems even more gimmicky given that all the same functions can be performed using the familiar (and beloved) optical trackpad -- which doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Sure, touchscreens are all the rage these days and pinch-to-zoom is nice, but we can't help but wonder if RIM is simply killing time until its dual-core QNX-equipped phones hit unsuspecting BBM'ers. Of course, the company has been impressing us with its use of touch on the Playbook, so there's no telling what it might have in store come BlackBerry World. You can peep the Monaco action after the break, or check out a torrent of others at the source link as well.


Update: Uh oh, looks like the original Monaco video got yanked, but fret not, as Crackberry has just posted some more clips -- we got one of the new ones after the break as well.

CrackBerry CrackBerry, N4BB

Researchers find graphene transistors cool themselves, silicon counterparts seethe with envy

We've seen graphene promise some pretty slick tricks already: budget-minded bendable batteries, superior stain resistance, and upping ultracapacitors' energy density. We can now add self-cooling transistors to the list of awesome, yet unfulfilled possibilities for these microscopic sheets of carbon. Using an atomic force microscope, a team of researchers at the University of Illinois led by Professor William King discovered that graphene transistors have a thermoelectric cooling effect where they make their metal connections. This self-cooling is greater than the resistive heating that normally follows the flow of electrons -- meaning graphene-based electronics from the future could make their silicon competition look decidedly uncool in comparison.

Physorg

University of Illinois

Verizon and MetroPCS objections to FCC net neutrality rules dismissed in case of premature litigation

The FCC wants to put new rules in place ensuring access to the web is, like justice, blind to where a person is coming from and indifferent to where on the web he is going to. Verizon's first reaction to these new directives was to publicly decry them as overreaching, and its second was to file a lawsuit, one that was swiftly echoed by MetroPCS. Only problem with their plans? The rules haven't yet been published in the Federal Register, which renders the legal challenges from the two eager mobile carriers "incurably" premature. Such was the determination of the US Court of Appeals, which refused to make a substantive ruling and just threw the cases out due to the technicality. Verizon isn't discouraged, however, and promises to bide its time until all the dominoes have fallen into place before launching another legal attack. Hey, whatever keeps those lawyers in their fancy suits.

Associated Press (Yahoo! News)

MPAA sues Zediva for streaming DVDs, no one is surprised

We told you to get through that 10 pack of rentals quickly didn't we? As pretty much anyone could have predicted, the Motion Picture Association of America (in case you've forgotten, that's these guys) doesn't think Zediva has the right to rent access to DVDs for streaming across the internet. Specifically, the MPAA calls Zediva for not being the traditional rental service it claims to be, and claims streaming the output of a DVD player across the internet even to one user amounts to public performance of the movie. There's no response yet from Zediva, but in the meantime armchair lawyers can check out the MPAA's statement in PDF form at the source link.

Hollywood Reporter

MPAA

Sprint says its NFC-based payment service will launch this year, beat other carriers to the cash register

AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon may have all lined up to support the so-called Isis mobile payment system for cellphones, but Sprint has decided to go it alone for various reasons, and it's now saying it plans to beat the others to market. As Bloomberg reports, Sprint is already working with payment networks and handset makers on its own NFC-based system, and it says it plans to roll out the service sometime this year, while Isis has previously stated that it only expects to be ready in 2012. While details are otherwise still fairly light, Sprint says that customers will be able to have purchases billed to their regular credit card statements rather than their phone bill, and that it will rely on alternatives to taking a percentage each transaction for itself as Isis plans to do. Of course, while this is Sprint's latest move in the space, it's far from its first -- in fact, it's been running NFC trials as far back as 2007.
 

Bloomberg

Nikon D5100 DSLR surfaces with 16.2 megapixel sensor, 1080p video recording

Been waiting for a new Nikon DSLR to slide in under that magical $1,000 mark? Then we've got some good news for you, as Digital Home Thoughts has now let slip some official details and pictures of Nikon's new prosumer D5100 model. This one steps things up to a D7000-matching 16.2 megapixels from the 12 megapixel D5000, and boasts a 3-inch articulated display (side-mounted this time), 1080p video recording at both 30 and 24 fps (with autofocus!), ISO settings from 100 to 6,400, and an 18-105mm lens included in the kit (no body-only option available just yet, it seems). What's more, Nikon's also releasing a new ME-1 microphone alongside the camera to let you take full advantage of those video recording capabilities -- check it out after the break. Look for this one to set you back $899.95 for the kit, with the mic running $159.95. Those are Canadian prices according to Digital Home Thoughts, though we'd expect US pricing to be the same.

Digital Home Thoughts

Nicholas Callaway shifts paper-based empire to app, prays the publishing gods approve

If you've found yourself even mildly obsessed with style, art or design over the past score, there's a better-than-average chance you've got a Nicholas Callaway book on your coffee table. And it'll soon be a collector's item. The publishing monolith made his fortunes in the pages of ye old paper-based books, but it seems that he'll be paying off future mortgages with something else entirely. In a recent sit-down with Reuters, Callaway confessed to "betting the ranch" on apps, quietly stroking the capacitive touchpanel on his iPad and gazing fondly into the middle distance. For him, this is a "once in a century" revolution, where an entire industry hits a fork and is forced to continue on with an entirely new medium. Of course, Callaway is far from the only one making this shift -- we've seen legendary newspapers make similar moves, and as e-book stores continue to grow in prominence, it's a given that paperbacks will eventually give way to whatever's next. Hit the source link for the longest, most in-depth dive you'd ever dream of taking into this here topic.

Reuters

Lensbaby tempts the serious crowd with Composer Pro lens peripheral

We've been big fans of Lensbaby for quite some time, but up until now, its wares weren't exactly ideal for the professional crowd. It seems that the company's angling to change that with its latest release, the duly-named Composer Pro. For all intents and purposes, this is a fresh take on the existing Composer, with an upgraded swivel ball / focus mechanism that delivers smoother focus and tilt control to those who need it to make ends meet. In case you're wondering, the Pro is compatible with the Lensbaby Optic Swap System, and it'll ship with either the Double Glass Optic ($300 for the bundle) or the new Sweet 35 Optic ($400) installed. Head on past the break for the full breakdown of specifications, and look for this one to ship momentarily from your fav-o-rite e-tailer.

Lensbaby Announces a New SLR Lens: The Composer Pro

The Composer Pro delivers ultra-smooth creative control for the most discerning professional photographers and videographers

Portland, OR – April 4, 2011 - Lensbaby announces its newest SLR creative effects camera lens, the Composer Pro. The Composer Pro refines and enhances the popular and award winning Lensbaby Composer by upgrading the swivel ball and focus mechanism to provide professional performance. The Composer Pro's metal swivel ball design and refined focus mechanism deliver ultra-smooth focus and tilt control. The updated focus mechanism features a fluid and accurate dampened focus ring comparable to the focus mechanisms of the highest quality professional manual focus lenses. This smooth, fluid operation makes the Composer Pro the perfect choice for discerning professional photographers and videographers who want to create ground-breaking creative imagery.

The Composer Pro is compatible with the Lensbaby Optic Swap System and ships with either the Double Glass Optic or the new Sweet 35 Optic installed. Each optic creates a Sweet Spot of sharp focus that photographers can move around the photo by tilting the Composer Pro's swiveling lens body. The Composer Pro is compatible with the complete range of creative optics in the Lensbaby Optic Swap System including the Fisheye, Soft Focus, Pinhole/Zone plate, Single Glass, and Plastic. Each optic can be swapped into the Composer Pro to deliver a different creative effect.

The Composer Pro joins Lensbaby's growing family of lenses, which now includes the Lensbaby Composer, Scout, Muse, and Control Freak. The Composer Pro will retail for $300 with the Double Glass Optic installed or for $400 with the Sweet 35 Optic installed. The entry-level Lensbaby Composer will remain in Lensbaby's product line but at a lower MSRP of $250.

"The Composer Pro builds on the strengths of its siblings in the Lensbaby family. In addition to being a core element in the Lensbaby Optic Swap system, it is smooth, fluid and precise to meet the needs of our community of photographer who want to see their unique visions through a precision piece of photographic equipment. Professional photographers continue to be at the core of our customer base." said Craig Strong, Lensbaby Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer. "The Composer pro is for them."

Composer Pro Specs:

* Refined metal ball design delivers ultra-smooth focus and tilt control
* Ships with either the Sweet 35 Optic or Double Glass Optic installed
* Compatible with the Lensbaby Optic Swap System
* Focus Type: Manual
* Size/Weight: 2.25" (5.71cm) high x 2.5" (6.35cm) wide / 4 oz (113.4g)
* Tilts from zero to 17.5 degrees

Sweet 35 Optic Product Specs:

* Focal Length: 35mm
* 12 blade internal aperture, controlled by a dial on the front of the optic
* Aperture range from f/2.5 through f/22 (sweet spot size ranges from 15%, at f/2.5, to 40%, at f/22, of total image area on APS-C sensor cameras)
* Selective focus optic (creates a sweet spot of focus surrounded by gradual blur)
* Compatible with Lensbaby Composer, Scout, Muse, and Control Freak lens bodies*
* Focus distance when used with Composer Pro: 7.5" to infinity
* 4 multi-coated glass elements, in three groups
* 46mm front threads**

*The Sweet 35 Optic is not compatible with the Composer with Tilt Transformer for Micro 4/3rds and Sony NEX Cameras.
**The Sweet 35 Optic is not compatible with current 37mm Lensbaby accessories.

Double Glass Optic Product Specs:

* Focal Length: 50mm
* Low dispersion, high refractive index, multi-coated optical glass doublet
* Aperture Type: Interchangeable, magnetic aperture disks
* Apertures: f/2, f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, f/16, f/22
* Selective focus optic (creates a sweet spot of focus surrounded by gradual blur)
* Focus distance when used with Composer Pro: 18" to infinity
* 37mm front threads accept all Lensbaby accessory lenses


Composer Pro with Double Glass Optic is available now from Lensbaby-authorized photo specialty stores worldwide, and from adorama.com, amazon.com, bhphotovideo.com and lensbaby.com. Composer Pro with Sweet 35 Optic will be available soon. Composer Pro with Double Glass Optic retails for $300 MSRP and Composer Pro with Sweet 35 Optic retails for $400 MSRP.

Lensbaby

China's dead affected by iPad 2 shortages of a different sort

In life as in death, it seems, getting your hands on an iPad 2 is no easy feat. Reuters is reporting today that paper replicas of the tablet are selling out in parts of Asia, as revelers prepare to set the things ablaze during China's Qingming festival Tuesday. As is tradition, paper versions of money, clothing, and, yes, consumer electronics are burned as offerings to the dead, and this year Apple's latest slate is apparently all the rage for expired techies -- one shopkeeper in Malaysia said his stock of 300 paper iPad 2s sold out quickly, leaving him unable to meet demand. Sounds strangely familiar, doesn't it?

Switched

Reuters

Federal prosecutors investigating Pandora, other smartphone apps over privacy concerns

Apps collecting users' information without their knowledge may not be anything new, but it's not everyday we see things rise to the level of Federal Grand Jury investigation. That happened today, however, with Federal prosecutors in New Jersey launching a probe to determine whether smartphone apps have been collecting personal information like an individual's location without being suitably up front about it. So far only Pandora and one independent developer have come forward and said they've received subpoenas, but Pandora says it believes the probe is an industry-wide one, and that it is "not a specific target of the investigation." As the Wall Street Journal notes, the investigation is also still only in the early stages and may well not result in any actual charges, but it seems to be extending beyond just the app makers themselves. A "person familiar with the matter" has told the Wall Street Journal that both Apple and Google have been asked to provide information on the apps and app makers in question, although neither is commenting on the matter publicly at the moment.

Wall Street Journal

Think City's EVs get priced... sort of

Apparently a $34,000 price tag isn't exclusive enough for you to nab one of the first 100 Think City electric vehicles -- fancy that! The aforementioned sticker is meant only for normal retail versions of the green-machine, a version that just so happens to not truly exist in any meaningful form. To be one of those lucky 100 bringing home the first available Think City vehicles, you'll have to cough up a decidedly heftier chunk of change -- $41,695 to be exact. In addition to these inaugural models, Think City is adding another set of prices for lucky folks living in Indiana (the first state to acquire these cars), where the normal production electric eco-transports are apparently selling for just $30,050. 'Course, all this scrutiny over MSRPs is apt to be for naught when gas creeps up to six bucks a gallon, but hey, that would never happen in our lifetime. Right?

AutoBlogGreen

Sony kills A33 DSLR production, auctions off unused birthday cake

If you didn't jump on an Alpha A33 when you had the chance, you'll probably be disappointed when your eyes glaze over the next few words -- Sony has discontinued production of the translucent mirror-packed shooter. On its site, the company has noted that production has halted in Japan, without specific reasoning as to why -- though some might say that overheating sensor was just too much to bear. It's not often that a seven month-old DSLR gets canned, but if Sony's got a refined sensor waiting in a doubly refined successor... well, that'll put a plug in the waterworks real quick.

Foto Actualidad

Sony Japan

Epsilon breach exposes TiVo, Best Buy email addresses, spambots stir into action

If you're subscribed to any of TiVo's email-based communiqués, now would be a good time to make sure your spam filters are up to scratch. Epsilon, TiVo's email service provider, has reported the discovery of a security breach that has compromised the privacy of some customers' names and / or email addresses. A rigorous investigation has concluded that no other personal data was exposed, however it's not just TiVo that's affected -- other big names, such as JPMorgan Chase, Citi, US Bank, Kroger, and Walgreens have also seen their users' deets dished out to the unidentified intruder. As we say, no credit card numbers or any other truly sensitive data has escaped, so the only thing you really have to fear is fear itself... and an onslaught of spam.

Update: Best Buy and the US College Board have also joined the extremely broad list of affected organizations now, judging by the warning emails they've been sending off to our readers. Valued Best Buy customers should expect an email similar to the scawl posted after the break.

Update 2: You can also count Chase Bank customers among those also affected -- not their bank accounts, mind, but their e-mail addresses.

Dear Valued Best Buy Customer,

On March 31, we were informed by Epsilon, a company we use to send emails to our customers, that files containing the email addresses of some Best Buy customers were accessed without authorization.

We have been assured by Epsilon that the only information that may have been obtained was your email address and that the accessed files did not include any other information. A rigorous assessment by Epsilon determined that no other information is at risk. We are actively investigating to confirm this.

For your security, however, we wanted to call this matter to your attention. We ask that you remain alert to any unusual or suspicious emails. As our experts at Geek Squad would tell you, be very cautious when opening links or attachments from unknown senders.

In keeping with best industry security practices, Best Buy will never ask you to provide or confirm any information, including credit card numbers, unless you are on our secure e-commerce site, www.bestbuy.com. If you receive an email asking for personal information, delete it. It did not come from Best Buy.

Our service provider has reported this incident to the appropriate authorities.

We regret this has taken place and for any inconvenience this may have caused you. We take your privacy very seriously, and we will continue to work diligently to protect your personal information. For more information on keeping your data safe, please visit:
http://www.geeksquad.com/do-it-yourself/tech-tip/six-steps-to-keeping-your-data-safe.aspx.

Sincerely,

Barry Judge
Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer
Best Buy

Xperia X10 goes on sale for just a dollar on contract, Gingerbread-flavored future makes it appealing

Okay, so a couple of weeks back, we wouldn't have cared if Best Buy was willing to give us money to carry the Xperia X10, we still would have steered clear of its flawed UI and outdated software. But Sony Ericsson did a funny thing last Friday by promising to slap Gingerbread on this 4-inch sucker, which makes its current $1 contract price an eminently more intriguing proposition. We scouted out Best Buy's web outlet and couldn't find the X10 listed at all, so this could very well be a final stock clearance of the handset available on a store-by-store basis. If you're tempted to jump on what's looking like one of the cheapest Gingerbread devices for a while, you should be aware that the Android 2.3 update won't be dropping until the end of Q2 at the earliest, so there will be a modicum of patience required.

Caption contest: this is why grocery stores shouldn't sell smartphones

"We call it a very nice phone and you can get it on a 12 month contract." Oh, really, Tesco? Nifty! So, how much is that bag of day-old doughnuts... with and without a contract?

Don: "Knowing my luck, if I buy this now they'll have an iPhone 4 with a Bold keyboard on sale next week."
Darren: "Do you guys sell a vegan model?"
Michael: "At Tesco, we've got raspberries, strawberries, and... ThunderBerries?"
Tim: "With Android, are you supposed to squeeze it or shake it to tell if it's ripe?"
Chris: "You can find it in the toothpaste aisle of your local grocery store."
Myriam: "Behold the Desire Torch, a new AndroBerry phone from HTRIM... now available in the cheese aisle."
Richard Lai: "By popular demand we have extended our Tesco Mobile Rewards offer to our shanzhai range."
Sean Hollister: "And Tesco embraced fragmentation, the only way it knew how."
Vlad: "Hey, if RIM's gonna use our apps on its tablet, then we're gonna use its buttons on our phones. Fair's fair."

Nyko Power Pack+ and Charge Base for Nintendo 3DS review

When we reviewed the Nintendo 3DS (both times) there were some things we liked and others we didn't, but one thing stood out as a true flaw: the battery life. Three to four hours on a charge just doesn't cut it when portable game systems are traditionally known for shrugging off entire international flights. The 3DS would struggle with a puddle-jumper. Now, Nyko says it has a fix, and have released a battery backpack that promises twice the life of the stock console. Does it deliver? Not quite, but close.

Nyko Charge Base and Power Pak+

Hardware and installation

Lest you get confused, Nyko actually has two distinct products here: the battery itself and the Charge Base which you plug it into. For $19.99 you can get yourself just the Power Pack+ (the battery), but using it sadly will prevent you from using Nintendo's standard charging base, with its trick, flip-out charging contacts. So, Nyko also offers the Charging Base as well, which is $29.99 and includes the battery pack. So, $10 more for the full package, then.

This charging base is rather bulkier than the stock one, and rather blingier too. It features a glowing power light and, when you set the system down, LEDs on the side illuminate your desk to indicate whether it's charging (red) or charged (green). It's a little excessively loud, but is certainly easier than squinting to see the tiny orange LED Nintendo put on the 3DS itself.

Installation of the pack requires the removal of a few screws on the back, pulling off the backplate, and the extrication of the stock 3DS battery. This system completely replaces it. Overall the process takes just a few minutes if you don't lose any of those tiny screws -- or the tiny screwdriver Nyko includes.

Once on the system is roughly one-third thicker than before, though Nyko did thoughtfully contour the back and threw a rubberized coating on there to boot. Naturally this adds some weight, too, up to 280 grams from the stock console's 240. Not a lot, but it's a noticeable difference.

Testing

We cycled the battery pack a few times to let things get comfortable before testing, as Nyko indicated that, for the first time at least, you should charge by plugging the stock Nintendo power adapter straight into the 3DS itself. Afterward you can plug that adapter into the base and leave it alone. We would have liked to see a second power adapter included here, and it would have been even nicer if Nyko had moved away from the proprietary plug and gone with a microUSB. Alas, you can't have everything.

We ran a number of tests, each time using Pilotwings as our demo game with the brightness and 3D slider max'd -- how we figure most gamers will be playing it. Consistently we scored four hours of battery life with WiFi enabled. Turned off the system managed just under five hours. The stock 3DS in the same configuration, meanwhile, managed two hours thirty minutes with WiFi enabled, about 2:45 with it disabled.

We should also mention that the first charging base we received would consistently cause the official Nintendo adapter to short out. Put the console in, hit the power button, and the world would go dark -- well, the Charge Base would, anyway. To get it to work again we'd have to unplug the adapter from the wall and let it chill out for a few minutes. Nyko shipped us a replacement, which worked just fine. Hopefully this is an isolated incident, but given our pals at Joystiq had an issue in their first batch too, you might want to make sure you get yours tested long before your return period expires.

Wrap-up

So we didn't see quite double the battery life, but we'll call it close enough. That said, the extra bulk is certainly noticeable, and whether or not you can live with it is, of course, up to you -- and the confines of your pockets.