RIP Flip
Not too long ago, it was on the list of must-have gadgets of most tech enthusiasts. But Cisco has announced last week that it is shutting down production of the Flip Camcorder, a company that it acquired as recently as March 2009. The camcorder continues to be quite popular in the U.S. and in the few other markets that it has been present, its USP is its ease of use and “file transfer”. The third generation Flip camcorders that hit the stores last year were capable of shooting videos in HD, image stabilisation, and the advanced models even had options to plug in external microphones. Sadly the growth of Flip coincided with the growth and the growth of smart phones. With the camera functions of smart phones improving vastly, Cisco just did not see reason in continuing with a stand-alone camcorder.
Et tu, Google Video?
There is more to mourn this week. Google Video, the video hosting service launched by the God of Internet services before it acquired market leader YouTube, will be officially shutting down on August 29. Google had stopped uploads to the service in 2009 but now it seems like it is pulling the plug altogether. It has encouraged video users to upload content to YouTube instead. The Google Video lexicon will, however, remain for online video search.
Google has sent out alerts to users who have published on the platform to download and relocate their videos by mid-May.
Apple takes Samsung to court
Apple has done it again. Having filed similar suits against HTC and Motorola previously, Apple is taking Samsung to court for allegedly ‘copying' the innovative style and design of iPhone smartphone and the iPad tablet PC in the new Samsung Galaxy series of phones and tablet PCs. The Wall Street Journal has some extracts from the suit filed by Apple, including this stinging observation: “Rather than innovate and develop its own technology and a unique Samsung style for its smart phone products and computer tablets, Samsung chose to copy Apple's technology, user interface and innovative style in these infringing products.”
