Microsoft Unveils Surface Media Tablets.

Microsoft Corp. on Monday introduced its first media tablets that will be sold under its own brand later this year. The company executives showed two Windows tablets and accessories that feature significant advances in industrial design and attention to detail. Surface is designed to seamlessly transition between consumption and creation. The Surface tablets will primarily compete against Apple's iPad slates.
Microsoft Surface is designed and engineered entirely by Microsoft employees and features extensive investment in industrial design and real user experience. The casing of Surface is created using a unique approach called VaporMg, a combination of material selection and process to mold metal and deposit particles that creates a finish akin to a luxury watch. Starting with magnesium, parts can be molded as thin as 0.65mm, thinner than the typical credit card, to create a product that is thin, light and rigid/strong.

The VaporMg approach also enables a built-in kickstand that lets one transition Surface from active use to passive consumption – watching a movie or even using the HD front- or rear-facing video cameras. The kickstand is there when needed, and disappears when not in use, with no extra weight or thickness.

Microsoft Surface also features Touch Cover keyboard that senses keystrokes as gestures, enabling to touch type significantly faster than with an on-screen keyboard. Touch Cover clicks into Surface via a built-in magnetic connector. Surface sports a full-sized USB port and a 16:9 aspect ratio of the screen, which is more advanced than 4:3 aspect ratio of Apple iPad.

Two models of Surface will be available: one running an ARM processor featuring Windows RT, and one with an Intel Core "Ivy Bridge" processor featuring Windows 8 Pro. Surface for Windows RT will release with the general availability of Windows 8, and the Windows 8 Pro model will be available about 90 days later. Both will be sold in the Microsoft Store locations in the U.S. and available through select online Microsoft Stores.
Suggested retail pricing will be announced closer to availability and is expected to be competitive with a comparable ARM tablet or Intel Ultrabook-class PC. OEMs will have cost and feature parity on Windows 8 and Windows RT.

Intel Acquires 1700 Radio Patents for $375 Million.

Intel Corp. and InterDigital  on Monday announced that they had signed a definitive agreement to sell to Intel roughly 1700 patents and patent applications for $375 million in cash. The radio technology patents will help Intel to better compete on the market of cell phones, tablets and similar devices.
"These patents will support Intel's strategic investments in the mobile segment. The addition of these patents expands our already large, strong and diverse portfolio of intellectual property," said Doug Melamed, Intel senior vice president and general counsel.
The agreement involves patents primarily related to 3G, 4G/LTE and 802.11 technologies. InterDigital is an active developer of advanced wireless technologies including WCDMA (wideband CDMA), HSDPA (high speed download packet access) and HSUPA (high speed upload packet access) 3G technologies as well as LTE (long term evolution) and LTE-Advanced 4G technologies.

"This transaction, which involves a small portion of our overall patent portfolio, marks an important milestone of InterDigital's stated strategy of expanding the monetization of its large and growing intellectual property portfolio. By executing on our business plan, which has been broadened to include patent sales, licensing partnerships and other possibilities, we see tremendous potential to expand revenue and build shareholder value," said Scott McQuilkin, senior executive vice president, strategy and finance at InterDigital.
The companies expect the transaction to be completed in third quarter 2012, subject to customary closing conditions and any required regulatory approvals.