Microsoft and Samsung Collaborations – South Korea’s LG Electronics and Microsoft have agreed to collaborate on mobile technology. The agreement ensures continued strategic collaboration in R&D, marketing, applications, and services in the field of converged mobile devices. Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics announced launch of their Omnia touch screen handset model which is based on Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system. Microsoft hopes its mobile operating system can challenge Symbian – the platform backed by Nokia and used in two-thirds of the world’s smartphones (those with computer-like capabilities).
The VCR is Dead – Last month JVC – the originators of the consumer videotape competition to Sony’s BetaMax – quietly stopped production of standalone VHS recorders. There are still a few TV/VCR and DVD/VCR combos but the VCR/VHS era has now drawn to a close. Sony’s U-Matic was the beginning of videocassette recording back in 1971 and it found limited pro use, but the first route for consumers was Sony’s BetaMax of l975. The next year Matsushita brought out their VHS tape system and a format war ensued, with VHS emerging victor due to Sony’s isolationist stance (even though they had created the better product).
Two important Supreme Court decisions involved the VCR: One was the 1984 Disney/Sony suit alleging copyright violation, in which the court sanctioned home videotaping for time-shifting and personal use. The other case upheld the First Sale Doctrine, allowing video rental stores to buy and rent movies. DVD debuted in 1997 and became the prime rental format by 2003. Its success was made possible by an unprecedented agreement pooling the technologies of Toshiba, Matsushita, Sony and Philips. Unfortunately this success totally failed to prevent the following format wars between DVD-Audio and SACD and between HD DVD and Blu-ray.