Technology

Blackberry Tab

After delays of almost a year, an upgraded operating system for the Blackberry Playbook tablet has been released. Playbook 2.0, a free upgrade, adds a built-in email function to the device which was first launched in April 2011.

Canada-based Research in Motion (RIM) had promised the upgrade within 60 days of the device's release. Last month the company's co-chief executives stepped down amid faltering sales figures.

Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie were replaced at the helm of RIM by the company's chief operating officer Thorsten Heins. This upgrade for the Playbook - RIM's first foray into the tablet market - also sees built-in calendar and contacts functions added, as well as tighter integration with social networks such as Twitter and LinkedIn.

App

App helps the blind to send text messages

New technology to help blind people text using touchscreen mobile devices has been developed.

Researchers at Georgia Tech produced the app - to be made available on Apple and Android devices - based on the Braille writing system.

It is claimed typing with the app is up to six times faster than existing methods for texting without sight.

Access to technology for the visually-impaired is a growing issue due to the proliferation of touchscreens.

Experts say currently available tools, such as Apple's Voiceover technology, are functional but too slow to be used effectively.

Brailletouch, which the team hope to release in the next couple of weeks, uses a system that is controlled with six fingers and, crucially, does notrequire any movement of the hands.

"Users who know how to type Braille well never move their hands," explained Mario Romero, lead researcher on the project.

LCD Spin-Off

Samsung Electronics has moved a step closer to spinning off its Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) unit after its board of directors approved the plan. The firm said it will launch the spun-off unit, Samsung Display Company Ltd, as a new corporation on 1 April.

The move, which still needs shareholder approval, comes amid slowing demand and falling profits for LCD products. Samsung said it was planning to focus on new technologies to maintain its edge over the competition.

"The spin-off will allow us to make quicker business decisions and respond to our clients' needs more swiftly," said Donggun Park, executive vice president and head of Samsung's LCD business.

"Through enhancements in business competitiveness, we will continue to provide superior products and services for the market," he added.

'Commoditised business'

Apple Wins

Apple has won a patent dispute against Motorola Mobility regarding a "slide-to-unlock" feature on smartphones. The judgement marks Apple's first patent victory over Motorola in any part of the world.

Patent consultant Florian Mueller said the ruling could affect patent disputes involving Android device makers worldwide. Motorola said it planned to appeal and the judgement would have "no impact" on supply or future sales.

A spokeswoman for the Motorola said: "Today's ruling in the patent litigation brought by Apple in Munich, Germany, concerns a software feature related to phone unlocking in select Motorola devices sold in Germany.

"Motorola has implemented a new design for the feature. Therefore, we expect no impact on current supply or future sales."

Apple said it would not be commenting on the decision.

Microsoft Skype

Cisco has said it will challenge Microsoft's $8.5bn (£5.4bn) takeover of Skype at the EU's top court. The networking giant said conditions needed to be set to ensure Microsoft would not block other video services.

In October, the European Union had ruled the deal would not impede competition. But Cisco has called on the European Commission to introduce open standards similar to those used for mobile phones.

"Cisco does not oppose the merger, but believes the European Commission should have placed conditions that would ensure greater standards-based interoperability," Cisco's video conferencing head Martin De Beer wrote in a blog post.

European Commission spokesman Antoine Colombani said: "We will defend our decision in court."