Judge decrees Samsung 'not as cool' as Apple

The Tech Report: the biggest tech stories this weekAll the biggest news stories from the tech world this week, and what the industry has to say about it.Adam Hartleycontributor, MSN Tech & Gadgets2012-07-15T09:09:32xtrue250543907Kickstarter millionaires - the most successful Kickstarter projectsGallery250492913Hotlist: Google Nexus 7 and other essential gadgetsGallery250474661Stuff Cool List 2012 - all the winnersGallery250187580Facebook phone - concept images emergeGallery250339548Alan Turing 'Codebreaker' exhibition opens at Science MuseumGallery250111534Samsung Galaxy S3: review and picturesGalleryJudge decrees Samsung 'not as cool' as AppleJudge decrees Samsung 'not as cool' as AppleTalk about hitting a brand where it hurts. Judge Colin Birss QC said, in no uncertain terms, that the Samsung Galaxy does not "have the same understated and extreme simplicity which is possessed by the Apple design. They are not as cool." Ouch!topThis field has been disabled for Gallery V2iPad mini and iPhone 5 engineering samples spotted?iPad mini and iPhone 5 engineering samples spotted?A couple of unsubstantiated reports claiming to show "engineering samples" of Apple's rumored next-gen iPhone 5 and a next gen 7-inch iPad mini were doing the rounds of the tech sites this week, with little-known website Gotta Be Mobile experiencing something of a traffic-boost in the process, we expect.topThis field has been disabled for Gallery V2O2’s mass fail mobile outageO2's mass fail mobile outageO2 had a disastrous week this week, with a 24-hour service outage in its mobile phone service across the UK angering millions of frustrated smartphone users. While the company's PR department did a good job pacifying angry customers on Twitter the simple fact remained that O2 was a mobile company with serious egg on its face this week. "Once again it shows us how reliant we are on technology sometimes," observed Pocket-Lint editor Stuart Miles.topThis field has been disabled for Gallery V2British e-books Are BloomingBritish e-books Are BloomingFounder of respected British book publisher Bloomsbury went on record this week to declare that the recent rapid growth of the e-book side of his business was very far from, ahem, "a youth-driven techno fad". However, he also added that he saw no evidence that traditional printed novels were a dying format.topThis field has been disabled for Gallery V2BlackBerry App World hits three billion downloadsBlackBerry App World hits three billion downloadsRIM was happy to be able to broadcast some good news for a change this week, with the news that its app store had hit three billion downloads. However, while three billion downloads sounds like a heck of a lot, it's still some way behind the 30 billion downloads from the Apple App Store.topThis field has been disabled for Gallery V2Ballmer talks up Microsoft SurfaceBallmer talks up Microsoft SurfaceMake no bones about it, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is gunning for Apple in a big way with the recent announcement of the company's new Surface tablet PC. He told a recent interviewer that he plans to leave no "space uncovered" and "no stone unturned" in the forthcoming tech war with the iPad.topThis field has been disabled for Gallery V2Kickstarter coming to the UKKickstarter coming to the UKCrowd-funding website Kickstarter promises to make raising cash for business projects a lot easier than it has been in the past. Luckily for British entrepreneurs, Kickstarter launches in the UK later this autumn, and promises to raise funding for some innovative tech, gadgets and gaming projects.topThis field has been disabled for Gallery V2Amazon named top brand in UKAmazon named top brand in UKOnline retail behemoth Amazon pipped Google and BBC iPlayer at the post this week, becoming the highest-rated and most recognisable brand in the UK, according to the latest YouGov BrandIndex league table. The table measures the levels of consumer perception of 850 different brands based on quality, value, customer satisfaction, corporate reputation, general impression and customer recommendations.topThis field has been disabled for Gallery V2Windows 8 out this coming OctoberWindows 8 out this coming OctoberMicrosoft is finally set to release Windows 8 to the public later this October, according to the latest reports out this week. Microsoft VP Rami Teller announced that the new touchscreen and tablet-friendly version of Windows OS will "RTM" (Release to Manufacturing) in the first week of August, in order for Microsoft's partners to start building their new PCs in time for Christmas.topThis field has been disabled for Gallery V2Kindle Fire 2 vs iPad mini this Xmas?Kindle Fire 2 vs iPad mini this Xmas?Amazon's Kindle Fire 2 is set to be released later this year, with Kindle-loving Brits hopeful that this time around the latest touchscreen ebook might even see an official UK release! So what's the big deal? AllThingsD's sources claim that the Kindle Fire 2 will be lighter, thinner, have a built-in camera and a notably higher-resolution 1280 x 800 display.topThis field has been disabled for Gallery V2