Samsung Focus Flash unboxing and hands-on

One year after we first were introduced to Windows Phone 7 smartphones, North America is slowly seeing its fair share of freshly baked Mango devices. So far, theHTC Radar 4G for T-Mobile kicked things off as it became the first new crop of Windows Phone Mango smartphones to launch domestically – bringing HSPA+ connectivity to a Windows Phone. Well, it’s now AT&T’s turn as the Samsung Focus Flash attempts to allure customers with its fresh approach and inexpensive offering.

Packaging wise, there’s nothing out of the ordinary with this typical looking box, since it’s flaunting those characteristic white, blue, and orange color arrangements associated with AT&T. On the front, we find a small image of the handset, while in the rear, there’s a larger one that exposes more of its details. Also in the rear, we’re presented with some small tidbits regarding the handset’s highlights. Inside, the handset is shipped alongside with the usual accessories and information – like its documentation, wall charger, and microUSB charger. Thankfully, Samsung and AT&T was so kind to throw in a pair of headphones, which is nothing new, but highly appreciated considering its $49.99 on-contract price.

As for the handset itself, it easily reminds us of the Samsung Captivate, AT&T’s version of the original Samsung Galaxy S, since its overall design shares many traits. Specifically, it boasts some hard lines with some angled top and bottom edges, which combine together to give it a squarish appearance. Indeed, we like that it’s far more compact than the Captivate, but for a device that’s sporting a plastic exterior, we’re amazed to see it clean looking – though, its display does get dirty much more easily. Nevertheless, a quick swipe from a cleaning cloth gets it back to its pristine appearance.

Turning it on, we’re still captivated by its 3.7” WVGA Super AMOLED display because of its high-contrast, deep colors, and sharp details. Sure it’s not Super AMOLED Plus, but in any event, we’re still more than accepting of it. Internally, the handset is powered by a single-core 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S2 processor, which provides the horsepower to deliver a responsive Mango experience. Then again, Windows Phone is generally one of the most fluid and dynamic mobile operating systems out there. Meanwhile, it features other things such as a 5-megapixel auto-focus camera with LED flash, front-facing camera, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, aGPS, and the Windows Phone Mango experience.

Frankly, it might be small in stature, but don’t let its looks fool you because it’s definitely game in providing a balanced experience. Of course, we’ll be testing it out, but in the meantime, you can check out our unboxing and hands-on video below. Expect our in-depth review soon!

Two German courts say Apple infringed on two Motorola patents

Apple was the recipient of a little "Instant Karma" on Friday when two German courts ruled against Apple and found in favor of Motorola Mobility on two patent infringement charges. Motorola did to Apple exactly what the Cupertino based firm did to Samsung in having some of the Korean manufacturer's products pulled from stores in Germany and Australia. The injunction granted by the German court could allow Motorola to block the sales of certain Apple products in the country.

The documents involved in this case appear to show that all of Apple's mobile devices are affected by the ruling and could lead to damages on shipments dating back to April 2003. And while Motorola can ask for a ban on the shipping of Apple products to the country, it is unclear what the company's intention is. Motorola did say that it plans on defending its intellectual property while still making them available to end-users.

Apple security chief turns in his badge as scapegoat of the missing Apple iPhone 4S affair

Apple security chief John Theriault has turned in his badge and is leaving the Cupertino based firm. That much is known. What is in dispute is the reason behind Theriault's departure. Some attribute Theriault's departure to his desire to take early retirement while others place the blame squarely on the bungled investigation of the allegedly missing Apple iPhone 4S during the summer.

Jon Paczkowski of AllThingsD confirmed on Friday that Theriault had left Apple and his sources told him that it was the screwed-up investigation of the missing Apple iPhone 4S prototype that led to Theriault's decision to leave Apple. A former FBI agent (G-man to you old timers), Theriault worked at pharmaceutical giant Pfizer where he helped stopped the sale of counterfeit Viagra that had popped up in Asia. It was precisely this experience in handling investigations of knock-off items that led Theriault to Cupertino where he was expected to handle counterfeit Apple products.