Klausner inks visual voicemail settlements with Yahoo, others

By Geoff Duncan April 29, 2011

Klausner Technologies — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Klausner Technologies has settled another round of visual voicemail patent disputes, announcing that it has reached settlements with Yahoo, Panasonic, Avaya, and Qwest Communications (now owned by CenturyLink) over the companies’ use of visual voicemail technologies. Klausner’s settlement with Yahoo makes Yahoo the 33rd company to license Klausner’s visual voicemail patents; others include Apple, Sprint, Google, T-Mobile, Comcast, Skype, and Verizon.

“Our patented technology lets consumers view, prioritize, and select voice messages from their mobile phones or via the Internet,” said Judah Klausner, CEO of Klausner Technologies.

Recommended Videos

Although Klausner Technologies doesn’t develop any products, Judah Klausner is widely considered the “father of the PDA,” and the visual voicemail patents all stem from design and engineering work he did in the 1970s. And Klausner’s patents seem to be holding up: although Klausner has brought a number of infringement suits against big names in the technology industry, the patents have never been seriously challenged. All told, Klausner holds 25 worldwide patents covering the basics of visual voicemail features on computers and mobile devices.

The agreements with Yahoo, Panasonic, Avaya, and Qwest settle all litigation between the companies and Klausner, although in no instance have financial or licensing terms of the settlements been revealed. Klausner still has outstanding infringement suits against the likes of RIM and Cisco.

Topics

Mobile
Web

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Computing

I have a theory on how the PS5 Pro could actually outclass PCs

The PS5 Pro suspended in air.

Without a doubt, the PlayStation 5 Pro is the most powerful game console we've ever seen. It's set to launch next week, promising "45% faster rendering" on the back of a beefier graphics card and faster memory. It won't be enough to outclass a proper gaming desktop packing one of the best graphics cards -- not even close. But the PS5 Pro could have an edge over PCs in one area.

I say "could" because we really don't know. AMD pointed me to Sony, and Sony hasn't returned my request for comment about the specifics under the hood of the PS5 Pro. I have some hints, however, and if you'll indulge a little speculation, I have some interesting theories about how the PS5 Pro might have an edge over even powerful gaming PCs.
The PS5 Pro's secret weapon

Computing

Intel Battlemage GPU: everything we know so far

Intel Arc A770 GPU installed in a test bench.

Despite a rocky start, Intel's Arc GPUs are now among the best graphics cards you can buy. Targeting budget PC gamers, Intel has established itself as a major player in gaming graphics cards, and all eyes are on Team Blue with its next generation of GPUs, codenamed Battlemage.

We know Battlemage GPUs are coming, and Intel has slowly been dropping hints about the graphics cards over the past year. Although we're still waiting on an official release date, specs, and pricing details for Battlemage GPUs, there's a lot we can piece together already.
Intel Battlemage: specs

Music

Spotify vs. Pandora: which streaming service should you choose?

spotify vs pandora on iphone

Let's settle a musical debate: which music streaming platform should you use: Spotify or Pandora?

Both services have their unique strengths and weaknesses. Spotify boasts a more extensive music catalog, robust social features for sharing and discovering music with friends, and a more polished user experience across devices.