In case you didn't already realize that all of these patent wars between various companies was hurting not just consumers, and businesses, but it's also hurting innovation. This innovation stops you from getting better, thinner, more exotic products, and now The New York Times has chimed in with a piece on the subject.

The Times' piece covers the fact that big companies usually strong arm small start-ups with an extensive patent portfolio that usually ends up with an acquisition, and if the smaller company isn't acquired they're sued.

The Times' piece also reveals that the smartphone industry spent a whopping $20 billion (or so) on patent litigation in the past two years. Companies such as Apple and Google have spent more money on legal battles than research and development in the past twelve months. Splitting this up, we find Apple spending around $3 billion on R&D last year, with another $4 billion to be spend this year. Those numbers may seem large, but they are far less than most other technology companies.

Samsung has submitted a new "flash-friendly" file system to the Linux Kernel tree thanks to their codesmith Jaegeuk Kim. The new file system has been dubbed F2FS (flash-friendly file system) and is an open source design, and is the results of the South Korean company's efforts to our modern day flash storage tech.

The most used "universal" file systems are FAT16 and FAT32, but are getting quite old now, so old that they predate huge, rewriteable flash-based devices. Most file systems don't actually suit flash media, which is where Samsung has entered the game, offering up a new file system for a new breed of devices.

F2FS is a log-based system, which is set to go down a different path than current file systems, as explained below:

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and 3 are seeing an update that removes Favella from the online map rotation while Activision works on an update to remove a texture. The texture in question is the picture frame that is located in a bathroom on the map. The picture frame is written on in Arabic script from the Qu'ran that reads, "Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty."

This has upset several Muslim gamers as Islamic law states that holy writings are not allowed to be in a bathroom. Not exactly unreasonable, but also a somewhat obscure law, I'm sure. The response discussed above regarding removing the map from rotation is in response to several Muslim gamers placing complaints regarding the writing being located where it was.

The map will be back in rotation as soon as Activision can release an update removing the text from the picture frame.

Users of the popular video chat and messaging application Skype are being targeted by a round of ransomware and click fraud that is being sent around as a message from contacts. The message reads "lol is this your new profile pic?" and is then followed by a link. The link downloads a zip file, which contains an executable that infects the system.

The executable opens up a Java exploit using BlackHole 2.0. The system is then locked down via the ransomware and displays a message requesting money. GFI, the company that first reported this latest wave, explains how it works:

The above is a typical Ransomware scare message that locks the user out of their data, encrypts the files and demands payment (via Moneypak) to the tune of $200. The IP address and geographical location is displayed in the bottom right hand corner, along with various threats related to the downloading of MP3s, illegal pornography, gambling and more besides.

Android 4.2 rumors are really building up, with all of the news that there's an impending LG-built Nexus-branded phone that is meant to drop later this month and be available next month.

Android 4.2 is beginning to pop up on some logs that are running on current Nexus-branded devices. The new smartphone is reportedly running with a codename of "Occam", with the new tablet codenamed "Manta".

The new Android 4.2-powered devices will have the ability to stream even more content from the Google Play store as well as including a new Customization Cente, which will let users customize both the look and feel of their stock Android device. Out of the rumored features, the one I'm most excited for is something called Project Roadrunner.

Google have been playing with artificial intelligence (AI) for quite a while now, with previous reports and stories of it being able to detect cats in YouTube videos. But now the team is months ahead in their project, where they've been experimenting with different methods and giving it more power.

Google's learning software is all based on simulating groups of connected brain cells, that all communicate and influence each other - which is normally refered to a 'neural network'. When this network is connected to data, the relationships between differing neurons can change. Once this change begins, the network develops new abilities - where it is able to react in different ways to the incoming data, and its new ability is having learnt something.

Learning something for a neural network is the exciting part of it all - and various companies have been playing with this technology for quite a while with the Terminator and Matrix series' famous for making these networks more well-known. Where Google are changing things up is that the Mountain View-based company's engineers have found different ways to put more number-crunching power behind them, creating neural networks that can learn, all without human assistance.

The new iPhone 5 is far from perfect, but there have been some issues with the camera on this model. If you've used an iPhone 5, read our review, or read many of the other reviews out there, you'd have seen that the iPhone 5 has an issue when snapping photos.

The iPhone 5, when held at the right angle and near the right light source, will give off a purple haze on the photo. It's not a deal breaker, but it's something worth noting when buying (or reviewing) a device like this. Apple have come out over the weekend, posting a support notice for it, stating:

Symptoms

Over the weekend, it seems Apple was feeling a little generous - they extended their additional storage offer until September 30, 2013. Originally, this offer was made to customers making the transition from MobileMe to iCloud.

At the time, they'd offer the normal 5GB that comes with iCloud to ease this move, and it was set to expire on September 30, 2012. But, Apple have been sending out e-mails to their customers informing them that this would be extended until September 30, 2013.

Nothing is required to take advantage of this, so if you were still wondering whether you should make the move or not, you now have another twelve months to scratch that noggin' of yours. Thanks Lee for sending this in!

Samsung have have a great year for 2012, but according to Interbrand's latest data, they're really climbing up the ladder when it comes to the value of their brand.

Interbrand gives the world's top companies a brand value, with multiple points of data used to create this "brand value". As you can see from the chart above, Samsung climbed from 17th place in 2011, to 9th place this year. Apple really ramped up the ladder where last year they were 8th and now they're 2nd.

Coca-cola smashes the list sitting at number one both years in a row. What's surprising is that Samsung have overtaken huge companies such as Pepsi, American Express, HP, Disney, Nokia and more. Facebook sit all the way down that list at 69th place.

It was only a few days ago that reports were landing that Google wanted a repeat of the Nexus 7's success, but in smartphone form, and now there's some hands-on reports of LG's Optimus G Nexus.

Android and Me are reporting from multiple sources that have told them that LG are working on a Nexus phone, with some hands-on information to go with it. Their source claims that he's not an employee of Google, but has access to one of the Nexus devices that were handed out last week for testing:

I can confirm the next nexus is LG Optimus based. The phone looks surprisingly like the Galaxy Nexus and does not have sharp corners like the LG Optimus we already know. It has a silver'ring like the iPhone 3G around the outer edge of the screen which seemed to be similar to the Galaxy Nexus in size but was much better in brightness.