Today’s mobile roundup features Sony’s new leader, Apple’s new patents, and a new quad-band LTE USB modem.

Meet Sony’s new President and CEO

Sony Mobile Communications announced that effective May 16, 2012, Bert Nordberg will no longer serve as the company’s President and CEO but will serve as Chairman of Sony Mobile Communications’ board.  Kunimasa Suzuki will take the role of President and CEO of Sony Mobile Communications.  Kunimasa’s new role will be added to his current role as Corporate Executive Officer and Executive Vice President of Sony Corporation.

“Kuni has a vast experience in product planning and management in the information technology and mobile product business, as well as experience of cultivating business in emerging markets,” said Kazuo Hirai, President and CEO of Sony Corporation.  “He is a strong leader and the right person to oversee Sony Mobile Communications as we establish a new business structure as ‘One Sony’  intended to reinforce and accelerate our overall business management.”

“Bert Nordberg has done an outstanding job in transforming Sony Ericsson, now Sony Mobile Communications, from a feature phone to a smartphone company,” continued Kazuo Hirai. “I have enjoyed working with Bert and I would like to thank him for his vital contributions over the years, and I am glad that he will become the Board’s chairman to support Kuni and the management team of Sony Mobile Communications during these critical phases of the company’s integration with the wider Sony Group.”

This is the second executive shakeup at Sony in the past week, as the CEO has also been replaced.  Sony’s undergoing some major changes right now as consumer electronics interest shifts away from devices like televisions and mobile devices are on the rise.

Apple granted more patents

The US Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of seventeen newly granted patents for Apple Inc. which would drive other OEMs nuts.

Apple was granted patents for:

• iOS cameras having a microelectronic image sensor array and associated imaging optics, and more particularly, to techniques for controlling an LED-based camera flash in an electronic rolling shutter (ERS) camera

• calibrating digital camera components to minimize manufacturing variations in such components

• wireless synchronization between media player and host device (i.e. computer);
• the design of their fourth generation iPod Shuffle

• mode switching noise cancellation for microphone-speaker combinations used in two-way audio communications

• Stabilizing directional audio input from a moving microphone array

• Remote content updates for portable media devices

• Active enclosure for computing device

• Media playback queuing for playback management

• Method of manufacturing a handheld computing device

• Method and apparatus for an improved stack arrangement and operations thereon

• Single security model in booting a computing device

• Analyzing integrated circuit operations

• Computer system power source with improved light-load efficiency

• Methods and systems for managing data

• Channel sounding techniques for a wireless communication system

Apple is known for its patents, and they’re not afraid to use them.  The iPhone maker’s been caught in the legal wildfire that’s spread across the world over patents, bringing a bevy of lawsuits against rival manufacturers and mobile platform makers in defense of its patents and market position.

Beemo quad-band LTE USB modem

Option, a global leader in wireless connectivity, security and experience, stepped into the LTE business with the launch of Beemo, the company’s new, ultrafast, quad-band (800/900/1800/2600 MHz) 4G LTE USB modem.

Beemo features an external antenna connector for areas with low signal and it comes with Option’s connection manager uCAN Connect 3.0 which reduces the management costs associated with installing separate third-party connection management firmware and provides simple support for different branded skins, languages and settings.

“With Beemo, Option again shows its commitment to bring mobile solutions with a purpose to market,” said Jan Callewaert CEO at Option. “Its ultrafast LTE makes it easy for mobile users to handle high-quality streaming media and bandwidth intensive applications.”