NBC-News Corp Venture Gets a Name
The unnamed-until-now joint venture between News Corp and NBC Universal now has a name: Hulu. But can the two media giants really challenge Google and the online video dominance of YouTube?
Like so many before it, Hulu's name means absolutely nothing. However, the two companies wanted something short and simple to identify the product, so it settled with the unusual name.
iTunes UK to Sell 28 TV Programs
After almost two years, Apple is finally expanding its video presence outside of the US by launching a store in Britain.
28 different programs will be available from several providers including ABC Studios, Disney Channel, MTV, Nickelodeon and Paramount Comedy. However, much of the programming is US-centric shows, with smattering of UK programming.
Chicago Decides Against Citywide Wi-Fi
In a sure sign that the fervor behind municipal Wi-Fi is cooling rapidly, the city of Chicago announced Tuesday that it was canceling its plans to blanket the city with wireless Internet.
The city says it failed to reach an agreement with either AT&T or EarthLink, the two companies vying for the contract. Chicago first announced that it was considering citywide Wi-Fi early last year.
Nokia Launches Music, Gaming Services
Nokia has launched Ovi -- Finnish for "the door" -- in hopes of cashing in on the increasingly lucrative Internet services market.
Ovi will debut in English in the fourth quarter of this year, with more services and languages available throughout the first half of 2008. In addition to Nokia's own offerings, Ovi also acts as a gateway to existing social networks and content.
New Creative Player Does iTunes Tracks
Has Creative capitulated to Apple and iTunes? If its new player is any indication, that answer may be yes.
Creative's newest Zen player is the first from the company to support AAC music and iTunes Plus tracks from the iTunes Music Store, the company said. In addition, it includes a 2.5-inch color screen and support for SD memory cards to add additional memory.
TorrentSpy Ordered to Hand Over User Data
It looks like TorrentSpy's decision to ban US users from its site may have been done in response to a court order anyway.
Although it ceased operating in the US officially on Sunday, a court order was issued the next day which required it to hand over information on the activities of its US users.
EarthLink Pink Slips Half Of Workforce
In a continuing effort to cut costs, EarthLInk said it would lay off about 900 employees.
In addition, it would buy back about $200 million of its own stock, according to a statement by CEO Rolla Huff on Tuesday. The news was well received by Wall Street, as EarthLink stock closed up seven percent even in the face of a sharply lower market overall.
Company Debuts 3D Gaming Monitor
A San Diego, Calif.-based company has released a new monitor for gamers that would allow them to play games in three dimensions.
Built by iZ3D, the 22-inch widescreen monitors would require a special set of polarized glasses to make the effect work. The display is compatible with Windows XP and Vista, and works on the newest graphics accelerators and processors.
Yahoo: We Followed Law in China Dissident Case
Defending its actions in disclosing the identities of Chinese dissidents, Yahoo on Monday said it acted with Chinese law in doing so.
The company has been roundly criticized for its involvement in several jailings, including journalists Wang Xiaoning and Shi Tao. Both were accused of using Yahoo's services to distribute subversive material about the Chinese government.
Last Call for Paper Airline Tickets
A global airline body has placed its last order for paper tickets, meaning that by June 1, 2008 the industry will complete the transition to an electronic system.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) represents approximately 240 airlines that operate all but 6 percent of the world's international flights. By ending paper ticketing, the airlines save $9 per passenger and 50,000 trees a year.
Sony Merges HDTV With Blu-ray PC
Sony debuted its first combination HDTV/PC including Blu-ray technology on Monday, although the price tag still remains rather high.
The Vaio LT HD PC/TV is a 22-inch widescreen "all-in-one" display. The system supports CableCARD technology that allows the user to view digital cable channels without the need for a separate cable box.
WGA Outage Over, No Word On Cause
Microsoft said over the weekend that an issue with its Windows Genuine Advantage validation systems -- which were causing verified systems to fail and lose access to features -- had been fixed.
"I'd encourage anyone who received a validation failure since Friday evening to visit this site now; after successfully revalidating, any affected system should be rebooted to ensure that genuine-only features are restored," Windows Vista product manager Nick White said.
Software Developers Successfully Unlock iPhone
Those waiting for a solution to use the iPhone on a network other than AT&T may have found it: a six-man team of researchers has claimed to crack the SIM lock. This means the iPhone will work on T-Mobile and other GSM carriers overseas.
The crack was produced by iPhoneSIMfree.com, which has invited press organizations to allow the group to unlock their phones for them. Tech Web log Engadget was one of them, and it wrote a post Friday describing the process.
Microsoft: Xbox Racing Wheel Overheating
Microsoft said Thursday that it would be recalling the Xbox 360 steering wheel over concerns that it was overheating and smoking, according to a statement.
About 50 incidents have been reported so far related to the $130 accessory, of which Microsoft has sold approximately 230,000 units worldwide. The steering wheel's AC/DC adapter was the issue, and was overheating when it was plugged in.
Microsoft's 'Get The Facts' Linux Site Replaced
Microsoft has decided to axe its "Get The Facts" site, instead replacing it with a less corrosive "Compare" page that compares Windows and Linux in a less confrontational way.
The former site was quite controversial, as it included parts of a study conducted in 2002 that was later revealed to have been influenced by Microsoft to look at Windows more favorably. Even in light of the controversy, Microsoft kept the site up, using it in the company's increasingly hostile battle with open source.
Ed's Bio
Ed Oswald is a freelance journalist from the Reading, PA area. Although he has written across a variety of subjects, Ed’s passion and focus has been on technology and gadgets. His work regularly appears on tech news sites BetaNews, PCWorld, and Technologizer, and has been syndicated to eWeek, Time’s Techland blog, VentureBeat and the New York Times.
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