Sony: No Price Cuts for PS3 Planned
Forget about a price cut for the PlayStation 3 in the near future. Sony's president Ryoji Chubachi said the company currently has no plans to reduce the price of the console in an interview with Reuters.
Analysts had long been speculating that the company would cut the price of the PS3 by at least $100 to become more competitive here in the US. At a price tag of $599, it is $200 more expensive that the premium Xbox 360, and $120 more expensive than the Xbox 360 Elite.
Fake MPAA-Sponsored Video Site Goes Offline
A video download site that had been exposed as a front for the MPAA to catch those who download copyrighted content, as well as those who may have already downloaded it, has been taken offline.
The site, called "MiiVi," contained whole downloads of movies as well as links to a program that would apparently speed downloads from the site. However, there's a catch: the site is owned by a anti-piracy company and the software is actually a Trojan horse of sorts.
Microsoft: We're Not Bound by GPLv3
Microsoft shot back at the open source community Thursday, saying it would not provide support for software licensed under the GPLv3. The third version of the GPL -- a license used for open source software -- was officially launched a week ago by the Free Software Foundation.
"Microsoft has decided that the Novell support certificates that we distribute to customers will not entitle the recipient to receive from Novell, or any other party, any subscription for support and updates relating to any code licensed under GPLv3," the company said in a statement.
Microsoft Owns Up to Xbox 360 Quality Issues
Microsoft admitted that failure rates for Xbox 360 consoles were an issue, saying it would extend the warranty period for any consumer that had experienced a general hardware failure.
Known by users as the "three red lights of death," as many as 3 out of every 10 consoles were experiencing some type of problem, according to sources. In turn, Microsoft said it would take full responsibility for the issues.
Sprint Hangs Up on Problem Customers
Sprint is attempting to rid itself of customers who frequent its customer service lines by informing them that it would cancel their service effective July 30.
In letters that were apparently sent out on June 29, the company indicated to these users that "the number of inquiries you have made to us during this time has led us to determine that we are unable to meet your current wireless needs."
Japan to Get Xbox 360 Elite in October
In a likely attempt at turning its fortunes around there, Microsoft will begin selling the Xbox 360 Elite in Japan starting October 11. The company hopes its feature set will attract discerning Japanese gamers.
Traditionally, consumers in the country have opted for homegrown systems over those of competitors outside the country, evidenced by the dominance of Nintendo in this generation and Sony's PlayStation consoles in previous generations.
Universal Confirms iTunes Rumors
Universal has confirmed earlier reports that it was seeking to end its long-term agreement with Apple's iTunes.
Reports first surfaced in The New York Times on Monday that the label was looking to end its long-term contract with the digital music provider and instead opt for an "at will" contract.
Digital Music Sales Continue to Grow
Physical CD sales continue to drop, but sales of digital music are surging, according to data from Nielsen SoundScan.
From the period of January 1 to July 1, nearly 230 million albums were sold, a 15 percent drop over the same time last year. However, digital music sales increased by 49 percent to 417 million. When combined, album sales only dropped about 9.2 percent.
Microsoft UK Web Site Hacked via SQL Flaw
More details are now available on the hacking of the Microsoft UK Web site, with experts saying that the attackers got in through a SQL injection exploiting a vulnerability in the Web server software.
The attack, which occurred last Wednesday, defaced the front page of the Web site and inserted the image of a child waving the flag of Saudi Arabia. According to Zone-H.org, a hacking news Web site, the attacker used the SQL flaw to inject his own HTML code.
Nokia Licenses Touch Screen Feedback Tech
Just days after Apple released its iPhone, digital touch technology company Immersion said Monday that Nokia had licensed technology for future devices.
Of course, neither company is saying the move is in response to the release of Apple's iPhone, which makes heavy use of touchscreen technology. However, with the iPhone potentially 'changing the game' in mobile devices, it could be seen as a defensive measure.
Google Acquires GrandCentral
Google acquired voice communications management company GrandCentral on Monday, a move that it hopes will strengthen its service offerings.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, although some have pegged the purchase price at somewhere around $50 million. It is thought that GrandCentral's technology could eventually make its way into Google Talk.
Google Criticized Over 'Sicko' Dustup
Google is being criticized for attempting to monetize health care industry backlash to the Michael Moore movie Sicko, after a post by a Google employee invited the industry to use its ad network to spread its own message.
Google Health account planner Lauren Turner initially made the suggestion that health care providers could use the company's advertising network to fight back against Moore's move and the likely fallout that would result.
Microsoft Responds to 'Ultimate Extras' Complaints
With a rather lackluster list of the so-called "Ultimate Extras," Microsoft took the step of assuring its user base that it still remained committed to the idea on Monday.
Since Vista's launch in January 2007, only four extras have been released, including Windows Hold'Em, 16 language packs for the Windows multi-language UI, Secure Online Key Backuip, and Windows BitLocker Drive Preparation Tool - not exactly exciting additions to Vista.
Microsoft Looks to Grow HD DVD Title Catalog
Microsoft is beginning to throw its weight around in the HD DVD/Blu-ray battle, announcing Monday it had teamed with Amazon.com to bring independent films to the format.
The two companies provide the filmmakers of up to 1,000 titles free authoring and setup services to allow their movies to be distributed in HD DVD. The service will be spearheaded by CustomFlix, an Amazon company.
AOL Redesigns Video Portal
AOL on Monday issued an update to its AOL Video service that it says will make it easier for users to find, watch, and share web videos.
The company's video site is one of the fastest growing on the Internet. Its unique visitors have tripled over the past nine months, while the number of page views has grown by 12 times, AOL said.
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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