Nokia Files New Patent Suit Against Qualcomm
The legal battle between Nokia and Qualcomm further heated up on Monday as Nokia sued over patent infringement in the chipmaker's MediaFLO and BREW technologies.
Nokia's latest legal salvo is only one filing in a string of lawsuits and countersuits between the two sides. A cross-licensing deal expired on April 9, and the companies have since only intensified the fight against each other.
Report: Apple Mulling Movie Rentals
Apple is reportedly in talks to bring movie rentals to its iTunes store, with the company reportedly planning to offer rentals for $2.99 USD for 30 days.
It was not clear which studios were being asked to participate, although the Wall Street Journal reported Paramount Pictures seemed open to the idea while Universal Studios was against it.
Microsoft Names New Mac BU Manager
Microsoft said Friday it had named Craig Eisler to head the Macintosh Business Unit, replacing Roz Ho, who had spent seven years with the division and spearheaded much of the Redmond company's recommitment to the platform.
Eisler was formerly development chief for the company's DirectX platform, however he left the company to work for mobile software developer Action Engine as its CEO and then helping AOL launch its wireless offerings in 2005.
Parallels Mac Virtualization Gets Major Update
Parallels updated its software that allows Mac users to run Windows within Mac OS X on Thursday, adding support for Vista Boot Camp partitions, among other enhancements.
The new version will not come free to current customers as past updates have, customers have to pay $49.99 to upgrade. Those installing Parallels for the first time will be charged the full list price of $79.99.
ITC Bans Import of Qualcomm-based Phones
The US International Trade Commission sided with Broadcom on Thursday, ruling that all imports of cell phones using Qualcomm chips could not be imported into the country.
While current models are allowed to continue to be imported, future models are barred from importation. However, with the fast pace of updates to cellular phones, it essentially means a full ban within a matter of months.
Analyst: Barcelona Delayed Until October
Analysts are suggesting that AMD may be forced to delay its Barcelona multi-core chip, a move that could set the company back both financially and strategically.
Originally, the new multi-core processor was scheduled for a July debut, however now AMD is pushing its release to October. While Citigroup analyst Glen Yeung initially reported the news, others are agreeing with his assessment.
Group: Net Censorship Becoming a Problem
Amnesty International issued a warning Wednesday saying Internet freedoms were slowly being curtailed, likening the problem to a 'virus' spreading throughout the world.
Whereas only a handful of countries were initially censoring speech on the Internet, recently those numbers have begun to grow. Additionally, Internet companies like Microsoft, Yahoo, and Google are being blamed for not taking an active role in preventing censorship.
EU Approves Roaming Rate Caps
Roaming rates in the EU are set to drop as the bloc agreed to move toward placing caps on what carriers can charge to traveling consumers, despite the protests of the wireless industry.
The roaming caps take effect at the end of this month, with consumers likely seeing the first benefits beginning in August.
Best Buy Lawyer Admits Falsifying Docs in Suit
Best Buy finds itself in the embarrassing position of having to explain its lawyer's conduct after he admitted to falsifying documents in a class-action lawsuit against the company.
The suit alleges that the electronics retailer was signing up customers for MSN Internet service without their consent between 1999 and 2003, which resulted in credit card charges the consumer did not authorize. Best Buy received a cut for each customer it registered.
Bush, Patent Office Head to Push for Reform
In an attempt to quell increasing criticism over the nation's patent system, the Bush Administration is looking to make changes to require more specific information, and allow the public to comment.
In an interview with the New York Times, US Patent Office director Jon Dudas said that the responsibility for better quality patents should be shared by all, and he planned to address Congress about the issue starting Thursday.
Microsoft, LG Reach Patent Agreement
Microsoft said Thursday that it had reached a cross-licensing agreement with South Korean electronics manufacturer LG, which follows a similar construct to a deal with Novell reached last November.
Through the agreement, LG is permitted to use Microsoft's patents in its products, including those used in Linux devices. In turn, Microsoft has access to LG's patents, including those owned by business solutions provider MicroConnect Group.
Pac Man Founder Calls It Quits with New Version
For a video game legend, Wednesday's release of "Pac Man Championship Edition" for Xbox 360 will mark the end of a nearly three-decade career for one of gaming's most illustrious developers.
Toru Iwatani, now 52, will retire from Namco -- the company that helped propel his game to worldwide acclaim -- and turn his focus to mentoring the next generation of developers by teaching at Tokyo Polytechnic University.
House Approves Another Anti-Spyware Bill
While a bill passed by the House last month put stricter requirements on software to protect consumers from spyware, the body has passed another bill with even stricter policies.
This bill faces opposition from the software industry, that says the new regulations could place an unnecessary burden on developers and stunt technology investment. It passed in bipartisan fashion by a vote of 368 to 48.
Google Acquires PeakStream
Google said Tuesday that it had acquired software company PeakStream, which specializes in software to assist developers in programming for multi-core processors.
Although the buy may seem strange to those who are following the Mountain View, Calif. company's moves, it may actually hold clues to Google's future plans. PeakStream's software has been used to program graphics processor units.
TiVo Could Return to DirecTV
Could TiVo make a return to DirecTV? Comments from the DVR maker's CEO are certainly opening the door to such an idea.
With DirecTV under new management, it could very well happen. The two companies parted ways after the satellite provider's former owner, News Corp., decided to back technology from its NDS subsidiary.
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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