US to North Korea: No iPods for You
In its continuing effort to rout out North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il, the United States government is now trying a new tactic: banning the sale of iPods and other high-tech items to the country.
Kim has an apparent sweet tooth for high-tech items, which he gives as gifts to families that support or run his communist government. It will be the first time that the US has used sanctions for the specific purpose of frustrating the leader, the Associated Press says.
Yahoo, Nokia Expand Content Partnership
Nokia will expand its line of Yahoo-capable handsets to include those operating on the Series 40 platform, the operating system used by many of the Finnish phone maker's non-smartphone devices.
Initially, the service will be offered on the recently announced Nokia 6300, as well as Nokia 5200 and 5300 XpressMusic. The phones would be able to access Yahoo Mail and Messenger, as well as have the capability to sync Yahoo contacts, tasks and calendar data.
Nokia CEO: The Internet is the Future
Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo told attendees of the Nokia World 2006 Conference that Internet functionality will be the driving force in the next phase of mobile phone industry growth.
Kallasvuo also dismissed speculation by some industry analysts that the market is mature, and said the Internet would provide new avenues for growth in the industry. He said that Nokia's intended to be "at the forefront of this new era."
Verizon Dials Up Revver in Content Deal
Just a day after it announced a similar agreement with competitor YouTube, the nation's second largest cellular provider announced it would also included selected videos from Revver.
It appears at the heart of Verizon Wireless' decision to push forward with more content for VCAST is a desire to lure more of its consumer base of 57 million customers to sign up for the service. After spending billions on its 3G network, it now is looking to recoup that.
Russia Poised to Shutter AllofMP3
AllofMP3.com will likely be shut down by Russian authorities as part of its entrance into the World Trade Organization (WTO). But the site is fighting back, providing a legal argument for its continued operation.
A document released by the Office of the United States Trade Representative seems to indicate that Russia and the US have come to an agreement that would remove one of the biggest roadblocks to its entry into the WTO - intellectual property rights.
Study: Violent Video Games Affect the Brain
A study released Tuesday indicates that violent video games cause noticeably different effects on the brains of teenagers then non-violent ones.
Increased activity was noted in the region of the brain that governs emotions, while activity decreased in the area that deals with self-control, focus, and concentration.
Wal-Mart Enters Video Download Biz
The nation's largest retailer has taken it's first steps into the nascent video download business by offering the Superman Returns DVD bundled with a downloadable copy.
Wal-Mart has been rumored to be the cause of the breakdown in negotiations between movie studios and Apple over providing their content on the iTunes Music Store. Although company executives have denied any meddling, such a move by Wal-Mart has long been expected.
YouTube Brings Videos to Cell Phones
The Web's largest purveyor of user-generated content has signed a deal with Verizon Wireless. The deal will bring YouTube videos to VCAST subscribers in early December.
YouTube says it would provide the most popular videos exclusively to Verizon Wireless for a limited time. After that, it appears as if the site has plans to market the offering to other wireless carriers with capable handsets.
TiVo Debuts Ad Placement Service
TiVo has long been looking for ways to keep advertisers happy, and a new service introduced Tuesday is no exception. Companies will now be able to insert their ads to the TV series of their choice, or across multiple programs or a specific genre.
By inserting the ad at the end of the program, the DVR maker hopes that since there is nothing left to fast forward through, the user may take the time to watch the ad before moving on.
Zune Sales Lagging Behind iPod, Others
Sales of the Microsoft Zune appear to be trailing off rather quickly after a fast start, leading some analysts to believe consumer interest is waning.
The player, which stayed in the top 10 in sales in the Amazon.com electronics category for several days following its launch, has now nearly fallen out of the top 100. As of midday Tuesday, only the black player registered, coming in at #96.
Microsoft Loses S. Korea Patent Case
South Korea is again proving to be a thorn in Microsoft's side, as the company over the weekend lost a patent battle in the country concerning its Office software. The decision could force the Redmond company to halt sales of the popular productivity suite in South Korea.
The country's supreme court rejected attempts by Microsoft to have a patent surrounding technology to automatically switch input modes between Korea and English thrown out. The patent had been awarded to Lee Keung-Hae, a Hankuk Aviation University professor, in 1997.
Nokia, Ericsson to Build T-Mobile 3G Network
T-Mobile USA said Monday that it had selected both Nokia and Ericsson to help it build its 3G WCDMA network. Financial terms of the deals were not disclosed, however the project likely falls under the $2-plus billion the company plans to spend on 3G services.
Nokia would provide the base stations necessary for T-Mobile owned towers in the South, Central, and Western states except for California. Ericsson would provide the towers in other regions covered by the carrier including New York City.
Paper: Google 'Overvalued' at $500 Per Share
Financial weekly Barron's said Sunday that shares of Google would likely fall from their lofty USD $500-plus price point set last week, triggering a sharp sell-off of the stock in Monday morning trading in New York.
The paper gave several reasons for its analysis. First, it said that the company currently is valued at some 37 times the expected earnings for 2007. Second, Google's growth has slowed considerably in recent months. Additionally, it is overvalued when compared with companies of similar sites.
Microsoft Files Suit Against 129 Phishers
Microsoft said it is working with law enforcement to crack down on phishing, filing 129 suits across Europe and the Middle East. Already, at least five have settled, including four cases against teens that were settled out of court, and a two and a half year prison term for a Turkish man.
These phishing suits target those who attempt to trick Web users into disclosing personal banking information. The number of attacks involving bank information have doubled during the first half of this year, says security firm Symantec.
Groups Sue for New Florida Congressional Vote
A lawsuit filed in Florida state court Tuesday alleges that electronic voting machines in a portion of Florida's 13th Congressional District were improperly maintained and selected, causing problems in the House race between Republican Vern Buchanan and Democrat Christine Jennings.
Although Sarasota County officials -- where the problem is said to have taken place -- certified their results allowing Buchanan to win by some 369 votes, there were fairly widespread reports of difficulty in casting votes in the race.
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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