Sony sued over Blu-ray patents
Sony has been sued for patent infringement for its Blu-Ray technology once again, this time by California intellectual property company Orinda IP USA.
In May 2007, a company called Target Technology sued Sony, alleging that Blu-ray infringed on patents discussing the reflective materials used on optical discs. The suit from Orinda, filed on August 20, involves the method of reproducing data on "disk-shaped media," namely Blu-ray discs.
Open source group sues Quebec, Microsoft for no-bid software contracting
A major problem for the development of free software is, ironically, the fact that it isn't worth anything. Not monetarily, that is, but now an open source group says its government must be forced to consider its value anyway.
Is any Quebec government agency that already has Microsoft, Novell, and IBM software installed on its networks compelled by law to consider alternative brands from Quebec-based suppliers? An association of free software publishers based in Quebec is citing a law that forbids provincial officials from entering into no-bid contracts with suppliers outside the province, in a lawsuit filed last July 15 -- but announced just yesterday -- against both Quebec and Microsoft, its key supplier.
Google markets Android Market as the 'anti-App Store'
Android Market -- Google's upcoming content distribution system announced this week -- will operate more along the lines of YouTube, according to a revealing post on the Android Developers Blog Thursday.
In naming the distribution system that will help fuel its open source phone platform, Google has consciously avoided even choosing anything closely evocative of Apple's system.
Apple looks to fix 'minor' iPhone security flaw
The expected 2.1 software update for Apple's iPhone in September will include a fix that could allow for disclosure of personal information when the device is locked, Apple said.
"The minor iPhone security issue which surfaced this week is fixed in a software update which will be released in September," Apple spokesperson Jennifer Bowcock said in a statement.
Debian Live 5.0 Beta 1 released
This week, Beta 1 of Debian Live 5.0 bootable CD image was made available for download. This is the first official release of a Live 5.0 build for the OS also known as "Lenny."
The Debian Live team has been working for over two years on its initiative to create the definitive live Debian framework that runs on as many architectures as possible, consisting of unchanged and official packages and an unaltered Kernel.
802.11r now a published IEEE standard
The newest Wi-Fi protocol, 802.11r, which has become the de facto "Wireless VoIP standard", is now a published standard of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards board.
802.11r has been in the works since 2004, with the express purpose of developing a Wi-Fi connection that can quickly pass between access points. A go-ahead for publishing the final draft of the standard was given by the 802.11r task group last January.
Rogers adjusts data plans for iPhone, BlackBerry Bold
With the BlackBerry Bold now available, Rogers, Canada's leading carrier has decided to extend its iPhone 3G promotional data plan until next month, while adjusting other plans.
Rogers Wireless' data plans came under almost immediate criticism after the iPhone 3G's launch on July 11, for what many saw as overpriced data rates. The company later adjusted those plans to appease its detractors.
Microsoft buys a shopping service for $486M, but will only keep part
Microsoft today took another step in its strategy to beef up Live Search versus Google and Yahoo, unveiling a complicated deal to buy Greenfield Online and its subsidiary Caio, a European-based online price comparison and shopping site.
Under the agreement, Microsoft is offering $486 million for Greenfield. But in a related move, Microsoft today claimed to have secured a buyer for Greenfield Online's Internet survey solutions, the business that forms the heart of Greenfield Online.
Google extends its investment in Mozilla, restores MPL license
Mozilla has renewed its agreement with Google that was set to expire in November, extending it into 2011. The deal carries with it the reinstatement of the Mozilla and Eclipse Public Licenses that were recently cast aside.
Though the terms of the existing agreement between Mozilla and Google are confidential, its value to Mozilla has already been made apparent. In Mozilla Chairman Mitchell Baker's blog earlier this year, she said that the vast majority of his company's 2005 revenue was associated with search functionality in Mozilla Firefox, "and the vast majority of that is from Google."
Dell's new low-end strategy for emerging markets includes Linux
Although the international Vostros Dell unveiled this week are similar in many respects to its existing Vostros, they are also reportedly designed in line with the needs expressed by customers in emerging markets.
This week, Dell is launching a new series of Vostro laptop and desktop PCs for emerging markets. They're not all that different from the PCs at the lower end of company's existing North American Vostro line-up, except for one critical feature: The international PCs, which are geared to simple set-up and maintenance, will ship with a choice or either Ubuntu Linux or Windows Vista Home Basic Edition.
Comcast to deploy 250 GB/month usage caps in October
11:43 am EDT August 29, 2008 - In an ongoing discussion with Twitter users, Comcast representative Frank Eliason has said that his company's policy to cap monthly broadband usage (incoming plus outgoing) at 250 GB per month, is actually not new. Rather, he says, the US' largest CATV broadband provider had been warning excessive users before, though it had not explicitly written in its Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) just what level of bandwidth consumption triggered that warning.
"This is not a change," Eliason wrote one user. "It just makes the current policy more understandable. Currently policy is top 1/10 of 1% of users." Later, he advised another user to "search the net for bandwidth meter" if that user was concerned about possible excessive usage.
Where does Barack Obama stand on technology issues?
In the second of our four-part series examining the positions of the presidential and vice presidential candidates on technology policy, BetaNews' Ed Oswald takes a look at the Illinois Democrat.
With respect to the growing middle ground between technology and politics, it could be viably argued that no one has embraced technology as part of his or her campaign -- at least as an ideal -- more than Sen. Barack Obama.
Microsoft and Nikon ink deal around digital, perhaps wireless, cameras
After teaming up on Windows Vista, HD Photo, codecs, and wireless technologies over the past few years, Microsoft and Nikon last night unveiled a cross-licensing deal involving digital cameras and still unnamed additional products.
Although neither vendor is spilling exact specifics, a Microsoft spokesperson told BetaNews today that the agreement "covers digital cameras made by Nikon as well as a [range] of other consumer products each company manufactures and sells."
WB network returns as Web site
Deceased television network The WB has been resurrected, at least on line, emerging from beta as an ad-supported streaming TV show repository.
Launched in beta last May, The WB.com features full episodes of programs such as Babylon 5, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Smallville, Everwood, Friends, and The O.C.
Paid Google ad appears to state McCain picked Lieberman
A Google AdWords ad first spotted by BetaNews contributor Sharon Fisher, along with ads for the McCain campaign that have appeared today on BetaNews and elsewhere through Google, appear on first glance to have spoiled McCain's VP pick.
Groups of politically-minded bloggers, including the DaniWeb IT community, have been noting today a peculiar jump today in the number of online ads, appearing in BetaNews and elsewhere, showing presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain alongside former Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Lieberman.
Most Commented Stories
© 1998-2025 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. About Us - Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy - Sitemap.