Verizon users can now block numbers, track down children
Whether for screening out irate ex-spouses or persistent telemarketers, a new feature announced by Verizon Wireless today enables customers to block communications with specific phone numbers.
Beyond blocking only specified phone numbers, users of Verizon Wireless' new Usage Controls package can also opt to keep out all numbers except those they've designated as "trusted." Emergency 911 calls, however, cannot be blocked.
GOP uses Facebook-like site to expose Obama's 'friends'
Through a design that mimics the look of the popular social network Facebook, Republicans hope to build an image of Barack Obama based on the company he keeps.
The Republican National Committee has touted the creation of a site called "BarackBook" that includes profile pages for many of the controversial associates that Sen. Barack Obama's critics claim he is linked to in some way.
Android phone may have Google ads, but no Exchange support
With Google still touting the first Android phone for late 2008, reports state the forthcoming HTC "Dream" phone might lack support for Microsoft Exchange, and further, that it will come with Google's advertising software pre-installed.
After showing a primitive prototype of the initial Android phone at CES in January, Google gave demos of features in May that included a new interface and menu structure, a built-in compass, a port of the Pac-Man game, and access to Google Maps. One blogger who viewed the phone in May, Vincent Nguyen, exclaimed at that time, "The HTC Android Dream phone is a worthy competitor to the [iPhone] 2.0."
Qwest, unions reach agreement to avert strike
A communications strike that could have affected both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, set to be held within the next two weeks, has been avoided.
An agreement, announced early this morning with both the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, covers over 20,000 union members across 13 states, and is set for a period of three years. Both new contracts now go to their respective union members for a vote.
Toshiba: Not HD-DVD, 'HD' DVD!
Withdrawing from the fierce high definition format war was considered a "losing move" by Toshiba. Now, instead of concentrating on the next generation of hard-copy home media, Toshiba will focus on improving the 13 year-old DVD format.
Toshiba announced today a DVD player with full 1080p/24 fps upconversion. Called the XD-E500 that is expected to retail for $149.99.
In the Nehalem era, it'll be AMD's HyperTransport vs. Intel's QuickPath
Just when Intel thinks it's getting ready to score one of the biggest "ticks" in its "tick-tock" cadence, designed to aggravate AMD, its competition may go beyond just leveling the playing field, with a new point-to-point interconnect scheme.
A day before the kickoff of Intel's biggest Developers' Forum since the initiation of Core Microarchitecture two years ago, a consortium led by its biggest competitor is announcing it's ready to help it catch up: The HyperTransport memory bus used in AMD processors -- at one time, AMD's ace in the hole -- could be significantly accelerated for future AMD motherboards, helping it catch up with a new goalpost set earlier this year by Intel's upcoming Nehalem architecture.
GraphOn adds Google to lengthening list of lawsuit targets
In the latest of a barrage of lawsuits against various and sundry operators of "automated and network-automated databases," Web development company GraphOn is now hauling Google into court on allegations of patent infringement.
In a complaint filed in US District Court in Texas, GraphOn is charging that Google's Base, YouTube, Blogger, Sites, and AdWords services violate a total of four patents the company now owns.
Having lost its own bid, Google advocates giving analog TV space to public
Since the 1940s, the US' TV space has been referred to as "the public airwaves." Now, Google is using a Web site to build public support for an effort to convince the FCC that it should be allowed to use that space in the public interest.
It was one of the biggest losers in the US Federal Communications Commission's auction of 700 MHz spectrum last spring, having at one time promised to bid billions for space in the high UHF television band that ended up going to Verizon and AT&T. But now, Google is trying to stake a new position for itself in the debate over what happens to the rest of the airspace -- the so-called "white spaces," in-between the blocks of spectrum that fetched billions for the federal government -- by suggesting the FCC give it away.
EA to let Take-Two bid expire, re-evaluate offer
EA's hostile takeover bid for software company Take-Two Interactive is finally set to expire after a series of extensions failed to cull outstanding stock in the company necessary for a takeover.
Nearly seven months after placing its initial bid for the manufacturer of the blockbuster Grand Theft Auto game series, Electronic Arts has made little progress in obtaining Take-Two. For this reason, EA CEO John Riccitello wrote a note to Executive Chairman of Take-Two, Strauss Zelnick which said:
TSA to allow travelers' laptops to stay packed
Beginning August 16, the US Transportation Safety Administration will no longer expressly require laptops to be removed from luggage at airport security checkpoints if they are kept in appropriate bags.
The allowance has been made, according to the TSA, to help streamline the security check process and reduce the likelihood of damage to travelers' important hardware.
ComScore: Google still serves more users, as CBS enters the Top 10
Two trends continue, as evidenced by this month's comScore Top 50 report, released this afternoon: One, Google's going nowhere but up. Two, it can still go up when overall Internet use in the US is actually going down.
During Yahoo's most recent quarterly report, its executives told investors that the crown jewel of the company continues to be its portal, which serves more users than anyone else's. That's now demonstrably no longer true, as Yahoo's growth has been outpaced by Google for three consecutive comScore surveys.
US Internet speeds still slow compared to the rest of the world
A survey by the Communications Workers of America indicates that the median download speed for US Internet connections has changed little, and remains far slower than the rates experienced in other developed nations.
The typical US Internet connection delivers 2.3 Mbps downloads, according to the CWA's annual survey -- 400 Kbps over the previous year.
Former Apple counsel settles options backdating charges
Apple's former general counsel will pay the US Securities and Exchange Commission some $2.2 million in fines to settle charges related to the Cupertino company's stock options scandal.
SEC officials said Nancy Heinen's fine was comprised of $1.6 million in what it called "ill-gotten" gains, plus interest, and a $200,000 penalty. The former executive is one of two from the company to agree to pay fines. Like former Apple CFO Fred Anderson -- who was fined $3.5 million -- Heinen is neither admitting nor denying guilt.
Reports: Apple set to fix iPhone 3G connectivity in update
Apple may attempt to alleviate what iPhone 3G users have perceived to be connectivity problems by way of a software update instead of a recall, which would take a significant chunk from its profits.
Earlier in the week, Swedish engineering magazine Ny Teknik reported on tests from unnamed iPhone 3G users showing its signal sensitivity was well below levels specified in 3G standards. That report indicated that there may be a hardware issue somewhere between the antenna and the amplifier. If either or both parts aren't operating properly, it could lead to poor connectivity and slower speeds.
Google India could be ordered to break one blogger's anonymity
A construction equipment company in Mumbai, India, has asked that country's high court to order Google India to disclose the identity of "Toxic Writer," a blogger who made defamatory remarks about its mining project in Mozambique.
According to the original complaint filed by Gremach Infrastructure Equipments and Projects Ltd., the ninth paragraph of a blog entry entitled "toxic fumes" contained defamatory material that amounted to a smear campaign against it. However, because the blog post was taken down on an interim order from the Bombay High Court, the actual text is unavailable and even some cached copies cannot be retrieved.
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