Read a little. Learn a lot. • Tightly-written news, views and stuff • Follow us on Twitter • Be a Facebook Fan • Tumble us!

17 Nov 2009 21:46

tags

Tech: Microsoft settles patent claim with ex-employee accused of spying

  • Miki Mullor and Microsoft make nice. Way back in February – you know, back before the beginning of time – we posted an article about a former Microsoft employee who reportedly double-dipped by working at MS while CEO of another company. Miki Mullor, who is the Chairman of Ancora Technologies Inc., contacted us today to inform us that the patent infringement lawsuit between him and Microsoft has been settled. Neither party claims responsibility in the case. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Nov 2009 10:36

tags

Tech: YouTube connects citizen journalism with real news organizations

  • News organizations can ask for citizen reporting; nonprofits can call-out for support videos around social campaigns; businesses can ask users to submit promotional videos about your brand. With YouTube Direct, the opportunities to connect directly with the YouTube community are endless.
  • The announcement on YouTube Direct • Describing how the service can be used for citizen media in conjunction with the mainstream media. This is cool. If it makes AP a little less stogy and stuck in its ways, it’s a smart idea. • source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Nov 2009 00:19

tags

Tech: Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen goes through second cancer bout

  • He had Hodgkin’s disease in 1983. He made bank as a result. Paul Allen, who was just diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, was able to find silver lining in having cancer last time he had it. He left Microsoft’s day-to-day operations as a result of his treatment, but still owned a ton of stock. When the stock blew up, so did his bank account. That’s not to say he’ll be so lucky this time, and he’s making his health his main focus. “This is tough news for Paul and the family,” said his sister, Jody, who he works with at Vulcan Capital, an investment firm. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Nov 2009 21:23

tags

Tech: TechCrunch better launch the CrunchPad soon or something

crunchpad1115
  • It’s a pretty damn good idea, but if TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington can’t get this thing out the door before his competition (which may or may not include Apple), it might be for naught. The CrunchPad is reportedly near completion and hovering between the $300-$400 price range, which isn’t a bad price.source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 Nov 2009 20:20

tags

Tech: You guys collectively tweet way too freaking much

  • 27.3 million tweets go across the spectrum each day source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Nov 2009 19:07

tags

Tech: Pystar death star: Apple clones dealt another murderous blow

  • It’s unfortunate, but Apple was in the right legally. There are tons of side issues in the Mac clone case to end all Mac clone cases, but Pystar – which had famously been selling generic noisy black boxes and putting a bunch of Mac software on them – is done. Apple has them from just about every avenue possible – copyright infringement, derivative works, misuse of copyrights and DMCA violations. As a result, the case that would’ve allowed Hackintoshes has only ended up protecting the Mac business model instead. Sorry, Pystar. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Nov 2009 11:01

tags

Tech: Google’s street view: Not blurry enough for the Swiss

Screen-shot-2009-11-14-at-10.51.39-AM
  • Haven’t you Swiss jerks caused enough trouble? First, you totally flip the neutrality switch and arrest Roman Polanski and now you’re going to claim that Google’s Street View isn’t blurry enough and doesn’t obscure faces and that sort of thing very well? You know, Switzerland, in America, we like our diminished privacy with a side of bacon. And some of the best home fries you’ve ever eaten. In a diner that used to be an IHOP until someone decided that it wasn’t good enough to be an IHOP and took away the franchise rights. We don’t complain about blurriness. Neither should you.source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 1 Comment • Permalink
 

14 Nov 2009 09:17

tags

Biz, Tech: Google Books has a new, less-infringing, publisher agreement

  • Cost of the deal $125
    million     source
  • Cost of the deal $125
    million
  • Big changes made Author rights
    Orphan books
    Pricing structure
     
     source
  • Cost of the deal $125
    million
  • Big changes made Author rights
    Orphan books
    Pricing structure
     
  • Countries in the deal U.S.
    Canada
    U.K.
    Australia     source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Nov 2009 01:07

tags

Tech: If you see a PC-hawking BlueHippo headed your way, run away fast

bluehippo1114
  • The hippo is cute, but the company’s a scam. You’ve probably seen the infomercials for BlueHippo on late-night TV, offering to finance your computer on layaway if you’re broke. Well, the FTC did, too, and they suspected it was a scam, something the company proved in years of dealings. After a court case last year, the company only got more brazen, only shipping one computer out of the 35,000 ordered. And that one was apparently by accident. When the FTC declares a company a “money pit,” stay away.source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 4 Comments • Permalink

13 Nov 2009 18:18

tags

Tech: Dell’s smartphones bored the U.S. market, so off to China they go!

  • Oh, and Brazil too, but still … not the U.S. Dell’s Mini 3, anew Google Android-based smartphone, has no shot of really gaining a foothold in the U.S. It’s Dell (boring computers) doing a smartphone (boring smartphones). So, rather than waste all that energy trying to impress American customers who already have iPhones, Pres and Droids to gawk at, they’ve decided to strike out on two different markets which aren’t so staked out by these phones. Good luck selling your boring phones, Dell. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 2 Comments • Permalink
 
<< newer 
top tags
older >>