Trial for Xbox 360 modder gets delayed after judge bashes prosecution |
- Trial for Xbox 360 modder gets delayed after judge bashes prosecution
- Amazon to purchase an investment stake in Living Social?
- Kindle losing e-reader market share to iPad
- iPhone now most popular and 'most desired' smartphone in the U.S.
- Verizon prices 4G data plans
- PlayStation Phone briefly spotted on video
- Developers pull ChevronWP7 Windows Phone 7 unlocking tool
- WikiLeaks was homeless for a bit
- China to search government computers for counterfeit software
- Opera celebrates 150 million users
- UK Home Office mulls changes to data laws
- EU to investigate antitrust claims against Google
- Chip will make Blu-ray players, recorders smaller and more affordable
- Virgin Media gets TiVo deal in UK
- Google close to launching e-book service
| Trial for Xbox 360 modder gets delayed after judge bashes prosecution Posted: 01 Dec 2010 07:23 PM PST  The jury trial for the case of Matthew Crippen has been delayed today, after the presiding judge took 30 minutes to lecture the prosecution. Crippen is on trial for allegedly modding Xbox 360 consoles to be able to play pirated games and homebrew. U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez started the trial off with a 30-minute rant complaining about the prosecution and the government's case, with his main concerns being the prosecution's "star" witnesses. The two witnesses in the case have both potentially broken the law, making them less credible. The first is Entertainment Software Association investigator Tony Rosario, who has video of Crippen modding consoles in his home in L.A. Those videos, however, were taped secretly, in violation of California's strict privacy laws. Microsoft security employee Ken McGrail is the second witness, the man who analyzed the consoles that were seized from Crippen's home. McGrail, however, has admitted under oath to modifying the original Xbox and the Xbox 360 back when he was in college. Crippen has been charged with two counts of breaking the anti-circumvention provisions of the DMCA and faces up to 10 years in prison. After Judge Gutierrez' rant, the prosecution asked for a recess and apologized to the court.
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| Amazon to purchase an investment stake in Living Social? Posted: 01 Dec 2010 06:47 PM PST  The rumor that Amazon is getting ready to purchase an investment stake in daily deal giant Living Social has gotten more intense today, following Google's $5.3 billion bid for market leader Groupon. Amazon and Living Social are in "advanced talks" for a major investment by the e-tailer, one that will put the two companies in a "deep operating partnership." While in advanced stages, the deal is not yet set in stone and Amazon could walk away at any time, notes the WSJ. Groupon has 35 million worldwide users and over $500 million in annual revenue while Living Social has just under 10 million users and an expected revenue of $300 million for 2010. The move would be Amazon's second venture into the fast growing daily deals market, where it purchased Woot for $100 million during the summer. There was no word on how big the investment will be except to say that it will value Living Social in the "multi-billions."
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| Kindle losing e-reader market share to iPad Posted: 01 Dec 2010 05:27 PM PST  A new survey from ChangeWave Research says that Amazon's Kindle is "rapidly" losing e-reader market share thanks to the popular iPad tablet. For the three-month period of August 1st to November 8th, the Kindle's market share fell to 47 percent, from a whopping 62 percent. The iPad took most of that share, rising to 32 percent from 16. Sony's "Reader" line accounted for another 5 percent, and the Barnes & Noble Nook took 4 percent. ChangeWave surveyed 2800 consumers and found that 75 percent were "very satisfied" with their iPad, compared to 54 percent for Kindle owners. The bigger question may be to ask if the iPad can be considered in the same market as the Kindle, as it does so much more. The Kindle is a dedicated e-reader. That being said, the survey showed that 76 percent of iPad owners use it to read. Apple has sold over 2 million iPads. Amazon does not reveal Kindle sales figures.
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| iPhone now most popular and 'most desired' smartphone in the U.S. Posted: 01 Dec 2010 04:50 PM PST  According to new Nielsen data, smartphones now account for 29.7 percent of all U.S. mobile phone subscribers, the highest percentage in history. Furthermore, for the first time ever Apple iPhone has become the most popular smartphone in the nation, taking 27.9 percent market share. RIM, makers of the BlackBerry, fell to second place, at 27.4 percent share. Android has quickly taken 22.7 percent share. Microsoft's Windows Mobile line held at 14 percent, not including sales of the new Windows Phone 7 which launched in November. Additionally, Apple's iOS was named the "most desired" mobile operating system, with 35 percent of current smartphone/feature phone owners saying they would like to get an iPhone. 28 percent wanted Android. A full 25 percent did "not know" which smartphone they wanted, however.
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| Posted: 01 Dec 2010 03:38 PM PST  Verizon has priced their LTE 4G data plans this week, a few days before the carrier begins rolling out the fast network in the United States. The network will be 10 times faster than current 3G speeds from the carrier. Verizon has made it clear that, while fast, the data plans will not be cheap. A 5GB plan will cost $50 per month, and a 10GB plan will cost $80. The carrier says it expects users will see real-world down speeds of 5-12Mbps and uploads of 2-5Mbps. "Beginning Sunday, Verizon Wireless is making the best network even better," adds Verizon CEO Dan Mead. "Our initial 4G LTE launch gives customers access to the fastest and most advanced mobile network in America and immediately reaches more than one-third of all Americans, right where they live. That's just the start. We will quickly expand 4G LTE, and by 2013 will reach the existing Verizon Wireless 3G coverage area." At launch, the 4G access will be available through two USB modems only, but smartphones with the capability will hit the market next year. Verizon expects to rollout the service to 38 cities and 60 airports by the end of the year.
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| PlayStation Phone briefly spotted on video Posted: 01 Dec 2010 01:49 PM PST  The still unofficial Sony Ericsson PSP Phone has been seen in a short, blurry video today, at least confirming its existence. Last month, Engadget posted pictures of the device, the first pictures of the device that has been oft-rumored for over two years. The source says the smartphone could be dubbed the Sony Ericsson Z1. It will run on Android 2.3 Gingerbread, have a 4.1-inch multi-touchscreen, an 8MP camera and a dedicated app store. Dvice even says an official announcement could come as soon as December 9, although all of this is unconfirmed.
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| Developers pull ChevronWP7 Windows Phone 7 unlocking tool Posted: 01 Dec 2010 01:08 PM PST  ChevronWP7, the unlocking software that gives Windows Phone 7 owners a chance to install homebrew and unsigned applications on their smartphones has been pulled by its developers, after a discussion with Microsoft went well. The software gives user the ability to side load apps, which would normally cost $99 per year for a Marketplace developer account. Today, the developers behind the app have said they are "discontinuing the unlocking tool effective immediately," as per a discussion with Brandon Watson, Director of Developer Experience for Windows Phone 7. The conversation went like this: Through this discussion, we established a mutual understanding of our intent to enable homebrew opportunities and to open the Windows Phone 7 platform for broader access to developers and users. For those who still want it and don't want to wait for Microsoft to add homebrew support natively, the software has been out for weeks and should be around.
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| WikiLeaks was homeless for a bit Posted: 01 Dec 2010 12:31 PM PST  Wikileaks, the group behind recent leaks of sensitive data, found itself homeless today for a few hours, after Amazon pulled its hosting services. Earlier this week, WikiLeaks unveiled "Cablegate," publishing "251,287 leaked United States embassy cables, the largest set of confidential documents ever to be released into the public domain. The documents will give people around the world an unprecedented insight into US Government foreign activities." Over 15,600 of those cables were classified as "Secret," with some dating as far back as 1966. The cables contain confidential communications from 274 different embassies throughout the world to the State Department here in D.C. Today, its American web host, Amazon pulled the plug on the site, however, forcing the owners to move it back to a host in Sweden. Wikileaks had moved to Amazon's self-service after repeated DDoS attacks took down its Swedish-hosted site.
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| China to search government computers for counterfeit software Posted: 01 Dec 2010 10:57 AM PST  The Chinese government has announced that it will inspect computers owned by central and local government authorities for any pirated software that is being used. The inspection is part of a new push by the Chinese government to tackle rampant software piracy in the country. The Business Software Alliance (BSA) estimated in 2009 that 79 percent of all software used on computers in the country was pirated. Microsoft also said it has filed a lawsuit against 10 companies in China for selling computers with pirated versions of its Windows operating system and other products pre-installed. "Computers pre-installed with unauthorized software have always been a core problem for the software industry that must be resolved," said Microsoft China's intellectual property general manager, Yu Weidong, in a statement. The U.S. company has been a major victim of piracy in the country but has been having some success using the Chinese legal system to fight back. The Chinese government's fight agaisnt software piracy goes back years. In 2006, authorities issued a notice requiring government departments to only buy computers that have legitimate software pre-installed. "They have taken these kinds of steps before. My impression is that this time it's more comprehensive," said Christian Murck, the president of the American Chamber of Commerce in China. He did say however that the move wasn't transparent since it was conducted by the government, within the government.
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| Opera celebrates 150 million users Posted: 01 Dec 2010 10:57 AM PST  Opera is celebrating reaching a new milestone: 150 million users are now using its Web browser (mobile and Desktop versions. The Opera.com website was changed on Wednesday to display the "inbox" of Opera co-founder Jon S. von Tetzchner. You can browse through folders of his inbox and read the mail in it, but the most important item is the very first one which states that the entire Opera team is out celebrating a 150 million user milestone. Opera crossed 100 million users in April 2010, a figure which includes mobile versions of its web browser. The recent release of an Opera 11 beta brought tab stacking, a new way to manage tabs, and also provided support for HTML5 and extensions. The company is also working on an improved auto-update system. More Info: Opera.com
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| UK Home Office mulls changes to data laws Posted: 01 Dec 2010 10:57 AM PST  The Home Office in the UK is meeting civil liberties groups as part of a consultation about UK data interception laws. The consultation is being carried out to meet EU requirements despite the Home Office saying earlier that a meeting with civil liberties groups was unnecessary. It will now meet the Open Rights Group and other organizations this week. A European Union investigation into how a controversial ad trackng technology, Phorm, was rolled out in the UK, prompted the consultation. The European Commission found that the UK has no legal redress for citizens who think their web browsing or other online activities have been monitored. This puts the UK in breach of the European e-Privacy directive. Thousands of users of BT Internet services in the UK took part in Phorm trials without their consent. Phorm is one of many firms that tracks web behavior in other to better target advertisements to users. Jim Killock, chief executive of the Open Rights Group, is not happy with how the consultation is being carried out however. "When the consultation started in November we heard about it through the grapevine rather than a public announcement. We wrote to the Home Office saying they needed to meet with representatives from civil society because the law was about individual rights," he said. "We were told that the Home Office was only consulting those directly affected, ie those who might get punished, ignoring the fact that those most directly affected are the general public. The consultation is about a very serious matter. What rights should we have as citizens to take legal action against people who intercept our communications? Should criminal as well as civil charges be available? Who should investigate?" The Home Office wants to extend the power of the Interception Commissioner to issue fines against firms like BT when they slip up in this area. But Killock is entirely unconvinced that this is the correct form of action. "It is talking about fines of around £10,000 which is pocket money to firms such as BT. It is a joke," he said. He thinks it would make more sense to allow the police to investigate these cases and to provide a one stop shop for privacy complaints from the public.
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| EU to investigate antitrust claims against Google Posted: 01 Dec 2010 10:57 AM PST  European Union regulators are to investigate practices by search giant Google after several antitrust complaints were made against the U.S. company in the region. Earlier this year, British price comparison website Foundem and French legal search engine ejustice.fr alleged that Google unfairly demoted their sites in search result rankings because they were providing competing services. Microsoft's Ciao also filed a complained with the European Commission relating to Google's standard terms of service. "The (European) Commission will investigate whether Google has abused a dominant market position in online search by allegedly lowering the ranking of unpaid search results of competing services," the EU executive said in a statement. However, the EU invesigation into Google's practices does not mean there is anything wrong with how the company goes its business. "I want to be very clear that this does not mean that there is definitely a problem -- it is far too early to say that," EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said. Google has denied the allegations made against it, and defended how the company's algorithms determine page ranking in search results. "We built Google for users, not websites, and the nature of ranking is that some websites will be unhappy with where they rank," a spokesman said. "Those sites have complained and even sued us over the years, but in all cases there were compelling reasons why their sites were ranked poorly by our algorithms." The company has vowed to fully cooperate with the European Commission. "There is always going to be room for improvement, so we will be working with the Commission to address any concerns," the Google spokesman said. The company is being urged to avoid a long fight with the European Commission, which can fine companies up to 10 percent of their global turnover for breach of EU competition rules. A ten year battle between the European Commission and Microsoft only concluded in January, with Microsoft agreeing to provide better access to rival web browsers to EU users of Windows. The Redmond-giant has been fined a total of €1.68 billion for antitrust infringements in Europe.
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| Chip will make Blu-ray players, recorders smaller and more affordable Posted: 01 Dec 2010 09:25 AM PST  A new chip from STMicroelectronics will be make it possible to shrink the size of Blu-ray players and recorders, as well as cutting down on costs. The new STODD01 power supply IC can generate all the voltages needed to operate the player's circuitry. Using it, designers can eliminate multiple individual power supplies from the printed-circuit board, which will reduce component costs, design complexity and assembly time. The size of the board can also shrink down if used. The STODD01's power-supply channels benefit from highly efficient switched-mode conversion, which minimizes energy losses and heat generation. A true "shutdown mode" also works to cut down standby power consumption. The STODD01 from STMicroelectronics is now sampling to lead customers. It is ready for mass production and priced at 80c in quantities of 1000.
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| Virgin Media gets TiVo deal in UK Posted: 01 Dec 2010 09:25 AM PST  Virgin Media has announced a new deal with TiVo Inc., which the company says marks a transition from being a cable operator to an entertainment providers. Virgin provides telephone, Internet and cable TV services in the United Kingdom to about four million customers. It has gained popularity due to its high-speed Internet offerings, including options of 100Mbit connections for some of its subscribers. It competes with BSkyB in offering television services. BSkyB once also reached an agreement with TiVo Inc., but then decided to distribute its own boxes instead, forcing TiVo to pull out of the UK altogether. Virgin will now have thousands of TiVo boxes available for existing customers over the Christmas period. Priced at £199 each, as well as a £26.50 fee per moth for service, the boxes provide television viewing, access to catch-up TV services such as BBC iPlayer, on-demand programming and web applications including Facebook and can record up to 500 hours of programming (in standard definition). "This is an opportunity for Virgin Media to depart from any legacy it had in terms of coming second in the TV space," Chief Executive Neil Berkett said. Eventually, TiVo will become the center of Virgin's TV offerings as opposed to being presented as a premium service, according to Berkett.
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| Google close to launching e-book service Posted: 01 Dec 2010 09:25 AM PST  The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Google Inc. is in the final stages of preparing Google Editions, an e-book service that will compete with Amazon and other players in the emerging market. While Google executives had hoped to launch Google Editions in the summer of 2010, the plans were interrupted by several technical and legal hurdles. Those distractions have now largely been dealt with, according to people close to Google. Google's product management director, Scott Dougall, says the service will debut in the United States by the end of the year, while completing an international roll-out in the first quarter of 2011. Independent booksellers began receiving contracts from their trade groups in recent weeks. "Because of the complexity of this project, we didn't want to come out with something that wasn't thorough," Dougall said. The service differs from its largest competitors by offering open, read anywhere e-books that are not tied to a single set of devices. Users will buy the e-books directly from Google which will be available from a book library tied to a Google account, which can be accessed from almost anywhere. It is unclear how Google will share revenue with publishers but the American Booksellers Association estimates that as many as 200 independent booksellers in the U.S. could sign up. Google's search service attracts 190 million U.S. users per month, which analysts believe give it the ammo it needs to transform the e-book market. Digital book sales are projected to hit $966 million in 2010, compared to $301 million in 2009 (Forrester Research).
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