Friday, January 4, 2013

EU says its Google case not affected by U.S. ruling

EU says its Google case not affected by U.S. ruling

EU says its Google case not affected by U.S. ruling

Posted: 04 Jan 2013 11:34 AM PST

People walk past a logo next to the main entrance of the Google building in ZurichBRUSSELS (Reuters) - A decision by U.S. regulators to end a probe into whether Google Inc hurt rivals by manipulating internet searches will not affect the European Union's examination of the company. "We have taken note of the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) decision, but we don't see that it has any direct implications for our investigation, for our discussions with Google, which are ongoing," said Michael Jennings, a spokesman for the European Commission, the EU executive. U.S. ...

Clearwire investor seeks to block sale to Sprint

Posted: 04 Jan 2013 01:48 PM PST

People walk past a Sprint store in New York(Reuters) - A large Clearwire Corp shareholder on Friday stepped up its campaign against the planned sale of the wireless service provider to its majority owner, Sprint Nextel Corp, saying it plans to ask the U.S. telecoms regulator to block the deal. Crest Financial's general counsel also said on a call with reporters that it will ask the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to block Sprint's plan to sell 70 percent of itself to Softbank Corp of Japan for $20 billion. ...

After much speculation, CEO Kilar to leave Hulu

Posted: 04 Jan 2013 03:48 PM PST

Jason Kilar, CEO of Hulu, participates in "The Digital Chiefs: A Special Conversation on the Future of new Media in the Digital Age" panel discussion in Los Angeles(Reuters) - Hulu Chief Executive Jason Kilar will leave the streaming TV company this quarter, he wrote in a blog post on the company's website on Friday, raising more questions about its future path under multiple owners. Kilar has long been rumored to be exiting the company as it faces stiff competition from Netflix Inc, Amazon.com Inc as well as Google Inc and Apple Inc. Hulu chief technology officer Rich Tom is also leaving, according to the post. Kilar gave no reason for his departure or indicate his future plans. Hulu did not name a replacement for the executives. ...

Cats Get Their Own Social Network

Posted: 03 Jan 2013 01:55 PM PST

Cats Get Their Own Social NetworkFellow cat owners: ever caught your feline stealing jealous glances at your laptop? Wonder why they keep walking all over your keyboard?

See the 5 Finalists For Doritos' Crowdsourced Super Bowl Ads

Posted: 03 Jan 2013 12:11 PM PST

"Goat 4 Sale"

Transparent TVs and Bendable Phones: CES Rumor Roundup

Posted: 04 Jan 2013 09:00 PM PST

The Consumer Electronics Show happens every January in Las Vegas: hundreds of thousands of people, acre upon acre of brand new gadgets, and the hopes of tech fans everywhere that something cool will be announced. So what do we expect – and what are some of the crazy rumors flying around? Transparent TV Samsung released a [...]

Novell's board must face investor suit over Attachmate sale

Posted: 04 Jan 2013 08:07 AM PST

WILMINGTON, Delaware (Reuters) - Novell Inc directors who approved the information technology company's 2010 sale for $2.2 billion must defend a lawsuit that alleges they unfairly favored Attachmate Corp over other bidders. The shareholders brought a reasonably conceivable claim that the directors acted in bad faith based on their "unexplained, extremely favorable treatment of Attachmate," Delaware Court of Chancery Judge John Noble wrote in a 50-page opinion. His ruling on Wednesday will allow the case to proceed. ...

iPad App Video Review: Hundreds

Posted: 04 Jan 2013 02:12 PM PST

Essentially, your job is to grow circles in size by touching them. The larger they get, the more points they are worth. In all of the game's one hundred levels, you need to get the circles to add up to one hundred in any combination. Gee, I wonder why this game is called Hundreds. It's not so simple though, as while you're filling a circle, they can't touch anything else at all, or you lose. Naturally, as more circles pack the screen, this can become a harrowing task of timing and finesse. ...

Google will once again foist Google TV upon the world at this year’s CES

Posted: 04 Jan 2013 08:45 PM PST

Google (GOOG) and its manufacturing partners are once again going to try to make a splash at the Consumer Electronics Show. The company on Friday announced that its partners will unveil a number of Google TV products at the annual trade show. New products are expected to be announced from ASUS (2357), Hisense (0921), TCL (1070) and others, while existing partners like LG (066570), Vizio, and Sony (SNE) will show off the newest Google TV platform. Google revealed that Google TV is available through either set-top boxes or integrated TVs from nine partners across 10 countries around the world. It is still widely considered a failed product, however. The Consumer Electronics Show is scheduled to take place from January 8th through

Next-generation LTE chips to reduce power consumption by 50%

Posted: 04 Jan 2013 06:12 PM PST

While voice over LTE technology is seen as the future of the mobile industry, recent tests have found that the it could reduce a smartphones battery life in half. According to a report from ST-Ericsson, however, next-generation LTE radios with VoLTE capabilities will actually increase battery life and reduce power consumption by 50%. In addition to being more efficient, the technology has special protocols that would improve call quality by reducing signaling overhead and improve performance in weak coverage points. VoLTE could be the beginning of the end for minute-based voice plans since calling and messaging will be sent through a carrier's data network. MetroPCS (PCS) has already launched VoLTE in select markets and Verizon Wireless (VZ), the nation's largest carrier, has

Get ready to love touchscreens, soldier: Pentagon signs three-year Windows 8 licensing deal

Posted: 04 Jan 2013 05:02 PM PST

Whether they're ready or not, America's fighting men and women are about to be powered by Windows 8. Business Insider reports that Microsoft (MSFT) has just scored a major win by signing a three-year software licensing deal with the United States Department of Defense that will deliver Windows 8 to 75% of its 450,000 employees. Business Insider notes that this new deal marks "the first time that three major DOD agencies — the Army, Air Force, and Defense Information Systems Agency — have entered into a single agreement with Microsoft," so this really will be a big boost for the new operating system. Of course, since Windows 8 is such a dramatic shift away from the traditional Windows interface, it's

You Won't Believe How Many Americans Are Falling Asleep at the Wheel

Posted: 04 Jan 2013 04:01 PM PST

You Won't Believe How Many Americans Are Falling Asleep at the WheelDiscovered: Scary numbers about sleeping while driving; our moon might get its own moon; decoding the malware genome; fighting HIV with HIV. 

Chinese father pushes son to kick gaming addiction by hiring virtual assassins to kill his MMO character

Posted: 04 Jan 2013 04:00 PM PST

It's practically a cliché at this point: An angry father gets fed up with his lay about son playing video games all day instead of looking for a job. But Kotaku reports that one father in China went outside the box when thinking of ways to get his son off the computer: He hired a team of virtual assassins to repeatedly kill his son's favorite character in a popular online role-playing game. According to Kotaku, 23-year-old Xiao Feng had been in and out of jobs for years while pointedly telling his father that he didn't want to work for a living. Even after his father ruined his online gaming experience by having his character die numerous times, the defiant Feng told his

The FDA's Food Contamination Rules Were Disgustingly Out of Date

Posted: 04 Jan 2013 03:22 PM PST

The FDA's Food Contamination Rules Were Disgustingly Out of DateAfter much delay, and much not-so-secret disgust, the Food and Drug Administration came out with rules aimed at curbing food-borne illness Friday. By the agency's own admission, this marks "the first time we've ever had enforceable standards on the farm." That quote comes from the FDA's Deputy Comissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine, Michael Taylor, who told Food Safety News's Helena Bottemiller that "it's a big deal that these [rules] are coming out because it's the central framework for prevention. ...

Google’s strategy for beating the antitrust rap: Spend $25 million on lobbying

Posted: 04 Jan 2013 02:42 PM PST

Given that Federal Trade Commissioners were reportedly "convinced" that Google (GOOG) was illegally using its dominance in the search realm to favor its own services over its rivals', the company got off pretty easy this week by making voluntary concessions and avoiding legal action. But as Politico reports, we shouldn't be all that surprised that Google got off with a slap on the wrist since it employed a not-so-secret strategy of shoveling $25 million toward lobbying expenses from the time that the FTC started its investigation into Google 20 months ago. And what did this $25 million get Google? According to Politico, it helped the company  to "cozy up to the Obama administration," to hire "influential Republicans and former regulators," to

Spaceport wants protections from tourist lawsuits

Posted: 04 Jan 2013 02:35 PM PST

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Spaceport America officials are urging legislators to limit potential lawsuits from wealthy outer space tourists who take off from New Mexico, saying such a bill is crucial to the future of the project.

New search engine tailors its results for tablets

Posted: 04 Jan 2013 02:17 PM PST

This undated image provided by Blekko on Friday, Jan. 4, 2013 shows a computer tablet screen with a page from their new Izik search engine. Blekko has designed the new product especially for Apple Inc.'s iPads and tablets running on Google's Android software. (AP Photo)SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The makers of Blekko believe they've built a great alternative to Google, but they're also realistic. They know their two-year-old Internet search engine won't ever supplant Google as the most popular place to search on laptop and desktop computers.

The cost of Google’s antitrust victory: Its Motorola patents are now worth even less than before

Posted: 04 Jan 2013 01:48 PM PST

Google's (GOOG) decision to buy Motorola really isn't looking too hot right now. The Wall Street Journal reports that Motorola's patent portfolio took a significant hit to its value this week after the Federal Trade Commission concluded its investigation into whether Google allegedly abused the patents it obtained when it finalized its acquisition of the electronics manufacturer last year. According to the Journal, one of the concessions Google made to the FTC to avoid litigation involved "agreeing to an FTC consent order restricting the use of many of its best patents as weapons," which significantly diminishes the company's ability to pursue aggressive patent lawsuits against rivals. Google, of course, primarily acquired Motorola for the value of its patent portfolio and the company has admitted

The Death of E-Readers Is All Your Fault

Posted: 04 Jan 2013 01:40 PM PST

The Death of E-Readers Is All Your FaultSo there's a reading gadget and a reading gadget with Angry Birds Star Wars. Which do you pick? Well, you, cultured person that you are, would select the dedicated e-reader, of course, just like you would rather watch Frontline instead of Honey Boo Boo, or pick up Vanity Fair instead of Us Weekly on the checkout line. Or at least that's what the ideal version of yourself would do. But as Amazon and Barnes & Noble are quickly discovering this year, the highbrow ideal all too often gives way to the mass-market realities. ...

Hulu CEO Kilar to step down

Posted: 04 Jan 2013 01:23 PM PST

Hulu CEO Jason Kilar announced plans to resign his post at the company some time in the first quarter of 2013 on Hulu's official blog on Friday. In his official resignation letter, Kilar said he was working with the company's board "to ensure there is ample runway to manage this transition" and that current Hulu CTO Rich Tom would be stepping down with him. Kilar didn't give a specific reason for his departure but said that his "decision to depart has been one of the toughest I've ever made" and that he was "thankful" for his time running the company. Kilar's resignation comes less than a month after the company announced it had passed 3 million paid subscribers for its

Utah city renames street due to sexual connotation

Posted: 04 Jan 2013 01:03 PM PST

LEHI, Utah (AP) — The Lehi City Council has renamed Morning Glory Road after a technology company planning to relocate to the street raised concerns about the name's sexual connotation.

HTC CEO says his company’s smaller marketing budget is the top reason it’s getting killed by Samsung

Posted: 04 Jan 2013 12:52 PM PST

HTC (2498) had a bad year in 2012. Despite releasing a number of high-end smartphones, the manufacturer posted reduced profits in each quarter last year. Samsung (006930) and Apple (AAPL), meanwhile, continued to see record sales and increased market share. HTC CEO Peter Chou revealed to The Wall Street Journal that the company didn't market its products aggressively enough and he vowed to win consumers back with more innovative devices in the coming year. "The worst for HTC has probably passed. 2013 will not be too bad," Chou said. "Our competitors were too strong and very resourceful, pouring in lots of money into marketing. We haven't done enough on the marketing front." The executive declined to give specifics on the company's turnaround

A White House Petition to Build a Real-Life Spaceship Enterprise

Posted: 04 Jan 2013 12:20 PM PST

An engineer going by the name of BTE Dan has uploaded a petition to the White House "We the People" site asking that NASA begin the design of a spacecraft that resembles in form, if not in function, the iconic Starship Enterprise, according to Space.com.

Apple TV will be ‘the elephant in the room’ at CES this year

Posted: 04 Jan 2013 12:10 PM PST

While there will certainly be several sweet new television sets on display at the Consumer Electronics Show next week, the TV that generates the most buzz may be one that isn't even at the show. Per AppleInsider, Topeka Capital's Brian White thinks that Apple's (AAPL) long-rumored television set will be "the elephant in the room" because of its potential to "totally reinvent the TV experience." Specifically, White thinks that "Apple's ability to develop hardware and software together, combined with a relentless, detailed focus on aesthetics and a robust ecosystem will make the company difficult to beat in the coming years" when it comes to changing the television set industry.

Waze said to have rejected Apple’s buyout offer

Posted: 04 Jan 2013 11:28 AM PST

It isn't often you hear about a small startup rejecting a buyout offer from the world's most valuable company, but times may be changing. Earlier rumors had claimed a deal was in the works for Apple (AAPL) to acquire social navigation startup Waze in a desperate effort to improve its widely-panned Maps application. Waze was said to be seeking a hefty $750 million payout from Apple and is now believed to have rejected the company's offer, according to The Next Web. Despite the fact that Waze was valued around $200 million in its last round of funding, investors were reportedly aiming for a higher offer, possibly in the $1 billion range. The Next Web's sources claim the company has received more than

"GameStick" Will Be the Size of a USB Memory Stick, Plug into Your TV

Posted: 04 Jan 2013 11:03 AM PST

When the Ouya game console (scheduled to launch in April) made headlines last year, it was for three reasons. One, its size and price -- the $99 box, which plugs into a TV, is the size of a Rubik's cube. Two, its choice of operating system -- it runs the same Android OS which powers smartphones and tablets. And three -- its rise to fame on Kickstarter, where it shattered records and received millions of dollars in funding not from venture capitalists, but from gamers who wanted to see it made.

MacBook sales in the U.S. fell 6% during the holidays, Windows laptops were down 11%

Posted: 04 Jan 2013 10:41 AM PST

Retailers offered heavy discounts on laptops from various manufacturers over Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Thanksgiving Day, but it wasn't enough to entice consumers. According to numbers from NPD Group, overall sales of consumer electronics during the holiday season dropped 7% from November 18th through December 22nd. The hype around the launch of Windows 8 did little to boost sales, with notebook purchases falling 11% year-over-year and holiday revenue dipping 10.5%. The low-end market was hit even harder, with sales of laptops priced under $500 falling by 16% as the market transitions to a post-PC world. "Consumer electronics remain trapped in a weak product cycle," said Stephen Baker, vice president, industry analysis at NPD. "Despite undeniable success in segments like

Android’s explosive content consumption growth threatens Apple

Posted: 04 Jan 2013 10:01 AM PST

Smartphone market share surveys from IDC and Kantar have shown for a long time that the Android phone volume surge is leaving the iPhone in the dust in major growth markets from Brazil to India. But one thing that Apple has had on its side has been the propensity of iPhone owners to consume far more content than Android phone owners. One argument has been that it does not matter if iPhone has a 5% share vs. Android's 40% share if Apple (AAPL) still dominates in  app revenue generation and browsing volume. Content is king. Another argument is that it does not matter who moves the most units, since only hardware margins count. Here Apple reigns supreme. In the long

Why Google's Street View Project WIll Be Good for Staten Island

Posted: 04 Jan 2013 09:37 AM PST

Why Google's Street View Project WIll Be Good for Staten IslandWhile residents worry about what the Street View photos will do to property values, if Google's Staten Island project looks anything like what it did for New Orleans following Katrina, it will raise the kind of awareness the "forgotten borough" will need as it continues to rebuild. Like the awareness (via a huge outcry) that reminded legislators about all the damage that still exists on Staten Island and the New Jersey coast, which helped bring the Sandy relief bill back to a vote, for example. ...

Google’s original Android mascot would have given children everywhere horrible nightmares

Posted: 04 Jan 2013 09:06 AM PST

It's a good thing that companies don't normally let software engineers produce marketing materials. Exhibit A is Android engineer Dan Morrill, who posted pictures on his Google+ page this week showing his original stand-in concept art for Google's (GOOG) Android logo that he prepared for a presentation. In short, Morrill's sketches are terrifying. Instead of the cute little green "bug man" Android logo that we've all come to love over the past few years, Morrill depicted a menacing, crazy-eyed deathbot that looks as though it was found drawn on the walls of a remote Siberian Soviet-era insane asylum. It's hard to pinpoint the most disturbing aspect of Morrill's doodle: The robot's multicolored spiral eyes, its ladder mouth or the way

Google’s rumored ‘X Phone’ could be an ‘attack on Samsung’

Posted: 04 Jan 2013 08:22 AM PST

If Samsung (005930) really does plan to move away from Android, then it makes sense for Google (GOOG) to move Android away from Samsung. Over at Unwired View, Brian S. Hall writes that the "X Phone" that Google and Motorola are reportedly working on is much more of a shot across Samsung's bow than the iPhone's. Hall reasons that Google's intention to create a phone with Motorola signals that the company wants to exert more direct influence over its Nexus smartphone brand since Google would have "complete control over the development, distribution and marketing" of any device produced with a company that it owns. Google's reasons for wanting to produce its own in-house Android phone with Motorola also boil down
Posted by Harshad at 9:26 PM

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