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Technology News
for 09/23/2009

(last updated 7:30am EST 09/23/2009)

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• New Acer Smartphones With Windows Mobile... New Acer Smartphones With Windows Mobile 6.5 Due Next Month
09/23/2009
Acer's next round of smartphones will debut next month with Windows Mobile 6.5. (3 h ago)

• Far EasTone Raises Android Plans on Gpho... Far EasTone Raises Android Plans on Gphone Anniversary
09/23/2009
On the Gphone's one-year anniversary, Far EasTone raised its plans to offer four Android handsets to customers this year. (3 h ago)

• Alibaba Aims to Draw Micro-entrepreneurs... Alibaba Aims to Draw Micro-entrepreneurs Online
09/23/2009
China's Alibaba will team up with Grameen Bank on a microlending program in China that could draw loan recipients onto Alibaba's top e-commerce Web sites. (3 h ago)

• Presented By: Presented By:
09/23/2009
(3 h ago)

• PCI Survey Finds Some Merchants Don't Us... PCI Survey Finds Some Merchants Don't Use Antivirus Software
09/23/2009
Consumers face a greater risk of losing control of their payment data when doing business with smaller retailers, a survey said. (3 h ago)

• Microsoft Acquisition Adds to Parallel C... Microsoft Acquisition Adds to Parallel Computing Focus
09/23/2009
Microsoft purchased assets in a company that does parallel computing, a mainly supercomputing function that Microsoft aims to develop for a broader audience. (5 h ago)

• South Korea Clears Path for IPhone Sale South Korea Clears Path for IPhone Sale
09/23/2009
South Korean regulators cleared the iPhone for sale in the country on Wednesday by lifting a legal bar on operation of location-based services by Apple. (5 h ago)

• Intel Ahead of Schedule With New Xeon Se... Intel Ahead of Schedule With New Xeon Server Chips
09/22/2009
Intel could start shipping its next-generation Xeon quad-core server chips to system makers by the first quarter of 2010. (11 h ago)

• Microsoft's Top-Secret Tablet, Courier Microsoft's Top-Secret Tablet, Courier
09/22/2009
Have we been lusting after the wrong unreleased tablet? (13 h ago)

• Intel Shows Working Larrabee System Intel Shows Working Larrabee System
09/22/2009
Intel on Tuesday demonstrated the first working unit of its Larrabee graphics processor. (13 h ago)

• Facebook Sued Over Social Networking Pat... Facebook Sued Over Social Networking Patent
09/22/2009
A small Maryland company has sued Facebook, claiming that it violates a 'personal relationship information management system' patent. (13 h ago)

• And the Winner Is: '89 Mac Portable vs. ... And the Winner Is: '89 Mac Portable vs. MacBook Air
09/22/2009
Showdown: Macintosh Portable (1989) vs. MacBook Air (2009). (14 h ago)

• ITunes 9.0.1 Update Restores 'Maximize' ... ITunes 9.0.1 Update Restores 'Maximize' Button Behavior
09/22/2009
Nearly two weeks after taking the wraps off iTunes 9, Apple has an update for its music jukebox application. (14 h ago)

• Plaintiffs Ask for More Time in Google B... Plaintiffs Ask for More Time in Google Book Search Case
09/22/2009
Google, the Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers want more time before a hearing about their proposed book-search lawsuit settlement. (14 h ago)

• Google Gets Inside IE With Chrome Frame Google Gets Inside IE With Chrome Frame
09/22/2009
Google has unveiled a new plug-in that essentially transforms Internet Explorer into Chrome. Is it just us, or did the browser war just get a whole lot hotter? (15 h ago)

• Google News Goes Offline Google News Goes Offline
09/22/2009
Google News was down for more than an hour on Tuesday. (16 h ago)

• Intel Demos Larrabee Hardware at IDF 200... Intel Demos Larrabee Hardware at IDF 2009
09/22/2009
In a very brief ray-tracing demo, Intel's first public display of Larrabee hardware in action underwhelms. (16 h ago)

• Intel Promotes App Store Model for Netbo... Intel Promotes App Store Model for Netbooks
09/22/2009
Intel is looking for developers to write applications that could be sold through app stores run by PC makers. (16 h ago)

• Picasa Gains Face Recognition Capabiliti... Picasa Gains Face Recognition Capabilities
09/22/2009
Google has upgraded its Picasa photo management application for Mac and Windows machines with face recognition features. (16 h ago)

• Netgear Stora: Your Terabyte for the Web Netgear Stora: Your Terabyte for the Web
09/22/2009
Today Netgear launched Stora, an all-in-one network drive with Web access. (17 h ago)

• The future of mobile commerce, in a skin... The future of mobile commerce, in a skinny vanilla latte?
09/23/2009
Coffee giant Starbucks' first iPhone apps are feature-heavy, but most interesting of all may be a test it's conducting in 16 West Coast stores that could replace plastic gift cards with a mobile barcode. (2 h ago)

• FAQ: Can flat-screen TVs make the effici... FAQ: Can flat-screen TVs make the efficiency grade?
09/23/2009
Consumers are buying up big, bright high-definition TVs but they come with a bigger energy price tag. Here's what you need to know about new efficiency rules and TVs. (3 h ago)

• AT&T-iPhone calling woes on redial AT&T-iPhone calling woes on redial
09/23/2009
Report by CNET's Elinor Mills touches a nerve, with hundreds of iPhone users from around the country sharing their frustrations. (3 h ago)

• Does cocaine permanently change brain st... Does cocaine permanently change brain structure?
09/22/2009
Scientists at the University of Missouri are using computational models to show how the brain's synaptic mechanisms react to cocaine, which could help shape effective treatment. (9 h ago)

• Bored? Goby helps you find things to do Bored? Goby helps you find things to do
09/22/2009
New search engine Goby forgoes one search box for three: you tell it what you want to do, where you want to do it, and when, and it does the rest. (9 h ago)

• Photos: The new Windows tablet Photos: The new Windows tablet
09/22/2009
Photos and info on a new Microsoft dual-screen tablet have been leaked. (11 h ago)

• Courier tablet one of many Microsoft pro... Courier tablet one of many Microsoft prototypes
09/22/2009
The dual-screen prototype is indeed legit, but is just one of many prototypes cooked up as part of a skunkworks project being headed by J. Allard, sources tell CNET News' Ina Fried. (13 h ago)

• Intel shows off Larrabee graphics chip f... Intel shows off Larrabee graphics chip for first time
09/22/2009
Chipmaker demonstrates Larrabee--the company's first discrete graphics processor in about 10 years--at the Intel Developer Forum. (13 h ago)

• Infochimps looks to build business based... Infochimps looks to build business based on marketplace for datasets
09/22/2009
The early-stage startup has already signed up a couple of interesting clients, and now hopes to find a critical mass of available data to sell. (13 h ago)

• Lotus designs an engine for hybrids Lotus designs an engine for hybrids
09/22/2009
Lotus Engineering comes up with a design for a range extender engine for series hybrid cars. (14 h ago)

• Courier: First details of Microsoft's se... Courier: First details of Microsoft's secret tablet
09/22/2009
Gizmodo posts video of the Courier, Microsoft's astonishing take on a tablet that's in the "late prototype" stage of development. (14 h ago)

• Local Dirt aims to help focus on local f... Local Dirt aims to help focus on local food
09/22/2009
Amid movement to buy local, DemoFall start-up Hevva unveils service geared toward putting buyers and sellers together and cutting spoilage. (14 h ago)

• Latest Thunderbird rolls search changes Latest Thunderbird rolls search changes
09/22/2009
Thunderbird 3 beta 4 debuts multiple improvements, including a new search feature, "smart" folders, an activity manager for monitoring communication with your mail server, and better Gmail integration. (14 h ago)

• Xbox 360 Elite drops to $250 (with mail-... Xbox 360 Elite drops to $250 (with mail-in rebate)
09/22/2009
For a limited time Microsoft is offering a $50 mail-in rebate on the Xbox 360 Elite, which brings the price down to $250. You have until October 5 to take advantage of this deal. (15 h ago)

• Scenes from DemoFall 2009 Scenes from DemoFall 2009
09/22/2009
Entrepreneurs, press, and VCs cram into the Sheraton in San Diego to do business at the semiannual start-up event. (15 h ago)

• Point of Wealth: The reverse ATM Point of Wealth: The reverse ATM
09/22/2009
Paid in cash? Point of Wealth lets you put it where you should, when you earn it. (15 h ago)

• Tab Toolkit brings guitar tabs to iPhone Tab Toolkit brings guitar tabs to iPhone
09/22/2009
It's not the first guitar tab application for iPhone, but its import capabilities and on-screen fingering assistance make it one of the most sophisticated. (16 h ago)

• Calif. sun to power bank's electric-car ... Calif. sun to power bank's electric-car charge spots
09/22/2009
In a deal with solar installer SolarCity, Rabobank opens an electric-car charging point powered by solar panels as part of a project between Los Angeles and San Francisco. (16 h ago)

• CNET News Daily Podcast: MySpace working... CNET News Daily Podcast: MySpace working on movie download service
09/22/2009
MySpace is well-known for its music roots, but the social network is on the verge of rolling out a video download service as well. We've got the scoop. (16 h ago)

• Parties seek Google Books hearing delay;... Parties seek Google Books hearing delay; new deal brewing
09/22/2009
Google will have to amend its settlement with book publishers and authors after the DOJ objected, and the parties need more time to work out a new deal. (17 h ago)

• Coyote + wolf = new breed of predator Coyote + wolf = new breed of predator
09/22/2009
New DNA evidence reveals that coyotes have bred with wolves in the the northeastern United States, turning mice-eating coyotes into much larger animals with a hunger for big prey, such as deer. (12 h ago)

• Reported photos, video of Microsoft tabl... Reported photos, video of Microsoft tablet seen
09/22/2009
Photos and video of a prototype tablet reportedly being worked on by Microsoft were leaked Tuesday to Gizmodo.com, and if the prototype becomes a reality, it could be quite an impressive device. (12 h ago)

• New photos reveal Milky Way’s chaotic ce... New photos reveal Milky Way’s chaotic center
09/22/2009
Space.com: New photographs of the center of the Milky Way reveal the chaotic environment at the heart of our galaxy, where a supermassive black hole is thought to lurk. (13 h ago)

• Cosmic Log: Season of sky oddities Cosmic Log: Season of sky oddities
09/22/2009
Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: Fall marks the beginning of prime time for atmospheric curiosities such as fogbows, otherwise known as seadogs or "albino rainbows." (14 h ago)

• Twitter's co-founder says no ads in 2009 Twitter's co-founder says no ads in 2009
09/22/2009
Twitter has no plans to put advertisements on the popular microblogging site this year, co-founder Biz Stone said on Tuesday. (14 h ago)

• NASA moves up moon rocket launch to Oct.... NASA moves up moon rocket launch to Oct. 27
09/22/2009
NASA's first version of the rocket slated to replace the space shuttle and send astronauts back to the moon will make its debut test launch Oct. 27, four days early, the space agency announced Tuesday. (15 h ago)

• 'Pull the plug' on pandas, naturalist sa... 'Pull the plug' on pandas, naturalist says
09/22/2009
Conservationists should "pull the plug" on giant pandas and let them die out, according to BBC presenter and naturalist Chris Packham. (15 h ago)

• Eminem's music publisher takes Apple to ... Eminem's music publisher takes Apple to court
09/22/2009
Eminem's music publisher and a co-plaintiff are suing Apple, claiming they never authorized the use of 93 songs in a downloadable format on Apple's popular iTunes service. (16 h ago)

• AT&T signal booster may help, but could ... AT&T signal booster may help, but could add to bill
09/22/2009
AT&T this week began testing a service that helps improves 3G cell phone reception in the home and takes some strain off its network, a growing concern with data-hungry iPhone users. (17 h ago)

• Exhibit showcases paintings of ancient R... Exhibit showcases paintings of ancient Rome
09/22/2009
Frescoes that once adorned Roman villas are going on display in a new exhibit that shows the tastes of ancient Rome's wealthy through landscapes and the representation of deities. (18 h ago)

• New deal sought in Google book dispute New deal sought in Google book dispute
09/22/2009
The authors and other parties that reached a settlement with Google Inc. to give the company the digital rights to millions of out-of-print books now say they will negotiate a new deal. (18 h ago)

• Adviser: Google ads don’t violate tradem... Adviser: Google ads don’t violate trademarks
09/22/2009
A European Union court adviser said that Google Inc. does not violate luxury goods makers' trademarks when it sells brand names as search keywords that trigger its lucrative ads. (19 h ago)

• Black holes may devour stars from the in... Black holes may devour stars from the inside
09/22/2009
Invasions by black holes could help explain the most powerful explosions in the universe, gamma-ray bursts, whose origins remain elusive. (20 h ago)

• Why fall colors are different in U.S. an... Why fall colors are different in U.S. and Europe
09/22/2009
The riot of color that erupts in forests every autumn looks different depending on which side of the ocean you're on. (21 h ago)

• With fresh focus on design, laptops come... With fresh focus on design, laptops come of age
09/22/2009
Say goodbye to the "black brick" laptop. The era of the plain, dowdy PC is officially over. (22 h ago)

• Cyberattacks target foreign media in Chi... Cyberattacks target foreign media in China
09/22/2009
Foreign media in China have been targeted by e-mails laden with malicious computer software in attacks that appear to be tied to the run-up to the National Day military parade on October 1. (23 h ago)

• Fall marks a new season for science Fall marks a new season for science
09/22/2009
Like clockwork, when fall arrives, we can expect colorful leaves, Leonid meteors and flu shots, among other things. And there's a scientific explanation for these autumn regulars. (1 d ago)

• Top 5 reasons to love ‘Halo’ Top 5 reasons to love ‘Halo’
09/22/2009
There’s a reason “Halo” has sold more games than “Street Fighter,” “Metal Gear” “Mortal Kombat” and “Castlevania.” It’s really freakin’ good. And there’s a lot to love about the series. (1 d ago)

• Scientific reasons for Earth’s seasons Scientific reasons for Earth’s seasons
09/21/2009
It’s time for a change of seasons — but what determines when summer ends and autumn begins? Get the scientific reasons. (1 d ago)

• Video: Review: ‘Halo 3 ODST’ is a dark, ... Video: Review: ‘Halo 3 ODST’ is a dark, bleak take
09/21/2009
Bungie Studios flexes its creative muscle with it’s latest, "Halo 3 ODST.” But how does it measure up to other games in the series? Msnbc.com's Todd Kenreck reviews the game. (msnbc.com) (1 d ago)

• Photos: The new Windows tablet Photos: The new Windows tablet
09/22/2009
Photos and info on a new Microsoft dual-screen tablet have been leaked. (11 h ago)

• Netflix CEO hopes to stream to PS3, Wii,... Netflix CEO hopes to stream to PS3, Wii, iPhone
09/22/2009
Reed Hastings tells Reuters that his company wants to bring video streaming to as many products as possible. On the wish list is some prominent hardware. (18 h ago)

• Camino: Heavy on performance, light on c... Camino: Heavy on performance, light on community
09/22/2009
Mozilla's Camino falls short of beating Firefox in anything but speed, largely due to the size of Firefox's community. (18 h ago)

• Ellison: Oracle won't spin off MySQL Ellison: Oracle won't spin off MySQL
09/22/2009
Interviewed at an industry gathering in Silicon Valley, Oracle CEO maintains that despite EU concerns, Oracle's database does not compete with MySQL. (20 h ago)

• Sandberg: Facebook can build your busine... Sandberg: Facebook can build your business, and now we can prove it
09/22/2009
The COO formally announces the social-networking company's "strategic alliance" to build social-media audience measurement tools with Nielsen. (20 h ago)

• Podcast: New site helps calculate what c... Podcast: New site helps calculate what college you can afford
09/22/2009
A student finance Web site goes beyond just tallying tuition and room and board, putting parents or students through a questionnaire to find the true costs of a college. (21 h ago)

• EU adviser backs Google in trademark sui... EU adviser backs Google in trademark suit
09/22/2009
European advocate general comes out in favor of Google over legal issue of selling advertisers keywords that match trademarks such as those of Louis Vuitton. (21 h ago)

• Mobile payment service Zong expands to s... Mobile payment service Zong expands to subscriptions
09/22/2009
Still in a close rivalry with competitor Boku, Zong has partnered with two subscription services so that members can bill their payments to their cell phone bills. (1 d ago)

• Sony catalog comes to Amie Street--with ... Sony catalog comes to Amie Street--with fine print
09/22/2009
The music start-up has gathered press for its market-driven pricing model, but in its first major-label deal, song prices will be at one of three static levels. (1 d ago)

• MySpace, Hulu working on new video servi... MySpace, Hulu working on new video service
09/21/2009
MySpace plans to generate more revenue from video by strengthening ties to Hulu. Does this mean MySpace Video will offer movie downloads and a subscription service? (1 d ago)

• Whitman to make Calif. gubernatorial bid... Whitman to make Calif. gubernatorial bid official
09/21/2009
The former CEO of eBay is expected to officially declare her candidacy for governor of California on Tuesday. (1 d ago)

• Facebook, Nielsen to partner on ad stats Facebook, Nielsen to partner on ad stats
09/21/2009
An announcement in New York on Tuesday will unveil a program called "Brand Lift," which aims to put a number on the effectiveness of advertisements on Facebook. (1 d ago)

• The worst-named blog in human (and anima... The worst-named blog in human (and animal) history
09/21/2009
For some strange reason, PETA, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, has chosen to name its blog in a way that evokes some of the most unethical behavior in the world. (1 d ago)

• Facebook confirms site instability Facebook confirms site instability
09/21/2009
Log-in and content-posting problems on the social-networking site have been confirmed by the company, but no explanation or cause has yet been provided. (1 d ago)

• Apple's brand moving up the ranks Apple's brand moving up the ranks
09/21/2009
The Mac maker captures the 20th spot in market research company Interbrand's Best Global Brands list, up four spots since 2008. (1 d ago)

• Omniture, ComScore partner for Web track... Omniture, ComScore partner for Web tracking
09/21/2009
Online traffic watchers Omniture and ComScore are partnering to offer a new approach to measure audiences for their customers. (1 d ago)

• Scribd fires back, denies violating copy... Scribd fires back, denies violating copyright
09/20/2009
Social-publishing site accused in lawsuit of violating author's copyright says the company is comfortably docked in the DMCA's safe harbor. (2 d ago)

• Gear bag for your netbook – Timbuk2 T-Pa... Gear bag for your netbook – Timbuk2 T-Pack
09/23/2009
Timbuk2 has a new gear bag made specifically for 10 inch Netbooks like the MSI Wind, Acer … [visit site to read more] Filed in categories: Laptop Gear, Spotlight GadgetsTagged: gear bag, NetbookGear bag for your netbook – Timbuk2 T-Pack originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 23, 2009 at 8:20 am. Filed in categories: Laptop Gear , Spotlight Gadgets Tagged: gear bag , Netbook Gear bag for your netbook – Timbuk2 T-Pack originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 23, 2009 at 8:20 am. (1 h ago)

• iFrogz EarPollution Timbre w/microphone ... iFrogz EarPollution Timbre w/microphone Earbuds Review
09/23/2009
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language defines “timbre” as “The combination of qualities of a sound that distinguishes it from other sounds of the same pitch and volume.” The iFrogz folks do get their own joke. Their websites says the EarPollution Timbre earbuds feature “clean bass and you guessed it, outstanding audio “timbre” [...] Filed in categories: Audio / Video Gear , iPhone related Tagged: Earbuds , iPhone iFrogz EarPollution Timbre w/microphone Earbuds Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 23, 2009 at 7:30 am. (2 h ago)

• Wrap your Macbook in burlap and like it ... Wrap your Macbook in burlap and like it – ColcaSac
09/22/2009
I love the rustic style of these Macbook sleeves from ColcaSac of Salt Lake City, Utah. They are made by hand with all-natural environmentally friendly fabrics and are padded with fleece. They offer different designs, colors and sizes for 13, 15 and 17 inch Macbooks and … [visit site to read more] Filed in [...] Filed in categories: Laptop Gear Tagged: Laptop Sleeve Wrap your Macbook in burlap and like it – ColcaSac originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 22, 2009 at 5:34 pm. (16 h ago)

• Video of the Day – Sony unveils its firs... Video of the Day – Sony unveils its first Netbook
09/22/2009
Here’s a quick video (1 min, 45 sec) with some inforomation about Sony’s new Netbook, the Vaio W. It includes some good closeups of the keyboard and touch pad. Anyone planning to buy one? var playerSeed = new PlayerSeed('SmartPlayer_0'); playerSeed.sid = 348; playerSeed.width = '500'; playerSeed.height = '300'; ... [visit site to read more] [...] Filed in categories: Miscellaneous Tagged: Video of the Day – Sony unveils its first Netbook originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 22, 2009 at 5:03 pm. (16 h ago)

• Dexim Folding Power Dock for the iPhone ... Dexim Folding Power Dock for the iPhone and iPod
09/22/2009
Dexim is announcing the new P-Flip Foldable Power Dock product line. The P-Flip is the world’s first foldable, portable, multi-functional and rechargeable power dock compatible with the latest iPod and iPhone models. The P-Flip has a 2000mA Lithium … [visit site to read more] Filed in categories: Spotlight Gadgets, iPhone relatedTagged: Battery, iPhone, [...] Filed in categories: Spotlight Gadgets , iPhone related Tagged: Battery , iPhone , iPod Dexim Folding Power Dock for the iPhone and iPod originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 22, 2009 at 3:05 pm. (18 h ago)

• Another eBook Reader comes to market – C... Another eBook Reader comes to market – Cybook Opus
09/22/2009
French company Bookeen introduces their fourth-generation electronic book reader, the Cybook Opus. It has a foot print of 4.2″ x 6″ x 0.4″ inches and weighs 5.3 oz (150g), which puts it 0.5 oz more than an iPhone 3GS. It features E Ink electronic ink with 12 font sizes, 4-level greyscale and a 200 dpi [...] Filed in categories: Spotlight Gadgets Tagged: Another eBook Reader comes to market – Cybook Opus originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 22, 2009 at 1:59 pm. (20 h ago)

• Win a copy of Tunebite Premium DRM Remov... Win a copy of Tunebite Premium DRM Removal and Media Conversion Software
09/22/2009
Last week Andy Repp reviewed Tunebite. It’s a Windows based software package that can remove DRM and convert different media types. The folks at RS Audials are offering 3 free … [visit site to read more] Filed in categories: Gear DiaryTagged: Win a copy of Tunebite Premium DRM Removal and Media Conversion Software originally [...] Filed in categories: Gear Diary Tagged: Win a copy of Tunebite Premium DRM Removal and Media Conversion Software originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 22, 2009 at 1:32 pm. (20 h ago)

• Practice your power chords anywhere with... Practice your power chords anywhere with the Shredneck
09/22/2009
Even rock gods need to practice once in awhile. Now you can do that anywhere, with the Shedneck. Available in different headstock colors and styles that include electric, acoustic, classical and bass, the Shredneck is modeled after the first seven frets of a guitar. You can … [visit site to read more] Filed in [...] Filed in categories: Musical Gear , Spotlight Gadgets Tagged: Guitar Practice your power chords anywhere with the Shredneck originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 22, 2009 at 12:24 pm. (21 h ago)

• Deal of the Day – $50 off + 10% off Dell... Deal of the Day – $50 off + 10% off Dell S2209W 22″ 1080p HD LCD Monitor $134.10
09/22/2009
The LogicBUY deal of the day is for a Dell S2209W 22-inch 1080p Full HD Widescreen LCD Monitors for $199 – $50 instant discount – 10% Stackable Coupon Code (ends 9/23) = $134.10 plus FREE shipping. Features 1920 x 1080 … [visit site to read more] Filed in categories: Gear DiaryTagged: Deal of the [...] Filed in categories: Gear Diary Tagged: Deal of the Day Deal of the Day – $50 off + 10% off Dell S2209W 22″ 1080p HD LCD Monitor $134.10 originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 22, 2009 at 11:58 am. (22 h ago)

• Harry Potter watches TV too – Kymera Mag... Harry Potter watches TV too – Kymera Magic Wand
09/22/2009
Some people will say that the Kymera Magic Wand is seriously nerdy, but I say it’s seriously cool. It’s a TV remote that recognizes 13 gestures for controlling your TV or … [visit site to read more] Filed in categories: Audio / Video Gear, Spotlight GadgetsTagged: RemoteHarry Potter watches TV too – Kymera [...] Filed in categories: Audio / Video Gear , Spotlight Gadgets Tagged: Remote Harry Potter watches TV too – Kymera Magic Wand originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 22, 2009 at 9:22 am. (1 d ago)

• Brite-View CinemaCube Media Player Revie... Brite-View CinemaCube Media Player Review
09/22/2009
I received a CinemaCube from Brite-View for review. The CinemaCube enters a crowded marked for media players (see the Popcorn Hour Networked Media Tank, and the WD TV HD Media Player) but offers a number of unique features at a very competitive price. … [visit site to read more] Filed in categories: Audio [...] Filed in categories: Audio / Video Gear Tagged: Media player Brite-View CinemaCube Media Player Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 22, 2009 at 7:12 am. (1 d ago)

• Transportation for lazy lovebirds – PEDE... Transportation for lazy lovebirds – PEDEGO Electric Tandem Bike
09/21/2009
The next time you want to go for a ride with your sweetie, skip the sweat producing manual bicycle and go with a PEDEGO tandem e-bike. It features a beach cruiser design with two wide, cushioned seats, relaxed handlebars and a rear motor. It operates much … [visit site to read more] Filed [...] Filed in categories: Spotlight Gadgets , Travel Gear Tagged: Bike , Outdoor Transportation for lazy lovebirds – PEDEGO Electric Tandem Bike originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 21, 2009 at 8:41 pm. (1 d ago)

• Fix the perfect cup of tea with a Chef’s... Fix the perfect cup of tea with a Chef’sChoice SmartKettle
09/21/2009
Fixing the perfect cup of tea requires not only the right tea leaves, but also the correct water temperature to steep them in. Sure, you can boil water and pour it over a tea bag and make a cup of tea that tastes ok. But to bring out the real flavor, the … [visit site [...] Filed in categories: Home Tech , Spotlight Gadgets Tagged: Beverage , Kitchen Gadgets Fix the perfect cup of tea with a Chef’sChoice SmartKettle originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 21, 2009 at 7:51 pm. (1 d ago)

• Pepper Spray Gun – Kimber Lifeact JPX Je... Pepper Spray Gun – Kimber Lifeact JPX Jet
09/21/2009
Don’t let the Orange color or toy-like appearance fool you. The Kimber Lifeact JPX pepper spray gun is a serious self-defense weapon. It can fire exceptionally potent liquid pepper spray at 270 mph with an effective distance of 23 feet. The JPX has two cartridge slots … [visit site to read more] Filed [...] Filed in categories: Gear , Spotlight Gadgets Tagged: Self-defense Pepper Spray Gun – Kimber Lifeact JPX Jet originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 21, 2009 at 7:32 pm. (1 d ago)

• Wi-Fire Long-range WiFi Adapter Review Wi-Fire Long-range WiFi Adapter Review
09/21/2009
For part of the year I live in an area where the local telecom company advertises dial-up as high speed Internet access. To keep my sanity and actually get something done, I spend a lot of time at the library using their broadband connection or war-driving looking for open hot spots. With the Wi-Fire WiFi [...] Filed in categories: Laptop Gear , Wireless Tagged: Antenna , WiFi Wi-Fire Long-range WiFi Adapter Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 21, 2009 at 7:40 am. (2 d ago)

• Deal of the Day – $30 Coupon HP DreamSc... Deal of the Day – $30 Coupon HP DreamScreen 13in Multifunction Screen
09/21/2009
The LogicBUY deal of the day is for a HP DreamScreen 130 13-Inch Multifunction Screen on sale for $299.99 – $30 off coupon = $269.99 plus FREE shipping. Access content on your PC and the Web wirelessly with the built-in Wi-Fi … [visit site to read more] Filed in categories: Gear DiaryTagged: Deal of [...] Filed in categories: Gear Diary Tagged: Deal of the Day Deal of the Day – $30 Coupon HP DreamScreen 13in Multifunction Screen originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 21, 2009 at 7:00 am. (2 d ago)

• RAGGEDedge Gear Sailcoth Wallet Review RAGGEDedge Gear Sailcoth Wallet Review
09/20/2009
Women and men might not always have much in common, but we do have at least one thing… We both need a way to carry our currency and credit cards. The Waterfield wallet has been my favorite for almost 4 years. I love it, but I’m always on the look out for something better, niftier [...] Filed in categories: Gear Tagged: Wallet RAGGEDedge Gear Sailcoth Wallet Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 20, 2009 at 9:19 pm. (2 d ago)

• Write in the rain – Black Trekker Pen Write in the rain – Black Trekker Pen
09/20/2009
The all-weather Trekker pen writes on wet paper and upside down in temperatures from -30F to 250F. It’s 4″ long pen and has a flat Black metal barrel with comfort grip. The pen’s cap has a convenient ring to attach to a lanyard. Get one for $20.95 from Filed in categories: Gear , Spotlight Gadgets Tagged: Writing Instruments Write in the rain – Black Trekker Pen originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 20, 2009 at 9:41 am. (3 d ago)

• Gadgetwise: Privia PX-130: Real Piano So... Gadgetwise: Privia PX-130: Real Piano Sound in 26 Pounds
09/22/2009
Casio’s new Privia PX-130 is a nice model for those who want an inexpensive digital keyboard that has the feel of a real piano. (7 h ago)

• Advertising: Yahoo’s New Campaign Emphas... Advertising: Yahoo’s New Campaign Emphasizes User Preferences
09/22/2009
The Internet portal unveils a global branding campaign that highlights changes in its leading products, like its home page. (8 h ago)

• European Adviser Backs Google on Tradema... European Adviser Backs Google on Trademarks
09/22/2009
The sale of advertising keywords does not amount to trademark infringement, the adviser to the European Union’s top court said. (8 h ago)

• Best Buy and Verizon Jump Into E-Reader ... Best Buy and Verizon Jump Into E-Reader Fray
09/22/2009
Two big names are teaming with iRex Technologies to market a touch-screen e-reader to rival the Kindle from Amazon. (8 h ago)

• A Year Later, H.P.’s Bet on E.D.S. Looks... A Year Later, H.P.’s Bet on E.D.S. Looks Like a Winner
09/22/2009
Hewlett-Packard’s move to acquire Electronic Data Systems and become a technology services company appears to have worked, but it has been hard on E.D.S. (8 h ago)

• Antitrust Chief in Europe Seeks to Close... Antitrust Chief in Europe Seeks to Close Cases
09/22/2009
Neelie Kroes, the European antitrust chief, has signaled that a settlement is within reach in the long-running case against Microsoft. (9 h ago)

• Bits: More Time Requested in Google Book... Bits: More Time Requested in Google Book Scanning Case
09/22/2009
The Authors Guild and others are requesting more time for negotiations in the Google book-scanning case. (13 h ago)

• European Union Lays Out Its Evidence Aga... European Union Lays Out Its Evidence Against Intel
09/22/2009
In an unusual move, European antitrust regulators published internal e-mails and documents to back up the record fine against Intel. (15 h ago)

• Bits: AT&T Calls F.C.C. Neutrality Plan ... Bits: AT&T Calls F.C.C. Neutrality Plan a ‘Bait and Switch’
09/22/2009
AT&T said it was not fair for the F.C.C. to impose new network neutrality rules on wireless networks after auctioning off spectrum with no such restrictions. (18 h ago)

• F.C.C. Proposes Rules That Support Net N... F.C.C. Proposes Rules That Support Net Neutrality
09/22/2009
Proposed rules for wireless carriers received a cool response from the industry. (23 h ago)

• Dell to Spend $3.9 Billion to Acquire Pe... Dell to Spend $3.9 Billion to Acquire Perot Systems
09/21/2009
Seeking to grow beyond its core personal computer business, Dell announced that it would acquire the information technology provider Perot Systems. (1 d ago)

• A $1 Million Research Bargain for Netfli... A $1 Million Research Bargain for Netflix, and Maybe a Model for Others
09/21/2009
Even the near-miss losers in the Netflix million-dollar-prize competition seemed to have few regrets. (1 d ago)

• Universities Spar Over Disappearing Elec... Universities Spar Over Disappearing Electronic Messages
09/21/2009
Such technical jousting matches are at the heart of the fields of computer security and cryptography. (1 d ago)

• Bits: Netflix Awards $1 Million Prize fo... Bits: Netflix Awards $1 Million Prize for New Software
09/21/2009
The company challenged programmers to come up with a more accurate version of its recommendation software. (1 d ago)

• Bits: Microbloggers, Meet the Microvideo Bits: Microbloggers, Meet the Microvideo
09/21/2009
Particle Brand, a San Francisco start-up, offers tools that Twitter and Facebook fans can use to add short videos to their status updates. (1 d ago)

• The Deadly Silence of the Electric Car The Deadly Silence of the Electric Car
09/22/2009
After years of trying to make cars sound as if they were riding on air, engineers are considering how they might bring back some noise. They're trying to make some of them -- those silent hybrids -- more audible. (10 h ago)

• New Technology Used For Streamlining Da... New Technology Used For Streamlining Data
09/22/2009
The administration began a Web program Tuesday that eliminates red tape in the immigration process by allowing applicants to follow their status via text message and e-mail. It is the latest example of how President Obama and his advisers are bringing the technological innovations of his 2008... (10 h ago)

• Faster Forward: Can You Make Comcast's ... Faster Forward: Can You Make Comcast's Digital Transition Without a Cable Box?
09/22/2009
Over the past year or so, I've devoted a reasonable amount of ink and pixels to a sideshow in the digital-TV transition: cable-TV operators' separate, unrelated upgrade from analog to digital systems. (21 h ago)

• NASA Scientist Charged in Md. With Aidi... NASA Scientist Charged in Md. With Aiding Wife's Firm
09/21/2009
A prominent NASA scientist from Silver Spring has been charged in federal court in Maryland with using his position for the financial benefit of his wife, who owns a company that develops science exhibits and educational tools. (1 d ago)

• Featured Advertiser Featured Advertiser
09/21/2009
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• Army's Top Inventions of 2008 Named Army's Top Inventions of 2008 Named
09/21/2009
In the deadly contest last year between American experts trying to protect soldiers from roadside bombs and enemy technicians designing the lethal devices, Army scientist Scott E. Schoenfeld often pondered his adversary. (1 d ago)

• FCC Endorses Network Neutrality FCC Endorses Network Neutrality
09/21/2009
The government would play a far more aggressive role in policing the public's unfettered access to Internet services and content under a proposal offered Monday by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski. (1 d ago)

• Republicans to Push Against Net Neutral... Republicans to Push Against Net Neutrality
09/21/2009
Senate Republicans moved Monday afternoon to prevent the FCC's proposed rules on net neutrality with an amendment to the Interior Appropriations bill that would tie up funding at the agency for new regulatory mandates. Observers said, however, that the move was unlikely to be approved in the Demo... (1 d ago)

• FCC 'Net Neutrality' Rules Expected to ... FCC 'Net Neutrality' Rules Expected to Advance on Vote
09/20/2009
The Federal Communications Commission's proposal of new rules to prevent companies such as AT&T, Verizon and Comcast from deliberately blocking or slowing certain Web traffic is expected to advance with three votes out of the five-member agency, according to sources. (2 d ago)

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• Reader Photo Gallery: Crazy Dust Storm T... Reader Photo Gallery: Crazy Dust Storm Turns Sydney Red
09/22/2009
Dust storms swept over Sydney Wednesday morning, turning the city sky so red, some residents thought they’d left the blue planet. “It was like waking up on Mars,” Sydney resident Marcus Schappi wrote in an e-mail to Wired.com. Residents of eastern Australia have had to battle these bizarre conditions, because strong winds from the dry interior swept [...] (13 h ago)

• The Hunt for Extraterrestrial Life Gets ... The Hunt for Extraterrestrial Life Gets Weird
09/22/2009
In the search for extraterrestrial life, some scientists say we’re focusing too much on finding signs of existence as we know it, and in the process, we may be missing more strange forms of life that don’t rely on water or carbon metabolism. Now researchers from Austria have started a systematic study of solvents other than [...] (17 h ago)

• Freaky New Ghostshark ID’d Off Californi... Freaky New Ghostshark ID’d Off California Coast
09/22/2009
A new ghostshark species has been identified off the coast of Southern California, and it’s darker and weirder than any shark we know. The purplish black ancient relative of the modern shark comes packed with a suite of odd features that give its taxonomical family the name chimaera, after the mythical beast made from the parts [...] (18 h ago)

• Yes Men Want Scientists to Get Political Yes Men Want Scientists to Get Political
09/22/2009
With climate change legislation poised to crash and burn, popular activist pranksters the Yes Men want scientists to break their political silence. “Scientists do need to stop being scientists sometimes,” said Andy Bichlbaum, a leading member of the group. “It’s not natural to them. They have to learn to be political.” Bichlbaum spoke from the banks of [...] (19 h ago)

• Details of Galactic Core Revealed in X-R... Details of Galactic Core Revealed in X-Rays
09/22/2009
This new X-ray image of the center of the Milky Way is dominated by the supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A. The black hole and several massive young stars in the chaotic region are creating the surrounding haze of superheated gas that shows up beautifully in X-ray light. In visible light, the gas and dust would hide [...] (20 h ago)

• Saturn Equinox Reveals Mountains in Ring... Saturn Equinox Reveals Mountains in Rings
09/21/2009
The fortuitous lighting of Saturn’s equinox has revealed the planet’s famously smooth, flat rings are actually corrugated. During the days immediately after the August 11 equinox, the sun’s rays struck the rings at very low angles, bringing their topography into high-relief. For scientists studying the rings, the event happening once every 15 years provided an unprecedentedly dimensional [...] (1 d ago)

• New View of the Center of the Galaxy New View of the Center of the Galaxy
09/21/2009
With a simple digital camera attached to a 10-centimeter telescope in Chile’s Atacama Desert, an astrophotographer has produced a stunning image of the center of the Milky Way. The portrait, unveiled September 21, was assembled from some 1,200 images taken with the camera across 52 fields of view. The starscape shows a region that spans the [...] (1 d ago)

• Waterboarding Doesn’t Work, Scientists S... Waterboarding Doesn’t Work, Scientists Say
09/21/2009
Severe interrogation techniques like waterboarding, sleep deprivation, stress positions and the exploitation of phobias aren’t just morally reprehensible, they’re based on bad science, destroying the very memories they’re supposed to recover. “There is a vast literature on the effects of extreme stress on motivation, mood and memory, using both animals and humans,” writes Shane O’Mara, a [...] (1 d ago)

• Stunning Views of Glaciers From Space Stunning Views of Glaciers From Space
09/20/2009
<< previous image | next image >> To a geologist, glaciers are among the most exciting features on Earth. Though they seem to creep along at impossibly slow speeds, in geologic time glaciers are relatively fast, powerful landscape artists that can carve out valleys and fjords in just a few thousand years. Glaciers also provide an environmental [...] (2 d ago)

• Authors, publishers seek delay... Authors, publishers seek delay in Google case
09/23/2009
Two groups ask a federal judge for more time to address new issues in a settlement covering the firm's digital library project. A hearing is set for Oct. 7, but they want it moved to Nov. 6. Seeking more time to iron out concerns raised last week by federal antitrust regulators, the Authors Guild and the Assn. of American Publishers on Tuesday asked a federal judge to delay an Oct. 7 hearing on a controversial settlement with Google Inc. (7 h ago)

• Take this recession, please: H... Take this recession, please: Humor sites gain 21% more viewers in August
09/23/2009
Americans need a laugh right now. (7 h ago)

• Dell to buy Perot Systems Dell to buy Perot Systems
09/22/2009
The $3.9-billion deal for the technology-services provider will expand the firm's business beyond personal computers and help it compete with Hewlett-Packard. Dell Inc. will spend $3.9 billion for technology-services company Perot Systems Corp. in an attempt to expand beyond the personal computer business and compete more aggressively with Hewlett-Packard Co. -- which recently bought another tech-services company founded by H. Ross Perot. (1 d ago)

• Internet 'net neutrality' is e... Internet 'net neutrality' is endorsed by FCC chief
09/22/2009
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski proposes formalizing rules and adding mandates that he says would keep online traffic moving freely. The proposals would also cover wireless Internet service. New rules proposed by the nation's chief communications regulator to ensure unfettered access to the Internet would level the online playing field as more people surf the Web on mobile devices, but the plan has wireless carriers in an uproar. (1 d ago)

• The Internet is proof that gov... The Internet is proof that government doesn't bungle everything
09/21/2009
Since it's so fashionable these days to question whether government can do anything right -- whether it's regulating banks, bolstering the economy or overseeing healthcare -- it's worth noting that we're about to celebrate the 40th anniversary of one of the most important federal initiatives of our time. (2 d ago)

• Fame at last! Fame at last!
09/22/2009
I think Kovid (and assistants) are to be congratulated on recognition from the royalty of the digital publishing world - Adobe Inc. A new white paper on their website describes in some detail how to set up Calibre and use it to convert from epub to mobi, and thence to the Kindle. The paper is here http://www.adobe.com/devnet/digitalpublishing/articles/indesigntokindle.html. Nice going. bob (16 h ago)

• 5%, or 100,000 copies, of "The Lost Symb... 5%, or 100,000 copies, of "The Lost Symbol" were sold as e-books
09/22/2009
*New Dan Brown novel tops 2 million mark* "Herz did say that around 5 percent, or 100,000 copies, of "The Lost Symbol" were sold as e-books. Doubleday released the digital edition at the same time as the hardcover despite industry worries that e-sales might take away business from the more expensive paper text." http://finance.yahoo.com/news/New-Dan-Brown-novel-tops-2-apf-2025745368.html?x=0&.v=1 (18 h ago)

• Neolux demonstrates epaper con badges Neolux demonstrates epaper con badges
09/22/2009
There's a really cool clip on Youtube: H68IaATSm14 (22 h ago)

• Ectaco jetBook to add DRM format Ectaco jetBook to add DRM format
09/22/2009
For all those who wanted a DRM'ed ebook format on the jetBook, your wish will soon be coming true. According to my source, the "Barnes and Nobel" format will soon be added. I assume that this means the Fictionwise/eReader DRM format. Although many like how eReader handles DRM, I could wish that either Mobipocket or Adobe's flavor of epub would have been selected as the DRM format to add. Mobipocket DRM would give you access to a large selection today. ADE DRM would probably be the better choice for the future IMO. Having said that, I await the day when DRM vanishes alltogether. Pure speculation on my part, but I wonder if this revelation means that we will soon see B&N or Fictionwise selling jetBooks as well as the Plastic Logic reader? (1 d ago)

• Book Club October 2009 Book Club Nominat... Book Club October 2009 Book Club Nominations
09/20/2009
http://www.mobileread.com/upload/news/2009-07/MR.pngHelp us select the next book that the Mobile Read book club will read for October 2009. The nominations will run through Sep 27. Voting (new poll thread) will run for 5 days starting Sep 27. Book selection category for February per the "official" club opening thread is: October MobileRead Author In order for a book to be included in the poll it needs THREE NOMINATIONS (original nomination, a second and a third). How Does This Work? The Mobile Read Book Club (MRBC) is an informal club that requires nothing of you. Each month a book is selected by polling. On the last week of that month a discussion thread is started for the book. If you want to participate feel free. There is no need to "join" or sign up. All are welcome. How Does a Book Get Selected? Each book that is nominated will be listed in a pool at the end of the nomination period. The book that polls the most votes will be the official selection. How Many Nominations Can I Make? Each participant has 3 nominations. You can nominate a new book for consideration or nominate (second, third) one that has already been nominated by another person. How Do I Nominate a Book? Please just post a message with your nomination. If you are the FIRST to nominate a book, please try to provide an abstract to the book so others may consider their level of interest. How Do I Know What Has Been Nominated? Just follow the thread. This message will be updated with the status of the nominations as often as I can. If one is missed, please just post a message with a multi-quote of the 3 nominations and it will be added to the list ASAP. When is the Poll? The poll thread will open at the end of the nomination period, or once there have been 10 books with 3 nominations each. At that time a link to the poll thread will be posted here and this thread will be closed. The floor is open to nominations. Official choices each with three nominations: *Flash Forward by Robert J. Sawyer* Description from Goodreads: What would you do if you got a glimpse of your own personal future and it looked bleak? Try to change things, or accept that the future is unchangeable and make the best of it? In Flashforward, Nobel-hungry physicists conducting an unimaginably high-energy experiment accidentally induce a global consciousness shift. In an instant, everyone on Earth is "flashed forward" 21 years, experiencing several minutes of the future. But while everyone is, literally, out of their minds, their bodies drop unconscious; when the world reawakens, car wrecks, botched surgeries, falls, and other mishaps add up to massive death and destruction. Slowly, as recovery efforts continue, people realize that during the Flashforward (as it comes to be called) they experienced a vision of the future. The range of visions is astounding--those who would be asleep in the future saw psychedelic dream landscapes, while others saw nothing at all (presumably they'd be dead). But those who saw everyday life 20 years hence have to come to grips with evidence of dreams forsaken (or realized). Soon, the physicists who caused the Flashforward are struggling to help the world decide whether the future is changeable--and whether the experiment is worth repeating. Robert J. Sawyer has captured a truly compelling idea with Flashforward, and he fully explores what such an event might mean to humanity. Fans will find this to be his best work to date, although the ending seems rushed after a detailed buildup. --Therese Littleton *The Tide Mill by Richard Herley *Synopsis here: http://www.richardherley.com/TM.html *The Moon and the Sun by Vonda McIntyre* 1997 Nebula Award winner Set in Versailles, France, in 1693, The Moon and the Sun tells the story of a Marie-Josephe, a lady-in-waiting to the niece of Louis XIV -- the Sun King. Marie-Josephe's brother, Father Yves de la Croix, is a Jesuit and also the King's natural philosopher and explorer. He has brought the King a living sea woman and a dead male, both captured on an ocean voyage. So begins a rich tale of conscience, politics, science, history, and love. Available at http://www.vondanmcintyre.com/index-fiction.html (2 d ago)

• Google Sync now pushes Gmail! Google Sync now pushes Gmail!
09/22/2009
Good news for Treo Pro and others with Windows Mobile devices... (14 h ago)

• Palm (PALM) Shares Spike on Monday Palm (PALM) Shares Spike on Monday
09/21/2009
Nearly 14% move catches some by surprise. (1 d ago)

• Treo Pro Price Jumps at Bell Canada... Treo Pro Price Jumps at Bell Canada...
09/21/2009
Surprising move not isolated to Palm's Windows Mobile offering... (1 d ago)

• Some Fashionable Looks for the Treo Pro ... Some Fashionable Looks for the Treo Pro and Centro
09/20/2009
There are plenty of good looks to go around with the Golla line of fashion cases... (2 d ago)

• Ellison's Impatience Over Sun Ellison's Impatience Over Sun
09/22/2009
Toward the end of Larry Ellison’s freewheeling talk in San Jose on Sept. 21, host Ed Zander got into a spat with a fellow in the back of the room who insisted he wanted to ask Ellison two questions, not the allotted one. By the time the hotel ballroom looked back, they realized the dogged questioner was none other than Sun Microsystems chairman Scott McNealy. “Do you have any idea what future ex-chairmen can do?” McNealy, dressed in old jeans and a blue T-shirt, asked Ellison, who was on stage being interviewed by Zander, who once served as Sun’s president. (McNealy’s second question was about hockey’s San Jose Sharks). The ex-chairman line got some laughs from the audience, but Ellison also made clear during his talk that he, too, wants some fast answers about the fate of Oracle’s $7.4 billion bid to acquire Sun. The deal, announced in April, has now dragged on for five months as the European Union conducts an antitrust probe into Oracle’s potential power in the database market as a result of buying Sun. Sun is losing $100 million a month “so we’d like to get this thing done,” Ellison said. “The longer this takes, the more money Sun is going to lose.” Ellison, being interviewed on stage at the Fairmont hotel by Zander, who was also once Motorola's CEO, held forth on his vision for making Oracle as powerful a company as IBM was in the ‘60s, said he’d work at Oracle at least another five years, and skewered the tech industry’s embrace of the term ‘cloud computing’ as marketing fluff. (11 h ago)

• How Long Before Net Neutrality Ends Up i... How Long Before Net Neutrality Ends Up in Court?
09/21/2009
I am not a lawyer, nor am I a Federal Communications Commission expert. But I can confidently predict that once the network neutrality rules proposed today by FCC chairman Julius Genachowski are adopted--and they will be, since all three Democratic commissioners have expressed support--telecom companies will sue to overturn them. The prediction is fairly easy because the regulated companies sue every time the FCC attempts to extend its jurisdiction without explicit congressional authorization--and most of the time they win. The four neutrality principles adopted in 2006 have stood up, but the first time the commission brought an enforcement action based on them, the target, Comcast, sued. The case is pending in the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. The original four principles and the two additions proposed by Genachowski strike me as eminently reasonable, but the standard in court is the letter of legislation, not sensibility. The provision that is most likely to draw litigation is the proposal to extend the principles to wireless Internet carriers, which until now have regarded themselves as exempt for net neutrality requirements. (1 d ago)

• Netflix, AT&T are Real Winners of Netfli... Netflix, AT&T are Real Winners of Netflix Prize
09/21/2009
On Monday, video rental service Netflix handed an oversized $1 million check to a team of software engineers who spent the last three years building an improved version of the company's video recommendation tool. But the more valuable prize may be the sophisticated algorithm which Netflix now gets to implement on its site and which participant AT&T plans to adapt for its own uses. The goal of the Netflix Prize, announced in 2006, was to improve the Web site's ability to predict which movies customers will like by 10%. From a field of thousands of entrants, two teams completed this goal in June. The group calling itself BellKor’s Pragmatic Chaos -- a joint effort by several of the top competitors -- was declared the winner, since it was the first to achieve a 10.06% improvement in movie predicting. Netflix founder and CEO Reed Hastings believes better predictions will help his company retain subscribers, at a time when viewing choices are expanding to include online upstarts like Hulu and Google's YouTube. Currently, Hastings says most subscribers "really love" one out of three movies they watch; he expects the improvements created by the Netflix Prize winners will help the company raise that number to two out of three movies. "The more people love movies, the more they watch, and the more they watch, the more they love Netflix and stay with Netflix," Hastings says. Here's a video interview I took of Hastings at the Monday morning event: Reed Hastings, Founder & CEO of Netflix from Doug MacMillan on Vimeo . AT&T Research fielded its own Netflix Prize team, who eventually became part of the willing BellKor team. The company was less motivated by the million-dollar purse than by its own business interests, says Chris Volinsky, director of AT&T's statistics research department. He says the data Netflix provided to entrants made the perfect test lab for AT&T's own video recommendation service, which aims to let cable subscribers find channels and programs suited to them. "When we first started, the digital TV service was kind of a fledgling product -- we didn't have a lot of data. So being able to work on a real data set with real customers on movies was invaluable to us for developing our models at AT&T." Here's my interview with Volinsky taken moments after he received his prize: Chris Volinsky, AT&T Research from Doug MacMillan on Vimeo . Netflix took the occasion to announce a second Netflix Prize, which will incorporate more of the company's data, like the demographics of its users. The teams who have made the most progress in the new contest by April 2010 and by April 2011 will each be awarded with $500,000. Will other companies take a cue from AT&T, and use the engineering competition to build their own recommendation engines? (1 d ago)

• FCC's Genachowski Proposes Modest Net Ne... FCC's Genachowski Proposes Modest Net Neutrality Expansion
09/21/2009
The more fervent advocates of a tough Federal Communications Commission policy on network neutrality are likely to be disappointed by the relatively modest proposals announced by Chairman Julius Genachowski. But given that the fears of interference in Internet content by big telecommunications and cable operators have not come to pass, at least not yet, and the FCC’s limited mandate to regulate the Internet, Genachowski seems to be taking a measured and reasonable approach. In a speech prepared for delivery at the Brookings Institution in Washington today, Genachowski proposed adding two new principles of network neutrality to the four adopted by the FCC in 2005. “The first would prevent Internet access providers from discriminating against particular Internet content or applications, while allowing for reasonable network management,” Genachowski said. “The second principle would ensure that Internet access providers are transparent about the network management practices they implement. The Chairman also proposed clarifying that all six principles apply to all platforms that access the Internet.” The last point is likely to be the most controversial, since it appears to refer to wireless access. It has not been clear whether the 2005 principles applied to wireless operators as well as wired Internet service providers. The two new principles will be the basis of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the first step in the often lengthy process of FCC policy adoption. Once the notice is published, the public will be invited to comment. The four existing net neutrality principles are: To encourage broadband deployment and preserve and promote the open and interconnected nature of the public Internet, consumers are entitled to access the lawful Internet content of their choice. To encourage broadband deployment and preserve and promote the open and interconnected nature of the public Internet, consumers are entitled to run applications and use services of their choice, subject to the needs of law enforcement. To encourage broadband deployment and preserve and promote the open and interconnected nature of the public Internet, consumers are entitled to connect their choice of legal devices that do not harm the network. To encourage broadband deployment and preserve and promote the open and interconnected nature of the public Internet, consumers are entitled to competition among network providers, application and service providers, and content providers. (1 d ago)

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