Google fined $5m over Linux patent row

A judgement by a Texas jury against Google could have major implications for the search giant and the open source world said experts.The internet titan was found guilty of infringing a patent related to the Linux kernel and fined $5m (£3.2m). The software is used by Google for its server platforms and could also extend to its Android mobile platform. The kernel is at the core of the open-source operating system meaning this verdict could be far-reaching. The case resulted in a victory for a firm called Bedrock Computer Technologies which has also sued Yahoo, MySpace, Amazon, PayPal, Match.com and AOL. "The amount of the fine is not what makes...

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Posted in: Texas jury against Google could have major implications for the search giant and the open source world said experts

Yahoo buys TV sharing app IntoNow

Yahoo has announced a deal to buy TV-sharing start-up company IntoNow as part of its plans to increase its social media presence.The financial terms of the deal, including price, were not disclosed. IntoNow's software allows users to identify TV shows and share them with friends using mobile internet. Amid falling revenue and profits, Yahoo is looking to expand into the mobile internet market, and to increase video advertising on the site. "Relying on social channels as a means for discovering content - whether it's on a PC, mobile device, or TV - is rapidly on the rise," said Bill Shaughnessy at Yahoo. "IntoNow's technology combines the ability...

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Posted in: IntoNow's software allows users to identify TV shows and share them,Yahoo has announced a deal to buy TV-sharing start-up company IntoNow as part of its plans to increase its social media presence

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Officials in Iran say they have found a computer virus designed to target the country's government institutions.The malicious software - dubbed Stars - was capable of inflicting minor damage, according to the head of Iran's civil defence organisation. If the reports are accurate, it would be the second major attack in a year. The recently discovered Stuxnet worm is thought to have been created to take control of equipment used in Iran's nuclear programme. It would take some time to establish Stars' intended purpose, said Gholam Reza Jalali, military head of the Iranian Passive Defence Organisation. "The Stars virus has been presented to the laboratory...

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Posted in: according to the head of Iran's civil defence organisation,Officials in Iran say they have found a computer virus designed to target the country's government institutions

The Army's first smartphone? Android, of course

 I was recently in Fort Knox, Kentucky, to visit my nephew in Army Basic Training, where my sister gave him a basic Tracphone so he could call home more easily. But he might soon be getting a substantial upgrade: The U.S. Army announced that it has chosen the Android operating system to power its first smartphone. This news comes just about when (according to the timeline set forth by Sarah Connor in "The Terminator" franchise) the world-dominating, human-exterminating computer network Skynet becomes self aware. I'm sure that's just a coincidence. Wired's Danger Room blog reports, "A prototype device running Android called the Joint Battle...

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Posted in: Android-based smartphone,of course,The Army's first smartphone? Android

Amazon fault takes down websites

Scores of well-known websites have been unavailable for large parts of Thursday because of problems with Amazon's web hosting service.Foursquare, Reddit and Quora were among the sites taken offline by the glitch. Amazon EC2 is the retailer's cloud computing business. It provides processing power and storage to companies that do not have their own data centres. No reason has so far been given for the outage. Visitors to the website of location-based social network Foursquare were greeted by an apology. "Our usually amazing datacentre hosts, Amazon EC2, are having a few hiccups this morning, which affected us and a bunch of other services that...

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iPhone sales double in 2011

The sales of iphones has nearly doubled Apple's profits in the first 3 months of 2011. Net income for the three months to March jumped 85% on the same period a year ago, with iPhone sales of 18.65m - a rise of 113%. Apple reported quarterly net profits of $5.99bn (£3.6bn), 95% up on the $3bn it made a year ago. Revenue was $24.67bn, a rise of 83%. However, iPad sales have been below expectations, selling only 4.69m in the first quarter, and iPod sales also fell by 17%. Apple chief executive Steve Jobs said in a statement: "With quarterly revenue growth of 83% and profit growth of 95% we're firing on all cylinders." Mr Jobs, who went on medical...

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Microsoft's Office 365 available for public testing

Office 365, Microsoft's set of business tools that includes an online-only option, opened up for a public round of beta testing on Tuesday. The office suite includes Exchange, Microsoft Office, SharePoint and Lync Server, among other web-based productivity tools. In conjunction with the beta release, Windows opened the Office 365 Marketplace, an online store where customers can add apps and services from Microsoft and partner companies to their accounts. The major shift Microsoft is pushing with this round of its widely used office tools is the ability to use them via cloud computing. The most basic version of the new Office 365, as it stands,...

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BlackBerry PlayBook strong, well-priced

 You need three things to compete with Apple’s iPad tablet computer: A gorgeous, easy-to-use device that people will love, a bustling app store and an attractive price tag. Nobody has been able to match the iPad thus far. But the PlayBook, the first effort from BlackBerry smartphone maker Research In Motion, has emerged as one of the strongest contenders. On the surface, the PlayBook looks similar to other iPad competitors: Its slick touch screen measures 7 inches diagonally, smaller than the iPad’s but comparable with those of others. It has front and rear cameras for snapping photos and video conferencing and a black rubberized plastic...

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Posted in: a bustling app store and an attractive price tag.,easy-to-use device that people will love,You need three things to compete with Apple’s iPad tablet computer: A gorgeous

Yahoo plans to keep search records for 18 months

Yahoo plans to extend the amount of time it retains records on what its users search for online, less than two and a half years after breaking from the other big Internet search engines and promising to delete such data promptly. The new policy brings the company in line with Google Inc., which dominates the industry and failed to follow Yahoo Inc.’s lead when it shortened the amount of time that it keeps online search records to 90 days in most cases. Beginning this summer, after notifying customers, Yahoo will join Google in keeping search logs for 18 months. Yahoo said it will consider keeping other types of information about its users for...

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European Union to investigate net-neutrality concerns

The European Union is to investigate whether internet service providers (ISPs) are providing fair access to online services.It may lead to new rules banning ISPs from restricting access to data-heavy services during peak periods. ISPs argue that traffic management is key to maintaining a quality service. However, the EU's annnouncement falls short of the demands of net-neutrality campaigners, who want all traffic to be treated equally. The investigation will cover both mobile and fixed providers and will be published by the end of the year. Announcing the action, the EU's commissioner for the digital agenda, Neelie Kroes, said: "I am absolutely...

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Court results put on Twitter by West Midlands Police

Results from cases heard at Birmingham Magistrates' Court have been put on Twitter by West Midlands Police.Ch Supt Stephen Anderson said there had been a decline in court reporting in recent years. He said the initiative was designed to make the public more aware of the cases police dealt with. The force sent its own staff into court for a morning on Tuesday to cover the cases and post them online minutes after they had concluded. It said the updates on the micro-blogging site were the first ever "tweet-a-thon" from a justice centre. The tweets from the Grade I-listed Victorian courthouse were posted on Tuesday morning. Police said they had...

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Apple sues Samsung for 'copying' iPhones and iPad

Apple is suing its rival Samsung Electronics for allegedly copying the design of its iPad and iPhone. It claims Samsung's Galaxy range of mobile phones and tablet "slavishly" copy the iPhone and iPad, according to court papers. Apple's claims focus on Galaxy's design features, such as the look of its screen icons. Samsung said it had conducted its own research and development and would contest the allegations. 'Blatant copying' Galaxy products use Google's Android operating system, which directly competes with Apple's mobile software. As well as being a competitor, Samsung supplies Apple with microchips that are used in some Apple products,...

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Nasa backs 'shuttle successors'

Nasa has given an indication of the companies it thinks may be closest to offering commercial systems to carry American astronauts into space.With its shuttles about to retire, the agency has offered $270m (£166m) of funds to four firms to help them mature designs for new orbiting vehicles. Blue Origin, Boeing, Sierra Nevada Corp and SpaceX hope to sell astronaut "taxi" services to Nasa by mid-decade. Until then, US crews will have to go to the space station on Russian rockets. "We are pleased to be completing a significant milestone today in the development of US commercial crew systems, and we are very excited about the future," said Philip...

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Latest Flash Player released

Adobe has released it's latest Flash Player update.Flash Player 10.2.159.1 (Non-IE) is a stand alone installer for Firefox, Opera and other Gecko-based browsers, and features;Immersive experiences with Flash video, content and applications with full-screen mode.Low-bandwidth, high-quality video with advanced compression technology.High-fidelity text using the advanced text rendering engine.Real-time dynamic effects with filters for Blur, DropShadow, Glow, Bevel, Gradient Glow, Gradient Bevel, Displacement Map, Convolution, and Color Matrix.Innovative media compositions with 8-bit video alpha channels.Blend modes, radial gradient, and stroke...

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US Government seize gambling domains

On-line gambling has come under scrutiny this week after the 3 largest gambling sites operating in the US have been shut down by the American Government.Full Tilt Poker, Pokerstars and Absolute Poker have all had their domains seized and sites shut down while the US courts decide if this kind of gambling is legal or not.Federal prosecutors accused the three founders of the gambling sites and eight others with illegal gambling, bank fraud and money laundering, according to the Financial Times.The paper also reported that the government has filed a $3 billion civil suit to recover profits from the operation...

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IBM is testing smartphone software designed to predict traffic jams and warn motorists before they even take to the roads.

IBM said that its employees in the San Francisco and Silicon Valley areas of Northern California have been testing technology that “will ultimately help drivers around the world” avoid fouled traffic. Those involved in the pilot project agree to have location-sensing capabilities in their smartphones automatically track where they drive and when, according to IBM Smarter Traveler program manager John Day. The information is fed through the Internet to computers that identify patterns such as commutes to and from work. Meanwhile, data collected from roadway censors commonly used for online traffic maps is analyzed to determine conditions that...

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Stephen Fry prison 'pledge' over 'Twitter joke' trial

Fry was appearing at a benefit gig for Paul Chambers who is appealing to the High Court against his conviction for sending a menacing communication. He had tweeted: "Robin Hood Airport is closed. You've got a week... otherwise I'm blowing the airport sky high!" Fry argued that Chambers' tweet was an example of Britain's tradition of self-deprecating humour and banter. Appeal funds Chambers' case has become a cause celebre on Twitter, with hundreds of people reposting his original comments in protest at the conviction. "This [verdict] must not be allowed to stand in law," Fry said, adding that he would continue to repeat Chambers' message and...

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FBI closes in on zombie PC gang

US crime-fighters are closing in on a gang behind a huge botnet after taking control of the criminals' servers.It is the first time FBI investigators have used such a method. The US Justice Department had to seek court permission from a judge to carry out the sting. It enabled the authorities to issue its own commands, effectively ordering the malware to shut down. It also logged the IP addresses of compromised machines. It means the authorities will be able to notify ISPs about which machines have been infected and ISPs in turn can let victims know that their machines had been taken over. A similar approach was used last year by Dutch police...

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Cisco shuts down Flip video camera business

Cisco Systems has said it is shutting down its Flip video camera business and cutting 550 jobs as it overhauls its consumer products unit.In recent years, Cisco, the world's largest maker of computer networking gear, has sought to diversify and move into the consumer market.Analysts criticized the group for trying to do too much.Last week, Cisco chief John Chambers admitted the firm had lost its way and vowed to take "bold steps" to refocus."We are making key, targeted moves as we align operations in support of our network-centric platform strategy,"Unable to sell? Cisco bought Pure Digital Technologies, the maker of the Flip camcorder, for $590m...

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Sony considers two-week shutdown due to power shortages

Sony Corporation is considering shutting down some of its company premises in Japan because of the continuing power shortages. In order to save energy, the company said it was planning to give its staff two weeks off during the summer months. Japan has been suffering power shortages due to the damage caused to its nuclear and thermal power stations. Last week the government set energy-saving targets and asked manufacturers to reduce their energy consumpti...

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Posted in: Sony Corporation is considering shutting down some of its company premises in Japan

Google sees a sharp rise in first-quarter earnings

The world's leading search engine reported $6.54bn (£4bn) in net revenue in the first quarter, up 29% from $5.06bn the same time a year ago. Google has about a 65% share of the US search engine market and about 90% in Europe. The firm said it would continue "to invest for the long term". Announcing the results, Patrick Pichette, Google chief finance officer, said: "These results demonstrate the value of search and search ads to our users and customers, as well as the extraordinary potential of areas like display and mobil...

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Posted in: Internet giant Google has reported a sharp rise in first-quarter earnings,the first figures with co-founder Larry Page back at the helm as boss.

Nokia X7 released

Nokia has released the X7, a brand new gaming phone. The pverall chassis is made from stainless steel and glass and comes equipped with a 4-inch display and an arching back panel, perfect for gamers. Other features include an 8-megapixel rear camera with a dual-LED flash and is also capable of recording HD 720p video. the X7 will come preloaded with “Galaxy on Fire” and “Asphalt 5 HD”, other games will be available in the Ovi Store. The X7 will be arriving around Q2 of 2011 and priced at $547, (£334 ap...

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Posted in: Nokia X7 released

Intel launches Oak Trail tablet processor

The new microchip is smaller and uses less power than other models in its Atom range. Despite being the world's largest manufacturer of microprocessors, Intel has been largely pushed out of the growing tablet market. Until now, most devices have used chips designed by Apple and Cambridge-based Arm Holdings. Announcing Oak Trail's retail name - the Z670 - Intel conceded that it was currently lagging behind the competition. "You won't find a lot of Intel based tablets on the shelves at the moment," said Kevin O'Donovan, marketing manager for notebooks and tablets. However, he insisted that the company now had a competitive product. "2011 is about...

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Posted in: designed for use in tablet computers.,Intel has formally launched its Oak Trail processor

Patch Tuesday updates released

Microsoft has released a batch of 17 security updates covering 64 vulnerabilities in this month's Patch Tuesday. The patches address issues in Windows, Office, IE, Visual Studio, .NET Framework and GDI+. Nine of the bugs are rated critical, whilst 8 are deemed important. Three of the top priorities this month are; Problem resolves for MS11-020, MS11-019 and MS11-018. 30 vulnerabilities address one bug, MS11-034, which all share the same root cause say Microsoft. Microsoft applauded the industry experts who worked with the company to uncover the bugs. "In total, 21 finders coordinated with Microsoft for the April release. Microsoft actively partners...

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Posted in: Microsoft has released a batch of 17,security updates

Facebook to install 'Panic Button'

Facebook has caved into Government pressure and finally agreed to install a 'panic button' app. All facebook users between 13-18 will see a message encouraging them to download the 'ClickCeop' button. When installed, users can click the CEOP link which allows them access to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, where they can then report abuse or receive advice on staying safe online. "Our dialogue with Facebook about adopting the ClickCeop button is well documented -- today however is a good day for child protection," said CEOP chief executive, Jim Gamble. "By adding this application, Facebook users will have direct access to...

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Posted in: Facebook to install 'Panic Button'

Report shows youngsters are tech 'addicts'

A report released by the University of Maryland shows that today's youngsters are officially 'addicted' to their gadgets. “If you are under 25, it doesn't matter if you live in the US or Chile or China, Slovakia, Mexico or Lebanon: you not only can't imagine life without your cell phone, laptop and MP3 player, you can't function without them,” the report said. The report showed that many of the  youngsters expressed feelings of anxiety and depression as a result of going digital cold turkey, with one respondent explaining she had to take the battery out of her mobile phone so she could physically hold it even if it wasn't switched on.One...

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Posted in: youngsters are tech 'addicts'

M & S customers targets of latest hack attack

Marks and Spencers customers are the latest victims to have had their details stolen. M & S customers have been warned to expect an increase of spam emails as part of a wider attack on marketing firm Epsilon. As reported yesterday, the latest mass hack attack compromised many companies in the US, including the hotel chains Marriott and Hilton and several banks. M & S stated; "We have been informed by Epsilon, a company we use to send e-mails to our customers, that some M&S customer e-mail addresses have been accessed without authorisation," the retailer said in an e-mail sent on Tuesday evening. "We wanted to bring this to your attention...

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Posted in: customers targets of latest hack attack