Tag archive: Wisconsin

Everyone's favorite loose-knit group of “hacktivists,” Anonymous, have allegedly launched a new campaign of disruption: Operation Wisconsin. This round, the shadowy cyber-vigilantes plan to take on libertarian billionaires David and Charles Koch, who own Koch Industries, for their support of Wisconsin's union-busting governor, Scott Walker. “It has come to our attention that the brothers, David and Charles Koch —… Read More

Japanese electronics giant Toshiba has filed suit against Imation, Advanced Media, Glyphics Media, Hotan Corporation, and a range of other makers of recordable DVD media, alleging the companies do not have licenses to Toshiba patents necessary to meet the DVD specifications. According to Toshiba, the manufacturers have not executed licenses to patents essential to meeting the DVD format specifications either from the DVD6C Licensing Group… Read More

Computer maker Dell has agreed to pay some $3.35 million to settle 34 states' allegations that the company's warranty, financing, and rebate offers were deceptive and misled consumers. The agreement has Dell paying $1.5 million into a restitution account; impacted consumers will be able to submit claims for compensation. The other $1.85 million will go towards the states' legal costs. “More than the money, this… Read More

Rural Internet users left out of the loop by mainsteam Internet solutions like cable and DSL may soon have a new option thanks to a deal IBM has hammered out to begin providing broadband over power lines. On Wednesday, the company announced it had signed a $9.6 million deal with IBEC, a broadband-over-power-line (BPL) provider, to begin equipping several rural test markets with BPL technology. Under the agreement, IBM will supply project… Read More

Telecommunications operator AT&T has announced it will begin selling its U-verse broadband Internet and digital video service through retailers Circuit City and Walmart beginning this month. The offerings will be available in more than 600 retail locations in and near neighborhoods where U-verse services are available: right now, that includes regions of Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri,… Read More

Finding a good show in New York City or Los Angeles can be as easy as wandering down the street on a Saturday night. But when you’re stuck somewhere away from the pop culture nexus of the universe, or looking to see a specific band, things can get complicated. On Thursday, AOL introduced a new Web site designed to aggregate touring information from all over the Web to serve as a one-stop shop for live music seekers. Tour Tracker… Read More

AT&T has announced it will be replacing some 17,000 batteries used as backup power in cabinets housing equipment for its U-verse television service, following two fires—and two explosions—with the equipment in the last year. Although some damage occurred to nearby property, no one was hurt in the incidents. The problematic battery units are not located in U-verse equipment in consumers' homes; rather, they're… Read More

The preponderance of cell phones in U.S. society may be creating all sorts of businesses opportunities that didn't exist two decades ago, but it's bad news for at least one former stalwart of the American landscape: pay phones. Over the last few years, public coin-operated phones have gone from being something one could see on many street corners and in most businesses to quaint rarities…nowadays, if you need one, you can… Read More

Telecommunications operator Sprint and high-speed wireless company Clearwire have announced they're mutually calling off an agreement to work together on deploying a nationwide high-speed WiMax network by the end of 2010. According to Sprint, the companies could not see their way through the “complexities” involved in the agreement and could not agree to terms of a formal business arrangement. “We are on track for… Read More

In a massive legal move, storage and portable media player developer SanDisk has filed three patent infringement lawsuits alleging some 25 companies that manufacture, import, or sell everything from USB flash drives to multimedia cards to portable media players infringe on SanDisk patents. The suits were filed in the U.S. District Court in the Western District of Wisconsin and with the U.S. International Trade Commission; the suits allege… Read More

VoIP provider Vonage can't seem to catch a break in the arena of patents and intellectual property. The company has long been embroiled in a high-stakes patent infringement case with Verizon, with judgments against Vonage having had the company facing imminent shutdown. The company is still operating while it tries to get the case overturned on appeal, but in the meantime it has been forced to settle with Sprint for $80 million over… Read More

South Korea's LG Electronics has filed suit against Taiwan's Quanta, alleging Quanta infringes on four patents related to LG's DVD technology. Quanta is seeking monetary compensation as well as an an injunction preventing Quanta from selling infringing products in the United States. “LG's proprietorship of DVD technologies is widely recognized throughout industry and the unlicensed use of our intellectual… Read More

Following immediately on its settlements with Texas and California, music label Sony BMG has agreed to pay some $4.25 million as part of settlement agreements with 39 U.S. states and the District of Columbia regarding copy protection software included on some of the labels music CDs which caused computers to malfunction and exposed users to security threats. The terms of the agreement are similar to earlier settlements with Texas and… Read More

Seems like gunslingers aren't the only fighters who like to play quick-draw: according to a report from Bloomberg News, Apple Computer filed a lawsuit in a Wisconsin court against Creative Labs on the very same day Creative sued Apple for infringing on its so-called “Zen” patent for interface elements on portable music players. Apple's complaint? Creative products are violating four of Apple's patents.… Read More

Online retail giant Amazon.com today announced they'd acquired online women's fashion specialty retailer Shopbop.com. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Shopbop.com, said Amazon, located in Madison, Wisconsin, and features products from more than 75 leading designers including Marc Jacobs, Juicy Couture and True Religion. Founded in 1999 as a single brick-and-mortar store, the Shopbop.com site sells a wide array of apparel,… Read More