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Latest by Geoff Duncan

Long-Time ICANN Head Twomey to Step Down by End of 2009

Paul Twomey has announced he will leave ICANN at the end of 2009, leaving the organization responsible for Internet governance looking for a new leader.

Gibson Gets Shredded in Guitar Hero Lawsuit

A U.S. District court has tossed Gibson's patent infringement lawsuit against the popular video game franchise Guitar Hero.

LG Recalls 30,000 Phones Due to Poor 911 Capability

LG and the Consumer Product Safety Commission are recalling 30,000 LG 830 Spyder phones because of poor voice quality on calls to 911 emergency services.

New Navigon GPS Devices Learn from Users’ Driving Habits

Navigon's new 7300GT, 4300GT, and 3300 max individualize navigation by offering three route choices factoring in speed limits, construction, traffic...and users' driving habits.

OLPCorps Wants to Send 100 Teams of Interns to Africa

The OLPC project has announced an internship program to send up to 100 teams of student interns to Africa with 100 OLPC laptops and up to $10,000 for expenses.

Hearst Planning Large-Format e-Reader?

Reports have print publisher Hearts preparing to launch a large-format wireless electronic reader designed for magazines and periodicals, rather than books.

Microsoft Details Some Windows 7 Changes Based on Beta Feedback

Microsoft says it has been listening to tester feedback on the Windows 7 beta...and has outlined a set of changes users can expect to see in the release candidate.

DoCoMo Halts BlackBerry Bold Sales Due to Overheating

Japan's DoCoMo has suspended sales of RIM's BlackBerry Bold due to overheating, marking another unpleasant chapter in the troubled handset's brief lifespan.

Stringer Shakes Up Sony Management, Consolidates Control

Howard Stringer has unveiled a management shake-up at electronics giant Sony...that sees him add President to his titles of Chairman and CEO.

Nokia 5800 XpressMusic Now Available Stateside

Nokia is now offering its 5800 XpressMusic music handset in the United States...but the company's Comes With Music won't appear until later this year.

Shortcovers Brings Short and Long-Form Content to Mobiles

Dreaming of a Kindle? Maybe you don't need one: the new service Shortcovers puts magazines, chapters, and full books on the BlackBerries, Android devices, and the iPhone.

EQD’s Auira LCD TVs Promise Low Prices, Charity Support

EQD's new LCD TVs promise not only low prices - they can double as commercial signage and computer monitors, and some proceeds go to charities.

Will Nokia Get into the Notebook Business?

Nokia's CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo says his company is actively looking at the market for notebook computers as smartphone and computing continue to converge.

SanDisk Updates ImageMate External USB Card Readers

SanDisk has updated its ImageMate external USB card readers with a sleeker design and faster data transfer rates.

Heavy Gaming Might Lead to Skin Sores

Physicians have described a case of "PlayStation palmar hidradenitis," where heavy PlayStation gaming produced sores and lumps on a 12-year-old's hands.

ABI: Some Smartphone Users Spend Heavily on Apps

ABI Research finds that some 17 percent of smartphone users spent more than $100 on applications in 2008..and 16.5 percent spent between $100 and $499.

FCC Moves to Fine Telcos on Consumer Data Protection

The FCC has proposed fining hundreds of telecommunications companies for failing to file an annual report on how they safeguard sensitive consumer information.

Seagate Drops SSD Patent Suit Against STEC

Last year when hard drive maker Seagate sued SSD maker STEC for patent infringement and hinted it might go after other SSD makers. Now, Seagate has dropped the suit.

Marvell SheevaPlug Packs Linux System into a Power Adapter

Marvell has packed a Linux system into a box the size of a wall wart...and it uses about a tenth the power of a standard PC.

Visto Takes Good Technology Off Motorola’s Hands

Mobile email provider Visto has made a deal to buy enterprise communications outfit Good Technology from a struggling Motorola...but no one is saying how much Visto paid.

PopCap Buys Xbox Live Arcade Developer Gastronaut

Casual game maker PopCap has bought Gastronaut Studios, best known for its popular Xbox 360 Live Arcade titles "Small Arms."

Hitachi Buys External Storage Company Fabrik

Hitachi is getting into the external storage market by buying up Fabrik, along with it its SimpleText and G-Technology brands.

Vudu Now Offering Download-to-Own HD Movies

Digital video service Vudu has become the first to offer high-definition movies on a download-to-own basis...although they're starting out with just 50 titles.

Microsoft SideWinder X8 Mouse Promises Lag-Free Wireless Gaming

Microsoft's new SideWinder X8 wireless mouse features BlueTrack technology that processes 13,000 frames per second...just don't use it on glass.

Olympus E620 DSLR Packs Image Stabilization and In-Camera Filters

Olympus's new E-620 camera claims to be the smallest DSLR with image stabilization, and it features in-camera filters to inspire photographers' creativity.

Rambus Beats Hynix in Memory Patent Battle

Rambus has been awarded supplemental damages in a patent infringement case against Hynix...but the same patents were ruled unenforceable against Micron earlier this year.

Microsoft Looks to Elevate America

Microsoft is stepping deeper into the job training game with Elevate America, a program that aims to let up to 2 million people get technical skills via online training.

Americans Somehow Find Time for More TV

Nielsen says Americans are finding time for both TV, averaging 151 hours of TV viewing per month - and even more for people who watch online or mobile video.

California Game Law Ruled Unconstitutional

A U.S. appeals court has ruled that a California law barring the sale and rental of violent video games to minors violates the Constitution's free speech guarantees.

Samsung Intros Two 12MP Cameras

Samsung's new TL320 and HZ15W cameras feature 12 megapixel resolutions and 24mm Schneider lenses - and the TL320 sports a 3-inch AMOLED display.

Comcast Says Wideband Available to 30 Pct

Comcast says its DOCSIS 3.0-based wideband capacity is now available across 30 percent of its network, and thinks it'll make it to 65 percent by the end of 2009.

Disney Buys Kids Art Site Kerpoof

Disney has plunked down an undisclosed amount for kids art site Kerpoof Studios...which it has already been relying on for Disney.com features.

Vizio Now Number Two in Flat Panel Sales

During the fourth quarter of 2008, Vizio did something that would once have been unthinkable: outsold Sony in the U.S. flat-panel television market.

Warhammer Dawn of War II Ships for PCs

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II has shipped for Windows PCs extends adds fully-cooperative multiplayer campaigns to the real-time strategy and combat franchise.

Broadcasters, Webcasters Split on Royalties

Some broadcasters have reached agreements over royalties for Internet broadcasts...but webcasters are still out in the cold.

Intel Sues Nvidia Over Chipset Licensing

Chipmaker Intel has sued graphics developer Nvidia, claiming a four-year-old chipset license agreement doesn't apply to forthcoming processors with integrated memory controllers.

Boxee and TV.com Lose Hulu Content

Online video streaming service Hulu has withdrawn its content from Boxee and TV.com, citing contractual limits on where it could share its content.

WD Revs My Book World Edition Network Drive

Western Digital as launched a redesigned version of its My Book World Edition network hard drive, designed to safeguard data and stream media.