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Latest by Geoff Duncan

Voicemail Suit Targets Apple, Skype, Others

Klausner Technologies has unleashed a fusillade of patent infringement lawsuits against Apple, Comcast, eBay, and AT&T over voicemail technology.

FCC Considers Capping Cable Ownership

The Federal Communications Commission is considering limiting a single company's ownership of the U.S. cable TV market to 30 percent - and Comcast is not happy.

Peru Orders 260,000 OLPC Laptops

The OLPC project continues to show success, as Peru signs an order for 260,000 OLPC XO laptops, and Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim plans to bring 50,000 systems to his country.

Dell Loses Market Share to HP, Acer

Third-quarter sales figures from iSuppli have Hewlett-Packard expanding its share of the global PC market, and Taiwan's Acer taking over the number two slot for notebooks.

Facebook Rolls Back Beacon Ad Links

Facebook's "Beacon" platform turned user purchases into public marketing fodder for partners; now Facebook is backing off part of the program...but not the whole thing.

EA Acknowledges Rock Band Guitar Problems

EA has confirmed that some Rock Band guitar controllers have issues with their strum bars, leaving aspiring rockers singing (or drumming) the blues.

TiVo Time Warp DVR Patent Upheld

In a move that strengthens TiVo's position in its long-running patent dispute with EchoStar, federal regulators have upheld the validity of TiVo's "time warp" DVR patent.

Google Formally Enters 700 MHz Auction

After months of strong hints, Google has formally announced it will bid in the upcoming FCC 700 MHz spectrum auction.

Ed Zander Resigns as Motorola CEO

As sales tumbled as the success of the RAZR waned, Motorola's CEO Ed Zander is stepping down January 1, to be replaced by current COO Greg Brown.

Consumers Wary of Digital Media Adapters?

Consumer electronics companies are rabidly touting digital media adapters to connect PCs to stereos and televisions...but consumers are much more likely to opt for a cheap cable.

Adobe and Yahoo Partner on Embedded PDF Ads

Adobe and Yahoo have announced a new service that will let online publishers put contextual ads next to online PDF content.

Amazon Launches Askville Answers Site

Got a burning question, and wish you could turn to the collective wisdom of the Internet to answer it? That's what Amazon's new Askville site is all about.

Samsung Ships 1 TB Desktop Hard Drive

Samsung's shipping its F1 Series 1 desktop hard drive, offering 7,200 rpm spindle speed, low power consumption, a one terabyte capacity, and a $399 price tag.

Unlocked iPhones: Cheapest in France

With all the hubbub over the availability of unlocked iPhones in Germany, France's Orange has stolen the thunder by offering unlocked versions for EU 649.

PicApp to Offer Bloggers Images…with Ads

Image licensing agency Corbis has taken the wraps off a new project that will let bloggers use copyrighted images on their sites for free...but they come with ads.

OLPC Sued Over Multilingual Keyboard

Nigerian-owned Lagos Analysis Corp (LANCOR) has filed a patent infringement suit over the OLPC XO laptop' multilingual keyboard.

Verizon Now Selling XV6800 Smartphone

It's been a long time coming, but Verizon Wireless is finally selling its XV6800 smartphone, featuring a slide-out keyboard, Windows Mobile 6, Wi-Fi, and a touchscreen.

Nero to Bring TiVo to PCs

TiVo has inked a deal with multimedia software developer Nero to bring the TiVo experience to the PCs equipped with TV tuners.

Dell XPS M1530 Notebook Starts at $999

Dell's new XPS M1530 notebook features a 15.4-inch screen, a Core 2 Duo CPU, Nvidia GeForce graphics, HDMI output, a 2 megapixel camera...and a $999 starting price.

Blu-ray Claims to Outsell HD DVD In Europe

The Blu-ray Disc Association says industry sales data show Blu-ray discs account for 73 percent of all high-definition movie discs sold in Europe.

Multimedia Phones to Outsell TVs in 2008?

A new market research report from Multimedia Intelligence says multimedia phone shipments will overtake sales of television worldwide in 2008.

NBC Pushes Interactive Ads with TiVo

TiVo and NBC have announced a multi-year deal that lets NBC sell TiVo Interactive Tags, so TiVo users can "click through" to get more information from an advertiser.

Microsoft Genuine Advantage Slowing Piracy?

Microsoft's Genuine Advantage antipiracy technology may not have many fans ...but Microsoft says its learning lessons and it may even have results.

MTron Offers 32 GB SSD to Consumers

Best known for their server and industrial storage solutions, South Korea's Mtron has announced a 32 GB SSD drive with a 100 MB/sec transfer rate...for $650.

Sony Sells a Million New PSPs in Japan

Sony has sold over a million of its new, slimmer PSPs in Japan during the product's first two months, outpacing sales for the original PSP.

TiVo Goes to Canada, Gets Switched Digital

Believe it or not, TiVo DVRs are only now getting to Canadian retailers - plus, the company has made a deal with the NTCA to let TiVO HD DVRs access switched digital channels.

OLPC Extends Give One, Get One Offer

The One Laptop Per Child initiative has extended its "Give One, Get One" offer for its OLPC XO notebook through the end of 2007.

LG Takes a Shine to AT&T

LG's sleek metal Shine phone has debuted on AT&T, bringing a 2 megapixel camera, music and video capabilities, microSD storage, and a 2.2-inch LCD display.

Apple Dodges iPod and Stock Options Suits

Put two checks in Apple legal team's "win" column: a settlement in a long-running patent infringement suit with Burst.com, and the dismissal of a stock options backdating suit.

Hitwise: Google Still Extending Search Lead

Market analysis firm Hitwise says Google continued to extend its overall lead in the Internet search market during October, at the expense of Yahoo and Microsoft.

Warner Drops Total HD Dual-Format Discs

Warner Bros. has backed away from its "Total HD" dual format high-definition discs, saying it doesn't solve any problems for retailers.

Target Selling Used Electronics Online

Discount retailer Target has launched a test program that has the company offering used electronics for sale via its online store. Will there by any takers?

T-Mobile Unlocks iPhones in Germany

T-Mobile has responded to complaints and legal action from competitors and offer an unlocked version of the Apple iPhone in Germany.

Fujitsu LifeBook S6510 Lightens Up

Fujitsu's LifeBook S6510 aims to keep travelers happy with a 14-inch widescreen display, Core 2 Duo processors, and a total weight of 3.7 pounds.

Samsung TruDirect Burner Needs No Software

Samsung's new TruDirect SE-S204S DVD burner lets users burn DVDs from their camcorder or digital camera without first transferring video to a PC.

Mass Effect Game Lands at Retailers

Microsoft's cinematic Xbox 360 game Mass Effect is now on sale...but will the title live up to the hype?

Earthlink Cuts Funding for Municipal Wi-Fi

Internet provider Earthlink is ruling out any "significant further investments" in municipal Wi-Fi efforts until someone comes up with an alternative revenue model.

EU Fines Sony, Fuji, Maxell on Videotape

The European Commission has levied almost $110 million in fines against Sony, Fuji, and Maxell for fixing the prices of videotape between 1999 and 2002.