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Latest by Geoff Duncan

Vodafone Sues to Block German iPhone Sales

Vodafone has filed a suit to stop competitor T-Mobile from offering the Apple iPhone in Germany tied to a two-year contract, arguing the iPhone should be unlocked.

Nintendo Launches Wii Zapper, DS Bundles

Nintendo has shipped its gun-like "Zapper" accessory for the Wii remote, and two new custom-colored DS handheld bundles.

Sony BMG Inks Video Deal with Yahoo

Yahoo and Sony BMG Music have expanded a deal which will let Sony BMG music videos be distributed on Yahoo sites...and on non-Yahoo sites in an embedded player.

Amazon Launches Kindle e-Book Reader

Amazon has formally launched its Kindle E-book reader, featuring a 6-inch ei-Ink display, wireless connectivity from Sprint, and a $399 price tag.

Get Your DNA Profiled for $999

Google-funded 23andMe is no offering a $999 saliva-based DNA test, intended to help customers learn abut their genes and inherited traits...and participate in genetic research.

Alienware Unveils New Area-51 Notebooks

Alienware has taken the wraps off new 15-inch and 17-inch Area-51 notebooks, featuring Core 2 Duo Extreme processors, Nvidia graphics, and tons of storage space.

Get Around in Flickr Places

Photo sharing site Flickr has unveiled a new feature called Places, enabling users to browse millions of geotagged photos by place name and maps.

PayPal Secure Card Offers Protection

PayPal Secure Card software is supposed to recognize when users land on ecommerce sites and automatically fill out payment info securely - even if the site doesn't handle PayPal.

AT&T Offers Napster in Samsung SLM

AT&T has launched its first Napster-enabled phone, the SLM by Samsung, a clamshell device also offering a 2 megapixel camera and microSD storage.

SyncTV Online Video Service Begins Testing

SyncTV has begin testing its own online video service, claiming to offer unlimited downloads of "home theater quality" TV shows.

Google Planning to Bid on 700MHz Spectrum

Internet giant Google is apparently going to make a serious effort to buy a swath of the 700MHz wireless spectrum going up for auction in January.

Amazon Finally Launching E-book Reader?

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Amazon.com plans to introduce its own long-gestating "Kindle" e-book reader on Monday.

Garmin Abandons Tele Atlas Bid

GPS Maker Garmin has withdrawn its bid for digital map maker Tele Atlas, and entered into a long-term deal with mapmaker (and recent Nokia acquiree) Navteq.

Dell All-In-One XPS One Gets Pricing

Although Dell's all-in-one XPS One hasn't exactly been a secret, the company has unveiled pricing before the systems's expected public launch Monday: systems start at $1,499.

AOL Relaunches Games.com

AOL has relaunched its online gaming site Games.com...and, not surprisingly, the new version sports all manner of ad integration.

Edge 12-inch Picture Frame Touts MP3 Player

Edge Tech Corporation has introduced a new 12-inch digital picture frame...with an integrated MP3 player so users can have both pictures and music.

Sony Sees PlayStation 3 Sales Boost

Sony says price cuts and a new 40 GB model have more than doubled sales of the Sony PlayStation 3 game console in the United States.

Envision Intros Three LCD TVs

Envision is looking to capitalize on the holiday season with three new LCD TVs, including a 42-inch panel priced under $1,000.

Comcast Sued for Blocking Net Services

A San Francisco-area Comcast customer has sued the company, alleging its interference with file sharing applications constitutes unfair business practices.

Survey Looks at Hours Spent Managing Email

A survey commissioned by the developers of Fuser.com finds almost nine out of ten Internet users spend at least seven hours a week managing email and social networking accounts.

Philips, Lite-On Debut $199 Blu-ray Reader

The new joint venture between Philips and Lite-on has announced a new SATA Blu-ray reader...and it'll cost just $199.

Apple’s iPhone Going to China?

Speculation has both China Unicom and China Mobile working to get their hands on the Apple iPhone...but some industry watchers say a deal won't happen soon.

SMS Patent Suit Targets 131 Companies

Patent holding company Technology Patents LLC has filed suit against a whopping 131 companies, alleging they're infringing on patents covering international text messaging.

VeriSign to Sell Off Business Units

Internet infrastructure company VeriSign has announced it plans to sell off billing, commerce, and communications business units to focus on core activities.

Wii’s Still Running Short

A year after its introduction, Nintendo is acknowledging the popular Wii gaming console may still be hard to find this holiday season.

Gibson Announces Self-Tuning Robot Guitar

Guitar-maker Gibson has formally announced its self-tuning robot guitar, a Les Paul-style electric guitar that uses robotics technology to retune on the fly.

Bebo Gets All Crackled Up

Social networking site Bebo has signed on as a distribution partner for Sony's Crackle video distribution service...and will carry Crackle's advertisements.

Alienware Area-51 ALX Brings 45nm Penryn

No sooner does Intel roll out its new 45nm Penryn processors than Dell's Alienware group announces the first desktop system to be built around the chips.

Marvel Comics Offers Digital Back Issues

Marvel Comics is taking a tentative step onto the Internet with its Digital Archive, offering fans back issues and the first appearances of favorite characters.

Nokia Announces 8800 Arte Phones

Nokia is aiming its 8800 Arte and 8800 Sapphire Arte phones at folks who want 3G connectivity, and want to look like a million bucks using it.

Google Posts Android SDK, $10 Mln Contest

Google has posted an "early look" at the SDK for its Android mobile phone operating system, along with a $10 million contest to pique developer interest.

JVC Brings On The High-End Metal Earbuds

JVC has announced its new high-end HA-FX300 bi-metal earbuds, using an aluminum diaphragm and a stainless steel-and-brass drive unit for improved performance.

PDA Shipments Continue to Decline

Market analysis firm IDC reports PDA shipments dropped for the 15th consecutive quarter to just 729,000 units...but the market shouldn't be counted out just yet.

Radiohead Disputes comScore’s Sales Figures

Iconic band Radiohead says media metrics firm comScore has got its numbers wrong in estimating sales of the band's latest album...but declines to give figures of its own.

Disney to Enter Japanese Cell Phone Market

After pulling the plug on its own mobile phone service in the U.S., Disney is now apparently planning to enter the ultra-competitive Japanese cell phone market.

Atari 2600 Joins Toy Hall of Fame

The venerable Atari 2600 game console has been inducted into the Strong National Museum of Play Hall of Fame, joining classics like Barbie, the View-Master, Play-Doh, and...the kite

Three New Zunes to Debut Tuesday

Microsoft's three new Zune models will go on sale Tuesday, with a new social Web site and free "Zune Originals" customization with laser etchings and personal text.

LaCie Takes Award-Winning Hub USB-Only

LaCie has introduced a new version of its award-winning, tentacled desktop hub - and this time it's USB-only.