Samsung teams with Mozilla on next-gen browser engine
Mobe-maker will help port future Firefox tech to ARM
The Mozilla Foundations is bringing its experimental, next-generation web browser engine to ARM chips and the Android platform, thanks to a partnership with South Korean mobe-maker Samsung.
For the last few years, Mozilla has been working on a new browser engine called Servo, which is being written from the ground up to take …
Copyright troll Prenda refuses to explain legal strategy
Principals invoke Fifth Amendment right to silence
Notorious copyright troll Prenda Law was seemingly dealt a fatal blow on Tuesday, when the company's top attorneys invoked their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination to avoid answering questions from a federal judge.
US District Judge Otis Wright II of the Central District of California had summoned the Prenda …
Microsoft's summer update will be called Windows 8.1
'Windows Blue' to see return of old-school version numbers
Microsoft has thought long and hard about what to officially call the forthcoming Windows 8 upgrade package codenamed "Windows Blue", and the verdict is ... Windows 8.1.
So sayeth veteran Redmond-watcher Mary Jo Foley, who cites an anonymous tipster.
Lending credence to the rumor, Foley directs us to a Twitter post made by one …
Former WinPhone exec tapped for skunkworks Amazon gig
Ex-Microsoftie to oversee retailer's secret phone?
Charlie Kindel, a former Microsoft exec who once managed developer outreach for Windows Phone, among other things, has reportedly joined Amazon to oversee a secret project in "a totally new area" for the online retailer.
Kindel tipped his hand regarding the new position on Monday when he updated his LinkedIn page to reflect the …
Call centers under attack in targeted cyber-blackmail scheme
Crooks blasting public-safety phone lines with calls
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has cautioned public-safety call centers against the rise of so-called telephony denial of service (TDoS) attacks, which it says have the potential to cripple local telephone exchanges.
The warning was issued in March in a confidential Situational Awareness Update that was obtained by …
Music resale service ReDigi loses copyright fight with Capitol Records
Updated Judge: Infringement is all it's good for
A US District Court in New York has ruled that ReDigi, an online marketplace that allows users to sell their purchased music files, violates copyright law.
Cambridge, Massachusetts–based ReDigi, which launched its service in October 2011, claimed to be "the world's first, real legal alternative to expensive online music …
Production-ready ZFS offers cosmic-scale storage for Linux
Über-reliable filesystem now ready for wide deployment
The maintainers of the native Linux port of the ZFS high-reliability filesystem have announced that the most recent release, version 0.6.1, is officially ready for production use.
"Over two years of use by real users has convinced us ZoL [ZFS on Linux] is ready for wide scale deployment on everything from desktops to super …
Smartphone running 'Facebook OS' said to debut this week
Android to be forked by two companies at the same time?
Facebook has sent out invitations to an event at its Menlo Park headquarters this week that many believe will see the launch of a new, Facebook-branded smartphone – and an Amazon phone may not be far behind.
Facebook's invites themselves were fairly cryptic. "Come See Our New Home on Android" was all they said, along with the …
Relaxed Windows 8 rules hint at smaller slabs to come
Redmond playing catch-up with Android, iPad mini
Microsoft has quietly changed its OEM certification guidelines for Windows 8 to allow devices with lower screen resolutions, a move that could mean smaller Windows tablets are on the way.
ZDNet's Ed Bott was first to spot the rule change made earlier this month, which lowers the minimum screen size for a device bearing the …
Sprint, Softbank to swear off Huawei kit as condition of merger
Will bow to US government spying concerns
A US Congressman has said that Sprint and its Japanese suitor Softbank have both pledged not to use equipment manufactured by China's Huawei in Sprint's wireless network, a move that could help the companies clear a hurdle in their planned merger.
Representative Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, told The …
Texas judge sends Uniloc packing in Rackspace patent suit
Turns out floating-point numbers aren't patentable
In a rare move, the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas has granted early dismissal of a patent lawsuit filed by Uniloc against Rackspace, having found that Uniloc's patent described nothing more than a mathematical formula and was therefore invalid.
"The early dismissal of this case delivers a clear message that …
Google Translate for Android adds offline translation option
Not quite as handy as a Babel Fish, but almost
The latest update to the Google Translate app for Android aims to solve one of its trickier issues: how to use the app when you're traveling abroad without incurring expensive overseas data roaming charges or fiddling with foreign SIMs.
Previous versions of the app required you to be connected to the internet, and all of the …
Google Glass to carry 'Made in USA' label
Sergey's space-specs to be built by Foxconn in California
You had to be a US resident to sign up for the Google Glass Explorer competition, and now it looks as though it could be quite a while before Google's sci-fi headgear is spotted outside US soil, because the headsets will reportedly be American-made, too.
According to a report in the Financial Times, the Chocolate Factory is …
Microsoft's 'Gemini' project will be the Windows Blue of Office
Rolling wave of updates, beginning later this year
Even as Microsoft has publicly acknowledged the existence of Windows "Blue," the much-buzzed-about Service Pack reworking of Windows 8 due later this year, the rumor mill is already churning with rumblings about a similar update project underway for Office 2013.
According to Redmond-watcher Mary-Jo Foley's sources, that project …
Spanish Linux group files antitrust complaint against Microsoft
Claims UEFI Secure Boot is anticompetitive
A Spanish open source software users' association has filed an antitrust complaint against Microsoft with the European Commission, claiming that the company's implementation of UEFI Secure Boot stifles competition.
Hispalinux, an 8,000-member organization that advocates for and facilitates Linux use in Spain, filed the complaint …
Swedish linguists nix new word after row with Google
Online ad giant said 'nej!' to 'ogooglebar'
The Swedish Language Council, a semi-official body aimed at regulating and advancing the Swedish language, has withdrawn a word from its annual list of neologisms for the first time in its history. Why? Pressure from Google.
As Swedish newspaper The Local reports, each December the Council publishes a list of words that have …
T-Mobile US announces 'no BS' rate plans, iPhones, LTE
New BlackBerry, HTC, Samsung mobes coming, too
Third-ranked US wireless carrier T-Mobile has announced a radical restructuring of its rate plans that includes the elimination of annual contracts, in a move that CEO John Legere says is designed to address consumer frustration.
"This is an industry filled with ridiculously confusing contracts, limits on how much data you can …
Microsoft splashes coat of paint on Windows 8 comms apps
Updated Mail, Calendar, and People to get updates on Tuesday
Microsoft has announced that it will make updates to Windows 8's built-in Mail, Calendar, and People apps available via the Windows Store beginning on Tuesday, March 26.
"This update will bring improvements to your Windows experience across your whole life – your personal communication and your work," Brandon LeBlanc of the …
West Virginia seeks Google Glass driving ban
No funny cat videos for motorists
The next time Sergey Brin visits West Virginia, he'd better think twice before getting behind the wheel. Lawmakers in that state have proposed a new law banning the use of Google Glass and similar headsets while driving.
"The problem with [Glass] – and this might not be the right term – is that it's an open architecture," …
National Security Letters ruled unconstitutional
FBI spying tools violate First Amendment, judicial powers
A federal court judge has ruled that National Security Letters (NSLs) – the controversial, ultra-clandestine surveillance tools used by the FBI to gather information on individuals – are unconstitutional and must be halted.
In a ruling issued on Thursday, Judge Susan Illston of the US District Court in San Francisco found that …
Samsung's new co-CEO: 'Windows isn't selling very well'
Claims Android, Tizen, innovation will beat Apple
Samsung says it will continue to produce Android phones even as it puts its weight behind the competing Tizen OS, but there's one software partner the South Korean mobile maker isn't so bullish on: Microsoft.
"Smartphones and tablets based on Microsoft's Windows operating system aren't selling very well," Samsung mobile chief J. …
Microsoft Surface Pro sales CANNIBALIZING Surface RT
Redmond's slab slump continues despite Windows 8 model
The bad news just keeps coming for Microsoft's vaunted line of Surface fondleslabs, with sources reporting that sales of the devices continue to disappoint.
Redmond has sold just around 1.5 million of the devices to date, Bloomberg reports, citing sources who claim knowledge of the company's sales figures.
That's a little more …
Modder hacks SimCity for unlimited offline play
DRM the only reason for game launch disaster?
A server glitch that rendered the latest version of SimCity virtually unplayable mere hours after its launch could have easily been avoided, players say – because contrary to its publisher's claims, the game doesn't actually require network access at all.
SimCity fans have been fuming over the outage, leading Amazon to pull the …
OpenSUSE 12.3 ships, project back on track
OpenStack, Secure Boot, and kernel 3.7 among upgrades
Following a shorter-than-usual development cycle, the popular openSUSE Linux distribution has released openSUSE 12.3, bringing a host of updates and improvements for the desktop, servers, and the cloud.
The previous release, openSUSE 12.2, was plagued by various delays and ultimately shipped two months late. For the new version …
Redmond to skip Patch Tuesday for Windows Store apps
All updates, all the time for touchy-feely tiles
Microsoft has announced that it will ship fixes and updates for the Windows Store apps that come bundled with Windows 8 and Windows RT as soon as they are available, rather than issuing them in batches as it does for the rest of Windows.
"We are committed to adapting our policies as the world evolves and with the new Windows …
Adobe thinks outside box, nixes retail Creative Suite packaging
Downloads only for Photoshop and family
Adobe is moving ahead with plans to phase out the boxed, retail versions of its Creative Suite and Acrobat software families, in favor of a distribution model based exclusively on digital downloads and subscriptions.
Word that the graphics software maker had set a hard date to stop selling its wares on physical discs first …
Devs tease early screenshots of Ubuntu Touch Core Apps
Canonical's mobes and slabs may actually be useful soon
Ubuntu developer Michael Hall has posted screenshots of early versions of what Canonical is calling the "Core Apps" for Ubuntu Touch, the new flavor of the popular Linux distribution that's being rewritten to run on mobile devices as well as PCs.
There wasn't much you could actually do with Ubuntu Touch when Canonical released …
Retailer challenges Visa penalty fees in data security dust-up
Claims it was charged despite 'no evidence' of breach
In a payment industry first, a sporting-goods retailer has filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against Visa, arguing that the penalties the credit card company charges its members for data security breaches are unfair.
As reported by Wired, retailer Genesco alleges that Visa seized some $13m in funds from its merchant bank …
Microsoft Flash FLIP-FLOP: it's now IE10 default for Win8, WinRT
Updated Only 4% of sites still considered off-limits
Microsoft has had an apparent change of heart with regard to Adobe Flash content on Windows 8 and Windows RT: it has announced that it will now allow most Flash content to run by default in Internet Explorer 10 on both operating systems.
"We believe having more sites 'just work' in IE10 improves the experience for consumers, …
Self-healing chips survive repeated LASER BLASTS
Terminator tech keeps running despite multiple faults
Modern high-speed integrated circuits can be fragile things. Even a single fault can often render them completely inoperable. But a team of researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) says it has developed an "immune system" for chips that can allow circuits to route around problems and keep working in the …
MakerBot demos 3D object scanner that fits on your desk
Printable garden gnomes in as little as three minutes
MakerBot, producer of the Replicator line of desktop 3D printers, took to the stage at the SXSW Interactive conference in Austin, Texas on Friday to demo a prototype of its first desktop 3D scanner.
While 3D printing may be no big deal these days – numerous affordable models are available and enthusiasts are using them to print …
PayPal enters 21st Century with developer tools refresh
REST-based APIs, mobile SDK among first wave of updates
Online payments giant PayPal has spruced up its developer tools with new APIs, a new mobile SDK, and a new, one-stop developer website – all changes that company execs admit are long overdue.
"Back in 2009, PayPal was the first financial company to open up its payments APIs for developers around the world," PayPal CTO James …
Red Hat: We still love Java 6, even if Oracle doesn't
Says it's taking over leadership of OpenJDK 6
Red Hat has announced that it is assuming the leadership of the OpenJDK 6 community, just days after Oracle issued what it said would be the final patch for version 6 of its commercial Java SE 6 Development Kit.
Oracle posted JDK 6 Update 43 on Monday as an emergency patch for the latest in a series of severe vulnerabilities …
Google, MPEG LA kiss and make up in WebM patent spat
Open source VP8 codec now officially legit
Google and the MPEG LA licensing body have announced that they have reached a licensing agreement for patents related to the Chocolate Factory's WebM streaming media technology, clearing the cloud of potential litigation that has loomed over the format for more than two years.
At issue was VP8, the codec used for the video …
Mark Shuttleworth: Canonical leads Ubuntu, not 'your whims'
'I have no interest in being 1337'
After several months without posting, Mark Shuttleworth has returned to his official blog with some harsh words for those in the Ubuntu community who have been critical of Canonical's recent efforts to transform the OS into a multi-faceted platform for mobile devices and the cloud.
"If you've done what you want for Ubuntu, then …
Carl Icahn may be planning to block Dell buyout
Has gobbled up 100 million shares in two weeks
A new potential opponent to the proposed leveraged buyout of Dell by founder Michael Dell has emerged, in the form of none other than corporate raider activist investor Carl Icahn.
On Wednesday, the special committee of Dell's board appointed to investigate the deal declared that selling the company would be the best option for …
Redmond slashing Win8, Office OEM rates for small devices
'Build more Windows slabs and notebooks, pleeease!'
Microsoft is reportedly offering its OEM partners discounted rates on its Windows 8 and Office 2013 software, in a move designed to encourage production of more Windows-powered tablets and ultraportables.
As to just how low Redmond is willing to go, however, and what kinds of devices qualify for the discounts, reports vary. …
Microsoft about-face: Office 2013 license IS transferable now
Updated No longer tied to outdated, broken PCs
In a reversal of its previously announced policy, Microsoft says it is altering the terms of the retail Office 2013 license to remove the clause that permanently tied each installation of the suite to a single PC.
"Based on customer feedback we have changed the Office 2013 retail license agreement to allow customers to transfer …
Gnome cofounder: Desktop Linux is a CHERNOBYL of FAIL
Has been chugging Mac Kool-Aid for months
Gnome project cofounder and current Xamarin CTO Miguel de Icaza says he's done wrestling with Linux on the desktop, and that he now uses Apple kit exclusively for all of his workstation needs.
De Icaza is well known in the open source community for developing a number of client-side technologies for Linux, including the Midnight …
Google offers limited data on National Security Letters
'Yes, we received a few ... hundred'
Google has expanded its semiannual Transparency Report to include data about National Security Letters (NSLs) – albeit only a very small amount of data, given the strict secrecy that continues to surround the controversial documents.
NSLs are letters written by US government agencies – usually the FBI, but occasionally such …
Android 4.2.2 finally coming to Verizon's Galaxy Nexus
First update for 4G LTE Nexus mobe in six months
Owners of Verizon's 4G LTE version of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus handset may soon receive an update to the latest version of Android, weeks after other Galaxy Nexus devices received it and fully six months after the Verizon model got its last official update.
Twitter user @WinDroidGuy was the first to spot the update package on …
Oracle trowels more plaster over flawed Java browser plugin
Emergency patches issued for two more exploits
Oracle has issued a rare emergency patch to address two vulnerabilities in the Java plugin for web browsers that the company says are being actively exploited.
"Due to the severity of these vulnerabilities, and the reported exploitation of CVE-2013-1493 'in the wild,' Oracle strongly recommends that customers apply the updates …
Canonical announces Mir display server to replace X Windows
Plans to rewrite Ubuntu's GUI from ground up
Canonical has announced plans to develop new, open source Linux display-server software called Mir, in a move that it says will help further its goal of offering a unified Ubuntu user experience across PCs, smartphones, tablets, and smart TVs.
Traditionally, desktop Linux distributions have rendered their GUIs using software …
Microsoft offers developer tools for its lonely Office Store
Visual Studio kit for building Office add-ons exits preview
Microsoft really wants developers to build apps for the new version of its Office productivity suite – both standalone and subscription – and to that end it has released a new set of tools for Visual Studio 2012 designed to make it easier to develop, test, and deploy Office add-ons.
"The Office Developer Tools for Visual Studio …
Canadian cyborg says Google Glass design is cracked
Bad choices could 'set the movement back years'
Wearable computing pioneer and self-proclaimed "cyborg" Steve Mann says it's fine that Google is popularizing wearable technology with its Project Glass, but he's concerned that the online giant may be making serious mistakes with its design.
"I have mixed feelings about the latest developments," Mann writes in the March issue …
Tito's Mars mission to use HUMAN WASTE as radiation shield
Bags full of urine and feces lining spacecraft walls
The team behind a planned private manned mission to Mars say they've come up with a way to protect voyagers from radiation exposure during the long trip: pack the walls of the spacecraft with a layer of the astronauts' own waste.
"It's a little queasy sounding, but there's no place for that material to go, and it makes great …
HGST: Nano-tech will double hard disk capacity in 10 years
Self-assembling molecules to boost drive density
HGST, the Western Digital subsidiary formerly known as Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, says it has developed a method of manufacturing hard-disk platters using nanotechnology that could double the density of today's hard drives.
The new technique employs a combination of self-assembling molecules and nanoimprinting, …
Mind-melded rats could herald organic BRAIN-COMPUTERS
Rodent thoughts transmitted over 4,000 miles
Neuroboffins at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, have managed to link the brains of two rats on different continents in an experiment they claim could pave the way for organic supercomputers built from networked animal brains.
In a paper published in the journal Scientific Reports on Thursday, Duke researcher Miguel …
BlackBerry juices Z10 handset with OTA software update
Here comes the first batch of fixes improvements
BlackBerry spent months touting the virtues of its new Z10 smartphone before its launch, and now it says the Z10 is even better than ever, thanks to the device's first over-the-air (OTA) software update.
In a blog post announcing the update on Thursday, Michael Clewey, BlackBerry's director of handheld software product …
Groupon CEO Mason sent packing as shares continue to plummet
'I was fired today and you all know why'
Groupon CEO Andrew Mason has been handed his walking papers, to be replaced by executive chairman Eric Lefkofsky and vice chairman Ted Leonsis on an interim basis while the board looks for a new chief exec.
The move comes less than 24 hours after the struggling daily-deals site announced yet another disappointing quarter, …
