If you own an smartphone manufactured by HTC running Windows Mobile, you’re about to receive a free software update. We don’t know when it’ll hit or what it will do, but it’ll do something. HTC has been criticized by some for what they consider poor implementation of of graphics acceleration in certain handsets, saying that the devices are sluggish due to poor drivers for… → Read More
Did American companies violate U.S. law by selling hi-tech police equipment to the Chinese? The Old Gray Lady asks this today, examining a recent Chinese police equipment trade show held in Beijing where several American companies, including Motorola and DuPont, were notably present. (An old law going back to Tiananmen Square prevents American companies from selling police equipment to China.) On… → Read More
I don’t know if this is more or less ridiculous than Marvel claiming sole ownership of “super hero.” At least they had a hand in, if not creating from scratch, at least popularizing the term. But Futuremark, while an established company in an area where pwnage is rampant, has neither pwned anybody (ever) or even been in a situation where pwning was an option. And let’s be… → Read More
About a year ago, I learned that just because you don’t store copyrighted materials on your server, “facilitating the transfer or consumption” of said material is still a no-no. I was considering building a sweet video player web app (using SopCast) that streamed the Sunday NFL games simultaneously next to each other in a clickable grid that would allow someone to watch all the… → Read More
[photopress:pirate_bay_logo.jpg,full,right]The captains of the Pirate Bay BitTorrent site will be formally charged with conspiracy to break copyright law. Pirate Bay was raided in 2006, though it wasn’t long before the site was back on its feet. Those being charged are maintaining that there’s no legal grounds for the charges against them and plan to fight the case in open court. → Read More
[photopress:i_killed_my_treo.jpg,full,center] In the last three weeks, I’ve been to seven airports. CES, Macworld, and other travels have sent me all over the place. One thing I always check out when I run across them are airport Palm stores. See, I’m a Palm believer. They started the handheld and smartphone revolutions, we owe them a lot. And I think they have a few bright products on… → Read More
Police in New Carrollton, Maryland are among the first in the state to use the magic of modern technology to issue tickets to motorists. Information about the driver in question is pulled from the Maryland motor vehicle database and then printed out in the squad car. Sounds very simple, no? Before this system, "officers would write out 5 copies of each citation by hand" and about 10-15… → Read More
Shame on you, Staples and HP! Lull us into a false sense of security with your hilarious Easy Button and not hilarious celebrities’-hands-doing-stuff commercials while you pull the wool over our eyes with your printer ink price-fixing. I feel violated, although that might have nothing to do with this HP/Staples stuff. These are all allegations at this point, so let’s not get too bent… → Read More
I guess it’s kind of a normal thing right now for tech companies in the far east to sue each other regularly over technicalities in order to get a leg up competition-wise. So, feeling the fever, Sharp decided to get in on the frenzy and throw down against LCD TV rival Samsung. The suits concern “brightness, response speeds and viewing angles of LCD panels,” apparently, which… → Read More
Ever send an e-mail on your corporate account that you regret sending? Ever think that deleting it from your local folder or from the server will save you from Legal’s wrath? Don’t. Apparently the Feds have software that can detect several layers of deletion, which is worse than you might think. Let’s say I send an e-mail to Peter saying “You’re dumb and no one likes… → Read More
A teen being investigated in connection with a murder secretly used the MP3 player in his pocket to record an interrogation that the detective working the case swore under oath never took place. I’ve always wondered whether or not detectives searched suspects before locking themselves in an interrogation room. You’d think they’d at least check for weapons but who knows, maybe… → Read More
Two bills passed in the House yesterday concerning ISPs’ responsibilities for reporting child pornography. The first bill dictates that "ISPs would have to inform the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children of the Internet identity and geographic location of suspected sex offenders and the time child pornography was downloaded." → Read More
Gentle readers, congratulate us. We, as bloggers, are now legally protected as “journalists”. Or at least we’re getting there. Take that, legitimate press. Phillip Smith has just won an important case that sets a precedent that we’re going to use at some point. He’s a blogger. He was an angry blogger due to some bad experiences working with an eBay listing company. → Read More
We don’t normally discuss class action lawsuits here on the Gear, mostly because we’re not fond of fostering the idea that lawyers can do good. In this case, however, you’re very possibly due for a bate for 5% from Seagate, if you’ve purchased one of its harddrives in the last six years. That’s enough money to get you most of the way to the Transformers DVD. → Read More
I’m always scared of lawyers. We live in litigious times, and lawyers are the “new priesthood, baby!” They’re involved in everything. When I got my first “cease and desist” from Apple, we had a party. I’m not sure what that says about me or Apple, but it makes a point: when threatened, we rattle our sabers in the form of calling our lawyers. What’s… → Read More
This is the kind of story I don’t like to write, but sometimes you have to do things like this. It’s my sad duty to inform you that our birdy in Duluth just msged me to say that the verdict is in on the RIAA vs. Jammie Thomas trial. Regular readers note that we’ve been following this trial, as it’s the first suit by the RIAA to make it to the trial phase. The judge has… → Read More
The big record labels are getting brazen. Really brazen. Today marks the opening of the first trial between the RIAA and a person it says illegally downloaded music. The problem for the RIAA is this person, and by person I mean damned hero, has decided to fight back. The RIAA has acted like a bully in most cases it’s pursued so far, so it’s great to see someone taking a stand. But… → Read More
We know you hate the RIAA. Everyone hates the RIAA (except, of course, for the RIAA). Somehow, it’s about the only thing I can think of less popular than the Prez that still gets to continue to function. The RIAA is like a pack of untrained dogs: It sees someone it can clobber, then it does just that. It tackles and rips apart and gnaws and revels in the chaos and destruction it’s… → Read More
A Minnesota man (not me) has demanded to see the source code for the breathalyzer that landed him in the clink. Whether or not Dale Lee Underdahl would know what to do with the source code once it’s in his clammy hands is uncertain but “if a company proves unwilling to turn over the code, the case is often thrown out…” → Read More
We’re filing this one under “cruel, humorous irony.” State Senator Carole Migden is a crusader for public safety, it would seem, voting for a measure to fine people for talking on their cellphones while driving, because that’s far more dangerous than, say, tuning the radio or eating, explaining why those activities are still perfectly legal. Imagine how red-faced she must… → Read More
If there’s even a minor flaw in a product, there’s money to be made by lawyers and PC fanboys. A San Diego filing for a class-action law suit by Fred Greaves and Dave Gatley is the latest legal trouble for the Cupertino company. The lawsuit claims that Apple was marketing Macbook and Macbook Pro displays as if they were god’s gift to mankind. Claims are made that the Macbook Pro… → Read More
Sheesh. I wonder if Symantec is going after the guy TorrentFreak interviewed. I doubt it, as Symantec is attacking eight companies it says illegally copied its software to avoid licensing fees. The software maker is looking for $55 million in damages and jury trials, meaning this just isn’t a case of Joe Blow burning a copy of Norton AntiVirus for his co-worker. According to the lawsuit… → Read More
Over in Minnesota, a group of imprisoned sex offenders are pissed off because guards confiscated PCs they were using in their cells/rooms. So like any American, they took it to a court of appeals, only to have it shot down by a judge with half a brain. I’m guessing the court appearance went something like this: Judge: Why should I let a group of sex offenders keep their PCs? Inmates: So we… → Read More
While NJ may have been one of the first states to ban driving and talking on a cellphone, Washington is smart enough to realize that plenty of people still text while they drive. Now in an effort to curb accidents and careless driving, Washington has made it illegal to operate a cellphone while driving. However, it’s a secondary offense, meaning the po’ can only give you a ticket if… → Read More
Apparently, fair use is going to hell in a hand-basket very soon. If I buy a CD and don’t want to keep it anymore, I should be able to sell it to a third-party for a considerable sum of money. According to Florida and Utah law though, you can’t do that. In fact, these two states are placing restrictions on the sale of used CDs so that you must submit plenty of identification as well as… → Read More
SubRosaSoft.com has developed a device that it claims can extract passwords from OS X 10.3 or later Macs. The unit consists of a single flash drive that is capable of pulling passwords from the Apple Keychain and system settings. It also compiles a database of the system it’s installed on. There is one catch though, to purchase one, you have to be an investigator or a law enforcement… → Read More
Sure you can pin the blame on your unsecured router when the RIAA or MPAA comes knocking at your door, but when it’s the FBI and you’re accused of having tons of child pornography, don’t think you’re getting out of this one so easily. A guy in Texas had his home raided and the police found lots of child porn on his computer. When confronted, he blamed his router’s… → Read More
nee iPodGarage and now PodReady.com. See, the name PodReady would make people think of iPods and that could lead to a .00098% loss of revenue for the Madison, Wisconsin Best Buy store between October 2 and October 3 of this year due to reduced iPod sales. Protect your IP. Protect your designs. Protect your content. But please, big companies, don’t make your shiz a household name and then cry… → Read More
Governor Arnold is set to sign a bill today to outlaw drivers from talking on cell phones in cars unless they are using a headset or some other hands-free device. The law goes into action January 1, 2008, and will cost drivers $20 for a first time fine and $50 thereafter. Californians, you’ve got one year to get a phone that supports Bluetooth, get a headset, or get some kind of hands-free… → Read More
A district judge in Lousiana threw out a bill today that would ban the sales of violent video games to minors. U.S. District Judge, James Brady, said the state had no right to stop any distribution of games because they contained violence. Brady dubbed the law an “invasion of First Amendment rights” of producers, retailers and kiddies who play the games. He said that depictions of… → Read More
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