Kmart’s Black Friday flyer was released today on the Black Friday.info website and it seems to have a few good deals and doorbusters for those looking to get some great prices on their gadgets for Christmas.  Kmart will open its doors at 6 am on Black Friday.

For five hours only, you can buy the Magellan Roadmate 1220 for the low price of $84.99.  The TomTom XL32SS will be on sale for $99.99 on both Friday and Saturday.  Other 6 am to 11 am doorbuster deals include the Delstar 7 inch wireless netbook for $119.99 and a Sylvania portable DVD player for $49.99.  If you are a fan of Cobra products, one of their radar detectors and two way radios are priced at fifty percent off.

If you know anyone that wants a small 2 GB stick mp3 player that holds about 1000 songs, you can pick one up on Black Friday for only $9.99.  Get $50 in store savings on the Samsung SL40 digital camera and pay only $79.99. The Panasonic Class 42 inch plasma television is being sold for $549 while the Magnavox DVD/VCR combo is priced at just $49.99. 

Read [Black Friday.info]

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With the impending release of the Verizon Droid, we already know that Android 2.0 is on the way.  There have been some leaks regarding what’s going into the next version of the mobile OS, and now Google has made them official.  The new version will add a lot of interesting features that could lead to some interesting new devices, as well as better functionality.

Among those new features is support for a larger variety of screen sizes, which will allow for the Verizon Droid’s massive 845 x 480 pixel display.  The new screen sizes will allow all apps to work on all phones, but larger screens will obviously see more than smaller screens.  The biggest improvement aside from allowing for larger screens, which should make most users of stock Android rejoice is an improved virtual keyboard with multitouch support.  No more typing too fast for the keyboard by using two fingers, finally.  It would make sense for multitouch to also come to the now improved browser, but sadly Apple has the patents on that is seems.  Instead, the new browser will feature double-tap to zoom, as well as HTML 5 support and an improved UI.  Other improvements include a combined inbox, Quick Contact to easily select just how you want to contact someone, and a host of camera improvements among others.

Android 2.0 looks to be the Android version we’ve all been waiting for.  Sure, the platform, like all platforms, will never please anyone, but it’s certainly improving a lot.  The SDK was just released today and the consumer version should be ready by November by the looks of it.  It might not have the app selection or the brand that is associated with the iPhone, but for those who don’t want to be stuck with AT&T or Apple, Android is becoming a more viable option.  With 2.0 and the upcoming Droid, it might finally be Android’s time to show off what it can do.

Read [Android Developers]

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Welcome back to InterrupTech where we catch you up on the most important tech stories.  This week there’s plenty to cover:

• The Barnes & Noble Nook e-Reader gets official
• Windows 7 is here
• The Motorola Droid goes after the iPhone
• Apple updates the iMac, MacBook, and introduces the Magic Mouse
• RIM’s BlackBerry watch
• VW launches car via iPhone app
• Google’s music service

The best part about the show?  Topics move quickly, but if you don’t like a topic, just skip it.  Keep an eye on that timer to help you along.  Enjoy the show.

Full Story » | Written by Iyaz Akhtar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Just as Apple prepares to introduce the iPhone in China, they were hit with a lawsuit from Nokia alleging patent infringement. The suit pits the world’s largest manufacturer of cellphones against the maker of the most popular smartphone in history.  Nokia says Apple refused to enter into a licensing agreement, unlike the 40 other cellphone makers who use Nokia’s technology.

“By refusing to agree to appropriate terms for Nokia’s intellectual property, Apple is attempting to get a free ride on the back of Nokia’s innovation,” said Ilkka Rahnasto, Nokia’s vice president for legal and intellectual property.

The technology is multi-faceted and includes wireless data, security, encryption, and speech coding.  Nokia says it doesn’t want to stop iPhone sales, it simply wants to be compensated for the use of its patents.

Just last year Nokia reached a settlement with Qualcomm which required it to pay over $2 billion and arrange future royalties for use of Qualcomm’s 3G related technology.  The companies say they plan to develop phones and mobile devices together.  Apple has refused comment on the lawsuit.

Read [Wall Street Journal]

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The rumors that started in June appear to be becoming a reality.  Hulu will soon start charging for content.  Hulu board member Chase Cary said it’s time for the site to adopt a “meaningful subscription model.”  He was quick to add that the entire site would not be fee based but was unsure exactly what the pay wall would contain.  He suggested maybe the site would offer special programming or advanced screenings.

When the news broke, Twitter erupted.  Angry users began throwing the idea of a site boycott around and blasting the decision. “Hulu will be the next Megavideo. Don’t companies get it? We don’t pay for media anymore. If we appreciate the song/movie, we’ll buy it!” said one user. “The good times are over,” lamented another. “Screw you, Hulu!”

Hulu isn’t the first online media outlet to decide to implement a pay model.  Newsday, a Long Island based newspaper, has announced it will begin to charge non-subscribers $20 a month, or $5 a week, to access the paper’s website.

With newspapers dying and more and more people relying on the Internet to get their news, entertainment and other information, such moves make sense. The old media is starting to realize not only the large audiences the net offers, but also the need to embrace new media sources to keep their bottom line up.  However asking people to pay for something they are used to getting for free is never easy.  Hopefully, Hulu will find a way to soften the blow and make the change easy to swallow.

If Hulu does decide to make more than just special programming available for a fee, it may well drive business to such sites as Amazon and iTunes.  They both offer TV shows for purchase either per episode or full season, but unlike Hulu which doesn’t let you save content to your hard drive or mobile device, they do.  That’s a big deal to a lot of folks.  There are some third party programs that claim to let you download and save Hulu content but they aren’t free and likely violate Hulu’s ToS.

Offering such a download and save feature might be just what Hulu needs to make their transition to a pay service have a better chance at success.

Read [LA Times]

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Many big companies have already entered into the e-Reader department, most notably Amazon and Sony.  Apparently Barnes & Noble have been working on e-Reader designs for quite some time now, and images and product information are finally beginning to surface.  Barnes & Noble has already announced a product event slated for next Tuesday, October 20.  All reports indicate that B&N will announce the anticipated e-Reader. 

At first, it was thought the device would contain special e-ink color technology, but all text and images will still be in black and white, similar to the Amazon Kindle.  However, the reader will contain multi-touch technology, similar to that of the iPhone.  Now, you have to imagine that B&N would not be just creating an e-Reader without having other ways of creating revenue.  They will be offering the books they publish for deeper discounts, probably to sway on-the-fence e-Reader customers towards the B&N device.  Why not throw Google Books into the mix?  The e-Reader should also have unlimited access to books in the Google Books database, which aren’t current, but better than nothing. 

Based on the images provided, the device looks to have a fairly big screen, with the virtual QWERTY keyboard only taking up about 20%-30% of the actual device.  Interestingly enough, it has a physical light on the top which can be turned on or off by a switch.  I suppose additional light plus the backlight would definitely ensure readers will not have to strain their eyes to see the text. 

The obvious advantage B&N would have over the Amazon Kindle is the fact that they have many physical brick-and-mortar stores over the United States.  In fact, where I live, everyone knows of B&N, as they have a high distinction.  They can use this to their advantage to encourage people to purchase books from within their stores for cheaper, as well as through 3G/WiFi.  Maybe they could even institute monthly fees that allows a for a certain amount of books to be “checked out” from their physical stores.  Of course, we will only learn more information when their event rolls around next week. 

Read [Gizmodo]

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Apple quietly acquired Placebase, a mapping company that allows users to overlay maps with personal data.  With the recent fallout between Apple and Google, we’ve got to wonder if Apple is looking to depend less on Google for its mapping, one of the stock apps on the iPhone and iPod touch.

Interestingly, this news broke today, the same day that Strategy Analytics announced a survey that says mobile users in the US and Western Europe trust Google Maps more than any other.  While Google Maps lack audible turn-by-turn navigation, the service is seen as being the most accurate as compared to others, including fee-for-service outfits like TeleNav.

With the Google Voice App snafu, Google’s CEO leaving Apple’s board of directors, and Google Latitude remanded to just a web-app, it would seem that Apple is looking towards a future that may not include Google.  Would that mean that the iPhone’s Safari browser would not have Google as its default search?  As mobile becomes more and more lucrative for search, we’ve got to wonder if that will have an impact on future prospects for Google.

The other concern is if Apple tries to invent a new location service like Latitude, will it be just for the iPhone?  If so, the value of the service declines greatly for those of us that have contacts with other phones that likely won’t be compatible with Apple’s service.  Google Latitude seemed almost perfect as it works over so many different devices and OSes.

Read [Stuff.tv]

Image credit: Apple

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There’s money involved, so it’s got to be true.

Deutsche Bank analysts say that the rumor of Verizon passing on picking up the Palm Pre were preposterous.

The world of tech is filled of business decisions that could only be fueled by some kind of drug-induced lunacy.  This is the column that calls out the companies that might need to hit rehab.  Today, we’re looking at you, Palm, Microsoft, Verizon, and Intel.

Celebrities to move Pixis?

A lot of us in the tech community have a soft spot for Palm.  Their PDAs were an excellent execution of simplicity in technology.  Somewhere they got lost in the shuffle as smartphones came in to eat Palm’s lunch when Palm clearly had their lunch labeled with a black marker on a brown bag at the fridge of the company kitchen.  Then in a sink or swim situation back in January 2009, Palm introduced the Palm Pre with its webOS.  Many people were thrilled that Palm was on its way back.

Recently, the second webOS phone was announced, the Palm Pixi.  To promote their product, they ran a series of teaser trailers and got the phone in the hands of reviewers and the public right away.  No, wait, that did not happen.  Palm did get a bunch of celebrities to hold the Pixi.  Then Palm took pictures of the event so people will know that Palm products are da bomb, dog.  Is this going to move products?  How about landing deals with as many carriers as you can instead of wasting time that you do not have on photo ops?

Microsoft Secrecy

Pictures of the Microsoft booklet computer, the Courier, and the rumored Pink phone were floating around the web this week.  Why?  Because Microsoft is apparently the anti-Apple when it comes to security this week.  Maybe their people in charge of secrecy were sniffing glue in the corner when someone came in to swipe a PowerPoint presentation. 

Also, the Pink and the Courier crushed the spirits of the Associate Editor of Gadgetell, JG Mason, to the point where he was unable to write this column.  He is sitting in the corner mumbling about styli on the Courier and the overall cheap look of the supposed Pink phones.  Why would you need a stylus to use a computer these days?  Aren’t we living in the future with flying cars, wireless power, and monkey butlers? 

Verizon: We hate you, Palm Pre.

Way back in July 2009, Verizon was touting that they would have the Pre.  Now, it looks like it just won’t happen.

Verizon, that company with an awesome network without a superphone, thinks the Pre is not good enough for them. Why would Vz say no to the Pre?  The Pre just doesn’t sell enough.  Crazy idea, Verizon.  Maybe people do not want to buy the Pre right now because they were waiting for it to come out on another carrier.  You see, perhaps a Verizon Palm Pre would be the answer to those sales woes. 

We know that the head of Verizon is reading this - maybe you want to rethink denying the Pre. 

Intel’s Moblin

You can tell netbooks are here to stay when operating systems are tailored to them.  Microsoft Windows 7 is built to work on these underpowered machines.  Then there is Intel’s Moblin.  The initial version of this mobile Linux operating system was the exact opposite of a smash hit.  Over at the Intel Developer Forum, Intel brought out its new version of Moblin - and get this - Dell will have a netbook running Moblin soon.  Why is Intel in the software biz?  Perhaps they are just trying to tick off Microsoft to the point where Microsoft builds its own hardware using Tegra processors and ditches Intel altogether.  Wait a second.  Didn’t that happen with the Zune HD?  Would Microsoft even contemplate building machines without packing an Intel processor?  Wait, they did that with the Xbox 360. 

For those of you who think Gadgetell is on crack for doing this column without JG, he’ll be back next week. 

Full Story » | Written by Iyaz Akhtar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Amazon is getting in on the cable business.  The AmazonBasics line of cables is Amazon’s audio/video and computer cables that come in Amazon’s Frustration Free Packaging (meaning no blister-packs).  Assuming AmazonBasics are decent quality cables, this is an interesting development.  Finding a particular cable on Amazon.com can be somewhat troublesome with so many different vendors selling various brands of cables.  The AmazonBasics line ought to streamline picking up odds and ends for your computer or home theater. 

I would imagine that certain companies will not like the idea of Amazon pushing its own branded goods over their own.  Would you pick up a $99 Monster HDMI cable or an AmazonBasics HDMI cable for $8.94? 

Right now, the AmazonBasics line includes USB cables, FireWire cables, CD-Rs, DVR+R, DVD-Rs, networking cables, and various home theater cables.  Prices seem quite reasonable when compared to some other brands.  I wouldn’t expect to see televisions or portable electronics under the AmazonBasics brand, but Amazon could always come up with some other clever name for that - maybe AmazonElectronics?

Read: [Pocket-Lint]

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The New York Office of the Attorney General has announced Dell will pay $4 million to settle a lawsuit the AG filed against it back in 2007.  The suit accused Dell of misleading customers by making false promises of cheap financing and refusing to honor rebates and warranties.  In May of last year, the New York State Supreme Court found the company guilty of fraud, false advertising, abusive debt collection practices, and deceptive business practices.

Along with the settlement, Dell is required to disclose detailed information about the level of service their customers will receive and the percentage of customers that qualify for low cost financing.

“Today’s announcement is the final step in ensuring New Yorkers harmed by Dell’s deceptive and illegal business practices are fully compensated,” said Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo said in a statement announcing the settlement.

If you are a New York resident you can go online to the AG’s website and file an application for restitution.

Read [PCWorld]

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A new ad exchange available through Google is preparing for a public launch according to reports.  It is expected to debut in two weeks during Advertising Week, an annual exhibition that takes place in New York.  The ad exchange will be made available through the DoubleClick unit of Google and it will allow access to excess ad inventory.  The excess ads are sold to advertisers at a low rate through an open bidding process.

This ad exchange focuses on display ads instead of Google’s traditional top selling text ads.  Display ads include banner and image based online advertisements.  In 2008, Google acquired DoubleClick in a way to venture into money making opportunities through display ads.

Although the new display project will not go public for another couple of weeks, Google has opened up DoubleClick on an invitation only basis to some of their best advertising partners.  There has been no feedback on the DoubleClick branch since all parties involved are bound by non-disclosure agreements.  Google has not released any official word on the launch of DoubleClick.

Read: [Clickz]

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The Telegraph is reporting that T-Mobile, which is partly owned by the German government, is interested in taking over Sprint/Nextel.  The move that would make the combined unit the 2nd largest telecom in the US.  Technical hurdles exist, but the move could position the unit in the US to become a spoiler in the AT&T/Verizon battle.

Interestingly, the German government has a 32% stake in T-Mobile.  Word is a bid could come in the next few weeks.  Sprint is currently valued at $10.6 billion, so this is a major transaction.

The biggest technical hurdle is Sprint runs CDMA while T-Mobile is GSM.  The two incompatible technologies mean an expensive conversion as T-Mobile would look to dump CDMA.  The move to 4G negates much of this difference in the long run, but short term, you’ve got two networks that don’t play with each other.  More on this as it happens.

Read: [Telegraph]

Full Story » | Written by JG Mason for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Welcome back to InterrupTech where we catch you up on the most important tech stories.  This week there’s plenty to cover:

• Apple updates nano, adds camera
• iTunes 9 drops with new features
• Palm Pixi announced and Pre price drop
• Moto adopts Android
• Sprint says call anyone, it’s on us.
• AT&T says call any 5 people.

The best part about the show?  Topics move quickly, but if you don’t like a topic, just skip it.  Keep an eye on that timer to help you along.  Enjoy the show.

Full Story » | Written by Iyaz Akhtar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

The U.S. Department of Justice is deepening their investigation into the Yahoo!-Bing deal.  They’ve asked both Microsoft and Yahoo! for more information about their search engine deal.  In July, the two companies announced a deal that would have Microsoft’s Bing power Yahoo’s search with a split of the ad revenue.  Both said the DOJ’s request wasn’t unexpected and they remain confident that the deal would be approved.

“We confidently believe the information we’ll provide will confirm that the deal is not only good for Yahoo and Microsoft, but also good for advertisers, publishers, and, ultimately, consumers,” said Yahoo! spokesman Adam Grossberg.

The investigation is mandated by the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, which says that mergers and business deals that meet certain requirements must be reviewed by the government.  Once the required paperwork is filed it usually takes 30 days for approval unless further information is requested.

The deal may also require approval by the European Commission, but Microsoft isn’t yet certain of what needs to happen.  The Commission is currently investigating the Oracle-Sun deal.

Read [PCWorld]

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The company that intends to buy the controversial site Pirate Bay has found itself in some serious trouble.  The Swedish stock market, known as AktieTorget, has kicked them off the exchange, claiming they misled investors.

Sweden’s Economic Crime Bureau has launched an investigation into possible insider trading after noticing a dramatic increase in trading of the company’s shares a week before the sale was announced.  AktieTorget claims Global Gaming lied about having the money needed to buy the site and also about being in the final stages of signing a content deal with the major entertainment company it boasted about in a recent press release.

“It will be difficult for Aktietorget to explain when we close the deal in two weeks since the funding is not supposed to be in place,” Global Gaming CEO Hans Pandeya wrote to CNET News. “People will start asking questions about what has been going on. I don’t think Peter Gonczi (vice president and head of market surveillance at Aktietorget) will then be as active as he has been with the press.”

Pandeya claims he is going to use his own funds to buy The Pirate Bay, a claim that has been called into doubt after the Swedish press published photos of his car, boat, and motorcycle being repossessed.  At this point the purchase looks to be in serious jeopardy.

Read [CNet]

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Thinking about buying a new TV?  Well, new Energy Star certification standards for 2010 and 2012 will make it harder for TV manufacturers to get the Energy Star sticker on their product.  The new standards will demand 40 to 65% greater efficiency in power consumption, respectively.  In particular, TVs over 50 inches in size will be held to the same in-use requirements as 50 inch TVs, which is 108 watts.  Hopefully, the stricter standards will not only influence consumer behavior, leading to purchases of more efficient TVs, but also encourage manufacturers to improve the technology in their televisions.

Read: [CNET]

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Harman will be providing car tech for Merceds-Benz thanks to a new deal between Harman and Daimler AG.  What can you expect in your next Mercedes?  Of course there will be navigation and wireless connectivity, but there is also Internet access.  The system will be hard drive based and you will be able to upload your music to it as well.  The Harman system will use Harman’s “GreenEdge” technology which aims to reduce the amount of power consumed as well as keep weight low.  You’re probably familiar with Harman’s technology even if their name may sound unfamiliar.  Here are a few of their brands:  Harman Kardon, JBL, Infinity, AKG, and Mark Levinson.

Company Site: [Harman]

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Vringo has partnered with Marvel Comics to bring you cellphone video clips and video ringtones from Marvel’s Super Hero library.  A dedicated storefront at vringo.marvel.com lets you choose from pre-cut video clips/ringtones or search for a Marvel video and clip it to the 30 seconds you want.  Then you simply download the video clip to your phone. 

Available content ranges from Marvel’s classics to the Marvel properties of today.  If you have a Vringo-app-compatible phone (BlackBerry Bold, Tour, Curve 8900; Symbian; Windows Mobile; J2ME), you can make use of the clips as video ringtones.  Your first video clip is free and additional clips are available for $1.99.

Read: [Press Release]

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TiVo has won a suit it filed against Dish Network and now the satellite TV giant must pay up to the tune of $200 million.  The original suit was filed back in 2004 when TiVo sued EchoStar, which is now part of Dish Network, for a patent violation involving DVR technology.  A jury found in favor of TiVo in 2006 and ordered Dish to pay nearly $74 million.  Dish appealed twice and lost and then was ordered to pay an additional $103 million plus interest after being found in contempt of court for violating a permanent injunction on selling the infringing DVRs.

Frustrated over Dish’s refusal to comply, TiVo sued for close to $1 billion saying it was entitled to all of the company’s DVR profits over the past 5 years while the suit has been going on.  A judge found in favor of TiVo, but awarded the sum of $200 million saying Dish had made a good faith effort to design around the patent.

TiVo said in a statement, “We are pleased by the court’s ruling to impose contempt sanctions of approximately $200 million against EchoStar for its continued violation of a court-ordered permanent injunction…We are confident that this ruling brings us closer to final resolution.”

Dish Network said they plan to appeal with full confidence that they will win.

Read [CNet]

Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Welcome back to InterrupTech where we catch you up on the most important tech stories. This week there’s plenty to cover:

• Take Two pays out $20M for Hot Coffee
• Apple announced event for 09/09/09
• Gmail fails for 100 minutes, millions confused
• eBay sells majority share of Skype
• Opera 10 Released
• There can be only one Zune
• WinMo 6.5 coming October 6th
• NYU starts “Guitar Hero” themed course

Full Story » | Written by Iyaz Akhtar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

A few weeks ago we learned that Microsoft was to halt the sale of Word, one of its most popular applications.  The ban of Word came from a patent dispute with the Canadian company i4i that holds the patent for “custom XML.”  The suit saw Microsoft having to pay damages and halt the sale of the program that infringes the patent, which is Word.

Now it looks as if that ban will be halted, or at least delayed.  Microsoft gained the stay of the injunction through an order from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.  This isn’t the end, however, far from it.  Microsoft and i4i will give their arguments to the Court of Appeals on September 23, 2009.  The original ruling was to have the program banned from sale within 60 days, putting it in mid-October.

We knew Microsoft was appealing the decision, so the delay comes as no big surprise.  Even if this does end with the injunction staying as it was, there’s no way Microsoft will allow Word to not be sold.  If the Court of Appeals rules in favor of i4i, expect Microsoft to write them a check to license the XML they used for Word files.  If the ruling comes down for Microsoft, maybe i4i will try to go after other companies that might infringe on their patent.  Or maybe we can all go back to having no idea who i4i is.

Read [Reuters]

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Since June 2008, the Motion Picture Association of America (“MPAA”) has moved forward with a petition to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for the right to use selectable output control (SOC).  This practice involves disabling the analog or digital portions of a video stream to the consumer.  The MPAA claims using SOC would allow them to offer pre-DVD releases direct to the consumer while still protecting its copyright.

The problem is that the SOC could leave some current home entertainment technology disabled, particularly those that don’t have digital inputs.  Estimates of just how many households would be affected range from 11 to 20 million.  Right now, the MPAA is taking up the issue of these estimates with the FCC.  It argues that there is a lack of a verifiable source for the estimate and that it is overinclusive of households that own both older and newer TV sets.

Read: [Ars Technica]

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YouTube is attempting to build upon its popularity by offering full length features on a rental basis.  The company has been in talks with several movie studios about potential ways to make this possible.  Their biggest hurdle is attempting to get users to pay for premium content when free content is readily available on sites like Hulu and Crackle.com.

YouTube has been in contact with YouTube is talking to Lions Gate Entertainment, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Sony, and Warner Bros. about releasing movies the same day that the DVD becomes available and charging a set fee for instant online viewing.  The studios hope this type of venture could possibly help bring in revenue since DVD sales are down.

If YouTube does decide to start offering movie rentals, they face stiff competition from sites like iTunes, Netflix, and Amazon.com.  The talks are still in the early stages, so no pricing information has been indicated or an expected date when this service could become available.

Read: [Wall Street Journal]

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Witricity, a wireless electricity developer, predicts that televisions and computers may stop relying on their power cords for operation within the year.  Witricity is on the verge of releasing technology that powers light bulbs wirelessly from a wall socket placed several feet away.  Witricity works by converting electric power into a magnetic field and then sending it through the air at a particular frequency.

The CEO of the company, Eric Giler expects that this technology can help consumers get rid of power cords and batteries.  It can stop consumer reliance on disposable batteries and become greener.  Although wireless technology has been in the works for years, it has never been developed well enough to be offered commercially.  For instance, Powercast is a company that offers wireless electricity to low power appliances.  However, their technology does not have the ability to power products such as laptops and mobile phones.

To accept the wireless power, the technology will need to be added to electronic devices.  Giler says this will not cost much and thinks that as long as companies were willing to make the tweak, it could greatly reduce the environmental impact of disposable batteries. 

Read: [CNN]

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According to an exclusive retrieved by Shanzai.com from a “reliable” unnamed source, Acer and Lenovo plan to release a new operating system installed on a new form factor while running on a new platform.  The rumor is that the manufacturers plan to release Nvidia’s Tegra based devices running Google’s Chrome operating system.  It is expected that the targeted date of release could be as soon as the next couple of months. 

Nvidia’s Tegra platform utilizes a low power ARM processor along with a high performance graphics chip.  Google’s Chrome operating system was just announced this summer and Google indicated that it would not be ready for install on devices until sometime next year, but may be pre-released as early as the fall. 

Although the story has yet to be officially confirmed by either Lenovo or Acer, it looks like the devices would likely get categorized as smartbooks.  Smartbooks are a fairly new category of devices that fall somewhere between a smartphone and netbook.   

Read: [Shanzai.com]

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*UPDATED BELOW When word broke that eBay was considering selling Skype, Google was the first company to come to mind for many.  Google Voice would be a great fit with the VoIP enabled Skype and hopes became high for a nifty solution and good home for the unit, but Google walked away.

eBay bought Skype, a company that allows users to call other users for free via VOIP and ring landlines at discounted rates for $2.6 billion back in 2005.  Word is expected to come today that Skype will be sold to a private investor group that hopes to restore the the company’s vision and track to an IPO.  It is expected to be sold for $2 billion.

So why did Google walk away?  It couldn’t have been a lack of subscribers.  Since being acquired by eBay, subscribers went from 53 million to 408 million.  Could Google’s decision be based on cash flow?  Skype is expected to bring in $600 million this year.

According the the New York Times, Google was in negotiations last month when it learned of some potentially damaging litigation taking place now in England.  The dispute is over ownership of the core peer-to-peer technology.  Without a successful outcome for Skype in this matter, Skype looks like nothing more than a hollow brand name.  Interestingly, Google passed on Skype back in 2005 when eBay snatched it up.

The trial between Skype and JoltId, the company that produced the Skype technology, appears to be over the licensing terms of the technology and is expected to take place in June of 2010.  eBay hasn’t said what part of Skype runs on the licensed tech, but has said that without the license, there is no Skype.  Skype engineers are at work to create their own software but it isn’t clear how close they are and how much of a drain on resources that will be or even if it can be done.  Gulp.

Update: EBay has announced they are selling 65% of Skype to Silver Lake Partners.  The move puts the value at $2.75 billion, a loss for EBay.  EBay says it will hold onto the remaining shares.

Read: [NYT] and [CNN]

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Announced today, Samsung plans to make its new and “unique” app store available for all European users starting on September 14, 2009.  Samsung Omnia and the I8910 HD users living in Britain, France, and Italy will initially have access to the app store.  The 30 other European countries will receive the app store update shortly after.  In addition, the Omnia II and the OmniaLITE smartphones will have app store access in due time. 

Like most other app stores, it will be filled with pointless apps ranging from games, references, and quirky material, to some useful apps such as e-books and health related ones.  So far, Samsung has been able to create around 300 apps available for the initial release of the app store, but they have plans for 1700 additional apps by year’s end.  To achieve this goal, Samsung has already signed on with prominent companies such as Gameloft, Handmark, TAITO, Electronic Arts, Capcom, Paragon SW, Prompt, Com2us, Pearson Longman, Bokan Tech and Diotek.  Of course, they are still looking for developers to further facilitate app growth. 

The app store will begin as an on-device software, but Samsung plans to expand the app store to PCs, so users can download apps and sync via PC.  Until then, apps will most likely be purchased and installed through the use of 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity.  Furthermore, in order to install the app store on the Samsung smartphone, users will have to download and install the software from the SamsungApps website or by selecting the Application Download icon on the phone. 

While I don’t expect the Samsung app store entice users into purchasing a Samsung Omnia, simply because too many other phones have app stores already, it will definitely make the phone more attractive to possible buyers; assuming the apps are actually somewhat decent, that is.  No word on an American or Asian release at this time. 

Via [NewsWire]

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Starting next month, the New Jersey and New York branches of US Customs and Border Protection are planning to launch a program that involves donating seized counterfeit iPods, TVs, DVDs, and clothing items to the poor and homeless.  The program is starting in response to a surplus of seized items as new technologies make detection at custom checkpoints easier.  Counterfeit consumer electronics seized in 2008 were valued at an estimate $23 million.
In the past, these fakes were instead sent to the shredder or incinerator.  However, New York and New Jersey have decided to start the donation program following the success at other regions, including Los Angeles, Detroit and San Francisco.  Trademark owners have been assisting in the implementation of the program by allowing the donation of the items.  They usually only require that the fake logos be removed from the items.

After examination and approval by safety inspectors, the items will be donated to organizations such as World Vision and Samaritan’s Feet.  Many of the items are then distributed to the poor in third world countries, such as India, Vietnam, and Cambodia. 

Read: [NJ.com]

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Rumors have been flying that the troubled Pirate Bay may actually get sold to Global Gaming Factory X.  The CEO of the company, Hans Pandeyatold, told the Swedish press today that his company’s acquisition of The Pirate Bay will with certainty go through.  The company had announced plans back in June that it planned to acquire the bit torrent site for an $8 million dollar price tag.  The founders put the site up for sale after they were found guilty in April of pirating music and films.

Although the board of Global Gaming Factory X has approved of the sale, questions have been raised as to whether the company can actually afford to make the acquisition.  The company’s financial records show that it made approximately $800,000 last year and the CEO has still not produced the funds for the sale.  However, he states that he has unnamed investors that will provide the financial backing,

If the sale actually goes through Global Gaming Factory plans to redesign the site and use a peer to peer platform.

Read: [CNET]

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RIM has recently been honored by Fortune as the top fastest growing firm of 2009, which beat out 99 other firms around the world.  Calculated based upon profits, turnover, and investment returns over a three year basis, RIM placed the highest.

RIM, most notably known for their BlackBerry lineup of smartphones, saw revenues grow by 77%, profits increase of 84%, while enjoying a total return of 45%.  Keep in mind these numbers occurred amidst an economic downturn—no simple feat.  2009 marked the first year in which the top 100 businesses included firms outside of the United States, which accounts for the Canadian RIM placing in the top 100.  Second on the list was Sigma Designs, a US chipmaker, whose revenue has increased 107% since 2007, partly due to the fact of increased popularity among Blu-ray players and partnerships with Microsoft. 

An interesting note is the fact that Apple placed 39 on the list, while Google came in at 68.  It just goes to show that the companies you’d expect to place higher do not always place higher.  RIM has certainly done a good job in marketing their BlackBerrys and working to keep costs down and productivity high. 

Read [BBC]

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Get caught up in a hurry with InterrupTech.  You won’t find endless chatter here.  We’ve got a timer to move things along.  

This Week:

• Paypal charges new fees, forgets to tell anyone
• Facebook Lite leaked
• Microsoft’s Zune HD gets official
• Microsoft Word banned
• Google revises Google Search Engine

Full Story » | Written by Iyaz Akhtar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

Earlier this week Microsoft was ordered to stop selling Word within 60 days.  The decision came down from Texas, a state known for being very pro-patent owner.  While Microsoft isn’t saying much more than the fact that it will file for appeals, the Chairman of i4i, the company that filed the patent suit, Loudon Owen is willing to speak out.

Owen is eager to mention that he and i4i have no intentions of stopping Word in any way.  According to Owen that “would not be a sensible remedy.”  He’s also saying that i4i isn’t looking for any sort of legal war of Microsoft.  While he seems to be saying that stopping the sale of Word isn’t their ultimate goal, Owen is admitting that the $200 million Microsoft was ordered to pay i4i is a great help fro the small company.

Loudon Owen also quips that the company is eager to partner with “any good partner,” noting that Microsoft could be such.  While i4i says it’s looking only to protect its patent, going after Microsoft and one of its most important programs seems to be begging for such a deal.  There’s no reasonable way Microsoft can change how it handles the files that infringe the patent within 30 days without patching everything back to .doc files.  The only other way would be to get a license from i4i or partner with the company to use the Custom XML it has the patent for.

Read [DailyTech]

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When Apple first announced the iPhone 3.0 upgrade and later when it debuted the iPhone 3GS it was happy to tout the new MMS features.  The feature would roll out immediately with 3.0 to most every iPhone carrier.  AT&T was the one exception, though at the time it was said MMS support would come by August.  Well, it’s now August and MMS is still nowhere to be found.  Cue lawsuit.

This particular lawsuit is a class action from Louisiana under the state’s Unfair Trade Practices Act.  The suit complains that Apple “advertised heavily” the arrival of MMS on the iPhone.  Apple did make a big deal out of MMS support for the 3.0 upgrade, so that is no surprise.  There’s also complaints that AT&T was advertising the new iPhone’s ability to send MMS messages, which it still hasn’t implemented.

What doesn’t make sense is that the suit complains about AT&T not upgrading its towers to handle MMS.  AT&T can certainly handle MMS on every other phone on the network, it just doesn’t support the feature on the iPhone.  Presumably this is to prevent the network from collapsing (similar to why the SlingPlayer for iPhone only works on Wi-Fi).

The surprising part is that it took this long for someone to sue for lack of MMS on the iPhone.  It seems like such a standard service now.  It was always pathetic that the cheapest feature phones could send them when the iPhone couldn’t.  It seems like a bit of a waste to file a class action lawsuit, however.  Chances are Jobs is more annoyed about AT&T not supporting the new features than any of us are.

Read [TG Daily]

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Looking to expand its online reputation, Facebook just finished off an acquisition of FriendFeed, an online service for sharing links and such for an undisclosed price.  Facebook and FriendFeed have many similar goals, so it makes sense for Facebook wanting to acquire the lesser known FriendFeed.  In addition, FriendFeed has access to the 250 million Facebook users as well as an experienced team of Facebook engineers.  FriendFeed employees will be pleased to know that they will still have their jobs under Facebook, and the four founders of FriendFeed will now hold senior positions on the Facebook team.

Interestingly enough, the four founders - Bret Taylor, Paul Buchheit, Jim Norris, and Sanjeev Singh, were some of the leading engineers behind Gmail and Google Maps.  It is easy to see why Facebook wanted such a prominent service started by such a prominent group individuals on board.  FriendFeed.com will stay as is until further plans and goals are set in stone for Facebook and FriendFeed.  Facebook has began to employ some of FriendFeed’s tactics in real time news updates, so hopefully Facebook can use more of their strategies and tactics in the months and years to come. 

Read [Facebook Press Release]

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It looks like Toshiba is ready to fully move on from HD-DVD products and enter in the more popular field of Blu-ray products and goods.  Toshiba applied to join the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), in order to market Blu-ray capable devices.

The reason they decided to look into Blu-ray is because “of recent growth in digital devices supporting the Blu-ray format, combined with market demand from consumers and retailers alike.”  This makes perfect sense for Toshiba.  So what types of products can we expect from Toshiba?  For starters, they list Blu-ray players and notebooks equipped with Blu-ray drives will be the first products announced and up for sale.  Unfortunately, they don’t release any model numbers, pictures, or timeframes for any product releases.

Via [Toshiba Press Release]

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Get caught up in a hurry with InterrupTech.  You won’t find endless chatter here.  We’ve got a timer to move things along.  This week:

• Is the Zune HD a real competitor to iPod?
• Google CEO Eric Schmidt leaves Apple’s Board.
• Twitter meltdown.
• Palm Pre gets lots of apps, just not officially.
• RadioShack transforms into “The Shack”

Full Story » | Written by Iyaz Akhtar for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »

In an attempt to reach more tech-savvy customers, the 88 year old RadioShack has finally rebranded itself to “The Shack.”  $200 million is set to be spent on ads in order to promote the name change through digital and television ads.  Signs around brick and mortar stores will still read RadioShack. 

Hoping to compete with Best Buy, The Shack is looking to bolster key parts of their strategy.  For example, The Shack will continue to hire smart, and knowledgeable employees, and they even signed promotional contracts with T-Mobile and Lance Armstrong.  What do T-Mobile and Lance Armstrong have to do with one another?  Not much, but The Shack will be selling more T-Mobile phones and Lance Armstrong will be sponsoring The Shack in next year’s Tour de France.  Unfortunately for The Shack, there’s always a bit of risk involved whenever companies decide to change their name or name of a product.  Pizza Hut was kicking around the idea of changing their name to “The Hut,” but smartly decided to keep it as Pizza Hut.  In addition, sales of Gatorade declined after they became “G.” 

It will be interesting to see how customers respond to the name change and whether The Shack will bring in more customers than RadioShack did. 

Via [USAToday]

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T-Mobile, arguably either the third or fourth place US carrier, looks to be in a bit of trouble at the moment.  While AT&T adds more subscribers with each new iPhone, Sprint with the Palm Pre, and Verizon for its network, T-Mobile doesn’t look to be doing quite as well as the others.  T-Mobile has never been the top carrier, but it’s also never reported such a slow quarter.

T-Mobile for the spring quarter of this year only managed to grab 325,000 new customers.  Compare that number to the 668,000 of last year and you can see just what effect the iPhone and Pre can have on a carrier with no new super phone to compete against them.  Included in that number is also a churn rate of 2.2 percent, meaning 2.2 percent of old customers were replaced by those new customers.  Those new customers raised the amount of revenue for T-Mobile from data usage, though it actually managed to drop its average revenue per customer from $52 to $48 compared to AT&T’s average revenue of $60.21.

While T-Mobile has no big phone releases last quarter, with yesterday’s release of the MyTouch 3G paired with its new agreements to sell phones in RadioShack (err, I mean, The Shack, of course), things might be looking up.  Anyone posting a great quarter whenever there’s a new iPhone would be greatly surprising.  However, now with all of Apple’s ridiculous App Store policies, T-Mobile being the only Android carrier in the country right now might see some better numbers this quarter.  Things might turn out better if T-Mobile had actually decided to bring the Hero to the US, rather than potentially allowing Sprint to snatch it up, but even that’s not a guarantee.

Read [Electronista]

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Google and YouTube has long been under fire due to low video quality, however, they have recently taken measures to improve video quality.  In recent years, many new video websites have emerged such as Vimeo and SmugMug, both of these sites offer high quality video resolution such as 720p and 1080p.  Google purchased On2 Technologies for $106.5 million, however, but they are keeping mum about what they plan to do with that acquisition.

Both YouTube and probably Google Video should receive video upgrades with the help of On2 Technologies.  Back in 2007, YouTube attempted to improve video quality by making sure all videos were encoded in H.264, which served two purposes.  One to improve video quality and to please the iPhone community, which has native support for H.264.  With other video sites proving to be fierce competition such as Hulu, Vimeo, Metacafe, it’s about time YouTube looked to start improving general video quality.  If they want to add full length movies and HD videos the overall quality of YouTube has to go up, and Google will probably address this issue shortly.

The union between Google and On2 Technologies is set to be officially approved in the Fall.  Hopefully we can expect YouTube and Google Video quality alike to be much improved come the Fall and Winter. 

Via [Electronista]

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