GLENN’S SHOWNOTES

Amazon notches partial win over Apple in trademark lawsuit

A U.S. federal judge ruled Wednesday that Amazon.com did not mislead consumers by calling its own applications marketplace the “Appstore,” a name that Apple alleged is too similar to its own “App Store.”

Amazon filed a motion for a partial summary judgement on Sept. 26 to dismiss the claim of false advertising, which was granted by U.S. District Court Judge Phyllis J. Hamilton. Apple had argued that Amazon’s use of the term would cause people to associate its own store with “the inferior qualities of Amazon’s service.”

The Internet company countered that the summary judgement should be granted since Apple did not identify a single false statement made by the company in describing its Appstore for Android. Apple conceded it had no evidence of a false statement, but argued that a false statement could be implied under the Lanham Act, a federal act concerning trademark infringement.

Optus 4G hits Adelaide

The 4G network’s coverage area is currently limited to central Adelaide. Its footprint encompasses Hackney, North Adelaide, Medindie and Fitzroy.

It has also announced plans to upgrade its 3G network Australia-wide with faster speeds and better indoor reception.

Windows 8 previews to go dark in 3 weeks

Warnings of impending expiration will start showing up Jan. 1, 2013

All three Windows 8 previews — the Developer Preview of September 2011, the Consumer Preview of February 2012 and the Release Preview — expire Jan. 15, 2013.

Experts, however, have figured out how to trick Windows 8 into doing a credible upgrade from both the Release and Consumer previews.

A downloaded upgrade to Windows 8 Pro costs $39.99 through Jan. 31, 2013. After the discount ends, the upgrade will likely jump to $199.99.

Sony stops production of PlayStation 2

first went on sale in March 2000 in Japan and since then more than 150 million PS2 consoles have been sold.
it outsold its replacement for the first three years that the PlayStation 3 was available.
The PS2 is credited with being the best-selling game console of all time and its wide use is also thought to have aided the popularity of DVDs as a drive for the disks was built in to the machine.
does not mean no more games will be produced for the PS2.
By ending production, Sony has fuelled rumours it is putting manufacturing resources towards the PlayStation 4.

Game of Thrones tops TV show internet piracy chart

one episode of the series had racked up 4,280,000 illegal global downloads – slightly more than than its estimated US television audience.

The level of piracy may be linked to the fact that the TV company behind it – HBO – does not allow Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime or other US streaming services access to its programmes. It instead restricts them to its own HBO Go online product, which is only available to its cable subscribers.

Outside the US, Torrentfreak noted that Australia was responsible for a disproportionate amount of illegal copies of Game of Thrones and suggested this may have been because episodes were broadcast locally a week later than in the US.

Most pirated TV shows of 2012

1. Game of Thrones
2. Dexter
3. The Big Bang Theory
4. How I Met Your Mother
5. Breaking Bad
6. The Walking Dead
7. Homeland
8. House
9. Fringe
10. Revolution
(Source: Torrentfreak)

Steve Jobs’ high-tech yacht impounded over bill dispute

French designer Philippe Starck claims Mr Jobs’ heirs still owe him 3m euros of a 9m euro fee for the project, according to Dutch paper Het Financieele Dagblad.

Mr Starck called in the debt collectors and had the yacht impounded,
The Port of Amsterdam confirmed that the boat is not allowed to leave.

Roelant Klaassen, a lawyer representing Mr Starck’s company, Ubik, told the Reuters news agency that the boat would remain in port pending payment by lawyers representing Mr Jobs’ estate.

“These guys trusted each other, so there wasn’t a very detailed contract,” he said.
Mr Starck was unavailable for comment.

Facebook tests charging $1 to send messages to strangers

Facebook has begun a trial which allows users to pay $1 to send messages direct to people who are not their friends.

The fee will mean messages go straight to a recipient’s inbox rather than the Other folder which contains all unsolicited correspondence.

The trial is only for a “small number of people” and is initially being tested just in the US.

SHAYNE’S SHOWNOTES

Mum gives son iPhone with contract on how he is to use it
http://www.news.com.au/technology/mum-gives-son-iphone-with-contract-on-how-he-is-to-use-it/story-e6frfro0-1226546528151

A MUMMY blogger gave her 13-year-old son an iPhone for Christmas which came with a contract governing use of device which must be followed if the teen wants to keep it.
When Greg Hoffman opened his Christmas present, he was far from impressed with the 18-point contract he had to sign which governs how he is to use his new phone if he is to hold on it.
1. It is my phone. I bought it. I pay for it. I am loaning it to you. Aren’t I the greatest?

2. I will always know the password.

3. If it rings, answer it. It is a phone. Say hello, use your manners. Do not ever ignore a phone call if the screen reads “Mom” or “Dad”. Not ever.

4. Hand the phone to one of your parents promptly at 7:30pm every school night & every weekend night at 9:00pm. It will be shut off for the night and turned on again at 7:30am. If you would not make a call to someone’s land line, wherein their parents may answer first, then do not call or text. Listen to those instincts and respect other families like we would like to be respected.

5. It does not go to school with you. Have a conversation with the people you text in person. It’s a life skill. *Half days, field trips and after school activities will require special consideration.

6. If it falls into the toilet, smashes on the ground, or vanishes into thin air, you are responsible for the replacement costs or repairs. Mow a lawn, babysit, stash some birthday money. It will happen, you should be prepared.

7. Do not use this technology to lie, fool, or deceive another human being. Do not involve yourself in conversations that are hurtful to others. Be a good friend first or stay the hell out of the crossfire.

8. Do not text, email, or say anything through this device you would not say in person.

9. Do not text, email, or say anything to someone that you would not say out loud with their parents in the room. Censor yourself.

10. No porn. Search the web for information you would openly share with me. If you have a question about anything, ask a person ? preferably me or your father.

11. Turn it off, silence it, put it away in public. Especially in a restaurant, at the movies, or while speaking with another human being. You are not a rude person; do not allow the iPhone to change that.

12. Do not send or receive pictures of your private parts or anyone else’s private parts. Don’t laugh. Someday you will be tempted to do this despite your high intelligence. It is risky and could ruin your teenage/college/adult life. It is always a bad idea. Cyberspace is vast and more powerful than you. And it is hard to make anything of this magnitude disappear — including a bad reputation.

13. Don’t take a zillion pictures and videos. There is no need to document everything. Live your experiences. They will be stored in your memory for eternity.

14. Leave your phone home sometimes and feel safe and secure in that decision. It is not alive or an extension of you. Learn to live without it. Be bigger and more powerful than FOMO — fear of missing out.

15. Download music that is new or classic or different than the millions of your peers that listen to the same exact stuff. Your generation has access to music like never before in history. Take advantage of that gift. Expand your horizons.

16. Play a game with words or puzzles or brain teasers every now and then.

17. Keep your eyes up. See the world happening around you. Stare out a window. Listen to the birds. Take a walk. Talk to a stranger. Wonder without googling.

18. You will mess up. I will take away your phone. We will sit down and talk about it. We will start over again. You & I, we are always learning. I am on your team. We are in this together.

Canonical prepares Ubuntu for smartphones

http://m.computerworld.com/s/article/9235176/Update_Canonical_prepares_Ubuntu_for_smartphones?mm_ref=http://www.mahaweb.com/iphone_aus.php?newsone=207&premium=0&version=300&user=iphone&iphone_id=09f3eba72a0b1f18ae66598d972fbdaa63ff6f1e&page=custom
Further expanding from its core mission of providing Linux distributions for desktop computers and servers, Canonical is developing a version of Ubuntu for smartphones.
The company plans to market the OS to smartphone handset manufacturers and wireless phone network operators, in part as an alternative to Android. Ubuntu did not announce any carriers or handset manufacturers that publicly plan to build Ubuntu phones yet.

http://www.news.com.au/technology/gaming/playstation-4-could-be-in-the-pipeline/story-e6frfrt9-1226546205088
JAPANESE electronics giant Sony said it has stopped producing its PlayStation 2 consoles in Japan, fuelling online rumours a PlayStation 4 is in the pipeline.
Since launching in 2000, the PlayStation 2 (PS2) has sold more than 150 million units worldwide, making it the best selling console of all time and was so popular it outsold the its replacement for the first three years.
Shipments have been “completed” for the hardware of PS2, the Japanese website of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. said with no further comment. The firm did not say what its plans were for production in other parts of the world.
Software for the console is expected to continue being produced.
The announcement sent gamers posting messages online, with some surprised the PS2 was still being made.
The news has sparked rumours that embattled Sony, which has been hit by falling sales owing to the popularity of games on smartphones, is planning a PlayStation 4, more than six years since launching the PS3.

R rating of video games comes into force

http://www.news.com.au/technology/gaming/r-rating-of-video-games-comes-into-force/story-e6frfrt9-1226546264516
PARENTS will be better informed on what computer games to avoid after the introduction of an R18+ classification yesterday.
The system brings the classification of computer games into line with movies and comes after years of debate.
Games that are deemed to be suitable for adults and have “high impact” will only be sold or rented to people able to show proof of age.
Most of the states have already passed legislation ahead of the introduction of the system, although the Queensland Parliament will not consider the legislation until early next month.
Interactive Games and Entertainment Association chief executive Ron Curry said it could be a few months before the first R18+ games appear in Australian stores.
Mr Curry urged parents to set the parental controls on game consoles to prevent the units from playing R18+ games.
Mr Curry said the category was an acknowledgment that there should be content for the adults who play games.
The Digital Australia report last year(2012) found that the average age of gamers was 32.

First Tizen-based smartphone could come in 2013

http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/445420/report_first_tizen-based_smartphone_could_come_2013/
Japan’s biggest cellular network operator, NTT DoCoMo, is working with Intel and Samsung on development of the Tizen operating system and the first smartphone based on the platform could be out in Japan in 2013, according to a Japanese newspaper report.
The Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan’s largest circulation daily newspaper, didn’t attribute the source of the information, which was published in a report on its website on Dec. 31.
Tizen is a Linux-based operating system targeted at smartphones, tablet PCs and other consumer applications. It is hosted at the Linux Foundation but counts Intel and Samsung among its major backers.
Tizen’s backers have said little about commercialization of the OS, but, if successful, it could play a balancing role to Android. The Google-developed OS, which is also based on Linux, has grown to dominate the smartphone sector in just a few years and put a lot of power in the hands of Google.

Randi Zuckerberg tripped by Facebook privacy settings
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/randi-zuckerberg-tripped-by-facebook-privacy-settings/story-e6frgakx-1226543945837
FACEBOOK co-founder Mark Zuckerberg’s sister evidently tripped on the social network’s privacy settings, landing in the midst of a debate yesterday about “online etiquette”.
Randi Zuckerberg, who launched a Silicon Valley themed online reality show after quitting her job handling Facebook public relations, kicked off the controversy after a family photo intended for friends went public.
The picture, copies of which were at Buzzfeed.com and elsewhere on the internet, showed Mark Zuckerberg in a kitchen with family members dramatising reactions to messages sent with a freshly launched “Poke” feature at Facebook.
Poke lets people send messages that self-destruct in what is seen by many as a spin on popular smartphone application Snapchat.
Some have joked that Poke is a boon for “sexting” risqui pictures because senders can have them quickly erased.
Randi Zuckerberg posted a copy of the family photo to Facebook for the eyes of close friends only, but evidently it was also shared with friends of those tagged in the picture due to privacy settings at the social network.
That meant the fun photo popped up in the news feed of someone outside Randi Zuckerberg’s circle, who then shared it on popular messaging service Twitter.
From there, the photo went viral — much to Randi Zuckerberg’s chagrin.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/telecommunications/phone-payments-coming-soon-telcos-say/story-fn4iyzsr-1226544605490
AUSTRALIAN telcos are ramping up plans to enable customers to pay for goods by swiping their mobile phones or tablets at the checkout.
The move, which may eventually render credit cards obsolete, has been mooted for several years and the technology to deliver so-called “contactless payments” has existed for some time.
The idea is simple – customers select goods or services and then scan their mobile phones over a point of sale sensor, debiting cash from a bank account linked to their device.
But the concept has failed to gain traction, particularly because relatively few mobile phones contained the small near field communication (NFC) chips required to make the payments.
Telstra and Vodafone predict that will change in 2013, with far more NFC-enabled devices coming onto the market.

http://www.news.com.au/technology/ipad-5-to-be-released-in-march-reports/story-e6frfro0-1226543590141
UPSET you didn’t get a shiny new iPad 4 for Christmas?
Well, take a deep breath. If the latest iPad rumours are true, it would be outdated in just a couple of months.
Apple is reportedly preparing to release its new model of the tablet in March.
The Apple news blog 9to5Mac has published reports that the new iPad 5 will have design elements of the recently-released iPad mini incorporated into it.
A source claims the new iPad will be thinner and lighter than its predecessor with a 9.7-inch display, 9to5Mac reports.
Apple unveiled the iPad 4 and iPad mini in October, and released them in November.
The Japanese blog Makotakara also added that the iPad mini would be equipped with a retina screen in its second generation.

Practical joker throws Quickflix a $5m lifeline

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/companies/practical-joker-throws-quickflix-a-5m-lifeline/story-fn91v9q3-1226543758225
INVESTORS bemoaning the lack of colourful characters on the local investment scene should keep an eye out for Alkiviades “Alki” David, a 44-year-old Los Angeles-based entrepreneur of Greek background who has just helped finance a $5 million rescue package for listed Perth-based tiddler Quickflix, where he and an associate, Tim Boyd, will join the board.
Mr David’s main asset is control of a bigger version of Quickflix called FilmOn.
His various online biographies claim he has a net worth of $US1.9 billion ($1.8bn), and even if you apply a discount factor to such numbers, it is clear he is happy to make it at least look as though he is throwing money around.

Australian intelligence officers spill the beans online

http://www.news.com.au/technology/spooks-spill-the-beans-online/story-e6frfro0-1226543414907
HUNDREDS of ex-spies, and some current spooks, are posting about their work on social networking sites, it has been reported.
A Fairfax Media survey uncovered more than 200 Australian intelligence officers who had disclosed their classified employment on sites including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Many disclosed only the fact they had worked for agencies like the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation or Defence Signals Directorate, but others wrote about specific postings here and abroad, languages spoken, information systems used and liaison with allied agencies.
Fairfax quoted security experts who described the information as “a gift for foreign espionage, especially through social engineering”.
Information technology professionals were the most likely to disclose their involvement in classified intelligence work, Fairfax reported.

Anger as Australian hotels charge up to $35 a day for internet use

http://www.news.com.au/travel/news/anger-as-australian-hotels-charge-up-to-35-a-day-for-internet-use/story-e6frfq80-1226542332593
AUSTRALIAN hotels are charging up to $35 a day to use the internet on top of room rates – three times more than most backpacker hostels.
Travel experts say international tourists were often “appalled” and “shocked” by the high cost of Wi-Fi and fear it is damaging the country’s reputation.
Sydney
Park Hyatt – $29 per device per day
Hilton Sydney $29 per day
Intercontinental Hotel – $25 per day
Sydney Harbour YHA – $4 per day, $8 for three days, $12 per week
Base Backpackers – $8 per day, $20 for three days, $40 per week
Sydney Central Backpackers – $2 per hour, $5 for three hours

It’s Time For The US To Go Metric

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2013/01/its-time-for-the-us-to-go-metric/
The US has a love affair with imperial units: height in inches, milk in quarts, weight in pounds. You name it and it’s measured in imperial. The only problem? Imperial is dumb. The US should cast off those shackles and join the rest of the world by embracing units that make sense. It should go metric, once and for all.

The US is one of the few countries left in the world yet to convert to metric, and this petition is lobbying the nation’s lawmakers to change that. It was created on December 31 and is yet to gain much traction. Why make the move? A (metric) ton of reasons.

ERIK’S SHOWNOTES

iPhone 6 to come in 6 to 8 colours with NFC, 128GB of storage?

Apple could launch its seventh-generation iPhone, dubbed iPhone 6 or iPhone 5S, in June or July of next year, with several improvements and new features including NFC, 128GB of storage and a choice of six to eight colours.

In a research report released on Monday, Jefferies analyst Peter Misek said: “Based on our checks, likely updates [in the next iPhone] include a new super HD camera/screen, a better battery, and NFC.”
“Possible updates include an IGZO screen for Retina+, 128GB of storage, and coming in six to eight colours,” he continued.
Apple’s latest iPod touch launch saw the introduction of several new colours of the device, which was previously available in just Black and White, suggesting that the company could do the same for its next iPhone, and maybe future iPads too.
Misek also claims that there are several iPhone 6 prototypes “floating around.”
“The model with a 4.8in screen is the most interesting,” he said. “It has a Retina+ IGZO screen, a new A7 quad-core processor variant, and a new form factor with no home button. Full gesture control is also possibly included.”
Also in his research note this week, Misek mentioned the possibility of a low-cost iPhone launch in 2013, as well as an iPad 5, iPad mini 2, and the highly anticipated Apple television.

Judge Dismisses Apple Trademark Claims Against Amazon’s Appstore

Amazon has succeeded in having Apple’s false advertising lawsuit over its “App Store” trademark thrown out, reports Bloomberg via The Next Web.

In early 2011, Apple sued Amazon over the latter company’s new “Appstore” for Android devices, claiming the ‘app store’ name was trademarked by Apple and would cause confusion amongst consumers.

Apple claimed Amazon’s “inferior” app store would tarnish Apple’s reputation. Last year, a judge indicated skepticism over Apple’s claims, saying Apple had not demonstrated “real evidence of actual confusion” between the various “app stores”, and suggested that Apple was “not likely to prevail” in the case.

Microsoft also fought against Apple, arguing that ‘app store’ is a compound noun that is a generic characterization of the store itself — a store for apps.

Parisian Apple Store Robbed of 1 Million Euros in Merchandise on New Year’s Eve

The Apple Store Opéra in Paris, France was robbed by four masked gunmen on New Year’s Eve. The thieves made off with more than 1 million euros worth of iPhones and iPads.

Christophe Crepin, an Unsa police union official, told Le Parisien newspaper that ‘the four hooded and heavily armed criminals made their move very quickly. Most of the police forces were being mobilised to monitor the Champs Elysees, so the robbers have clearly benefitted from this opportunity to strike.’

Mr Crepin said the robbers mainly took ‘a lot of goods’ and very little money. Early estimates were that the haul was worth well over 1 million euros, or close to 1 million pounds.
With Apple gadgets fetching such a high price on the secondary market, thefts of individual devices in muggings are common. However, organized robberies on Apple Retail Stores are more uncommon.

The Covent Garden location in London was attacked by a group of armed motorcycle riders in 2011, while an Apple Store employee was shot at a Virginia Apple Store back in 2009. Smash and grabs are more common, with thieves using vehicles to crash through the barricades at outdoor stores to steal merchandise.

Jobs’s estate pays to free impounded superyacht

Steve Jobs’s superyacht Venus was free to leave Amsterdam port on Monday after the late Apple co-founder’s estate paid a deposit to resolve a dispute with designer Philippe Starck, who had had the yacht impounded.

“The Venus is no longer impounded, we have found a solution,” said Gerard Moussault, a Hague-based lawyer for the Jobs estate.

“A security deposit was paid into a bank account, but I cannot say for how much,” Moussault said after French designer Starck last week asked Amsterdam bailiffs to seize the sleek 70-metre (230-foot) yacht.

Steve Jobs … the yacht was unveiled a year after his death. Photo: Reuters
The vessel, which reportedly cost over 100 million euros ($127 million) to build, was impounded after Starck said Jobs’s estate still owed him three million euros for his contribution to its design.

Starck said he was to be paid a fixed sum of nine million euros, while lawyers for Jobs’s estate said he was to be paid a percentage of the project’s cost equal to six million euros.
The Dutch-built yacht, which was only unveiled in October – just over a year after Jobs died – is in Amsterdam harbour because of bad weather.
From another angle … a shot of Steve Jobs’s yacht Venus. Photo: OneMoreThing
“The captain is waiting for better weather to set sail,” Moussault said.

Starck’s lawyer in the Netherlands, Roelant Klaassen, said on Friday that Jobs and Starck were “very close in the period that the design was made and the building proceeded.

“That’s one of the reasons there was no formal agreement on the job,” he said.
The yacht will reportedly be shipped by another ship to the United States, where Jobs’s family, including widow Laurene Powell Jobs and their three children Reed, Erin and Eve, are to take charge of her.

The aluminium-hulled yacht was built by Royal De Vries shipbuilder’s in Aalsmeer, just south of Amsterdam, with interiors designed by Starck.

The bridge features a control panel made up of an array of seven iMac computers.
Starck said last year that he was working on the yacht, which was mentioned in Walter Isaacson’s biography of Jobs, who died on October 5, 2011. He said it was “sleek and minimalist”, with teak decks.

Episode 322 – Aussie Tech Heads Shownotes