Twitter has acquired over 900 patents from IBM, a move likely intended to settle IBM’s claims that Twitter was infringing on at least three of its patents. IBM said Friday that Twitter acquired the patents in December, and that the companies had entered into a patent cross-license agreement covering other technologies that might be shared between the firms.… Continue reading Twitter buys 900 patents from IBM to avoid potential patent battles
Month: January 2014
Netflix-like movie rentals could start coming to libraries
A Netflix-like movie service could soon be offered free of charge to Toronto library cardholders. The Toronto Public Library is currently in talks with Hoopla Digital, an online streaming service, to grant library users access to an online vault of films, music albums, TV shows and audiobooks. No late fees. No waiting lists. The fact that Netflix can instantly, almost magically… Continue reading Netflix-like movie rentals could start coming to libraries
Lenovo is on a mission to surpass both Apple and Google
Google unveiled a major surprise this week when it announced its decision to sell Motorola Mobility to Lenovo, a Chinese company that has conquered the laptop market and is already making strides in mobile. The deal still hasn’t been approved by the U.S. government, but Lenovo CEO Yuanqing Yang already has big plans for the company. In an interview with Fortune, Yuanqing… Continue reading Lenovo is on a mission to surpass both Apple and Google
Amazon considers doubling the cost of Amazon Prime
Amazon announced Thursday that it might increase the cost of Amazon Prime subscriptions, as it released lackluster quarterly earnings. During a conference call with investors, the company said Prime subscription, which offer members receive free two-day shipping and access to Amazon’s instant video service and Kindle “lending library,” could increase from $20 to $40 to cover rising fuel… Continue reading Amazon considers doubling the cost of Amazon Prime
U.K. government creates a website whitelist for its porn filters
Back in December, some overzealous pornography filters in the UK that were meant to keep kids from seeing pornographic materials were flagging some legitimate and non-porn related sites. Specifically, the filters were blocking a number of sites for charities and sex education in the filter. The UK government is trying to unblock these legitimate sites with the… Continue reading U.K. government creates a website whitelist for its porn filters
Microsoft rumored to launch cheaper Xbox One later this year
Another source claims to have verified rumours that a cheaper Xbox One console will be released this year, and it may be digital-only. If yesterday’s leak of Xbox One info, including release date information for almost all of its exclusive games, turns out to be real it’ll be one of the biggest leaks in gaming history. But… Continue reading Microsoft rumored to launch cheaper Xbox One later this year
Nokia Black update comes to AT&T Lumia 920 and Lumia 820
The Nokia Black update is now available for the Lumia 720 as owners have reached us to report they are now enjoying the latest Nokia extras on their handsets. The Nokia Lumia Black update brings the Glance screen feature, support for Bluetooth 4.0, and Nokia Beamer. Early adopters report that the Glance screen works perfectly as… Continue reading Nokia Black update comes to AT&T Lumia 920 and Lumia 820
Zynga announces huge acquisition alongside more layoffs
Zynga shares surged 20.2% in after-hours trading Thursday after the online gaming company said it is cutting 15% of its workforce and acquiring a mobile video game-make for $527 million. The San Francisco-based company is reducing its headcount to 314 workers with most of the cuts coming from management and administrative staff. It says it hopes… Continue reading Zynga announces huge acquisition alongside more layoffs
Researchers creat Android app that tracks apps that track you
A team of researchers has developed an Android app to help people better understand when their location is being accessed, something that happens more often than people think. “All apps that access location need to request permission from the Android platform,” Janne Lindqvist, who led the research project, said via email. “The problem is that people… Continue reading Researchers creat Android app that tracks apps that track you
Online storage company Box reportedly files for an IPO in secret
Box, the enterprise storage and collaboration company, has reportedly filed for an initial public offering of its stock. Quartz and the Wall Street Journal are reporting that the company has filed confidential paperwork to go public, under a provision of the JOBS Actthat allows companies with less than $1 billion in annual revenue to prepare to go public in secret.… Continue reading Online storage company Box reportedly files for an IPO in secret