As part of a wider story on the growing multimedia features of the Xbox 360, the New York Times report a particularly intriguing nugget of info for sports fans: Evidently Microsoft and Disney are having “in-depth discussions” to have ESPN provide live streams of sports events on Xbox Live.
The Times reports that the streams would be available for a “per-subscriber fee,” although it’s not clear exactly what that means. (Would it be an additional cost on top of an Xbox Live Gold subscription? Let’s hope not…). The content that would be available would be similar to the streams on the ESPN360 service, where many different sports events often get additional coverage (such as extra Wimbledon matches not available on cable) and more international sports are covered as well (including the Australian Football League).
The deal would also purportedly allow Microsoft to make videogames “in association with ESPN,” although with Microsoft no longer focusing much on sports games, it’ll be interesting to see how the license would be used.
This morning we got word that Verizon was bolstering their FiOS packages, with the big news (from where we sit) being that the company is now offering a new symmetrical 35/35 Mbps Internet package as part of their “Best” bundle, which also brings an expansion of offerings in their FiOS TV HD package. For those who just want the blazing Internet goodness without the HD, they are also offering a 25/25 Mbps service, and they still offer the 50/20 Mbps service as well, which is a bit odd. They seem to have updated all of their Internet packages, and now the highest tier has the slowest upload speed out of them all. Hopefully that’ll change fairly quickly, because things appear to be a bit off-balance there. Nevertheless, FiOS is now in a position where they don’t have any competitor in the US that matches their upload speed, regardless of cost.
It’s not all fun and games, though. There is also a higher early-termination fee that comes alongside the new services. Formerly, it would cost $179 to terminate the two-year contract, but now it’s up to as much as $360. Again, that’s only if you cancel, and we think that once you get a look at the uncompressed HD and feel for the speedy Internet, you’ll decide that you’re in for the long haul.
Ok, a job ad asks to send a cover letter and CV by email. Do i send the cover letter as an attachment pdf? Or is the email the cover letter? I never figured this out.
If you want to know why its going to take longer than people hope or expect to get out this great recession, look no further than media and corporate response to Jeff Zuckers move of Jay Leno to primetime.
What Zucker and NBC did was the EXACT RIGHT MOVE.
Business environments change. When they do, as broadcast network television has, and continues to, there are two basic choices. You can do it the way it’s always been done, or you can challenge yourself to change the game.
In the case of NBC, Jeff Zucker chose to take a risk and move Jay Leno from late night television to primetime. The upside was HUGE. Rather than risking tens of millions of dollars each season on pilots that never make it on air, and then watching those that do get aired fail far more often than they succeed, Leno in primetime could change the economics of primetime TV dramatically for the better.
Leno’s show would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per hour instead of 2mm, 3mm or more per hour. A game changer. It was equivalent to CBS putting a reality show in primetime. Survivor worked. It changed the economics and ratings landscape of TV forever. A successful Leno show would do the same thing,.
But what if Leno to primetime failed ? What was the downside ?
The downside was that NBC could go back to business as usual. They could cancel and move Leno, just as they have done. Then they could go back to the old school way of lots of pilots, build a primetime schedule, and then pray some of the shows work. Rinse and repeat.
Going forward they will program the 10pm slot. They will get some hits, some misses. It will be expensive, but in a few years they will find a hit and recapture the viewers they lost. Just as every network has done in response to a down period. In a few years the Leno experiment will be nothing more than a memory. A big so what.
Thats what happens when ideas fail. They fade into memory and hopefully something is learned.
But there is a bigger message in all of this.
What I have learned from watching all of this is that corporate America has been neutered. No one has any balls anymore.
I have a saying, “No Balls, No Babies”. It was told to me by a blackjack dealer when I asked if I should double down on an 11. The message was simple. If you dont take the risks, you dont get the rewards.
Well that used to be the case. Its not anymore.
In today’s corporate world, if you don’t take the risks, you don’t get skewered on blogs, on cable news, in the newspaper. Public condemnation appears to be a far worse consequence than financial success is a reward. Thats a huge problem for our country.
In today’s world, we reward Patent Trolls with 8 and 9 figure settlements for ideas they never did a minute of work on or ever tried to monetize. The extent of their effort was hiring or selling out to patent lawyers. That’s a problem.
In today’s world, we reward companies that cut 10,000 jobs to benefit a few thousand shareholders. We lie to ourselves and say that the money will be re-invested in growth or passed on to shareholders. In reality, it will be used to buy back the stock that was awarded to corporate management under the guise of “avoiding dilution”
In today’s world, we let politicians pretend they know how to solve problems by creating policy “solutions” that are supposed to be implemented over 10 years, while we as voters and citizens go mute despite knowing there is absolutely no chance that any program survives 10 years and any number that is attached to any program, whether its health care or a stimulus program, is an absolute guess at best and most likely an outright lie.
We need more Jeff Zuckers. We need people who try to change the game. Who don’t just approach problems with gutless answers. So what if it didnt work. So what if the media rips him and NBC.
The only problem with what Jeff Zucker and NBC did with Leno is that they are unique in trying to solve problems with original solutions.
Unlike the 2011 BMW 335i Coupe and Convertible, which dropped their 3.0L twin-turbo inline-6 for a N55 3.0 inline-6 engine with a single twin-scroll turbocharger, the 2010 BMW 135i Coupe and Convertible keep their TwinPower Turbo Technology. With the help of High Precision Injection and fully variable VALVETRONIC valve management, the 2010 135i Coupe and Convertible produce 306-hp with a peak torque of 295 lb-ft.
New for 2010 is the optional 7-speed double-clutch gearbox with Sport Automatic shifting gears. It helps the 135i Coupe go from 0-60 mph in 5 seconds flat. The 2010 135i Convertible with a 7-speed double-clutch goes from rest to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds. The 2010 BMW 135i lineup comes standard with a 6-speed manual, which helps the 135i Coupe run from 0-60 mph in 5.1 seconds and the 135i Convertible in 5.4 seconds.
Both models come as standard with a modified M Aerodynamics Package and M Sports Suspension.
Sales will begin in March 2010. Pricing will be announced closer to launch date.
Click through for the high-res image gallery and the press release.
2010 BMW 135i (Coupe and Convertible):
Press Release:
The Top Performers in the Compact Class: New Generation of Engines in the BMW 135i Coupe and the BMW 135i Convertible.
Munich . The by far most sporting and dynamic models in the compact segment are now increasing their leadership in terms of driving dynamics and efficiency. Starting immediately the BMW 135i Coupe and the BMW 135i Convertible come with a straight-six power unit of the latest generation for the first time combining BMW TwinPower Turbo Technology, High Precision Injection and fully variable VALVETRONIC valve management, all interacting with one another to set new standards for economy with the highest level of performance.
In conjunction with the seven-speed double-clutch gearbox (DKG) featuring Sport Automatic available as an option for the first time in the BMW 1 Series as of March 2010, these superior technologies offer a further significant reduction of fuel consumption and emissions on these top-flight performers, setting up new records in acceleration and dynamic performance.
The top engine featured in both versions of the BMW 1 Series develops maximum output of 225 kW/306 hp at 5,800 rpm from a capacity of three litres, combining spontaneous and direct response with unleashed free-revving driving qualities. Peak torque of the six-cylinder is 400 Newton-metres/295 lb-ft delivered from just 1,200 rpm all the way to 5,000 rpm.
The seven-speed double-clutch gearbox with Sport Automatic shifting gears without the slightest interruption in power and torque, is likewise designed and built for dynamic performance of the highest standard.
Sport Automatic offers not just the option to shift gears manually on the electronic gear selector lever or via the shift paddles on the steering wheel, but also the usual comfort and convenience of a BMW automatic transmission.
The combination of these two innovations in a compact car naturally guarantees driving pleasure of a new standard never seen before. Accelerating from 0 – 60 mph in just 5.0 and from 0 – 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds, the BMW 135i Coupe with its double-clutch gearbox offers the same supreme standard as a thoroughbred sports car even more than in the past.
A truly unique achievement in this performance class is average fuel consumption in the EU test cycle of 8.5 litres/100 kilometres (equal to provisional combined of approx. 22 mpg US), almost one litre/100 kilometres better than the comparable figure in the former model with its six-speed automatic transmission.
This significant reduction of fuel consumption, together with acceleration to 60 mph improved once again by 0.2 seconds, clearly confirms the progress made through BMW EfficientDynamics with this new engine and transmission technology.
The BMW 135i Convertible with double-clutch gearbox accelerates to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds and reaches 100 km/h in 5.5 seconds. Average fuel consumption in the EU test cycle is 8.6 litres/100 km (provisional combined US figure approx 22 mpg), which is 0.8 litres better than on the former model with automatic transmission.
On the same fuel consumption, this is better even than the acceleration and consumption figures of the respective models with a six-speed manual gearbox: the hand-shifted version of the BMW 135i Coupe accelerates to 60 mph in 5.1, the manual-gearbox version of the BMW 135i Convertible in 5.4 seconds (0 –100 km/h on the Coupe in 5.3, on the Convertible in 5.6 seconds).
At the same time the combination of the BMW TwinPower Turbo engine with the manual gearbox also newly developed likewise enhances all-round efficiency by a significant margin. In practice, this means a reduction of average fuel consumption by the BMW 135i Coupe to 8.5 litres and a reduction on the BMW 135i Convertible to 8.6 litres/100 kilometres (provisional combined US figure for both models approx. 22 mpg).
Outstanding innovation for optimised efficiency: first-ever VALVETRONIC on a turbocharged engine.
Outstanding innovation for optimised efficiency: first-ever VALVETRONIC on a turbocharged engine.
The new straight-six power unit of the BMW 135i Coupe and the BMW 135i Convertible owes its exceptional efficiency to the first-ever combination of BMW TwinPower Turbo Technology, High Precision Injection, and VALVETRONIC valve management.
The turbocharger system following the twin-scroll principle separating the ducts for three cylinders at a time both in the exhaust gas manifold and in the turbocharger, as well as VALVETRONIC developed to an even higher standard of efficiency, contributes accordingly to the extremely spontaneous and direct response of the drivetrain.
This kind of technology allows infinite adjustment of valve stroke and valve timing on the intake valves. Throttle losses in the charge cycle are reduced to a minimum and the energy contained in the fuel is put to maximum use. In conjunction with High Precision Injection likewise optimised to an even higher standard, this offers an unparalleled balance of driving performance and fuel economy never seen before in this class.
The BMW 135i Coupe and the BMW 135i Convertible come as standard with a wide range of BMW EfficientDynamics technologies combined with one another in an appropriate symbiosis for each specific market, including features such as Brake Energy Regeneration, a gearshift point indicator on models with a manual gearbox, a map-controlled oil pump, final drive with optimised warm-up running qualities, as well as on-demand control of the engine’s ancillary units such as the pressure-controlled fuel pump.
Enhanced dynamics, greater efficiency: new six-speed manual gearbox and optional seven-speed Double-Clutch Gearbox.
Both the BMW 135i Coupe and the BMW 135i Convertible come as standard with a newly developed six-speed manual gearbox. Optimised for maximum efficiency, this high-tech gearbox features dry sump lubrication significantly reducing drag forces and completely avoiding splash losses in the interest of even greater efficiency all round.
The seven-speed double-clutch gearbox with Sport Automatic featured for the first time in the BMW 1 Series makes an even greater contribution to the optimisation of driving characteristics in the spirit of BMW EfficientDynamics. The double-clutch gearbox improves both acceleration and the efficiency of these compact top-flight performers, at the same time combining this dual progress with the comfort features of a BMW automatic transmission. The seven-speed double-clutch gearbox shifts gears without the slightest interruption of power and torque and offers the driver the choice of either automatic transmission or a manual gearshift.
The fast and smooth shift of gears allows unusually harmonious acceleration and helps to reduce both fuel consumption and emissions. The close, sporting increments of the seven gears ensure that the optimum transmission ratio is always available in all situations.
A combination of dry sump and injection lubrication serves to further optimise the efficiency of the engine through a supreme level of oil supply.
Last but not least, the double-clutch gearbox is controlled with utmost convenience either through the newly designed gear selector lever or by gearshift paddles on the steering wheel.
BMW 135i Coupe and BMW 135i Convertible: outstanding performers in the compact segment and beyond.
The new six-cylinder with BMW TwinPower Turbo Technology and the seven-speed double-clutch gearbox bring out the unique character of these top performers in the compact segment even more and in greater style than ever before. Through their performance alone, the BMW 135i Coupe and the BMW 135i Convertible achieve the supreme standard of a very powerful sports car. And at the same time the driving experience conveyed by both models boasts the agility typical of a BMW 1 Series.
Superior drivetrain technology and a concept unique in this class with rear-wheel drive, the passenger cell moved far to the back, and almost ideal distribution of axle load, offer the optimum combination for unique driving pleasure.
Both models come as standard with a modified M Aerodynamics Package and M Sports Suspension. Other standard features include DSC Dynamic Stability Control with an individualised set-up, an electronically masterminded locking function on the differential, as well as model-specific control maps for Servotronic power steering and the gas pedal, again underlining the sporting character of both models.
VEVO, the music video portal that launched in conjunction with YouTube and a number of music labels in December of 2009, is bringing back the glory days of music videos. And, based on its meteoric rise to the top of the online music charts even after a shaky at best launch, it’s working.
In December, VEVO had 35 million visitors to its site, and 13 billion videos viewed across all of its sites, mostly from YouTube (where VEVO has a branded channel), making it the largest music site on the Internet only a month after its launch.
It’s almost like we’re back to the good ol’ days of MTV and the endless stream of music videos that adoring fans voted on and watched over and over.
The easiest way to understand VEVO is that is to music videos what Hulu is to TV shows: a corporate (in this case record labels) founded, ad-supported way to aggregate and serve up videos on the Web. Instead of having to wade through all the user-made junk on YouTube to find the real, high-grade and high-quality music videos, VEVO’s channel features only label or artist-produced videos, with great sound and video quality (though not HD yet).
Thanks to the good quality and selection of videos, VEVO is a great place not just to watch videos, but to create a personal jukebox or party playlist of music videos. VEVO makes that easy, allowing users to create, save, and share playlists up to 75 videos long. There’s also my closet-singer’s favorite feature: a lot of videos can be synced with lyrics, vastly improving your karaoke skills.
For most users, actually, the experience of watching music videos won’t actually change much. Videos on YouTube will be VEVO-branded, and there will be links to the VEVO site and artist channels, but finding, watching, and commenting on videos on YouTube won’t actually change much. It’s a clever move for VEVO and YouTube, easing the transition and not forcing users to switch to something new and different.
VEVO is supported by a number of major record labels, with more joining all the time—it appears labels are going to stop having their own channels on YouTube, instead using VEVO for distribution. VEVO sells all the ads for the videos, and while watching videos I’ve seen everything from pre-roll ads to the next-to-video ads YouTube users are used to. Since the content is all so high-grade, VEVO can charge more for ads, meaning more money for labels, VEVO, and YouTube (who’s hosting, and showing, nearly all the videos). VEVO’s premium content deals are certainly one of the biggest steps yet to making YouTube profitable.
VEVO’s not really something I thought I’d ever need, to be honest – and I know Anthony agreed with me. Having used it for a while, though, it’s useful to me for the same reason Hulu’s my source for TV shows: I can probably find all the content elsewhere, but having it all in one place, in high quality, and in a way the companies support is pretty great. Instead of wading through all the slow-loading, crappy-looking and illegal options, VEVO and Hulu are well worth the few seconds of advertising you have to sit through.
VEVO’s success is proof there’s a huge market for premium content still out there—we’re not all just looking for camera phone-shot videos on YouTube. It’s also proving that the music industry can stay afloat, even while making its content free to users, if it does it in a smart and appealing way both for users and advertisers.
VEVO’s not perfect, certainly: Since it only runs official videos, it isn’t quite the “all your music in one place” portal I wish it were. It’s also not available everywhere yet (though through YouTube, most videos are widely available). But the Hulu/VEVO model is proving successful and will likely extend to other industries in need of a lifeline. Hulu for newspapers, anyone?
If you’re China-based and you think there might be an xpPhone in your future, we’ve got some news for you: according to an email from ITG, the device will cost from 3,000 – 4,500 Chinese RMB (or about $400 – $650), depending on options. Funny how the world works — put Windows XP on a laptop and it’s yawn city, then you go and put the same OS on a handset and the thing is a bona fide curiosity. We also have a few new shots of the thing, and now we’re we won’t be stingy with ‘em. Take a look below to get your Ya-Ya’s out.
Alright, this is some wild, heavy stuff, but the folks at WMExperts have compiled what they believe to be true about Windows Mobile 7, including a whole bunch of previously undisclosed info and even a couple of flagship phones. We can’t vouch for the rumors, but there’s a ring of truth to plenty of it, and most of the rest of it we want to be true. First off, Microsoft is approaching the revision with two flavors: Windows Phone Seven Business Edition, and Windows Phone Seven Media Edition. The former is a stripped down OS that will allow OEM overlays like HTC’s Sense UI, and includes lower minimum specs — though a WVGA “minimum” is nothing to get angry about. Meanwhile, it sounds like the Media Edition is the quasi-”Zune Phone” we’ve been dreaming of, with a heavy emphasis on HD media playback and capture, along with social networking activities like Xbox Live, Facebook and Twitter. Other features include cloud-style services on the Business Edition side for live manipulation of stored data, a long with a location-aware platform dubbed “Orion.”
This all sounds great, but what’s really exciting is what Microsoft is dictating should be in some of these Media Edition phones. The first two to break cover are the LG Apollo and HTC Obsession. The Apollo is a 3G worldphone (EV-DO and HSDPA) that runs a 1.3GHz Qualcomm QSD8650 processor and a 3.8-inch AMOLED 1280 x 720 WXGA display. The phone also is purported to have a 10 megapixel camera capable of 720p video recording. Meanwhile, HTC’s HSDPA-limited Obsession runs a mere 1GHz Qualcomm QSD8250 proc, with a 3.7-inch AMOLED display, 5 megapixel camera and 720p video recording. The Apollo is due in August or September of this year, with the Obsession following in October. Now, some of these specs are admittedly suspect, like the WXGA resolution on the Apollo and that seemingly 10 megapixel sensor, but we want to believe.
As for what we know to be true? Well, we know we’ll see something at MWC next month, unless Robbie Bach is just joshing around, and we also know HTC has confirmed its involvement with Windows Mobile 7 — lending some credence to rumors of the Sense UI sticking around for a new-generation — and that LG has gone on (and quickly off) record as well saying it’ll have a WinMo 7 phone in September. It’s all a lot more vague than the pages of specs we’re staring at now, but it’s clear that something is brewing. Hit up the source link for the full nitty gritty.
Knicks center Eddy Curry is expected to miss about six weeks after knee surgery, the latest setback for the injury-plagued former Bulls big man.
The Knicks said Curry will have an arthroscopic procedure Monday to remove loose cartilage in his left knee.
He will begin rehabilitation within a week.
Curry has played only seven games in another lost season. The Knicks kept him sidelined at the beginning of the season so he could work on his conditioning, but once he returned he quickly fell out of the rotation.
Another extended absence probably ruins any faint hopes the Knicks have of trading Curry.
He will earn $11.3 million next season, and the team would like to deal him to free up salary-cap space.
Photo: Eddy Curry shoots over the Bulls’ Joakim Noah. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)
That Mischa Barton is a real pro. Mischa has been cast as a prostitute on an upcoming episode of NBC’s long-running crime drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and the former star of The OC was photographed filming scenes for her guest appearance in New York City’s Meatpacking District over the weekend. Mischa makes her SVU premiere on Wednesday, March 3. The 23-year-old’s last television appearance, the Ashton Kutcher-produced The Beautiful Life, was axed by The CW last fall due to poor ratings.
Przymierzam się do napisania pracy historyczno-artystycznej (2 rok historii sztuki) na temat projektów przebudowy Warszawy z lat trzydziestych. Prawdę mówiąc sądziłam, że a nuż znajdę już tutaj taki wątek, ale po szesnastu stronach i próbach wyszukania takiego tematu wymiękłam. Jeśli mój topik coś powtarza – bijcie ; )
Szukam szczególnie ilustracji, planów, zdjęć makiet (mam już trochę na dysku, więc w całkiem oczywistych sprawach pomógł mi już wujek google), ciekawych pozycji bibliograficznych, względnie namiarów na dobre biblioteki w Stolicy, do której udam się osobiście w lutym, po, mam nadzieję, zdanym egzaminie ze sztuki bizantyńskiej.
Pisanie o Warszawie jest dla mnie sporym przeżyciem, ponieważ jak mało kto wiem o niej bardzo niewiele i trochę błądzę… bo jestem z Krakowa ; )
Jeszcze nie jestem pewna, czy dla własnego bezpieczeństwa nie skupię się wyłącznie na architekturze Ministerstwa Wyznań Religijnych i Oświecenia Publicznego (dziś – Edukacji), Zdzisława Mączeńskiego, które przynajmniej będę mogła obejrzeć na własne oczy – wiele zależy od tego, jak duży materiał ikonograficzny uda mi się zgromadzić.
Kiedy skończę pisać postaram się podzielić wynikami mojej pracy, o ile będą one dla kogoś interesujące. Bardzo dziękuję za pomoc i jakiekolwiek uwagi!
At last, Renault has created a proper video to present the upcoming Dacia Duster SUV.
Back in December, the company released a so-called video presentation of the Duster, but it was nothing more than a static footage of the car. This time, thanks to one of the new media’s many wonderful informational paths, a leak, we can see the SUV in motion (actually the nature of this path depends on which side of the video you are: creator or consumer).
At the beginning of the video the car is in an … (read more)
For years, the recording industry has pushed universities to block file sharing apps and promote legal alternatives. In the US, the industry even pushed legislation that would require universities to support legal music services. Apparently, the folks over in Oxford are going in the other direction. IT folks at the prestigious university have banned Spotify, one of the most well-known legal music services out there, claiming that any P2P technology is not allowed, and then also claiming that it’s a bandwidth hog. Finally, when confronted about it, the University noted that the service “cannot be justified as educational.” There are lots of things online that cannot necessarily be justified as educational, but are totally allowed.
Given the multiple explanations, you get the feeling this may have been an overreaction on the part of the University by someone unfamiliar with Spotify. I would doubt that the application is really that much of a bandwidth hog — and even if it is, you would think that there are better ways to deal with it than an outright ban. Either way, it’s not like it will actually stop students from using it or some other means of accessing music they want to hear — it’s just that they’ll do so in more secretive ways.
Still, a bigger question is why such an esteemed university seems to think that all P2P applications are somehow bad. You would think that an educational institution would recognize that P2P is just a way of using the internet — often in a more efficient manner — and it’s been used in all sorts of beneficial and educational settings for years.
A week or so ago, Fred Wilson Dictated a Blog Post. In it he dictated a blog post on his Nexus One phone. He then discovered Swype which now has an unofficial Android app. As usual the comment threads on AVC were very active and had lots of thoughts about the future (and past) of voice and keyboard input.
When I talk about Human Computer Interaction, I regularly say that “in 20 years from now, we will look back on the mouse and keyboard as input devices the same way we currently look back on punch cards.”
While I don’t have a problem with mice and keyboards, I think we are locked into a totally sucky paradigm. The whole idea of having a software QWERTY keyboard on an iPhone amuses me to no end. Yeah – I’ve taught myself to type pretty quickly on it but when I think of the information I’m trying to get into the phone, typing seems so totally outmoded.
Last year at CES “gestural input” was all the rage in the major CE booths (Sony, Samsung, LG, Panasonic, …). In CES speak, this was primarily things like “changing the channel on a TV using a gesture”. This year the silly basic gesture crap was gone and replaced with IP everywhere (very important in my mind) and 3D (very cute, but not important). And elsewhere there was plenty of 2D multitouch, most notably front and center in the Microsoft and Intel booths. I didn’t see much speech and I saw very little 3D UI stuff – one exception was the Sony booth where our portfolio company Organic Motion had a last minute installation that Sony wanted that showed off markerless 3D motion capture.
So – while speech and 2D multitouch are going to be an important part of all of this, it’s a tiny part. If you want to envision what things could be like a decade from now, read Daniel Suarez’s incredible books Daemon and Freedom (TM) . Or, watch the following video that I just recorded from my glasses and uploaded to my computer (warning – cute dog alert).
At CES 2010 we were able to get a look at the very awesome Boxee Box, a set top box that runs the Boxee software, allowing you to pull in audio, video, and photo content from your home network, attached USB drives, as well as from the Internet, from hundreds of different locations. It even has a built-in Mozilla web browser, so you can pull up content like Hulu as well. We also got the news that the Boxee Box remote is two-sided, featuring a full QWERTY keyboard on the back, which eliminates the frustrating on-screen keyboard experience. For a better look at the Boxee Box, check out this episode!
A big thank you to Bing for sponsoring Gear Live’s CES 2010 coverage.
2010Jan18: The U.S. wind corridor includes Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming.
Image Permission: These are the works of United States federal employees, taken or made during the course of an employee’s official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the images are in the public domain.
The war continues between Apple and Nokia as Apple asks the International Trade Commission to block imports of Nokia devices thanks to a patent dispute. Apple’s complaint to the ITC is similar to one that Nokia filed last month against Apple.
The spat goes back to October 2009, when Nokia filed a lawsuit against Apple claiming that the iPhone used technology that violated 10 of Nokia’s patents related to 2G, 3G, and mobile WiFi technologies.
At the time, Nokia claimed that Apple was “attempting to get a free ride on the back of Nokia’s innovation” and wanted Apple to cough up royalties.
Apple responded by filing its own countersuit against Nokia—the company said that Nokia’s claims were unfounded and that Nokia itself had violated 13 of Apple’s patents related to the iPhone. “Nokia has demonstrated its willingness to copy Apple’s iPhone ideas as well as Apple’s basic computing technologies,” read the countersuit, “all while demanding Apple pay for access to Nokia’s purported standards essential patent.”
In its December filing with the ITC, Nokia took the fight a step further by not only targeting the iPhone, but iPods and Macs as well. At that time, Nokia said that Apple was using technology from seven of Nokia’s patents, largely related to digital cameras, user interface, antennas, and power management. Late last week, Apple fired back once again with its own complaint to the ITC, asking the agency to block US imports of Nokia’s phones due to patent infringement.
Nokia says that it will keep defending itself, and that Apple’s complaint doesn’t negate the fact that the company is still leeching off of Nokia’s innovations. “[T]his does not alter the fact that Apple has failed to agree appropriate terms for using Nokia technology,” Nokia spokesperson Mark Durrant told Bloomberg.
The ITC has not yet agreed to investigate either of the complaints, but an injunction against either company could have serious ramifications on the US handheld market. A Nokia spokesperson said last month, however, that such a decision probably wouldn’t come down until 2011—it’s likely that the two companies will negotiate a settlement before then.
Knicks center Eddy Curry is expected to miss about six weeks after knee surgery, the latest setback for the injury-plagued former Bulls big man. 
At last, Renault has created a proper video to present the upcoming Dacia Duster SUV. 
and 
. Or, watch the following video that I just recorded from my glasses and uploaded to my computer (warning – cute dog alert).
