Web pioneers win inaugural $1.5M engineering prize

SOURCE: http://technology.inquirer.net/23959/web-pioneers-win-inaugural-1-5m-engineering-prize

Lord Browne, left, chair of QEPrize Foundation, announces the winners of the inaugural Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, French Software Engineer Louis Pouzin, right, and US Internet Pioneer Robert Kahn, center, at the Royal Academy of Engineering in London on Monday, March 18, 2013. Five pioneering engineers, US Robert Kahn, US Vinton Cerf, French Louis Pouzin, British Tim Berners-Lee and US Marc Andreessen, share this first prize. SANG TAN/AP IMAGES FOR QEPRIZE)

LONDON—Five engineers who helped create the Internet were on Monday awarded a $1.5 million prize which British organizers hope will come to be seen as equivalent to a Nobel prize for engineering.

Robert Kahn, Vinton Cerf and Marc Andreessen of the United States will share the first ever £1 million (1.2 million euro) Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering with Louis Pouzin of France and Tim Berners-Lee of Britain.

“The emergence of the Internet and the web involved many teams of people all over the world,” said Alec Broers, chair of the judging panel.

“However, these five visionary engineers, never before honored together as a group, led the key developments that shaped the Internet and web as a coherent system and brought them into public use.”

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, who gives her name to the prize, will present the award to the winners in a formal ceremony in London in June.

Organizers said Kahn, Cerf and Pouzin had made “seminal” contributions to the design and protocols that make up the fundamental architecture of the Internet.

Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web, the information-sharing system built on top of the Internet which allows us to use it in the way we do today.

BlackBerry boss has swipe at Apple as Z10 hits stores

SOURCE: http://technology.inquirer.net/23971/blackberry-boss-has-swipe-at-apple-as-z10-hits-stores

The BlackBerry Z10 smartphone is displayed, Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013 in New York. BlackBerry is promising a speedy browser, a superb typing experience and the ability to keep work and personal identities separate on the same phone, the fruit of a crucial, long-overdue makeover for the Canadian company. AP FLE PHOTO

SYDNEY – The head of BlackBerry has taken a swipe at Apple, saying in an interview the iPhone’s operating system was outdated, while promising thousands of new apps as it prepares to launch its new Z10 handset.

Thorsten Heins said there were signs users were switching to the Canada-based firm, which rebranded itself on launching its BlackBerry 10 platform this year, as it works to win back those who had shifted to the iPhone or Android devices.

He told the Australian Financial Review that big name apps such as Instagram and Netflix were being attracted by the reaction to its new BB10 operating system.

“Apple did a fantastic job in bringing touch devices to market… They did a fantastic job with the user interface, they are a design icon,” he said.

“The user interface on the iPhone, with all due respect for what this invention was all about, is now five years old.”

While BlackBerry helped create a culture of mobile users who were glued to the company’s smartphones, many of those customers have since moved to Apple or other smartphone makers such as Samsung.

Apple’s iPhone remains hugely popular but its iOS system is almost unchanged since 2007 and the firm’s CEO Tim Cook last week sought to allay fears over what some suggest is a lack of innovation, saying it still has the ability to “create magic”.

Japan’s Fujitsu says smartphones can take your pulse

SOURCE: http://technology.inquirer.net/23943/japans-fujitsu-says-smartphones-can-take-your-pulse

A Fujitsu engineer demonstrates new technology, a the real-time pulse monitor system with facial imaging technology, that ustilises a web-camera in PCs or smartphones, at the company’s headquarters in Tokyo on March 18, 2013. Fujitsu develped the technology to measure the user’s pulse via the brightness of their face. AFP / YOSHIKAZU TSUNO

TOKYO — A smartphone that can take the pulse of a user just by looking at his or her face was unveiled in Japan on Monday.

Technology giant Fujitsu plans to put the invention to practical use within a year, enabling people at work or at home to track their health and collect data for analysis without wearing special devices.

The smartphone works by measuring variations in the brightness of a person’s face caused by the flow of blood.

Researchers say countless tiny blood vessels run through the face, enabling monitoring of haemoglobin which absorbs green light. Haemoglobin is a protein found in red blood cells that contains iron and transports oxygen.

Simply pointing a camera at a person’s face for as little as five seconds will enable pulse-taking, while the technology automatically filters out the effect of head movements or changes caused by standing up quickly.

“Even at a busy workplace, or any time a person is sitting in front of a PC, whether for teleconferencing or writing e-mails, their pulse can be measured during brief moments of quiet,” the company said in a press release.

Google chairman to sell $2.5 bn of shares

SOURCE: http://technology.inquirer.net/22947/google-chairman-to-sell-2-5-bn-of-shares

WASHINGTON— Google’s Chairman Eric Schmidt plans to sell 3.2 million “A” shares, currently worth $2.5 billion, over the next year, Google said Friday in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The sale amounts to 42 percent of Schmidt’s 7.6 million Class A and Class B shares in the company, a 2.3 percent stake in the company, but 8.2 percent of voting power.

The sale is part of a pre-arranged trading plan for Schmidt’s “long-term strategy for individual asset diversification and liquidity,” according to the filing.

“Using this trading plan, Eric can diversify his investment portfolio and can spread stock trades out over a period of one year to reduce market impact.”

Google’s share price climbed 1.5 percent Friday to a new all-time record of $785.37, putting the value of the shares Schmidt will sell at $2.51 billion.

In its September 2012 billionaires list—when Google shares crossed the $700 line for the first time— Forbes ranked Schmidt 138th in the world, with his fortune worth $7.5 billion.

Sony faces challenge with new PlayStation

SOURCE : http://technology.inquirer.net/22975/sony-faces-challenge-with-new-playstation

AFP FILE PHOTO

SAN FRANCISCO – When Sony pulls back the curtain on the next-generation PlayStation videogame console, the world will see how much the Japanese consumer electronics titan has been paying attention.

Sony could double-down on hardware to power even more realistic graphics and rich game play than the impressive specifications of PlayStation 3 consoles nearing the end of a life cycle started in 2006.

Or, Sony may step toward a vision outlined by chief executive Kazuo Hirai by introducing an improved console as part of an ecosystem that weaves the company’s film, music, games and electronics together with the trend toward getting home entertainment online.

“Sony needs a living room experience,” Forrester Research analyst James McQuivey said while discussing expectations that a PlayStation 4 will be showcased at an event being hosted by Sony on February 20 in New York City.

“They need more software, not more hardware.”

The PlayStation 3 launched as an engineering triumph complete with Blu-ray high-definition disk player capabilities only to see rival Microsoft score with Xbox 360 consoles for gaming as well as online films, music and more.

“Sony can’t build a company on those few people who are hardcore gamers, so they have to figure out how to bridge to the all-purpose consumer who likes games, which is most of us,” McQuivey said.

“If they emphasize how this is really a television set-top box with your favorite channels and Netflix, it will mean Sony has paid attention.”

Sony has remained mum, but that hasn’t stopped talk of hardware upgrades such as improved graphics and controllers with touchpads, and chatter of Sony announcing its own cable-style service to route film or music content to PlayStation consoles.

Sony needs to adapt to changing lifestyles while not alienating videogame lovers devoted to its hardware.

Low-cost or free games on smartphones or tablet computers are increasing the pressure on videogame companies to deliver experiences worth players’ time and money.

New generation consoles are typically priced in the $400 to $500 range, and blockbuster game titles hit the market at $60 each.

“Sony is under a lot of pressure,” said National Alliance Capital Markets analyst Mike Hickey. “Gamers are desperate for innovation and better games.”

While Sony is tethered to “legacy” hardware, companies such as Apple and Google are driving innovation with tablets, smartphones, and ways to route Internet offerings to television sets, according to Hickey.

While ramping up content and services for PlayStation, Sony also needs to motivate people to upgrade from the current model.

“If Sony wants to win it, they need to show some killer games to get people to go out and spend a lot of money for the core game experience,” Hickey said.

He blamed a dearth of compelling titles as a reason for disappointing sales of Nintendo’s innovative Wii U consoles introduced late last year.

“The Wii U is a case study you can’t ignore,” Hickey said. “Sony at least has to nail it with the games; the core market can drive the mass market.”

Industry tracker NPD Group reported that just shy of $9 billion was spent in the United States last year on purchasing or renting video or computer games.

Another $5.92 billion was spent on game downloads, subscriptions, and play on mobile games or at social networks, according to NPD.

French videogame star Ubisoft reported that sales surged 23 percent overall in the final quarter of last year with hit installments of its “Assassin’s Creed” and “Far Cry” franchises while online revenue leapt 143 percent.

“People are gaming more now than they ever have,” McQuivey said. “More minutes on more devices over more types of games from consoles to mobile phones.”

“Console gaming is going to face challenge because you can pull out your tablet and have some pretty amazing gaming experiences for $1.99 or free with ads,” he added.

Forrester predicts that while US households will turn increasingly to accessing the Internet through videogame consoles and smart televisions, games on smartphones and tables will “negatively impact” the console market.

“Tablets are in every household and the computing power of tablets is going up every year,” Hickey said. “Eventually, the tablet could very well become the console.”

Analyst Michael Pachter of Wedbush Securities expected Sony to remain mum about pricing and specific release date while unveiling the PS4 later this month.

“The new console will clearly be more powerful,” Pachter said. “How they will use that power is unclear.”

Twitter launches iPhone video sharing app

Agence France-Presse
SOURCE: http://technology.inquirer.net/22353/twitter-launches-iphone-video-sharing-app

SAN FRANCISCO—Twitter on Thursday launched Vine, a service that lets people share video snippets from iPhones or iPod touch devices.

Perpetually looping videos clips up to six seconds each can be shared using Vine or easily embedded in “tweets” fired off at the globally popular messaging service Twitter.

“Like tweets, the brevity of videos on Vine inspires creativity,” Twitter vice president of product Michael Sippey said in a blog post.

A free Vine application became available worldwide at Apple’s App Store on Thursday, according to Vine co-founder and general manager Dom Hofmann.

“Posts on Vine are about abbreviation — shortened forms of something larger,” Hofmann said in a blog post as the Vine website.

“They’re little windows into the people, settings, ideas and objects that make up your life.”

Twitter bought the small team at Vine, a startup based in New York, in October, prompting talk the messaging service intended to do for smartphone video what Instagram did for pictures.

Twitter in December added Instagram-style smartphone photo sharing features after the Facebook-owned service made it impossible for Internet users to integrate its images into tweets.

Previously, Instagram pictures shared in messages tweeted from smartphones could be viewed unaltered at Twitter.

Asteroid makes ‘flyby’ Thursday

By DJ Yap, Bobby Lagsa

SOURCE : http://technology.inquirer.net/21807/asteroid-makes-flyby-thursday

AFP, katasztrofak.abbcenter.com and National Historical Commission of the Philippines

A heavenly body packing more energy than 25,000 Hiroshima bombs and which can obliterate Luzon on impact will streak across the skies near Earth on Thursday under the watchful gaze of astronomers the world over.

Scientists will be tracking the path of the asteroid called 99942 Apophis as it comes within 14.5 million kilometers of the Earth’s surface, a distance not visible to the naked eye, but can be seen through a powerful telescope, the country’s chief astronomer said.

“It will appear like a tiny star flying quickly by,” said Dario de la Cruz, head of the space sciences and astronomy section of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

The flyby of Apophis, named after the Egyptian god of darkness, affords astronomers an opportunity to monitor the asteroid’s path and recalculate its odds of ramming the planet when it whizzes by again, at a much closer distance, in 16 years’ time, scientists said.

Huge gadget show gears up in Vegas

By Peter Svensson
Associated Press

SOURCE: http://technology.inquirer.net/21633/huge-gadget-show-gears-up-in-vegas

This undated publicity image provided by Sony shows an ultra-HD 4K TV set. At the biggest trade show in the Americas, which kicks off next week in Las Vegas, TV makers will be doing their best to convince you that HDTVs are old hat, and should make room for “Ultra HDTV.” (AP Photo/Sony, File)

Think your high-definition TV is hot stuff — as sharp as it gets? At the biggest trade show in the Americas, which kicks off next week in Las Vegas, TV makers will be doing their best to convince you that HDTVs are old hat, and should make room for “Ultra HDTV.”

It’s the latest gambit from an industry struggling with a shift in consumer spending from TVs, PCs and single-purpose devices such as camcorders to small, portable do-it-all gadgets: smartphones and tablets. The Consumer Electronics Association estimates that device shipments to U.S. buyers fell 5 percent in dollar terms last year excluding smartphones and tablets, but rose 6 percent to $207 billion if you include those categories.

The trends suggest that the International CES (formerly the Consumer Electronics Show) is losing its stature as a start-of-the-year showcase for the gadgets that consumers will buy over the next 12 months. It started out as a venue for the TV and stereo industries. Later, PCs joined the party.

But over the last few years, TVs and PCs have declined in importance as portable gadgets have risen and CES hasn’t kept pace. It’s not a major venue for phone and tablet launches, though some new models will likely see the light of day there when the show floor opens on Tuesday. The biggest trendsetter in mobile gadgets industry, Apple Inc., stays away, as it shuns all events it doesn’t organize itself.

Apple rival Microsoft Corp. has also scaled back its patronage of the show. For the first time since 1999, Microsoft’s CEO won’t be delivering the kick-off keynote. Qualcomm Inc. has taken over the podium. It’s an important maker of chips that go into cellphones, but not a household name.

None of this seems to matter much to the industry people who go to the show, which is set to be bigger than ever, at least in terms of floor space.

Gary Shapiro the CEO of the organizing Consumer Electronics Association, expects attendance close to the 156,000 people who turned out last year. That’s pretty much at capacity for Las Vegas, which has about 150,000 hotel rooms. The show doesn’t welcome gawkers: the attendees are executives, purchasing managers, engineers, marketers, journalists and others with connections to the industry.

“We don’t want to be over 160,000,” Shapiro said in an interview. “We do everything we can not to be too crowded.”

Nor do the shifting winds of the technology industry seem to matter much to exhibitors. Though some big names are scaling back or missing, there are many smaller companies clamoring for booth space and a spot in the limelight for a few days. For example, while Apple doesn’t have an official presence at the show, there will be 500 companies displaying Apple accessories in the “iLounge Pavilion.”

Overall, the CEA sold a record 1.9 million square feet of floor space (the equivalent of 33 football fields) for this year’s show.

These are some of the themes that will be in evidence next week:

___ SHARPER TVs

Ultra HDTVs have four times the resolution of HDTVs. While this sounds extreme and unnecessary, you’ve probably already been exposed to projections at this resolution, because it’s used in digital movie theaters. Sony, LG, Westinghouse and others will be at the show with huge flat-panel TVs that bring that experience home, if you have a spare $20,000 or so.

While the sets are eye-catching, they will likely be niche products for years to come, if they ever catch on. They have to be really big — more than 60 inches, measured diagonally — to make the extra resolution really count. Also, there’s no easy way to get movies in UHDTV resolution.

“While there’s going to be a lot of buzz around Ultra HDTV, we really think what’s going to be relevant to consumers at the show is the continued evolution of 3D TVs and Internet-connected TVs,” said Kumu Puri, senior executive with consulting firm Accenture’s Electronics & High-Tech group.

___ BIGGER PHONES

Unlike TVs, new phones are launched throughout the year, so CES isn’t much of a bellwether for phone trends. But this year, reports point to several super-sized smartphones, with screen bigger than five inches diagonally, making their debut at the show. These phones are so big they can be awkward to hold to the ear, but Samsung’s Galaxy Note series has shown that there’s a market for them. Wags call them “phablets” because they’re almost tablet-sized.

___ ACROBATIC PCs

Microsoft launched Windows 8 in October, in an attempt to make the PC work more like a tablet. PC makers obliged, with a slew of machines that blend the boundaries. They have touch screens that twist, fold back or detach from the keyboard. None of these seems to be a standout hit so far, but we can expect more experiments to be revealed at the show.

“All the PC manufacturers recognize that they have to do things differently,” Accenture’s Puri said.

___ ATTENTIVE COMPUTING

CES has been a showcase in recent years for technologies that free users from keyboards, mice and buttons. Instead, they rely on cameras and other sophisticated sensors to track the user and interpret gestures and eye movements. Microsoft’s motion-tracking add-on for the Xbox 360 console, the Kinect, has introduced this type of technology to the living room. Startups and big TV makers are now looking to take it further.

For example, Tobii Technology, a Swedish company, will be at the show to demonstrate “the world’s first gaze interaction computer peripheral” — basically a camera that tracks where the user is looking on the screen, potentially replacing the mouse.

PointGrab, an Israeli startup, will be showing off software that lets a regular laptop webcam interpret hand movements in the air in front of it.

Assaf Gad, head of marketing at PointGrab, said that CES is usually full of hopeful companies with speculative interaction technologies, “but this year, you can actually see real devices.”

Microsoft slams Google on ‘proper’ YouTube app

Agence France-Presse

SOURCE: http://technology.inquirer.net/21579/microsoft-slams-google-on-proper-youtube-app

NEW YORK – Microsoft stepped up its criticism of Google on antitrust grounds Wednesday, claiming the Internet giant refuses to allow Windows Phone users “proper access” to the YouTube video service.

“Despite government scrutiny, Google continues to block Microsoft from offering its customers proper access to YouTube. This is an important issue because consumers value YouTube access on their phone,” said Microsoft attorney Dave Heiner in a blog post.

“Google often says that the antitrust offenses with which it has been charged cause no harm to consumers. Google is wrong about that. In this instance, for example, Google’s refusal deprives consumers who use competing platforms of a comparable experience in accessing content that is generally available on the Web.”

The comments marked the latest flare-up between the two tech titans and came as US and EU antitrust watchdogs were seeking to conclude probes into Google’s conduct. Some reports said US investigators were preparing to settle for a voluntary agreement from Google without court enforcement.

87% of Filipino Internet users have been victims of cybercrimes–DOJ

By Christine O. Avendaño

SOURCE: http://technology.inquirer.net/21557/87-of-filipino-internet-users-have-been-victims-of-cybercrimes-doj

MANILA, Philippines — Almost 9 out of 10 Filipino Internet users have been victimized by cybercrime or a malicious activity on the Internet at one time or another, the Department of Justice (DOJ) primer on facts and trends about cybercrimes committed in the country, said on Tuesday.

The primer on Philippine cybercrime has been prepared by the DOJ as part of its advocacy program to prevent abuses in cyberspace as the legality of the new law against cybercrime is being deliberated in the Supreme Court.

In October 2012, the implementation of the new Cyber-crime Prevention Act of 2012 was suspended by the high tribunal for four months until Feb.6 following 15 petitions seeking for the law to be declared unconstitutional wholly or partially. The high court is set to hear on Jan.15 oral arguments on the law that became controversial because of its provisions that included the criminalization of online libel.

In the three-page primer presented in a question and answer format, the DOJ said that cybercrime has become “one of the fastest growing crimes globally.”

How to Cut the Average Cell Phone Bill by More than 80%

SOURCE: http://www.howlifeworks.com/technology/cell_phone_savings

New no-contract carriers offer good basic service at a fraction of the cost

In good economic times, it's natural that we pay less attention to our monthly expenses.  When things get tight, however, we quickly realize the importance of managing our money well and eliminating unnecessary expenses.

A great place to start is by looking at services that you are paying for, but are not fully utilizing. One of the first services you should tackle is your cell phone service.

Most cell phone companies entice customers with fancy phones and plans that include a bevy of services, however they also tend to have hidden costs and require long, inflexible contracts. Today, the average monthly cell phone bill is $73, according to a recent J.D. Power report.  But, what if you could cut that down to just $10 a month?

With new cell phone companies and new, no-contact plans from existing companies - this type of savings is now possible.

For many people, what's most important about their cell phone is a reliable, easy to use service that's available when you need it.  Fortunately, for these people, there are new breed cell phone companies that specialize in simple no-obligation agreements with super-low pricing.  And the big companies are taking note, and starting to offer similar plans.

Another thing that many people don't know is that most of the major carriers now pro-rate termination fees - the longer you've been in the contract, the lower the fee.  So, even if you are currently in a contract, you may still be able to find significant savings by paying the termination fee and switching to a much lower cost, no-contract provider.

Making Facebook a warmer, smaller space

Associated Press

In this Dec. 13, 2011, file photo, a Facebook User Operations Safety Team worker looks at reviews at Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif. Curating your Facebook news feed, and other practices that can help personalize a user’s facebook activity can be burdensome process, but the result: less tabloid magazine, more personal messages and cute pictures from people who are actually your friends. AP PHOTO/PAUL SAKUMA

NEW YORK—A woman I haven’t spoken to in six years is pregnant with her second son. Another college acquaintance reads the Bible a lot. A high school classmate likes to rant about politics. A college dormmate thinks he works too much.

On Facebook, I’m connected to a lot of people who are not my friends. Over the years, as my Facebook friend list grows, it’s made me increasingly uncomfortable that I seem to know so much about people that I don’t actually know.

So as the new year approached, I decided to review my Facebook life. I took a four-week break—a “Facebook Fast”—from the world’s biggest online social network. The break this fall spanned the presidential campaign and election, Superstorm Sandy, fighting in the Middle East and my college’s homecoming weekend—all events I cared about. These were all reasons for me to crave Facebook as a way to check the zeitgeist.

What did I learn? Sure, there are sleazy and annoying aspects to Facebook. It connects us to each other like tabloids connect readers to celebrities, and it compels us to gossip. It often makes us voyeurs accidentally immersed in the intimate lives of people we barely know.

LG seeks ban on Samsung tablet sales in Korea

Agence France-Presse

SEOUL–South Korea’s LG display said Friday it had asked a Seoul court to ban the domestic sale of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet computer, citing alleged patent infringements.

The company, in the injunction filed on Wednesday, accused Samsung Electronics of infringing three of its patents on the liquid crystal display (LCD) panels used on the Galaxy Note.

“Through this action, LG Display seeks to completely stop the sale, manufacture and importation of the infringing Samsung product,” LG Display said in a press release.

China tightening controls on Internet

By Joe McDonald

Associated Press

In this July 14, 2010 file photo, a Chinese man uses a computer at an Internet cafe in Beijing. China’s new communist leaders are increasing already tight controls on Internet use and electronic publishing following a spate of embarrassing online reports about official abuses. AP PHOTO/NG HAN GUAN

BEIJING—China’s new communist leaders are increasing already tight controls on Internet use and electronic publishing following a spate of embarrassing online reports about official abuses.

The measures suggest China’s new leader, Xi Jinping, and others who took power in November share their predecessors’ anxiety about the Internet’s potential to spread opposition to one-party rule and their insistence on controlling information despite promises of more economic reforms.

‘Angry Birds’ creator says new studio could rival Disney

Agence France-Press

HELSINKI – Finnish mobile gaming company Rovio said on Friday that a movie based on its hit game “Angry Birds” could result in the group establishing an animation studio rivalling global giant Walt Disney.

Rovio chief executive Mikael Hed told AFP that the animated 3D film, which will not reach cinemas until the summer of 2016, could lead to the company setting up an animated movie studio that would compete with California-based Walt Disney Animation Studios.

“If this goes very well, that is what is going to happen. Certainly we are structuring this in a way so that it’s possible for us to continue to produce more movies after this one,” he said.

“In March, we are going to start rolling out our worldwide series of short animations, which will be available through digital and traditional channels.”

Rovio is aiming high with the film version of the smartphone game, hiring John Cohen, producer of computer-animated comedy “Despicable Me” to produce it, and David Maisel, former chairman of Marvel Studios, as an executive producer.

Look, ma, a laptop and a tablet in one!

By Matikas Santos
INQUIRER.net

Next year the trend will be convertibles

MANILA, Philippines – Tired of carrying both a laptop computer and a tablet? Then better get ready for the coming of the convertibles, laptops that have touch-screen monitors that can be bent to resemble a tablet computer.

Ricky Banaag, Intel Philippines country manager, said during the recent Intel’s year end press briefing that a lot of convertibles will hit the Philippine market in 2013.

He cited the recent Windows 8 Experience Study conducted by Intel which showed that 44 percent of people surveyed had chosen convertible laptops over tablets and normal laptops in deciding which device they would like to run Windows 8.

Instagram sued over contract changes

Agence France-Presse

AFP FILE PHOTO

SAN FRANCISCO – A lawsuit filed here seeks to stop Instagram from changing its terms of service, saying the Facebook-owned smartphone photo-sharing service is breaching its contract with users.

The lawsuit filed Friday by Southern California-based law firm of Finkelstein and Krinsk claimed class action status and called on the federal court to bar Instagram from changing its rules.

“Instagram is taking its customers property rights while insulating itself from all liability,” the law firm said in the suit, which also demanded that the service pay its legal fees.

Settlement reached in Toyota acceleration cases

By Greg Risling

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — Toyota Motor Corp. says it has reached a settlement worth more than $1 billion in a case involving unintended acceleration problems in its vehicles.

The company said Wednesday the deal will resolve hundreds of lawsuits from Toyota owners who said the value of their cars and trucks plummeted after a series of recalls stemming from claims that Toyota vehicles accelerated unintentionally.

Steve Berman, a lawyer representing Toyota owners, said the settlement is the largest in U.S. history involving automobile defects.

‘Tablet-first’ games studio Supercell is doing super well: Gross revenue pegged at $1m per day

by Robin Wauters

If you aren't yet familiar with Finnish ‘tablet-first’ games developer Supercell, you soon will be (ball pit video interview at the bottom).

When I was visiting Helsinki, Finland a few weeks ago to do some interviews for a profile piece on mobile gaming giant Rovio and host the first TNW / ArcticStartup meetup, a lot of the talks I had with local entrepreneurs and investors revolved around Supercell and how exceptionally well the company is performing.

Christmas retail checks show Microsoft Surface demand modest compared to iPad and Kindle Fire

It’s too early for concrete sales numbers, but already we’re getting an indication of which tablets were more popular amongst holiday shoppers. Unsurprisingly, the Apple iPad and Kindle Fire dominated, while the Microsoft Surface didn’t.