Apple, betrayed by its own law firm

FlatWorld Interactives sued Apple in April 2012, naming just about every gadget in Apple’s arsenal as a product that infringed its two related patents, said to cover swiping gestures on a touch screen. Over the next three months, the company filed similar lawsuits against LG Electronics and Samsung, against a wide array of smartphones made by those companies.

via Apple, betrayed by its own law firm | Ars Technica.

Kim Dotcom Threatens To Sue Google, Facebook And Twitter Over 2-Factor Authentication Patent If They Don’t Help Him

So, a lot of people are talking about Kim Dotcom’s latest gambit, which was to point out that he holds a patent (US 6,078,908 and apparently others in 12 other countries as well) that covers the basics of two-factor authentication, with a priority date of April of 1997. While interesting, he goes on to point out that he’s never sued over the patent because “I believe in sharing knowledge and ideas for the good of society.”

via Kim Dotcom Threatens To Sue Google, Facebook And Twitter Over 2-Factor Authentication Patent If They Don’t Help Him | Techdirt.

Power company says Super Bowl blackout was caused by device designed to prevent power outages

In a follow-up statement, Entergy said that tests conducted by S&C and Entergy on the two relays at the Superdome showed that one worked as expected, the other did not.

via Power company says Super Bowl blackout was caused by device designed to prevent power outages – The Washington Post.

I would hope most devices in the distribution of power are designed to prevent outages.

Microsoft says Google trying to undermine Windows Phone

According to Heiner, Google has denied Microsoft’s YouTube app access to metadata that would allow it to deliver all of YouTube’s functionality, including such features as user ratings and the ability to search for videos by categories.

Because of this limitation, he says, Microsoft has been forced to deliver an app that’s really nothing more than a repackaged version of the YouTube website running in a browser – unlike the apps for other platforms, which offer richer experiences.

via Microsoft says Google trying to undermine Windows Phone • The Register.

Open-source movements butt heads over logo

The gear logo is backed by the Open Source Hardware Association (OSHWA), which was formally established earlier this year to promote hardware innovation and unite the fragmented community of hackers and do-it-yourselfers. The gear mark is now being increasingly used on boards and circuits to indicate that the hardware is open-source and designs can be openly shared and modified.

via Open-source movements butt heads over logo.

OSI has now informed OSHWA, which is acting on behalf of the open-source hardware community, that the logo infringes on its trademark.