13th March 2008 Archive

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Apple sued in server-to-iPod song shift patent clash

Someone else owns downloading, apparently

Apple has been sued again, once more by a company claiming ownership of technology embedded in the iPod and iTunes Music Store. The plaintiff is one ZapMedia Services, which alleged in a complaint filed with the US District Court for Eastern Texas that the Apple products infringe patents it holds for distributing digital …

Media players 13 Mar 10:33
Quick cash-by-text deals slammed for sending Swedes into debt

EZ $$$

Cash-hungry people can already apply for loans in the High Street, online or over the telephone, but the addition of text messaging services to the list of lenders is now being blamed for pushing hordes of Swedes into the red. Around 30 companies in Sweden now offer short-term loans that can be easily applied for and granted …

Phones 13 Mar 10:54
Lip-like loudspeaker touts the pout

Rockers the Rolling Stones used giant lips as their trademark, so what better way to proudly display your musical credentials than with a portable speaker shaped like a lover’s buccal embrace? Brando's Lips Speaker: perfect for your iPod? The USB Mini Lips Speaker, from online retailer Brando, measures about 60 x 25 x 45mm …

Gadgets and Gizmos 13 Mar 11:00
Sony Ericsson Walkman W890i mobile phone

Review Skinny perfection

Sony Ericsson turned heads last year with its ultra-slim Walkman W880i. Now its successor, the W890i, aims to play to an even wider audience with improved handling and upgraded features. The W880i was a breathtaking switch into ultra-slim mode for Sony Ericsson’s Walkman phone range. It was admired not only for its bold design …

Phones 13 Mar 12:31
MS said to have delayed Euro Zune debut to 2009

No comment on CEO's 'speculation'

Microsoft is keeping mum over the European release date of its Zune portable media player, despite reports that the software giant has pushed back the release to 2009. The US is already on its second-generation Zune, which was released over there in November last year. However, French newspaper Les Echos this week reported …

Media players 13 Mar 12:45
LG goes LCD shopping at Sharp

32in and 52in panels only

The popularity of outsourcing LCD panel production between manufacturers is growing, with LG now confirming that it plans to buy 32in and 52in LCD panels from Sharp. LG will initially buy 2m 32in panels from Sharp and then follow-up by buying an unspecified number of 52in panels from the same supplier at a later date. LG is …

HD 13 Mar 14:14
Sony touts tasty portable DVD player

Sony DVD goes mobile

Watching movies on a laptop doesn't suit every location, and you may find portable media player screens too small. So what's the alternative for watching films on the go? Portable DVD players, says Sony, which has unveiled a sexy model for the mobile movie addict. The DVP-FX720 has the advantage of being smaller than most …

Gadgets and Gizmos 13 Mar 14:16
Apple patents reveal Apple TV DVR plan?

Recordings scheduled by iPod

Readers with long memories may recall rumours a few years back that Apple was planning to fit an updated version of the Mac Mini with an integrated iPod dock. Newly published patents suggest the idea may yet emerge - as a DVR-oriented version of the Apple TV. OS X Dock-like on-screen control, anyone? Among the patents - …

Media players 13 Mar 14:49
Digital TV sales soar as Brits flock to Freeview

iDTVs outsell set-top boxes

What did you get the missus for Christmas? An iPhone? A Wii? Or perhaps like millions of other Brits, you got her a Freeview-enabled telly or set-top box? Sales of Freeview-branded hardware rose to 3.8m units during the Christmas quarter. Freeview, the brand under which digital terrestrial TV operates in the UK, had its best …

HD 13 Mar 15:08
Set your Nunchuck free

Wireless Wii widgit

Since the Wii’s arrival, gamers have moaned about that little wire connecting the console's main Remote to the Nunchuck. Gaming peripherals manufacturer Nyko has cut the cord and created a wireless alternative. Nyko's Cord-Free: does away with wires Nyko’s Cord-Free system is very simple. Firstly, a wireless dongle slots …

Consoles 13 Mar 15:13
Google claims 'non-existent' Android beats everything but the Jesus Phone

eComm 'And maybe the Jesus Phone too'

One day, Google believes, software developers will love its "non-existent" Android handset just as much as they love the iPhone - and maybe more. Speaking this morning at eComm, a conference dedicated to "emerging communications," Google mobile platforms guru Rich Miner acknowledged that for the moment, Apple may have an …

Phones 13 Mar 21:52