Saturday, August 25, 2012

675 000 dollars for 30 songs on Kazaa: penalty once again confirmed

New episode in the saga of the American judicial Joel Tenenbaum, whose sentence to a fine of $ 675,000 for downloading and sharing 30 songs on Kazaa has once again been confirmed.

In the mid-2000s, the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) went on a rather misguided witch-hunt, filing lawsuits against individual file-sharers seemingly at random, despite winning a combined nine-figure settlement from the main culprits: the peer-to-peer networks themselves, Napster and Kazaa.

Back in 2005, then-college student Joel Tenenbaum was busted for sharing 31 songs via Kazaa. In the seven years since, his case—one of only two of its kind to go to trial—has been decided and appealed countless times. Federal copyright law mandates a penalty in the range of $750 to $150,000 per infringement, so a jury  in 2009 somehow decided upon $22,500 per infringement, saddling Tenenbaum with a $675,000 fine. It was then reduced to a total fine of $67,500 by a district court judge. And then an appeals court overturned that decision, reinstating the $675,000 fine.

Finally, the case was due to be tried in front of the Supreme Court this month. Except it wasn’t—because they decided it wasn’t worth their time. So, the fine sticks. For 31 songs.

Google Goggles updated, works with non-autofocus cameras too

The Google Goggles has been updated: it now allows owners of a smartphone that does not have an autofocus use, which was not the case before. In the process, Google has introduced a new system to protect users from malicious links.

Google has been hard at work  updating its mobile applications as of late. Yesterday, the search giant updated its mobile browser Chrome for the iPhone, now it’s delivering an update to its Google Goggles application for Android devices. New Google Goggles features include support for devices that don’t have autofocus cameras, which is perfect for low-end smartphones.

Moreover, the application brings faster and better tracking of objects when in continuous mode, and the search-from-camera feature no longer needs to have Search History enabled for it to work. Goggles also improves its QR-scanning abilities, and will show a thumbnail if the QR code has an embedded URL, will scan URLs against known malicious links, and can read much more bar codes. Lastly, Google Goggles adds search results that appear similar to the subject if it can’t find an exact match.



 Google Goggles version 1.9 adds support for devices without autofocusing optics, giving those on budget gear a chance to use the real world as a search box. Point it at a QR code containing a URL, and it'll show you a thumbnail of the page and check its credentials against its blacklist of malicious sites. If it comes up short when searching for a product, it'll even search for similar-looking items to help you find what you're looking for, and it's available from the Play store for free.

Download

New smartphone HTC Proto first pictures

The next smartphone from HTC, known for the moment under the code name "Proto" is unveiled at the corner of two photographs published by The Verge site. The terminal could be officially unveiled next week during IFA.

 If it has not yet been formalized by HTC, the Proto is still talked about for several weeks in early August, The Verge , Android already evoked a terminal with a 4-inch screen, a sensor 5 megapixel camera, 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage space.  A processor Qualcomm MSM8225 dual-core 1 GHz is also present.


Kaspersky Lab’s New “Safe Money” Technology Protects Personal Data and Real Money

Kaspersky Internet Security Comes Loaded with Latest Technologies to Protect Personal Data and Real Money

It’s no secret: most cybercriminals don’t want online fame, they want your money. Kaspersky Lab research shows that each day, more than 1,400 new pieces of banking malware are created. These malicious programs are designed specifically to hijack your online purchases, snoop on credit card transactions, and redirect your web browser to fraudulent sites. More than $1.2 trillion will be exchanged over the Internet in 2012, and stealing even a small percentage can mean a big pay-day for cybercriminals.

Today, Kaspersky Lab, a leading developer of secure content and threat management solutions, announced new versions of Kaspersky Internet Security and Kaspersky Anti-Virus. Both products feature our strongest protection ever against modern threats and significant improvements to performance and simplicity, including a faster installation, less drain on computer resources and battery life, and real-time protection against viruses, spyware, and more.

A new offering found in Kaspersky Internet Security is Safe Money, Kaspersky Lab’s unique technology designed to protect the user’s money when shopping and banking online. To keep your cash safe, Kaspersky Internet Security’s Safe Money will:

1. Automatically activate when visiting most common payment services (PayPal, etc.), banking websites, and you can easily add your own bank or shopping websites to the list.

2. Isolate your payment operations in a special web browser to ensure your transactions aren’t monitored.

3. Verify the authenticity of the banking or payment website itself, to ensure the site isn’t compromised by malware, or a fake website designed to look authentic.

4. Evaluate the security status of your computer, and warn about any existing threats that should be addressed prior to making payments.

5. Provide an onscreen Virtual Keyboard when entering your credit card or payment information so you can enter your information with mouse-clicks. This will activate a special program to prevent malware from logging any keystrokes on your physical keyboard.

In July, this new Safe Money technology was evaluated against 15 real-world attack styles used by malware to steal your banking information. Tested by independent research lab Matousec, Kaspersky Internet Security successfully blocked all 15 banking attacks. Most other popular security products failed to block even half of the attacks. The full test results are available online.

Watching for Security Flaws in Your Apps and Programs

Another new and unique technology added to both Kaspersky Internet Security and Kaspersky Anti-Virus is called Automatic Exploit Prevention. An easy way for a cybercriminal to gain control of your PC is to take advantage of a security flaw in one of the dozens of programs and applications you use every day. When cybercriminals discover an unpatched security flaw in a popular program – such as Adobe Acrobat, Java or Microsoft Internet Explorer, for example – they may race to infect as many victims as they can before the vendor fixes the flaw. Whenever you ignore a pop-up window telling you to download the latest updates for a program, you’re unwittingly keeping this window of vulnerability open even longer. Now, Kaspersky Lab will not only alert you when out-of-date programs are running on your machine, but Automatic Exploit Prevention will protect you from these vulnerabilities until you are able to update them.

Kaspersky Lab’s technology watches over the programs installed on your PC and knows how these programs are supposed to act. If the program tries to perform unusual or unauthorized activities, Automatic Exploit Prevent blocks the abnormal action while still allowing the program to perform its normal operations. This means Kaspersky Internet Security and Kaspersky Anti-Virus will keep you safe without inconveniencing you by shutting off the applications you use every day. It happens more often than you think – from January through March 2012, Kaspersky Lab detected more than 1 million malicious programs designed to exploit vulnerabilities in commonly-used software.

Kaspersky Lab: 15 Years of Award-Winning Security for Your Computer

In 2012, Kaspersky Lab celebrated its 15th anniversary of security research and technological innovation. For years, Kaspersky Lab has steadily refined and improved its cornerstone products – Kaspersky Anti-Virus for essential protection needed to secure a PC, and Kaspersky Internet Security for advanced protection to confidently browse online. Both products work behind the scenes to deliver the fastest and most trusted virus and spyware protection in the world. Kaspersky Lab’s key improvements to both products, designed to protect customers in 2013 and beyond, include:

— A new antivirus engine with better detection rates for the entire scope of emerging cyber-threats

— New anti-phishing technology that features improved detection of imposter websites that try to steal passwords and other valuable data

— A simplified user interface that provides faster installation and easier day-to-day use of the product

— Improved performance, to keep you safe without slowing you down

— More efficient power consumption, to ensure you get the most battery life from your laptop

In addition, both Kaspersky Anti-Virus and Kaspersky Internet Security are Windows 8 Ready, and will work seamlessly on the new Microsoft operating system. The new versions of Kaspersky Internet Security and Kaspersky Anti-Virus are included in Kaspersky ONE, a Universal Security product that protects PCs, Macs, smartphones(1) and Android tablets using a single activation code. No matter what devices you use to get online, all you need is Kaspersky ONE.

Pricing and Availability

Kaspersky Internet Security and Kaspersky Anti-Virus are available for purchase now on Kaspersky Lab’s online store, and wherever quality software is sold in the U.S. and Canada. Current customers may upgrade free of charge from Kaspersky Internet Security 2012 and Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2012 to the new products for the remainder of their existing license period. A standard subscription – 3-user licenses for a 1-year period – is $79.95 for Kaspersky Internet Security and $59.95 for Kaspersky Anti-Virus.

SAMSUNG GALAXY METRIX 4G @ $179

U.S. Cellular and Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC (Samsung Mobile), have announced that the Samsung Galaxy Metrix 4G is available online today at uscellular.com and will be available in stores on Friday, August 24. The Android™ powered smartphone runs on the 4G LTE network, with speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G. The Galaxy Metrix 4G sells for $179.00 after a $100 mail-in rebate and $129.00 after a $100 mail-in rebate in markets where 4G LTE service is currently active and will be available by the end of 2012. Visit uscellular.com for detailed pricing.

The Galaxy Metrix 4G has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard to get your message out quickly and a front-facing camera for easy video chatting. The 4.0-inch touch screen allows you to clearly view movies and video games and use the Internet on-the-go. You also have access to Google Play™, a one-stop shop for Android users to access nearly half a million apps, millions of songs and books, and thousands of movies.

“We are excited to offer our latest 4G LTE smartphone for our customers to help them get more done in less time,” said Edward Perez, vice president of sales and marketing operations for U.S. Cellular. “The large touchscreen and popular QWERTY keyboard for fast typing make the Galaxy Metrix 4G the go-to device for customers who depend on their smartphone to keep up with their busy schedules.”

Highlighted features:

  • Slide-out QWERTY keyboard
  • 1 GHz processor
  • 4.0-inch touchscreen
  • 5 megapixel rear-facing camera and camcorder
  • Front-facing camera
The Galaxy Metrix 4G will be available to all U.S. Cellular customers and will run on the 4G LTE network in markets where it is available and on U.S. Cellular’s nationwide 3G network in all other areas.

U.S. Cellular customers enjoy unique benefits, such as new devices faster without resigning contracts, free Overage Protection and free Battery Swap. U.S. Cellular also offers customers the only points-based rewards program in the industry, which rewards customers for simple things, such as paying bills on-time, adding a line or referring friends and family. Points may be used for faster phone upgrades, additional lines, devices, accessories and ringtones.

U.S. Cellular, in partnership with King Street Wireless, currently offers 4G LTE service covering 31 percent of their customers in select cities in Iowa, Maine, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin. Later this year, 4G LTE coverage will expand to cover select cities in Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, New Hampshire, Oregon, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia. By the end of 2012, 58 percent of U.S. Cellular customers will enjoy faster 4G LTE speeds. For more information about the 4G LTE experience, visit uscellular.com/4G.

The Galaxy Metrix 4G will be available for $179.00 after a $100 mail-in rebate. It will be available for $129.00 after a $100 mail-in rebate in markets where 4G service is available today or will be available by the end of 2012. Visit uscellular.com for detailed pricing. Purchase of a data plan is required and a new two-year agreement and activation fee may apply for new customers. Additional terms, conditions and/or charges may apply.

Samsung, Galaxy and Metrix are trademarks of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Other company names, product names and marks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners and may be trademarks or registered trademarks. 4G used in connection with the Samsung Galaxy Metrix refers to the fact that it is capable of operating on U.S. Cellular’s 4G network.

Lexibook® Tablets Launch In USA

 Lexibook®, Android® educational kids tablet leader, is delighted to announce the official launch of its new tablets for kids nationwide from September 15, 2012. With a preview launch at Toys’ R Us stores across the country, parents will discover tablets with content tailored to the needs of the new generation.

With a high definition tactile screen and a kid friendly interface, the tablets offer an unprecedented content offer for toddlers to pre-teens. The educational content is adapted to the curriculum with 500 sheets of general education, tests and interactive quizzes. School Zone™ apps and 200 pre-loaded e-books are also included to complete the educational offer. Children will discover their favorite stories, rhymes and Susie Tallman’s top songs and karaoke videos. For even more fun, 25 games and 52 discovery activities are included as well as a camera with photo editing software.

Wireless internet browsing through a high speed built-in Wi-Fi connection is kept safe through embedded parental control, while kids can still download more than 10,000 must-have apps on the Lexibook® Market including Pig Rush™, Angry Birds®, Fruit Ninja®, Pandora®, Skype®, and learn while having fun with educational apps adapted to every age group.

 
With the Lexibook® Videostore by Kabillion™ and Spotify® music portal, cartoons, music, and other favorite videos are available in one click!

Lexibook® Tablets are a concentrate of educational, multimedia and interactive activities allowing children to finally have a tablet just for them. Parents and children will share amazing moments and kids will learn fast in a fun way. Great accessories will also be available: tablet skins, cases, stylus, keyboards, headsets and more.

Aymeric Le Cottier, CEO, comments: “We’re really excited to present this new innovative range that will enable kids to change the way they learn and play. Our great content and fantastic features bring an immediate unique user experience and the built-in gaming and apps download center bring endless possibilities for kids.”

Apple v. Samsung design patent : Apple awarded $1bn in damages from Samsung in US court

Apple and Samsung claiming that the other infringed certain patents, and with so many witnesses and expert testimonies, we expected at least some semblance of balance in the jury's final verdict, like in South Korea, where both Samsung and Apple devices were banned the other day.

The federal court jury in the patent infringement lawsuit between Apple and Samsung has presented its verdict after deliberating for just 21 hours and 37 minutes following the three week trial. This particular case started with Apple's lawsuit last April and now the jury's decision is that Samsung did infringe on Apple's '381 bounceback patent with all 21 of its products in question. For the '915 patent on pinch-and-zoom, the jury ruled all but three of the devices listed infringed, and more damningly, found that Samsung executives either knew or should have known their products infringed on the listed patents. The jury has also found against Samsung when it comes to Apple's contours on the back of the iPhone and its home screen GUI. The Galaxy Tab, was found not to have infringed upon Apple's iPad design patents. The bad news for Samsung continued however, as the jury decided that not only did it willfully infringe on five of the seven Apple patents, but also upheld their validity when it came to utility, design and trade dress.

Apple:
We are grateful to the jury for their service and for investing the time to listen to our story and we were thrilled to be able to finally tell it. The mountain of evidence presented during the trail showed that Samsung's copying went far deeper than even we knew. The lawsuits between Apple and Samsung were about much more than patents or money. They were about values. At Apple, we value originality and innovation and pour our lives into making the best products on earth. We make these products to delight our customers, not for our competitors to flagrantly copy. We applaud the court for finding Samsung's behavior willful and for sending a loud and clear message that stealing isn't right.
Samsung:
Today's verdict should not be viewed as a win for Apple, but as a loss for the American consumer. It will lead to fewer choices, less innovation, and potentially higher prices. It is unfortunate that patent law can be manipulated to give one company a monopoly over rectangles with rounded corners, or technology that is being improved every day by Samsung and other companies. Consumers have the right to choices, and they know what they are buying when they purchase Samsung products. This is not the final word in this case or in battles being waged in courts and tribunals around the world, some of which have already rejected many of Apple's claims. Samsung will continue to innovate and offer choices for the consumer