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Google Poised to Make Good on Its China Threat March 15, 2010 
It now appears almost certain that Google and the Chinese government will not reach an accord over Internet censorship policies and that Google will begin pulling out of the country in the near future. Among the increasing number of signs pointing in that direction are warnings the Chinese government gave to Google's Web partners that they must comply with Chinese law, even if Google does not.
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North Korea's 'Red Star' Linux, and Is FOSS an Enemy of the State? March 15, 2010 
If a totalitarian regime uses Linux, does that mean Linux is an enemy of the state? That's the mind-bending question of the day following some politically charged Linuxy news that emerged over the past few weeks. North Korea, it appears, has developed its own Linux-based operating system.
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E-Tailers Should Act Fast to Comply With Colorado's New Tax Law March 11, 2010 
Legislation signed into law on February 24 will have a profound effect on e-commerce and catalog companies that sell to customers in Colorado. Companies that do not collect Colorado sales tax must notify their Colorado customers that they are obligated to file a use tax return to pay the sales and use tax themselves. It also requires them to send out an annual information statement.
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Newegg Scrambles to Straighten Out Fake-Chip Crack-Up March 08, 2010 
Newegg, a well-established online Web site that sells electronic products, apparently had counterfeit -- or perhaps demo products -- make their way into its inventory that were then sold to customers. The site reportedly shipped several fake Intel Core i7 processors to customers. At least one of those customers contacted tech Web site HardOCP, which decided to write about it.
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Microsoft and the Incredible 'Internet Usage Tax' March 08, 2010 
It's not often that Linux Girl is struck speechless by some tidbit of news in the tech world, but every once in a while it happens. Last week, it happened. Amid all the high-level discussion of Internet security at the RSA Conference 2010 in San Francisco, Microsoft's Scott Charney actually suggested a government tax to help the company improve Windows security.
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Say It Ain't So, Microsoft March 06, 2010 
Although its operating system and apps are so buggy that new vulnerabilities are discovered with frightening regularity, Microsoft now wants Internet users to pony up to cover the cost of cybersecurity. The idea was put forth by Scott Charney, Redmond's vice president for trustworthy computing, during a speech at the RSA Conference 2010 security convention earlier this week.
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Apple's Patent Attack: This Too May Be Overhyped March 05, 2010 
Many factors likely fueled Apple's lawsuit against mobile handset manufacturer HTC. Patent suits have become a competitive weapon -- one that any company dare not allow its rival to use without using it as well. Lawsuits are sometimes filed because a firm believes it's about to be slapped with one. There's a case to be made, of course, that HTC has, in fact, infringed.
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RealDVD Is Dead, Long Live Illegal Ripping? March 04, 2010 
RealNetworks has ended its legal battle with Hollywood over its RealDVD software. The Motion Picture Association of America and Viacom filed suit against RealNetworks in 2008, alleging that RealDVD infringed on content producers' copyrights. RealDVD allowed users to save copies of DVDs to their computers. The movie industry hated the concept, claiming it would lead to mass piracy.
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Google Urges US to Take Censorship Brawl to WTO March 03, 2010 
The U.S. appears to be embarking on a new strategy for dealing with the restrictions China places on Internet companies, fueled in large part by Google's recent dustup with the Chinese government over its censorship demands. The company testified before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee on Tuesday, urging the U.S. government to bring the censorship issue to the World Trade Organization for redress.
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Is Sony Playing a Dangerous Game With PS3 Customers? March 03, 2010 
Gaming companies like Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft ask a lot of their customers. Every few years, they are encouraged by the companies to spend a few hundred bucks to upgrade to a fancy new console. But as far as I can recall, only Sony has ever asked its fans to not play those consoles.
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Compliant Media Help Apple Skirt Child Labor Scandal March 02, 2010 
You don't have to search very hard on Apple.com to find the 2010 Supplier Responsibility Report, the company's internal audit of how workers are treated on the assembly lines at the overseas third-party companies making its Macs, iPhones and iPods. "Read about Apple's continuing commitment to social responsibility" says the link on the lower right-hand corner of the home page.
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BBC iPlayer Locks Out Open Source Flash Alternatives March 02, 2010 
As a result of recent updates to the BBC's Flash-based iPlayer, open source media players can no longer play its content. The updates implement SWF Verification, a copyright protection mechanism that excludes free alternatives to Flash player, such as that offered by the XBMC community, among others. The result is that such open source plugins can no longer stream iPlayer content.
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Google Claims Microsoft's Behind Antitrust Onslaught March 01, 2010 
There's a common thread running throughout Google's latest legal worries: antitrust accusations, most notably several complaints filed with the European Commission. Last week, the EC opened an inquiry into Google's search ranking algorithm, based on claims of unfair practices made by three companies, two of which have ties to Microsoft. The Microsoft connections are no coincidence, Google maintains.
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Sony Offers Limp Apology to Livid PS3 Gamers March 01, 2010 
Sony says a glitch that caused a global gaming lockdown for PlayStation 3 owners is due to a bug in the clock functionality of older PS3s. The lockdown affects owners of older PS3s as well as those who try to play newer games, which use trophies, such as "Heavy Rain" and "Final Fantasy XIII."
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The Echo of TomToms in the Amazon Deal March 01, 2010 
It's hard not to have an overwhelming sense of deja vu every time word of a new Microsoft patent deal reaches the news. Such was the case last week, when Redmond's legal eagles gleefully proclaimed their success in making a patent cross-license offer that Amazon apparently couldn't refuse. The is particularly notable for its relevance to open source.
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EU Grouses at Google Over Privacy on Its Streets February 26, 2010 
The European Union has requested that Google make some changes to its Street View service. It wants Google to delete the images that it captures after six months, according to a letter sent to Google from the head of the EU Article 29 Data Protection Group, which is comprised of data protection officials from EU countries.
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