Category: Legal

Automotive Business Government Legal

Department of Energy seizes $21 million reserve account from Fisker

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As reported on Engadget. By Zachary Lutz Fisker just can’t catch a break. As if enduring the layoffs of three out of every four employees and the resignation of its founder wasn’t unsettling enough, it’s now come to light that the Department of Energy recently confiscated the company’s $21 million reserve account in an attempt to recoup some of the government’s loan. Fisker’s first payment on the $192 million federal loan was due Monday, but the Energy Department revealed that it actually took the…

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Legal Mobile

Is it legal to shut down cellular networks in an emergency?

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As reported on The Verge. By Chris Ziegler Yes, but the FCC has been trying to clarify how and when it should happen In the wake of the tragic events in Boston today, the Associated Press had earlier reported that Boston Police had ordered a shutdown of cellular service throughout swaths of the city, perhaps out of fear that additional explosive devices may be rigged to detonate using a remote trigger. Carriers have since disputed that a shutdown occurred…

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Google Legal

Tokyo court fines Google for not censoring defamatory instant search results

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As reported on Engadget. By Daniel Cooper Remember the sad tale of the Japanese man that Google’s Instant Search forced out of a job? Entering his name into the search bar, and Google’s auto-complete algorithm tacked on accusations of nefarious acts that he was allegedly responsible for — causing his employers to hand him his pink slip. Afterward, John Doe-san took Google to court, but Mountain View refused to intervene. That’s why the Tokyo District Court has fined Google 300,000 yen…

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Application Legal Local

New York cops now armed with crime-busting Android app

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As reported on The Verge. By Matt Brian The New York Police Department (NYPD) began outfitting its officers with Android smartphones as part of a new pilot aimed at improving policing and public safety.According to the New York Times, the department has already distributed over 400 smartphones to its officers since last summer, providing them with more detailed access to police data while on the move. The Android smartphones are unable to make or receive calls, but…

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Google Legal

Google delivers EU antitrust concessions, now subject to feedback from rivals

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As reported on Engadget. By Zachary Lutz There’s no question that most of the talk between Google and EU regulators over the firm’s search ranking practices have taken place behind closed doors, but now theantitrust inquiry is one step closer to a binding resolution. Following a preliminary assessment in which the European Commission laid out its concerns, Google has offered up a formal list of commitments in attempt to assuage the regulator — and in the process, avoid a…

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Culture Entertainment Legal

Animal Farm: a look at the ‘Ag Gag’ laws that are making it tough to film cruelty

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As reported on The Verge. By Lessley Anderson Legislators send mixed messages on why the laws exist A still from Burger King Cruelty, produced by Mercy for Animals. Americans love their hamburger, but they hate to see where it comes from. That dichotomy is leading to a rash of so-called “Ag Gag” laws being enacted across the US, as reported on by The New York Times this week. The laws aim to block or severely limit activists’ ability to film…

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Legal

Police raid Samsung office over alleged LG OLED technology theft

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As reported on The Verge. By Sam Byford Samsung Display’s offices in Asan, South Korea have been searched by police investigating the possible theft of OLED TV technology. A Samsung spokesperson told Bloomberg that the police were looking for evidence that people connected with LG had leaked secret OLED data to its great rival. “We have no reason to steal other companies’ technology, as we have the world’s best OLED technology,” said another spokesperson for Samsung. LG, meanwhile,…

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Business Legal

Japanese mobile boss claims he’s already patented the tech inside Google Glass Mobile

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As reported on Engadget. By Sharif Sakr Patent filings, we don’t take so seriously. One of Japan’s richest men, with the potential to call on an army of lawyers to defend what he claims is his invention, we probably ought to. Masayoshi Son, the billionaire (and philanthropic) CEO of SoftBank, has given a two-hour speech to his shareholders about his technological predictions for the next 30 years, and about halfway through he describes a familiar idea: augmented…

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Google Legal Microsoft

Blue state: Microsoft’s tricky strategy to strike back against Apple and Google

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As reported on The Verge. By Tom Warren Can Redmond rethink 30 years of corporate culture to pull this off? As it has countless times in the last decade, Microsoft once again finds itself at a crossroads. Over the course of thirty-plus years, Microsoft rose to global dominance on the back of the desktop computer. But in the last decade, PC sales have been slowing as mobile devices become the next paradigm in personal computing. This…

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Entertainment Legal

‘Game of Thrones’ season premiere illegally downloaded over one million times

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As reported on The Verge. By Chris Welch HBO’s Game of Thrones was the most pirated TV show of 2012, and early download stats following last night’s season three opener have it on track to receive that “honor” yet again this year. According to TorrentFreak, there’s been a flurry of illegal downloading activity in the hours since the hit series returned last night. At one point, a single torrent reportedly had over 160,000 simultaneous connections. But adding all the various releases together…

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