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WASHINGTON – On one of the year's busiest Internet shopping days, federal law enforcement announced a crackdown that blocked 82 domain names of far-flung commercial websites to keep them from peddling counterfeit merchandise and illegal copies of music and software. Nearly 100 million people shop on "Cyber Monday," a day when consumers return to work from the long Thanksgiving weekend. Many buy items online. Counterfeiters are prowling the b ...

Eager to break into lucrative web-based pay TV, Microsoft has held discussions with television networks and other media companies about developing a system to stream programs via its devices and software, company sources have told Reuters. The new venture would compete with Google TV, Apple TV, and Netflix, which already stream TV shows and movies. Microsoft's system isn't likely to be available for at least a year, the unnamed sources told Reuters as ...

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The US Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear Microsoft's appeal of a 290-million-dollar verdict in a patent dispute with a Canadian company over its popular Word software. The Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments in the case pitting the US software giant against Toronto-based i4i Inc during its winter session and to deliver a ruling before the end of June next year. In December, a US Court of Appeals upheld a ...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Microsoft Corp scored a victory in a long-running patent case by persuading the Supreme Court to hear its appeal against a record-breaking $290 million jury verdict for infringing a patent held by a small Canadian software firm. The result of the Supreme Court's review of the three-year old case, which is expected by the middle of next year, could alter the way patents are enforced in the United States by making it easier to ...

Hacking-happy users of iPhone 3G and 3GS models can now unlock their phones to work with other carriers, thanks to a new hack. The iPhone Dev Team released this weekend a new carrier unlock for the older iPhone models, which allows you to use any SIM card with the latest software update from Apple, iOS 4.2.1. Jailbreaking or hacking your iPhone was deemed legal by the U.S. Copyright Office this summer, so this method is not likely to land you in any legal tr ...

Symbian Foundation has started dismantling itself. On Dec.17 the organization will shut down its websites, and anyone who wants to get the source code for the current version of the Symbian mobile operating system should download it now or they will have to pay for a copy to be shipped on physical media in the future, its website. Nokia will take over development of Symbian OS, the company said on Nov. 8. The Symbian Foundation will become a licensing operatio ...

A magazine app from Danish company Mediaprovider has been rejected from Apple's App store because it featured exclusive content about the Android operating system, Media Watch has said. Although Google's platform is in competition with Apple's, it stirs up accusations that Apple's censorship is too far-reaching and hypocritical. There's already an Android news app available in the App Store called Androidworld Reader, as well as various ap ...

You could spend hundreds of dollars on image-editing software. But before you part with your hard-earned money, consider one of these free photo-editing programs. No matter what your level of expertise, one of these eight photo editors will fit your needs and personality--as well as your budget. (For access to all of these downloads in one convenient place, see our "Photo Editors for Everyone" collection.) Fun for Everyone ...

Apple has kicked off its Black Friday sale—known to the rest of the world as the day after those silly Americans celebrate Thanksgiving—with discounted prices on Macs, iPads, iPods, software, headphones, speakers, accessories, and more. Discounts range from a few dollars on some Apple keyboards, mice, and docks, to $101 on some Mac systems. Some examples: Apple is selling iPads for $41 off, and Bowers & Wilkins’ P5 Mobile Headphones for $72 off. ...

Microsoft has unveiled some of its Black Friday savings, which include a free netbook when purchasing certain Office software, and discounts on Xbox 360 gear. On Black Friday only, Microsoft is offering a free Dell Inspiron Mini 1018 netbook – valued at $299 – to anyone who purchases Office Home and Business for $279.99. Add $99 to the netbook price for Signature Premium, which adds a theft-recovery system and one year of technical support. The netbooks ...