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Publishers Sue to Halt Google Library Book-Scanning Project

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 19, 2005 - 10:27am.
Washington - A trade group of U.S. publishing companies has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against search engine giant Google, over the company's plans to scan the world's books into a searchable Web index. The Association of American Publishers (AAP), whose members include The McGraw-Hill Companies, Pearson Education, Penguin Group, Simon & Schuster and John Wiley & Sons, joins the Authors Guild writers' union in suing Google, which they say violates copyrights by failing to ask for authors' permissions before including their works in the Google Print Library Project. "The publishing industry is united behind this lawsuit against Google and united in the fight to defend their rights," said AAP president and former Colorado Congresswoman Patricia Schroeder. "While authors and publishers know how useful Google's search engine can be and think the Print Library could be an excellent resource, the bottom line is that under its current plan Google is seeking to make millions of dollars by freeloading on the talent and property of authors and publishers." Google had temporarily halted the project, to address author and publisher concerns, but plans to resume scanning books on Nov. 1. The AAP lawsuit seeks a judge's declaration that Google's book scanning constitutes copyright infringement, and an injunction against the practice unless Google obtains permissions from authors.
tags: Law | Google | Publishers | Library Book-Scanning Project | Halt |

America Online Cuts More than 700 Jobs

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 19, 2005 - 10:24am.
Dulles, Va. - As it continues to be courted by such companies as Microsoft, Google and Yahoo, America Online said on Wednesday that it has cut more than 700 jobs -- nearly 5% of its workforce -- as part of its ongoing effort to reduce costs. The company said that most of the cuts are related to its dial-up service, which has lost about seven million subscribers over the past three years, as customers migrate either to cheaper dial-up or faster broadband services. As part of the move, AOL has shut down its Orlando, Fla. call center, where it had employed 471 workers. Other cuts occurred at its Dulles, Va. headquarters. "We need to reduce our costs in proportion to the decline in subscriber revenues," Jonathan Miller, the CEO of AOL, wrote in a memo to employees on Tuesday.
tags: Jobs | America Online |

Forrester Predicts Sony's Blu-ray Will Win DVD Format War

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 19, 2005 - 10:22am.
Cambridge, Mass. - Market research firm Forrester Research on Wednesday predicted that Sony's Blu-ray Disc format will win the looming next-generation DVD format war with Toshiba, which has developed the rival HD DVD format. "Two groups are competing for control of high-definition DVD formats to be launched in spring 2006. After a long and tedious run up to the launch, it is now clear to Forrester that the Sony-led Blu-ray format will win," Forrester analyst Ted Schadler said in a report released on Wednesday. Backers of Sony's Blu-ray include Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Pioneer, LG, Dell, HP and Apple, in addition to movie studios Sony, Fox, Disney and Paramount -- which recently became the first studio to announce support for both formats. Companies that have pledged support for HD DVD include Sanyo, NEC, and entertainment firms HBO, New Line Cinema, Universal, Warner and Paramount. "Unless the HD-DVD group abandons the field, it will be another two years before consumers are confident enough of the winner to think about buying a new format DVD player. In the meantime, they will expand their video-on-demand (VOD), downloadable video, and Internet video habits," added Schadler.
tags: Sony | Blu-ray | Forrester | DVD Format War | Win |

Google Launches Eight Local European Websites for Print Project

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 19, 2005 - 10:20am.
London - Google announced that it has launched local-language websites in eight European countries for its controversial Google Print program. The U.S.-based Internet search giant said the new websites for Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland would allow users to search books provided by publishers in each country, as well as English-language books for which Google has secured local rights. Eventually, the sites will grant access to data about foreign-language books in the collections of the New York Public Library and the libraries of Stanford, Harvard, Michigan and Oxford universities. The project, however, has not been easy going for Google, which has been sued by U.S. authors and publishers for copyright infringement and deemed "culturally imperialistic" by the chief librarian of France.
tags: Launches | Google | Local European Websites | Print Project |

Yahoo's Revenue Soars 47% in Quarter; Profits Beat Estimates

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 19, 2005 - 10:17am.
Sunnyvale, Calif. - Buoyed by the success of its fee-based services and an increase in online advertising, Yahoo on Tuesday reported a 47% jump in quarterly revenue, though net income remained about the same as a year ago, when the company was helped by a large investment gain. The company reported a profit of $253.8 million, compared with $253.3 million a year ago, when it realized a $129 million gain on the sale of Google shares. Earnings per share of $0.17 topped analysts' estimates by $0.03, according to a survey by Thomson First Call. The big story, however, was the company revenue, which rose from $906.7 million to $1.33 billion. The news helped send the company's stock up nearly 1% in after-hours trading.
tags: Yahoo | Revenue Soars | Quarter | Profits |

Robertson's MP3tunes Hires Famous Hacker "DVD Jon"

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 19, 2005 - 10:13am.
San Francisco - Michael Robertson, the founder of pioneering digital music site MP3.com and current head of a venture called MP3tunes, has hired Jon Lech Johansen, the 21-year-old Norwegian hacker who became famous for cracking the industry's DVD security technology, Wired News reported on Wednesday. "I have no idea what I'll be doing, but I know it will be reverse engineering, and I'm sure it will be interesting," Johansen told Wired News. Johansen added that a stopover in San Francisco on the way to Robertson's San Diego operations was made in part to consult with lawyers from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a digital civil liberties group that has defended other programmers sued by the U.S. government for cracking copy-protection technologies. Distributors of DVD copying software based on Johansen's hacking, including 321 Studios, have been sued out of existence by the U.S. entertainment industry. Robertson told Wired News that Johansen will be put to work on a project called "Obeo" at MP3tunes, which sells digital songs in unprotected MP3 format.
tags: MP3tunes | Robertson | Hacker | DVD Jon |

Xbox 360 Game Controller to Also Work With PCs

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 19, 2005 - 10:11am.
Redmond, Wash. - Microsoft on Wednesday introduced its first cross-platform video game controller, which will work with both its next-generation Xbox 360 video game console and with Windows-based PCs. Microsoft said the controller features an enhanced ergonomic design, support for force feedback vibration technology, and a controller cable that can plug into a standard PC USB port. "This is a great breakthrough for the gaming industry as we make it easier for developers to create multiplatform titles," said Chris Donahue, director of the Windows gaming and graphics team at Microsoft. The $39 controller is already available in North America, and is slated for release soon in Europe and Asia. The Xbox 360 is slated for release on Nov. 22 in the U.S.
tags: PC | Xbox 360 | Work | Game Controller |

E Ink, LG.Philips Create First Tablet-Size Electronic Paper Display

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 19, 2005 - 10:10am.
Tokyo - Consumer electronics joint venture LG.Philips LCD announced on Wednesday that it has developed the world's first tablet-size, flexible electronic paper display, based on technology developed by Massachusetts-based E Ink. The E Ink technology provides for an electronic display that looks like printed ink on paper, and like paper can be flexed and rolled. The LG.Philips display measures 10.1-inches, is less than 300 microns thick, and offers SVGA (600 x 800) resolution. The companies plan to show the device at the FPD International trade show in Japan. "We all need flexible displays," said E Ink CEO Russ Wilcox. "They are 80% thinner and lighter than glass displays, and they do not break like glass displays. You can roll them up and put them in your pocket. You can curve them around the outside of a cellphone. Or you can throw them in your briefcase like a newspaper."
tags: E Ink | LG.Philips | Tablet-Size Electronic Paper Display |

Google to Change "Gmail" to "Google Mail" in U.K.

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 19, 2005 - 10:07am.
London - Independent International Investment Research Plc, a U.K.-based company that supplies financial research, announced that it has dropped legal action against Google after the U.S.-based Internet search giant agreed to change the name of its "Gmail" service in the U.K. to "Google Mail". Independent International, which launched its own "G-mail" web-based e-mail service more than two years before Google, has been threatening the search giant with legal action since last April. The decision to drop the name in the U.K., coupled with a recent court defeat in Germany, means that Google will now be supporting a different brand for its email service in two of the largest European economies.
tags: Google | U.K | Gmail | Google Mail |

U.K. Unveils Plan to License More Digital Radio Channels

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 19, 2005 - 10:05am.
London - Ofcom, the U.K. telecommunications regulator, has unveiled a plan to make nearly all radio stations in U.K. available on digital radio and to bring digital radio coverage to all parts of the country. Currently, about 85% of the U.K. can receive Digital Audio Broadcast radio, which offers better sound quality, additional stations and more data capabilities. "Our proposals will give more freedom and more digital capacity to commercial radio," said Ofcom CEO Stephen Carter. "We would ask the industry to give careful consideration to our thinking." The regulator also said it planned to allocate three blocks of VHF Band III spectrum for new DAB multiplexes and a further block of spectrum for a new national multiplex. Ofcom added that there were no plans to turn off analogue radio once digital coverage is complete.
tags: U.K | Digital Radio Channels |

U.K. Broadcaster ITV to Trial TiVo-Like Internet TV Service

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 19, 2005 - 10:04am.
Brighton, England - U.K. broadcaster ITV announced that it would trial an Internet TV service offering people the chance to make their own schedules and broadcasts. If the three-month trial in Brighton and Hastings is successful, ITV will roll out the service in other regions across the U.K. "ITV has been proud of its regional services for 50 years, but until now we haven't had the delivery systems to provide a truly local service," said ITV Meridian managing director Lindsay Charlton. "The rapid advance in the number of broadband homes in the U.K., combined with improvements in streaming technology, has transformed the opportunities for local broadcasting."
tags: iTV | Trial | U.K. Broadcaster | TiVo-Like Internet TV |

LG to Develop HDTV Set-tops for DirecTV

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 19, 2005 - 10:00am.
Englewood Cliffs, N.J. - Korean consumer electronics firm LG Electronics announced on Wednesday that satellite TV provider DirecTV will deploy its HDTV set-top boxes. LG said it has begun production of set-tops under the deal, whose financial terms were not disclosed. DirecTV plans to begin offering local broadcast channels in high-definition this fall in major U.S. markets, and aims to offer 1,500 local channels and 150 national channels in HD by 2007. LG may also develop HD digital video recorders and home media center set-top boxes for DirecTV.
tags: DirecTV | LG | Develops | HDTV Set-tops |

Virgin Mobile USA to Offer Exclusive Boyz N Da Hood Ringtones

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 19, 2005 - 9:58am.
Warren, N.J. - Wireless carrier Virgin Mobile USA announced on Wednesday that it partnered with Warner Music Group to offer exclusive ringtones and wallpapers from Bad Boy Records artist Boyz N Da Hood. The deal includes 11 exclusive ringtones from the hip-hop artist's self-titled album, in addition to three wallpapers, which will be available exclusively to Virgin Mobile USA subscribers through Oct. 31.
tags: Ringtones | Virgin Mobile USA | Exclusive | Boyz N Da Hood |

Delphi Releases XMRoadyXT Satellite Radio Receiver

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 19, 2005 - 9:56am.
Troy, Mich. - Delphi, a manufacturer of audio equipment, announced on Wednesday that it has shipped the Delphi XM RoadyXT satellite radio receiver to retailers. The $79 receiver is designed for use either in the car or in the home. Michigan-based Delphi, which focuses on car audio products, filed for bankruptcy earlier this month, but expects to emerge from Chapter 11 in early to mid-2007.
tags: Releases | Delphi | XMRoadyXT Satellite Radio Receiver |

IRiver Ships Line of Color-Screen Flash MP3 Players

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 19, 2005 - 9:55am.
Milpitas, Calif. - Digital audio device maker iriver on Wednesday introduced a line of color-screen, flash-based MP3 players. The U10 measures 2.7-inches by 1.8-inches, and features a 2.2-inch color display; the device is available in a 512MB version for $199 and a 1GB version for $249.
tags: Iriver | Releases | Line of Color-Screen | Flash MP3 Players |

Creative Releases Remote Control MP3 Player Speakers

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 19, 2005 - 9:51am.
Milpitas, Calif. - Consumer electronics firm Creative announced on Wednesday the release of its I-Trigue L3800, a set of speakers for desktop and notebook PCs, and MP3 players. The $149 speakers also come with a wireless remote that can control both the speakers and an attached Creative Zen MP3 player, from up to 20 feet away.
tags: Creative | Releases | Remote Control MP3 Player | Speakers |

MediaBay in Deal to Distribute CliffsNotes Audio Content

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 19, 2005 - 9:49am.
Cedar Knolls, N.J. - MediaBay, a distributor of spoken word audio content, announced on Wednesday an agreement with CliffsNotes publisher Wiley Publishing, to produce audio guides for the CliffsNotes versions of a number of Shakespeare's plays. New Jersey-based MediaBay said it will expand the deal with Wiley to include additional CliffsNotes titles over the next year.
tags: MediaBay | Deal | CliffsNotes Audio |

Activision Ships "X-Men II: Rise of Apocalypse" for PSP

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 19, 2005 - 9:47am.
Santa Monica, Calif. - Video game publisher Activision on Wednesday shipped the Sony PSP version of its "X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse" title to retailers. Vicarious Visions developed the PSP version of the game, which is based on and features characters from the Marvel Comics property.
tags: PSP | Activision | Releases | X-Men II: Rise of Apocalypse |

Global Star Software Releases "Codename Kids Next Door" Game

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 19, 2005 - 9:46am.
New York - Global Star Software, a unit of video game publisher Take-Two Interactive, announced on Wednesday the release of "Codename Kids Next Door: Operation V.I.D.E.O.G.A.M.E." for PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube. Developed by High Voltage Software, the game is based on the animated children's TV series that airs on Cartoon Network, and was designed with input from the show's creator, Tom Warburton.
tags: Game | Releases | Global Star Software | Codename Kids Next Door |

Sony Ships "Shadow of the Colossus," "The Con"

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 19, 2005 - 9:44am.
Foster City, Calif. - Sony Computer Entertainment America on Wednesday shipped its "Shadow of the Colossus" title for PlayStation 2 to retailers. The single-player, third-person action-adventure game was developed at Sony Computer Entertainment Japan. Separately, Sony announced the release of "The Con" for the PSP, an underground fighting and high-stakes gambling title jointly developed by Sony and Japan-based Think & Feel Inc.
tags: Sony | Releases | Shadow of the Colossus | The Con |
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