Section: Computers, Hardware, Software / Applications, Gadgets / Other, ebooks  Microsoft and Amazon have announced an agreement that would give the companies access to each other's patents. The deal includes both the popular Kindle and Amazon's use of Linux based servers, and Microsoft's FAT, ClearType, and other technologies.
“Microsoft’s patent portfolio is the largest and strongest in the software industry, and this agreement demonstrates our mutual respect for intellectual property as well as our ability to reach pragmatic solutions to IP issues regardless of whether proprietary or open source software is involved,” Horacio Gutierrez, corporate vice president and deputy general counsel for intellectual property and licensing at Microsoft, said in a statement. The exact details haven't been released but it's likely Amazon will pay for its access. No telling yet what this might mean for the Kindle or if it may result in a Windows Mobile Kindle app. The app is already available for the BlackBerry, iPhone/iPod Touch, and PC. Read [PCMag] Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Computers, Security, Features  Unbelievably, Wyndham Hotels is reporting yet another data breach, it's third in the past 19 months. That's right, it's third. This time it happened between October 2009 and January 2010 and affected an undisclosed number of hotels and franchises.
“A hacker intruded on our systems and accessed customers' information from a limited number of franchised and managed properties,” the company said. “The hacker was able to move some information to an off-site URL before we discovered the intrusion.” The hacker was able to steal all the data necessary to commit identity theft and credit card fraud including the names, credit card numbers and CC expiration dates of guests. The first breach happened between July and August of 2008 and the second the year after. Wyndham operates Days Inn, Super 8 Motels, and Ramada Inns & Suites, and frankly, its time they bought themselves a clue and a decent IT department. A single breach is one thing, but three? C'mon Wyndham, get your act together! Three data breaches in 19 months is completely inexcusable. Good luck getting your customer's trust back! If you stayed at a Wyndham property during the time period the breach occurred, talk to your credit card company or bank and keep a very close eye on your account! Read [PCWorld] Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Communications, Mobile  The big news that came out of Mobile World Congress this year was Microsoft’s complete rebuild of their mobile platform. At last, Windows Mobile was going to be replaced with a modern looking smartphone OS. But don’t think that it is going away completely.
It has now been confirmed that Windows Mobile 6.5 will now be known as Windows Phone Starter Edition. Like their Windows desktop operating systems, Microsoft has made a version that will come without several features, such as Office Mobile, that will be sold on the cheaper side with Windows Phone 7 series being its more expensive partner. Windows Phone Starter Edition might also be accompanied by another OS codenamed Windows Phone Classic, which would complete the phone family under the Windows Phone name. Read [ZDNet ] Via Engadget] Full Story » | Written by Hunter Clarke for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones, Mobile  According to a leaked document from RIM, three of the manufacturer's BlackBerry smartphones are soon to be no more. The Pearl Flip, original Storm and Curve 8330 are on their way to retirement says the document, which lists them as “Current devices with limited or no remaining shipments from the vendor.”
The Pearl was a decidedly unpopular model to begin with. Designed to be consumer friendly, most simply didn't find the clamshell design or tiny keyboard attractive. The candy-bar version of the Pearl did much better, and the updated Pearl 9100 is due soon. The Storm launched to great fanfare and demand but soon found itself surrounded by a storm of complaints thanks to buggy firmware and poorly built hardware. RIM made amends with the release of the Storm 2 a few months ago. The Curve on the other hand was wildly popular and stable, but has been replaced with the Curve 2. Rumor has it RIM could be preparing to release up to a dozen new handsets this year. If you love BlackBerry, stay tuned! Read [PCWorld] Full Story » | Written by Sue Walsh for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
Section: Business News, Communications, Cellphones, Cellular Providers, Mobile Phone companies constantly need to expand to fit the needs of the consumer and keep up with the latest technology. As MobileCrunch points out, phone companies can easily bang out new phones with slick features, but expanding and upgrading the current network takes a lot of devoted time and resources. Verizon began with an announcement of moving to LTE in February 2009, and six months later they began testing it in a small market. Now, they will expand 4G technologies to nearly 30 markets before the year 2011. Today, CTO Tony Melone shed some light on Verizon’s 4G plans; basically they will launch it in 30 additional markets 15 months after the initial launch. The initial launch is the 30 market test of the 4G network, which would occur sometime this year, and 15 months later puts the 60 market test sometime in 2012. Unfortunately for Verizon users, it is not known yet which markets will be receiving the 4G network, but I’m sure Verizon would aim for a big market, such as New York, San Francisco, etc. Via [MobileCrunch] Full Story » | Written by Natesh Sood for Gadgetell. | Comment on this Article »
 
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