Paul Allen's suit against the Web dismissed

In August, Paul Allen and his legal team unleashed a broad spectrum patent suit against many of today's largest IT companies, including Google, Facebook, Yahoo, eBay, Netflix, Apple and others. The Microsoft cofounder sought payment for four patents his firm created in the 90s.

The patents mostly describe ways to present related information to consumers while they browse the Web. One allows sites to offer suggestions for merchandise related to what a person is viewing, while another outlines a method of showing related to an article someone is reading.

  • 6,034,652 - "Attention Manager for Occupying the Peripheral Attention of a Person in the Vicinity of a Display Device."
  • 6,263,507 - "Browser for Use in Navigating a Body of Information, With Particular Application to Browsing Information Represented By Audiovisual Data."
  • 6,757,682 - "Alerting Users to Items of Current Interest."
  • 6,788,314 - "Attention Manager for Occupying the Peripheral Attention of a Person in the Vicinity of a Display Device."

The remaining patents are similarly vague -- a little too vague, apparently. US District Judge Marsha Pechman called the allegations "spartan" and dismissed the case for not being specific enough. She gave Allen a deadline of December 28 to file an amended case, and that's precisely what he plans to do.

A spokesman for Allen said he would refile accordingly and called judge's decision a "procedural issue" that won't stop the suit.

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Source: http://www.techspot.com/news/41550-paul-allens-suit-against-the-web-dismissed.html

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Gaming 18 - Game of the Year 2010

Gaming 18 - Game of the Year 2010

Posted on 1st Dec 2010 at 13:36 by Podcast with 5 comments

Yes, its a brand spanking new gaming podcast. Blimey, we're so good to you people. This episode is hosted by Joe who is joined by Paul, Harry and guest Chris Pickering.

As you may have guessed from the title, we use this podcast as an opportunity to look back at our favourite games of the year. You can tell us your favourite titles of 2010 in our official, reader-voted awards - but this is where we give our personal opinions!

So, what are our favourites? Well, Joe and Harry wax hyperbolic about Mass Effect 2 while Paul highlights Neptune's Pride as his game of the year. Meanwhile, Chris spends his time explaining why Gran Turismo 5 wouldn't be his game of choice.

We also announce the winner of last episode's competition to send in an amusing screenshot and announce a new competition along the same lines. As you can see from the winning screenshot above, it doesn't take much to make us chuckle here in the bit-tech offices, so get your entries in to podcast@custompc.co.uk for your chance to win a bag of swag.

While you're at it you could drop us a gaming or hardware related question. We're going to make much more of an effort to answer the steady stream of queries that make their way into the podcast@custompc.co.uk in-box in future episodes.

The bit-tech games podcast features music by Brad Sucks and was recorded on Shure microphones. You can download the podcast direct, listen in browser or subscribe through itunes using the links below - be sure to let us know your thoughts in the forums.

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Free Games I Like: Virtua School

Free Games I Like: Virtua School

Posted on 11th Dec 2010 at 12:24 by Joe Martin with 3 comments

Ah, Virtua School. Another game I played far too much of as a teenager and which I?ve bought back to life on my iPod Touch courtesy of the ill-fated iDOS. I truly love this game.

Virtua School is a text-based game which casts you as a kid starting his first day of school, forced to deal with the usual array of problems ? girls, bullies, exams and extra-curricular activities. Using multiple choice options you weave your way through these scenarios, with a single playthrough lasting around ten minutes.

What I like most about Virtua School though is the random events which are woven into each game to help make things a bit different. The changes range from big things, like bomb scares or after-school parties, to smaller alterations, like characters changing their opinions or reactions. Popular girl Liz might like you one day and hate you another.


Virtua School isn?t a revolutionarily complex game, nor is it particularly unique in any identifiable way. It?s just something simple, done really well ? and I?ve always had a soft-spot for things like that. It?s why I like beans on toast so much; it may just be beans on toast, but I cook it really well.

Virtua School was so popular when it was first released that the creators, Dana Lodico and Josh Noe, even planned on making a sequel. Unfortunately, nine years after that fact the official website still hasn?t been updated ? so it?s probably off the cards. Still, at least the original still holds up well.

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Flipboard is Coming to The Web [TNW Media]

We are big fans of Flipboard, the iPad app known as ?the world?s first social magazine.? And we have big news: Flipboard, which just won Apple?s award for iPad App of the Year, could have a huge impact on the future of media applications as it announces its ambitions to go online.

Flipboard recently  posted that they are hiring, specifically for a Designer-Web Developer ?to envision and design the future of reading content online,? across both web and mobile platforms. As the line blurs between mobile content on the iPad and mobile content on the web, it makes sense that Flipboard is jumping on board with the likes of Sports Illustrated, USA Today and The New York Times, all of which recently signed up for Google Chrome?s Web Store.

Founded by Mike McCue, former CEO of Tellme, and Evan Doll, former Senior iPhone Engineer at Apple, Flipboard aims ?to transform how people discover, browse and share content by combining the beauty of print with the power of social media.? To apply, send your resume to jobs@flipboard.com.

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Source: http://thenextweb.com/media/2010/12/13/flipboards-future-will-bring-content-online/

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bit-tech is testing Sandy Bridge

bit-tech is testing Sandy Bridge

Posted on 6th Dec 2010 at 12:36 by Paul Goodhead with 58 comments

Yep, forgive us for feeling a little smug but we've been putting a selection of Sandy Bridge chips through their paces over the last few days. Obviously we can?t say anything about the numbers we're seeing but needless to say we'll be well prepared to give a full and comprehensive review when the CPUs launch.

Obviously the fact that we're testing these CPUs must mean we've got some compatible motherboards in the labs too, so you can also expect a veritable bevy of motherboard reviews at launch too.


We're literally just about to start overclocking the chips this afternoon so it'll be interesting to see what sort of numbers we can achieve. Obviously a lot has been written about how well Sandy Bridge chips will or won?t overclock so we?re pretty excited to be finally finding out which side of the internet hyperbole is actually on the mark.

It?s also our first chance to take a look at the EFI BIOSes that are being introduced with all Sandy Bridge motherboards. What we?ve seen so far is interesting - it looks like EFI BIOS design will become a major area that motherboard manufacturers can differentiate themselves in. We?ve got no doubt EFI BIOSes will improve with time but we?ve been pretty impressed with what we?ve seen so far.


The good news is that the LGA1155 packaging is very similar to that of LGA1156. This means the chips look very similar (we?ve had to clearly mark our Sandy Bridge chips) but also that the CPU socket is of a very similar size. This is a smart move by Intel as it means that LGA1156 coolers should fit LGA1155 boards; the ones we?ve tried have at least. This should reduce the upgrade cost for anyone looking to go from LGA1156 to LGA1155.

Are you in the market for an upgrade in the New Year and looking forward to seeing what Sandy Bridge can offer? Let us know your thoughts in the forums.

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Major milestone: The Internet is now as popular as TV in the US [TNW Media]

TV?s dominance in the living room is over in the US. That?s according to research from Forrester today that says Americans now spend as much time online as they do watching TV.

As the Wall Street Journal reports, TV watching isn?t dying off, rather Internet use is catching up. Both activities now stand at an average 13 hours per week, with Internet use increasing 121% in five years. Radio and reading newspapers and magazines are the casualties.

Social media is growing fast but perhaps isn?t as big as some might assume. The report found that social networks were used by 35% of respondents, up from just 15% in 2007. Meanwhile, only 18% of respondents read blogs so if you?re reading this in the US you?re in an elite group!

It?s interesting to see Internet usage catch up with TV at a time when the two media are taking part in a long, protracted process of merging. Internet connected TVs are commonplace although as users of Google TV will attest, the user experience doesn?t quite match expectations yet. Elsewhere, TV viewing on mobile devices i now easier than ever and Hulu has given Americans a whole new reason sit sit in front of a computer for hours on end.

Who knows, in another five years maybe the distinction between TV and the Internet will be completely meaningless?

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Source: http://thenextweb.com/media/2010/12/13/major-milestone-the-internet-is-now-as-popular-as-tv-in-the-us/

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British Prime Minister urges Twitter to choose London for its European HQ [TNW UK]

We reported some weeks back that Twitter was on the lookout for a new European office, adding recently that the company could be setting up an operational base in London.

According to The Telegraph, British Prime Minister David Cameron, joined by Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, met a number of Twitter executives at Number 10 on Thursday, using the meeting as an opportunity to convince Twitter staff that London would be the ideal location of its future European headquarters.

According to sources, Mr Cameron and Mayor Johnson focused squarely Twitter?s Head of International Strategy Katie Jacobs Stanton, detailling the benefits of London to her plus a number of advertising executives and key technology partners.

As The Telegraph points out, David Cameron looks to have impressed Twitter?s Strategy head, who tweeted she was impressed with the British Prime Minister, London?s Mayor and the teams at Number 10:

Now its a case of waiting to see where Twitter executives decide is the best place to set up its new European headquarters. Twitter remains tight-lipped, releasing the following statement:

?We are considering London and other European locations to create an initial and small presence in 2011.?

We are keeping an eye on this story, more as it comes in.

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Source: http://thenextweb.com/uk/2010/12/13/british-prime-minister-urges-twitter-to-choose-london-for-its-european-hq/

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Blog - Orbits 'n' Obits

PC Hardware Buyer's Guide, December 2010

PC Hardware Buyer's Guide, December 2010

Posted on 3rd Dec 2010 at 11:56 by Paul Goodhead with 28 comments

As most of our long-term readers will know, we produce a PC hardware buyer?s guide each month, detailing our views on what PC components you should be buying and why. It?s a great opportunity for us to summarise our findings of the last month and for you guys to tell us that we're wrong.

This month though there are simply so many new releases just out of reach over the upgrade hill that we simply didn't think it was worth doing December buyers guide.

Intel's imminent release of its much hyped Sandy Bridge CPUs, for example, means we can't confidently recommend anyone build an LGA1156-based system from scratch. Even our recommended LGA1366 systems, such as our Premium Player, may even be under threat if Sandy Bridge's performance matches up to the buzz being generated.

PC Hardware Buyer's Guide, December 2010

Add to this the fact that it looks like there's a slew of new graphics card releases from both sides of the red/green divide on the horizon, and the waters become even more muddied.

ATI for instance is about to release its Radeon HD 6900-series, which should logically compete directly with the Nvidia GeForce GTX 5801.5GB. We also expect new graphics cards from Nvidia sometime soon, as it would be silly not to deploy its revised Fermi chip in more GPUs than just the GTX 580.

As a result, we won?t be publishing a buyer?s guide this month and will instead be dispensing the tried and tested tech world cliché of ?just wait another month? before taking the plunge. There is so much new and exciting kit in the horizon that it would be pointless to recommend you buy anything now, unless you absolutely have to.

We?ll be back on track with our buyers guide in January of course, so you should expect a bumper article detailing how we think you should be spending you Christmas windfall.

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