10/06, 10:50am
Case involves embedded web apps
Research and development company Eolas Technologies has filed a lawsuit against over a dozen companies, including major technology businesses such as Apple, Adobe, Amazon, Google, eBay and Sun. Eolas accuses the companies of violating two US patents, 5,838,906 and 7,599,985; the broadest of these is the first, which allegedly covers all "fully-interactive" embedded web applications. The second is an extension, specifically covering embedded apps using plug-in and AJAX (asynchronous JavaScript and XML) code.
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09/18, 3:15pm
Company claims large-scale patent violations
Apple and eBay are among many online retailers named in a new patent infringement lawsuit, reports say. Filed by TQP Development, the suit alleges that the defendants are violating a 14-year-old patent, titled Encrypted Data Transmission System Employing Means for Randomly Altering the Encryption Keys. The company uses the specific example of Apple's online store, noting that the website generates an assortment of pseudo-random keys for secure packet transmission.
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09/01, 1:00pm
eBay sells off Skype
Auction site eBay has completed a deal to sell off its Skype VoIP division, according to an announcement. The deal is said to be worth $2.9 billion, granting a 65 percent stake to an investor group including Silver Lake, Index Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. eBay is holding on to a 35 percent equity investment, and gaining $1.9 billion in cash, plus a note in the principal amount of $125 million.
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07/20, 6:55pm
Little Disk, Coloristic
Combine PDFs 4.4 ($30) is a utility that allows users to merge PDF files and images into one PDF file. Users can also split a PDF file or create a new PDF file with interleaved pages from two different PDF files. Version 4.4 includes a new preferences window which allows users to set PDF files to open in either Acrobat Reader or Preview. The applications main window has been modified to fit better on smaller screen and several bugs have been fixed in this release. [Download - 5.4MB]
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06/23, 2:40pm
Apple battles fake cards
Apple is quietly combating fraudulent iTunes gift card offenders, writes the Washington Post. After using cards purchased from eBay, some shoppers are reporting that their iTunes accounts are being disabled. As a consequence, many claim that they are losing all iTunes Store purchases that are not backed up. Fake cards are typically said to be listed at $20 (for a $25 iTunes card), and originally purchased with a stolen or hacked credit card.
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05/29, 11:15am
MonitorMyMac, iVPN
Tweetie ($20) allows users to post tweets, organize conversations, and search for popular topics on the popular social networking site Twitter. With the latest update the software is now capable of recording and posting videos through an iSight camera. Videos can also be uploaded by dragging the source files to Tweetie's main window. The update has also improved Growl notifications and fixed a bug that could occasionally affect the compose countdown. [Download - 1.7MB]
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05/20, 11:40am
eBaytoiCal, CheckUp
AudioLobe 3.9 ($20) allows users to alter the playback speed and pitch rate of audio files, which can be helpful when attempting to learn a difficult section of a song. AudioLobe allows users to save the altered files meaning users can keep copies of tracks for practicing along with. Version 3.9 has added the ability to work with MPEG1-Muxed files. [Download - 2.1MB]
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03/10, 4:50pm
eBay iPhone auction gone
An eBay auction claiming to offer original prototype iPhones has been pulled at the request of Apple, the seller claims. Speaking to the press, the seller explains that "as many people predicted would happen, Apple has contacted eBay to close the listing." A purported demonstration video on YouTube has also been pulled, with a simple disclaimer stating only that "This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Apple, Inc.."
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03/10, 11:40am
Prototype iPhones on eBay?
An auctioner at eBay claims to be selling two prototype models of the original iPhone. Although only one of the phones is operational, it is said to be running an alpha or beta version of the iPhone OS, distinguished by rudimentary graphics and completely different button layouts. The phone is unable to sync with iTunes, but can nevertheless make calls and take photos, as well as receive text messages and send five preset messages of its own.
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02/13, 3:15pm
GarageSale 5.2 update
iwascoding has updated GarageSale, its eBay auction utility for the Mac. The software is used to produce auction listings in a WYSIWYG layout, and supports importing images directly from iPhoto or digital cameras including iSights. Users can set details like item attributes, and have the app upload photos automatically via FTP, WebDAV or MobileMe.
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02/13, 2:15pm
Intic Lock, GarageSale
PDF Merge 2.4 ($14) ) allows users to merge several PDF files into one. Users can drag the files they want to merge to the application and order them to their needs. Version 2.4 includes a new icon and several performance enhancements that increase execution speed. [Download - 0.74MB]
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01/09, 2:25pm
Alchemist, Filewave
iFlicks.app 0.7 ($20) can import a users video collection into iTunes. This allows users to view all of their videos in iTunes or transfer them to an iPod or iPhone. iFlicks also downloads Metadata for all videos and has options for manually configuring the data at a later time. The update has added support for Elgato Turbo.264 and also has options for editing details of multiple videos at once. [Download - 0.93MB]
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01/05, 3:20pm
TV Widgets dates confirmed
Samsung announced on Monday that certain HDTVs in its 2009 line-up will feature the Internet@TV content service first introduced this past summer. The service will be made possible thanks to the Yahoo Widget Engine, an applications platform in its fifth-generation that will bring Internet connectivity to users' living rooms via a number of what the company calls "TV Widgets." Initially, users will be able to check their stocks and news headlines and also browse Internet-based videos and photos as well as interacting with friends.
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12/22, 11:35am
Steve Jobs on CEO survey
Apple CEO Steve Jobs has placed near the top in a list of most-liked bosses, according to the user review site Glassdoor. In compiling its first annual CEO rankings, the site lists Jobs in second place with a 90 percent approval rating; to qualify for the list a company must have at least 50 reviews, and Apple presently has over 290. Number one in the rankings -- at 93 percent -- is Art Levinson of the biotechnology firm Genentech, who also sits on Apple's board of directors.
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10/24, 3:05pm
PhotoCopy, Clipboard
GarageSale 5.1 ($15) allows users to create eBay auctions from their desktop. Users can choose from over 140 free listing designs and then add in any details and upload up to 10 images per auction free of charge to the GarageSale Image Service. The update has added new support for fixed price listing durations, eBay's return policies and importing items from Delicious Library 2 along with other improvements. [Download - 22.9MB]
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06/20, 12:15am
GarageSale 5 adds reports
Iwascoding on Thursday unveiled GarageSale 5 at the eBay Live! Conference in Chicago, offering users several enhanced features and increased functionality, and also introduced two new apps. GarageSale 5 offers Bonjour-enabled auction template sharing for easy importing over a network, as well as a report generator, to create income and expense reports. YouTube integration is also included for simplified video embedding. GaragesSale 5 is available for $35, and is free for users of v4.x.
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05/26, 12:25pm
Agent Craig search app
Black Pixel Luminance has released the first version of Agent Craig, a search utility for Mac OS X. The software hunts for keywords on eBay auctions and Craigslist entries, making it easier to find apartment listings, job offers and items for sale; it also operates continuously in the background, displaying Growl pop-ups whenever new posts match search criteria. These pop-ups can also be given separate sound cues.
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05/21, 2:50pm
US Mobile Web Use Study
Americans browse the web on their cellphones almost twice as often as their British counterparts even without the help of web-friendly devices like the iPhone, according to a new study by M:Metrics. Despite the reputation of Europeans as more openly embracing smartphones, Americans in March were known to spend an average of four hours and 38 minutes per month on websites using their phones versus almost exactly two and a half hours for British users. The difference is largely attributed to the prevalence of flat-rate data plans in the US, which give customers either a block of data or unlimited access instead of the metering that more often exists in Europe.
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05/08, 4:05pm
MySpace Data Availability
MySpace today introduced a new initiative that will see its users' data shared outside of the social network. The Data Availability framework will let any member of the MySpace service opt in to share profile info, friend networks, photos and videos to sites that will support the approach on their networks: MySpace users will have the option of posting their biography and latest blog updates to their Twitter profiles, for example, or bring images to Photobucket. eBay and Yahoo will also allow portability, with Yahoo's new Open Strategy allowing users to automatically fill in a profile that is viewable across much of the site's network.
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05/06, 4:30pm
Mac-clone maker on eBay
Psystar's flagrant disregard of Apple's licensing agreement has opened the proverbial floodgates for individuals selling non-Apple Mac OS X systems, with a seller by the name of "chris555" offering $550 clones of his own design. AppleInsider reveals that the individual has configured a similar setup to that of Psystar, with a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of DDR2 667MHz RAM, 250GB hard drive, a 20X DVD burner, and an Intel GMA 950 graphics card.
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03/11, 12:00am
First Look: Bling! It
To sell items on auction sites like eBay, you need to show others what you’re selling. Take a good picture of the most run-down item and it can still attract buyers. Take a lousy picture of the most valuable item and the picture alone can turn off potential buyers. To increase your chances of attracting buyers and making a sale, take the best pictures possible. If your pictures still look drab and dull, spice them up with Bling! It.
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