Microsoft appeals Word patent case once more Reuters
Microsoft Corp on Friday asked for a full panel of judges to review a recent appeals court decision to uphold a $290 million jury verdict against it for infringing a patent held by a small Canadian software firm. The world’s largest software company wants all 11 judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit — which handles many patent and trademark cases — to review the long-running case against Toronto-based i4i Ltd, in the hope of overturning the original judgment.

Complaints greet Google Nexus One phone BBC
Google is being inundated with complaints about its Nexus One phone. The touchscreen smartphone was launched on 5 January and can be bought directly from Google and used on almost any phone network. But confusion over who should answer customer queries has led many to file complaints on support forums. Many people are unhappy with Google only responding to questions by e-mail and are calling for it to set up phone-based support.

Social networking among jurors is trying judges’ patience Washington Post
Al Schuler, one of 12 jurors weighing the fate of a 23-year-old charged with killing a homeless man in Maryland, was confused by the word “lividity” and what role it might have played in explaining the circumstances of the victim’s beating death. So, one night after deliberations, the retired engineer did what so many people do in the digital age: He looked up the definition on Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia. “It was just a definition, like going to the dictionary,” Schuler said. “It was very innocent.” A Maryland appeals court didn’t think so. In throwing out the defendant’s first-degree murder conviction and ordering a new trial, the court ruled that Schuler’s inquiry violated an Anne Arundel County judge’s order prohibiting jurors from researching the case.

Free laptops with broadband to be provided to 250,000 low-income households Telegraph
Free laptops with broadband internet are to be provided to more than a quarter of a million low-income households in a bid to boost exam results and job chances, Gordon Brown has announced. The Prime Minister said the £300 million project would see every family in the country linked to their children’s schools to access progress reports on attainment, behaviour and other needs. As well as helping pupils with homework, trials of the scheme had also proved invaluable to single parents with finding work and keeping in touch with friends, Mr Brown said.

Judge: RealNetworks caused its own legal problems Ars Technica
A judge has rejected RealNetworks’ claim that the movie studios were colluding against it, saying that the problems in the case were all of Real’s own making. The company should have known better than trying to sell illegal DVD-ripping software.

Qld ticketing ‘theft’ investigated Australian IT
Two call centre operators have been stood down after an incident cast doubt on the security of the Queensland government’s paperless public transport ticketing system, the go card. Acting Premier Paul Lucas said an investigation was under way to determine why a commuter’s go card was stripped of funds and the money transferred to another commuter’s account. The incident brought into question the security arrangements protecting go cards, which can be linked to an individual’s bank accounts and credit cards.

Wireless power group sees standard within 6 months IDG News Service
The group developing a standard for wireless charging expects to complete its first specification within six months, opening the door for makers of cell phones, digital cameras and other devices to bring compatible products to market. Wireless charging lets consumers place gadgets on a mat that plugs into a wall outlet, and have the devices recharge automatically without needing to plug in each one. Apart from the gee-whiz factor, it’s supposed to make life more convenient by letting people walk into their home or office, toss their gadgets onto a mat to recharge and forget about them.

Reporter breaks an ‘unbreakable’ mobile phone at CES BBC
Reporter Dan Simmons from the BBC’s technology show Click managed to break a mobile phone marketed as “unbreakable”, during a demonstration at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

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