Microsoft asked for rehearing in the Word case that requires the software giant to pay US$290 million in damages and prevents it from selling the current version of Word starting this Monday. All the previous attempts to make any changes to this case led to nothing. We remind you that this is regarding the fact that patented code has been used in previous versions of Microsoft Word allowing users to create custom XML documents, which originally belonged to i4i. It is unlikely that the court will decide in Micrisift’s favor, so the software giant stated that it is ready to sell Microsoft Word with the feature under question removed from the functionality.
November 10th, 2009
admin
Rumors have it that the acquisition-happy search giant has acquired Gizmo5, a Skype-like VoIP startup. Google has payed $30 million in cash for Gizmo5, which offers a software app that allows you to make free phone calls to other Gizmo users, as well as inexpensive calls to landlines and cell phones. It also supports SMS and instant messaging. Although it has not been officially announced, many industry watchers say it is a done deal. And combined with what Google already has in VoIP direction, it may result in something much more powerful then Skype. So how might consumers benefit from this? We can only guess for now, but with the Google tendancy to stir up trouble in established tech markets (just ask the GPS makers about it) we might soon expirience something new and yet unseen.
A website was added by Microsoft containing a database of software and hardware Windows 7 is known to work fine with. Although the database is not even close to being full at the moment, it does have an option for users to give information on additional software that they tested working under Windows 7, so we expect it to be more reliable in future. You can visit this website through this link.
A 46-year-old Gregory William Fair of Falls Church, Virginia, was sentenced to 41 months in prison for selling counterfeit software using eBay auction system. In addition to this, Fair will have to pay $743,098 in restitution. Fair also forfeited $144,000 seized from a safety deposit box and residence, a Mercedes CL600, a Hummer H2, a BMW 525i and a 1969 Pontiac GTO as all the cars were purchased with funds from this counterfeit software operation as stated by the U.S. Department of Justice . Combined retail value of all the software Fair sold between 2001 and 2007 is more than $1 million. The case is part of the DOJ’s effort to combat pirated software and counterfeit goods sales through commercial Web sites and online auction sites.