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One Ring to Rule iTV? April 04, 2013 The long-awaited Apple TV set will finally hit shelves this year, accompanied by a controlling ring and a smaller portable screen, according to analyst Brian White at Topeka Capital Markets. After a tour of some of Apple's supply chain stops in China, White wrote in a note to investors that the launch of the "iTV," as he calls it, will happen later this year.

Anonymous Taunts North Korea April 04, 2013 The hactivist group Anonymous has taken on North Korea, hacking into the country's official Twitter and Flickr accounts on Wednesday. It reportedly sent out tweets ridiculing the country's leader, Kim Jong-un, and used its Flickr account to portray him in an unflattering light, to put it mildly. It appears that North Korea has regained control of its social media channels since the hack.

Pirate Bay Proxy Operator's Bank Account Seized April 04, 2013 The Netherlands has had the damnedest time blocking The Pirate Bay. Taking a cue from the UK, as well as from Belgium and others, the Netherlands ruled last May that Dutch Internet service providers must block The Pirate Bay. Alas, the ruling didn't quite do the trick, as people began offering proxies that afforded users circuitous routes to the piracy hotbed.

How to Get Light From Your Backup Battery April 04, 2013 Over the last few months, we've been building out a solar generator. The project started as a simple, heavy-duty battery with a cigarette lighter adapter. We then added a photovoltaic solar panel with charge controller to the project to provide theoretically endless power for charging phones. The third part of our project is to add light.

SEC Lets Companies Go Social With Market-Moving News April 03, 2013 The Securities and Exchange Commission released a new set of disclosure rules Tuesday that allow executives to use social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to update investors about significant corporate announcements that fall under Regulation Fair Disclosure mandates. As long as executives alert their investors about which blog or social networking sites will be used to post announcements, CEOs can fill those online venues with news about their companies.

Rubber Band Patent Rejection Could Bounce Apple Back to Court April 03, 2013 Apple apparently is not accepting the recent ruling by a U.S. patent examiner invalidating a patent it successfully used in a suit against Samsung. The "final" action does not signal the end of reexamination at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the company argues in a filing submitted Tuesday. Nor does it mean there will be no further consideration or reexamination of the patentability of the claims.

Feds Crown Winners of Robocall Whacking Contest April 03, 2013 Nothing steams consumers like robocalls, which is why the Federal Trade Commission launched a contest last year calling for ideas to tackle the nuisance. The winners of that challenge were announced Tuesday. Each of two winners will receive $25,000 to bring their robocall solutions to market.

Baidu May Be Developing a Glassy Eye April 03, 2013 Living up to its billing as the Chinese Google, Baidu, China's top search engine, reportedly is working on Baidu Eye, something that sounds a lot like Google's Glass. Worn like eyeglasses, the Internet gadget will be controlled by voice and will feature an LCD display that can recognize images. While these features are rumored to be up and running, the product's design and battery life are still works in progress.

6 Euro Nations Scream at Google Over Privacy April 03, 2013 The six leading European markets -- France, Spain, Italy, the UK, the Netherlands and Germany -- announced on Tuesday that they will take joint legal action against Google over its privacy policies. The action will involve an investigation and possible fines. This follows the company's decision last year to consolidate more than 70 privacy policies for products and services into one policy.

BioShock Infinite Raises the Roof April 02, 2013 Video game franchises typically run a predictable course. Create something unique, and if it's a hit, crank out a few more of the same. This is why some good series eventually stumble. Irrational Games likely pondered this when it began developing the second sequel to the groundbreaking BioShock. How do you follow-up a smash game that takes players to a strange and fascinating underwater city?

Court Rules Broadcasters Can't Pull the Plug on Aereo April 02, 2013 Aereo, a startup that streams TV content to Web-connected devices with the use of tiny antennas, won another legal battle Monday in its war with broadcast networks. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court's ruling that denied 17 broadcasters a preliminary injunction against Aereo on the grounds that streaming TV content to individual subscribers does not constitute a public performance.

Russian Clampdown on Web Content Raises Red Flags April 01, 2013 The Russian government is using a law passed last year to restrict online content, and three major social networks have removed content authorities deemed objectionable. The Russian law created a blacklist of sites containing child pornography, drug-related and extremist material, and other illegal content.

Zuckerberg Lobbies to Become a Bigger Difference Maker April 01, 2013 It appears Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is plunging into the controversial national debate on immigration reform. An issue-advocacy group he formed has hired two lobbying firms. It is unclear exactly what Zuckerberg's goals are, but he reportedly wants to push for comprehensive immigration reform, possibly including a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

Tibet-Documentary Filmmakers Draw Ire of Chinese Hackers April 01, 2013 Members of a film crew working on State of Control, a documentary about Tibet, are convinced that the Chinese government is behind cyberattacks on their computers. They've been faced with unknown parties taking external control over a computer's cursor; abrupt log-offs; at least one fried operating system; and DDoS attacks.

What the iWatch Could Be if Apple Still Had Guts April 01, 2013 Steve Jobs was a guy who took big risks. The iPod was a big risk. The iPhone was even bigger, given that the market was dominated by companies like Nokia and BlackBerry, which had locked up the carriers in many regions. The iPad was riskier still, given what a failure the Windows tablet had been. Now that Steve isn't at Apple anymore, the company's investors and folks like Steve Wozniak are losing hope for the firm.

Shipping Abroad: Customs and Duties and Laws, Oh My April 01, 2013 When overseas customers order smartphone and tablet repair parts and accessories from RepairsUniverse.com, they must know the laws and regulations in their individual countries regarding international shipments. Those laws and regulations might include a variety of taxes and fees. Everything from customs and duty fees to the creation of enforceable electronic agreements and contracts needs to be considered.

Gamers Get Hardcore on Razer's Edge March 29, 2013 Razer's Edge is now shipping, preinstalled with Steam software, Valve's online gaming delivery and management service, which offers access to more than 2,000 titles. "It is certainly an impressive device, one that is really an all-in-one computer with a touchscreen," said Lewis Ward, IDC research manager for gaming.

Survey: Drivers Texting Like Crazy March 29, 2013 Nearly half of the commuters surveyed in a poll released Thursday admitted to texting or emailing while driving. Forty-nine percent of commuters reported engaging in unsafe distracted driving activities in a survey funded by AT&T and conducted by ResearchNow. "These studies do raise awareness, so no one forgets this is an issue," said Roger Lanctot, an associate director at Strategy Analytics.

The Video Game Circle Game: What's Old Must Be New Again March 29, 2013 The video game industry has been suffering one of its most notable slumps in recent years. Sales in February were down compared with the same period a year ago. March's numbers have yet to be released, but they will likely reflect some improvement, as a handful of high-profile titles have arrived. These potential blockbusters don't seem all that different but they could offer enough of a twist to get gamers interested.

Relax and Sleep: Whatever Floats Your Dream Boat March 29, 2013 Relax and Sleep Plus lets you choose and play ambient sounds that might help you sleep. I tried this app during a grueling jet-lagged visit to London. The UK has a seven-hour time difference from Los Angeles, which is my home base, so my day started there just as I normally would be going to sleep. For me, the net result of the time change was sleeplessness in the dead of local night.