• NY gangs using Twitter to plan gang fights and meetups. Beats the hell out of tweeting what they ate for brunch. http://bit.ly/7l7Skh #
• RT @alleyinsider AOL Reveals Its Master Plan: Robot Editors http://bit.ly/5Nemrv #
• Black Friday Mac sales see a sharp drop. Don' think that it matters, especially when you have billions in the bank! http://bit.ly/7AKYlE #
• Another great way to analyze your web stats http://bit.ly/4VN5de #
• How to use "tearable" tabs in your browser. Awesome video tutorial from @HelpMeRick http://bit.ly/4K3Y3E #
• Good guide on how to transfer contacts from iPhone to Android phone http://bit.ly/8mkEwb @willineedit #
• If you have a HTC Hero and are feeling dangerous/curious check out the leaked Android 2.1 ROM! http://bit.ly/7V4iPk #
• Google shows that they are responsible and standards compliant, will discontinue Gears for HTML 5 http://tinyurl.com/yfxjz43 #
• RT Four Things 50 Cent Can Teach You About Connecting with Your Audience | Copyblogger http://bit.ly/8jFXao #
• Great way to store sticky notes online @LostInTechnology http://bit.ly/6pJODn #
• 4 Great and Free DVD Burner Applications http://bit.ly/6xzkwB @kylejudkins #
• Bing is down. #bingfail #
• Bing is up! At least for me… #bingsuccess #
• Quick tip on the new window maximization of Windows 7 http://bit.ly/74t7m4 @helpmerick #
• Retrieve Data from Damaged Hard Drives, CDs and DVDs with Unstoppable Copier http://bit.ly/6hjCYh @kylejudkins #

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CNET is reporting that a UK pub owner is being fined about $13K for someone using his pub’s open wifi network to download some copyrighted material. This may be the first time anything like this has happened in the UK.

I understand that this may be the law in the UK, that no matter who was downloading the content that it is still the wifi hotspots owner’s responsibility for the crime. It sounds to me that the laws need updated for this type of crime.

Some are saying that they should just encrypt the wifi signal. Problem solved, except not at all. Even if you made customers pay for a key to your wifi hotspot, who is to say they will not download illegal content?

The only logical thing to do in this situation is to log who is on the wifi and then when there is some sort of infringement, turn that information over to the authorities.

Is the way that the authorities in the UK are handling this seem odd to anyone else? Is there a better way to handle this copyright infringement?

This week has been a little slow due to the US Thanksgiving Holiday, but at least we didn’t get sucked into a horrible black hole from Cern! Check out some of the top tech stories of the week!

• Roku adds Flickr, Facebook, Pandora, and more video channels via CNET
  • Yet another reason to purchase a Roku, and at $79.99 it really is a steal
• Microsoft Offers To Pay News Corp To “De-List” Itself From Google via Silicon Alley Insider
  • Some people thought that this was a sneaky and unethical move by Microsoft. I don’t say that; I say that it is just dumb. People will find the news however they want to find the news, regardless of who “lists” it.
• Gameloft says it, others reining in Android plans via Reuters
  • I am not sure why they are doing this, especially with the estimated sales of the DROID by the end of the year. The only thing that I can think of is that they are afraid of the Android platform becoming segmented.
• Apple’s Schiller Defends iPhone App Approval Process via BusinessWeek
  • I didn’t know that there was an actual “process” from all the terrible stories coming from developers lately!
• New Apple ads to Verizon: Can Droid do this? via CNET
  • The funny part about this commercial is that they are specifically talking about the iPhone in these ads and the iPhone alone isn’t capable of this, it has to do with AT&T’s network. Verizon’s network cannot handle both data and voice at the same time.
• More Android Users Get Google Maps Navigation via PCWorld
  • Android 1.6 gets Google maps Navigation added to it’s functionality. So, you don’t need a Droid if you want Google Maps Navigation.
• Cern’s Large Hadron Collider makes first collisions via BBC News
  • Well, looks like we have some atoms colliding and none of us have been sucked into a black hole… yet.
• 9/11 tragedy pager intercepts via WikiLeaks
  • I suggest taking a look at this. It is yet another look into this tragic day. Some are arguing that this infringes on people’s privacy, but I think that it just shows a lot of the information and misinformation that was traveling through the airwaves that day.

Passing out the link love!

• LostInTechnology Holday 2009 Gift Ideas via LostInTechnology
  • I took a look through Kyle’s lists and I have to say he has some damn good picks. Check it out.
• Windows 7 Email Options via Castellini On Computers
  • A good discussion over at helpmerick.com about the many alternatives to Windows 7 email options. And considering there isn’t a native email option anymore for Windows, you may want to check out this post.
• 5 Cool Things You Can Do With Google Wave via WillINeedIt.com
  • Matt definitely has a better handle on Google Wave than I do! I really like being able to embed Amazon info to a Wave. Very cool!
• 7 Ways to Watch TV Online for Free via 2.0 Life
  • I have to say that I only knew 3 of these online TV options. If you need to get your free online TV on, then check out David’s post.

This week was filled with some cloud news from Google and the always late-comer Microsoft. Plus, some more news that something may be happening or not with the release date of the Apple tablet that may or may not exist. Rumors Galore!

• Twitter Turns On Location. Not For Twitter.com Just Yet. via TechCrunch
  • This is cool, and of course since it is Twitter every geek thinks it’s amazing. Not so sure about it. I don’t think I really care where people are all the time.
• Introducing the Google Chrome OS via Official Google Blog
  • In my apparent love for Google I am excited to see this OS (or should we just call it web browser?) come to fruition. I am not excited that they are only going to officially support it on “official Google OS” devices. More on this later.
• Apple tablet PC reportedly delayed until 2H10, with OLED model now included via Digitimes
  • It is extremely annoying that they are reporting delays on a device that isn’t even official! Only Apple products can hone in this type of buzz!
• Microsoft: Azure to go live in January, for pay in February via Ars
  • And of course once the cloud computing phase of other companies have already been set in place, Microsoft decides to finally release their solution. It will be interesting to see just how much Azure will cost and if it will be any good.
• The Pirate Bay Tracker Shuts Down For Good via TorrentFreak
  • This headline sort of misleads. The official tracker for the Pirate Bay is shutting down, but they are going to use a new “magnet” protocol. I’m not too hip on what this is, so I will be posting on it coming up.
• Windows Mobile loses nearly a third of market share via ZDNET
  • I mean, is this really a surprise? This is what happens when you don’t innovate, say that app stores aren’t needed, and let others do your UI development (HTC).
• Google book settlement revised, criticized via Ars
  • I think that it is ridiculous that so many authors organizations have problems with putting these “orphan” books online. None of the rights have been claimed and now they want to make sure that they don’t miss their piece of the pie.

Passing around the link love

• What did you learn today? via Castellini on Computers
  • This is a cool post. I like being reminded that even though I think that my day wasn’t that great or productive, there is at least one thing that I can say that I have learned. I REALLY like Rick’s list too, it’s funny!
• 4 Free iPhone Apps to Download and Read eBooks via LostInTechnology
  • Very nice list. I use a couple of these on my iPod Touch and I love them. No need for a Kindle just yet!
• 8 Apps that will rock your Android powered smartphone via WillINeedIt.com
  • Well, I have an Android Powered smartphone. And guess what? These apps did rock it!
• 13 Actually Interesting Business and Finance Blogs via The 2.0 Life
  • I am loving David’s site. This is a little off the Tech meme but a very good list of Blogs about money.

I have made a rather large mistake with my last post and have since pulled it down. I said that Google was re introducing Google Chrome and because of this I was confused. I linked to this post at the Official Google Blog. Well, no wonder I was confused. The post was from July 7th 2009 not November 7th 2009!

I may have made a mistake in going through articles in my Google Reader. I apologize for this mistake and will make sure that things like this don’t happen again.

Anyways, I still think that Google should just concentrate on Android!

This week was DROID week, I got mine and am working on a nice little post about it. But there was more happening in the world of tech, right? Right?

• Midnight Droid Madness in Manhatten via CNET News
  • I was hoping that the release of the DROID would do better but lines don’t really mean anything. Also, a lot of people are waiting it out. My advice. Don’t wait!
• Another DROID commercial, Stealth, and it’s awesome via BGR
  • Stealth fighters? Moto DROID? Do you need anything else?
• Windows 7 Boxed Software Sales Surpass Vista Launch, According to NPD via NPD.com
  • Here is a quote from the article, “Windows 7 software unit sales in the U.S. were 234 percent higher than Vista’s first few days of sales.” People have been waiting for 7. Enough said.
• Transparency, choice, and control – now complete with a Dashboard! via Official Google Blog
  • I don’t know if anyone has checked this out yet, but talk about a walk down memory lane especially if you have been using Google services and products for a while.
• EU offers hope to File-sharers via BBC News
  • Kind of a crappy headline but the EU made some pretty good decisions regarding consumer rights. Now they just need to stop punishing the businesses.
• AT&T sues Verizon over ‘there’s a map for that’ ads via Engadget
  • I am liking the new aggressive, evil Verizon. Now they just need to work on keeping their ETF to $175.
• Sony XPERIA X10 announced, we go hands on via Engadget
  • This thing looks great in videos so far but all reviewers are talking that it is pretty much unusable. We’ll see what happens with it.
• Apple iTunes Pitch: TV for $30 Per Month via All Things D
  • I still don’t know about this. But Apples is great at tricking us!

Passing out the friend love!

• Does Your Blog or Site Design Make You Happy? via EricaSays.com
  • You know what? My design is starting to get there. Erica’s post definitely made me think of it in depth this week.
• Early thoughts on Windows 7 via Castellini on Computers
  • Here Rick points out some really great things going on with Windows 7, and he should know!
• 7 Google services you have never tried via Castellini on Computers
  • I commented that I tried all of these! But, for someone that maybe new to the Google world these could be overlooked.
• Replace Your Office Suite with Google Docs via LostInTechnology
  • Great post. Mostly because I totally agree!
• FeedDemon: The Best Offline Feed Reader via LostInTechnology
  • Still haven’t tried it, but LostInTechnology says it’s the best.
• How To: Download TV Torrents Automatically with uTorrent via WillINeedIt.com
  • Like TV? Like Torrents? Like uTorrent? Well then you may want to check out Brian’s post that incorporates all three.

The Times is reporting that EU leaders agreed to give more rights to internet consumers.  This agreement will help pad consumers from a kind of global DMCA, at least in the EU. This agreement bars certain types of regulations from taking place in the new telecommunications act that France and other countries are looking at or trying to pass. Basically, France was trying to adopt a “three strikes” plan that would bar consumers from the internet after three reports from telephone, ISP, or mobile companies of alleged copyright infringements. The biggest problem with this is that these consumers would not even be able to gain a fair trial; they would be service-less without even being proven guilty of copyright crimes.

The Soapbox

I am glad that the EU has come to their senses and actually listened to consumers and citizens, yet I still believe that there is going to be a problem.  I love how the Times reports this at the end of the article:

National regulators in the European Union will also gain the power to break up dominant telephone companies, which regulators in Italy and Poland are considering. The law also establishes rules for creating an E.U.-wide range of common frequencies for mobile broadband freed up by broadcasters in the transition to digital transmission.

All that ans no mention of how instead of infringing consumers rights, they are going to infringe on “dominant” telephone companies. I am a stern believer of the government staying out of the consumer’s way and granting consumers the right to use the internet in a lawful way just as much as I am a believer of the government staying out of strong business’s ways. This type of shifty wording allows the government to break up any telephone company that they feel is “dominant”.

So, instead of only protecting consumers by not letting businesses govern what’s right and wrong the EU decides to take control of the businesses themselves. I have a feeling that this is only the beginning of the end of consumer and telco business rights in the EU.

With Apple having around $34 billion worth of capital to work with and a worth of over $170 billion it is now wonder that Fortune Magazine would name Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, CEO of the Decade. Jobs has led Apple to new heights most recently with the iPod, iPod Touch, and the ground-breaking iPhone and App Store.

I highly suggest checking out the thorough article over at Fortune Magazine if you want to learn about all of Mr. Jobs’ tribulations and accomplishments during his rise as Apple’s CEO. There really is no one else that seems more suited for this award. So, congrats to Mr. Jobs; even I am feeling a little Apple ‘fanboyism’ at the writing of this post!

A quick look over at the Official Google Blog and you’ll find that Google is looking for some excellent people to fill in some spots in the company parking lot. Following a couple of links through you’ll find that they have open positions in a lot of their world wide sites.

It is awesome to know that such a diverse and vested company is still hiring and seems to be doing OK amidst what everyone will tell you is an economic nightmare.  Google is doing so well that they even offered up a multi-million dollar stock bonus for the Googlers that helped develop Google Chrome (Google’s web browser). If that isn’t an incentive to try and become a genuis and apply I don’t know what is.

On top of their game

If you haven’t noticed, Google has been innovating like crazy lately with projects like Google Maps Navigation, Google Wave, Android, and Google Voice. Most of these products are still considered “beta” but just about everything that Google makes is in a perpetual beta.  Even though Google had to lay off some folks at the beginning of the year, it looks like Eric Shcmidt and crew are ready to start another round of hiring again.

If you want to take a look at what Google is looking for check out this post at the official Google Blog.

And, a quick extension from this; what do you think that Google is looking for in people? What do you think some of the most important skills for potential Googlers are? If you have any ideas leave them in the comments below.

According to OS X Daily, Apple will update Snow Leopard to version 10.6.2 which will kill support for Intel Atom processor. This is an obvious attempt to thwart the efforts of OS X “hackers” from installing OS X on lower cost Atom based netbooks. Although the new update hasn’t been released yet OS X Daily and others say that it has been “confirmed”. Some are arguing that Apple has no right, but I say that they can do what they want with their own operating system.

Of course people are doing it

It isn’t a surprise, at least to me, that most people want a cheaper alternative to a fancy MacBook or iMac and a somewhat complicated but slick way to do it is to make your own Hackintosh.  There are several websites that have detailed instructions of how to make your own, and out of me not being sure of the legality of it all I won’t be able to post the direct links here. A nice Google search for Hackintosh or OS X on PC will give you several options to choose from if you are in to that semi-illegal thing.

Quit being the bully, Apple

Some people are arguing that Apple should be sued, yes Apple, for putting such a strong grip on their operating system. The argument includes how they are exhibiting monopolistic tendencies by locking out certain hardware and other vendors from using OS X.

Here is my take on the matter. Apple has developed a great operating system built on UNIX. It is very robust and “ahead of it’s time” (even though Windows 7 is starting to close the gap). The user experience is excellent and it works flawlessly on Apple hardware. Why would Apple want to get into the same game as Microsoft; trying to support a billion different combinations of hardware and the criticism that goes with that?

OS X is the product of some hard work by Apple developers and it is no surprise that they want to keep their OS from being used without the purchase of Apple hardware. I cannot blame them for locking out different hardware types.  They own the software and they can do what they will with it, plus Atom processors are wimpy anyways, so good riddance.