13
September
2007
|
06:10 AM
America/Los_Angeles

Newswatch 9.13.07: GOOG offers $30m Lunar X Prize

GOOG offers $30m prize to put a robot on Mars

[News.com] "The Google Lunar X Prize calls on entrepreneurs, engineers and visionaries from around the world to return us to the lunar surface and explore this environment for the benefit of all humanity," said Peter Diamandis, chairman and CEO of the X Prize Foundation, a nonprofit prize-generating group.

Sergey and Larry get their own runway

[Newsfactor] NASA has quietly cut a deal with Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who will get to park their Boeing 767-200 widebody jet, as well as two other Google jets, at NASA's Moffett Field in the heart of Silicon Valley. The price tag of that parking space? $1.3 million.

Google Maps may violate Canada privacy law

[Newfactor] Google's Street View may violate Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, which prohibits commercial use of personal data without the individual's consent, according to a letter that Jennifer Stoddart, Canada's Federal Privacy Commissioner, recently sent to Google and Immersive Media.

Prince to sue YouTube and eBay

[News.com] In an attempt to "reclaim the Internet," Prince is preparing to file lawsuits against YouTube, eBay and The Pirate Bay, for allegedly encouraging copyright violations, according to one of his representatives.

Valley group claims 'fair use' is valuable

[PC Mag] The use of copyrighted material without the permission of the copyright holder brings in $4.5 trillion in annual revenue for the United States, according to a study released Wednesday from the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA).

CSCO offers a social network for partners

[CRN] The company Tuesday took the wraps off a new channel initiative that encourages partners to team with ISVs and provides a virtual platform in which they can meet and interact.

Phone makers team up on Flash cards

[AP] Nokia Corp. said Thursday it's teaming up with competitors — including Samsung and Sony Ericsson — on a flash memory card that works with a variety of cell phones and other gadgets, regardless of maker. The technology, expected to be ready in 2009, will use the new Universal Flash Storage specification.

EFF accuses FBI of even more illegal activity

[Ars Technica] A Freedom of Information Act request by the Electronic Frontier Foundation revealed that the FBI had sent letters to telecommunications providers requesting that they "provide a community of interest" for telephone numbers the FBI was investigating. The documents were among the so-called exigent letters that the FBI has admitted were "improper" (read: illegal). But in a Monday blog post, EFF's Kurt Opsahl charged that the "community of interest" requests were fresh evidence that the FBI had broken the law.