APPL patent app describes wireless food ordering

[InfoWeek] The latest application, filed Dec. 20, described a system in which a person approaching a cafe, fast-food, or take-out restaurant could place an order that would be received by an in-store computer. The person's order would be treated as if the customer was standing in line, which means he would be served before people placing orders after the remote order arrived.

GOOG to face trial in patent dispute

[Reuters] The appeals court ruled that Google's immensely profitable AdSense did not infringe on HyperphRase's patents. It handed down a split decision on AutoLink, agreeing that Google did not infringe, as claimed, on one of the HyperphRase patents. But it vacated a summary judgment in Google's favor on two others and sent it back to the Wisconsin district court.

AAPL cuts deal with Fox for VOD

[USA Today] Under the arrangement, Fox movies would be available for rental on Apple's iTunes for $2.99 and consumers could watch them for a limited time, according to The Financial Times, which cited a person familiar with the situation.

Win HomeServer suffers from corruption

[PC Mag] "A few people in the Community Forums have reported data corruption when saving files [on WHS] from applications including Windows Vista Photo Gallery, Windows Live Photo Gallery, Microsoft Office OneNote 2007, Microsoft Office OneNote 2003 and SyncToy 2.0 Beta," the WHS team wrote in a blog post.

Mossberg: Dell XPS beats iMac for design

[WSJ] the Dell XPS One is the first Windows all-in-one desktop I've tested that I believe matches or exceeds the iMac in hardware design. That's no small feat, especially coming from Dell.

DoCoMo signs on to Android

[Reuters] The move marks a strategic shift for Japan's largest wireless operator by seeking a partner, as the firm has been lagging behind much smaller rivals in luring new subscribers in recent months.

Boston's T boasts cell service

[Boston.com] AT&T became the third cellphone provider to offer a signal underground. T-Mobile and Verizon both connected their networks earlier this month, but without any announcement from the T, many customers were not aware they could use their phones.