You can Now See The Weather On Google Maps

In yet another step in the evolution process Google announced today that they are adding another great feature to Google Maps, a new layer for weather.

Weather conditions are provide via from weather.com and feature current temperatures as well as icons to denote sun, clouds, rain and so on. You can also see cloud coverage, thanks to the U.S. Naval Research Lab. And, if you look closely, you can also tell if it’s day or night around the world by sun and moon icons.

Clicking on the weather icon for a particular city will open an info window with detailed data like current humidity and wind conditions, as well as a forecast for the next four days.

Best Buy Tells HP "We Want The TouchPad Gone"

According to a report by AllThingsD BestBuy is so unhappy with their overstock of HP's TouchPad that it has told HP it is unwilling to pay for all the TouchPads taking up expensive space in its stores and warehouses, and wants HP to take them back.

According to the report an unnamed source has seen internal HP reports stating that Best Buy has taken delivery of 270,000 TouchPads and has so far managed to sell only 25,000, or less than 10 percent of the units in its inventory. These less than stellar sales numbers of the WebOS based tablet have prompted HP to slash prices on the tablet down to $399 and $499 or $100 off from its release pricing of $499 and $599.

Rich Doherty, head of the Envisioneering Group, stated that sales aren’t only failing to catch on at Best Buy, but also at other retailers, including Wal-Mart, Micro Center and Fry’s. He full expects that we may see the TouchPad bundled alongside HP computers in back-to-school sales or potentially even a further price cut.

My Thoughts:

Sadly had HP had a tablet out late last year or earlier this year before some of the better Android tabs made their way to the market they would have been in a better position. Now however, they put themselves in a really bad up hill climb.
For starters they put out a device that doesn't have the same polish as some of the other offerings. As I mentioned in our hands on review WebOS is great, and will only get better but the fit and finish of the device just isn't there.

Had HP listened to consumers complaints about some of the other devices on the market and followed up with a better device out of the gate they might have had a chance. Add to that the TouchPad is lacking many of the features like hdmi, usb and micro sd slots that are part of the exodus away from Apple and they built their own recipe for disaster.

I applaud HP for what they've done with WebOS I really had hoped the TP would have done better and given a better showing for the new system. The thing is is that most people want something they are familiar with or something that has a competing number of applications. Not something that is going to be limited over the next few years.

Sony Cuts $50 Off The PS3 Prices Drop To $249

Sony announced today that the company is discounting the price of the PlayStation 3 by $50 in North America and Europe, effective immediately.

Starting today the 160 GB PS3 and the 320GB PS3 will be available for $249 and $299, respectively. In addition, a limited edition inFAMOUS 2 bundle is now available at participating retailers across North America. The bundle retails for $299 and includes a 320 GB PlayStation 3, a copy of inFAMOUS 2 and a 30-day membership to PlayStation Plus.

"The new price will make the PS3 more accessible than ever before, so there’s never been a better time to join PlayStation Nation. We know that while future-proof technology is important to you, content is still king — that’s why we continue to focus on bringing you exclusive “must have” titles that are unmatched by anything else on the market. With games like Resistance 3, Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One and one of my personal favorites, Uncharted 3, all on the horizon, there’s a lot of great entertainment in store for you."

The new price is most likely designed to help spur sales of the PS3, which according to sales data provided by analyst group NPD, and released by Microsoft, has trailed behind the Xbox for 13 out of the last 14 months. This move may also help Sony recover some of the bad press and mounting costs associated with the company's infamous PlayStation Network hack. The company said the bill for that would top $140 million.

Apple Now Shipping OS X Lion On Thumb Drives

Starting today Apple has begun shipping thumb drives containing the latest version of their Mac OS X operating system, version 10.7 aka Lion. The drives which cost $69, more than double the price of the downloaded version.

Lion, which debuted July 20, is available as a download directly from Apple's Mac App Store and carries a $29.99 price tag for the digital download of approximately 3.7GB. The thumb drive allows users with no (or limited) internet connectivity to apply the same update. The downside, higher price aside, is that according to Apple, Macs upgraded to Lion with the USB drive cannot be restored in case of emergency using the usual recovery partition, but must re-use the thumb drive to reinstall the OS.

More information about the USB drive is available on Apple's online store.

Steam Launches Beta Trading Program

Simply called Steam Trading, the newly launched beta program allows users to exchange in-game items and gifted game titles between themselves. At launch time the program only supports Team Fortress 2 items and games purchased as gifts in the Steam store, but Valve says they are working with developers to add more games and the company plans to add Portal 2 in-game items to the beta shortly.

Once customers purchase a game as a gift (or receive it as an extra copy), they may trade it for the games or virtual items of other users. Any "unopened" gift is fair game for trading, with no restrictions on territory. Trading a Steam Gift is very similar to sending a gift to someone; just that once it is traded that user can then either trade it again, or open it for themselves. There are no restrictions on territory.

To participate in the beta, users must open the Steam client and select the "Steam Trading Beta" option from the settings menu.

For more details checkout the Steam Trading FAQ's.

Review: Linksys WES610N Entertainment Bridge

In today's connected world it seems like almost every device we own needs an internet connection. Whether it be a TV for streaming videos, a gaming console like the PS3 or Xbox for online gaming, or something else they all want to be online and while some are wireless not all have have made the leap. Enter the Linksys WES610N dual-band Wireless-N entertainment bridge.

With the WES610N you can connect virtually any wired device to wireless network. It provides a high speed dual band connection perfectly optimized for streaming video, sharing music or gaming. Simply plug your wired device into one of the four Ethernet ports, hit the connection button to sync to your router and you are good to go.

Compatibility
The Linksys WES610N is compatible with almost any device you throw at it. Here are just a few devices Linksys mentions.

• HD Televisions (Sony, Samsung, Vizio, LG, Panasonic)
• Blu-ray Players (Sony, Samsung, LG, Panasonic)
• Game Consoles (Sony PS3 and Microsoft Xbox)
• DVRs and Set-top boxes (Tivo, Dish Network, DirecTV)
• Media Players (Roku, Logitech, Seagate, Iomega, Western Digital)
• AV Receivers (Denon, Pioneer, Onkyo, Yamaha, Sony )
• Shared Storage (Western Digital, Iomega, Seagate)
• Printers (HP, Lexmark, Canon)

The full review!

Wireless networking devices these days are a breeze to setup. I normally don't use the Wi-Fi Protected Setup, instead opting for the old school route but it makes things pushbutton simple so I went ahead and used it this time. I paired the bridge with my Linksys E4200 router and I'm pretty sure this was a match made in heaven. The two devices synced nicely and gave me next to no hassles at all.

Instead of connecting a ton of devices, which I don't really own, I used a secondary PC to test transfer speeds and range. With the PC all the way at the other end of the house I got great signal strength and my file transfer speeds were just about as fast as I could ever ask for.

My overall opinion, for someone with a home entertainment setup  that perhaps has an internet ready TV, blu-ray player and maybe a gaming console that needs a wi-fi connection. The Linksys WES610N is a perfect device. You get four ports, dual band connectivity providing up to 300Mbps speeds, plenty of bandwidth and of course the trusted Linksys name.

Security Researchers, Microsoft Is Offering $250,000 In Prizes In The BlueHat Prize Contest

Today at the Black Hat security conference Microsoft announced the $250,000 Microsoft BlueHat Prize contest specifically for researchers who develop defensive security technologies that deal with entire classes of exploits.

WHAT IS THE CONTEST?
The inaugural Microsoft BlueHat Prize contest challenges security researchers to design a novel runtime mitigation technology designed to prevent the exploitation of memory safety vulnerabilities. The solution considered to be the most innovative by the Microsoft BlueHat Prize board will be presented the grand prize of US $200,000.

Important information:

• Entries will be accepted and must be received by email to bluehatprize@microsoft.com between August 3rd 2011 to midnight Pacific Time on April 1st 2012.
• The winning entry will be announced at Black Hat USA 2012.
• For full details, see rules and regulations.

The Payout!

• First prize: $200,000 (USD)
• Second prize: $50,000 (USD)
• Third prize: MSDN Universal subscription valued at $10,000 (USD)

For more details checkout Microsoft's press release and the BlueHat Prize website

Amazon Now Offering Free Subscription to Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine in the Kindle Store

Amazon has announced that they will be offering a free subscription to the digest edition of Fantasy & Science Fiction magazine is now exclusively available via the Kindle Store.

Kindle owners, or those using the free Kindle reading apps for Android, iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, who subscribe will get access to all of the magazine's editorial content - editor's recommendations, "Curiosities" (odd books of enduring interest), film reviews, book reviews, cartoons and humor, and "Coming Attractions" (highlights of each issue) - along with one short story, all at no cost.

"Fantasy & Science Fiction is the definitive magazine of the genre," said Russ Grandinetti, Vice President of Kindle Content. "We know our Kindle customers are huge fans of this category, and we're excited to offer them a free and exclusive subscription to the magazine to read anywhere."

Fantasy & Science Fiction, which publishes six times a year, was founded in 1949 and is the original publisher of classics by a wide variety of great writers, including Stephen King, Daniel Keyes and Kurt Vonnegut. Each bimonthly issue offers compelling short fiction and the science-fiction field's most respected and outspoken opinions on books, films, and science.

A subscription to the extended edition of the magazine, which is also a Kindle exclusive, is available for just $12 a year and includes everything in the digest edition plus several additional short stories and novelettes. Individual issues of the extended edition are available for $2.99.

HP Pushes Out Over-The-Air WebOS Update For TouchPad Owners

Following direct feedback from customers HP has rolled out an over-the-air webOS update for all TouchPads. The update, version 3.0.2, is said to contain hundreds of improvements to the functionality to several core webOS apps as well as increase system performance and stability and addresses a number of bugs.

A few highlights from the hundreds of improvements included in the update:

• The Email app offers faster scrolling and improved image rendering, as well as improved management of multiple emails in Draft and Outbox views
• You can now set your wallpaper from photos in the Photos app
• In the Calendar app, you'll notice improvements in layout, searching for events with Just Type, and more
• Can't live without "can't"? You'll appreciate enhancements in autocorrection of contractions.

You can find more information about how over-the-air updates work here. More details about the webOS 3.0.2 update can be found here.

The WebOS software comes directly on the heel of the company announcing a $50 install cash back deal. Dropping the price for the TouchPad down to $449 and $549 for the 16 and 32GB version.

As I mentioned in the previous post "hands on the TouchPad" I really like the look and feel of WebOS on a tablet. The operating system is fairly smooth when ran in short sittings. After a few weeks of testing I've noticed several of the bugs other users had mentioned. So hopefully this update will fix some of those.

Logitech Drops The Price Of The Revue To $99

Starting today the Logitech Revue with Google TV will be available for $99, down from its original release price of $299 and the recent price drop from $249.

"Sales of Logitech Revue were slightly negative during the quarter, as returns of the product were higher than the very modest sales," according to prepared remarks for yesterday's earnings call. Lowering the price, therefore, will "generate improved sales," Logitech said.

Logitech already dropped the price of the Revue from $299 in May, but that "had little impact on consumer acceptance," Logitech said. "Our enthusiasm for the promise of the Google TV platform has always been focused on the opportunity to develop another large installed base for our products over time. Up until now, the installed base has remained relatively small."

In a recently blog post the company said it hopes that the $99 price point will remove price as a barrier for buyers. "We expect the lower price, particularly when combined with the upcoming enhancements to the Google TV platform, including the availability of an apps marketplace, should provide the consumer with a compelling value proposition."

Revue users will also automatically receive a software update built on Android 3.1. Among other benefits, V2 will offer a simplified user experience and access to many more apps, made possible by the booming Android Market.

Patent Battle Between HTC and Apple Heating Up

The patent war between Apple and rival smartphone manufacture HTC appears to be heating up. Just a few weeks ago the International Trade Commission handed down a preliminary ruling that HTC violated two of the ten patents Apple accused it of violating.

The ruling was seen as a sever blow for HTC as it clears the way for Apple to block virtually all shipments of HTC Android smart phones into the U.S. Given that Android devices constitute the vast majority of HTC's sales and a large portion of those sales are in the U.S. if Apple could succeed in blocking the company's shipments the loss in revenue would be enough to kill HTC or at least cripple it.

Fast forward to today and things have changed considerably.

A second U.S. International Trade Commission Judge has declared that Apple infringed on intellectual property of S3 Graphics which was recently acquired by HTC. Judge James Gildea's ruling states that while Apple's iPad, iPhone, and iPod lines of mobile gadgets are not in violation of the IP, some of Apple's Mac OS X computers are. This new ruling clears the way for a partial ban on the import of Macs. As virtually all Macs are manufactured outside the U.S., this would be a major blow to Apple's booming computer lineup, which posted in $17.5B USD computer sales last year.

At first glance this ruling doesn't have the same impact as one that found Apple's iPad and iPhone in violation of the IP. However the victory gives HTC substantial leverage to broker a cross-licensing agreement, which could save HTC from a similar import ban on its smart phones.

The ruling now goes before a full six judge ITC panel for confirmation. The full details of the ruling are not yet public, the initial information came via Bloomberg who reported on the case based on early information.

New Facebook Features Prompt User Complaints

Facebook users might have noticed the site has added several new features to comments which include embedded videos, photos, and even a preview of posted links. Not all of these changes however have not sat well with users who are speaking out about the changes and asking that the company stop tinkering with new features and fix some of the ongoing issues, mainly the new chat system.

Facebook recently made the announcement about the new changes within its Facebook Photos page, which was immediately hit with thousand of complaints from users about the new Chat system.

The new Chat feature looks similar to the old version at first glance but the interface adds some new features as well as a few new ways of chatting, which has not set well with all users.

Previously, the simple chat system would show a list of online friends in a small box on the lower right side of the browser window. It was easy to use, staid well out of the way and was unobtrusive.

The new chat sidebar is far from unobtrusive. It stretches from top to bottom on the right side of the window. The friends list is no longer a small list of only those who are online, but rather a group of people Facebook thinks you'll want to speak to, regardless of whether they're online.

There is no option to edit the list of people in this area. If those predetermined "top" friends aren't online, the chat box has an option to send them a message. Online friends not on this list must be searched for manually, which to say the least, is slightly frustrating.

The chat feature isn't the only one being attacked by users. Many complaints have surfaced about the new photo viewer. The "theater" view makes it harder to view albums to select only a few images to sort through rather than having to scroll through all of them. It also makes viewing comments harder.

I suspect now that we are seeing the addition of extra content in general we'll see more users complaining that their pages are becoming overly convoluted with content. Many of these changes and complaints smack of the early days of MySpace when then site was going through growing pains and we all know how that turned out.

Google Search Warns "Your computer appears to be infected"

 Google search results have begun warning users that they are potentially victims of a malware infection.

In a rather interesting move by Google the company is now posting a warning atop search results for users it believes have been infect my a particular pieces of malware that is using a small number of intermediary servers called “proxies" to filter traffic to the company's search results page. Google detects the redirected traffic, then shows users the above warning across the top of their results.

"Recently, we found some unusual search traffic while performing routine maintenance on one of our data centers. After collaborating with security engineers at several companies that were sending this modified traffic, we determined that the computers exhibiting this behavior were infected with a particular strain of malicious software, or “malware.” As a result of this discovery, today some people will see a prominent notification at the top of their Google web search results," the company said in a blog post Tuesday.

"This particular malware causes infected computers to send traffic to Google through a small number of intermediary servers called “proxies.” We hope that by taking steps to notify users whose traffic is coming through these proxies, we can help them update their antivirus software and remove the infections."

These warnings may take some users by surprise and rightfully so. They look ominously like those you see with scareware, with the exception that this is not a pop-up. It is shown directly on the search results page.

Your computer appears to be infected

If you see the note Google has some suggestions as things to try. I agree with most the steps but the first suggestion of "searching" for an antivirus product. If your computer is already infected and being redirected you DO NOT want to trust search results. You want to go directly to reputable sites to get your antivirus/anti-malware products.

How do I fix my computer?
1. Install or update your antivirus software. Antivirus software can detect and remove malware from your computer. While we don't make or support antivirus software ourselves, here are some tips:

• If you don't have any antivirus software, you can either search Google for "antivirus" or try one of our suggested antivirus products. If you prefer to find your own, be wary of fake antivirus software that may actually be malicious; common examples that you should not install include "My Security Shield," "Security Master AV," and "CleanUp Antivirus." Before choosing to install any software, look online for reviews or forum posts to make sure that the software is not a malicious program.
• Even if you already use antivirus software, it's possible that your existing version cannot catch all potential issues. We recommend that you update this software to make sure that you're using the most recent version.

2. Perform a system scan using your up-to-date antivirus or anti-spyware software. If any issues are found, use the software to fix the problem. When the problem is solved, your antivirus scans should not find any issues and you should not see the warning on Google again.

If you continue to see the malware warning, it's possible that your antivirus software didn't clean the entire infection, and you will need to fix it yourself. See the technical instructions for Windows users

3. Help Google learn about new forms of malware. You can provide feedback about what you found while scanning your computer. Please also use that link if you have any feedback or would like to tell us anything about this experience.

If everyone in your organization sees this warning but you're certain that your computers are not infected, please talk to your network administrator. Your organization's proxy may be infected, causing all users to see the warning.

Why does Google think my computer is infected?

Some forms of malicious software will alter your computer settings to redirect some or all of your traffic through a proxy controlled by the attacker. When you use Google, the proxy forwards your query to the real Google servers to fetch the search results. If our system detects that a search came through one of these proxies, we display the warning.

You may have been tricked into downloading this software when visiting a site or reading an email. For more tips on how to stay safe online, see our security advice.

Mac OS X Lion Now Available In The Mac App Store

Apple has officially released Mac OS X Lion, the eighth major release of the company's operating system which includes more than 250 new features. Customers can get the upgrade as a downloadable version from the Mac App Store today for $29.99 or you can wait until August, when Lion will be made available on a USB thumb drive for $69.

The download will be roughly a 3.7GB file, which on average has been taking users anywhere from 1.5-2hrs depending on network speeds. For users that want to do a clean install, or place a copy of the OS on DVD we've posted a guide on "How To Burn A Mac OS X Lion Install Disk".

Some of the features in Lion include: new Multi-Touch gestures; system-wide support for full screen apps; Mission Control, the Mac App Store integrated into the OS, Launchpad, a new home for all your apps; and a completely redesigned Mail app.

Additional new features in Lion include:

• Resume, which conveniently brings your apps back exactly how you left them when you restart your Mac or quit and relaunch an app;
• Auto Save, which automatically and continuously saves your documents as you work;
• Versions, which automatically records the history of your document as you create it, and gives you an easy way to browse, revert and even copy and paste from previous versions; and
• AirDrop, which finds nearby Macs and automatically sets up a peer-to-peer wireless connection to make transferring files quick and easy.

Lion requires an Intel-based Mac with a Core 2 Duo, i3, i5, i7 or Xeon processor and 2GB of RAM. Lion is an upgrade and can be installed on all your authorized personal Macs. Details regarding Business and Education licensing can be found at apple.com/macosx.

The OS X Lion Up-to-Date upgrade will be available through the Mac App Store at no additional charge to all customers who purchased a qualifying new Mac system from Apple or an Apple Authorized Reseller on or after June 6, 2011. Users must request their Up-to-Date upgrade within 30 days of purchase of their Mac computer. Customers who purchased a qualifying Mac between June 6, 2011 and July 20, 2011 will have until August 19, 2011 to make a request. Additional information can be found at apple.com/macosx/uptodate.

Apple iOS 4.3.4 Update Fixes PDF Flaw Blocks JailBreakMe

On Friday Apple released the newest version of iOS which promises a fix to an iOS PDF vulnerability that has recently been used by jailbreakers as an easy backdoor to gain full access to their devices.

The iOS 4.3.4 update "fixes [a] security vulnerability associated with viewing malicious PDF files," Apple said. It is available now for iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4s running iOS 3.0 and higher, third-generation iPods with iOS 3.1 and higher, and iPads with iOS 3.2 and higher.

This is the same flaw used by the widely popular JailBreakMe site and software that quickly and easily allows visitors to the site to jailbreak almost any iOS device. For those of you wanting to secure your device but wish to maintain your freedom from Apple it should be noted that installing the update will prevent jailbreaks from working and will undo the jailbreak on a currently jailbroken phone. Therefore it is recommended that you install "PDF Patcher 2" via Cydia and wait for the next jailbreak for the latest iOS versions.

Google Offers Now In NYC And The Bay Area

Google Offers, the recently launched deal of the day service from Google, has added New York City and the Bay Area to its short list of featured cities.

Subscribers who sign up at www.google.com/offers or via the new “Today’s Offer” tab in Google Shopper 2.0 for Android can now receive emails with local offers from Portland, New York and the San Francisco Bay Area. Deal seekers in Austin, Boston, Denver, Seattle and Washington, D.C are next up on the list, although Google hasn't mentioned when they will roll out the service to those cities.

To kick off the bi-coastal rollout Google is offering the following deals:

• New Yorkers can mix salty and sweet with Belgian fries and mango chutney at Pommes Frites, savor chocolate molten cake with a glass of Malbec at Ayza Wine and Chocolate Bar or sample a delectable red velvet mini cupcake at Tonnie’s Minis in Harlem.
• In the San Francisco Bay Area, fresh donuts and apple fritters are served up 24/7 at Bob’s Donut & Pastry Shop on Polk Street. You can also get a taste of Provence at the Le Bateau Ivre Restaurant in Berkeley.

For more details checkout the Official Google Blog - Google Offers beta launching in New York City and the Bay Area

Geek Office Gadgets: Office Equipment

Today’s post comes courtesy of a Swedish office supply, kontorsmaterial online retailer, Profsoffice Europe AB. The Swedish retailer not only sells office supplies online but also provides all sorts of updated office equipment that are a must as a Geek Gadget.

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The Sony PlayStation and cool mobile phones may be considered top notch geek gadgets yet; there are other every day gadgets and equipment that while not as flashy are just as important in our everyday lives. We often over look office equipment as none essential, but trends are changing and there are more demands for equipment such as dokumentförstörare (paper shredders in Swedish), lamineringsmaskiner (Swedish for laminating machine) or a dataprojektor (Swedish for data projector).

Buying office equipment

Making a purchase shouldn't be a hasty decision. You should always shop around for the best deal but you should never over look the reputation of the seller. Do your research and make sure you always buy from someone reputable.

One thing that you should keep in mind and is vital, make sure that the office equipment comes with a warranty and you are able to refer to the seller in case there was a malfunctioning with the machine. With less than reputable sellers often times customers find themselves pushed off onto the manufacture for returns which can be a major hassle.

Leasing office equipment

There are many US based sites that offer office equipment leasing. So the first step is to first check whether the leasing site is reliable and of course if it offers the equipment that you are looking for. Since the Internet is wide open and there are many frauds, one should first check the reviews from several sites and try to contact people who have already used the leasing site’s office equipment.

Whether buying or leasing it is important to keep in mind that a reputable dealer is a must. Especially for those in the home office or small business arenas as break downs tend to happen. Be sure to look for repair and maintenance policies as well as warranty terms.

Microsoft Says Windows 8 Won't Require Hardware Upgrades

In a possible attempt to spur Windows 7 adoption Microsoft confirmed today that Windows 8 will carry similar or even lower hardware requirements to those of Windows 7. Meaning unlike the leap from XP to say Vista any computer currently running Windows 7 will be upgradable to Windows 8 when the next version of Windows is released.

Speaking at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference, Steve Ballmer revealed that Windows 7 has officially sold 400 million licenses to-date. Despite those numbers Windows XP still holds nearly twice the market share worldwide.

"Two-thirds of business PCs are still on Windows XP. Moving these users to Windows 7 is important and urgent work for us to get after together," Tami Reller, corporate VP and CFO for Windows. "Whether upgrading an existing PC or buying a new one, Windows will adapt to make the most of that hardware," Reller said. Windows 8 is for "the hundreds of millions of modern PCs that exist today and for the devices of tomorrow."

If rumors are true Windows 8 is slated to be released early next year with a possible beta release as soon as this fall. Microsoft hopes to bolster sales of Windows 7 pcs so the company is urging both businesses and consumers to upgrade now and by promising they will be able to use the same PC to run Windows 8 later.

"Windows 8 is a true re-imagining of Windows, from the chip to the interface," Reller said. Despite the re-imagining, Microsoft will keep system requirements flat or reduce them. Currently to run Windows 7, PCs need at least a 1GHz processor, 1GB RAM, 16GB available disk space and DirectX 9 graphics. We strongly suggest a faster CPU and at least 2GBs of RAM and a much larger hard drive!

For more details on what's in store for Windows 8 checkout Microsoft's First Official Look at Windows 8

Apple Hit With Major Setback In 'Appstore' Case

Apple has been hit with a major setback in it's attempts at blocking online retailers from using the "App Store" name.

U.S. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton has ruled that Apple cannot block Amazon from using “Appstore” as the name of the company's new Amazon Appstore for Android. However she did not go so far as to rule that the term is generic as Amazon, Microsoft and others had contented.

According to the decision, Apple simply failed to show that a “likelihood of confusion” would result from Amazon’s use of the term.

The initial ruling was based on a lawsuit filed by Apple seeking a preliminary injunction to force Amazon (and eventually others) to stop using the term immediately, effectively forcing them to re-brand.

While its just a preliminary ruling things looks fairly bleak at this point for Apple. Hamilton set a trial date for October 2012 at which time she will hear further arguments from both sides. The case in U.S. District Court, Northern District of California is Apple Inc v. Amazon.com Inc, 11-1327.

CNET Infringement Case Dropped

A major copyright infringement case against CBS Interactive, CNET’s publisher and owner of CNET’s Download.com site, has been dropped. The lawsuit originally filled back in May in Los Angeles by a handful of musicians and filmmaker Alkiviades David accused the company of illicitly profiting from piracy by distributing 220 million copies of LimeWire over the Download.com site since 2008.

According to previous reports the case had been on shaky grounds for months following U.S. District Judge Dale Fischer's request that the plaintiffs specify the content pirated on LimeWire. At the time the plaintiffs submitted just six copyrights as being infringed and could not directly link them to CNET, Download.com or CBS Interactive.

Wired.com has reported that David’s attorney, Adam Wolfson, has threatened to open further proceeding stating in his filing that the case would be re-filed to represent more plaintiffs and “many thousands of songs and other copyrighted works.” (.pdf)

It would appear as though Mr David and the other plaintiffs were barking up the wrong tree on this one. CNET might have helped distribute the already freely distributed LimeWire application. However the company didn't host files, nor did they advocate or facilitate the downloading of illegal or copyrighted content the way LimeWire had.