NEWS IN BRIEF: A Dell executive has confirmed reports that the company is in talks with Google to put the Chrome OS – which is based on the browser – on its laptops. According to Amit Midha, the President for Greater China and South Asia for Dell, the company are talking about the use of the OS and its future. “We have to have a point of view on the industry and technology direction two years, three years down the road, so we continuously work with Google on this,” he told Reuters.
Topic: News in Brief
iPhone leak saga continues: Gizmodo blogger house raided by police
NEWS IN BRIEF: Turns out, acquiring stolen property (though Gizmodo says it was ‘found’ in a bar) is a crime after all. Wow (note the sarcasm). Anyway, Gizmodo – the same people who broke the news that they found a working prototype – broke the news that one of its editor’s houses was raided by the California’s Rapid Enforcement Allied Computer Team after a warrant was issued when he wasn’t at home, and managed to take four computers and two servers.
Switzerland passes law banning ‘violent’ video games
NEWS IN BRIEF: Any game with a classification rating of 16 or above in the PEGI system (Europe’s version of the OFLC for gaming, though they have an adult rating) will be banned from sale in Switzerland after a new law passed by the Swiss National Council.
Porn “morally acceptable” than piracy in NZ
NEWS IN BRIEF: A New Zealand poll conducted by UMR Research found that watching porn online while married is “morally acceptable” than downloading copyrighted material. Asking 1000 New Zealanders, 21 percent of the respondents believed that it was acceptable for a married person to watch porn without telling their spouse (and it has been made easier to hide it because of new private browsing modes on all of the browsers).
Music labels demand Pirate Bay founders pay up
NEWS IN BRIEF: The big four record labels are seeking one million Swedish kronor from two of the Pirate Bay founders, Gottfird and Fredrik; claiming that they have failed to comply with a court order by the Stockholm District Court to cease operating the site. Despite an appeal granted; Universal Music, EMI Music, Sony Music and Warner Music argue that the since that the site is operational, the two must still be involved one way or another and intend to get their fine of 500,000 kroner each for failing to comply with the court, which was the fine outlined in the court ruling.
Obama selects Schmidt to take up cybersecurity coordinator
NEWS IN BRIEF: President Barack Obama has chosen Howard Schmidt to take up the role as the national cybersecurity coordinator, according to an “administration official” talking to the Washington Post. The role will coordinate cybersecurity policy across the federal government – including the military agencies.
MySpace starts its layoffs
MySpace is said to have let go up to 45 employees from the company, with sources saying that the figure might be smaller, according to TechCrunch. MySpace has refused to comment on the matter, and did not say if was from a cancelled project, just general layoffs or performance-based cuts.
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