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AOL to sell over 800 patents to Microsoft

AOL Inc. shares surged Monday to their highest level in more than a year after it said it has agreed to sell 800 of its patents and license others to Microsoft Corp. for about $1.06 billion in cash.
Palm-sized Star Trek tech may be closer than you think
Saturday, March 31, 2012 2:33 AM

Future is NowIn the Star Trek universe, the tricorder is a handheld device used by Kirk, Spock, and various red-shirted crew members to make detailed scans of unfamiliar planets and even less familiar life-forms. It can be used in sick bay to diagnose intergalactic patients, and in engineering to find which part of the warp core is [...]

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Apple's 'iPad' is the only tablet people know
Sunday, April 08, 2012 11:35 PM

Companies trip over themselves to make their brands household names. But only a few brands become so engrained in the lexicon that they’re synonymous with the products themselves. This so-called “genericization” can be both good and bad for companies like Apple, which must balance their desire for brand recognition with their disdain for brand deterioration. From left to right are: a Jan. 20, 2011 file photo showing boxes of Kleenex tissues, a Kimberly Clark brand; Bayer aspirin tablets photographed May 25, 2004; Johnson & Johnson Band-Aid products shown Jan. 24, 2011; and a March 7, 2012 file photo,shows the new iPad. (AP Photo)Apple is on the verge of doing what few others have: change the English language.

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Know how to hack a video game console? The U.S. Navy wants you!
Monday, April 09, 2012 10:04 PM
For players just looking to have a good time when gaming online, hackers are a major nuisance. But regardless of how frustrating playing against someone with an unfair advantage can be, the practice of game console hacking has apparently caught the … Continue reading →
Sushi-making robots can crank out tasty fish rolls 24 hours a day
Saturday, April 07, 2012 4:06 AM
Like many traditional dishes, great sushi is as much about the skill of the chef as it is the quality of the ingredients, and we all know by now that there's no person on the planet that can match the dexterity of … Continue reading →
Hug a Vending Machine, Get a Free Coke [VIDEO]
Monday, April 09, 2012 5:35 PM
[More from Mashable: Google Lets Original Mad Men Reimagine Classic Ads [VIDEOS]]
AT&T to sell most of Yellow Pages to Cerberus
Monday, April 09, 2012 9:20 PM
AT&T Inc. on Monday said it agreed to sell a majority stake in its Yellow Pages business to the private-equity firm Cerberus Capital for $950 million.
Chinese teen sells kidney to buy iPhone, iPad
Saturday, April 07, 2012 12:56 PM
Authorities have indicted five people in central China for involvement in illegal organ trading after a teenager sold one of his kidneys to buy an iPhone and an iPad.
Wearing pink jacket, not green, Rometty at Masters
Monday, April 09, 2012 7:55 PM

IBM CEO Virginia Rometty applauds while watching the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament from the gallery on the 18th green Sunday, April 8, 2012, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)New IBM chief Virginia Rometty was at the Masters after all.

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China sets up rare earths industry group
Monday, April 09, 2012 7:58 PM
China has set up a rare earths industry association to fend off trade complaints and help regulate the sector that is critical to global high-tech manufacturing.
Lenovo’s new IdeaTab sports Android 4.0, grows tablet market
Monday, April 09, 2012 7:41 PM
And the Android 4.0 tablets keep coming. After a slow start since Google released Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich last year, more device makers are unveiling tablets around the updated OS. Lenovo is the latest, outing the IdeaTab S2109 measuring 8.9mm thick with a 9.7-inch, 4:3 aspect display. While the size is similar to its rivaling iPad, the S2109’s 1024x768 IPS panel is no match for Apple’s new Retina Display. The 10-hour battery life is worth noting, and while there’s no official word on S2109’s processor, it’s expected to feature something similar to its S2 sibling, which runs a 1. ...
Key to Netflix's future: better recommendations
Monday, April 09, 2012 9:47 PM

In this March 20, 2012, photo, Netflix executives John Ciancutti, left, and Todd Yellin chat in front of a board of ideas inside Netflix headquarters in Los Gatos, Calif. A big part of Netflix’s future rides on how much Ciancutti, Yellin and about 150 engineers can improve the software that draws up lists of TV shows and movies that might appeal to each of the video-subscription service’s 26 million customers. Netflix has spent 13 years learning viewers’ disparate tastes so it can point out movies they might enjoy. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)Netflix executives John Ciancutti and Todd Yellin are trying to create a video-recommendation system that knows you better than an old friend. It's a critical mission as Netflix faces pressure from its Internet video rivals and subscribers still smarting from recent price hikes.

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The Rare Earth Metals the U.S Wants That China's Got
Monday, April 09, 2012 9:36 PM
RELATED: Who Needs Another Mountaintop When We Can Have a Giant Telescope? Fresh news and ideas about our planet's futureSee full coverage
Maybe Foxconn Isn't So Horrible After All
Monday, April 09, 2012 9:27 PM
Since Mike Daisey's lies tarnished any perception we have of life on Apple's infamous Chinese factory line, Marketplace's Rob Schmitz has gone in to re-report and re-shape the image of the place where our iStuff gets made. Schmitz's findings will appear in an American Public Media series called "The People Behind Your iPad," which started last week with some teaser interviews and posts and continued into this week with fuller reports. ...
AT&T to sell most of Yellow Pages to Cerberus
Monday, April 09, 2012 9:20 PM
AT&T Inc. on Monday said it agreed to sell a majority stake in its Yellow Pages business to the private-equity firm Cerberus Capital for $950 million.
It's Called a Tablet, Not an iPad
Monday, April 09, 2012 9:08 PM
Going by way of Kleenexes and Band-Aids, the iPad has become the word people use when what they really want to say is "tablet."  The Associated Press has a whimsical report on how Apple is changing the English language, and the "genericization" of the word "iPad"--or in less jargony terms, the point when a product has become so ubiquitous, it becomes generic. ...
AOL to sell 800 patents to Microsoft for $1 billion
Monday, April 09, 2012 8:17 PM

The AOL logo is seen on the outside of the building housing the companies corporate headquarters in New York(Reuters) - AOL Inc said it would sell over 800 of its patents and related applications to Microsoft Corp , and would grant Microsoft a non-exclusive license to the patents it retains, for slightly over $1 billion in cash. AOL's shares jumped 37 percent to $25.16 in trading before the bell on Monday. They closed at $18.42 on Friday on the New York Stock Exchange. The Internet company said it plans to return a "significant portion of the sale proceeds" to shareholders. ...

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Summary Box: AT&T to sell most of Yellow Pages
Monday, April 09, 2012 8:09 PM
GETTING OUT: AT&T Inc. plans to sell a majority stake in its Yellow Pages business to the private-equity firm Cerberus Capital for $950 million.
Summary Box: China sets up rare earths group
Monday, April 09, 2012 8:05 PM
NEW GROUP: China is setting up an industry association for rare earths companies to fend off trade complaints and help regulate the sector.
China sets up rare earths industry group
Monday, April 09, 2012 7:58 PM
China has set up a rare earths industry association to fend off trade complaints and help regulate the sector that is critical to global high-tech manufacturing.
AOL to sell over 800 patents to Microsoft
Monday, April 09, 2012 7:55 PM
AOL Inc. shares surged Monday to their highest level in more than a year after it said it has agreed to sell 800 of its patents and license others to Microsoft Corp. for about $1.06 billion in cash.
Wearing pink jacket, not green, Rometty at Masters
Monday, April 09, 2012 7:55 PM

IBM CEO Virginia Rometty applauds while watching the fourth round of the Masters golf tournament from the gallery on the 18th green Sunday, April 8, 2012, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)New IBM chief Virginia Rometty was at the Masters after all.

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Contracts expire for many at AT&T, talks continue
Monday, April 09, 2012 7:54 PM

FILE - This July 19, 2010, file photo, shows the AT&T logo displayed on the side of a corporate office in Springfield, Ill. Union contracts for thousands of AT&T workers in America expired at midnight but officials said Sunday, April 8, 2012, that talks continued. The passage of the deadline left the Communications Workers of America free to call a strike, but spokeswoman Candice Johnson says employees would report for work without a contract. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman, File)About 40,000 AT&T landline workers are staying on the job this week without a contract, their union said Sunday.

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Lenovo’s new IdeaTab sports Android 4.0, grows tablet market
Monday, April 09, 2012 7:41 PM
And the Android 4.0 tablets keep coming. After a slow start since Google released Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich last year, more device makers are unveiling tablets around the updated OS. Lenovo is the latest, outing the IdeaTab S2109 measuring 8.9mm thick with a 9.7-inch, 4:3 aspect display. While the size is similar to its rivaling iPad, the S2109’s 1024x768 IPS panel is no match for Apple’s new Retina Display. The 10-hour battery life is worth noting, and while there’s no official word on S2109’s processor, it’s expected to feature something similar to its S2 sibling, which runs a 1. ...
Internet Sales Help Nokia Lumia Overcome Easter Weekend Release
Monday, April 09, 2012 7:30 PM
An Easter Sunday opening day didn't hurt Microsoft as much as it might have before the Internet existed. The new Nokia Lumia phone had its first official sale day yesterday, when many stores were not open. When The New York Times' Bits Blog's Brian X. Chen checked around 3:00 pm yesterday, "nearly all 39 AT&T stores within proximity of Times Square in Manhattan were either closed for Easter Sunday or did not answer phone calls," he wrote. "The few that were open did not have the handset in stock," he continued. ...
Splunk sees IPO priced at $8-$10 per share
Monday, April 09, 2012 6:41 PM
(Reuters) - Splunk Inc, which makes software that collects and indexes data, said it expects its initial public offering of 13.5 million shares to be priced between $8 and $10 apiece. In a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the company said it plans to sell about 12.5 million shares, with its selling stockholders offering the rest. At the top of its expected price range, the company would have a market value of about $925.3 million. Splunk's revenue has nearly doubled each year for the last five years, but the company has not posted a full-year profit in the period. ...
Apple patents tech for scanning faces to switch iOS devices between users
Monday, April 09, 2012 6:21 PM
A new patent filed by Apple could allow the company to eventually use facial scanning technology to allow iOS devices to switch between users and possibly lock devices.
Sony Will Cut 10,000 Jobs Worldwide
Monday, April 09, 2012 6:18 PM
On the heels of Yahoo's announcement that it would cut 14 percent of its workforce, reports are coming out today that Sony, over the next year, will eliminate 10,000 jobs.
Comedian Joel McHale 'Goes Viral' in Nintendo Commercial [VIDEO]
Monday, April 09, 2012 6:02 PM
Joel McHale, star of TV comedy Community, takes jabs at the often mocked "viral video industry" in Nintendo's latest commercial for 3DS, its glasses-free 3D gaming console.
Reports: Sony to cut 10,000 jobs over next year
Monday, April 09, 2012 5:41 PM

FILE - In this Oct. 4, 2011 file photo, visitors try out head-mounted 3-D viewers at the booth of Japanese entertainment and electronics giant Sony Corp. during an annual electronics show in Chiba, east of Tokyo. Japanese news reports say Sony Corp. will cut about 10,000 jobs worldwide over the next year. The Nikkei business daily and other media Monday, April 9, 2012, said Sony's decision to slash 6 percent of its workforce comes as it struggles with weak TV sales and swelling losses. (AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye, File)Sony Corp. will cut about 10,000 jobs worldwide over the next year as it tries to return to profit, Japanese news reports said Monday.

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Hug a Vending Machine, Get a Free Coke [VIDEO]
Monday, April 09, 2012 5:35 PM
[More from Mashable: Google Lets Original Mad Men Reimagine Classic Ads [VIDEOS]]
Waterproof iPhone Case Allows You to Take Pictures, Videos 20 Feet Underwater
Monday, April 09, 2012 5:16 PM
Wish you could take pictures and videos with your iPhone while submerged under 20 feet of water? A new waterproof swimsuit for the iPhone 4 and 4S keeps the phone completely dry -- whether you're snapping shots of marine life in the ocean or texting during a casual swim in the pool.
MassChallenge Wants to Ignite a Startup Renaissance
Monday, April 09, 2012 4:29 PM
The World at Work is powered by GE. This new series highlights the people, projects and startups that are driving innovation and making the world a better place.
"Anonymous" says plans more attacks against China sites
Monday, April 09, 2012 4:07 PM

Pro-democracy demonstrators scuffle with police during a protest against the Chinese government's meddling into the Hong Kong's chief executive election, in Hong KongSHANGHAI (Reuters) - The activist hacker group Anonymous plans to launch further attacks on Chinese government websites in a bid to uncover corruption and lobby for human rights, a member of the group said on Monday. Anonymous, a loosely knit group that has attacked financial and government websites around the world, hacked into Chinese government websites last week, defacing several, media reports said. The group used the Twitter account "Anonymous China" to publicize the attacks, posting links to data files that contained passwords and other personal information from the hacked websites. ...

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Report: Sony to cut 10,000 jobs worldwide
Monday, April 09, 2012 4:07 PM

FILE - In this Oct. 4, 2011 file photo, visitors try out head-mounted 3-D viewers at the booth of Japanese entertainment and electronics giant Sony Corp. during an annual electronics show in Chiba, east of Tokyo. Japanese news reports say Sony Corp. will cut about 10,000 jobs worldwide over the next year. The Nikkei business daily and other media Monday, April 9, 2012, said Sony's decision to slash 6 percent of its workforce comes as it struggles with weak TV sales and swelling losses. (AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye, File)Sony Corp. will cut about 10,000 jobs worldwide over the next year as it tries to return to profit, Japanese news reports said Monday.

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You've Got Mail - From the Republicans [INFOGRAPHIC]
Monday, April 09, 2012 4:02 PM
If you signed up for email updates from any of the Republican presidential candidates, your inbox is probably getting bombarded by Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich or Ron Paul. All of the candidate's emails have at least one thing in common: they usually end in a donation plea. However, just as each candidate has his own style, each of their campaigns have their own distinct emailing strategies.
What Police Learn About You When They Subpoena Your Facebook Account
Monday, April 09, 2012 3:59 PM
RELATED: Facebook Responds to Anxiety Over Timeline Ads
How Social Media Is Changing Disaster Response
Monday, April 09, 2012 3:57 PM
More than 66% of adult online users are now connected to one or more social media platforms. And it's not just about keeping in touch with friends or following news or interests. As social media continues to play a pervasive role in the way people think, act and react to the world, it's also changing one of the most crucial ways of actually helping the world: how people respond to emergencies and disaster.
AOL Sells $1 Billion Worth of Patents to Microsoft
Monday, April 09, 2012 3:55 PM
AOL just sold the majority of its patent portfolio to Microsoft. The price: about a billion dollars.
With 100,000 Subscribers, Birchbox Launches Grooming Kit Subscriptions for Men
Monday, April 09, 2012 3:40 PM
Birchbox, a two-year-old service that delivers boxes of beauty samples to subscribers once per month, is now launching an equivalent service for men.