action

A federal judge has decided not to elevate an antitrust lawsuit over non-poaching agreements to class action status. But the ruling is far from final.

In a decision announced today, U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh said there was not yet enough evidence to turn a present civil suit against seven technology companies into a class action lawsuit, according to Reuters.

The case refers to a civil suit filed in 2011 by five workers against Google, Intuit, Apple, Intel, Adobe, Pixar, and Lucasfilm, claiming that the companies tried to keep down wages through non-poaching agreements.

Six of the companies … Read more

Quick update regarding yesterday's post, the one about three free months of Next Issue. There was a technical glitch, one that couldn't be quickly resolved, so CNET decided to pull the deal (and my post) to avoid further confusion/consternation. The good news is that everything appears to be hunky-dory now, and the deal is live as of now. (After you click through, be sure to scroll down a bit to read "the fine print" section for a couple important details.) Sorry for the inconvenience!

CNET gave it five stars and named it one of the … Read more

The social media analytics company PeopleBrowsr won a victory against Twitter in court today.

Federal District Court Judge Edward Chen ruled that the case was to remain in San Francisco Superior Court. While this doesn't seem like a big deal, it is actually quite significant because it means that PeopleBrowsr's service won't be shuttered during litigation.

The lawsuit between the two companies is complicated, but it basically boils down to Twitter restricting access to its tweets and data -- which PeopleBrowsr needs for its service.

According to PeopleBrowsr, it paid Twitter $1 million a year for the … Read more

Things may be looking up for Facebook in the dozens of lawsuits it's facing from peeved shareholders over its botched initial public offering.

U.S. District Judge Robert Sweet ruled in favor of Facebook today and dismissed a group of these cases, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The social network became embroiled in this extensive legal battle shortly after its $16 billion IPO last May. The company's stock opened on the Nasdaq priced at $38 a share and, aside from a slight uptick right at the start, proceeded to plummet in the days and weeks following. Defendants … Read more

The original "Toy Story" took years and $30 million to produce, but a pair of enterprising filmmakers have created a live-action tribute to the Pixar classic with a few toys picked up at the local toy store.

Filmmakers Jonason Pauley and Jesse Perrotta began working on their remake of the 1995 animated children's movie in 2010 and posted the fruit of two and a half years of work yesterday on YouTube. In less than 24 hours, the 80-minute-long movie, titled simply "Live Action Toy Story," has become an Internet sensation, attracting more than a quarter … Read more

When I first saw a photo of Hitcase's new chest mount for its ruggedized iPhone case system, I thought to myself, "Hmm, I wonder how that fits on a woman." I had to go find out for myself.

Let's backtrack before we get to the try-on stage. Hitcase has splashed down into the category of tough cases for the iPhone. It's a bit chunky and a bit heavy, but it does the job. Unlike the water-resistant and waterproof-for-a-few-inches cases, it can go for a serious dive of up to 33 feet under the blue.

Hitcase is trying hard to replace the need for a GoPro for action sports nuts who love to film mountain biking, downhill skiing, and other outdoor activities with a high probability of wiping out. Instead of treating your iPhone like a delicate flower, you can take it along to record the fun. The case opens up like a book, so it's easy in and easy out. The idea is you don't leave this on your phone all the time, just when you need it. … Read more

At the risk of dating myself (again), I have extremely fond memories of playing the classic action game Karateka on my -- wait for it -- Apple IIe.

That was 28 years ago, heaven help me. The game's creator, Jordan Mechner, went on to develop the better-known Prince of Persia, but I remember being totally entranced by Karateka's then-amazing graphics and compelling damsel-in-distress storyline.

But would I want to play that same game today, even if it were perfectly emulated like that other '80s classic, Karate Champ? Frankly, no. I've never been a fan of arcade or … Read more

Marble Blast Gold for Mac is a skill-based game in which you try to roll your marble through a changing landscape without it falling. Available for Mac OS X, Marble Blast Gold for Mac installs easily. The full version sells for $6.99.

Marble Blast Gold for Mac begins with a multicolored marble on a gridded cartoon landscape. The object of the game is to navigate the marble forward on the platform without falling off. As you move through the multicolored scenes there are several power-ups to add speed, let you jump over obstacles, and other features. Along the way … Read more

A U.S. judge has named the lead plaintiffs in the dozens of class-action lawsuits brought against Facebook over its bungled initial public offering, according to Reuters.

District Judge Robert Sweet has been assigned 42 cases against the social network, which he consolidated in October. Today he picked a handful of plaintiffs to head the suits. The lead plaintiffs include several state pension funds, such as the North Carolina Retirement Systems, Arkansas Teacher Retirement System, the Fresno County Employees' Retirement Association, and Banyan Capital Master Fund. Collectively, this group claims a combined loss of $7.1 million.

"Its members … Read more