Consumer content

Kim Dotcom wins access to seized property from 2012 raid

Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom has won another one.

A New Zealand court on Friday ruled that the warrants used by law enforcement officials to raid Dotcom's home in 2012 were illegal. Therefore, the court said, police are required to provide copies of all relevant evidence in the prosecution of Dotcom for alleged piracy. Any material that is deemed by the court not to be relevant must be returned to Dotcom.

Until now, Dotcom's defense attorneys did not have access to the seized evidence. According to Reuters, which earlier reported on the story, the attorneys asserted that there were … Read more

Hon Hai to open display R&D center in Japan

Hon Hai is trying to expand beyond its role as a parts supplier to tech companies by devoting more research into display panels.

The company announced today that it will set up a new R&D center in Japan to focus on display and touch panels, according to Reuters. Any new technologies created at the center will be used for consumer, commercial, and medical products, Hon Hai said.

The new Japanese center will mark the company's third R&D facility in Asia, following one in Taiwan and another in China. Hon Hai said it plans to consolidate … Read more

Google Maps engineer leaves for Microsoft -- report

A Google Maps engineer who reportedly worked on bringing accurate map data to the platform is on his way to Microsoft, according to a new report.

TechCrunch reported on Thursday that Raj Shah, a Google Maps engineer, has moved on to Microsoft, where he will presumably work with the company on Bing Maps. According to TechCrunch, Microsoft confirmed his hire to its reporter.

Shah's LinkedIn page still lists his title as engineering director at Google. He started with the search company in March 2006.

CNET has contacted Microsoft to confirm Shah's hire. We will update this story when … Read more

Twitter said to be prepping ad re-targeting exchange

Twitter is said to be readying an ad exchange that would let marketers target ads directly at users who have visited their Web sites.

According to AdAge, Twitter is hoping to challenge Facebook's own so-called re-targeting exchange, otherwise known as FBX. AdAge cited sources familiar with the project.

Since at least late last year, the company has met with several FBX partners who are well-versed in locating on Facebook people who had previously visited a brand's site and retargeting them with non-standard display ads on the social network, in hopes of luring them back to the brand site. … Read more

Instagram's Systrom: We're 'not a photography company'

SAN FRANCISCO -- Instagram is not a photography company.

That message, which might shock some of the 100 million-plus people who have uploaded more than 5 billion photos to Instagram, is what co-founder Kevin Systrom made clear during a discussion tonight among him and co-founder Mike Krieger and Digg founder and Google Ventures partner Kevin Rose.

The discussion, part of the Commonwealth Club's Inforum series, was an opportunity for hundreds of Instagram fans to hear first-hand a bit of the history -- and perhaps some of the future -- of the popular photo-sharing app. Even if that's not … Read more

Tumblr brings in-stream ads to Web dashboard

Tumblr may finally be catching up in the advertising game with the launch of in-stream ads on its Web dashboard.

When Tumblr users scroll through the dashboard on the Web, they'll now see sponsored posts appear alongside posts from blogs they follow, the company said Thursday.

Tumblr started including sponsored posts in users' streams on its mobile applications in April. Like the ads on mobile, users will see up to four sponsored Tumblr stories a day on the desktop that are denoted by an animated dollar sign icon.

The sponsored posts will roll out to all users by the … Read more

Dear Microsoft: Add folders to the Windows 8 Start screen

Microsoft has a host of changes in store for Windows 8.1, including a nod in the direction of a Start button that the company is referring to as a Start "tip." But one feature I think would prove more useful would be a simple folder option for the Start screen.

As you install more apps in Windows 8, the OS keeps populating your Start screen with more and more tiles. The more apps you install, the more cluttered and crowded your Start screen becomes. Anyone who installs several dozen or more apps can easily find themselves having … Read more

Music discovery app Shazam launches for Windows Phone 8

Windows Phone 8 users can now add more music to their lives, courtesy of Shazam.

Officially unveiled Thursday in the Windows Phone store, the Shazam app works its musical magic by identifying the song currently being played in proximity to your phone. You can then buy the song through Microsoft's Xbox Music service or through Nokia Music if you're using a Nokia Lumia phone.

Shazam adds a social aspect as well. You can share and comment on your musical discoveries with your Facebook friends and Twitter followers. You can also tag any song so that other people can … Read more

Hulu International chief Larcher steps down -- report

Hulu may have lost another executive.

The company's senior vice president of international operations, Johannes Larcher, has stepped down, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, citing an e-mailed statement from Hulu.

Larcher reportedly stepped down earlier this month.

If Larcher has in fact left Hulu, both parties have some cleaning up to do. Hulu's own Web site says that Larcher is still with the company. Larcher's LinkedIn page says the same. There has also been no word from Larcher on Twitter that he has left Hulu. Still, that doesn't mean that he hasn't stepped down.

If Larcher … Read more