New & Noteworthy: MPEG-4 Licensing; Microsoft Stealing
New & Noteworthy: MPEG-4 Licensing; Microsoft Stealing
MPEG-4 licensing terms resolved MPEG LA and patent holders to the MPEG-4 Visual Patent Portfolio License have reached an agreement on final licensing terms following their meetings in San Francisco on June 25 - 26, 2002. The agreement will cover, without additional royalties, all current MPEG-4 Visual standard profiles to the extent covered by Portfolio patents. Under the new terms manufacturers will pay a royalty of US $0.25 for the right to manufacture and sell each MPEG-4 decoder and encoder. More.
Microsoft stealing Apple's thunder? CNET reports that Microsoft may be attempting to steal the glory of Apple's announcements during the Macworld Expo by making details about new technologies available far ahead of their delivery to market. Microsoft made announcements regarding its new streaming media technology, code-named Corona, which will launch in September. The article also notes that Microsoft's Kevin Browne threatened "re-evaluate" his firm's commitment to Apple if sagging sales of Office v.X do not improve soon. More.
Unpublished keynote satellite link A MacFixIt reader notes an unpublished satellite downlink for Steve Jobs' Macworld Expo keynote at the University of Minnesota School of Journalism & Mass Communication, in Room 100.
Mac-based PVR El Gato Software plans to launch the EyeTV, a Mac-based personal video recorder. Like the TiVo and other similar devices, attach to a televison and allow consumers to record shows ahead of time and watch them at their leisure, rewind or pause live TV, and skip commercials. The device will attach to a USB port and carry a US $199 price tag. More.
Wireless access points reviewed ZDNet has posted a review of entry-level wireless access points that use the Wi-Fi (802.11b) networking standard. The review includes units from Agere, Belkin, and D-Link, but neglects to mention the Apple AirPort base station. More.
MacCommunist profiled Lukas Hauser writes about Apple and the Mac with a u"nique Marxist spin, a wicked, inflammatory sense of humor, and plenty of profanity," according to Wired News. Hauser, a Brown University graduate, drafted the "MacCommunist Manifesto," in which he compared Mac users to victims of the 1950s Red Scare. More.