Week in review: Tech companies make nice
Let bygones be bygones, some companies say, while Mideast nations ban BlackBerry. Also: Net neutrality dead?
The hot new trend in tech is to make amends for past disputes.
Microsoft settled a patent dispute with Salesforce.com, with both companies licensing each other's patents and the cloud software firm paying an undisclosed sum to Redmond. Microsoft had sued Salesforce in May. At the time, it said that it had notified Salesforce more than a year ago about the alleged infringement.
Intel and the Federal Trade Commission resolved the charges that Intel had illegally stifled competition in the computer chip market, while Intel has agreed to a new set of provisions designed to renew competition and keep the company from quashing its rivals. The settlement prohibits Intel from using threats, bundled prices, or other offers to exclude or hamper the competition in the sale of CPUs (central processing units), GPUs (graphic processing units), or chipsets.
Hewlett-Packard reached an agreement with the U.S. Justice Department to resolve a probe over alleged kickbacks paid by vendors to help secure government contracts. The agreement resolves the department's three-year investigation into HP's GSA Multiple Award Schedule contract, as well as a civil suit filed in Arkansas in 2007. The computer maker denied the allegations and said it settled the probe without admitting wrongdoing.
More headlines
Google pulls plug on Google Wave
The search giant said the real-time collaboration tool saw less use than the company had hoped. The company will aim to use technology in other products.Reports: FCC-led talks over Net neutrality dead
Federal regulators had once hoped to broker a deal over the Net neutrality dispute by bringing the parties together, but it's ending those efforts, according to reports.
Defense Dept. demands that Wikileaks return files
The U.S. Defense Department formally demands that Wikileaks return all classified military records, and it leaves open what might happen to the group's principals, if they refuse.
RIM announces the BlackBerry Torch
In stores in just under two weeks, the Torch will feature the company's sixth-generation phone software, as well as a touch screen and QWERTY sliding keyboard.
Two Mideast countries to ban BlackBerry functions
United Arab Emirates cites national security concerns in decision to prohibit key features on the device, a ban Saudi Arabia will reportedly also institute.
Hackers release browser-based iPhone 4 jailbreak
iPhone Dev Team announces release of bypass for protections just days after U.S. Copyright Office declares that mobile-phone jailbreaking is legit.
Forcing vendors to fix bugs under deadline
New bug-fixing deadline for software makers will mean quicker turnaround time on releasing security patches and better protection for consumers and corporations, experts say.
• TippingPoint gives vendors six months to fix holes
Android hits top spot in U.S. smartphone market
Boosted by a flurry of new Android handsets launched in the second quarter, Google's mobile OS now leads the smartphone market in the U.S. with a 33 percent share, says NPD Group.
Apple's plan for Lala cloudier than ever
When the iPhone maker bought Lala.com, most assumed a music cloud service was on the way. But sources tell CNET that it may take a back seat to video.
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