Episode 589: The mother of all patents
Imagine a patent to end all patents, and IBM in control of the whole thing. Er. Bad?
Molly Wood Former Executive Editor
Molly Wood was an executive editor at CNET, author of the Molly Rants blog, and host of the tech show, Always On. When she's not enraging fanboys of all stripes, she can be found offering tech opinions on CBS and elsewhere, and offering opinions on everything else to anyone who will listen.
3 min read
OK, so, IBM files an application for the ultimate patent--the one that crushes all other patent wannabes, including trolls and, OK, anyone with a patentable idea. We feel a little dirty for wondering...would that be any worse than the current system? Guest host: Rafe Needleman.
--Molly
Listen now: Download today's podcast
--Molly
Listen now: Download today's podcast
 | EPISODE 589 |
TODAY'S LINKS:
TODAY'S VOICE MAIL:
Loon in SF
How to get to 10 million iPhone sales by 2008.
How to get to 10 million iPhone sales by 2008.
Adam the law student
Molly is RIGHT.
Molly is RIGHT.
John from Reno
Apple needs to keep everyone locked down because AT&T is paying them part of the subscription.
Apple needs to keep everyone locked down because AT&T is paying them part of the subscription.
Kevin from Ontario
Secret trove of unlocked iPhones.
Secret trove of unlocked iPhones.
TODAY'S E-MAIL:
iPhone cash in for Apple employees
I couldn't help but write in, but I think the serial numbers on the non-retail employees' free iPhones were restricted on redeeming the $100 credit, because, er, a bunch of us tried to do it "just to see." We got dialog boxes saying that the credit was nonredeemable on Apple-provided phones.
It looks like maybe there was an oversight on the retail guys' phones, perhaps because they could switch them out with the plentiful stock surrounding them.
Thanks for the podcast guys, love the show!!!
:)
_allie
I couldn't help but write in, but I think the serial numbers on the non-retail employees' free iPhones were restricted on redeeming the $100 credit, because, er, a bunch of us tried to do it "just to see." We got dialog boxes saying that the credit was nonredeemable on Apple-provided phones.
It looks like maybe there was an oversight on the retail guys' phones, perhaps because they could switch them out with the plentiful stock surrounding them.
Thanks for the podcast guys, love the show!!!
:)
_allie
Amazon awarded patent for URLs
Oh my God. What is the patent office thinking?
As a Web developer, I've been doing this for years.
Kind regards,
Andrew
Oh my God. What is the patent office thinking?
As a Web developer, I've been doing this for years.
Kind regards,
Andrew
UCLA sells out to the RIAA
Well that didn't take long. UCLA just sent out this e-mail to all its students shining a big spotlight on the recent $9,250/song RIAA court ruling, and advising them to visit campusdownloading.com for more info. Sounds suspicious...because it is! A whois lookup shows that it's registered to Widmeyer Communications, which as it turns out is a PR firm for--you guessed it--the RIAA! I can't say that I'm surprised.
Anonymous
Well that didn't take long. UCLA just sent out this e-mail to all its students shining a big spotlight on the recent $9,250/song RIAA court ruling, and advising them to visit campusdownloading.com for more info. Sounds suspicious...because it is! A whois lookup shows that it's registered to Widmeyer Communications, which as it turns out is a PR firm for--you guessed it--the RIAA! I can't say that I'm surprised.
Anonymous
Sprint and WiMax
In reference to your discussion on show 588 about Sprint possibly dumping WiMax:
I shouldn't be sending you this considering I work for Sprint, but I can tell you for a fact that Sprint is not abandoning WiMax. Yesterday, Oct 23, Sprint internally announced that the first successful data test was completed eariler this month in Illinois. Tranfer speeds were in excess of 3MBs.
Sprint tends to only offically announce positive news, so I am taking them at its word here.
Anonymous Sprint Employee
In reference to your discussion on show 588 about Sprint possibly dumping WiMax:
I shouldn't be sending you this considering I work for Sprint, but I can tell you for a fact that Sprint is not abandoning WiMax. Yesterday, Oct 23, Sprint internally announced that the first successful data test was completed eariler this month in Illinois. Tranfer speeds were in excess of 3MBs.
Sprint tends to only offically announce positive news, so I am taking them at its word here.
Anonymous Sprint Employee
San Diego fires and Google Maps
Moratorium lifted
Intense Google map being updated regularly.
Here's another with more maps from Google, Berkeley, NASA, and others...
You guys stay safe.
Ethan
Moratorium lifted
Intense Google map being updated regularly.
Here's another with more maps from Google, Berkeley, NASA, and others...
You guys stay safe.
Ethan