University spends $3000 on XXX Domain Names

The University of Kansas has bought .xxx domain names, such as www.KUgirls.xxx and www.KUnurses.xxx, hoping to prevent its name from falling into the hands of pornographers. The school, as well as dozens of others, has reportedly purchased $3,000 worth of ".xxx" domain names since they went on sale.

The flagship state university plans to sit on the websites and do nothing with them.

The recently launched .xxx web suffix is intended for adult-only content and are a way to more easily sort mature web material. The sites went on public sale for the first time this week, after opening up to companies in September. Some 80,000 pages were reportedly purchased during the pre-sale phase, including Nike.xxx, Pepsi.xxx and Target.xxx.

The AP also says Indiana University, Purdue University and Ball State University have snatched up their self-titled .xxx territory.

Galaxy Nexus debuts in Canada

The Galaxy Nexus has finally launched in North America, though Android fans in the U.S. are still waiting to get their hands on Samsung's new flagship device, which runs the newest Android 4.0.1 platform, known as Ice Cream Sandwich.

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus took its inaugural bows in the United Kingdom last month, and is now available from Canadian network operators Bell and Virgin Mobile. Fellow wireless carrier Rogers also tweeted that the Galaxy Nexus would debut on its Canada-wide network in January.

"Samsung's ongoing collaboration with Google has resulted in a next generation smartphone that has both superior functionality and a stunning user-experience," said Samsung Electronics Canada Vice President Paul Brannen.

Verizon Wireless announced last October that the Galaxy Nexus would be coming to its superfast 4G LTE network, and just last week said the "anxiously awaited" smartphone would be "coming soon." The device will be the first Nexus smartphone model offered by Verizon Wireless.

Panasonic to launch smartphone next year

Panasonic Corp will launch a smartphone in Europe next year, the latest Japanese maker to tiptoe late into a fiercely competitive market dominated by Samsung Electronics and Apple.

The move comes six years after Panasonic abandoned overseas sales of its feature phones, and weeks after its president, Fumio Ohtsubo, said he was slashing television production in a bid to speed up the ailing firm's planned shift from consumer electronics to environmental and energy technology.

Panasonic will launch a new Android model in Europe in March, later expanding to the United States and Asia, with a view to selling 15 million units in the year to March 2016, 9 million of those abroad, the company said.

"We are well aware of our powerful competitors," said Toshinori Hoshi, head of the company's mobile communications unit. "However, market shares are changing dramatically and if we launch into this fast-changing market, we believe we have a chance of a hit."

The company is targeting only a tiny percentage of a market that research firm IDC expects to grow 55 percent to 472 million units this year and hit 982 million units in 2015.

Despite such robust market growth, even heavyweights such as Taiwan's HTC Corp, the world's No.4 smartphone maker, are struggling to compete, while South Korea's LG Electronics Inc last month announced a $945 million rights issue to fund a revival of its own loss-making smartphone business.

A force to be reckoned with in mobile phones when the domestic market was booming, Panasonic admits it failed to spot the market potential for smartphones at first. It did not launch its first smartphone models in the domestic market until this year.

"It's not a surprise that they're going overseas, but their presence is weaker than it was a few years ago in mobile phones and the whole company is not as strong as it once was," said analyst Keita Wakabayashi of Mito Securities in Tokyo.

Rival Sony Corp is also stepping up its efforts to build share in smartphones, buying out Ericsson's half of their phone joint venture for 1.05 billion euros, and is seen as having a better chance of success.

"They (Sony) can just about claim they are a global player, although they're the smallest, which is something no other Japanese phone manufacturer can say," Wakabayashi said.

Panasonic's new phone, featuring a 4.3-inch OLED screen, has yet to be named, the company said. It will be aimed at businesspeople aged in their 30s and 40s, it said.

Verizon to roll out 4G LTE Droid Xyboard Tablets

Verizon Wireless said that it will be rolling out two high-speed tablets from Motorola Mobility for use on its 4G LTE network later this month. Called the Droid Xyboard 8.2 and Droid Xyboard 10.1, the new models are less than 9mm in thickness and weigh 13.9 oz and 1.3 lbs, respectively.

Sporting magnesium-reinforced bodies and aluminum housings, the 8.2-inch and 10.1-inch Droid Xyboard tablets will first ship with Android 3.1, also known as Honeycomb. The tablets will be upgraded next year over-the-air to Android 4.0, also known as Ice Cream Sandwich.

The other good news for Verizon's enterprise-class customers is that both Xyboard tablets integrate a number of business-friendly features. Among other things, the tablets feature "device encryption, VPN, remote device management and feature blocking," said Motorola Mobility spokesperson Kira Golin.

"This is also the first tablet with 3LM software, which enables a powerful level of control and security over the device," Golin said.

Tablet Features:
Both of Motorola's tablets ship with Active Sync for work e-mail, contacts and calendar. The mobile devices also will arrive with apps aboard that are squarely aimed at business professionals, such as Quickoffice HD for document editing and creation, Citrix GoToMeeting for collaboration and productivity, and Google Talk for videoconferencing.

The Droid Xyboard 10.1 also has been optimized for use with a stylus that ships with the device to enable business professionals to make notes or mark up documents by writing directly on the device's screen. A wide range of accessories such as multiple docking options and a Bluetooth-enabled keyboard with integrated track pad make it even easier to work while on the go.

The Droid Xyboard 8.2 and 10.1 are equipped with high-definition, 1080-pixel displays protected by scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass as well as a coating of water-repellent nano-particles.

Under the hood, both devices integrate 1.2 GHz dual-core processors, 1 GB of RAM, a 5-megapixel rear camera that doubles as an HD camcorder and a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera in support of two-way enterprise videoconferencing.

Beyond offering a full range of cellular radios from standard GSM to 4G LTE, the Droid Xyboard sports Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n) and Bluetooth 2.1 radios, together with an infra-red transmitter. Wired connectivity options include separate MicroUSB and USB 2.0 HS ports as well as a HDMI connector for interfacing with compatible high-definition displays and other home entertainment gear.

Entertainment Options:
For prosumers who wish to use their tablets for both work and play, the Droid Xyboard tablets also offer a range of multimedia entertainment enhancements. For example, both devices arrive preloaded with a universal remote control app called Dijit.

On the audio side, Motorola's new tablets deliver a virtual surround sound experience. Also on tap is MotoCast - an app that will enable users to remotely access the non DRM-protected music, photos, videos and documents stored on their hard drives at home or work.

Verizon's Droid Xyboard 8.2 models with 16 GB and 32 GB of storage will be priced at $430 and $530, respectively. Verizon will also offer three Droid Xyboard 10.1 models with 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB storage priced at $530, $630 and $730.

All five Droid Xyboard offerings require two-year Verizon service commitments. Moreover, buyers will need to subscribe to one of Verizon's Wireless Mobile Broadband data plans, which range upward from $30 per month for 2 GB of data.

However, prospective buyers should keep in mind that it won't take them long to run through 2 GB of data on Verizon's 4G LTE network. According to the carrier, users can expect web browsing speeds of 5 to 12 megabits per second and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps.

US court bars RIM from using BBX trademark

Software company Basis International Ltd said a U.S. federal court in Albuquerque has granted a temporary restraining order against Research in Motion, barring the BlackBerry maker from using Basis' BBX trademark.

The court decision bars RIM from using the BBX trademark at its Asian DevCon conference on December 7-8 in Singapore.

However, RIM appeared to backtrack on using the trademark.

"RIM doesn't typically comment on pending litigation, however RIM has already unveiled a new brand name for its next generation mobile platform. As announced at DevCon Asia, RIM plans to use the 'BlackBerry 10' brand name for its next generation mobile platform," RIM said in a statement.

BBX, the operating system that Research In Motion is counting on to revive its BlackBerry franchise, has run into trouble even before the company could install the system in its smartphone line.

Albuquerque-based Basis International claims the "BBX" name is protected by trademarks it holds and had earlier threatened to take legal action against RIM unless it stopped using the moniker.

Basis said RIM had refused requests to stop using the moniker at the DevCon conference, which resulted in the company filing for the temporary restraining order.

Verizon Wireless to block Google Wallet in new phone

Verizon Wireless is blocking Google's new flagship phone from supporting Google's attempt to make the smartphone the credit card of the future.

In blocking the Google Wallet software from running on the new Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Verizon Wireless said that it was waiting to provide a wallet application until it can offer "the best security and user experience." Verizon and rivals AT&T Inc. and T-Mobile USA are part of a consortium called ISIS that is planning its own payment system.

Google confirmed that Verizon had asked it not to include the wallet function in the Galaxy Nexus phone, due out soon.

The new smartphone is the latest iteration of the Nexus line, which showcases new features and capabilities for phones running Google's Android software. In this case, the phone is the first to run a new version of Android, called "Ice Cream Sandwich."

The previous Nexus phone, sold by Sprint Nextel Corp., is the only phone yet to work with the Google Wallet application. That means the phone can be used to pay in some stores, by tapping it to payment terminals. Sprint is not part of ISIS.

Phone companies have generally had veto rights on the features sported by the phones they sell. Because of the clout Apple Inc. has gained by making the world's most popular smartphone, it has been able to dictate terms to them. Google doesn't have the same leverage.

Examinations by Wired and other publications reveal that the international version of the Galaxy Nexus has the "Near-Field Communications" chip necessary to run Google Wallet. It's unclear whether the U.S. version will be lacking the chip or whether it will simply be blocked from running the Wallet application. Samsung Electronics had no immediate comment.

Google and Verizon Wireless united in 2009 to push Android phones as the major alternative to the iPhone. Verizon Wireless' "Droid" advertising campaign set the tone, to the extent that many people still call all Android phones "Droids." The Google-Verizon Wireless relationship has cooled this year, as the carrier started selling the iPhone.

Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications Inc. of New York and Vodafone Group PLC of Britain.

RIM devalues Playbook Inventory by $485 Million

Research In Motion said that it will record a $485 million charge on the inventory valuation of the company's BlackBerry PlayBook tablets when it reports results for its third business quarter later this month. "A number of factors have led to the need for an inventory provision in the third quarter," said RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis.

However, RIM has no intention of emulating HP, which quickly sold off its remaining TouchPad tablet inventory and abandoned the market last August. The BlackBerry maker's goal is to dramatically increase the number of PlayBooks in the hands of more customers by cutting prices.

The PlayBook inventory write-down is merely the first page in RIM's new playbook for more effectively competing with lower-priced tablet models such as Amazon's $199 Kindle Fire and the new $249 Nook Tablet from Barnes & Noble. RIM is also aware that delays in the release of the new PlayBook OS 2.0 software featuring more advanced capabilities has hindered the BlackBerry tablet's immediate sales prospects at the old price.

Lazaridis said RIM remained committed to the PlayBook platform and believed the tablet market was still in its infancy.

"We believe the PlayBook, which will be further enhanced with the upcoming PlayBook OS 2.0 software, is a compelling tablet for consumers that also offers unique security and manageability features for the enterprise," Lazaridis said.

By reducing the PlayBook's retail price, RIM hopes to drive the development of a vibrant application ecosystem in advance of the launch of its upgraded BlackBerry smartphones. However, the PlayBook's sales prospects - even at sharply reduced prices - are limited because of the relatively few applications and multimedia entertainment options available for the current PlayBook platform.

Even with the special promotions, RIM said that it only sold 150,000 PlayBook units to retailers and distributors during the business quarter which ended on Nov. 26. On the other hand, RIM said its own internal numbers indicate that the actual sell-through to consumers was even higher as distributors presumably moved to clear their store shelves.

Still, it remains unclear whether RIM's new PlayBook strategy will put into play enough units to encourage software developers to create more apps for the company's PlayBook OS 2.0 platform, which is expected to launch in February.

iPhone gets banned in Syria

Syrian authorities have targeted the iPhone in their latest efforts to block protestor’s ability to communicate. The Apple smartphone has officially been singled out for a countrywide ban.

Pro-democracy activists are being served with notices by the Syrian Finance Ministry’s Customs Department which state: “The authorities warn anyone against using the iPhone in Syria,” according to a Lebanese news service named Al Nashara. Owning as well as importing iPhones is banned and the penalty is confiscation and prosecution.

An activist said, “It is enough for any tourist or guest visiting Syria to own an iPhone to be a spy suspected.”

The Syrian government hopes to prevent activists from recording government violence against protesters. Foreign media have already been banned from covering events in the country since March. It’s not clear whether the ban extends to other smartphones with cameras, but Macgasm proposes that the iPhone was targeted due to a new application named Souri Wa Bas that helped connect and boost morale among regime fighters.

The protests in Syria began early this year, escalating into a full blown uprising in March. The people are asking for a regime change, democracy and wider freedoms including speech and assembly. According to the United Nations, since March more than 4,000 have died in relation to the protests. Syrian authorities have since used a variety of tactics to suppress the discontent electronically, including a counter Facebook propaganda movement and going so far as to enact a countrywide internet black out.

“Steve Jobs must be turning in his grave on learning that his iconic device is banned in his home country,” an activist pointed out, though the Apple co-founder was born in California. However, Jobs’ biological father, Abdulfattah “John” Jandali, happens to be Syrian born. Jandali has uploaded a video to YouTube in support of the Syrian people.

Zynga to raise about $1 billion in IPO

Hoping to harvest some fresh cash, the online game company behind "FarmVille" said that it plans to raise $1 billion in an initial public offering of up to 100 million shares.

Zynga Inc. is the latest in a spate of IPOs by Internet companies this year, ranging from professional networking service LinkedIn Corp. to the online deals site Groupon Inc. They're all precursors to Facebook's public debut expected sometime after April next year. Facebook could fetch as much as $10 billion in its offering.

Zynga, whose games are played mainly on Facebook, plans to sell its shares at $8.50 to $10 each. If the shares are priced at $10, Zynga will be valued at $7 billion based on the number of its total shares. That's a smaller valuation that the company's shares have traded recently on SharesPost, a secondary stock exchange used to trade the stock of privately held companies. There, a recent trade valued Zynga at $11.7 billion.

The company expects to sell 14.3 percent of its available stock, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. That's a relatively high "float," which could give investors confidence that the company isn't trying to artificially inflate its value. Groupon raised some concerns when it sold just 5.5 percent of its outstanding stock. Though not unprecedented, the amount was below that of many prominent tech companies, such as Google (7.2 percent), Amazon (12.6 percent) and LinkedIn (8.2 percent).

The offering gives investors the option to buy an additional 15 million shares to cover over-allotments, bringing the total number of shares for sale to 115 million.

Newly-public tech companies aren't always a hit after their initial offering. Shares of Internet radio company Pandora Media Inc., are trading below their IPO price and Groupon is slightly above and has fluctuated wildly. Unlike those two, however, Zynga is profitable. The company makes most of its revenue by charging small amounts of money for virtual items in its games. Players pay for new crops in "FarmVille," for example, or new buildings in "CityVille," its most popular game.

The company plans to use the proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes such as game development, marketing and other expenses. It also plans to use part of it for its philanthropic venture, Zynga.org.

Zynga has about 2,300 employees. It was founded in 2007 by CEO Mark Pincus. Following the IPO, Pincus will continue to be the sole holder of Zynga's Class C stock, each share of which carries 70 votes. After the offering, Pincus, 45, will control about 36.2 percent of the total voting power at Zynga through Class B and Class C shares he owns.

Companies often split their stock into different classes to keep control of the decisions about the company in the hands of founders and early employees. But having a class of shares carry 70 votes is unusual - about 10 is more common.

Sharp to bring world’s thinnest 12.1 MP CMOS camera

The race to pack as many megapixels into the most pocket-friendly products has been heating up for awhile. While camera manufacturers have their work cut out for them, the smartphone industry has also taken notice. Picture quality has become important to smartphone users, which makes sense given that the iPhone 4 is one of the most popular cameras on Flickr.

And now Sharp has fueled the fire with the announcement that it has developed the world’s thinnest 12.1-megapixel CMOS camera module. The RJ63YC100 measures in at 11x11x5.47 millimeters and packs image-stabilization, a backlit sensor, standard AF, and full 1080p HD video capture.

The best part is we don’t have to wait: this isn’t some product that Sharp is testing and is simply showing off. Mass production of 100,000 units a month will begin in January.

One of the largest hardware pieces in smartphones is the camera module, and if Sharp’s product is as capable as it sounds, we could easily be seeing thinner phones in the near future. According to some new rumors, Apple and Sharp could be striking a business relationship for manufacturing parts. While this speculation was specific to the fabled iTV, it could spill over into iPhone camera parts.

Sony Bravia TV goes social with firmware update

Released within a firmware update for Europe and Asia, Sony added widgets that enable Bravia TV owners to check updates on Twitter and Facebook as well as improve the quality of YouTube videos. With the new Facebook widget, Bravia owners can log into an active Facebook account and pull up a feed similar to the design of Facebook Mobile on a smartphone or other mobile device. Besides scrolling through various status updates from friends, users can view photos and videos in high definition in addition to opening URL links, posting status updates and sending messages to friends.

Bravia owners also have access to the Twitter Ticker in the new update. Similar to a ticker on a national news network like CNN, Twitter updates from followed users scroll across the bottom of the screen while watching television. The widget also ties into the Track ID function built into Bravia televisions. When a user hears a song they would like to identify and press the Track ID button on the remote control, the track title and artist is identified and the user has the option of sharing the track with Twitter followers.

The YouTube improvement allows Bravia owners to watch the high definition version of YouTube videos and Sony claims to have included image-enhancing technology to clean up the video quality.

Another addition includes a program called “Remote Keyboard Lite” that allows users to enable a PC to control actions on the television screen. For instance, a Bravia owner could use a laptop to type out a Facebook status update while watching a movie. While no date has been announced for these new features to reach all Bravia owners in the United States, customers in Europe and Asia can download the update through an Internet connection on the television or download the update on a USB drive to load manually onto the Bravia television.

Google working on Amazon Prime challenger

Rumor is spreading about a move Google may be making into Amazon’s realm. The search giant supposedly wants to set up a service that would allow customers to receive products bought online within the same day. The service would charge a low fee.

WSJ cites that big retailers such as Macy’s, Gap and OfficMax have already been approached. A Macy’s spokesperson acknowledged Google’s pitch to the company, but declined to state whether those in charge had made any decisions. Some retailers have expressed interest in the idea.

Google reportedly plans on attaching this new quick-shipping service to Product Search, a comparison shopping feature which aggregates deals and directs shoppers to retailer websites, rather than selling the products directly to consumers. The speedy shipping would be made possible using the information on inventory which retail partners already share with Google. Product Search would allow shoppers to see whether a product is in stock nearby and whether that product could arrive in the same day or the next. Supposedly, Google has approached UPS and other courier companies to partner with them on the project.

This move would definitely be a challenge to Amazon and its Prime product, which is a service charging $79 annually that offers fast shipping for Amazon shoppers. Prime has been very good to Amazon, boosting its sales by 42% this year. Not only would Google be venturing into Amazon’s Prime space, Google has its eye on the ad revenue lost to Amazon’s product search domination.

According to WSJ, the shipping service may be launched in the next year. Google hopes the move will garner more ad-money earned from its Product Search feature, but critics believe the venture may be too expensive. The Product Search feature was recently updated, adding more information to products and offering an easier, more intuitive experience to online shoppers.