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The Windows 8 Live Tiles user interface already is the subject of a lawsuit, less than a week after Microsoft officially launched the OS. SurfCast, a small company that has no products of its own, filed suit in the Federal District Court of Maine alleging that Microsoft is infringing one of its pate...

Why is Verizon Wireless telling half-truths in its latest advertising campaign? It does make the company look better than its competitors, but here's the problem: When customers realize what they're led to believe is only a half-truth, they will be very upset with Verizon. So why risk that damage to...

EMC has announced it is acquiring Silver Tail Systems, a provider of real-time Web session intelligence and behavioral analysis. When the acquisition is closed, which is expected in the fourth quarter, Silver Tail will be part of EMC's security division, tasked with extending RSA's enterprise securi...

Why would venture capitalist firm Andreessen Horowitz lead a $15.5 million B round of funding for a company that's been working in stealth mode since 2008 on a technology it won't showcase until 2013? Because that company, ItsOn, was cofounded by a couple of former Cisco executives, Greg Raleigh and...

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week in a copyright infringement case involving textbooks resold on eBay. The outcome could have lasting effects for those who sell products in the U.S. that were made abroad. The case centers around Thai student Supap Kirtsaeng, who partially financed his...

Smartphones can perform all kinds of neat tasks, such as instantly directing owners to the nearest sushi bar, or providing inning-by-inning updates of the World Series. Beyond these eye-catching consumer conveniences, the potential for more substantive uses for mobile telecom is enormous. One such a...

Federal authorities arrested Paul Ceglia on charges of mail and wire fraud last week. Ceglia is accused of tampering with, destroying and fabricating evidence in a scheme to defraud Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg of billions of dollars. Ceglia originally filed suit in 2010, claiming that while Zuckerb...

If Pandora had been hoping that the earlier reports of Apple exploring a streaming-radio venture were exaggerated or downright wrong, those hopes have been dashed. Last week, more rumors surfaced that Apple is indeed serious about the advertising-backed venture and has intensified talks with major m...

Barnes & Noble revealed this week that PIN pad devices at 63 of its stores nationwide were hacked, putting some of its customers at risk. The company discovered the hacking in September, and for the past month, the FBI has been investigating the case. Fewer than 1 percent of Barnes & Noble P...

Barnes & Noble revealed this week that PIN pad devices at 63 of its stores nationwide were hacked, putting some of its customers at risk. The company discovered the hacking in September, and for the past month, the FBI has been investigating the case. Fewer than 1 percent of Barnes & Noble P...

With recent news of Softbank's proposed $20.1 billion investment hovering in the background, Sprint Nextel has reported less-than-pretty earnings for the third quarter 2012. The carrier posted a net loss of $767 million, compared with a net loss of $301 million in the third quarter of 2011. It also ...

How big is the U.S. government? It's big enough that federal agencies transmit 1.89 billion email messages every day -- an average of 47.3 million daily emails per agency. How confident are the agencies about protecting the sensitive content of those messages? In a recent survey, federal email manag...

AT&T added fewer new subscribers than expected in its most recent quarter, blaming iPhone 5 supply constraints for the relatively flat growth. The company added 151,000 customers to long-term service contracts during the past quarter. Rival Verizon, the country's largest wireless carrier, report...

AT&T added fewer new subscribers than expected in its most recent quarter, blaming iPhone 5 supply constraints for the relatively flat growth. The company added 151,000 customers to long-term service contracts during the past quarter. Rival Verizon, the country's largest wireless carrier, report...

It is that time of year again -- namely, prediction-making season. Gartner is the first out of the gate with its top 10 strategic tech trends for 2013 and a few years beyond. Among its forecasts: dominance of mobile devices; shift to HTML5; growth of the personal cloud; growth of private enterprise ...