New image hyperlinking patent comes under fire in online forums

If Vuestar Technologies Pte Ltd, a Singapore-incorporated company, has its way, the World Wide Web could be facing its biggest hurdle to date.

According to an alert from Singapore technology law firm Keystone Law Corporation, Vuestar has been granted a patent that requires Web sites to have a license when they use images to link to another site or Web page.

This patent, which apparently extends beyond the shores of Singapore to include Australia, New Zealand and the US, has caused an uproar in online forums. One member of HardwareZone has even posted images of the invoice which was sent out by the company asking the site affected to pay up the licensing fees.

Vuestar's patent publication number is 95940. For more details, click here for the full report on ZDNet Asia.

NEC takes heart in LCD prototype

It's kind of curious that a company would send out a press release just to announce the new shape of an LCD, but that's exactly what NEC has done. And not just any shape, mind you, but a heart--and Valentine's Day is nine months away.

It's actually being touted as another way that LCDs can be configured and used, as Engadget observes, not unlike the circular version we saw last fall. These prototypes are being showcased to exemplify the versatility of the technology, as flexible TFT displays find uses beyond traditional rectangular screens.

One reason for trumpeting such accomplishments is the future of LCD technology in general, as competing paper-thin OLED screens threaten to eventually replace the flat panels used today for TVs and computer monitors. Assuming, of course, that they don't fade to black before then.

Via Crave CNET

Apple, CBS sued over Mighty Mouse device

A computer peripheral maker filed suit against Apple and CBS on Tuesday, claiming the companies are infringing on its trademark for the "Mighty Mouse" device.

Maryland-based Man & Machine says it was selling its chemical-resistant and waterproof mouse to hospitals a year before Apple sold its single-button mouse of the same name.

CBS owns the rights to the Mighty Mouse cartoon and licensed the use of the name to Apple. The network was named in the lawsuit because Man & Machine says it doesn't have the right to license the name. Both Man & Machine and CBS have trademark applications for the name and are currently dueling for the US Patent and Trademark Office's approval.

Man & Machine is asking for monetary damages and for a court to issue an injunction to prevent Apple from selling any more of its Mighty Mouse devices.

Note: CBS has agreed to acquire CNET Networks, publisher of News.com. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter.

Via Crave CNET

Acer gets predatory over gamers

One look at the Acer Predator design, and we were sold. Seemingly inspired by the iconic masked aliens from the movies, the angular body kicks girlish, curvy designs in the rear and (almost) makes gamers feel like real men-at-arms.

Under the panel lies a Core 2 Extreme processor, three-way SLI graphics support, TV tuner and up to 8GB of system memory (for 64-bit operating systems). Though there is currently only a desktop on display, from the teaser site we gathered that a line of Predator notebooks seems likely. No news if this monster will hit Asian shores at this time, but if it does Dell will have serious competition to its XPS line.

125-inch plasma throws a curve

NEC made a splash when it showed off its 42-inch curved display at CES earlier this year, but there are others in the works that make it seem downright puny. Take Shinoda Plasma, for example. The Japanese manufacturer has trotted out a 125-inch prototype that's not only flexible but just 1mm thick and weighing only 8 pounds. It's reminiscent of that wraparound OLED screen we saw from Sony a year ago, though the plasma obviously uses different technology.

Shinoda's prototype falls a bit shy of a 142-inch promise it made last year, as Engadget notes, but the company says it will make up for that in the fall with a 150-inch version.

Our idea of the perfect use for it, if they can eventually improve on the 960 x 360 resolution: The Motion-Pro II Simulator.

Via Crave CNET

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