AT&T realizes their service sucks. Takes measures to prevent customer uprising. Denies you privileges to file class action lawsuit.

You know, it’s really starting to look like AT&T really wants to be the asshole of the wireless world. Offering an absolutely shitty service, blocking 3rd party apps left and right, and now changing the ToS to deny customers from any type of class action service means AT&T really hates you and knows they suck. Now before we get started, if you haven’t read AT&T’s ToS, (which is all of you), you may want to check out this wording over here. For those of you who simply cannot click another link, the text in question is:

Any arbitration under this Agreement will take place on an individual basis; class arbitrations and class actions are not permitted

What does this new switcheroo mean?

UpdateWhile I realize this clause isn’t new, it’s still a major strike against an already stricken ridden disappointment that AT&T has become.

Pystar: “We outta money – hello bankruptcy”. Apple: “Checkmate”

Seems as if the Apple/Pystar drama just took another turn for the worst (if you’re on camp Pystar that is). Seems as if Pystar is having a bit of money problems seeping through their secretive layer and has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, meaning any “secret financial backers” will not be publicly known financial backers. Sadly, if Pystar goes under, one brave force that finally stood up to Apple’s monopolistic ways (yes I own a Mac and yes I like it) is now gone strengthening Apple’s every present “tough guy” image. Still, there is a bit of a bright future. Even though Pystar may be dead, OpeniMac and Russian Mac (translated) are the latest 3rd party Mac OS X machines that are ready to pick up the sales slack if in fact Pystar bits the big hard digital one. Are you for or against more hardware options for Mac OS X software? Do you like the choices that would be available, or do you feel that by keeping the environment nice and closed is what makes Apple products so…Apple (you know, meticulously designed and more or less aesthetically flawless)?

Source: Crunch Gear, Image Source

Apple still hates jailbreaking, further pushing to outlaw it.

If you are an iPhone user who realizes the true potential of the iPhone and how Apple is ruining the all time greatness that they could have, you soon may be labeled an outlaw if Apple and various copyright corporations have anything to say about it.  The players involved specifically, Apple’s iPhone marketing czar Greg Joswiak, Fred von Lohmann, the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s copyright genius, Copyright Office officials including but not limited to registrar Marybeth Peters, the record labels, as well as various movie studios and software industry giants.  Fred von Lohmann had a very interesting and true statement saying: “It is my automobile at the end of the day”, meaning that once you purchase the iPhone or any gadget for that matter, what you do with it is your business, not some stupid old aging copyright corporation or overly restrictive tech giant such as Apple.   The Apple/jailbreaking drama continues right inside.

Android to be called…*Insert catchy name here*

When Google revealed Android to the world a few short years ago, the world stopped in astonishment at the sheer beauty. Mountains crumbled, oceans became…*wavy*, and babies all around the world started rebelling. Ok, so that is a grossly over hyped statement. But it was at least a tad funny. *tad*. *Getting of my failing comedic soapbox* In all seriousness, Google could be in a tad bit of trouble with their mobile OS baby, Android. Oh-no say it ain’t so. It appears as if Google didn’t quite use the common sense in their heads and decided to use a name that they tried to copyright and were rejected because of another, very similar patent years earlier by Eric Specht. What does this have to do with the price of tea in China? Well, nothing, but it does involve Google and Android. Step right in…

WiMax gets another setback by way of a lawsuit

WiMax sure is having a tough time coming to fruition.  While not the first setback/speed bump the Sprint partner, Clearwire has had, the latest is yet possibly another sign that maybe they just aren’t meant to be.  Seems as if people aren’t exactly thrilled with the coverage and speeds they’ve been experiencing over Clearwire’s network.  The plaintiffs claim Clearwire’s network of often falling short of their own claims of reliable service at broadband/DSl speeds that slow down and crawl at dial up speeds – that is if they even have working service at all as it apparently also goes down quite often.  Further complicating the issue for Clearwire, the plaintiffs are also claiming that the ETF for the service is unlawful and void.  Clearly, Sprint/Clearwire/WiMax are having some major growing pains that if not ironed out relatively quickly and to the publics liking, will pretty much signal the end for WiMax.  Sprint, you might want to start looking for some new 4G technology.  If the whole Clearwire/WiMax thing goes under leaving Sprint without any near term 4G service options, I think it’s safe to say we can pretty much write off Sprint as a national carrier.  Thoughts?

 
Source: Into Mobile, Cellular News *Image Source: Dvice*

Microsofts bank account soon to be less $388 million?

With the success and large amounts of cash that being a large multi-national corporation brings, also comes the wave of lawsuits that will forever keep your companies legal department on their toes and earning their paychecks.  Microsoft’s latest “uh-oh” moment comes by way of a $388 million verdict accusing Big M of violating a patent by Uniloc concerning “product aviation technology” in Windows XP, Office XP, and Windows Server 2003.  And like all respectable companies who do no wrong, Microsoft is already in the process of appealing.  So today wasn’t their day.  If they lose the appeal and their $388 million, they can always take the approach of Monster Cables and just sue anyone (especially small mom and pop companies) with “Micro”, “Soft”, or “Windows” in their name.  That classy business tactic seems to work for them.

Source: Alley Insider