YC?s Patent Pledge Asks Tech Companies To Grant Startups Patent Immunity

Y Combinator is about to wield its rapidly-growing influence in the tech community to help startups everywhere. And it's taking on one of the hottest (and most fear-inspiring) issues around: patents.

Today YC cofounder Paul Graham has written a note called The Patent Pledge in which he proposes that tech companies should commit to a straightforward promise: "No first use of software patents against companies with less than 25 people."

That's the entire pledge. There's no legalese or confusing conditions around it. But it could shake things up for tech companies in a big way. More important: unlike government intervention, which would likely take years, YC's Patent Pledge could be widely adopted in a much shorter timeframe. YC has set up a site at ThePatentPledge.org that lists a roster of the companies that have agreed to the pledge, which already includes fourteen well-known YC alumni like Airbnb, Disqus, Hipmunk, and Weebly.
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Sprint bumps early termination fee to $350, wants to play with the big boys

Never count the little guy out. It seems Sprint's ramping up its game in preparation for the possible three-way carrier brawl lurking just out of view. The Hesse-led company revealed a coming change to its ETF for customers with smartphones, tabs, laptops and netbooks. Beginning September 9th, Sprint will charge a $350 termination fee -- the same as Verizon and AT&T -- that will be pro-rated depended on the number of months left on a subscriber's contract. The charge is a hefty step-up from its prior fee of $200, clearly signaling to the marketplace that it demands to be seen as a contender.Sprint bumps early termination fee to $350, wants to play with the big boys originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 11:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  PhoneScoop, SprintFeed  | Email this | Commentsbrittany murphy i love lucy best friend quotes

Scosche's RDTX-PRO for iPhone and iPod touch detects radiation, funds charities

Scoshe already offers a fairly impressive range of mobile accessories, but its now branched out into some uncharted territory with its latest offering. The company has just announced its new RDTX-PRO radiation detector and app for the iPhone and iPod touch, which launches in Japan next month. With no calibration needed, the device attaches to your iOS handheld via the dock connector and offers gamma radiation detection above 60keV within +/- 5% accuracy. If that wasn't enough, the peripheral can also be used as a standalone alarm for radioactivity for up to 96 hours, and the aforementioned app will let you to share your findings via Facebook, Twitter or Google Maps. Still not convinced Scosche is fighting the good fight? Well, $10 from each $330 unit sold will benefit a group of charities dedicated to aiding those affected by the Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan. For an closer look at the UI, take a peek at the gallery below, or for the full rundown, hit the PR after the break.
Gallery: Scosche RDTX-PROContinue reading Scosche's RDTX-PRO for iPhone and iPod touch detects radiation, funds charitiesScosche's RDTX-PRO for iPhone and iPod touch detects radiation, funds charities originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 02:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |   | Email this | CommentsUS debt barrack obama Charlie Sheen

Scosche's RDTX-PRO for iPhone and iPod touch detects radiation, funds charities

Scoshe already offers a fairly impressive range of mobile accessories, but its now branched out into some uncharted territory with its latest offering. The company has just announced its new RDTX-PRO radiation detector and app for the iPhone and iPod touch, which launches in Japan next month. With no calibration needed, the device attaches to your iOS handheld via the dock connector and offers gamma radiation detection above 60keV within +/- 5% accuracy. If that wasn't enough, the peripheral can also be used as a standalone alarm for radioactivity for up to 96 hours, and the aforementioned app will let you to share your findings via Facebook, Twitter or Google Maps. Still not convinced Scosche is fighting the good fight? Well, $10 from each $330 unit sold will benefit a group of charities dedicated to aiding those affected by the Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan. For an closer look at the UI, take a peek at the gallery below, or for the full rundown, hit the PR after the break.
Gallery: Scosche RDTX-PROContinue reading Scosche's RDTX-PRO for iPhone and iPod touch detects radiation, funds charitiesScosche's RDTX-PRO for iPhone and iPod touch detects radiation, funds charities originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 31 Aug 2011 02:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments



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Sprint Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch available September 16th for $199.99

Sprint has the pleasure of being the first carrier to debut the Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch. The Sprint version features a 4.52-inch Super AMOLED Plus, 1.2GHz dual-core processors and will be available for $199.99 with a new 2-year contract beginning Sept. 16 in all Sprint Sales channels, including Sprint stores, Web sales and Telesales.“Sprint is proud to build on the success of the first Galaxy S product, Samsung Epic 4G, with the first U.S. device in the next generation of Samsung’s award-winning Galaxy S lineup, Epic 4G Touch,” said Fared Adib, vice president–Product Development, Sprint. “Epic 4G Touch is a powerful smartphone that delivers vibrant and exciting content at lightning fast speeds. This device is ultra-thin yet ultra-powerful with a screen that rivals anything else in the industry.”You can also get ahead of the game by pre-ordering the device today at any participating Sprint store with the purchase of a $50 Sprint gift card. That ensures you to be placed on the device waiting list. You check out the full press release from Sprint past the break.
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Sony MDR-DS7500 headphones promise 3D sound, will play nicely with your 3D glasses

Are you settling for non-3D sound to go with all of your 3D movies? You should be ashamed of yourself. Thankfully, Sony's looking out for you. The company's new MDR-DS7500 headphones promise 3D surround sound, thanks in part to the inclusion of Dolby Pro Logic IIz technology. The headphones have a number of different sound settings, serving different audio needs, including Cinema Mode, Game Mode, and Voice Mode. Also, that extra padding assures that they'll play nicely with your 3D glasses. The headphones will be hitting Japan on October 10th, running ¥49,350 ($643) for the full package and ¥24,675 ($321) for additional headphones. Extra dimensions don't come cheap, after all.Sony MDR-DS7500 headphones promise 3D sound, will play nicely with your 3D glasses originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Aug 2011 11:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink Engadget Japan (Translated)  |  Sony (Translated)  | Email this | Commentsbest friend quotes g7 predators

DJ Sound Control computer mod redefines luggable

Few would look at Lenovo's decidedly ordinary A700 all-in-one desktop and think: DJ rig, but then you wouldn't be PC modder Chris Blarsky (of the Hulk PC mod fame). After four months of work, he's managed to transform the 23-inch system into the so-called DJ Sound Control rig you see above, which comes complete with sliding drawer to accommodate a keyboard or other DJ gear in case the slew of built-in options aren't enough for you, not to mention a separate I/O box that also doubles as a power supply (also of the luggable variety). Hit the source link below for a closer look, although you might want to grab a cup of coffee while the this particular experiment in Flash excess loads.DJ Sound Control computer mod redefines luggable originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Aug 2011 15:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink   |  Absolute Extremes  | Email this | Commentsbest friend quotes g7 predators