Apple has been cleared by Claudia Sonea

Apple Inc is famous for designing and manufacturing consumer electronics and related software. The most popular products are the Macintosh computers, the iPod and the iPhone which just launched a new version. Well, nothing new or surprising until now, but how many of you knew that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission was investigating the company for stock option backdating?
Everything started on 29 June 2006 when Apple announced an internal investigation meant to establish whether members of the management team were involved in stock option backdating, but it concluded no member was guilty of misconduct and Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO and co-founder, was cleared of any suspicion. Yet, SEC filled charges against former Apple chief financial officer Fred D. Anderson and former Apple general counsel Nancy R. Heinen for their parts in the backdating based on the testimony of former Apple lawyer, Wendy Howell who said she was asked by the defendants to falsify an inexistent meeting of Apple's board of directors.
Apple's honor suffered tremendous, but fortunately for them the U.S. Justice Department found no incriminating evidence and decided to give up charges. Apple did not comment on the matter that made its name to enter among the 200 mostly high-tech companies investigated for stock options backdating. The Wall Street Journal was the first one in presenting the decision of the Department of Justice.
I am glad that Apple was cleared and that everything is back to normal, although there are still unsolved issues like the fact that the special committee organized by Apple in 2006 found some irregularities that have not been investigated. The mystery that puzzles me, however, is why Howell wasn't accused of false testimony.



related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080710/ap_on_bi_ge/retail_sales;_ylt=Amkl_yrHhGeSt22qC3VrTECs0NUE

by Claudia Sonea for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

PocketNews is a new real-time news broadcaster delivering the latest and hottest news right to your pocket ! With global clients who want to be kept up to date, PocketNews is everyone's way of keeping in touch with the World.<br><br><font size=2>These news are original content from young talents around the world and are selected for you by Chris Cantell.</font><br>

posted by Lucia Adamova

Copyright infringement and privacy by Claudia Sonea

Is Google in trouble? After Viacom and other copyright holders sued YouTube owned by Google seeking damages of $1 billion, things started to become shaky. In addition Judge Louis Stanton of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled on July 1 for Google Inc to hand over YouTube logging database, thus revealing users’ log-in IDs and IP addresses.
It is understandable for Viacom and the other plaintiffs to seek compensation from YouTube and accuse it of copyright infringement, but why should we all suffer? The database in question contains information like: each time the video played, users; login ID, the IP, allowing tracking specific individuals. Although the judge founds the problem of privacy speculative, I see the entire thing as an intrusion in my personal habit, in the way I use the Internet. Why would Viacom need all viewers ID when the only one that matters is that of the person that attached the video?
Viacom and the other plaintiffs showed that they understand the problem and what it would cause and they reached an agreement with Google so that YouTube can preserve the anonymity of the records. However, YouTube has a week to come up with an alternative plan. Also, there are concerns whether a YouTube employee watched a video guilty of infringement. If one did so, then Google can kiss $1 billion goodbye.
Fortunately for us the issue was put to rest thanks to diplomacy and understanding. Now, if they would only try to put to rest their differences in the same way, that would be quite an achievement. Stay connected, more to come…


related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080715/ap_on_hi_te/youtube_lawsuit;_ylt=AiooB67VGh_R.MeJERTRC8Ss0NUE

by Claudia Sonea for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

PocketNews is a new real-time news broadcaster delivering the latest and hottest news right to your pocket ! With global clients who want to be kept up to date, PocketNews is everyone's way of keeping in touch with the World.<br><br><font size=2>These news are original content from young talents around the world and are selected for you by Chris Cantell.</font><br>

posted by Lucia Adamova

German fakebook site incurs wrath of Facebook by Radka Konkolova

The biggest and probably strongest networking sites of the Internet world have got a new competitor. I think this couldn’t be anything special, but Facebook can’t stand the fact, this new site is dubbing the original one, thus Facebook.

To precising, in Frankfurt there have been made a networking site dedicated to German pupils, students and non-students. Neither this is anything special. But the problem is, three creators who made up and realized this plan were too much inspired by the graphic, features and design of the Facebook. Because studiVZ (www.studivz.net), which was launched in October 2005 has got the same appearance and functions as Facebook has. Only the colour of the site differs.

Ehssan Dariani, founder of this social network site, must have really admired the Facebook. And because there was no possibility for German people to join in the network, because this Facebook site wasn’t provided in German till March this year, he decided to make his own one, no matter it would be the same as the strongest one.

It seems that studiVZ is really very popular among the young people while it has got about 10 million members in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and it achieves thousands of users every week according to data on its website. But the true is that despite its success and popularity it has had its share of negative headlines of privacy-conscious Germany.

People who have invested their money into Facebook are quite against providing servoces of this new web site. I mean studiVZ. But those who have invested into the improvement of studiVZ hope it will be always spreading and reach the new target of getting more and more members and it will be still more popular among people maybe also in other countries.

But the true is Facebook is light years ahead of studiVZ. But it has to improve its site and features and possibilities for its members. But this can be changed. It depends on the creators and their new ideas and on people who decide which of those two sites is better and which one they will choose for expressing themselves and sharing their „lives“ with virtual friends as well.

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080723/tc_nm/studivz_facebook_dc;_ylt=AlWnvWSLOMFE46ojywpUutis0NUE

by Radka Konkolova for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

PocketNews is a new real-time news broadcaster delivering the latest and hottest news right to your pocket ! With global clients who want to be kept up to date, PocketNews is everyone's way of keeping in touch with the World.<br><br><font size=2>These news are original content from young talents around the world and are selected for you by Chris Cantell.</font><br>

posted by Lucia Adamova

Chris Cantell Discusses Lawsuits: Furt si intimitate by Claudia Sonea

Are Google probleme? Dup ace Viacom si alti detinatori de copyright au dat in judecata Youtube detinut de Google cautan daune de $1 miliard, lucrurile au devenit cam tulburi. Mai mult judecatorul Louis Stanton de la Inaltaa Curte de Judecata a districtului de sud al New York-ului a decis pe 1 iulie ca Google sa inmaneze acuzatorilor baza de date cu logarile, dezvaluind astfel id-ul de logare al utilizatorului si adresa de IP.
E de inteles ca Vicaom si ceilalti acuzatori sa caute compensatii de la YouTube si sa-i acuze de incalcare, dar de ce trebuie sa suferim noi toti? Baza de date mentionata anterior contine informatii precum: fiecare vizionare a unui videoclip, id-ul de logare si IP-ul, permitand astfel detectarea si identificarea unor anumiti indivizi. Desi judecatorul a gasit problema intimitatii ca simpla speculatie, eu o vad ca o invadare a spatiului meu personal, in felul cum utilizez eu Internetul. De ce are nevoie Viacom de id-ul tuturor celor care au vizionat, cand cel care conteaza este cel care a atasat videoclipul?
Viacom si ceilalti pagubiti au aratat ca inteleg gravitatea problemei si c ear putea ea cauza, ajungand la o intelegere cu Google in asa masura incat YouTube sa poata isi pastra anonimitatea bazei de date. Totusi, YouTube trebuie sa vina cu un plan alternative in decurs de o saptamana. De asemenea exista preocupari daca un angajat al Youtube a vazut sau nu videoclipurile in cauza. Daca da, atunci Google va trebui sa-si ia adio de la cei un milliard de dolari.
Norocul nostru ca problema a fost rezolvata pe cale diplomatica si datorita intelegerii. Numai de ar invata si ei sa resolve neintelegerile in acelasi fel. Stati conectati, urmeaza…


related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080715/ap_on_hi_te/youtube_lawsuit;_ylt=AiooB67VGh_R.MeJERTRC8Ss0NUE

by Claudia Sonea for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

PocketNews is a new real-time news broadcaster delivering the latest and hottest news right to your pocket ! With global clients who want to be kept up to date, PocketNews is everyone's way of keeping in touch with the World.<br><br><font size=2>These news are original content from young talents around the world and are selected for you by Chris Cantell.</font><br>

edited by Beata Biskova