It doesn’t matter if you are a huge tech company or any other giant corporation, if you violate a registered patent you can expect to have to pay big bucks to that patents owner, as Microsoft is keenly becoming aware of. You see, a company out of Toronto Ontario (in Canada for those of you who are so geographically challenged) called i4i had filed a suit claiming that tech giant Microsoft had violated their XML related patent in Microsoft products Word 2003 and Word 2007. A judge has now agreed with i4i and ordered Microsoft to pay up.

Just how much will Microsoft have to pony up? A whopping two hundred million dollars! It’s a lot of money, but no doubt Microsoft made much more than that off the sales of Word 2003 and 2007, so they really shouldn’t suffer too much because of the ruling.

I really need to get an iPhone. Would it be WRONG to own both a BlackBerry Storm and an Apple iPhone, or would it simple show what a big tech geek I am? I don’t really need two phones for my personal and business needs, but darn it I like them both and need more gadgets! Anyhow, I guess what got me thinking along these lines it that I heard today that Apple has revamped it’s Kindle application for the iPhone, and has added 3 great new options.

What are these cool new options? Pages are now easier to turn, as they have added a simple tap feature to let you quickly navigate your Kindle books. Also, they have added a wide screen ability called “portrait mode” which allows you read books in a method that is more friendly to most people’s eyes. Also, they now allow more choices of text and background colors which helps folks to more customize their kindle book reading experience. They’re all solid new features, and make me clamor for an iPhone just a little bit more.

There are various file extensions that are needed for video applications to be viewed on a computer. One such extension is File Extension QTL and is similar to a MOV file except that it is designated for QuickTime. QuickTime is a software programmed by Apple Inc. intended for multimedia format, video and audio, animation etc. This extension allows users to view QuickTime movIes with an Internet browser without having the software installed on their computer.

The fileextensionqtl.com website offers good information about File Extension QTL. The information is general but also includes some tips on what to watch out for when it comes to dealing with the QTL extension. The description is easy to understand and should give you the right knowledge about this topic. The site is also offering a software called Driver Cure. This software scan for any incorrect file associations, whether it is QTL-related or any other files, which can cause your computer not to function properly. It will also repair and update any out of date files it can find, so you don’t have to worry about being a technical guru. Check out the site and download the software to see if your computer file extensions are up to date and bug free.

If you own or know somebody who owns a newer model (2007 and later) Hewlett Packard laptop, you may want to pay attention to a recall that the computer manufactuer has recently issued. Hewlett Packard is attempting to recall approximately 70,000 batteries that are contained in some of their notebook computers - such batteries would appear in notebooks sold between the dates of Aug 2007 and Mar 2008.

It’s important to note this recall because their have been several reports that they had overheated and caused small fires which resulted in low scale property damages. Luckily, there were no injuries caused by the fires. HP admits that the batteries can be a fire hazard, and so it is important to check your HP model and see if it corresponds which the models being recalled

Those who are effected by the recall will be provided with a replacement battery at no cost.

The trend when is comes to phone use has been continuing in a distinct direction over the last decade: people are using cell phones more, and landlines less. In fact, many folks have now dropped their landline altogether, deciding to rely on a mobile alone for their calling need. Now, for the first time in history the number of people who have only a mobile is higher than the number of folks who have only a landline.

I think it’s fairly obvious that younger people who grow up will cellphones will gravitate toward mobiles rather than landlines, and with the current global economic recession more and more people are choosing to either ditch one or the other: it’s simply more cost effective to pay one bill rather than two. Also, given that landlines don’t offer advanced features like texting and email, it’s an easy decision for many to make.

CDs and DVDs are considered to be the preferred media for storing certain types of files. CD-Rs usually allow for multiple recording sessions, however, the files cannot be deleted. Each CD-R Media can contain more than 600 MB of data. When it comes to DVD-R Media, it can contain more than 4.5 GB of data, which makes it suitable for storing video files. Blank CD-Rs can be usually purchased  for $0.50 to $1 each, based on how many you’re buying, the brand, and the quality while blank DVD-R disks normally cost a few dollars each.   CD-R or DVD-R containers (known as jewel cases) are sometimes included as part of the purchase.

Today’s computers are easier to operate with CD or DVD writers - and it is common to buy a computer that already has at least an internal CD writer. External writers are also available and simple to use with modern Mac or PC computers. These computers have ports known as Universal Serial Bus (USB) for simple and dependable connectivity of peripheral devices such as a printer, digital camera, CD/DVD-R writers, etc’. In a growing number of PCs, and in all new Macs, there is also a Firewire port, which allows for faster data transfer speeds. Certain computers include USB 2.0, which has similar data speed as some Firewire ports or, alternatively, you can add a USB 2.0 card.

In addition to the actual drive, you may need a DVD or CD burning software application. Commercial disk burning software is often preferred to the one that comes with the operating system of some computers.

I don’t know about you but I’m a real television junkie. I love to relax on the sofa with my better half (and our pooch) to enjoy our favorite shows and movies. I think that satellite television is an absolute must have for television lovers, as it just offers so many more channels than cable, and prices these days for such services are quite affordable.

If you’re considering satellite television service I recommend visiting the Direct TV Website, as I spent quite a bit of time perusing it today and found some truly remarkable deals. In fact, I found out that I can get over two hundred and fifty channels with the Direct TV Service for less than I currently pay each month for my cable TV service. Frankly it made me feel a little silly for sticking with cable for so long.

The Direct TV website, which is located at directsattv.com, is easy to navigate and will be able to provide you with pricing and channel information quickly, as well as information on the necessary equipment needed for a Direct TV System. Make sure to check out their “web specials” section as that’s where the best deals are found! They have packages starting from just under thirty dollars monthly, so whether you’re into sports, movies or other television shows make sure to check them out.

Band members of the popular rock group Nine Inch Nails are rallying against the folks at Apple today, as an app they had submitted for the iPhone was denied by the giant tech company. Apple’s reasoning is that the application is not appropriate for all audiences as it contains some non G rated material that some may find offensive.

Many folks believe Apple is inconsistent in the type of applications that they approve or deny, as apps like “iFart” are approved, but apps such as the one created by Nine Inch Nails are dismissed. It is thought that the band’s app was denied because it streams a version of their song titled “The Downward Spiral” and that song contains foul language. However, Apple does sell the song on iTunes to be played on the iPhone. Personally, I believe it is well within Apple’s right to choose which material they would like associated with their strong iPhone brand.

A computer bug took place at the OTB Corp. and allowed approximately 300 betting indivuals in New York City  to be awarded faulty tickets. OTB President Raymond Casey says the error on Wednesday resulted in the decimal point to move 2 spaces in either direction. As a result, a $79 win, for example, was reduced to 79 cents. A $840 hit increased to $84,000. Various individuals reported filling giddy when learning about their “wins.” A clerk is the one who noticed the error. The issue has resulted in the stoppage of OTB operations for 4 hours.

DNA and drug testing are considered acceptable in today’s modern societies. Situations where these these are appropriate include in figuring out paternity and maternity concerns or workplace drug testing. The website dnadrugts.com, as offered by DNA & Drug Testing Services, describes these drug and dna services for individuals, law enforcement authorities, hospitals, medical clinics, social organizations and private investigators.

The test result are believed to reach 99.9% accuracy and, as a result, are relied on heavily. Notably, the service is now available at a reasonable cost and is accomplished at a quick rate. In a majority of cases, the result of a DNA test can be made apparent in as little as 3 days after extraction and analysis. The most important matter here is that your information is always kept confidential. The lab personnel are fully trained and the work is done according to the highest standards. A case manager will be in charge of a given file and will provide complete support for the duration of the case.

The site itself is easy to navigate and offers solid information on the tests as well as contact information if you wish to receive further details. For current or future concerns, check out the site and learn about this important technology.