Hasta La Gadget!

It wasn’t too long ago that we saw Samsung poke fun at Apple’s new iPhone and it looks like Motorola has decided to join in on the fun as well. The company has released an ad (pictured) above in which it poked fun at Apple’s new Maps app, referring to it as “iLost” while comparing it against its new phone, the Droid RAZR M which of course came with Google Maps on board. The ad basically points out if you were to use Google Maps and you were to key in specific coordinates, Google Maps will have no problems pinpointing the location, but it will be an entirely different story if the same was done with Apple’s Maps. If the reports are to be believed, Apple is currently hiring ex-Google Maps staff to help improve their Maps app but until then, we guess Apple will have to deal with the jokes and backlash that it is currently facing due to its Maps app being less than ideal, at least when compared to the competition.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Apple reportedly hiring ex-Google Maps staff to help improve their Maps app, YouTube videos served on older non-iOS 6 versions,

One of the biggest expenses for Internet radio stations are the royalty fees they pay to artists and publishers. The problem Internet radio stations have is that they are forced to pay a higher royalty rate than some similar services such as satellite and cable radio stations. A new legislation was introduced last Friday by Representatives Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) and Jared Polis (D-Colo.) while Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) introduced a similar legislation in the Senate.

The legislation is called the Internet Radio Fairness Act and is being backed by online radio service Pandora. The goal of the legislation is to lower the royalties paid by Internet radio stations so that they are on level with the rates paid by satellite and cable radio providers. The lawmakers argue that Internet radio stations unfairly pay higher royalty rates than cable and satellite stations.

The reason is that online radio stations are placed on a different royalty-setting rate than the other similar services. Internet radio providers argue that the royalty rules hamper innovation and discriminate against Internet-based radio stations. The bill proposes moving online radio services to the same 801(b) standard of the Copyright Act that is used to set royalty fees for cable and satellite radio providers.

The difference in royalty rates paid by Internet radio services compared to cable or satellite services is substantial. Internet radio services pay over 55% of their revenue in royalty fees while cable and satellite stations pay between 7% and 16%. The new bill has also received support from Clear Channel, Engine Advocacy, the Consumer Electronics Association, and the Computer and Communications Industry Association.

[via The Hill]

Lawmakers introduce new Internet Radio Fairness Act backed by Pandora is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
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Watson, the Jeopardy-winning supercomputer developed by IBM, could become a cloud-based service that people can consult on a wide range of issues, the company announced last week. “Watson is going to be an advisor and an assistant to all kinds of professional decision-makers, starting in healthcare and then moving beyond. We’re already looking at a role for Watson in financial services and in other applications,” says John Gordon, Watson Solutions Marketing Manager at IBM in New York. More »

One of the rather nifty features of the Sony Xperia sola was its floating touch display, which basically allowed interaction with the phone without having to touch the screen. While it might seem like a novelty feature to some, others might find it incredibly useful, especially if your hands are dirty and you still need to interact with your phone. Now if you were hoping to get more out of the floating touch technology, perhaps apply it to all aspects of your Xperia sola, XDA member neectron has managed to put together an app that basically enables the floating touch technology throughout the UI of the Xperia sola. It looks like it might need some getting used to, but it looks pretty awesome. If you’d like to download the app, you can pop on over to the XDA forums for the download or you can check out the video above to see it in action.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Sony Xperia Sola hits the FCC, Sony Xperia Sola hands-on,

The forthcoming Wii U console from Nintendo will be region-locked, just like the original Wii and the 3DS, Nintendo UK told Eurogamer. That means you won’t be able to play obscure (or early) Japanese imports on it, and customs officials won’t get anything to break up the monotony of seized cigars and bushmeat.

Filed under: Gaming

Shocker: Nintendo Wii U said to be region-locked originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Sep 2012 06:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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