http://www.downbroad.com/news Freeware and shareware software news. Thu, 13 Mar 2008 10:53:34 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Apple Inc. was sued Wednesday over allegations its iTunes online music store and iPod music players are illegally using a patented method for distributing digital media over the Internet. Atlanta-based ZapMedia Services Inc. sued Apple in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, accusing the Cupertino-based company of violating ... http://www.downbroad.com/news/apple-sued-over-itunes-technology Video game publisher Activision Inc. has asked a federal court to declare that its popular "Guitar Hero" game does not violate a patent held by real-guitar maker Gibson Guitar Corp. Gibson's 1999 patent covers a virtual-reality device that included a headset with speakers and that simulated participating in a concert, according ... http://www.downbroad.com/news/guitar-hero-hame-subject-of-patent-dispute Microsoft on Tuesday announced the release of Office 2008 for Mac 12.0.1, an update to its office software suite for Mac OS X. The update is available for download from Microsoft's Web site or using the Microsoft AutoUpdate application. Overall, Microsoft documents improved security in this release that fixes vulnerabilities that ... http://www.downbroad.com/news/office-2008-update-improves-security-stability Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) cut the prices of its Xbox 360 video game console in Europe by up to 28 percent on Monday to try to spur sales in a key battleground in the fast-growing industry. The 80-euro decrease results in cuts of 18 percent to 28 percent across the ... http://www.downbroad.com/news/microsoft-cuts-xbox-360-prices-in-europe Paramount Pictures will become the first major studio to make clips from thousands of its movies available for use on the Internet. The unit of Viacom Inc. is teaming with Los Angeles-based developer FanRocket to launch the VooZoo application Monday on Facebook. The service gives Facebook users access to footage from thousands ... http://www.downbroad.com/news/facebook-app-lets-users-send-movie-clips PC World - An overhaul of the patent system and other measures to promote tech development efforts are top priorities of the Business Software Alliance. http://www.downbroad.com/news/software-companies-want-patent-reform-by-congress-pc-world PC World - A leading Hollywood CGI company wants to move into new sectors with its "artificial life for animation" software. http://www.downbroad.com/news/3-d-animator-sees-a-future-in-security-architecture-pc-world Thursday's introduction of an iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK) has game developers everywhere excited about the possibilities of iPhone game development, especially after seeing game demonstrations during the event. Developers agreed that Apple is pushing the iPhone as a major portable gaming platform. "This is the coolest thing I've seen in ... http://www.downbroad.com/news/game-developers-bullish-on-iphone-macworldcom PC World - Two brothers were sentenced Friday to multiyear prison terms for selling what the U.S. Department of Justice called "massive" amounts of pirated software online, the DOJ announced. http://www.downbroad.com/news/software-piracy-conviction-sends-two-to-jail-pc-world TechWeb - At MIX conference, Ray Ozzie introduces hosted versions of Exchange and SQL Server. http://www.downbroad.com/news/microsoft-takes-another-step-toward-software-as-a-service-techweb-2