Sunday, August 18, 2013

"SkyDrive" to change name because of "Sky" trademark

Microsoft forced to rename SkyDrive following trademark case with broadcaster | The Verge

"A UK court recently ruled that Microsoft's SkyDrive name infringed on a trademark owned by British Sky Broadcasting Group (BSkyB), and the software maker has agreed to change the name of its cloud-based service worldwide as a result."

After "Metro", this is a second case where Microsoft is forced to change product name because of trademarks.

Samsung Create: Flexible Future Business Plan Contest

Samsung Wants You To Figure Out What To Do With Its Flexible Displays @ TechCrunch

Samsung Create: Flexible Future Business Plan Contest - Pre Promo
calling on the most innovative designers, hardware engineers and entrepreneurs 
to develop new product ideas that put our revolutionary Flexible Display technology 

What is the value of ideas for Samsung?
$2500, $5000, $10000

Last time price of ideas for Samsung was about $1+B,
when it was found to be too close to Apples patents. :)

So if this works, it will be 100 000 times cheaper :)

The creative world needs a better system for valuing ideas
than "all or nothing" patents vs. give away.

Hyperloop review

DraganSr: Elon Musk Explains the Hyperloop:

A few observations after reading the "Alpha Design" of Hyperloop:
  • A very creative and clever design.
    There are many elements that may be usable even without the whole system, but maybe it would not be as effective.
  • I am concerned about very small "gliding" distance of capsule from the tube, if I understand it correctly. That would require very high precision in polishing the tube, and minor errors may get capsule to "bang" the walls of the tube.

  • The "San Francisco" station appears on the map to be on the other side of the bay, across Bay Bridge. If so, crossing the bridge to actually get to San Francisco may take more time than traveling by "tube" from LA.
  • What would be the noise level outside of the tube,
    when a capsule is "flying by"?

  • A "capsule" is in fact an electric vehicle, with some similar elements as Tesla Motors cars. It sounds logical that they would be an ideal manufacturer, if somebody is to make the tube. SolarCity, another Musk's company could set-up the solar power...

  • The most likely financier and first to build a tube may be China...
  • The comparison with "Linux" is a stretch.
    Linus Torvalds actually built Linux, and then it become popular
    because it was Open Source and free. So making at least a prototype would be necessary to compare...