Week in Review

This week we learn that Earth was so successful that they made a sequel, Apple is selling pirated iPads in China and Microsoft seems to hate lawsuits.

Possibly Habitable Planet Confirmed By NASA

Since its launch in 2009, the Kepler space telescope has been watching more than 150,000 stars. The telescope is set to detect any small disruptions to any star’s light made by planets orbiting around them, and today NASA announced they have confirmed a new planet – dubbed Kepler 22-b – which resides in the so-called habitable zone of its star about 600 light years away from Earth. Kepler 22-b is about 2.4 the size of Earth and its average temperature is 22 degrees Celsius (71.6 F), making it theoretically possible to support life. (Link)

“Fake” Tourist Trap Skeletons Found to Be Real

If you’ve ever visited the London Dungeon tourist attraction, which according to Wikipedia “recreates various gory and macabre historical events in a grimly comedic ‘gallows humor’ style,” you’ve probably laid your eyes on a skeleton or two in some of its many displays. And you probably assumed, if you put any thought into it at all, that it was fake. And in at least one case – possibly two – you’d be wrong. (Link)

Apple Doesn’t Own the iPad Trademark in China

It turns out that Apple does not, in fact, own the trademark for the iPad name in China. A Chinese company called Proview Technologies filed for the iPad trademark back at the turn of the century. At some point they sold the rights to a firm in the UK, who promptly sold them to Apple. The problem is; the original sale did not include in the Chinese trademark rights. That means Apple has been selling the iPad in Chinese territories in violation of Chinese trademark law. (Link)

Newest Xbox 360 Update Prevents Class Action Suits Against Microsoft

After a bit of a shaky start, the most recent Xbox 360 update has finally gone live, introducing a wide variety of new features and giving users access to a massive collection of film and TV content. However, the new update does come with a somewhat devious catch. A segment written in big, bold letters in the update’s terms of service essentially state that Xbox 360 owners are forbidden from participating in any class action suits against Microsoft. Specific details can be found in section 18 for those versed in legalese … (Link)

Gamers Find Way to Block Ads From New Xbox Dashboard

The new Xbox 360 “Metro” dashboard design released last week to a mixed response from the gaming community. While some appreciate the new, sleeker aesthetic, others feel bogged down by the ratio of whiz-bang to function. One of the most prominent additions making some uncomfortable are the newly emphasized advertisements, but thankfully, a dedicated group of network tweakers have figured out the key to making them disappear for good. (Link)