The FTC is coming down hard on Kmart and Sears over their use of spyware. Both retailers, which are owned by the same company, lured users into downloading spyware onto their computers with a $10 deal, however, what many users did not know was that the deal and subsequent download would track user data in order to generate data for future Sears and KMart marketing campaigns. In both cases, the companies did not provide "a lengthy user license agreement, available to consumers at the end of a multi-step registration process," a key component in obtaining personal web records.
In an unlikely turn of events, a British record executive has been arrested in connection with record leak group DV8. The unnamed executive, who works at a major label, has been charged with aiding in pirating copyrighted music. The infamous DV8 group, who reportedly received many of its leaked content from said executive, is said to have leaked over 3,000 pieces of copyrighted content.
Consumer electronics manufacturer's Casio, Hitachi and NEC announced that they are teaming to produce a new handset manufacturer. The move finds both Casio and Hitachi merging their forces with NEC to create NEC Casio Mobile Communications. With NEC holding a controlling interest of 68%, the new venture hopes to have mobile phones on the market by April 2010.
Intel lost a key executive to EMC this past weekend. Patrick Gelsinger, the head of Intel's chip business, will now head EMC's storage systems operations, leaving Intel with a lack of leadership in its leading division. The resignation also sheds light on Intel's chief executive Joseph Tucci, for whom there is no logical successor.
Tyler Perry's 'I Can Do Bad' topped the box office this weekend grossing roughly $24 million. While the film had no real competition, it could not match the earning of either 'Madea Goes to Jail' or 'Madea's Family Reunion,' which grossed $41 million and $30 million respectively in their opening weekends. The films solid showing proves that Tyler Perry's formula for mid-budget money makers is indeed successful.
Shelly Palmer is a consultant and the host of MediaBytes with Shelly Palmer a daily show featuring news you can use about technology, media & entertainment. He is Managing Director of Advanced Media Ventures Group LLC and the author of Television Disrupted: The Transition from Network to Networked TV. Shelly is also President of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. You can join the MediaBytes mailing list here. Shelly can be reached at shelly@palmer.net For information about Get Digital Classes, visit www.shellypalmer.com/seminars