By Gilbert Falso :: 8:06 AM
European Union antitrust regulators have slapped Microsoft with a fine to the tune of $730 million for failure to comply with antitrust provisions around Internet browsers preinstalled on personal computers sold in Europe.
Microsoft had agreed to install software that allowed users a choice of browsers when they configured a new machine, instead of leaving them with the default install of Microsoft’s Internet browser, Internet Explorer. This browser choice screen was the result of earlier antitrust rulings by the Union against the company in 2010.
Due to a glitch in Microsoft’s system, millions of PCs shipped in Europe without the browser selection screen turned on. Although the problem went undetected for nearly a year and a half, regulators have finally caught up and issued the fine. Earlier reports speculated that the Union could have levied a fine in the billions for this error, so at $730 million, it looks like Microsoft is getting off easy this time.
By Paul Thomson :: 4:46 AM
Sirius XM satellite radio announced yesterday that it will launch a new station, Bon Jovi Radio, on Friday, March 22.
The station will broadcast on Sirius channel 142, and will feature music spanning the band’s entire career, from their early days  to the new album What About Now, which will be released on March 12.
“Bon Jovi Radio” will also be available online at the Sirius website, and through the Sirius app for smartphones and mobile devices.
By Paul Thomson :: 1:06 AM
A recently discovered bug in Samsung’s popular Galaxy S III smartphone handset allows the lock screen to be bypassed without entering a PIN or lock pattern.
By bypassing security setups, anyone can gain access to the home screen of the device, no matter what security measures were placed on it. The bug was also replicated on the Galaxy Note II tablet in addition to the S III handset, meaning that the root of the problem most likely likes with Samsung’s software interface, and not the Android operating system.
To circumvent the security measures on either Galaxy device, follow these steps:
- Press “Emergency Call†from the lock screen
- Open “Emergency Contactsâ€
- Press the Home button, then immediately press the Power button
- Press the Power button again, and the home screen of the device will appear.
By Gilbert Falso :: 11:57 PM
The next generation of Roku streaming media players, the Roku 3 will go on sale on Wednesday, March 6.
It will retail for $99, and the company claims that hardware improvements will make it faster than its predecessor. The user interface has also received an overhaul.
The new player features improvements in wireless networking abilities – it will sport a dual-band 2.4GHz-5GHz Wi-Fi connection, which improves the range and translates into faster download speeds.
The Roku 3 also ships with a Roku remote that includes a headphone jack and headphones. The remote also doubles as a controller and can be used for games that take advantage of motion-sensors, like Angry Birds.
Amazon will have the Roku 3 beginning tomorrow
By Paul Thomson :: 9:26 PM
Netflix has no plans at this time to produce an app for BlackBerry’s new BlackBerry 10 platform.
The streaming video service has been in talks with BlackBerry for some time, but now, sources close to both sides have said that an app for BlackBerry 10 does not appear to be in the cards.
“We have no current plans for a BlackBerry app,†a spokesman told AllThingsD yesterday.
Netflix does not have much in the way of incentive to cater to the new BlackBerry OS -  the user base isn’t at a point yet that could convince Netflix to provide support for it the way that they do for Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android operating system.
For BlackBerry, which has touted the new platform as a viable alternative to the big two players in the arena, Netflix’s decision is a harsh blow. Although BlackBerry 10 launched with a number of popular applications, like Skype, Twitter, Facebook and Kindle, holdouts like Netflix and Instagram may dampen the excitement of the platform for people who were considering a switch from Apple or Android.