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Verizon sending antipiracy notices for Hollywood, too

Verizon Communications has agreed to forward copyright violation notices on behalf of Hollywood studios, including NBC Universal, multiple sources tell CNET.

The news comes after Verizon began issuing the same type of copyright letters on Thursday--as part of a test--on behalf of the music industry.

In addition to its deals with the Recording Industry Association of America and NBC Universal, Verizon has similar partnerships with an undisclosed number of other film studios and copyright owners, according to sources with knowledge of the negotiations. It is unclear when Verizon began issuing the letters for NBC Universal.

A Verizon spokesman declined to … Read more

Dated word game

Quacky is a word game that challenges users to create as many words as possible out of a set of letters in a given amount of time. Although the premise of the game is fun, the ancient-looking interface makes it kind of a drag to play.

The look of the game reminds us of a Web page circa 1998, replete with crinkly-paper-looking background image. Users can choose to play on their own or with other players, which requires users to download the Tams11 Gaming Lobby in order to connect. We've seen other word games that are similar to this … Read more

Challenging word game

Guess The Phrase offers players a challenging word jumble and pop culture game rolled into one. With simple game play and challenging questions, this program does an excellent job of balancing fun with fact.

With an instantly understandable layout and helpful hints along the way, users will have no trouble with the program's interface or its cartoonish look. However, a Help file is available for those in need. The game consists of jumbled letters that resemble a word search, hangmanesque blank spaces where the answer must be filled in, and with a clue. Users must link touching letters to … Read more

Enjoyable word game

We have to admit, it took us way longer than necessary to test BanderSnatch...because we couldn't stop playing it. Part Tetris, part Scrabble, BanderSnatch is a simple game that's surprisingly addictive.

The program's interface is nothing to write home about, but it's easy to understand. Round tiles containing letters fall against a green background, and as they accumulate, users create words from adjacent tiles. Users can either click on each letter or drag the mouse through the letters. Once each word is accepted, it disappears. Each letter has a point value, much like in Scrabble, … Read more

Professional letter maker

All-Business-Letters offers a vault of professional writing templates that are sure to save time. While the interface is crowded, this program overcomes any issues with a simple operation and a vast number of templates.

The program resembles other word-processing software with its commands, but has a cluttered collection of three screens. Thankfully, you can quickly decide what needs to remain open and likely skip visiting the Help file. Creating a letter consists of browsing the file tree of templates and selecting one. These templates are broken down into topics, like Business Transactions, Goodwill, Human Relations, Personnel Issues, Routine Customer Transaction, … Read more

Stylize your text

Art Text is a narrow-purpose graphics and text-styling tool that's easy--and even fun--to use. This program is primarily intended for creating stylized buttons, logos, and blocks of text that you can then export (in a variety of file formats) to another program for creating a final product, whether a brochure or a Web page.

Art Text gives you an intuitive interface with a toolbar, preview area, and multilayer support that should be familiar to anyone who works with graphics programs, and the most recent version can also handle multitouch trackpad gestures. In addition to basic editing tools like flipping, … Read more

Apple pushes developers to release iPhone OS 3.0-compatible apps

iPhone developers have been notified today by Apple that their App Store submissions must be compatible with iPhone OS 3.0 or they will not be approved, according to an iPhone Developer Program e-mail.

While it is probable that most apps should already run on iPhone OS 3.0 without modification, developers are being encouraged to test their existing apps to ensure there are no compatibility issues. Apple will deal with any incompatibility issues swiftly according to the email: After iPhone OS 3.0 becomes available to customers, any app that is incompatible with iPhone OS 3.0 may be … Read more

Some features unavailable for view

Keyman Desktop Professional Edition allows users to change keyboard configurations to accommodate multiple languages. During our tests, we were able to type and edit our text in English, but we were unable to access the On Screen Keyboard and view our text in any other language.

During the initial setup, you're expected to install a keyboard based on a language of your choosing. We selected the BU keyboard, which was compatible with both English and French, among other languages. The main user interface resembles most text editing programs, so you'll feel right at home. The interface can be … Read more

The 404 302: Where Wilson is walking on sunshine

Justin calls Wilson out for being happy with his life, so they decide to name the show after the popular '80s song Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves. Meanwhile, Justin hates his life because New York City ruined his evening. Stay tuned for that story on today's The 404.

Jeff talks about a dangerous e-mail chain letter about entering your PIN number in reverse to call the police during a robbery. Too bad, it ain't true. You might just get stabbed in the stomach if you try this one. Speaking of your health, you can help stop the spread of the flu this year with Twitter. We also suggest not licking the subway poles, but hey--to each his own.

Also, Apple quietly introduces data tethering to the iPhone OS 3.0. Apparently, it takes a little minor hacking, but you'll be able to tether your iPhone 3G to your computer over USB. Bluetooth support is a few more hacks away. Hopefully, you don't take down the entire AT&T network when you BitTorrent the latest "Battlestar Galactica" over your iPhone 3G connection.

Microsoft releases the latest version of Internet Explorer 8 for download. The tech community gives a collective yawn (except for IT managers), while we get creeped out by a Japanese robot model.

Finally, our tagline contest is coming to an end, and before we decide on an official winner, we'd like you to chime in by taking our poll. Click here or look up and to your left. Jonathan Coulton had to reschedule but will make his appearance in the coming weeks, so hold onto your horses. Be sure to support our very own Natali Del Conte's Smackdown for Charity!

EPISODE 302 Download today's podcast |  Subscribe in iTunes |  Subscribe in RSS… Read more