Spool Raises Funding to Help You Take the Web Offline

Spool, which offers a nifty service for saving Web videos and articles for later viewing offline on Android, iOS and HTML5-compatible devices, has raised $1 million in funding from SV Angel, Felicis Ventures, Vivi Nevo and others. The Spool service is made for commuters, travelers and people with limited mobile data plans. It automatically downloads and syncs content between devices when possible. It’s still in limited beta testing, but Spool co-founder Avichal Garg said to expect broader availability in the next few months. This isn’t just a storage service. Users can store links for their own private use, and also in the process send them to one or more of their Facebook friends. While Spool might be most easily compared to services like Readability, Read It Later and Instapaper, Garg made other comparisons.

Motorola Wins Apple Wireless Patent Fight in Germany

A German court has found Apple in violation of a Motorola Mobility patent, ruling that Apple’s iPhone and 3G model iPads infringe on cellular communications, patents owned by Motorola Mobility that relate to General Packet Radio Service – GPRS – data packet transfer technology. The patent-in-suit is European Patent 1010336 [B1] on a “method for performing a countdown function during a mobile-originated transfer for a packet radio system”. This patent is one of the two patents at issue in the action in which a default judgment was entered against Apple Inc. It was declared essential to the GPRS standard. It’s the European equivalent of U.S. Patent No. 6,359,898, a patent against which Apple raised a FRAND defense in the United States and which is being asserted in an action that was just transferred from the Western District of Wisconsin to the Northern District of Illinois. Motorola said the ruling validated its “efforts to enforce its patents against Apple’s infringement”

Oops! Samsung Galaxy Table Banned Again?

UPDATE!! The behemoth that is Apple has won another temporary injunction to stop rival Samsung from selling its Galaxy tablet computer in Australia. On Wednesday – just 2 days ago – we reported that the Federal Court had lifted a previous injunction, meaning Samsung could start selling its Galaxy Tab 10.1 at 4pm (AEDT) today. But Apple later launched an appeal to the High Court. The injunction means Samsung cannot sell the tablet computer until the case goes before the court on December 9. Apple says the South Korean company’s Google Android based Galaxy range of tablets and smartphones is too similar to its iPad and iPhone. The companies have been waging a battle in 10 countries over smartphone and tablet patents since April.

ASUS Transformer Prime: Übertablet, Portable Gaming and Multimedia Powerhouse or Business Suite!

The ASUS Transformer Prime has already had to endure such superlatives as blazingly fast, super slim, functionally brilliant and sexy as hell, it would blush if only it weren’t true. Don’t be fooled by the name though ‘The Transformer Prime‘ is no child’s toy, it is in fact the must have tablet for Christmas, ASUS certainly hopes it will be anyway. Earlier this month ASUS and NVIDIA officially announced the Prime and it’s specifications. At the same time NVIDIA introduced to the world it’s brand new QUAD core chipset, Tegra 3. Only a few days after the announcement videos appeared of Google’s latest operating system – Android 4 Ice-Cream Sandwich - running happily on the Prime. Thankfully the wait for Prime won’t be long, GameStop yesterday let the cat out of the bag by listing the Prime for pre-order with the product release date of December 9. Get ready world, the Transformer Prime is about to take over Christmas. READ MORE

FORBES: How to Be an Optimist in a Pessimistic Time, A Techonomy Manifesto

It’s no secret that technology is changing the world. Unfortunately, there are a surprising number of people who don’t get it. Many of them, even more unfortunately, are important leaders in business, other powerful instutitions, and governments. To meet the challenges that face us—whether as leaders of organizations, as leaders of countries, or as the global community addressing our collective challenge—we will only be successful if we unreservedly embrace technology and innovation as essential tools. The Techonomy conference, which begins in Tucson on Sunday November 13, aims to underscore that idea and send a pointed message to leaders that Luddites have no place in the 21st century.

For those of us who believe in the vast potential of technology to solve problems, it is both an exciting and a frustrating time. The world’s people are embracing cellphones. More than two billion people use the Internet. Facebook continues its extraordinary user-empowering spread, and the Weibos fill a similar role in China. Advanced companies around the world are redesigning their systems and management to accommodate the new realities of a flattened, technologized business environment. The people of the world have recognized that technology can alter and improve their lives. Read the full article »»»»