Is Google next on Apple’s hit list?

Apple is no doubt feeling like king of the hill today. Lawyers for the company are expected to ask the judge to stop all the sales of Samsung devices that were found to be problematic in Friday’s patent ruling. One question floating around now: Who will Apple go after next? From Fortune:  

There was an elephant in the courtroom when Apple won its billion-dollar patent infringement award against Samsung Friday, and its name is Google. After all, Google engineers were directly involved in developing at least one of the phones (the Nexus S) found to have infringed Apple's patents, and every one of the accused devices was running Google's Android operating system -- the "stolen product" Steve Jobs had promised two years earlier to destroy.

Apparently making the case against Google and Android would be a little tougher than the Samsung lawsuit--since Google gives the OS away for free. But it’ll be interesting to see how quickly the industry starts reacting & what exactly that reaction looks like. Here’s Google’s statement on the verdict from The Verge:  

The court of appeals will review both infringement and the validity of the patent claims. Most of these don't relate to the core Android operating system, and several are being re-examined by the US Patent Office. The mobile industry is moving fast and all players — including newcomers — are building upon ideas that have been around for decades. We work with our partners to give consumers innovative and affordable products, and we don't want anything to limit that.

Face paint can help beat the heat

If you were wearing face paint that scientists recently developed for the Department of Defense, you would totally let me put a cigarette out on your face. But smoking is bad, so never mind. Hot poker? The face paint was developed by a team of researchers from the University of Southern Mississippi, who were tasked with helping soldiers bear the brunt of heat waves shot off from bomb blasts. The BBC writes:

Heat-resistant paint for equipment with high operating temperatures, such as boilers, fans and ovens, has existed for some time, but the new substance is also waterproof, non-irritating, easy to apply - and it repels insects.

Hear that flame-throwing mosquitoes? You are no match for this paint! The team didn’t use the traditional wax base for the paint (that stuff will melt and stick to skin); instead, they worked with silicon, which reflects heat. Also according to DoD regulations, all military face paint - OK, they call it camouflage paint, which I guess is probably more proper - is supposed to contain the bug repellent Deet. Problem there is that Deet is really flammable too, but the researchers have also figured out a way to water it down so it doesn’t, you know, burn your face off. Again from the Beeb:

The lead researcher, Robert Lochhead, said the paint could also be used for fire-proof clothes, tents, and even tanks, and the team was working on a colourless version for firefighters.

In summary, we should just paint the planet in this stuff and never have to worry about fire again.  

Kodak selling off its film business

Down at Kodak headquarters, everything is priced to move. BARGAINS BARGAINS BARGAINS as the company attempts to pay off creditors. The bankrupt company has put its print film business, the foundation of the once-mighty Eastman Kodak empire, on the block, along with photo kiosks, scanners, and a bunch of patents. The patents are being sold even though the company is involved in litigation related to those patents. So whoever buys the patents gets the hassle of lawsuits FREE! since those suits will apparently go forward. From Bloomberg:

Kodak filed for bankruptcy after years of burning through cash while digital photography eroded its film business. The company had spent $3.4 billion on restructuring before bankruptcy, including payouts to fire 47,000 employees since 2003, closing 13 factories that produced film, paper and chemicals, and 130 photo laboratories.

Kodak is planning to also hold on to its buggy whip division, it’s Betamax line of products, and its complete set of Matthew Perry movie DVDs.

Members of Congress have tons of fake Twitter followers

Congress isn’t always known as a place of great sincerity. Sometimes, believe it or not, the bonhomie and friendliness exhibited by members is not entirely heartfelt. I know, try to cope. Turns out that extends to the Twitter accounts of elected representatives, which are packed to the gills with spambots and other non-human accounts. From The Hill:

Jon Tilton, the general manager for digital marketing firm Advocacy Media, ran a follower check last weekend on every member of Congress using StatusPeople, a tool designed specifically to check for fake followers on Twitter. He found that an average of 38 percent of accounts following representatives on Twitter and 42 percent of those following senators are a combination of fake and inactive accounts. ... “Twitter is run amuck with phony accounts,” Tilton said, noting that the problem raises questions about Twitter's legitimacy as a communication tool. His advice is for congressional members and campaigns to invest in regular attempts to scrub their account of phonies, recommending campaigns and offices dedicate resources now in order to avoid wasting them later.

Yeah, I guess, Jon Tilton. I don’t know. I think most people accept that a certain percentage of Twitter accounts are fake. It’s like junk mail or spam, you recognize that there’s always some chaff that goes along with the wheat.