Miscellaneous

On2 Technologies has filed an update with the SEC on its proposed merger with Google, hoping to put to rest some key questions.

On2, which makes video compression software, announced Monday that the update includes certain key highlights about the merger and some frequently asked questions.

On2 agreed on August 5 to be acquired by Google for $106.5 million, a deal already approved by its board of directors. The terms call for each share of On2 to be exchanged for 60 cents worth of Google common stock.

With its board anxious for investors to approve the deal, On2 outlined some of the risks … Read more

Cell phones and the Internet are great ways for romantic partners to stay in touch, but based on a recent survey of 14- to 24-year-olds, they're also being used to spy and harass significant others.

My report on the Associated Press and MTV study about youth digital abuse focused mostly on sexting and how youth respond to cyberbullying. But there was also some interesting data on how technology is being used for "dating abuse."

The study (PDF) found that 22 percent of youth involved in a romantic relationship say they feel like their significant other uses a … Read more

The nice thing about standards is that there are so many of them.

This old saw is arguably less true than in years past. Today, for a lot of reasons, there's more pressure to reach agreement on one way to do a certain thing. (Think the HD DVD vs. Blu-ray debacle for an example of what happens when vendors can't agree on a single approach.)

Standards aren't a single thing. Some have been blessed with the appropriate incantations by some official or quasi-official body. Others come from an industry consortium. And still others are "de facto&… Read more

A cable giant becomes an entertainment star, while a search giant gets into the DNS business and a software titan becomes map maker.

Comcast, the nation's largest cable company, is buying a controlling stake in the TV network and movie studio NBC Universal in a deal valued at $37 billion. The deal will make Comcast a major media player with several very profitable cable channels, including USA, CNBC, MSNBC, and Bravo. It will also have control over NBC's broadcast networks and TV stations, its film studio, and its amusement parks.

The deal is likely to be scrutinized by … Read more

In its quest to acquire Tandberg, Cisco is close...but no cigar yet.

The network giant has won 89 percent of the outstanding shares of Tandberg, a healthy amount, but still 1 percent short of the 90 percent needed under Norwegian law to close the deal. The company had issued a deadline of December 3 to capture the required shares or it said it would walk away.

But as of Friday, Cisco is giving every indication that it will forge ahead, citing tendered shares that would put it over the 90 percent mark.

Looking to capture the growing videoconferencing market, … Read more

For those entrepreneurs looking to make a living from open-source software, Index Ventures general partner Bernard Dallé has some advice: get thee to a cloud strategy.

Why? At a time when enterprises may be less willing to spend on software, they're increasingly interested in spending on the operation of that software through cloud computing, an interest that can be bought...and sold.

The cloud isn't simply a clever way to provide social-networking services, either. As Dallé suggested in a phone interview on Wednesday, cloud computing may well be the best way to monetize enterprise-facing open-source software.… Read more

A study conducted by the Associated Press and MTV pretty much confirms what many Internet safety experts have been saying for the past several months: Young people are far more likely to experience problems online from their peers or from their own indiscretions than from adult predators.

But that's hardly to say that there's no need for concern. The AP/MTV study (PDF), released Thursday, found that 50 percent of 14- to 24-year-olds have experienced some type of digital abuse.

The study also found that 30 percent had either sent or received nude photos on their cell phones … Read more

Lenovo's purchase of the mobile phone arm it sold off last year signals its intention to penetrate the global market, but the move could dilute its core computer business, according to a Shanghai-based analyst.

The Chinese computer maker last week announced it bought back Lenovo Mobile Communication Technology in a deal worth $200 million in cash and Lenovo shares. It had sold the business unit to a group of investors in early 2008.

In a statement, Lenovo said it plans to capitalize on combined synergies from the two companies in product innovation, manufacturing, channels, and retail "to lead … Read more

Looking to drum up developer interest in Atom-based Netbooks, Intel has pushed out a beta version of a Software Development Kit to help companies and individuals create apps for its mobile platform.

Intel's Atom Developer Program SDK is now available to developers who want to build software for Atom-powered Netbooks running Windows or Intel's Moblin operating system. Anxious for new mobile apps to help sell Netbooks in stores next year, Intel is even dangling a few incentives. Developers who submit apps for validation qualify to win prizes such as a smart car or vacation package.

"Consumer adoption … Read more