robins

Samsung hires judge who ruled against Apple as legal expert

A judge who favored Samsung in a recent court case is now working for the company. But apparently that's perfectly OK in the U.K.

U.K. Judge Robin Jacob served on the bench last year in a case that forced Apple to publish an apology notice asserting that Samsung did not infringe on the design of the iPad for its own tablet.

Though Jacob had retired a year earlier, U.K. law allows for ex-judges to still sit on the bench.

The case itself was notable for going several rounds.

First, Samsung objected to the notice that Apple … Read more

A Monty Python sci-fi movie? With Robin Williams? What?

Have you ever had the kind of feeling where, after hearing a piece of news, your mind-body continuum is so confused that you don't know how to react?

This is largely how I felt on hearing there will be a new Monty Python movie. A new Monty Python sci-fi movie. A new Monty Python sci-fi movie in which Robin Williams will have a role.

It is nowhere near April 1.

So I have to take Forbes' word for it that this may actually come to pass.

It seems that the storyline will revolve around the original Python members involved … Read more

W3C buttons down HTML5, opens up HTML5.1

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) today took two significant steps down its double-track path toward standardizing HTML, the core language of the Web.

First, it released a "candidate recommendation" of Hypertext Markup Language 5, which means HTML5 is settling down in the eyes of the standards group. Second, it released a first draft of HTML5.1, a smaller set of changes it's developing simultaneously.

"CR [candidate recommendation] is the stable branch into which only bug fixes go, [and] 5.1 is the new line for improvements," said Robin Berjon, one of the five newly appointed HTML5 editors. … Read more

The 404 1,126: Where we've got a Batman hangover (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode starring Jeff Sussman from TheBatSignal Podcast:

- "Dark Knight Rises" Blu-Ray extras likely to include deleted Bane origin sequence.

- Top 10 things you may have missed in "The Dark Knight Rises." Our favorite is the Robin "R" insignia that pops up in the stadium.

- The politics of "The Dark Knight Rises"

- Batman is a reformer and humanist in "The Dark Knight Rises," not an avatar for right-wing fears.

- 12 Gotham newspaper headlines during "The Dark Knight Rises."

- … Read more

Microsoft exec's defection adds to Amazon phone mystery

This may rate as one of the tech industry's worst-kept secrets, but another clue has surfaced to suggest that, yes, Amazon is indeed hard at work developing its own phone.

If you're keeping score, the latest data point concerns the job-hopping status of one Robert Williams, who used to be the top business development exec at Microsoft's Windows Phone division. Williams has now joined Amazon -- we know this thanks to Williams, who blabbed the news on his Twitter feed, complete with a tweak to his bio with this tease: "working on a top secret project … Read more

Android gets a Siri-fighter

Hot on the heels of the Siri announcements coming out of 2012 WWDC, Android users get a little good news of their own. Software startup Magnifis released Robin, a voice-activated natural language mobile assistant for Android devices.

Robin is like a mashup of Siri and Waze. It's a voice-controlled mobile app designed for drivers to use in their cars. Like Waze, it's motion-activated rather than button-activated, which is easier for complying with distracted driving laws and using on the road, and it can proactively warn you about upcoming traffic or speed traps. It also remembers questions you ask, … Read more

The 404 1,060: Where we break through the clusterzuck (podcast)

Now that the Internet isn't flooded with Facebook IPO news, we can move on to more breaking news, like Hollywood finally answering our prayers for a Hook prequel that tells the Rufio origin story.

That's right, the original actor who played Rufio, Dante Basco, recently announced in an interview that a Rufio prequel film is in the works under the directing eye of Rpin Suwannath. Maybe we'll finally get to the bottom of how he got those fabulous red tights.… Read more

The 404 1,039: Where we start back at one (podcast)

Of all the terrible video game movie adaptations, the 1991 version of "Super Mario Bros." got the most critical reaction.

Its story is chronicled in a new book called "Generation Xbox: How video games invaded Hollywood," so we'll spend some time today dissecting all the negative reviews and discover how it became a cult favorite.

Bridget Carey joins us for the first half with a backstage pass to her new show, CNET Update!

It rounds up all the top tech stories of the day and keeps a close eye on product updates, emerging trends, and … Read more

The 404 1,024: Where winter comes a little late this year (podcast)

We're believers: WINTER IS COMING. Technically I guess it arrived a year ago, but Jeff and I are finally catching up to the "Game of Thrones" hype and spend the first few minutes of today's episode discussing the George R. R. Martin books and the anachronisms of the show.

The reviews are in for Microsoft Kinect Star Wars and nobody is impressed with the glitchy gameplay and a story that seems to appeal more to kids than fans of the original movies. With years of anticipation in the making, Jeff echoes the fans in the galaxy … Read more

The 404 922: Where Wilson is the 1 percent (podcast)

Our guest today is Robin Yang of Toy Studio, one of Barnes & Noble's premier gaming publishers for the Nook Color tablet. She'll help us out with the rundown that includes stories about the real 53 percent, the long-awaited Facebook app for the iPad, MacBook Air competitor Ultrabooks from Asus, and how to run Android apps on a PC.… Read more