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Draft climate change deal lowers greenhouse gases by 2050
Earth just took a tentative step toward a new, comprehensive plan for improving the environment. Representatives from 195 countries have approved a draft UN climate change agreement that will ask all participants to lower their carbon dioxide emissions. There are still many, many details left to resolve ahead of a final deal (ideally signed next week), but the ultimate goal is to have countries reduce their greenhouse gas levels by 2050, and to eliminate emissions completely between 2060 and 2080.
Loss of flight MH370 prompts UN satellite tracking agreement
Following the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 last year, the United Nations agreed to use global satellite tracking for passenger airliners. Under the terms of the deal, nations can use specific radio frequencies to monitor planes via satellite rather than solely relying on radar-driven technology on the ground. With a target of 2017, aircraft capable of sending Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) signals to the ground will also communicate with satellites to track their movements. Shortly after the MH370 tragedy, Inmarsat offered airlines free satellite tracking for more accurate location info. With this week's agreement, the UN aims to keep an eye on the 70 percent of the world's surface than the ground-based systems can't cover. In theory, the use of satellite tracking would reduce the chance of another flight disappearing without a trace. [Image credit: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images]
Microsoft persuades ASUS to install Office on its Android phones
ASUS will install Office apps and other "innovative product solutions" from Microsoft on its Android phones thanks to a new patent licensing deal. The arrangement builds on an existing, private deal over Android phones between the two companies, according to ZDNet. Despite holding most of the patent cards, Microsoft magnanimously said the pact "opens the door to the kind of collaboration between Microsoft and ASUS made possible only through mutual respect and alignment on intellectual property." ASUS joins Samsung, LG, Sony and 20 or so other manufacturers that signed deals with Microsoft to bundle Office apps on Android devices.
Intel buys Recon, makers of the 'Google Glass for fitness'
Recon Instruments is famous for two things: building the technology behind Oakley's Airwave and the Recon Jet head-worn fitness wearable. The company has had a close relationship with Intel ever since the chip firm's venture-capital arm threw cash at the business back in 2013. Now, however, Intel has decided that closer ties are in order, and has decided to swallow the Canadian firm wholesale in a deal that TechVibes believes is worth around $175 million.
SoundCloud inks licensing deal with 20,000 indie labels
SoundCloud continues to lend a hand to independent artists, and today the music site announced a royalty agreement with Merlin. While the name may not ring a bell, Merlin works with 20,000 indie labels and distributors including Beggars Group (Vampire Weekend), Secretly Group (Bon Iver), Domino (Animal Collective), Kontor Records (Tiësto) and more. Merlin works with smaller outfits to negotiate things like royalties and licensing, which is exactly what it's done here with SoundCloud. The deal means that on top of being able to pipe in content from labels and distro, the streaming repository will offer compensation when tunes are played. "You'll also be able to discover and listen to more new tracks from the best independent label creators on the planet, safe in the knowledge they'll now have the opportunity to get paid while you listen," a blog post announcing the deal explains.
Hold on, now GameStop's buying ThinkGeek
There was a hushed silence as the Priest shouted "should anyone have an objection to the marriage of ThinkGeek and Hot Topic, speak now or forever hold their peace." Suddenly, a side-door slammed open as GameStop rushed in, demanding that the ceremony stop, because it alone was ThinkGeek's one true love. Hot Topic blanched as ThinkGeek struggled to make eye contact, before nodding in agreement, apologizing and bolting from the altar. As ThinkGeek and GameStop ran down the aisle, arm in arm, the online retailer knew that it had done the right thing because, after all, GameStop had loads more money.
Charter and Time Warner Cable agree on $55 billion merger
Time Warner Cable (TWC) has leaped into the arms of Charter Communications in a merger valued at $55 billion, confirming previous rumors. That's considerably more than the $45 billion Comcast proposed to pay for TWC in a controversial deal that was eventually called off. Charter said that the merger will "create a leading broadband services and technology company serving 23.9 million customers in 41 states." Time Warner Cable rejected a similar offer back in 2014, but Charter sweetened it considerably this time around with an offer that values it at $75.7 billion.
Nokia just bought Alcatel-Lucent for $16.6 billion
Nokia could soon be the largest maker of mobile phone network equipment in the world ahead of Ericsson and Huawei. It just acquired French telecom equipment maker Alcatel-Lucent for 15.6 billion euros ($16.6 billion), or more than double the $7 billion Microsoft paid for its Windows Phone handset arm. The Finnish company also acquired Alcatel-Lucent's famous Bell Laboratories (established by Alexander Graham Bell in 1880) along with its numerous patents. With three major labs altogether, Nokia said "the combined company will be in a position to accelerate development of future technologies including 5G... as well as sensors and imaging." The merged businesses will run under the Nokia banner, but Bell Labs will keep the Alcatel-Lucent name.
Vodafone deal makes Dropbox a part of your smartphone backups
Dropbox just scored a huge deal that will not only put its cloud storage in front of a lot of people, but help you safeguard your smartphone's data. The company has forged a partnership with Vodafone that both gives the carrier's Android and iPhone users 25GB of free space for a year and integrates Dropbox into Vodafone's new Backup+ service. Rather than depend on a specialized backup space, you simply save your valuable files to Dropbox -- you can restore content on other devices and share it with friends without having to use two services or limit the kind of data you protect. The Backup+ app will be available as soon as the end of March, although the service itself will take a few months to reach "most" Vodafone areas.
Kodak and movie studios forge a deal to keep film alive
Good news, die-hard aficionados of movies on film: those reels will stick around for a while yet. Kodak has put the finishing touches on a deal with the six big Hollywood studios (Disney, Fox, NBC, Paramount, Sony and Warner Bros.) that will maintain a steady supply of film for movie and TV directors that want to keep using the classic format. The exact terms aren't public, but it wouldn't be surprising if Kodak had the studios over a barrel. When high-profile directors like Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino virtually insist on film, it's hard to say "no" -- you may as well be telling them to take a hike if you make them go digital. This pact won't stop the gradual death of film in theaters, of course, but creative types can take comfort in knowing that celluloid's hard-to-replicate qualities aren't going away any time soon. [Image credit: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images]
Google and NFL deal puts football highlights on YouTube
It had to hurt when Facebook made a deal with the NFL to play video clips before YouTube, but Google has finally announced its own pact with the league just in time for the Super Bowl. There's now an NFL YouTube channel for official highlights, and Google will also show video, scores, broadcast times and other info in its search results. For instance, typing in "New England Patriots" now brings up the score and a recap of the team's AFC championship game against the Colts, along with a video preview for the Super Bowl. Re/Code reported that in exchange for access to in-game footage, Google will split ad revenue with the league.
The Wolf Among Us down to $20 on Amazon
The first season of The Wolf Among Us can live among your gaming library at a discount today, as the episodic adventure game is currently $19.99 on Amazon. The 33 percent off sale is good for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game, while Vita players can pick up The Wolf Among Us for $24.49 on the retailer's site. Developed by The Walking Dead creator Telltale Games, The Wolf Among Us stars Fabletown's Sheriff Bigby Wolf, formerly known as The Big Bad Wolf. Based on Bill Willingham's Fables comic book series, the game's five episodes follows Bigby as he maintains order in the small New York City community. Our review of the final episode, "Cry Wolf," noted that the game's first season "lays the groundwork for the series that is (hopefully) to come, getting us invested in these pigs, these trolls, these witches, these toads, these people." [Image: Telltale Games]
Climate change deal has 194 countries cutting emissions
Deals to reduce greenhouse gases (such as 1997's Kyoto Protocol) have been in place for years. However, they've typically limited the reductions to richer nations -- poorer countries have objected to previous attempts to broaden the scope due to requirements they see as burdensome. At last, though, a truly global deal is underway. A total of 194 United Nations member states have agreed to submit plans for emissions cuts, with those who are ready delivering their plans no later than March. The terms have countries setting emissions targets beyond their "current undertaking," and wealthier countries will support less fortunate counterparts that are "vulnerable" to financial losses stemming from climate change. Should everything go according to plan, the UN will have a full-fledged pact within a year.
Spotify's offering you three months of premium for 99 cents
It's the festive season, and one company that's in a generous mood is Taylor Swift's favorite streaming service. If you're not already a Spotify user, then the outfit is hoping to lure you in by offering three months of its premium service for just 99 cents if you sign up before the end of the month. It's a bit of a no-brainer, given that you get better sound quality, offline playback and, best of all, no ads. At the same time, Spotify has revealed the most popular music of 2014, showing that Pharell's Happy was the most streamed song, while Ed Sheeran and Katy Perry took the gongs for most popular male and female artists.
RuneScape kicks off Christmas events early
It's only the first of December, but RuneScape is already cranking up its Christmas event machine with the first batch of activities for players to enjoy. Starting today, players can deliver presents for Santa (and get points to spend on rewards for doing so), work with others to open a giant cracker full of goodies, and go on a tinsel snake hunt. RuneScape is also triggering a 50% XP bump for a half-hour each day to those who use free festive auras. On another topic, Jagex announced that it's bringing back the Premier Club for the MMO, allowing players to sign up for a multi-month subscription to secure a discount and other rewards. This might be a good strategy to offset the looming increase in sub prices in 2015. If players choose to pay through PayPal, they will receive a samurai outfit and kirin pet in addition to the other bonuses.
Massively's Black Friday MMO sales and deals roundup
Happy Black Friday, everyone! We've been keeping an eye on MMO-related sales and promotional events just for you. Here are a few of the bigguns that might be worth taking advantage of today and through the weekend: Guild Wars 2's digital versions are 50% off through the official website until December 7th. World of Warcraft -- well, the bundle with everything but Warlords of Draenor -- is 75% off through December 2nd. WildStar is on sale for 50% off, so $19.99, for a "limited time" on the official site and at other retailers. ArcheAge has a bunch of marketplace items on sale, along with two new mounts. Today only, SOE is offering double Station Cash, spendable in most of its MMOs. Star Wars: The Old Republic has hinted that a large (possibly hourly) Cartel Market sale is on the way today. All of Perfect World's MMOs have sales running over the next few days; of note to us are sales in Neverwinter, Champions Online, Swordsman, and Star Trek Online, the last of which is offering not just a cash shop sale but a sale on lifetime subs. Lord of the Rings Online is offering double bonus points in its cash shop and bonus XP in-game. Wargaming has festivities and sales planned for World of Tanks and World of Warplanes. Dungeons and Dragons Online is offering +20% XP through Sunday. RIFT is not only selling the classic collector's editions, character slots, and bag slots at 50% off but making the newest expansion available to buy via credits for the first time. TERA has a slew of cash shop item goodies on sale, including bundles with mounts and character slots. Marvel Heroes' multiple sales extend to Cyber Monday. (Update: MJ tells us that logging in Saturday will grant you a free remote-controlled Blackbird jet pet!) And don't forget all the MMOs and MMO bundles/DLC on sale on Steam for the fall sale, as well. Elder Scrolls Online and The Secret World are among them! If you know of others -- and we're sure there are several -- sound off in the comments!
MacTech Conference special this weekend
If you've never been, MacTech Conference is an event for IT Pros, consultants, and techs. This annual event has been fantastic each year since its 2010 inception - and I and others on the TUAW team have been a part of it first hand as media, attendee or speakers. Not only does the event have world class speakers from all over the world, but they are the type of people that want to share what they know, and help others in the Apple tech space. Beyond that, the folks from MacTech make the event a truly special experience. The type of experience where you really get to not only know some amazing people in the community, but have an incredible amount of fun. MacTech is also well known for food, food and ... more food. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. This year, they even had chocolate covered bacon and I was surprised to find how many people not only tried it, but loved it! The next MacTech Conference date is now set. November 4-6, 2015 in Los Angeles. MacTech will once again have additional pre-conference workshops the day prior on November 3rd. The event registration is normally $1599 including all the sessions, meals and activities. By far, however, the best price is the "Special Early Discount" that is available now through Mon, December 1. The $899 price you can only get now - and it will save you $700. Register using this link.
Google and LG will license each other's patents for the next decade
Samsung isn't the only Android device maker getting cozy with Google's patents, apparently. LG has just entered into a cross-licensing deal with Google that will let the two companies use each other's patents (including new ones) for the next 10 years. The two sides are coy about just why they've forged the long-term pact, although there are few possibilities. For a start, one or both sides may simply want to borrow the other's features -- a blanket agreement eliminates the chances of lawsuits and simplifies the licensing process. There's also a chance that Google is using the deal to guarantee that LG won't stray too far from the official Android strategy. It's not certain that this is the case, though; unlike Samsung, LG hasn't been in a rush to replace Google software and services with its own. Whatever the motivations, it's doubtful that these companies will duke it out in the courtroom any time soon.
Guild Wars 2, Torchlight 2 slash box prices for Halloween
If you're looking for a subscription-free MMO to spend Halloween in, ArenaNet has an offer for you: The studio's slashed the price on Guild Wars 2's digital edition by 50%, making the cheapest version of the game just under 20 bucks. If OARPGs are more your style, then check out Torchlight and Torchlight II; both are half off until November 3rd, Runic announced this afternoon. We included a bunch of other Halloween-related sales in this morning's MMO Halloween roundup, and we expect more to keep rolling in today and tomorrow. Most games with cash shops are running some sort of promotion... just remember, you're a person, not a wallet.
World of Warcraft moves toward Warlords of Draenor with Patch 6.0.2
You won't need to wait until next month to start experiencing Warlords of Draenor, as the expansion's preparation patch released today with several new features. Patch 6.0.2: The Iron Tide will destroy World of Warcraft's famous Dark Portal landmark, prune away some class abilities, enact the talked-about "stat squish," update most of the racial models with better visuals, put in a toybox, include a special revised version of the Upper Blackrock Spire dungeon, and add prologue quests in the Blasted Lands against the Iron Horde. With the patch also comes a change in the game's retail package. The Mists of Pandaria expansion is now bundled with with the rest of World of Warcraft and is on sale for $20. You can get an overview of Patch 6.0.2 in the video after the jump.
