Delaware
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SpaceX moves its legal home to Texas from Delaware
Elon Musk has started moving his businesses away from Delaware, following a judge's decision in the state to invalidate his $56 billion Tesla pay package.
Uber offers insurance to US drivers, but only in certain states (updated)
Uber is once again blurring the lines between independent contractor and employee. This time the ride-hailing service is offering insurance to its drivers as part of a pilot program in Arizona, Delaware, Illinois, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and West Virginia according to regional publication PennLive. The injury-protection insurance is only active when a driver is logged into the app at the cost of $0.0375 per-mile. In at least a few of those markets, that will raise the per-mile price for passengers by $0.05. So, it seems the rates going up are to ensure that nothing comes out of the driver's pocket. Uber says that the increase was determined by how much the insurance would cost after taxes and fees.
Google Express delivery expands along the East Coast
East coast residents now have a new way to shop online. Google announced on Wednesday that it is expanding its Google Express online delivery service to a dozen states throughout the Northeast. Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont are all now within Google Express' delivery range.
Delaware wants to put your driver's license on your phone
For all the recent talk of moving to digital wallets, you can't really ditch the old-school kind yet -- you still need to carry physical copies of your driver's license and other forms of ID. If you live in Delaware, though, you may eventually have one less reason to worry when you leave your purse or wallet at home. The state's Senate recently passed a resolution asking the Division of Motor Vehicles to research a digital driver's license that you would store in an app on your phone. While many of the details still have to be worked out, you'd use some kind of biometric security (such as your face, fingerprint or voice) to get access on top of a code. There's no timetable for when Delaware would test these licenses, but it may not take long given that the state's development partner, MorphoTrust, has been working on the technology for a while.
The Daily Grind: Who gets your MMO accounts when you die?
Last month, Delaware became the first US state to pass a broad law to ensure that families can access their deceased relatives' digital assets. In most states, though, your spouse can't even log into your Facebook account to delete it if you kick the bucket. And that makes me wonder about MMOs. It might be macabre, but I actually maintain a document that tells my survivors how to distribute my digital property, including my MMO accounts and characters, usually to guildies who will appreciate them and/or leave my characters dancing naked on a mailbox forever in tribute. Does anyone else do this? Do you have a plan for how to divvy up your MMO accounts and such when you die? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Delaware Apple store sells more iPhones than any other store
Here's an interesting little fact: The Christiana Mall Apple store in Newark, Del., sells more iPhones than any other Apple Store in the United States. As ABC news reports, that's because Delaware has no sales tax, so people can pick up iPhones and other Apple products there at a significant discount compared to the rest of the country. Because of the store's location, customers will come from other cities in New York and New Jersey to shop there. While Apple did not confirm that its Christiana Mall store sold the most iPhones, several employees working there did brag to ABC news that it did. "The only store that does more volume is the glass box on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue and that is open 24 hours a day. But no one sells more phones than we do," one employee said. The store is so busy it is guarded by four to 10 Delaware state troopers during opening hours -- something Apple pays the bill for. The officers handle crowd control.
Nokia gets it: launches patent lawsuits against HTC, RIM and Viewsonic
Nokia has just announced that it is commencing patent litigation against HTC, Research in Motion and Viewsonic in the US and Germany. It's claiming that a number of its patents are being infringed and has registered complaints with the ITC and courts in Delaware, Dusseldorf, Munich and Mannheim. Espoo's legal chief Louise Pentland has said that while the company currently licenses its FRAND patents to "more than 40 companies," it had no choice but to lay some courtroom smack-down on the named offenders. It appears that after losing its global market share crown and billion-dollar losses, the company is finally going on the offensive with its deep patent portfolio. You can judge that for yourself when you read the official line after the break. Update: We've received some clarification from Nokia on what exactly is on the docket here. "Four of the patents asserted against Viewsonic in Mannheim are standards essential. The rest against Viewsonic and all against HTC and RIM are implementation patents, not declared essential to any standard and so we have no obligation to grant licenses."
Delaware Ph.D. student hopes to solve energy woes with renewable hydrogen production
Hydrogen fuel is a fickle mistress. On one hand, it teases us with the promise of renewable energy and a cleaner tomorrow. On the other hand, it's most often produced with natural gas as the source -- hardly the clean break from fossil fuels that many had envisioned. Fortunately, there are other methods to harness this abundant element, and a doctoral student at the University of Delaware may have created a worthwhile process. Similar to previous research we've seen -- which relies on ceric oxide and energy from the sun -- Eric Koepf has designed a reactor that combines zinc oxide powder, solar rays and water to derive hydrogen as a storable energy source. Most intriguing, it's thought that the zinc oxide byproduct from the reaction will be reusable -- a potential gateway to sustainable energy. Koepf will spend the next six weeks in Zurich at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, where his reactor prototype will be put through its paces to determine its efficiency and effectiveness. If successful, his advisors envision that one day, we may see giant versions of Koepf's reactors producing hydrogen on an industrial scale. We certainly won't fault them for dreaming big.
With federal loans blocked, Fisker halts work on Project Nina, lays off 66 workers
Fisker Automotive's bumpy 2011 appears to have given way to an even rockier 2012. A little more than a month after recalling 239 of its Karma plug-ins, Fisker has now stopped working on its second electric vehicle, following the US government's decision to suspend its federal loans. The manufacturer confirmed the news in an email yesterday, adding that a total of 66 workers in Delaware and California have been laid off, as a result. In 2009, the Department of Energy provided Fisker with $528.7 million in federal loans, but according to spokesman Roger Ormisher, access to those funds have been blocked since May. The money was supposed to be used to launch the Karma and Fisker's second, US-manufactured EV, known as the Nina. The Karma began rolling out to market in July, but did so well behind schedule, spurring the DOE to suspend its loan."Our loan guarantees have strict conditions in place to protect taxpayers," Department spokesman Damien LaVera explained in an email to Bloomberg. "The department only allows the loan to be disbursed as the company meets certain milestones and demonstrates results." Thus far, Fisker has drawn on only $193 million of federal funds and is looking to renegotiate the terms of the loan, in the hopes of accessing the remaining $336 million. The DOE, however, is still under intense scrutiny because of September's Solyndra debacle, so it's difficult to say what a renegotiated deal would look like. The manufacturer, for its part, says it's taking no risks, telling GigaOM that it "continues to pursue alternative funding sources." In the meantime, it'll continue to focus on the Karma for 2012, and hopes to revive Project Nina at a later date.
Delawareans rejoice as DuPont builds OLED TV testing plant in Newark
The State of Delaware has bust out a grant of $920,000 for DuPont's obsessed project to bring OLED TVs to the masses. It's building a facility at the Stine-Haskell Research Center in Newark with the chemicals-giant stumping $30 million out of its own back pocket. The new unit will employ 35 people to investigate the possibility of producing Organic Light Emitting Diodes for use in televisions for a fraction of the current cost. In comparison, the OLED TVs we saw at CES could retail for as much as $10,000, enough to make sure you don't ask Grandma for one next Christmas. The line will be used to test the "spray printing" methods that can print a 50-inch TV in under two minutes we saw in 2010. DuPont's obliged to keep the facility open for five years, or it'll expect angry civil servants to storm the building looking for a million dollars worth of stationery in return.
British Telecom is the latest to sue Google over Android, other services
Another day, another patent lawsuit against Google. FOSS Patents reports British Telecom filed suit Thursday in Delaware over six of its patents it says Google is infringing upon with Android and other services like Maps and Music. Feel free to avail yourself of the text of the suit embedded after the break, which is heavy on terms like "telecommunications apparatus and method" and "navigation information system". We're not hearing any official response from Mountain View yet, but until we do you can probably pencil in platitudes about innovation and bogus patents. Update: We have heard from Google, saying (predictably) ""We believe these claims are without merit, and we will defend vigorously against them."
'Bungie Aerospace' incorporates, according to filings
The halo of fog surrounding Bungie's mysterious "Bungie Aerospace" logo/trademark grows murkier with the recent discovery of filings in both Washington and Delaware for "Bungie Aerospace Corporation." HBO.org unearthed the Washington state filing, dated April 27 of this year, which notes the company's initial incorporation in business-friendly Delaware state just one week earlier on April 20. Unlike the Delaware filing, the Washington one lists Bungie president Harold Ryan and head of strategy and corporate development Ondraus Jenkins as "governing persons" of the new for profit business. Rather than mirroring their current roles at Bungie, though, it appears that Ryan will be acting as "director" of Bungie Aerospace Corporation while Jenkins will be acting "president." Also listed is secretary director Allan Parsons, which is either a joke reference to The Alan Parsons Project, or an alternative name for executive producer Pete Parsons, or an outside hire with no Google-logged experience in the game industry (believe us, we tried). Bungie Studios is currently working with Activision to develop a multiplatform title. Copyright filings and web domain registrations for several names from the summer of 2010 were also discovered earlier this year, though the studio has provided no clues as to what any of the filings mean. Bungie is also planning some form of private beta for a game (or games) that has yet to be announced.
iPod foils potential kidnapping attempt in the hands of quick-thinking child
Apple's iPod touch can't make cellular calls -- at least, not without a special case -- but it did look enough like the similar iPhone to foil one would-be predator. A Delaware suspect asked a 12-year-old girl to get into his van in front of her middle school, but quickly fled the scene, when the girl reportedly put her iPod against her ear and told him she was dialing police. The local authorities did eventually get called and are still looking for the suspect. If you see a "white male, 35-45 years of age, with a dark crew cut styled hair" suspiciously eying the headphone jack placement on devices in your local Apple Store, perhaps you'd best stay away.
Judge suspends Apple/Nokia lawsuit pending ITC investigation
With all of the furor around the gigantic patent lawsuit that Apple dropped on HTC this week, you might be forgiven for forgetting about the first big patent smackdown of the year, the lawsuit that Nokia laid at Apple's door. But a judge in Delaware hasn't -- he ordered a suspension [Ed. note: link broken to original article and removed] to both the case and its countersuit while the International Trade Commission works out the complaints between the two companies. Clearly Nokia and Apple have it out for one another, but apparently they're going to take it one step at a time. Once the ITC has completed its probe, which was scheduled to take 45 days after it agreed to perform the investigation on February 22nd, then the lawsuit will presumably move forward. That's if it's still on and not settled by then, although Nokia seems in it to win it, and Apple apparently has enough bandwidth (and legal fees) to pick two fights at once anyway. So bring it, ITC, and then let's get this show on the road. [via Macworld]
City of Newark, Delaware implements Vehicle-to-Grid trials
Newark, Delaware has become the first city in the US to test drive vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology. Led by professor Willett Kempton, researchers at the University of Delaware are conducting experiments at two different outlets, using electric cars as energy storage to assuage local power fluctuations. When parked at home, Kempton says his ride's got enough juice to power 7 or 8 nearby homes for 30 minutes, should the need arise. Meanwhile, the city is doing its own assessments to make sure the cars don't energize downed lines. What we're really interested in is the potential for discounts from the electric company. Plugging in our clunker for a few dollars off monthly utilities? Yes, please.[Via PhysOrg]
Comcast adds USA HD, Discovery HD and SciFi HD in Pennsylvania / Delaware
While the residents of the Steel City just received a trio from Comcast, it looks like other markets in the state (as well as Delaware) are preparing to receive three others. Specifically, subscribers in the Philadelphia suburbs of Willow Grove / Montgomery and Bucks Counties, as well as New Castle, Delaware, will be seeing USA HD, SciFi HD and Discovery HD shortly, with potentially unfounded promises for lots more in the future. Don't worry about tomorrow, though -- just enjoy what you've been blessed with today. Full release is after the break.[Thanks, Margo]
Verizon's FiOS TV expansions: November 22, 2008
Verizon's not slacking off as the run-up to the holiday season continues -- probably because folks are apt to have all sorts of free TV watching time here in the next month or so -- so we'll get right down to the releases. Up first are the towns of Middleton, Massachusetts, and the corporately-stacked Wilmington, Delaware, which have just granted the company a video license. Next, we head to the Pacific Northwest to see that Camas, Washington and Gresham, Oregon have agreed to do the same. Finally, we're told that Philadelphia-area residents are being treated to 30 new channels (17 of which are in high-def). That's it for this week -- we'll see you back again in seven days for (hopefully) even more.Read - Philadelphia channelsRead - Washington expansionRead - Massachusetts expansionRead - Oregon expansionRead - Delaware expansion
Cellphone charger blamed for blaze in Delaware
Details on this one are remarkably skimpy, but here are the facts as we know them. A fire caused around $30,000 worth of damage to a mobile home in Delaware this past week, but thankfully, the Millsboro and Indian River firefighters found no one home at the time of the incident. The culprit? A "malfunctioning cellphone charger that ignited the wall covering in a bedroom." That's it, folks -- no manufacturer, no brand name, nothing. In other words, unplug your chargers when you leave the house... or store your home in a fireproof safe, either one.[Thanks, Carl]
Not so much to do with us
While the story of Kimberly Jernigan really has nothing much to do with the virtual environment of Second Life, you're probably going to read and hear a lot over the next week or two from people who would desperately like you to think that it does. Jernigan from North Carolina and an unidentified older man from Claymont, Delaware met online, but their relationship didn't last out in the physical world. Jernigan reportedly became increasingly unstable when things didn't work out and then allegedly stalked and attempted to kidnap her ex-boyfriend at his home. Jernigan posed as a postal worker in order to obtain information about his home address. Charges include attempted kidnapping, burglary and aggravated menacing. Just what is the lesson here? People from North Carolina can't be trusted? Watch out for people who seem to be postal workers? That you should always remember that everyone behind an online avatar or toon is an ordinary person? Actually, probably the lesson is that many ostensibly 'respectable' media agencies would walk through fire to demonize your online pastimes, interests and hobbies unnecessarily. Pay attention to whom. Probably, at the end of the day Jernigan's ability to get the man's address by posting as a postal worker is the really scary part here. If you've ever had a stalker, that alone will give you the chills. Privacy and anonymity are only the thinnest of shells, and can be pierced by those who are determined. Are you a part of the most widely-known collaborative virtual environment or keeping a close eye on it? Massively's Second Life coverage keeps you in the loop.
Activision-Blizzard merger may be complete on July 9th
WoW Insider sister site Big Download is reporting that the Activision-Blizzard merger is getting closer and closer to reality. They recently won another victory in court today, as a Delaware court struck down an attempt by the Wayne County Employees' Retirement System to gain a preliminary injunction against the deal. We're now coming up fast the July 8th Activision shareholders' meeting, where they will vote to approve the merger. Activision has already said that they expect the merger to be official on or about July 9th, according to Big Download. This, of course, squeaks in just under the wire for the E3 expo. Activision-Blizzard has already said they don't plan to participate, but that they will hold a press conference on or near the dates of the expo. It seems likely now that they will be officially announcing the completion of their merger. Of course, we here at WoW Insider are hoping the merger isn't the only thing they reveal. A WoTLK cinematic and official release date or another L70ETC song on Guitar Hero would be nice, I'd say.
