Apple v. Samsung: All you need to know about latest patent trial (FAQ)

The rivals will return to the courtroom on Monday. The trial is still all about smartphone and tablet patents, but this time, the accused devices are newer, including the Galaxy S3 and iPhone 4S.

Here we go again.
Almost two years after Apple and Samsung faced off in a messy patent dispute, the smartphone and tablet rivals will return to the same San Jose, Calif., courtroom and appear before the same federal judge who presided over their 2012 case to argue once again over patents.
The trial, which begins March 31, is the latest in a long-running patent infringement spat that has involved jury trials, International Trade Commission disputes, and numerous international suits.
Apple and Samsung have accused each other of copying features used in their popular smartphones and tablets, and a jury will have to decide who actually infringed and how much money is due. This trial involves different patents and newer devices than the ones disputed at trial in August 2012 and in a damages retrial in November 2013.

How to boost your WiFi speed by choosing the right channel

If you’ve ever poked around your WiFi router’s settings, you’ve probably seen the word channel. Most routers have their channel set to Auto, but I’m sure that a most of us have looked through that list of a dozen or so channels and wondered what they are, and more importantly, which of the channels are faster than the others. Well, I’m happy to report that some channels are indeed much faster — but that doesn’t mean you should go ahead and recklessly change them. Read on to find out more about 802.11 channels, interference, and the massive difference between 2.4GHz and 5GHz WiFi.

Turkey becomes first nation to block Google DNS, claims Twitter is groveling at its feet

Turkey’s corrupt Prime Minister Racep Tayyip Erdoğan has upped the ante in his quest to “root out Twitter,” which is hugely popular in that country. Three days ago, Erdoğan banned Twitter in Turkey after links purportedly showing him ordering his sons to destroy evidence during a police investigation of corruption were shared through the microblogging site. Turkish citizens propmtly bypassed the ban by using Google DNS instead of local Turkish DNS servers — so the government has responded by banning Google DNS.
Erdoğan has come under heavy fire over the past year for violent crackdowns in Taksim Gezi Park after citizens rallied to halt him from destroying some of the last green space in Istanbul. Seven people were killed and more than 8,500 injured in the protests; Erdoğan has been at war with his own populace ever since. Heavily implicated in multiple corruption schemes, his decision to shut down Twitter in the wake of substantiated allegations is a desperate attempt to cling to power.

Microsoft releases historic MS-DOS and Word source code to the public

Microsoft, in conjunction with the Computer History Museum in Silicon Valley, has released the source code for MS-DOS 1.1, MS-DOS 2.0, and Word for Windows 1.1a. These programs are probably the three most important releases in the history of Microsoft: MS-DOS would create and secure Microsoft’s monopoly of the PC market for more than 20 years, and the massive success of Word for Windows would go on to cultivate Microsoft’s Office suite, which has generated hundreds of billions of dollars for the company.

Facebook to buy virtual reality firm Oculus VR for $2 billion

Facebook is getting into the virtual reality business.

The social networking giant announced plans Tuesday to buy virtual reality firm Oculus VR for $2 billion, its latest high-profile acquisition.

Oculus makes the Oculus Rift headset, which covers your eyes and immerses you in a virtual environment that responds to your head movements.
The Rift has demoed at tech industry events to rave reviews, though it isn't yet available to consumers. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg declined to comment on when that might happen. Developers interested in building software for the device can purchase it for $350, and the company has received more than 75,000 orders so far.