Google tweaks in piracy fight

Google has said it will tweak its search service in an attempt to tackle online piracy, following lobbying by the music industry, reports the BBC.

The search giant will implement four changes, including the removal of words that are associated with piracy from appearing in its autocomplete feature.

However, it will not prevent sites that host illegal copyright material from appearing in its search results. The music industry said the measures did not go far enough.

Research in Motion (RIM) revealed it is buying The Astonishing Tribe (TAT), a Swedish mobile software design house, according to CNet.

TAT is known for making shiny, slick interfaces for a variety of phone makers, especially for Android phones. But RIM is smartly conscripting the company into focusing on the BlackBerry's tried and true, but, frankly, boring interface, as well as the yet to be fully revealed tablet, called the Playbook. Full details of what RIM has in mind were not disclosed.

This is a good move for RIM: bring in some young, hip people to loosen up the very business-like approach it's taken for years. And it's actually just the latest in a series of interesting acquisitions. These acquisitions are clearly in response to the iPhone, iPad, and the recent rise of Android phones.

An update from AVG rendered 64-bit Windows 7 systems unstable after it was applied, says The Register.

Several Register readers have been affected by the problem, which leaves machines in a continuous reboot loop. AVG has pulled the problem update (3292) and published an advisory apologising for the cock-up and providing instructions on how to get hobbled systems back up and running again.

Recovering a Blue Screened PC is more involved than simply rebooting in safe mode, as the security vendor explains. Desktop versions of Windows 7 seem particularly prone to the bug.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) kicked WikiLeaks off its servers for breaking rules designed to ensure Web sites use their own content, and that it won't injure others, and not due to pressure from the US government, Amazon said, reveals PC World.

"AWS does not pre-screen its customers, but it does have terms of service that must be followed. WikiLeaks was not following them," Amazon said in a blog posting.

"For example, our terms of service state that 'you represent and warrant that you own or otherwise control all of the rights to the content; that use of the content you supply does not violate this policy and will not cause injury to any person or entity'," it added.