Verizon’s not looking to add to its wireless arsenal, Steve Jobs’s role at another company comes into contention, and we’re shocked—shocked!—at the Supreme Court’s decision on an important case. Order in the court! Here come the remainders for Tuesday, March 22, 2011.
Verizon Wireless CEO says no interest in Sprint deal (Reuters)
If you were afraid that this week’s surprise acquisition of T-Mobile by AT&T would spur Verizon to retaliate by acquiring third-place carrier Sprint, good news: Verizon Wireless CEO Daniel Mead told Reuters, “We’re not interested in Sprint. We don’t need them.” Dude. Harsh. The Now Network has feelings too, okay?
What AT&T Owes T-Mobile if Deal Doesn’t Go Through (All Things Digital)
Speaking of the AT&T/T-Mobile deal, you might wonder what happens should it not pass U.S. regulatory approval? Well, T-Mobile might not mind so much: it’s got AT&T on the hook for $3 billion, a slice of spectrum, and a roaming agreement if the merger fails to pass muster. Alas, T-Mobile does have to return AT&T’s engagement ring, which is a priceless heirloom that once belonged to Ma Bell.
Advisory firm questions Steve Jobs’ reelection to Disney board (Los Angeles Times)
Steve Jobs has served on Disney’s board since 2006, when the media giant acquired Pixar. Now a shareholder advisory firm is raising concerns about Jobs’s re-election to Disney’s board, in advance of the company’s annual shareholder meeting on Wednesday. The AFL-CIO, which holds a significant amount of Disney stock, has already voted against Jobs’s return. Major shareholders Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck could not be reached for comment.
Court won’t get involved in Eminem royalty suit (Yahoo News)
The Supreme Court has declined to hear the case between Eminem’s former production company and Universal Music over the split of licensing the rapper’s songs for digital downloads. By declining to get involved in the case, the ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals stands, entitling FBT Productions to a 50/50 split. However, inside reports suggest that the real reason the justices decided not to hear the case was to avoid Chief Justice John Roberts once again attempting to freestyle.
Senators call on smartphone makers to remove apps that help drunk drivers evade police (Senate.gov)
Senators Harry Reid (D-NV), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), and Tom Udall (D-NM) have published an open letter to Apple, Google, and RIM, asking them to remove apps from their respective software marketplaces that allow users to circumvent drunk-driving checkpoints set up by police. You know, if there’s one thing more despicable than driving while drunk it’s driving while drunk and simultaneously using your cell phone.
Product Remainders:
MyIC 1.2 for Mac OS X – This $149 unified communication tool by Xnet lets Mac users create virtual teleconferences with complete audio, video, and text chat support. It boasts compatibility with certain Alcatel-Lucent hardware, and also integrates with Facebook.
FontGenius 2.0 – FontGear’s font identification utility has been updated with Optical Character Recognition (OCR) capabilities, a revamped selection tool, image filters, and speed increases. $40 for a full license, the update is free to FontGenius 1.0 users.
FileMaker Go Starter Solutions – The database company has released three free starter solutions, which quickly enable users to track contacts, documents, and assets. The solutions are optimized for FileMaker’s iPhone and iPad FileMaker Go client but can also be customized using the Mac version of FileMaker.