You might have heard of companies going from strength to strength, but Oracle has just gone from one controversial executive to another. Former HP CEO Mark Hurd has been revealed as the replacement for outgoing co-president Charles Phillips. According to the company, Phillips has resigned and will also be stepping down from its board.

He was in the crosshairs at the start of this year when his mistress of eight years YaVaughnie Wilkins went public with their affair using a billboard campaign. Phillips is also a member of President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board.

His replacement, Mark Hurd, is no stranger to controversies either. It was a sexual-harassment probe that led to Hurd's exit from HP. "Mark did a brilliant job at HP and I expect he'll do even better at Oracle," said CEO Larry Ellison in a statement,” said Oracle CEO Larry Ellison in a statement.

At the time of Hurd's departure from HP, Ellison was critical of of the role HP's board payed in Hurd's exit. In an email sent to the New York Times, he had called it the “the worst personnel decision since the idiots on the Apple board fired Steve Jobs many years ago.”

Worried that Duke Nukem Forever will come out, and then Duke Nukem Foreverer will launch just as the sun collapses and devours the earth and all that you hold dear? Well, no worries there, since 3D Realms has relinquished its Duke Nukem privileges. (Also, happily, you’ll be long dead before the sun ever goes Pac-Man on our humble little power planet, so hooray for that too!) From this point forward, Borderlands developer Gearbox will be handling all things Nukem – not just Forever.

“Fifteen years ago, Duke Nukem 3D helped launch my professional video game development career,” said Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford. “The Gearbox Software team and I are ecstatic that we have grown to a position to be able to pick up and carry the torch and help Duke rise back to glory in his time of need. Fans of the legendary hero and all the incredible talent that have ever helped him all deserve the very best support that we can bring.”

So, everyone wins, right? Well, mostly everyone. Surely 3D Realms co-founder George Broussard – the man who pumped mountains of his own money into Forever – can’t be entirely thrilled that someone else is signing their name on his handiwork. Well, shows what we know, because he also thinks the franchise is in good hands.

“Gearbox was the only home appropriate for the Duke Nukem brand. Their vision for its future direction is exciting and unbelievable. I personally cannot wait for fans to see their unique take on the franchise. This will be a win-win situation for everyone involved, especially the fans,” Broussard said in a press release.

What’s this odd sensation? Is it… optimism? For Duke Nukem? The thick layer of ice that once coated our cold hearts has finally melted, it would seem. The reason? Hope, perhaps. Or maybe global warming. We really hope it’s that first thing, though.

The rich tradition of Droid ads poking fun at the iPhone is alive and well. After a series of DroidX ads mocking the iPhone 4's reception woes, Motorola has turned its attention to the iPhone's lack of Flash support . "Flash websites? There's a phone for that,” reads a new newspaper ad for the Droid 2. This, of course, is a pun on Apple's "there's an app for that" tag line. The popular tag line was also mocked by a Verizon ad last year: “If you wanna know why your 3G coverage works so well on Verizon Wireless – there’s a map for that!”

The Business Software Alliance has a bounty program that rewards software piracy whistleblowers. The latest beneficiary of BSA's bounty program, which offers up to $1 million in reward money, is said to have received £10,000 ($15,300) for blowing the lid of his former employer's use of unlicensed software. According to BSA, the tip helped it recover more than £100,000 (approx. $150,000)  in damages from an unidentified media company.

"I was aware that the BSA offers a financial payment but I never expected this much money," the whistleblower, only identified as a Microsoft certified IT Professional, was quoted as saying by the BSA. "This is definitely an extra motivation for other people like me, already frustrated by a management that thinks that they can get more with less."

This news comes on the heels of BSA's revelation that it settled with more than 1,000 companies in the first six months of 2010. It further said that these “settlements” helped it recoup £6.5 million in damages and licensing fees.

Those Redbox kiosks you see scattered all over the place are proving immensely popular, as evidenced by Redbox recently serving up its one billionth movie rental. It took six years for Redbox to reach the billion rental milestone.

"One billion rentals is an incredible milestone as Redbox has quickly become the local video store for millions of consumers nationwide," said Mitch Lowe, president, Redbox. "Our popularity is a testament to our customers' loyalty and our steadfast commitment to making movie rentals affordable and convenient for our consumers."

To celebrate the occasion, Redbox is giving its renters a free one-night movie rental throughout the month of September. All they have to do is enter their unique DVD code found on their Redbox rental at redbox.com/thanks to get the promo code.

There are now over 24,000 Redbox kiosks in the U.S. serving up more than 9.5 million rentals a week, including Blu-ray titles,.

Apple's new iPod touch isn't capable of making phone calls, though if you hit up the "More Features" section of the device's product page, you might be led to believe otherwise. Why? Because Apple sucks at Photoshop.

That seems to be the most reasonable explanation as to why promotional images of the fourth-gen iPod touch show a phone function in the lower left corner, just like the iPhone. Furthermore, Apple replaced the iPod icon with a Music icon in the new iPod touch, though the promo shots show otherwise.

What most likely happened is someone at Apple got lazy and Photochopped a pic of an iPhone screen onto an iPod touch body, thus qualifying Apple for another ticket on the Fail Boat, right behind Microsoft's Photoshop team.

Well that was fast. A refresh of the product page shows someone at Apple knows how to wield a Photoshop brush, after all.

The tablet market continues to inch closer to a competitive field instead of just a one-man show dominated by Apple. ExoPC, for example, is now taking preorders for its upcoming Windows 7-based slate.

Preorders were originally limited to 1,200, but now it's open to everyone. The 32GB version will run you CAD $649 (about $625) while the 64GB is being sold for CAD $749 (about $720). Both models come with up to 160MB/s SanDisk P4 mini-SSDs and a rated battery life of up to four hours.

One change since the last time we heard about these tablets is that GPS has been pulled from the 64GB version. ExoPC said it wasn't able to get it to work right on the prototype and doesn't have enough time to track down another provider, so they're dumping GPS altogether, at least for now.

Enticed? More preordering info here.

The USB 3.0 SuperSpeed spec really is all that and a bag of Baked Lays (unless you're not a fan of Baked Lays, in which case insert your own awesome variety of chips). For starters, USB 3.0 crushes USB 2.0 in maximum theoretical transfer rates at up to 4.8Gb/s versus 480Mb/s. But speed isn't the only benefit. The SuperSpeed spec supports full-duplex data transfers, delivers more power to devices, and allows for longer cable runs. And best off, it's backwards compatible with USB 2.0.

So why the frak aren't we seeing USB 3.0 all over the place? Blame it on Intel, the world's No. 1 chip maker who happens to be dragging its feet in supporting the new spec. The only way you'll find USB 3.0 on boards now is through a third-party chip, primarily from NEC.

That's about to change. According to a Chinese-language Commercial Times report, Intel is expected to announce its own USB 3.0 host controller for its Couger Point motherboard reference design at the upcoming Intel Developer Forum (IDF).

Once Intel makes the announcement, you can expect USB 3.0 devices to start barreling through the market. We've already seen a handful of SuperSpeed products pushed through the mainstream pipeline, but by this time next year, the USB 3.0 landscape should look decidedly different.

Well folks, it looks like it's back to the bars, chat rooms, chat roulette, online dating services, blind date hookups, grocery stores, coffee shops, and every other new and old fashioned way of hooking up, because Craigslist's 'Adult Services' section looks to be off the table.

There hasn't been any official announcement, but as of last Friday, the online classifieds slapped a "censored" box over what used to be the Adult Services URL.

According to The Consumerist, Craigslist has drawn the ire from at least 18 states' attorneys general over the sultry section, each one charging that it's used for illegal prostitution and sex trafficking. Whether or not the section blockade is temporary or permanent remains to be seen.

The upcoming Ubuntu release codenamed "Maverick Meerkat" is now available in beta trim, marking the first and only planned beta for Ubuntu 10.10 before a release candidate drops at the end of this month.

Ubuntu 10.10 Beta comes with version 2.31 of the GNOME desktop, which includes the new dconf and gsettings API. Canonical says it replaced F-Spot with Shotwell as the new default photo manager, and the Sound Indicator now includes music player controls. Other changes include:

• Gwibber has been updated to support the recent change in Twitter's authentication system
• Ubuntu Software Center has an updated look and feel
• Evolution was updated to the 2.30 version, resulting in much faster operation compared to Ubuntu 10.04 LTS

You can read the full list of changes in the release notes, and if you like what you see, grab a copy for yourself right here.

YouTube Demo

Okpako Mike Diamreyan, a 31-year-old citizen of Nigeria, was sentenced to 151 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Janet C. Hall for his role in an Internet "advanced fee" scam.

"The dependent and his accomplices preyed on vulnerable victims in Connecticut, the United States, and around the world, leaving many individuals and their families in financial ruin," stated U.S. Attorney Fein. "The lengthy prison term imposed today should send a strong message to others who intent to commit similar crimes -- we will pursue these cases wherever they lead us and bring you to justice. I want to single out the DCIS and their agents who worked this case tirelessly and thoroughly and helped achieve justice for victims."

According to U.S. officials, Diamreyen ran his operation from August 2004 through August 2009 by sending out emails claiming he had a consignment stored in Ghana. He told his victims the loot was worth anywhere from $11.5 million to $23.4 million and offered them a 20 percent cut if they'd help him transfer the money to the U.S.

The scheme worked at least 67 times, netting Diamreyan more than $1.3 million. Diamreyen was also ordered to pay a little over $1 million in restitution.

It doesn't matter whether you spent $500 or $2,500 on your laptop, chances are the interior came riddled with stickers. Popping open the $1,600 Asus G73Jh-A1, for example, you'll find no less than five stickers advertising the processor (Intel Core i7), OS (Windows 7), graphics (ATI Mobility Radeon), sound effects (EAX Advanced HD), and overall system specs.

Despite the prominence of stickers on laptops at every price point, not everyone is on board with this, namely AMD, according to a recent report in The New York Times.

"As AMD points out, it's like buying a new, luxury car -- and discovering that it comes with non-removable bumper stickers that promote the motor oil, the floor mat maker, the windshield-fluid company, and the pine tree air freshener you have no intention of ever using," writes David Pogue of The NYT.

According to Pogue, AMD is planning a switch to new stickers in 2011 that will peel off a lot easier without leaving behind any residue. What's more, AMD is considering dumping its sticker program completely. Until then, AMD is making its sticker program optional, so even if a company decides not to slap an AMD sticker onto their notebook, they'll still receive the same marketing dollars.

What's your stand on laptop stickers -- nuisance or no big deal?

Don't waste your time trying to figure out if Rydeen's new GCOM701 device is a bona fide slate or a Portable Navigation Device (PND), according to Rydeen, it qualifies as both.

On the tablet front, this 7-inch slate comes armed with an 800MHz Amrada 166 processor from Marvell, 2GB of DDR2 memory, and up to 32GB of external storage (microSD card slot). It also comes with 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB, and support for a whole host of picture, video, and audio formats all wrapped in Google's Android platform.

Rydeen says you can also use the GCOM701 as a PND "complete with 4 million Points of Interest (POIs), powered by Navteq.

Look for this one to ship sometime in November. No word yet on price.

Stealth Computers, which specializes in tough technology products, has released a new rugged, "vandal resistant" plank with a built-in trackball and adjustable backlit keys.

"The new KYBX-400 series keyboard compliments our existing rugged peripherals family of products with the introduction of adjustable illuminated keys and a precision trackball. The keyboard is encapsulated in durable stainless-steel providing an anti-corrosive protection that is ideally suited for dirty and wet environments", remarked Ed Boutilier, CEO of Stealth.com Inc.

Protruding out of the steel casing are 71 polymer keys that Stealth says offers silent tactile feedback, while the trackball sports an 800DPI sensor.

At $700, Stealth isn't marketing the KYBX-400 at home consumers, but for applications that include process control, public space, in-vehicle computing, interactive kiosks, and anywhere else a sturdy plank is needed.

The inescapable truth is that you can not escape talk of tablets and 3D these days. Not with the consumer electronics industry adamant that both of them will soon become de rigueur, if not the desiderata of everyday life. The ongoing IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin offers the blasé tech buff no respite either, with tablets and 3D dominating the event. That said, the Aiptek i2 (video) is probably a product that you might not want to overlook.

Currently being showcased at IFA 2010, the i2 is a pocket-sized 3D camcorder capable of capturing 3D video and stills. If you don't have a 3D TV at home, it is still possible to view the recorded video in 3D on a standard display using bundled software to re-encode it. Of course, you will still need red and blue 3D glasses for it to work.

The i2 features a 2.4-inch 3D display on the back and supports up to 32 GB of expandable storage. It doesn't cost an arm and a leg, but on the contrary, it is quite affordable - unless of course you treat the Indian government's $35 tablet as a benchmark for affordability and yourself as the personification of parsimony. You can make the i2 all yours for $200.

Google Wave may not have lasted long as an official web app, but the search giant announced today that it intends to use the existing code to design a fully functional application that can be hosted by anyone who wants it. The service will lose its integration with Gmail, but will still give active Wave participants a place to use and modify new and existing Wave’s after the service shuts down at the end of the year.

In many ways Wave might stand a better chance of reaching its full potential as a community open source project than as a neglected Google product. At the very least it takes the sting away from those who used the service extensively before they found out it was being given the axe.

Image Credit: Lifehacker

Apple announced on late Friday that it’s Ping Social networking service has hit 1 million users since its launch 48 hours ago. Few doubted that the service would be an instant hit since, like Google Buzz, it was shoehorned into existing products that we are forced to use everyday.

According to Apple “One-third of the people who have downloaded iTunes 10 have joined Ping,“ said Eddy Cue, vice president of Internet Services. “As many more people download iTunes 10 in the coming weeks, we expect the Ping community to continue growing.“

It will be interesting to see if Ping catches on in any meaningful way, but it has a number of interesting limitations to overcome. Anyone who tried out the service since launch will know that unless you’re a Lady Gaga or Yo-Yo Ma fan most of your favorite artists have yet to establish a profile. This is likely because of the veil of secrecy maintained around all Apple products, but they would have been far better off risking an information leak than unveiling a service that many will try once, get frustrated with and never return to.

We are also left scratching our heads as to why we need to use iTunes to check our feed, haven’t these guys heard of a web browser? Time will tell if they can iron out the kinks, but can we at least agree iTunes did not need any more features?

Fallout 3 for the PC had a few technical issues that kept it from earning our coveted kick-ass award last year, but it was still a favorite around the office. With the sequel only slightly over a month away many of us can’t wait to get our hands on a new Bethesda open world, but those with an iPad/iPhone can get an early taste of the post apocalyptic world of New Vegas. 

Bethesda has teamed up with Dark Horse Comics to release a free 12 page graphic novel created by senior designer Chris Avellone to give curious Fallout fans a taste of what is to come. 

I’m not sure if Fabio (pictured above) is actually going to be a playable character, but this free offering is great for Fallout fans who are hungry for more. I would hope that this eventually gets released to the web (especially considering its free), but only time will tell.

Google has agreed to pay $8.5 million (US) to settle a privacy lawsuit filed over its Buzz social networking service, and as usual only the lawyers are going to get rich on this one. The exact terms of the settlement are still pending approval from a federal court judge, but for a company that is earning $6.5-$7 billion per quarter we are guessing they probably won’t lose too much sleep over it.

The proposed settlement involves 30 percent of the funds being set aside to cover legal fees, and the seven named plaintiffs receiving approximately $2,500 each. The remainder of the cash will be earmarked for organizations devoted to Internet privacy policy or education. Google has also been asked to do more to help educate the public about the privacy of Buzz, something Google claims has already been done.

A legal ruling against the search giant is a bit of a black eye for its “do no evil” company motto, but we are guessing the whole Buzz thing in general didn’t go over as well as they had hoped. 

Anyone out there still using it?

SD memory cards are the format of choice for mobile devices, but as megapixels continue to rise and HD video recording becomes the norm, flash memory speeds will become an increasingly important bottleneck. SDHC cards are cutting it for now, but according to CNET the SD Card association isn’t resting on its laurels and is hard at work on the next generation of flash designs.

Modern high-speed SD cards have data-transfer buses with a maximum theoretical speed of about 104MB per second, but in reality most cards are yielding speeds much slower than this. The new standard called SD 4.0 will increase the theoretical maximum speed to 300MB per second, and the association believes this will give them the headroom they need to build faster cards. The higher speeds are accomplished by adding an additional set of pins to the bottom face of the card, but the dimensions and backwards compatibility will be maintained.

The specification is expected to be completed by Q1 2011 meaning we could see products with the new standard by the end of 2011 or early 2012.