Sunday Chatter – 1/17

January 17th, 2010 posted by Chris Jacobson · No Comments

Internet Pulls Together for Haiti Earthquake Relief

The devastating earthquake that rocked parts of Haiti this week has the international relief efforts in full force. Citizens have been opening up their wallets to help the cause and do what they can to contribute towards the rebuilding of the country. A 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit on Tuesday, leaving tens of thousands dead, and millions more missing or injured. The Internet has really come together to help the people of Haiti, especially those on Twitter and Facebook. Dozens of support groups have popped up, and because mass communications are knocked out, some of the first photos from the wreckage were being transmitted via Twitter. Several cell phone providers have setup text donation campaigns to make it easier for mobile users to donate. Mashable.com highlights how the web community is rallying to help Haitians.

Kodak Sues BlackBerry and iPhone Over Patent Infringement

Kodak is taking Canadian-based Research in Motion and Apple to court over photo patents used in the BlackBerry and iPhone. Kodak says the problem lies within image previews, which shows users thumbnail versions of a photo. The company has been trying to come to an agreement and resolution with RIM and Apple for a while now, but nothing has been resolved. Kodak isn’t trying to block the sale of either of the devices, but says it wants compensation. More on this story from PCWorld.com.

World’s First Wi-Fi Lawsuit?

This is just plain crazy. A man in Santa Fe, New Mexico is suing his neighbours claiming the amount of technology and radio frequencies from their home is making him sick. The man claims he suffers from “electromagnetic allergies,” which get worse when he’s in the proximity of cell phones, computers, TVs or microwave ovens. He says he first started experiencing problems in the 1980s and now wants compensation. A number of Santa Fe residents are coming together to try and snuff out Wi-Fi hotspots and put an end to airborne technology pollution. If you’re a gadget geek, you may want to stay out of Santa Fe.