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Former Apple employee let tablet secret slip early
Apple’s silence around the tablet was cracked on Tuesday when McGraw-Hill Companies CEO Terry McGraw said in a TV interview that Apple would be announcing the product on Wednesday. When asked by a CNBC anchor whether McGraw-Hill would make its textbooks available on an Apple tablet, McGraw said, “They’ll make their announcement tomorrow.” McGraw, who was being interviewed about McGraw-Hill’s latest financial results, added that the tablet is going to be based on the iPhone operating system. McGraw-Hill has worked with Apple for quite a while, and the publishing company’s textbooks will be available for Apple’s tablet, he said.
Oracle sues Rimini Street for softwre theft
Oracle has filed a lawsuit against third-party maintenance provider Rimini Street and its CEO Seth Ravin, alleging the parties have been engaged in “massive theft of Oracle’s software and related support materials through an illegal business model,” according to documents filed Monday in U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada. Rimini Street, which provides support for SAP and Oracle applications, promises that customers will save at least 50 percent off their vendor-provided support bills.
Google targeted for early termination fees on Nexus One
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is continuing its investigation into wireless early termination fees but this time is targeting one notable newcomer: Google. When Google launched its Nexus One phone in early January, the fine print of the user agreement indicated that cancelling service in under 120 days would cost customers $550. That includes a $350 equipment recovery fee that Google charges and a $200 termination fee from T-Mobile. Buyers have a 14-day grace period during which they can return the phone and avoid those charges.
Wal-Mart mistakenly advertises Nexus One
Despite a detailed page on Wal-Mart’s Web site indicating that the Nexus One phone is “coming soon,” Google says it has no plans to distribute the phone anywhere but its own Web site. Wal-Mart Stores has created a page on its wireless Web site featuring the Nexus One. It says the device is coming soon, but does not include pricing information. Wal-Mart says that the page was put up by mistake, due to a technical error.
