Boot up: 1-Click patent rejected, more open data, why Ballmer is at CES and more

A click to buy doesn't win a patent in Europe, even if it does in the US. Photograph: Muntz/Getty Images

A burst of 10 links for you to chew over, as picked by the Technology team

Nice try, Amazon: 'One-click' payment too obvious to patent >> The Register
"A payment system devised by online retail giant Amazon is too obvious to patent, the European Patent Office (EPO) has ruled. "Amazon had hoped to patent the way its customers pay for products through the click of a single webpage button. The company was previously granted patent rights to the payment system in the US.
"An appeals board at the EPO ruled that the "one-click" method was too obvious as it relied on existing inventions, called "prior art" in patent law. Inventions must be new, take an inventive step that is not obvious and be useful to industry to qualify for patent protection."
Perhaps we could hire the EPO out to the US to get their patent system into shape?

Cameron unveils the transparent society >> UKAuthority
"Data on the performance of GPs, schools and details of sentences passed by individual courts is to be released in open, standardised format under the government's latest transparency initiative, to be announced on Thursday. "A letter on the new Number 10 Downing Street website, launched on Thursday, promises 'the most ambitious open data agenda of any government in the world.'"
Other events may have overshadowed this, but it's very significant.

A Pun About Google Plus and The Circles of Hell >> Terence Eden
"This is something Nik Butler and I have discussed. "Google needs to let people choose which circles to follow. "I imagine a UI which allows me to set a circle as private ("Work", "Family", "Political ranting") and set some circles as public ("Kitten pictures", "Industry News", "Political thoughts"). "When you follow me, you can say "I hate kittens, but I love politics – I'll follow one circle and ignore the others." "At the moment, I don't have the time to categorise 200 people into what I think they're interested. And they don't want to be bombarded with QR codes when all they really want is LOLCATS. "So, come on Google, sort it out – let people choose which circles they want to be in. "Please RT!"
The irony of that final request being offered for Twitter not lost, we hope.

DNA is now DIY: OpenPCR ships worldwide >> OpenPCR
"The price of a traditional PCR machine is around $3,000. So, do people in garages have great PCR machines? Not really. Howabout high school or middle school teachers? Nope. Howabout smaller medical testing labs or labs in India or China? Nope. Even some big bio labs try their luck on eBay. We set out to change that. "Josh and I prototyped OpenPCR over about 4 months — it was a lot of fun. Last May we unveiled the first OpenPCR prototype to all a bunch of crazy people on Kickstarter, 158 people gave us a total of $12,121. With that we designed and manufactured a repeatable, works-all-the-time device — it took a lot of hard work. Now we're done and ready to share!"
PCR is polymerase chain reaction - the method by which you magnify a small sample of DNA. Now, anyone can play.

Currys.co.uk and the missing phone call >> Sarah Parmenter
The strange case of how an oven couldn't be bought because the confirmation calls kept not coming through to her iPhone. Stranger than it looks at first glance.

This is why Steve Ballmer keynotes at CES >> CES Twitter account
The CES notices what we speak of, and provides its explanation.

China-based white-box vendors expected to ship 8 million tablet PCs in 2011 >> Digitimes
"China-based white-box vendors have launched many models of low-price tablet PCs mainly equipped with inexpensive ARM processors developed by Qualcomm, Nvidia and VIA Technologies for domestic sale and exports to emerging markets, with total shipments estimated at 2m units for the first quarter of 2011 and expected to reach 8m for the year, according to sources from Taiwan-based makers.
"White-box notebook players started cutting into China's tablet PC market in early 2011, targeting mainly the entry-level segment with price levels below US$250. [Even though] their operating system choices of only Android 2.2/2.3 or Windows 7 are rather weak compared to the mainstream operating system choices in terms of software or applications availability, their low prices still attract demand from some consumer groups."
Not quite the "50%" market share that DisplaySearch was talking about, and Digitimes does seem to know the suppliers.

Browse your Oyster travel and fare history >> GitHub
Requires you to have your own server, and written for Linux (or Mac OSX). Clever, if you have the chops to make it work.

How to take screenshots on your Android phone without rooting - Recombu
"A handful of the Android phones we've recently reviewed allow you to take screengrabs - pictures of what ever is on the phone's screen at the time - simply by pressing the power and menu button simultaneously. Finally! "Big deal, you might think. Except that it is - it's a really useful feature. As well as making our lives here a little easier when we're writing up app stories, it has plenty of potential uses. "From capturing incriminating texts from friends/colleagues/ex-partners (perfect for uploading to Facebook, if you're feeling evil) to proving that you've three starred each Angry Birds level (including all of Seasons and Rio), there's loads of ways that this can be useful."
Confirmed to work on Samsung Galaxy S II, for a start.

My Summer at an Indian Call Center >> Mother Jones
"While we idle in interminable traffic, my coworker Nishant asks where I'm from. 'America?' he says. 'I'll tell you about America.' "I must look wary, because he quickly explains that, after years of 50-hour workweeks, he's probably spoken with more of my compatriots than I have. 'America is not all honey and roses the way they tell you,' he informs me. 'Truth is, 90 percent of the people there, you will find, they'll do the most stupid things, impulsive things. I know for a fact. At the same time, Americans are bighearted people, and the remaining 10 percent of them are smart. Bloody smart. That's why they rule the world.'"
Fascinating insight. The comments - including one from someone who admits they would be the idiot customer from hell - are also enlightening.

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Boot-up: 1-click patent rejected more open data, why is Ballmer at CES and more,

A burst of 10 links for you to chew over, as picked by the technology team
Nice try, Amazon: 'single click'-payment to obviously, patent-> > the register
"By the online-retail payment system giant Amazon patent, the European Patent Office (EPO) has decided, too obvious."Amazon had hoped for, how, who their customers for products by a single Web page-click numbers patent logged. The company was granted patent rights to the payment system in the United States.

"An Appeals Board to the EPO decided that the"one-click"method was too obvious, as it left called on existing inventions,"State of the art"in patent law." "Inventions need new, take an innovative, which is not obvious, and useful, patent protection can be applied to industry."

Maybe could we give the EPO at the US patent system in the form to come?
Cameron is the transparent society > UKAuthority
"Is pass data about the performance of GPs, schools and information about sets of individual courts, in the open, standardized format under latest transparency initiative of the Government on Thursday announced to be released."A letter about the new number promises 10 Downing Street website, on Thursday, "the most ambitious data open agenda of every Government in the world." "

Other events may have overshadowed this, but it is very important.
A pun on Google plus and the circles of hell > Terence Eden

"This is something Nik Butler and I discussed."Google must follow, so that the people choose the districts. "I can imagine a user interface that allows me to set a circle as a private ("working","Family",)"political rant") and some quarters as public (" kitten pictures "," industry news "," political thoughts ") set."If you follow me, you can say "I hate kittens, but I love policy - I follow a circle and the others ignore." "At the moment, I don't have the time, categorize 200 people in what I think that they are interested in." And she bombed want not with QR codes are, when all they really want is LOLCATS. "" So, come on Google, sort it out let people who select circles they want its inch "Please RT!"

The irony of this last application for Twitter are not lost available, hope we.
DNA is now DIY: OpenPCR ships worldwide > OpenPCR
"The price of a traditional PCR machine is around $ 3,000." So, do people in garages have large PCR machines? Not really. Howabout high school or middle school teachers? Nope.

Howabout of smaller medical test labs or Labs in India or China? Nope. Even some large bio-labs try their luck on eBay. We set out to change. "Josh and I OpenPCR a prototype in about 4 months ago - it was a lot of fun." In May we the first prototype of the OpenPCR all a bunch of crazy people on Kickstarter introduced, 158 people gave us a total of $12,121. With, that we developed and produced a repeatable, works all-the time device - it has a lot of hard work. "Now we are ready and willing to share!"
PCR is polymerase chain reaction - the method you use to enlarge a small sample of DNA. Now, everyone can play.

Currys.co.UK and the missing call > Sarah Parmenter
The strange case of how could not oven are purchased because the confirmation calls do not come through their iPhone kept. Strange as it looks at first glance.
That is why keynotes by Steve Ballmer at CES > CES Twitter account
CES noticed, what we are talking about and makes his statement.
China-based white box vendors expected to send to 8 million Tablet PCs in 2011 > DIGITIMES

"China-based white box vendors have developed mainly equipped with low-cost processors many models of low-cost Tablet PCs by Qualcomm, NVIDIA and via technologies for domestic sales and exports to emerging markets, with total shipments estimated at 2 m units for the first quarter of 2011 and expected 8 m for the year reach sound sources from Taiwan-based makers started."

"White-box laptop players targeted in particular the entry-level segment with price level than US$ 250 started cutting in China Tablet PC market beginning 2011. [even if] their weak operating system options only Android 2.2 / 2.3 or Windows 7 as compared to the mainstream operating system choices for the availability of software or applications are still demand from some consumer groups consider their low prices."
Not quite the "50 %" market share that said DisplaySearch, and DIGITIMES seems to know the suppliers.

Browse your Oyster travel and fare history > GitHub
Requires that you have your own server and written for Linux (or Mac OS X). Clever, you have the chops to make it work.

How to take screenshots of your Android phone without roots - Recombu
"We have reviewed recently a handful of Android phones allow you to screen Tomb, photographs of what also always on the phone display is currently simultaneously, through the power and menu button - simply press." At last! "You might think, a big deal." Apart from the fact that it is - it is a really useful feature. As well, our life here a little easier if we write app stories, it has many uses. "Conquer incriminating texts from friends/colleagues/ex-partner (ideal for the upload in Facebook, if you are feeling angry) to prove that you have three each angry birds level played (including all seasons and Rio), there are plenty of ways that this can be useful."
Confirmed that the work on the Samsung Galaxy S II, for a start.
Mein summer an Indian call center > Mother Jones

' While we in endless traffic where idle, I am of my colleagues Nishant asks. ' America? "he says.""I'll tell you about America." ' I must carefully, look, because he quickly explains that after years of the 50-hour WorkWeeks, probably spoken with more of my fellow citizens than I have. "America is not all honey and Roses which they say way" he informed me. ' " Truth is, that 90 percent of the people there find you, she'll do the dumbest things, impulsive things. I know for a fact. At the same time, Americans are generous people, and the remaining 10 percent of them are smart. Bloody smart. "This is, why they the world prevail.'"

Fascinating insights. They - including one from someone who admits that she comments the idiot customer from hell would be - are also enlightening.
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