Ian Hickson, the googler who is overseeing the HTML5 standard at the W3C, has written a surprisingly frank piece on the role of DRM. As he spells out in detail, the point of DRM isn't to stop illegal copying, it's to stop legal forms of innovation from taking place. He shows that companies that deploy DRM do so in order to prevent individuals, groups and companies from innovating in ways that disrupt their profitability

http://boingboing.net/2013/03/20/html5s-overseer-says-drms.html

In 2008 Nissan and Sony PlayStation teamed up with an interesting concept – could expert gamers on the Gran Turismo computer game transform their skills to real life racing?

After 25,000 applications in 13 countries they invited the best gamers to a ‘GT Academy’ for intensive training and the results proved to be better than anyone expected.

The programme has already produced drivers such as Spain’s Lucas Ordonez and France’s Jordan Tresson who have both gone on to compete in the 24 hours of Le Mans.

Last year’s GT Academy winner Jann Mardenborough teamed up with a pro driver Alex Buncomb and entered the British GT pro-am series - an event where a pro is teamed up with a 'gentleman driver' who is expected to be slower than his partner.

However, despite having no professional driving experience, Mardenborough proved to be as fast as the pros and was so good that the series has now banned further GT Academy drivers from taking part.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/world-of-sport/gamers-deemed-too-fast-real-life-race-143459150.html

The US Patent and Trademark Office has approved Apple's request to trademark the design and layout of its iconic retail stores — stores that other US companies have tried in recent years to imitate. Apple had to fight to get its store trademark, with the patent office rejecting Apple's request twice. In the second rejection, the USPTO said that Apple's design wasn't "inherently distinctive," prompting Apple to file a 122-page document arguing its case, complete with consumer surveys and photos of its storefronts.

http://www.theverge.com/2013/1/29/3930156/apple-trademarks-its-retail-store-design