[H]ardNews 9th Edition - Tech Edition

StarForce Copy Protection Woes:

It would seem that StarForce copy protection is creating quite a stir online. A few people are trying to get a boycott started against the popular anti-piracy software which lead to claims of legal threats from the makers of StarForce.

StarForce is piracy prevention software that many publishers have bundled with their games, and even some demos, in recent years in order to make the games less susceptible to being cracked or otherwise modified. However, many gamers have experienced problems with StarForce, finding themselves unable to run the game in question or in some cases even causing harm to their computer.

Google Buying Napster?

Is Google interested in Napster? Google is like the new Publisher’s Clearing House or something…Google is just showing up at random places with big fat checks. Google denied the rumors.

Internet giant Google is in talks with Napster over an "extensive alliance" that could include an "outright acquisition," according to a Tuesday report in the New York Post, citing anonymous sources.

PayPal To Collect Fees On Deposits:

It looks like PayPal will be collecting fees on deposits to reimburse PayPal for a portion of its expenses.

The fund currently pays a 7-day average yield of 4.38 percent, the highest rate of any money-market fund in the United States, according Peter Crane, managing editor of IBC's Money Fund Report. Starting March 1, PayPal will cut that yield by one-quarter of a percentage point to help pay expenses for managing the money.