Google Acquires Stealth Startup Founded by Ex-Apple Employees

Google has acquired Agnilux, a very secretive stealth startup founded by former Apple employees that reportedly was working on new server technology.

The company was founded by a group of engineers from P.A. Semi, which was acquired by Apple in April 2008 for $278 million — their technology is what powers the Apple iPad’s A4 microprocessor.

After the acquisition, several employees left Apple to found Agnilux, including Amarjit Gill, the former EVP of Sales and Business Development for P.A. Semi. Very little is known about the startup, with a recent report from NYT’s Bits Blog uncovering only that it’s working on some type of server and that it has a partnership with Cisco.

A Google (Google) spokesperson told us the following: “We’re pleased to welcome the Agnilux team to Google, but we don’t have any additional information to share right now.”

Google could be using Agnilux to upgrade or enhance its server technology. The search giant owns hundreds of thousands, if not millions of servers to power the world’s search queries. Any improvement in efficiency would be a boon to Google’s bottom line.

The acquisition was first reported by peHUB. Agnilux’s website has been taken down since the report.

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Hitler “Downfall” Parodies Removed from YouTube

Hitler “Downfall” Parodies Removed from YouTube


The movie studio responsible for the award-winning, German-Austrian film Downfall (German: Der Untergang) has asked YouTube to take down several videos from the massively popular subtitled “Hitler finds out…” meme, and the site has complied.

Search YouTube and you’ll still find hundreds of Downfall parodies, but click through to some of the bigger ones and you’ll now get the message, “This video contains content from Constantin Film, who has blocked it on copyright grounds.”

According to TechCrunch, the first Downfall parody to be taken down was the one about the iPhone 4G leak, but other popular parodies followed. At four million views, “Hitler Gets Banned from Xbox Live” was one of the most watched and thus among the casualties. The remaining videos might get taken down soon as well.

Each parody video takes a scene from Downfall in which Hitler throws a tantrum when he learns that he cannot win the war. Fake subtitles are then applied to make it appear as if he’s having a tantrum about something else. The topics have ranged from Michael Jackson’s death to Hitler learning that he’s the subject of an out-of-control YouTube video meme.

Downfall director Oliver Hirschbiegel told New York Magazine that he laughs at the parodies. “You couldn’t get a better compliment as a director,” he said. Unfortunately, Constantin Film’s legal team isn’t as easygoing about it.

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Xperia X10 Available at Telstra Come May 4

Wireless carrier Telstra recently announced plans to launch another Android-based mobile phone, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10. Australian users will be able to enjoy the features and capabilities of this handset starting with May 4, and those interested in the Xperia X10 can head to the carrier's website now to register for updates on the matter.

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 comes to the market with a 4-inch touchscreen display, it is powered by a fast 1GHz Snapdragon processor, and users will enjoy Google's Android 1.6 operating system on it (the platform is upgradeable to 2.1). Popular apps from the Internet giant, including Gmail and Google search, are also present with the device, along with a series of solutions from Telstra, such as Mobile FOXTEL, Whereis Navigator and Yellow Pages Mobile.

“A piano black finish, metal highlights and a stunning 4-inch screen make the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 one of the most distinctive looking smartphones available. Telstra Next G customers will also be able to personalise their Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 by selecting from thousands of free and paid-for applications available from the Android Market - including games, transport apps, productivity tools, fitness apps and news services,” Telstra Executive Director, Mobility Products, Ross Fielding said.

The specifications list of Xperia X10 includes an 8.1-megapixel photo snapper with auto focus, smile detection, face recognition, video recording, or 16x digital zoom, Bluetooth A2DP, TrackID, microSD memory card slot for additional storage space (an 8GB card included in the package), Assisted-GPS, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm audio jack, and support for Microsoft Exchange Active Sync, IM, MMS, SMS. The phone measures 119 x 63 x 13mm and weighs in at 135g.

When launched on May 4, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 will be available for free on Telstra's $110 Ultimate plan, which offers 150MB of data each month, for 24 months. Users will be able to acquire the device for free on the $99 cap plan for 24 months too, while those interested in getting the phone without a contract will have to pay $1099 for it.

“Two apps unique to the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 allow customers to view all of their communication or media in one screen. Timescape displays all of a customer's communication in one view including SMS, email, Facebook posts and tweets making it easier to keep up to date. Meanwhile, Mediascape allows customers to browse and access media content saved on their phone or available online - for instance on YouTube. Unique integration with the BigPond Music service lets customers view and purchase associated songs from inside the app,” Fielding added.

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