Paul Allen’s yacht, “Octopus”

Microsoft’s Paul Allen Sues Everybody – Microsoft’s co-founder Paul Allen has filed suit against nine companies over patent violations, including Apple, Google, AOL, Facebook, ebay, Netflix, Yahoo, and YouTube. The claims involve patents which cover integral parts of how those companies do business. Eg. one patent allows site suggestions for consumers based on things they’re currently viewing, while another allows related articles to be delivered while reading news. This is big. [engadget]

Paris Hilton Cocaine Bust – Last weeks Tuesday Tabs ambassador, Paris Hilton, has allegedly been bust with cocaine in Los Angeles. Apparently a police officer followed a marijuana vapour trail which ended at Paris Hilton’s car. They went into a nearby hotel for privacy and to potentially carry-out an arrest. That’s when cocaine fell out of her bag. Oh dear. [skynews]

Phone Numbers Are Dead – I have long maintained (here, here and here) that unplanned or unexpected phone calls will be deemed rude in five years time. It’s amazing how some people still don’t get it and, even worse, get offended that I am not prepared for this moment that they expect me to drop everything and talk to them (don’t even get me started on private numbers). Now it looks like we won’t even have phone numbers in five years time.. [techcrunch]

Google To Allow Phone Calls From Gmail – Google Inc said users of Gmail will now be able to call telephones directly from their email, putting it in direct competition with Web calling service Skype and more traditional operators such as AT&T Inc and Verizon Communications.While Google had already offered computer-to-computer voice and video chat services, it said that starting on Wednesday it will now allow calls to home phones and mobile phones directly from Gmail for the first time. [wired]

BP Spends $1 Million A Week On Advertising – BP is set to reveal it has spent more than $1m (£644,000) a week on television and radio advertising since the April 20 oil explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. The company is tomorrow expected to deliver a much-anticipated report to the US House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce committee after it demanded to know how much money BP has spent on advertising and marketing over the past four months. [telegraph]

Real Tiger Found In Luggage With Stuffed Toys – A live tiger cub was found drugged and hidden among stuffed-tiger toys in the luggage of a woman at Bangkok’s airport, a wildlife smuggling watchdog group reported Thursday. The Thai woman was trying to board a flight to Iran on Sunday when she had trouble checking in her oversized bag, the monitoring network TRAFFIC said in a statement. [msnbc]

How Bush And Blair Plotted In Secret To Stop Brown – Tony Blair attempted to prolong his time as prime minister after he was warned that George W Bush’s US administration had “grave doubts” about Gordon Brown’s suitability to follow him into No10, well placed sources have revealed. The White House warnings, which were reiterated by other leading US-based figures, played a key role in Mr Blair’s attempt to cling on to power until at least 2008. [telegraph]

Teen Charged With Tricking Ex-Girlfriend Into Sex – An American teenager is in serious legal trouble, accused of using an improbably shallow ruse to trick his ex-girlfriend into having sex with him, the Smoking Gun reports. Police say Ryne Anderson went to his ex-girlfriend’s house bearing a tall tale: drug dealers were stalking him and his “life was in danger,” he told the 17-year-old girl. They were under surveillance and would be murdered if they didn’t meet “certain demands. Genius, really.. [newser]

YouTube Launches Free Movie Service – YouTube is expanding into the movie business and offering web surfers free access to full-length films from major studios like MGM, Sony PIctures and Lionsgate. Available now at YouTube.com/movies, the current selection is so far very limited. Approximately 400 films are currently available in categories like animation, documentary, horror, drama, action, Bollywood, comedy and drama. [canoe]

Fire Tornado – Scary Weather Or Scariest Weather? – This is a real thing: fire combines with strong dry winds to create a fire tornado. One happened just last week in Aracatuba, Brazil. You have never seen anything like it. Think about that – a fire tornado! Here’s the footage, taken by someone much braver/crazier than I’ll ever be.At least now we know why Wheeler and Linka never got together. [gizmodo]

Pee Of The Tiger – You just can’t fault the Chinese on their marketing skills when it comes to restaurant dishes. They know what their customers want and they go all out to satisfy those needs. Take for example this local restaurant in Heilongjiang province in northeast China which has been featuring pricey dishes of Siberian tiger for it’s discerning and aphrodisiacaly inclined patrons. You’ll never guess what they did.. [kitschnzinc]

Outrageous Happy “Hours” Defying Popular Culture – Laughing in the face of conformity, Fiesta Latin American style Tapa-Cafe-Bar in the Cape Quarter, have created Happy HOURS (because they weren’t happy with just one) which happens daily from 4pm – 7pm. Think about that now – that’s a bit outrageous, don’t you think? Imagine having a massive birthday party there and then halving the bill? Come on – that’ s a bit silly. [fiesta]

I Scream & The Chocolate Stix Need Your Rating – Our favourite up-and-coming Cape Town band, I Scream and the Chocolate Stix, needs your rating to boost their chances of winning the Global Moguls band competition. To rate their hit song, My Cape Town, visit the Global Moguls website (click here). The feel-good music video for this catchy song features scenes of Cape Town’s most popular attractions. Check it out and get behind them. You LOVE that song! [youtube]

Got The Monday Blues? Why Not Tune In To The Holiday? – There there. Daddy will make it better with soothing music therapy (incl. the new Goldfish single!), vinyl therapy, sex therapy, Idols Update therapy! Including ridiculous give-aways, call-ins and competitions. It’s obscene, I know. But so was Rome, and they enjoyed themselves, didn’t they? And that was without the internet! So tune in to 2OV Radio and we’ll take you places. Like Funky Town, for instance. Go ahead. Tune in to the holiday. [2ov.fm]

[thanks henk]