Mmm... disease fighting candy.

Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft and big philanthropist, has lent his resources in the battle against malaria.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation gave grants of $100,000 to scientists who have new ideas on how to detect and fight malaria.

According to the Telegraph, one of the fresh ideas is to use chewing gum to detect for malaria indicators in saliva. While such a method would be painless, wouldn't require needles or analytical equipment, one drawback is that malaria indicators are not as prevalent in saliva as they are in the blood. Nevertheless, this method would provide a new, easier way to administer tests, particularly to children.

Another portion of the grant is being put towards the study of the effect that chocolate has on the malaria parasite. Since the malaria parasite feeds on fat in the blood, chocolate's effect on the body is interesting as it binds with cholesterol and takes it out of circulation.

Researchers hope that a liquid chocolate-type medicine will be able to kill most of the parasite but still leave enough for children to develop a lifetime resistance.

The grants from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are a part of its Grand Challenges Exploration program, which looks for unconventional, possible solutions to today's problems.

More Pirate Bay drama: the site must now remove a list of torrents.

TorrentFreak reports that the Amsterdam court ruled today that The Pirate Bay must delete copyrighted torrents from its website within three months. The court also ordered The Pirate Bay to block Dutch users from accessing parts of the website that contains access to torrents containing copyrighted material. If the site does not comply, then the three operators will be forced to pay $7,500 per person, per day.

With the latest judgment now in place, the former order to block all Dutch users from the BitTorrent search engine is now null and void. The court decided that The Pirate Bay wasn't "necessarily" guilty of copyright infringement, but that it does assist in copyright infringement by providing links to torrented files and encouraging the download of copyrighted material.

The court also decided that the three defendants--Fredrik, Gottfrid and Peter--were responsible for the Website since the current owners could not be named, nor was there any proof provided that The Pirate Bay was even sold. Ultimately, the three will be given a list of torrents--provided by BREIN--that must be removed from the search engine's database.

TorrentFreak said that the three defendants will be required to cover the costs BREIN acquired for this particular court case, and that they are currently considering an appeal.

AT&T may eventually give up the reins on the iPhone, possibly next year.

Are the days numbered for AT&T's sole claim on Apple's iPhone? That may be the case according to AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega, as he "strongly" implied that fact to analysts during a conference call. Although de la Vega offered no details on when or why, the idea has surfaced a few times over the last several months. There's even been talk that AT&T's deal would end sometime in mid-2010.

According to Computerworld, de la Vega was asked about the rumor, however the CEO merely talked about life after Apple's device. "We have a legacy of having a great portfolio...that will continue after the iPhone is no longer exclusive to us," de la Vega said. "We think we will continue after the iPhone...to drive [results]...."

But de la Vega acknowledged that the iPhone is a good source of new gross subscribers: in Q3, the device was one third of the overall new subscriptions. While that's certainly a large number, de la Vega seems to feel that AT&T will live without the iPhone. He also said that the company is currently working with device manufacturers to build Android phones.

"We feel really good about our non-iPhone [subscriber] adds and net adds," he said in the call. "We feel really strong about our portfolio in quick messaging devices, including BlackBerry and all the smartphones."

Facebook said that users can purchase music via the Facebook Gift Shop.

Not to be outdone by Google's recent semi-revelation, Facebook announced yesterday that it too will "sell" music through the Facebook Gift Shop. Loaded into the store's new "Music and MP3s" section, this new service--like Google's upcoming offering--will also be powered by Lala.com. Facebook said that over 8 million songs will be available for purchase, including those from Beyonce, the Rolling Stones, Frank Sinatra, Imogen Heap and even Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Facebook's online store works on credits. Using a major credit card, shoppers purchase credits for 10 cents each, and can be used for virtual and physical goods sold online by the social website. The store will charge 1 credit for each web song--those that can be heard online but not downloaded--whereas full, downloadable, DRM-free songs will cost 9 credits each.

Facebook said that shoppers will have the option of sending songs as a gift. Those that receive the songs--whether web-based or MP3s--can play them from their Facebook News Feed and wall "as frequently as they like." The music can also be heard through Lala.com using an existing account, or by way of Facebook Connect. Additionally, those who receive MP3s can download the files directly onto their PC.

"Other people who are able to see the music gift will only be able to play the song in full once, after which they will be able to play a 30-second clip," Facebook said.

Hulu viewers may be required to fork out fees for the video streaming service in 2010.

Wednesday News Corp. Deputy Chairman Chase Carey spoke at the Broadcasting & Cable OnScreen summit, revealing it was time that the industry received payment for broadcasting online content. The news shouldn't be surprising, as Hollywood and television networks currently scramble for revenue thanks to piracy and changing viewer habits.

“I think a free model is a very difficult way to capture the value of our content," Carey said. "I think what we need to do is deliver that content to consumers in a way where they will appreciate the value. Hulu concurs with that, it needs to evolve to have a meaningful subscription model as part of its business.”

So when does Hulu kick in the paid subscriptions? According to this blog, Carey wasn't sure, making the comment that he's only attended one Hulu board meeting since signing on with News Corp. However, Carey took an educated guess and figured 2010 would be the likely candidate. He's not convinced that charging for every video on Hulu is the answer, but perhaps a Hulu mobile service or "specially-created content and TV previews" would be ideal.

With that said, free content isn't necessarily ruled out. But that may change if Comcast wins its bid to purchase a majority interest in NBC Universal. With Comcast planning to expand its own streaming service in the near future, it may cause a conflict with Hulu. Still, with the negotiations currently in the early stages, that's merely speculation.

Comcast has launched its 3G/4G wireless service, covering users both local and nationwide.

This Comcast website reveals the company's new High-Speed 2go service, its entry into the 3G/4G wireless data market. Currently the company is providing 4G service in a limited number of metro locations: Atlanta, Georgia, Bellingham, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, however the company promises that more will come soon.

For the rest of the nation, Comcast will provide 3G coverage for most of the continental United States. The Boy Genius Report theorizes that Comcast may be using Sprint's network to deliver the 3G/4G connection, however the company hasn't specified which network it's currently riding for its new service.

Comcast's pricing will vary depending on the package. Consumers will be required to sign up for its broadband Internet service in addition to the wireless coverage. For 12 Mbps broadband and 4G Metro Service (assuming that means local wireless only), the package costs around $50 for twelve months. Customers wanting to go full throttle at 50 Mbps on the broadband and use the 4G/3G Nationwide Service, they're looking at a hefty monthly fee of around $127 (for 12 months).

Web surfers using the 4G network will typically see download speeds of 3 to 6 Mbps, Comcast said.

Internet service providers are considering pay-as-you-go subscriptions.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Internet Service Providers are now looking to revert back to usage-based pricing for Internet connections. Many carriers, including Time Warner Cable and AT&T, are blaming the possible switch on the large amounts of bandwidth currently used by consumers downloading movies and stream videos. The all-you-can eat Internet buffet for one monthly price just isn't working anymore.

But the government's "net neutrality" is stirring up the pot, forcing carriers to treat every consumer equally no matter their bandwidth usage. According to Internet experts and consumer advocates, net neutrality may eventually provoke carriers into an "either/or" situation.

"This could come down to carriers saying, 'If you don't allow us to manage our networks the way we see fit, then we will just have to cap everything,' " Phillip Dampier, a consumer advocate focusing on technology issues in Rochester, N.Y, told the New York Times. "They'll make it an either/or thing: give them more control over their network or expect metered broadband."

What's the appropriate action? Consumer advocates say that unlimited monthly Internet service "has been critical to the Internet's growth." ISPs apparently see it differently, saying that pay-as-you-go Internet is avoidable. Verizon's chief of technology officer even said that the company may consider selling packages of bytes. One thing is for certain: things are about to change.

Check out the full article by heading here.

Apple's iPhone supposedly infringes upon ten Nokia patents.

Nokia is currently suing the company over all models of the iPhone, claiming that the iPhone violates ten of its wireless technology patents. The Nokia patents in question cover three broad areas of wireless technology: GSM, UMTS, and Wireless LAN (WLAN). This also includes encryption, speech coding, security, and wireless data--patents the iPhone has supposedly infringed upon since 2007.

BusinessWeek reports that the Finnish handset giant filed suit against Apple in the U.S. District Court of Delaware earlier today. "Apple is attempting to get a free ride on the back of Nokia's innovation," said Ilkka Rahnasto, Nokia's vice-president for legal and intellectual property.

Nokia also stated that Apple has refused to cough up the funds to use Nokia's intellectual property that allows mobile devices to connect to 3G (third generation) networks and wireless local area networks. Nokia said that {approximately) 40 companies have entered a license agreement "including virtually all the leading mobile device vendors" ...except Apple, of course.

There's speculation that the suit is intended to force Apple into paying royalties to Nokia, but it's also quite possible that Nokia wants to gain access to Apple technologies through a settlement. Naturally, stay tuned to this channel as the drama unfolds.

Shakira is a huge fan of file-sharing because she claims it brings her closer to her fans.

An awful lot of artists don't like file-sharing and their argument is pretty simple. If you don't pay for the music, they don't get paid for their work. Artist Lilly Allen recently took a stand against file-sharing, claiming it wasn't doing British music or new comers any good and slamming the likes of Pink Floyd's Nick Mason and Ed O'Brien from Radiohead who support file-sharing.

However, Colombian-born Shakira has hit back saying she supports those who share music online: "I like what's going on because I feel closer to the fans and the people who appreciate the music. It's the democratization of music in a way. And music is a gift. That's what it should be, a gift."

The news comes after Lily Allen took her anti-piracy blog offline, supposedly because part of her post was ripped directly from an article on TechDirt.

Straight from the Ballmer's mouth.

We're well past the whole high-definition HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc thing, but there's always the lingering question about the Xbox 360. Out the gate, it was Microsoft behind HD DVD and Sony behind Blu-ray. Every PS3 can play Blu-ray Discs, and the Xbox 360 could handle HD DVD with the now-extinct add-on drive.

Would Microsoft ever come around to making Blu-ray possible on the Xbox 360? Steve Ballmer made a comment that could lead us to think so.

The Microsoft CEO said the telling line in an interview, "Well I don't know if we need to put Blu-ray in there-you'll be able to get Blu-ray drives as accessories."

Of course, that's not a full-blown confirmation that a Blu-ray drive add-on is coming, but Ballmer's comment does appear fairly straightforward and confident.

Thus far, the only way Xbox 360 owners have been able to view new high-definition movies and shows is through the Xbox Live Marketplace with its on-demand rental system. That strategy won't be going away, Ballmer added.

"I think the future of movies is on-demand actually, as opposed to via distribution on physical media. So we're just going to keep driving forward and try to make [Xbox 360] the best overall entertainment experience, and not just gaming."

Will the Xbox 360 soon be able to play Blu-ray Discs? Perhaps we'll know as soon as CES rolls around.

In a move that finally brings real time search to major search engines, Google and Bing have both announced deals with Twitter that will see updates from the microblogging site appear in results returned by both search engines.

Talk of search deals involving Twitter and both Bing and Google has been doing the rounds for months. However, with no official word, everything up until yesterday was considered nothing more than rumors.

Both Twitter and Google announced the partnership via their respective blogs, with Chief of Twitter Evan Williams paying homage to his 'friends' in Mountain View.

"Our friends down in Mountain View want to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful … As part of that effort, we've partnered with Google to index the entire world of public tweets as fast as possible and present them to their users in an organized and relevant fashion."

Similarly, Bing is adding to the celebrity tweets it already returns with search results. Now you won't just see about what celebs have to say about a certain topics, you'll see about what everyone has to say about it too!

Okay, first things first, do not panic. Google has yet to roll this out. In the blog post unveiling the partnership, the company said, " … we are very excited to announce that we have reached an agreement with Twitter to include their updates in our search results … we look forward to having a product that showcases how tweets can make search better in the coming months."

Bing is letting you try out the new feature right away by visiting www.bing.com/twitter. However, my search for 'Windows 7' returned a message informing me that, " Twitter search results are currently unavailable."

We can see some advantages. For example, Google's Marissa Meyer points out that next time you're looking for snow conditions at your favorite ski resort, you'll find tweets from other users who are already there and able to provide the most accurate and up to date information. Once Google and Bing don't shove the tweets down people's throats, this could work.