NEWS: Gainful gaming

Computer games need not be just an after-school activity — it could also motivate students to learn.

The past decade has been the decade of online social networks, where Internet users could connect with each other, wherever they are.

The next decade will see the rise of what is called game dynamics.

Game dynamics has always been a part of our lives and for a long time, has been determining many of our actions that we assumed were independently and consciously made to suit our own purposes.

Possible future?: Imagine a game that makes students intrinsically want to learn, without them realising they’re learning. — File photo

Petrol stations attract repeat customers by giving prizes and rewards to those who accumulate points to a certain level, using an aspect of game dynamics called Progression Dynamics.

Bars and hotels control your movements so that you are present at a certain time and at their premises in order to enjoy the benefits of happy hour, banking on Appointment Dynamics.

Banks make their credit cards appear the most prestigious and stimulate you to crave an imagined lifestyle, employing Influence and Status Dynamics.

Facebook, through its farm game, has influenced 70 million users to log on every 24 hours to farm their virtual gardens. I wonder if people realise the level of power this gives Facebook!

How can we employ this powerful application called Game Dynamics to help captivate and motivate our students to immerse themselves in 21st century education that requires creativity, deep thought and innovation?

How can we apply game dynamics to subtlely infuse new ideas and motivations that will transform our education system?

Let’s start playing with game dynamics and discover how it could change the way students view and interact with education.

Appointment Dynamics can be used by teachers to ensure students actually revise and look through material that had been learnt in the classroom.

For example, a small window of a few hours can be given after school, during which students could SMS or email with answers to specific questions that are sent during that window.

Students will need to have access to their learning material at home in order to answer these questions.

The points derived from just participating could lead to a chance to further improve their standing on a class or school achievers list.

The student only gets bragging rights, but it does cater to intrinsic motivations that direct purpose in the student’s life.

Progression Dynamics follows through on the list above. Once a student reaches the top and stays there for a fixed time, then he becomes part of an exclusive club, meaning he levels up to another group that will be posed with much harder and challenging assignments and projects.

This uses the principle of Influence and Status Dynamics, because the club is exclusive, and now, students in this club can influence teachers to determine what type of questions will be sent out at the lower level.

They can increase levels of difficulty so that lower level students find it harder to enter the exclusive levels, since too many members in the exclusive club would make it lose its exclusivity.

This is where Quests Dynamics comes into the picture.

Quests are an established gameplay mechanic that can be broadly applicable.

They work because they give people something to do when they first show up and thereafter.

Quests that offer measureable goals, broken into small achievable quantities, work best.

One of the recent discoveries that have come out of masses of players exploring virtual worlds on similar quests is another very powerful dynamic termed Communal Discovery Dynamics.

This is based on Collective Intelligence (CI), which harnesses the collective brain power of team members to solve problems and create novel knowledge.

This coming decade will see very innovative software taking over the roles of consultants and advisors, and providing real time, just-in-time intelligence for decision makers, based on automated CI software.

In other words, what I am talking about is not just games as an after-hours activity for students. With the right support, this powerful brain and learning-shaping tool could be brought directly into the classroom.

Just imagine, instead of teachers chasing after students and punishing, bribing, rewarding, scolding them to learn, students will be chasing after teachers to explain lesson modules that they need to understand in order to solve quests.

From a neuroscientific point of view, learning occurs best when the brain is not trying to learn.

The focus becomes the game itself, and the content mastery becomes a tool that has to be utilised for one to progress to the next level.

Even though this will sound very fishy to old-timers — who will say, “I studied with no technology and I turned out fine!” — remember, this is the 21st century.

We are looking and an exploding evolution of the human brain — an explosion which is accentuated and augmented by technology.

NEWS: Making history

INSTEAD of the conventional role-playing game where the gamer just aims and kills to earn points, Form Two student S.Sarvesh, 14, has designed a unique quiz/game to test a player’s knowledge on what has been taught in History at local schools.

In fact, little did he know that the game he created for a competition would actually help his friends build up a keen interest in history.

He decided to develop the game for Microsoft’s inaugural Kodu Kup competition with help from schoolmate Eng Kok Leong.

Sarvesh and Kok Leong showing Farad (standing, left) and Zainuddin the game they created for the competition.

It took him by surprise when Kok Leong began to show a serious interest in the subject, which the latter had previously viewed as “dull and dry”.

“At first, I thought he would not be enthusiastic about my idea of coming up with a game that quizzed players about what we learnt in history at school.”

“It turned out that he liked the game very much and actually found it useful for it helped him remember dates and understand facts better when preparing for History tests,” said Sarvesh after conducting a demo of the games he developed over the past few weeks.

The Kodu Kup also made history in his school — SMK Taman Bukit Maluri, Kuala Lumpur.

“We were never allowed to play computer games in school before,” said Sarvesh.

“This is the first time that we are allowing students to play computer games in school,” said ICT teacher Zainuddin Zakaria.

“We want to encourage children to produce their own content and be creative,” he added.

Launched in July, participants must develop a computer game using the Kodu Game Lab — a simple and visual programming language developed by Microsoft Research.

Malaysia has been chosen as one of the first three countries in the world to host the competition, together with Australia and Singapore.

Schools, students and teachers stand to win attractive prizes including notebook PCs, an XBOX 360 Arcade console gaming system, along with various Microsoft software and hardware.

At the end of the competition, students, aged between nine and 15, will be judged on the design and creativity of their games, the flow or gameplay, the depth of the game and what they learnt through development of the game.

Microsoft Malaysia education director Farad Alhusaini said that with its touch of fun, Kodu could be used as a learning tool that would give children a headstart in technology.

Farad acknowledged that computer games, while not usually seen as a learning tool, had the potential to be educational, if students themselves took the opportunity to participate in a competition such as the Kodu Kup.

“Instead of wasting their money and time at cyber cafes, students could take the opportunity to acquire critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

“Do something interesting with your friends. Create and share your works with your peers,” he said.

Meanwhile, Zainuddin said the challenge is for students to “think out of the box”.

As such, Zainuddin said he refrained from giving his students too many instructions.

“A teacher’s role is to be a facilitator in the competition.

“It will kill the students’ creativity if we give too many instructions and dictate what they should do,” he opined.

Responding to the concern whether students would neglect their studies when spending too much time in developing and testing games for the competition, Zainuddin said students must know how to manage their time effectively.

“We also ask for full co-operation from parents to ensure that their children do not neglect their studies and spend, say, only two hours a day on the game development,” he said.

In Microsoft’s efforts to build “School 2.0” – schools for the future – with the use of technology in education, Farad said teacher training was important as ever.

“Teachers need industry exposure so that they are are well-prepared and confident to lead their students. Schools also need to be flexible when responding to the teaching and learning trends,” he said.

NEWS: Creative content developers earn MDeC boost

CUTE: One of the winners of the animation category of MSC Malaysia Intellectual Property Creators Challenge Series 2010 was Enershia, which impressed the judges with a two-minute Flash animation clip about a 60-year-old villager, Pak Deman, and his pet monkey.

KUALA LUMPUR: We may soon see these Malaysian-made games on various devices next year. They are all winners in the recent MSC Malaysia Intellectual Property Creators Challenge Series 2010 competition.

Featuring exploration, battles and brain teasers, these games are still being developed and their creators have won RM50,000 each to turn their idea into a prototype.

Touch-based adventure game Nikki Holiday and the Pirate Star is the brainchild of Studio 212 Sdn Bhd, which is targeting it for Apple Inc's iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

Abdul Sani Abdul Jalal, senior software developer at Studio 212, said the game was influenced by Adventures of Monkey Island, a classic PC game developed by LucasArts.

"The player needs to go exploring and will have to overcome all sorts of obstacles, as well as fight enemies, in our adventure game," he said. "It took us about two to three weeks to conceptualise."

Nikki Holiday and the Pirate Star also has a local flavour; there are several Malaysian landmarks in it, such as the Kuala Lumpur City Centre Twin Towers.

INTERESTING: TVBoy was one of the winners of the computer casual game category of the MSC Malaysia Intellectual Property Creators Challenge Series 2010 (MSC Malaysia IPCC) competition. The 2D game puzzle was created by Plentiful Sdn Bhd.

"We will be adding more local content over the next six months," Abdul Sani added.

Then there's Team P's TVboy, a 2D game puzzle for the PC. Programmer Lee Thin Guan said it took him and two graphics artists a fortnight to develop the game.

There are 80 levels in TVboy to challenge the player, comprising various puzzles that include mazes and blocks. "The purpose is to test the gamer's analytical skills," Lee said.

Apart from game ideas, there were also animation projects in the winners circle.

Enershia Sdn Bhd impressed the judges with its two-minute Flash animation clip about a 60-year-old villager and his pet monkey. The short has environmentalism as part of its theme.

"The story is about Pak Deman who rescues Zulu, a stray monkey, after its jungle home is bulldozed for urban development," said Hira Zahari, chief executive officer and producer at Enershia.

After that, Zulu will not leave the side of Pak Deman.

"Pak Deman and the monkey then go on an adventure, supporting themselves on their travels by plucking coconuts and doing street performances," Hira said. And the old man also learns a few things about life from the monkey.

Enershia's RM50,000 prize money will go towards its dream of making an animated series.

Expert help

The competition was divided into four categories - Animation, Computer Casual Games, Mobile Games and Digital Interactive Comics.

More than 50 finalists were pared down to 26 winners. The winners in the Digital Interactive Comics received RM20,000 each to further develop their ideas.

All the winners have to show results in the next six months.

To help them, they will undergo mentorships with several prominent industry players and receive access to development facilities at the MSC Malaysia Animation and Creative Content Centre (Mac3).

Mac3 is the Multimedia Development Corporation's (MDeC) incubation facility for content developers that is located in Cyberjaya.

MDeC, which is guardian of the national MSC Malaysia initiative, organises the annual competition. It then markets the developed products at content fairs worldwide, including the MIPTV and Mipcom events in France.

Ng Wan Peng, chief operating officer at MDeC, said 141 entries were received for the competition this year. This is a 32% increase over the number of entries last year.

"With each passing year, the level and quality of the entries show that our local talents are increasing in creativity and skills," she said.

NEWS: Webstore to push Malaysian books globally

KUALA LUMPUR: An online bookstore - www.booqc.com - has been set up to promote works by Malaysian authors and publishers.

"QuaChee," the founder of the online bookstore which was launched in March, said it is about time Malaysian authors and publishers get a place for them to be recognised internationally.

The online bookstore will be a gateway for local authors and publishers, especially the independents, to break into the international market, he said in a statement.

According to him, the webstore not only lists available Malaysian books, but also reviews and promotes them via social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter.

In conjunction with National Day, the store is having a "Quote it and win" contest, which offers 15 Malaysian books - including Malaysia's Living Heritage - Batik Inspirations - as prizes. - Bernama

NEWS: High-speed learning

Interacting in real time with experts from various countries simultaneously – without them being physically present – used to be a dream, but such technology is available today in various universities worldwide, including Malaysia.

At the Malaysian Research and Education Network (Myren) seminar themed “Harnessing Technology for Global Collaboration” recently, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) representative and speaker Dr Masami Nakata said that Myren was the answer to Unesco’s focus and overarching objective to achieve knowledge mobility in the areas of science and policies for sustainable development.

Currently based in Jakarta, Dr Masami said, “Myren is a very powerful tool.

Dr Masami says a lot can be achieved if the network was fully utilised.

“With high-speed intranet dedicated to education and research, we can achieve a lot if people know about its existence and make full use of it.”

The RM30mil network, which launched its second phase recently, sees an improved version of up to 14 times in speed and bandwidth capacity.

It offers direct linkages to other global research and education networks including Tien3, a network covering the Asia Pacific region, and Geant, which covers the European region.

The network also boasts high-speed bandwidth connections, covering 28 participating public and private universities in Malaysia, which will be joined by another 40 polytechnics and community colleges by the end of the year.

Dr Masami said, “Unesco has been using the Internet to spread information since 2006, but the Internet speed in South-East Asia is slow and very expensive. Because of that, we cannot really use it for video conferencing of live lectures, unlike Myren.”

She added that it was important to have an intranet connection that is able to link to other networks around the world, as global research and education networks (NRENS) have the ability to bring together all the best people in a particular field, without having to do it the old-fashioned way of being physically present.

“Asia already has a lot of expertise to share, so what we want is to add to the knowledge that is already there. This is easy with NRENS.”

Using agriculture as an example, Dr Masami said, “Because the climate and culture here are very different from those in the West, you cannot simply import expertise from the US because they may not fully understand the variables.

“However, NRENS are useful when you need help from other experts to share knowledge.”

Dr Masami, who coordinates the Engineering Science and Technology programmes, said that Unesco offers free courses in energy and sustainabality for anyone interested, particularly for students and lecturers.

Those who sign up would be immediately connected to the assigned lecturers in real-time from any institution with the Myren connection.

“Of course, the courses are also available online, but they are not interactive,” she said.

At the end of the day, Dr Masami said that the system is already available, so it is up to the individual institutions to make use what they have.

“A network needs users to sustain it. I would encourage academics to make full use of it,” she added.

NEWS: Staying ahead with IT

Already a premier institution in IT studies, MMU now aims to take on more initiatives that will give its graduates the extra edge.

THE country needs to revamp the information and communication technology (ICT) industry if it wants to stay relevant and become an information technology (IT) hub.

Multimedia University (MMU) president Prof Dr Zaharin Yusoff says the best way forward is for Malaysia to move away from being an IT-consumer nation and become an IT-producing nation.

It will then put Malaysia on par with other developed nations such as the United States (US), Japan and France as the country will be exporting its own software and applications.

“By then, we will stand the chance of having our own equivalent of Microsoft and Oracle, ” he says.

A view of the MMU campus in Malacca.

However, the MMU president admits that it may take some time for Malaysia to become a leading IT-producing nation until investments are available to develop IT products. Insufficient human capital in ICT, he shares, is also another factor which hampers the development of the industry.

Prof Zaharin adds that the launch of the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) in the 1990s created a hype and interest among students who suddenly were keen on pursuing higher education in ICT.

However, he laments that more IT graduates are working in other sectors compared to those who are servicing the ICT industry.

Prof Zaharin says that universities should focus on research and development projects

“The cause of this problem could be traced to the supply-demand mismatch in the human capital needs of the ICT industry and the skills of the crop of IT graduates rolled out by the universities and colleges.

“There was a misconception among the tertiary institutions then regarding the type of graduates actually needed by the industry,” he adds.

On hindsight, Prof Zaharin says more courses on computing or computer science should be offered instead of IT programmes which are product specific.

“This is to prevent the graduates from becoming ‘helpless’ when the products and tools used in the said programmes become obsolete,” he says.

He reveals that MMU, together with a few public universities, have decided to put an end to this problem by re-tuning the curriculum of their IT programmes.

R&D roadmap

Nevertheless, Prof Zaharin stresses that the effort of restructuring the curriculum of the IT courses is still not sufficient to propel the country into becoming an IT-producing nation.

“Universities should focus on research and development (R&D) and develop a R&D technology roadmap to give the ICT industry a boost,” he says.

Being the premier institution in IT studies, MMU is spearheading the initiative to work out a R&D technology roadmap with the support from government agencies and industry players.

“The roadmap will identify the direction that the ICT industry is moving into, besides laying the groundwork for R&D on ICT products and applications which will be produced by the industry, ” says Prof Zaharin.

He explains that the strength of a university lies in its R&D effort and his vision is to inculcate the R&D culture at the varsity.

For a start, he says MMU’s academic staff have a reduced teaching load so that they have more time to carry out research.

“Lectures will be made more real and interesting when the academic staff bring students’ attention to elements of their R&D work.

He adds that the students are not left behind as they are also actively involved in the R&D projects, gaining hands-on experience that will prepare them to serve in the ICT industry.

To complete the spectrum of R&D exposure to students, Prof Zaharin says the university is gearing towards commercialising its R&D projects.

“Through commercialism of such projects in IT, students can observe how technopreneurs and the ICT industry work,” he says.

Riding on the strength of the R&D culture, the university has centres of excellence which will be offering niche programmes such as knowledge management technology, a course which encompasses artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.

“Currently, there are special interest groups in every faculty and MMU is well-known for its specialisation in robotics,” says Prof Zaharin.

Other niche programmes in the pipeline include health informatics focusing on wellness, and laws which touch on the legal aspects that arise when technology crosses borders.

“The university is also planning to offer Sports Science with special focus on badminton,” says the MMU president.

Upcoming programme

With 4,500 international students coming from 79 countries, MMU is a melting pot of cultures that is very much alive and vibrant.

“The students bring an international flavour to the university and they love to perform,” says Prof Zaharin.

The university, he adds is planning to venture out its technology and business domain by offering a course in Experiential Performance Arts..

Prof Zaharin explains that it is a programme which marries creativity with IT.

“The course is something like Sports Science analysis in which technology is utilised to enhance the performance of the athletes or artistes,” he shares adding that this course will be handled by both the Faculty of IT and Faculty of Creative Multimedia.

On other future plans by MMU, Prof Zaharin says the university hopes to expand its global footprint by exporting its programmes overseas.

“It is not just internationalisation within the campus but also beyond,” he adds.

Currently, MMU exports its programmes to countries such as Iran, Kenya and Sudan.

MMU was ranked as a tier five university which is equivalent to “excellent status” in the Setara rating released by the Higher Education Ministry recently.

“We believe that it is our strength in R&D which had given us the extra edge in being ranked as one of the top institutions of higher learning in the country,” says Prof Zaharin.

Multimedia University is a contributor to the Star Education Fund.

NEWS: Staying ahead with IT

Already a premier institution in IT studies, MMU now aims to take on more initiatives that will give its graduates the extra edge.

THE country needs to revamp the information and communication technology (ICT) industry if it wants to stay relevant and become an information technology (IT) hub.

Multimedia University (MMU) president Prof Dr Zaharin Yusoff says the best way forward is for Malaysia to move away from being an IT-consumer nation and become an IT-producing nation.

It will then put Malaysia on par with other developed nations such as the United States (US), Japan and France as the country will be exporting its own software and applications.

“By then, we will stand the chance of having our own equivalent of Microsoft and Oracle, ” he says.

A view of the MMU campus in Malacca.

However, the MMU president admits that it may take some time for Malaysia to become a leading IT-producing nation until investments are available to develop IT products. Insufficient human capital in ICT, he shares, is also another factor which hampers the development of the industry.

Prof Zaharin adds that the launch of the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) in the 1990s created a hype and interest among students who suddenly were keen on pursuing higher education in ICT.

However, he laments that more IT graduates are working in other sectors compared to those who are servicing the ICT industry.

Prof Zaharin says that universities should focus on research and development projects

“The cause of this problem could be traced to the supply-demand mismatch in the human capital needs of the ICT industry and the skills of the crop of IT graduates rolled out by the universities and colleges.

“There was a misconception among the tertiary institutions then regarding the type of graduates actually needed by the industry,” he adds.

On hindsight, Prof Zaharin says more courses on computing or computer science should be offered instead of IT programmes which are product specific.

“This is to prevent the graduates from becoming ‘helpless’ when the products and tools used in the said programmes become obsolete,” he says.

He reveals that MMU, together with a few public universities, have decided to put an end to this problem by re-tuning the curriculum of their IT programmes.

R&D roadmap

Nevertheless, Prof Zaharin stresses that the effort of restructuring the curriculum of the IT courses is still not sufficient to propel the country into becoming an IT-producing nation.

“Universities should focus on research and development (R&D) and develop a R&D technology roadmap to give the ICT industry a boost,” he says.

Being the premier institution in IT studies, MMU is spearheading the initiative to work out a R&D technology roadmap with the support from government agencies and industry players.

“The roadmap will identify the direction that the ICT industry is moving into, besides laying the groundwork for R&D on ICT products and applications which will be produced by the industry, ” says Prof Zaharin.

He explains that the strength of a university lies in its R&D effort and his vision is to inculcate the R&D culture at the varsity.

For a start, he says MMU’s academic staff have a reduced teaching load so that they have more time to carry out research.

“Lectures will be made more real and interesting when the academic staff bring students’ attention to elements of their R&D work.

He adds that the students are not left behind as they are also actively involved in the R&D projects, gaining hands-on experience that will prepare them to serve in the ICT industry.

To complete the spectrum of R&D exposure to students, Prof Zaharin says the university is gearing towards commercialising its R&D projects.

“Through commercialism of such projects in IT, students can observe how technopreneurs and the ICT industry work,” he says.

Riding on the strength of the R&D culture, the university has centres of excellence which will be offering niche programmes such as knowledge management technology, a course which encompasses artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.

“Currently, there are special interest groups in every faculty and MMU is well-known for its specialisation in robotics,” says Prof Zaharin.

Other niche programmes in the pipeline include health informatics focusing on wellness, and laws which touch on the legal aspects that arise when technology crosses borders.

“The university is also planning to offer Sports Science with special focus on badminton,” says the MMU president.

Upcoming programme

With 4,500 international students coming from 79 countries, MMU is a melting pot of cultures that is very much alive and vibrant.

“The students bring an international flavour to the university and they love to perform,” says Prof Zaharin.

The university, he adds is planning to venture out its technology and business domain by offering a course in Experiential Performance Arts..

Prof Zaharin explains that it is a programme which marries creativity with IT.

“The course is something like Sports Science analysis in which technology is utilised to enhance the performance of the athletes or artistes,” he shares adding that this course will be handled by both the Faculty of IT and Faculty of Creative Multimedia.

On other future plans by MMU, Prof Zaharin says the university hopes to expand its global footprint by exporting its programmes overseas.

“It is not just internationalisation within the campus but also beyond,” he adds.

Currently, MMU exports its programmes to countries such as Iran, Kenya and Sudan.

MMU was ranked as a tier five university which is equivalent to “excellent status” in the Setara rating released by the Higher Education Ministry recently.

“We believe that it is our strength in R&D which had given us the extra edge in being ranked as one of the top institutions of higher learning in the country,” says Prof Zaharin.

Multimedia University is a contributor to the Star Education Fund.

NEWS: Govt gets RM800mil annually for USP fund

PAKAN: The Government receives an annual contribution of about RM800mil from the country's telecommunications companies, said Deputy Information, Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Joseph Salang.

He said each company, earning more than RM2mil annually, needs to contribute 6% of its gross revenue which is channeled into the Universal Service Provider Fund.

"It is this contribution that the Government, through the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (SKMM), utilises to set up telecommunications services in rural areas, places where the telcos do not operate due to the unattractive profit margin.

"These include the setting up of community broadband centres (CBC) for rural folks to learn to use computers and surf the Internet," he told Bernama after officiating the Pakan CBC centre here yesterday.

He said there are now 18 such centres in the state.

Urging the people to make full use of such facilities, Salang said: "I would especially like our longhouse chiefs to not merely get acquainted with computers but to learn how to surf the Internet to gain knowledge and become better leaders."

On the Pakan CBC set up early this year, he is glad to note it now has about 300 registered members.

Salang said the Government is confident of achieving its target of 50% Internet penetration among the nation's 6.5 million households by year end.

On the distribution of netbooks to targeted groups, he said the Government would spend RM1bil to buy a million such laptops.

"The Government will distribute 650,000 sets to poor secondary students nationwide based on recommendations from their teachers, while the balance will be given to ordinary folk," he said. - Bernama

NEWS: Geeks have more brand loyalty

A consumer survey reveals that geeks are likely to spend more on the products they like and stay loyal to their favourite brands. Geeks are also more susceptible to advertising ploys and buy more goods online.

The survey, undertaken on behalf of tech website Geeknet and market research agency Forrester Consulting and released July 27, was conducted across the United States, Britain and Germany.

It divided respondents into three categories, "IT Geeks," "tech geeks" and "non-geeks."

IT geeks were defined as working in information technology or other jobs involving hardware or software, while tech geeks don't work in IT but agree that technology is important to them and is something they regularly follow.

The survey found 20% of geeks from both categories agreed that advertisements helped them decide what to buy, compared to only 12% of non-geeks; 25% of geeks purchased the advertised product or service online whereas only 16% of non-geeks did the same.

As well as being more susceptible to advertising, geeks were also more loyal to their favourite brands with 60% of geeks versus 17% of non-geeks agreeing that when they found a brand they liked they "stuck to it."

In addition to brand loyalty, geeks were also more likely to pay more for products they liked and 29% of geeks agreed that "owning the best product is important to me," whereas only 14% of non-geeks thought the same.

With viral advertising campaigns, online supermarkets and phone apps playing an increasingly important role in everyday life, technology is no longer the preserve of a knowledgeable few, but geeks may still be the ones to ask about new innovations - 53% consider themselves "the person who knows more about an interesting trend," while only 22% of non-geeks felt the same way. - Relaxnews

NEWS: Many SMEs still ignorant about e-commerce

PETALING JAYA: Many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are still ignorant about e-commerce, said Shaifubahrim Saleh, president of the Association of the Computer and Multimedia Industry of Malaysia (Pikom).

He said these SMEs still believe they have to buy servers and set up an IT department to participate in e-commerce, when in actual fact they can merely subscribe to e-commerce services for as low as RM100 per month.

According to Pikom, 31% of SMEs surveyed in the country believe they do not have the technical knowledge to embrace e-commerce, while 17% said they are not ready to engage in e-commerce.

"That's why Pikom is going to 16 locations nationwide to teach SMEs there about e-commerce and the ease of adopting e-commerce services," Shaifubahrim said.

"They need to understand that in the age of cloud computing, they do not need to possess in-depth technical knowledge to get into e-commerce."

According to Pikom, its roadshows will have educated about 3,000 SMEs by year end. It estimates that there are some 900,000 SMEs in the country.

"It is going to be a long process educating all the SMEs," said Shaifubahrim.

Pikom said the value of e-commerce in Malaysia will be RM92.6bil by year end - a 32% increase from last year. "Yes, there is vast potential in e-commerce here," Shaifubahrim told In.Tech at the opening of its Business Success Forum here.

The forum is one of the main initiatives under the National ICT Month (NIM) 2010. The month-long event ends Aug 12. It features talks, forums, workshops and seminars.

NIM 2010 is organised by Pikom and the Science, Innovation and Technology Ministry.

NEWS: Family-friendly game attempts to unlock creativity

CO-OPERATIVE: The PS3, 360, PC and Mac versions of Create allow level sharing via the Internet.

EA's UK outpost have revealed their pet project, Create, promising to provide a digital playpen in which families can club together to beat each challenge.

With a strong DIY aesthetic, players pick from a toolbox of props and objects, altering levels in order to clear a path for buggys, barrels, bikes and dodgem cars.

In some challenges, the chosen vehicle must make its way towards an obstructed destination - like the ooze in Pipe Mania or the cliff-loving mammals of Lemmings - and players work out how to avoid or use the items in its way.

In others, objects must be ferried safely to their destination by tweaking a makeshift transport.

Though popular web browser titles such as Wake The Royalty, Cargo Bridge and Transformice have already shown that games can integrate physics and engineering without losing a sense of fun, Create balances its challenge mode with a level creation suite that allows the construction and decoration of more domestic scenes.

A passing resemblance to two other well recent console titles that came with integrated level-editors, LittleBigPlanet and Joe Danger, may not be entirely co-incidental as EA Bright Light are located in the same city as LittleBigPlanet studio Media Molecule and Joe Danger makers Hello Games.

One key difference is that unlike those two PlayStation3 exclusives, Create is multi-platform, coming out on Wii, PS3, Xbox 360 as well as PC and Mac.

The PlayStation3 version also has Move functionality so that those with the console's new motion controllers can point and click just as on the Wii. Like LittleBigPlanet 2, it's targeting a mid-November release. - Relaxnews

NEWS: Speed boost for Myren research community

Sureswaran: Myren is a platform for creating research communities and to bring them together.

PETALING JAYA: A high-speed network that links researchers in various parts of the country has been upgraded at the cost of RM30mil.

The speed boost for the Malaysian Research and Education Network (Myren), which links 28 public and private universities, will enable the researchers to better carry our their R&D activities.

Myren has been upgraded to deliver speeds of up to 1Gbps (gigabit per second), said Prof Dr Sureswaran Ramadass, head of Myren at the University Sains Malaysia in Penang.

With such speeds, Myren can be used to provide video-streaming services and high-definition videoconferencing for the researchers. It was recently used to stream a video of a full solar eclipse that had occurred in Japan.

The other applications that have been deployed on Myren include, telemedicine activities and a virtual lab to teach science and technology to primary school students in rural areas.

"Myren also connects to other global research and education networks, such as the Trans-Eurasia Information Network in the Asia-Pacific region and GEANT in Europe," Sureswaran said.

But it is much more than a high-speed research network, according to him.

Myren, he said, is a platform for creating research communities and to bring them together. "It encourages the researchers to work together, exchange ideas, and aspire for international recognition."

Sureswaran said the Myren project will be transferred from the auspices of the Information, Communications and Culture Ministry to that of the Higher Education Ministry next year.

By the end of this year, another 40 polytechnic and community colleges will become part of the network.

When the Myren project started in 2005, the network speed was a mere 8Mbps (megabits per second).

NEWS: Microsoft lends helping hand to underserved

GRANTS AWARDED: (l-r) Amran, David, Begum and Md Ghani at the award ceremony.

KUALA LUMPUR: To help bring technology to local underserved communities, software giant Microsoft Malaysia made cash and software donations to three non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

The NGOs - Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA), Yayasan Salam Malaysia (YSM), and Mercy Malaysia - received cash grants worth RM1.7mil in total.

With the donations, which will be distributed over three years until 2011, the YWCA and YSM will provide basic computing and technology skills to the needy, with the aim of helping these people develop entrepreneurial or employment opportunities.

Mercy Malaysia was awarded with a large software grant to enhance its emergency relief efforts with information and communications technology (ICT).

Microsoft wants to help bridge the digital divide, that gap between the technology haves and have-nots, according to Jasmine Begum, Microsoft Malaysia director of corporate affairs for Malaysia and new markets.

"We are providing the tools and resources that can help the underprivileged improve their future and go on to better things," she said.

These grants help NGOs deliver technology skills and training via a network of more than 29 community technology learning centres (CTLCs). This will benefit more than 20,000 people by providing jobs and career opportunities.

CTLCs offer people of all ages and abilities to learn about computers, use the Internet, explore new careers, further their education, participate in community activities, and develop job-related technology skills.

Doing its bit

The NGOs said the grants will help the underserved communities use technology to create social and economic opportunities that can change their lives in positive ways.

YWCA Malaysia's national president, Dr Marina David, said the donations would enable the association to train women and girls in ICT, which will boost their employment opportunities.

As for YSM, its chief operating officer Md Ghani Ibrahim said the grant will help women and youths to venture into IT-based businesses or become entrepreneurs.

Mercy Malaysia honorary treasurer Amran Mahzan sees Microsoft software helping with making its relief efforts more efficient, as well as more accurately matching volunteers to its various types of relief work.

At the event, Begum also presented a contribution to Deborah Henry, the co-founder of the Save Education Centre, a charity organisation for Somali refugee children in Kuala Lumpur.

The grants were handed out under the Microsoft Unlimited Potential - Community Technology Skills Programme, which is a community ICT outreach effort.

Since the launch of the programme in 2004, Microsoft has given out cash and software worth more than RM3.1mil in total.

NEWS: East Malaysians embracing e-commerce

PETALING JAYA: Six out of 10 East Malaysians are booking their Malaysia Airlines tickets online, said Amin Khan, senior general manager of commercial strategy for MAS.

This is a sign that more in the country are using e-commerce facilities, which should encourage more businesses here to embrace the technology.

In comparison, Amin said, only one in four MAS customers in other parts of the world book their ticket online.

"In East Malaysia, the guy with the credit card and PC becomes an 'electronic ticketing agent.' People find it more convenient to go to that guy up their street, than to the city centre to a ticketing office," he said.

"They hand him the cash (for the ticket) and he makes the online booking."

According to Amin, while high-speed broadband is the ideal catalyst to spark off e-commerce adoption, the nation's basic Internet infrastructure can still be taken advantage off and be a convenience to most people.

MAS is embracing e-commerce in a big way. Two years ago, only 3% of its tickets sales were booked online; today it is 25%, thanks to MAS' iPad bookings and mobile booking applications.

"e-Commerce has opened up a new market for us. Online tickets sales do not cannibalise our regular ticket sales. With our online process, we also get more visibility.

"A customer can visit our site everyday until he gets a good price. This beats calling up many travel agents for quotes everyday," Amin said.

The national airline spent roughly RM400mil to set up its Passenger Service System, which includes an e-commerce component, two years ago.

Amin declined to quantify the airline's return on investment for that initiative but said it enjoys a cost savings of RM3 per ticket sold online, which can be passed on to its customers.

He was presenting a paper - Case studies: Lessons for e-commerce ventures - at the Business Success Forum.

Unaware

Earlier, Shaifubahrim Saleh, president of the Association of the Computer and Multimedia Industry of Malaysia (Pikom), said many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are still ignorant about e-commerce.

He said these SMEs still believe they have to buy servers and set up an IT department to participate in e-commerce, when in actual fact they can merely subscribe to e-commerce services for as low as RM100 per month.

According to Pikom, 31% of SMEs surveyed in the country believe they do not have the technical knowledge to embrace e-commerce, while 17% said they are not ready to engage in e-commerce.

"That's why Pikom is going to 16 locations nationwide to teach SMEs there about e-commerce and the ease of adopting e-commerce services," Shaifubahrim said.

"They need to understand that in the age of cloud computing, they do not need to possess in-depth technical knowledge to get into e-commerce."

According to Pikom, its roadshows will have educated about 3,000 SMEs by year end. It estimates that there are some 900,000 SMEs in the country.

"It is going to be a long process educating all the SMEs," said Shaifubahrim.

Pikom said the value of e-commerce in Malaysia will be RM92.6bil by year end - a 32% increase from last year. "Yes, there is vast potential in e-commerce here," Shaifubahrim told In.Tech at the Business Success Forum.

The forum is one of the main initiatives under the National ICT Month (NIM) 2010. The month-long event ends Aug 12. It features talks, forums, workshops and seminars.

NIM 2010 is organised by Pikom and the Science, Innovation and Technology Ministry.

NEWS: Shoppers leave empty-handed and buy goods at home

ONLINE SHOPPING: A quarter of shoppers leave high street stores empty handed and purchase goods on the Internet instead, according to a report released July 30 by retail consultancies Envirosell and RichRelevance. - Relaxnews

A QUARTER of shoppers in Britain and the United States leave high street stores empty-handed and choose to complete their purchases at home according to a recent survey.

Internet users around the globe also searched for information about online retailers more frequently than high street stores.

A quarter of shoppers leave high street stores empty handed and purchase goods on the internet instead, according to a report released July 30 by retail consultancies Envirosell and RichRelevance.

The survey conducted amongst shoppers in New York and London found that almost half of all shoppers leaving stores did so without having purchased anything, but a quarter of those leaving without shopping intended to go home and complete their purchases on the Internet.

The survey also found that consumers in New York were also more likely than their British counterparts to compare prices of goods online first before visiting the store.

Increasing numbers of people are choosing to do their shopping online and, according to statistics from market monitoring group Hitwise, Internet users across Britain, Australia, Hong Kong and the United States searched for information about online retailers more often than they searched for information about high street stores.

The most searched for term relating to shopping and retail in the United States in the four weeks ending July 17 was online marketplace and postings site Craigslist, followed by auction site eBay in second and movie site Netflix in third, while hypermarket chain Wal-Mart came fourth, one place above online retailer Amazon.

In Britain, eBay and Amazon dominated the top two spots in the week ending July 24. During the same period online retailers, rather than high street stores, were also popular search items in Asia and Oceania.

Amazon and Amazon Japan were the top two most searched for terms related to retail in Hong Kong, and in Australia online retail sites eBay, eBay Australia and Amazon were also searched for more often than any high street stores. - Relaxnews

NEWS: Learning English the Disney way

IN A slight lilting American accent, smiling Chinese children ask each other “Do you want a snack?” at a Disney English Learning Centre in Shanghai.

These five-to-seven year-olds learning English with Disney characters such as the AristoCats are the product of a highly successful China branding strategy for the firm that gave the world Mickey Mouse and Snow White.

Pioneered for the Chinese market, the Walt Disney Company opened its first English language centre in Shanghai in 2008 and has since expanded to 14 such centres on the mainland.

Using touchscreen boards, props, games and online media, each centre teaches English to children between two and 12.

“When the words appear on the big screen, the teachers will say ‘Go’ and they will tell you what they want. When you reach for the correct object, the screen will say “You have won,” says five-year-old Paul He, on the joys and excitement he derives from learning at the centre.

Overall, Disney’s foray into the China market has been mixed. Its Hong Kong Disneyland park reported a loss last year, while the firm is still in final talks with Shanghai’s municipal government over a Shanghai Disneyland after the park received central government approval late last year.

Its English language business venture however, has been a resounding success as enrolment numbers soar and Disney plans to double the number of schools on the mainland in a year.

“Here in China, parents place a huge value on education. It is up there as one of the top focuses and top investments that parents make along with probably health care,” said Andrew Sugerman, general manager of Disney English.

So far, Disney English has 10 centres in Shanghai and four in Beijing, with plans to expand the programme to China’s tier-two and tier-three cities.

“It’s been very positive both in terms of our enrolment figures and the responses we’ve heard from parents. We have enrolled several thousand since 2008 and are expecting triple digit growth into next year,” Sugerman said.

English standards in China have remained poor despite compulsory English education in schools. Most lessons are taught in Mandarin and Chinese children speak Mandarin at home.

Yet, with China’s rapid economic development, there has been a drive for English Language education, especially in the big cities like Shanghai and Beijing. — Reuters

NEWS: Dr Chua wants MCA leaders to Twit and use other social media

KUALA LUMPUR: MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek made his first tweet, signalling to party members that the new media is the way to go to win friends and influence voters.

Signing up with the user name drchuaSL, he wrote on his Blackberry: “My first attempt on Twitter. Today I have a neck pain but still have to work due to many appointments.”

Minutes later, he made his second tweet: “I’m giving a PC on the new media. All MPs, ADUNs and CC members must be on Twitter.”

Dr Chua signed up for his Twitter account on the spot during a press conference to announce a collaboration on the new media between the party and telecommunications company Celcom at Wisma MCA here.

Speaking to reporters, he said MCA reps and central committee members must be on the new media, including Twitter, to counter any false information by the opposition and to tell the truth to the rakyat.

Admitting that the Opposition was strong on new media publicity as well as better equipped to fight the media war, Dr Chua said: “You can say what you want in new media publicity. You can also spin a lot of hard truth and no truth.

“And the end result is, a lot of people believe what is written in the blog and Twitter.”

He added that the the new media publicity was one of the biggest challenges to the MCA and component parties of the Barisan Nasional.

“We always rely on the traditional news media or the mainstream media. We are so comfortable with it and only a few people are into tweeting and blogging,” he said, advising the people, especially the younger generation, not to believe everything that was being posted on the Internet.

NEWS: Govt's laptop initiative takes off this month

KUALA LUMPUR: The distribution of laptops under the National Broadband Initiative (NBI) will be done in stages, from this month to year end, the Dewan Negara heard.

Information, Communications and Culture Deputy Minister Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum said the move will involve the co-ordination and co-operation of government agencies, small and medium industries, and service providers.

"The ministry has already identified the users who are staying near the 246 broadband community centres nationwide.

"This initiative will help the government increase broadband penetration from 38% to 50% by end 2010," he said in reply to a question by Sen Datuk Rizuan Abdul Hamid who asked about the distribution of laptops under the NBI.

Salang said 65% of the laptops would be distributed to poor students and the remaining 35% to those in the low income group.

"We are targeting students from families with a household income of less RM3,000 for rural and RM5,000 for urban areas.

"Priority is for those in government and government-aided schools without computers and broadband subscription at home," he said.

The low income group, he said, should have a household income of less RM3,000, with no computers and broadband subscription.

Areas targeted are kampungs, new villages and local community centres with one laptop for each household. - Bernama

NEWS: Mobile broadband: Clear, consistent plan for spectrum allocation needed

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia should be able to realise its 50% broadband penetration by year-end goal, with help from wireless technologies. But the Government must do more to support these technologies, said the GSM Association (GSMA), which represents the interests of the worldwide mobile communications industry.

The GSMA believes the Government needs to consider developing a clear and consistent plan for spectrum allocation, including the licensing of 2.6GHz spectrum as soon as possible for future LTE deployments.

Malaysia should also not delay the re-farming of existing 900MHz spectrum and the aligning of digital dividend spectrum plans across Asia, the GSMA said.

"While Malaysia has demonstrated keen adoption of mobile broadband - with year on year growth of 118% by end of Q1 2010 - more needs to be done to drive widespread availability across the country," said Jaikishan Rajaraman, senior director for Asia Pacific at GSMA.

"With further support and commitment from the Government facilitating these key spectrum levers, GSM mobile operators across Malaysia have the opportunity to become key innovators driving this broadband uptake."

The GSMA also announced the findings from an exclusive Telecom Advisory Services (TAS) report on mobile broadband taxation.

The report (bit.ly/dniQMI) shows that the Malaysian Government has put in place some of the most flexible levels of taxation on mobile broadband service provision in the world.

This tax regime is having a positive impact on mobile broadband penetration. Malaysian operators benefit from tax levels of just 6.1% of the total cost of mobile services (applied as VAT) on mobile broadband services.

By comparison, in Brazil the additional taxes can be as high as 38% of the total cost of mobile services (33% VAT and 5.1% from other taxes).

The Government is targeting delivery of broadband connectivity to 50% of all households across Malaysia by the end of this year.

With just 1.5 million fixed-line broadband connections currently available, compared to a growing ecosystem of some 31.5 million mobile users, HSPA (High-Speed Packet Access) and LTE (Long Term Evolution) mobile broadband will be instrumental in helping Malaysia achieve its goals.

Spanning 219 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world's mobile operators, as well as more than 200 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, and equipment providers.

NEWS: Facebook wants ownership suit thrown out

BIG CLAIM: A complaint by Ceglia claims that a seven-year-old contract he signed with Zuckerberg for software development entitles him to 84% of the company. - AP

BUFFALO (New York): Facebook will try to get a New York man's claim for majority ownership of the website thrown out of court, attorneys for the social networking site said.

A complaint by Paul Ceglia of Wellsville, New York, claims that a seven-year-old contract he signed with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg for software development entitles him to 84% of the company.

"No one's ever said it's not his signature or it's a fake contract," Ceglia attorney Terrence Connors said during a federal court hearing here.

Connors said the two men met when Zuckerberg, then a Harvard University freshman, responded to an ad Ceglia had posted on Craigslist looking for someone to develop software for a street-mapping database he was creating.

Zuckerberg offered to take on Ceglia's project for US$1,000 (RM3,400), Connors said, and then told Ceglia about a project of his own, a kind of online yearbook for Harvard students that he wanted to expand.

Ceglia said he gave Zuckerberg another US$1,000 to continue work on Zuckerberg's "The Face Book," with the condition that Ceglia would own a 50% interest in the software and business if it expanded.

The percentage grew to 84% based on a clause that added a percentage point for each day the project went past its Jan 1, 2004, due date.

Zuckerberg's undertaking "at that time was a fledgling project," Connors said. "Who knew it would turn into what it has turned into today."

Facebook recently celebrated its 500 millionth user, Connors said.

Vague

At the centre of Ceglia's claim is a two-page "work for hire" contract bearing the names of both men.

Facebook attorney Lisa Simpson acknowledged yesterday that Zuckerberg and Ceglia had worked together on the street-mapping website but said the contract submitted by Ceglia was full of "inconsistencies, undefined terms and things that don't make sense."

"We have serious questions about the authenticity of this contract," Simpson told US District Judge Richard Arcara. "What the contract asserts is there is a relationship about Facebook and there isn't one."

Ceglia's complaint was filed in state Supreme Court in Allegany County on June 30 and transferred to federal court at Facebook's request.

Ceglia was the subject of a temporary restraining order issued by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo in December 2009, after Cuomo said a wood-pellet fuel company operated by Ceglia and his wife took more than US$200,000 (RM680,000) from consumers and failed to deliver the pellets or refunds. The case is pending.

In 2008, Palo Alto, California-based Facebook settled a lawsuit over its origins brought by three of Zuckerberg's former Harvard classmates, who claimed he turned their idea into Facebook after they hired him to work on a website that later became ConnectU. - AP

NEWS: Yahoo! earnings climb but revenue stays modest

UPHILL BATTLE: Yahoo's lacklustre revenue growth could cause some investors to doubt Bartz, who was hired 18 months ago to lead the company out of a prolonged financial funk that depressed its stock. - AP

SAN FRANCISCO: Yahoo! Inc's turnaround effort wavered in the second quarter as the Internet company's lacklustre revenue growth overshadowed a surge in net income.

The results released yesterday could cause some investors to doubt the strategy of Yahoo!'s no-nonsense CEO, Carol Bartz, who was hired 18 months ago to lead the company out of a prolonged financial funk that has depressed its stock.

Bartz has been able to boost Yahoo!'s earnings by cutting costs, but so far hasn't been able to produce dramatic revenue gains.

Yahoo!'s second-quarter revenue growth of 2% was particularly disappointing, given that Google Inc last week announced its revenue surged 24% in the same period.

Both Google and Yahoo! make virtually all of their money from online advertising, a sector that has been recovering from a recession more quickly than other forms of marketing.

The challenges facing Yahoo! are similar to those at many other companies that have been fattening their bottom lines by trimming expenses while revenue remains lean.

"We still have plenty of work to do," Tim Morse, Yahoo!'s chief financial officer, said in an interview yesterday.

He said the second quarter looked fairly strong until June when several large advertisers suddenly reduced their spending. "That has made us incrementally more cautious," Morse said.

Reflecting that circumspect mood, Yahoo! predicted its third-quarter revenue would either remain unchanged from last year or increase by as much as 4%.

The company earned US$213mil (RM724mil), or 15 cents (51sen) per share, in the three months ending in June. That represents a 51% increase from net income of US$141mil (RM479mil), or 10 cents (34sen) per share, at the same time last year. - AP

NEWS: Malaysia has right mix to be 3D-content Asia hub

Tanner: "From a hardware standpoint, Avatar could have been made here. I have seen many facilities around the region and the equipment at the National Film Development Corporation of Malaysia is top notch."

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has the opportunity to be at the forefront of stereoscopic 3D technology in the Asian region, said Craig Tanner, visual effects editor of the hit movie Avatar.

He believes the country has a competitive edge to excel in that segment of movie making. "This is its multilingual, largely English-speaking population and the world-class quality of its post-production facilities," he told In.Tech.

Tanner, who has visited other countries in the region, spent almost three weeks in Kuala Lumpur, and could make Malaysia the regional hub for his 3D studio.

"Malaysia is high on my list. Labour costs here are not cheap, but that's not my only consideration. Your country is a melting pot (of cultures and traditions) which is good for creativity," he said.

"There are other Asian countries that have English-speaking citizens but yours is an attractive multicultural society as well."

Impressive

Tanner, who was also visual effects editor for Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, is president of his company - Digital Revolution Studios (DRS) - which is headquartered in Los Angeles.

During his visit, he has been reviewing demo-reels from many local post-production houses and is impressed by both the talent and the equipment available here.

"From a hardware standpoint, Avatar could have been made here. I have seen many facilities around the region and the equipment at the National Film Development Corporation of Malaysia (Finas) is top notch," he said.

Tanner said an announcement on DRS' regional hub would be made by year end, at the latest.

"We are looking at creating new 3D content for Asia, be it for TV, cinemas, billboards, or whatever. We will provide training and the proper workflow processes," Tanner said.

Fertile

Tanner's wife, Gina, who is chief executive officer of DRS, said Malaysia has untapped creative resources that the company could help develop.

"There are more than a thousand unemployed or under-employed animators in the country," she said.

Tanner said the creative talent that DRS would train needs to have good work ethics and be able to take direction. "It doesn't matter if they have zero experience. It's their attitude that counts," he added.

According to him, his current focus is on expanding his company and he has no plans to be involved in a sequel to Avatar, if any.

"No more blue people for me," he quipped. "It is a great privilege to have worked on that movie. But creating more 3D content is my focus. DRS has the largest library of 3D clips in the world, and we want to keep on adding to that."

Tanner was also in the capital here to speak at a seminar on visual effects, organised by the Association of Post-Production and Animation Companies of Malaysia.

The seminar is sponsored by Finas and the Multimedia Development Corporation, guardian of the country's MSC Malaysia initiative to build a knowledge-based workforce and leapfrog the nation in information and communications technology.

Avatar is a science fiction movie written and directed by James Cameron, which drew accolades for its 3D effects. It broke several box office records and is the highest-grossing film of all time worldwide.

NEWS: MMU, Ericsson and TM building digital-home showcase

SMART DEAL: Guda (left) and Zaharin exchanging contracts at the MoU signing event in Cyberjaya. The ceremony was witnessed by TM Bhd chairman Datuk Dr Halim Shafie (middle).

CYBERJAYA: The Multimedia University (MMU) has inked a deal with Ericsson Malaysia and TM Research & Development (TM R&D) to set up a "digital home."

The "home" is an apartment-like setting on the university's premises that will showcase Ericsson Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) solutions.

Some of the cool features that visitors will able to see are home users simultaneously viewing a movie on an IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) system while chatting in realtime with other viewers via another part of the TV screen.

They will also be able to see how content such as videos and still images can be "pushed" from smartphones or some other portable device to the TV, and vice versa, at the push of a button.

Ericsson Malaysia said that IMS is an open-standards solution which enables seamless integration and interoperability across various devices and communications platforms.

These include 3G mobile services, wireline broadband access with WLAN (wireless local area network) endpoints, according to Krishnakumar Guda, president of Ericsson Malaysia.

Under the deal, Ericsson Malaysia will furnish the "home" with IMS-based equipment while TM R&D will provide system connectivity and its expertise in other relevant areas.

The showcase will be ready in a few weeks time, Guda said.

He said the partnership will also give students and university staff the opportunity to become IMS application developers.

"Commercially viable applications created by them can be distributed globally via the Ericsson eStore - an online marketplace with up to two billion potential customers worldwide," he said.

MMU president Prof Dr Zaharin Yusoff said this is an excellent opportunity for the students and staff to venture into application development, a skill with which they can earn international recognition and monetary rewards.

"At MMU, we believe in encouraging our students and staff to be innovators and to develop their talents. This latest collaboration opens up global avenues that will help achieve this goal," he added.

NEWS: Sabahans among first to get 1Malaysia laptops

PULAU BANGGI: Sabah will receive 10,000 laptop computers for the first phase of the 1Malaysia Computer programme, to link the rural community to the world of communications.

These machines are part of the one million laptop computers allocated by the Government for distribution to secondary school students who were eligible and the low-income group.

The first phase of the programme will end in December.

"The distribution of the computers reflects the Government's determination to realise the 1Malaysia concept through wider access to the Internet," said Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim.

"We hope recipients of this facility will subscribe to broadband to enable them to access this sophisticated technology."

The minister was speaking to the press after handing over 100 1Malaysia laptop computers to residents here yesterday.

He also said that one criteria in selecting the recipients was that they must at least subscribe to broadband for the first month.

Lower rates

Rais said his ministry will discuss with broadband service providers the offering of broadband subscription packages at a more reasonable rate, to ensure that everyone involved in the 1Malaysia Computer programme benefited from the broadband service.

The recipients, comprising 65 secondary school students and 35 residents of the village here, are part of the 500 recipients in the Kudat area and are the first group in Sabah to benefit from the programme.

Rais said the move will assist the ministry in achieving a broadband penetration of 30.1% of households in Sabah by year end, from the current 17.3%.

"In this aspect, we must raise the rate of computer ownership and broadband penetration to churn out an ICT (information and communications technology) literate community on par with those in the developed nations.

"With the 1Malaysia Computer programme, as well as other government efforts, I am confident that the Sabah target for the year end will be achieved and subsequently raised to 50% in the future," he said.

Rais also launched the WiFi Village project at Kampung Karakit, near the island's jetty where residents can now access the Internet wirelessly at speeds of up to 4Mbps (megabits per second) within a radius of 300m in the village. - Bernama

NEWS: Global PC shipments up 22%

SEATTLE: Market research group IDC said worldwide shipments of PCs climbed 22.4% in the second quarter as businesses replaced aging computers and consumers continued to show interest in inexpensive laptops.

The growth came in half a percentage point less than predicted because of slightly lower PC shipments in Asia and the United States.

IDC analyst Loren Loverde said the group will likely reduce estimates for the current quarter and the rest of the year slightly, but he still calls the industry's performance in the quarter "quite good."

Businesses that stopped buying new technology during the worst of the recession have started replacing PCs, IDC says. That contributed to the rise in the quarter.

But Loverde said that doesn't mean the industry should expect to see a dramatic surge in demand for PCs in the coming months.

As PC processors become more powerful, it's not as critical for many businesses to furnish employees with the most up-to-date technology. As a result, more companies are hanging on to older computers longer and replacing them on an as-needed basis, the analyst said.

In all, PC makers shipped 81.5 million computers in the quarter. Hewlett-Packard Co remained the top computer maker in the world, followed by Dell Inc and Acer Inc. Lenovo Group Ltd, Toshiba Corp and AsusTek Computer Inc rounded out IDC's top-six list.

Consumers still sought out low-end laptops and netbooks - computers that are even less expensive, but also less powerful. - AP

NEWS: SchoolNet project a boon to students

KUALA LUMPUR: Ninety-nine per cent or 9,618 schools nationwide benefit from the SchoolNet project, Deputy Education Minister Dr Mohd Fuad Zarkashi said.

He said under the project, 6,633 schools had been equipped with computer labs and 3,025 have school access centres.

"Based on these figures, I believe our schools are on par with schools in other countries in terms of SchoolNet and educational technology usage," he said in reply to a question from Tan Seng Giaw (DAP-Kepong) in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

Mohd Fuad said the EduwebTV programme introduced by the ministry on March 1, 2008 to create an IT-savvy generation had a positive impact because it enabled students to continue learning from their homes.

EduwebTv has an average of 500,000 hits per month with 33% coming from homes.

"The web TV hits in April, 2009 alone reached 397,977," he said in reply to a question from Datuk Noraini Ahmad (BN-Parit Sulong).

Noraini had asked how far educational TV broadcast through the Internet, or EduwebTV, had benefited rural schools in respect to narrowing the rural-urban digital gap in education.

EduwebTV is aimed at addresssing the limitation of using educational TV where teachers are unable to fit in the school period with the educational TV programme schedule.

"With EduwebTV, the teachers can choose the education TV programme according to their school timetable and the teaching and learning process in the classroom," said Mohd Fuad.

He said EduwebTV is also effective in that students benefit from the Education News (English/Bahasa Malaysia), Academic, Feature, Interview, Curriculum, Interactive segments and archive live broadcast segments.

Mohd Fuad said that up to June 31, 3,185 programmes had been downloaded as EduwebTV content.

He said through EduwebTV, students could also enhance their skills in using the Internet because EduwebTV had to be accessed through the SchoolNet network.

"For those with no Internet facility at home, they can access the EduwebTV programme outside school hours through School Access Centres set up at schools."

To a supplementary question from Noraini, he said that up to early this year, 10,488 teachers and education officers had received training on using EduwebTV in the teaching and learning process. - Bernama

NEWS: China seeks to reduce Internet users' anonymity

BEIJING: A leading Chinese Internet regulator has vowed to reduce anonymity in China's portion of cyberspace. It is calling for new rules to require people to use their real names when buying a mobile phone or going online.

In an address to the national legislature in April, Wang Chen, director of the State Council Information Office, called for perfecting the extensive system of censorship the government uses to manage the fast-evolving Internet, according to a text of the speech obtained by New York-based Human Rights in China.

China's regime has a complicated relationship with the freewheeling Internet, reflected in its recent standoff with Google over censorship of search results.

The Internet is China's most open and lively forum for discussion, despite already pervasive censorship, but stricter controls could constrain users. The country's online population has surged past 400 million, making it the world's largest.

Chen's comments were reported only briefly when they were made in April. Human Rights in China said the government quickly removed a full transcript posted on the legislature's website.

But the group said it found an unexpurgated text and the discrepancies show that Beijing is wary that its push for tighter information control might prove unpopular.

Wang said holes that needed to be plugged included ways people could post comments or access information anonymously, according to the transcript published in the group's magazine China Rights Forum.

"We will make the Internet real name system a reality as soon as possible, implement a nationwide cellphone real name system, and gradually apply the real name registration system to online interactive processes," the journal quoted Wang as saying.

As part of that Internet "real name system," forum moderators would have to use their real names as would users of online bulletin boards, and anonymous comments on news stories would be removed, Wang is quoted as saying.

The State Council Information Office did not immediately respond to a faxed request asking whether certain sections of Wang's address to the legislature were altered in the official transcript.

Wang's comments are in line with recent government statements that indicate a growing uneasiness toward the multitude of opinions found online.

A Beijing-backed think tank this month accused the United States and other Western governments of using social-networking sites such as Facebook to spur political unrest and called for stepped-up scrutiny.

China has blocked sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, although technologically savvy users can easily jump the so-called "Great Firewall" with proxy servers or other alternatives. Websites about human rights and dissidents are also routinely banned. - AP

NEWS: Driving high-speed broadband to the public

OFF WE GO: Rais flagging off the convoy to launch the mobile roadshow initiative, known as The Broadband Trail. - Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR: Watch out for convoys of vehicles decorated in the corporate colours of our broadband service providers.

Groups of the vehicles will be roaming all over the country specifically to give as many Malaysians as possible the opportunity to experience high-speed Internet access.

However, the four-wheel-drive trucks will also be "ferrying" the Internet to Malaysians who have not had the opportunity to experience the Web, such as some rural folk.

The nation has been divided into five zones, which will be covered by the convoys. More than 500 locations are in the zones, which include Sabah and Sarawak.

It is part of the National Broadband Awareness and Promotional Programme spearheaded by the Ministry of Information, Communications and Culture.

The minister, Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim, flagged off the convoys today during a ceremony to launch the mobile roadshow initiative, known as The Broadband Trail (or BB Trail). The roadshow is expected to last till year end.

Telco Telekom Malaysia, together with Maxis, Celcom, DiGi, YTL, Packet One, U Mobile and others, provided the mobile squads for the roadshow.

At every stop, the convoys will gather onlookers by hosting interactive games and contests in a carnival-like atmosphere, and by offering attractive prizes. They will also feature local entertainers to liven up the shows.

Onlookers at these stops will be able to get more information on high-speed broadband services, as well as websurf from a variety of portable devices.

"With this roadshow, I'm sure we will achieve our 50% broadband penetration target by year end," Rais said during the launch. Currently, the broadband penetration is 37.7%.

NEWS: Getting careless online could be costly

KUALA LUMPUR: In the age of information and communications technology, where an increasing amount of transactions happen in cyberspace, Internet users need to remain a step ahead of scammers.

They need to be extra careful to not download unknown software and applications, and to never open attachments from unknown senders, while exercising caution when performing online transactions.

This advice comes from Anthony Ung, country manager for SouthEast Asia for network antivirus and content security expert Trend Micro Inc.

"People can do anything online, from shopping to paying bills and conducting business transactions. "You don't have to prove who you are. As long as you have a credit card number, a (personal) indentification number and password, you can buy or download anything," he said.

According to him, identity theft or "phishing" and other computer security issues that can harm your reputation or that of others, are things to watch out for.

Phishing, he said, tricks victims into revealing personal information, which is then used to raid bank accounts, ring up credit card charges and apply for monetary loans.

He said phising scams arrive via e-mail and appear to originate from a legitimate organisation or agency, such as the Inland Revenue Board (IRB).

"The cybercriminals create a fake website which looks just like the original website of the IRB and spread it via e-mail with blank subject lines.

"Instead of using the e-mail address irb.com, they could use 1rb.com, for example. This happens especially when the deadline for filing income tax returns is looming.

"When you are rushing to submit your income tax form, you don't realise that "i" looks like "l." You just click, key in your password and identification number, put in all the data and send it.

"While you think you have submitted the file, it actually goes to the fake website," he said.

In a blur

Ung said most people are still unaware that cybercriminals use e-mail and fake websites to steal money and identities.

He said social networking sites are also popular with cybercriminals, to trick people into divulging personal information or downloading software onto their computers.

"Take Facebook, Google or Yahoo! e-mail systems, for example. Everytime you type your password and identification, the cybercriminals can also log in. When your the computer is not in use or busy, they go to your account and see what information you have. They then use it for something else, pretending to be you.

"Another thing is scams. You may receive an e-mail stating that you have won a lottery or were selected randomly for the prize. They will then request a fee to be paid upfront in order to get the prize. Of course, you will not see your money again, or the prize," Ung said.

To protect themselves from online scams, he said, Internet users are advised to change their identification and password every month, stop opening spam that tries to evade filters by delivering an image instead of just text, and to install anti-spyware technology.

Trend Micro is a global leader with more than two decades of expertise in endpoint, messaging and web security.

It has come up with a solution called Internet Security Pro 2010 for comprehensive protection against viruses, worms, trojans and hackers. It also detects and removes spyware, and blocks spam.

The software includes a firewall, system tuner, remote field lock utility and smartphone protection. It is easy to install and use, and offers good protection while surfing the Internet, the vendor claimed. - Bernama

NEWS: China renews Google operating license

BEIJING: China renewed Google's licence to operate after a months-long standoff over Internet censorship, saying the company had pledged it wouldn't provide "lawbreaking content."

The California-based giant said on Friday that it had received approval to operate in the world's most populous country, after it agreed to stop automatically rerouting users of Google.cn to its site in Hong Kong, which is not subject to China's online censorship.

The company began the rerouting earlier this year when it decided to stop censoring its search results on the mainland site.

Search requests at Google.cn from within mainland China now require an extra click that then takes the user to the Hong Kong site. That small concession was enough to persuade China's regulators to renew the licence, the company said.

An official with Ministry of Industry and Information Technology confirmed the licence was renewed for another year for Beijing Guxiang Information Technology Co Ltd, the operator of Google's China website, the official Xinhua News Agency said on Sunday.

China's decision to allow Google to continue operations has resolved the dispute that had threatened the company's future in the country.

Xinhua said that Guxiang had agreed to "abide by Chinese law" and "ensure the company provides no lawbreaking content" in its renewal application letter.

"After our assessment, we decided that Guxiang had basically met the requirements," the ministry official, who was not identified, was quoted as saying.

The website of the ministry, which regulates the Internet in China, listed Guxiang on Sunday among some 200 companies whose licences had been renewed until 2012.

Guxiang also agreed that all content it provides is subject to the supervision of government regulators, the official said.

The conflict arose in January when Google decided to end its four-year practice of omitting search results that the Chinese government considers subversive or pornographic.

Google made the decision after blaming Chinese computer hackers for an attack it said was aimed at stealing the company's technology and e-mail information from human rights activists.

China is not yet a big moneymaker for Google, accounting for an estimated US$250mil to US$600mil (RM850mil to RM2bil) of the company's projected US$28bil (RM95bil) in revenue this year.

But the number of Internet users in China is estimated at 384 million, more than the nearly 200 million in the United States. - AP

NEWS: Social networks a boon for small businesses

PETALING JAYA: Many businesses are turning to social networks to better connect with their customers and attract potential clients, according to a global survey.

The survey, commissioned by workspace solutions provider Regus PLC, also found that small companies are more likely to use social networking for business purposes, And are the most successful at it.

Regus said 44% of the small companies in its survey successfully acquired new customers through social networks, compared with medium companies (36%) and large businesses (28%).

Companies that do not take advantage of social networks (such as Twitter and Facebook) may be missing out on sizeable business opportunities, Regus said.

The survey polled 15,000 companies worldwide.

Regus operates more than 1,000 business centres across 450 cities in 75 countries.

NEWS; Intel shows off 'invisible computers'

INTRIGUING: Intel Labs brings portable interaction to tablet computers by recognising and reacting to objects placed on tablet screens as well as objects manipulated on the surface around the tablet. - Intel

DURING Intel's annual Research event on June 30 more than 30 research teams showed off their latest inventions in the fields of energy, transportation, user experience, the cloud and platform innovation.

Interaction with computers will become much more natural in the future said Intel, showing a first glimpse at how tomorrow's users will seamlessly interact with "invisible computers" through gesture, voice and touch.

NEW WAY TO INTERACT: Projected displays on everyday household surfaces like kitchen countertops to create interactive "islands." A user could have a movie playing while making dinner or search and display a recipe right there on the counter. - Intel

Some of the projects on show during the event were the Oasis (a "Smart Kitchen Top" that can recognise food products placed on a kitchen bench), a low-cost energy sensor that helps consumers track their energy consumption, and SENS (Socially Enabled Services) - a mobile phone-based social network that shows you what your friends are doing in real time.

Videos of Intel's new, humanized technology can be viewed on Intel's YouTube page, www.youtube.com/user/channelintel. - Relaxnews

NEWS: Free laptops from govt scheme cannot be sold off

KUALA LUMPUR: Recipients of free laptops under the 1Malaysia Computer programme are advised against selling the computers.

Deputy Information, Communications, Culture and Arts Minister Datuk Joseph Salang said action would be taken against those found doing so.

"The (details of the) computers are recorded," he said in response to a supplementary question by Azan Ismail (PKR-Indera Mahkota) in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

Azan wanted to know the measures taken by the Government to prevent the recipients from selling the laptops.

He said there are some, especially those who do not know how to use it or whose homes are without electricity, being offered RM700 for their computer.

Salang said the laptops are only given to residents in areas with broadband coverage and electricity supply.

Earlier, in response to a question from Nancy Shukri (BN-Batang Sadong), he said the laptops are given to families with a household income of less than RM3,000 for those in the rural areas and below RM5,000 for urban families.

He said 65% of the computers are given to students in government and government-aided secondary schools.

Salang said the programme would be carried out in phases, with the first phase involving 123,000 computers. This was implemented last month. - Bernama

NEWS: All that glitters is not gold

Is Hollywood going bankrupt on new ideas and trying to compensate with technology?

THE GURU SPEAKS: Imhof, seen here giving a seminar at The One Academy, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, says that as much as he is impressed by advances in visual effects technology, he is disappointed at the lack of good stories in Hollywood.

IF YOU think Hollywood has become all dazzle and no substance these days, don't worry. Even some of the guys behind all that glitter think so, too.

Special effects technologies might have changed the way Hollywood makes its movies but according to Swiss digital artist Nicolas Imhof, it's not necessarily for the better.

The former Hollywood-based special effects technical director, who has worked on movies such as Star Trek: Nemesis, Batman & Robin, Along Came A Spider, The 6th Day and Harry Potter, said that as much as he's impressed with the technology available to artists these days, he's disappointed with the lack of genuine creativity.

"When I started doing visual effects, we were still doing it with codes. It wasn't user-friendly at all. I was part of the team that created the first realistic CG fur, for a Coca-Cola ad with polar bears, and it was so complicated! Today you just click-click-click and bam, it's happening.

"But even though I'm totally amazed by the quality (of special effects today), I think Hollywood is forgetting something - you still need a story, a good script and good storytelling," said Imhof.

Imhof was in Malaysia recently along with fellow Swiss artist Christian Lorenz Scheurer, currently based in Hollywood, to speak at a seminar entitled Swiss Design in Hollywood, organised by The One Academy and held at its premises in Bandar Sunway, Selangor.

As an artist still working in Hollywood, Scheurer has an idea of what Hollywood is working on for the next few years and he said in terms of content, not a lot of it is going to be fresh.

"You will see a lot of sequels in the next few years, which is unfortunate. I hope there will be some original things too," said Scheurer, who has lent his talents to movies such as Titanic, What Dreams May Come, The Matrix, Evan Almighty, Superman Returns and Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.

COOL: Scheurer has lent his talents to movies like Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.

The most recent project he's worked on is a DreamWorks production called Gardens of Childhood, which he said will be out in 2012.

There is one sequel, and one director in particular, that Scheurer is almost certain we'll be seeing more of in the near future. "I see an Avatar 2 for sure. But I'm just speculating based on its success. And you will see more of James Cameron. He had at least two projects that did not take off before Avatar, so either he'll do those two movies, or he'll do more Avatar," Scheurer added.

Not appreciated

That lack of original ideas is something Scheurer hopes to address among students who attend the seminars.

"I want to show students how original content is created; not just copying old things but creating profoundly new things. When I look at Hollywood today, it's all the same.

"There has to be emotions, because to tell a story and convey emotions - that's why we do what we do," he said.

But even though a lot of movies are becoming more and more CG-based, Imhof said that visual effects companies in Hollywood are still struggling.

According to him, there are only a handful of big VFX companies left today, while there were "50 to 60 smaller companies" around during his time in Hollywood.

NO RESPECT: Scheurer says VFX people don't get enough respect from Hollywood, as evinced by the credits in Avatar when the people behind the effects get billed after the Taco guy. - 20th Century Fox

Imhof returned to Switzerland in 2003 where he worked for a time as an art director on European commercials and feature films.

"Hollywood doesn't respect VFX people enough. Just look at the credits! In Avatar, they come up after the Taco guy or something like that. They're never near the top of the credits with these big movies.

"And VFX companies are very lucky to get a 5%-10% profit margin when they do big movies. They don't make money doing them, they do them just to increase their profile," said Imhof.

In spite the dearth of new ideas, Scheurer predicts a new cinematic experience for audiences in the coming years.

"There will be a lot of 3D - that we know. But I can also imagine a lot of immersion, and it won't necessarily be on the big screen. Maybe it will be on your wii, where you can interact with the movie. I do see a future where we have a hybrid of games and cinema.

"Kids today don't want to just watch Die Hard, they want to play Die Hard. 3D has given a new lease of life to action movies, and they will soon belong to the games. But other movies, like Woody Allen and character-driven movies, that's not going to go away," he said.

(Ian Yee is on the team for The Star R.AGE, a pullout for youths. Check out its website at www.rage.com.my.)