THE year started with a bang for University Putra Malaysia (UPM), who dominated the inaugural Malaysia University Robot Competition 2010 recently.
Winning two out of the three main categories – the Paintball Robot and the Rope Climbing Robot – UPM also finished second in the Fire Fighting Robot category, which was won by Universiti Teknologi Mara.
The varsity also bagged the best robot design awards for the two categories which they won.
Last minute touch: Students making sure their robot is in order. The university won two out of three categories as well as the best robot design award.
UPM final-year Electric and Electronic Engineering student Mohd Safuan Mohd Somari, 25, said that his team comprised eight Engineering students who had conducted countless tests to produce the winning robots.
“Preparations lasted a month including tests involving actual paintball games,” said Mohd Safuan who was the team leader of the Paintball Robot team.
He added that his team was seasoned as it had participated in various competitions in the past, winning the best design award and emerging as first runner-up in last year’s Robogamez.
Meanwhile, Mohd Afiq Abdul Ghafar, 20, who headed the Rope Climbing Robot team said that their hard work paid off as the team had made many adjustments to the design in the build-up to the competition.
However, he admitted that there was still a tinge of regret.
“Although we assessed that our robot could clear the challenge in under 10 seconds, we are still satisfied with our record of 14 seconds,” he said.
Organised by Universiti Malaysia Perlis, the competition attracted 21 teams comprising around 170 students from seven public higher education institutions, including polytechnics.
Winners in each category bagged RM1,500 and a trophy.
Monday, January 25, 2010
NEWS: P1 gears up for Year of WiMAX
PETALING JAYA: Wireless broadband service provider Packet One Networks (Malaysia) has high ambitions this year, which it has dubbed “The Year of WiMAX.”
Its chief executive officer, Michael Lai, said there are new developments in P1’s stables as it prepares to extend its WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access ) broadband service, as well as roll out new WiMAX devices this year.
“Users can expect to see a slew of the devices in the market, including a WiMAX chip embedded netbook,” he said.
He declined to say exactly when the netbook would hit store shelves. “But it will be sooner than you think,” he said.
P1 has another reason to celebrate this year, It has received a RM50mil loan, payable over four years, from ICT (information and communications technology) industry financier and development facilitator, Malaysian Debt Ventures (MDV).
Lai said the bulk of the loan will fund P1’s expansion into Sabah and Sarawak, which is likely to start in the second half of this year.
“We will begin with the major towns, such as Kota Kinabalu and Kuching, before going into the other regions,” he said.
Since it started rolling out its services in August 2008, P1 claims to have extended its broadband service to about 35% of the population in Peninsular Malaysia as of 2009. It is working to bump that up to 45% this year, it said.
Must have
“Broadband is not a privilege anymore but a necessity if Malaysia is to compete effectively in a globalised economy,” Lai said.
He said one important aspect of increasing broadband penetration is the development of applications for the WiMAX platform.
P1 is working on such applications, he said, even as it deploys its WiMAX network.
Both are inter-dependent on each other; you must have a reliable network to support the applications and it is such applications that will help drive take-up of the network.
To date, P1 already has several such applications, including the social networking site Ruumz.com and Internet security software NetSecure.
Md Zubir Ansori Yahaya, MDV managing director and chief executive officer, said MDV supports the establishment of high-speed broadband and WiMAX infrastructure as part of the Government’s strategy to encourage economic growth.
“A part from fibreoptic networks, MDV believes that WiMAX is an important technology for broadband,” he said.
He pointed out that WiMAX, unveiled in the late 1990s, is gaining critical mass now. “Other technologies are being developed but WiMAX is the way to go at this time,” he said.
Its chief executive officer, Michael Lai, said there are new developments in P1’s stables as it prepares to extend its WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access ) broadband service, as well as roll out new WiMAX devices this year.
“Users can expect to see a slew of the devices in the market, including a WiMAX chip embedded netbook,” he said.
He declined to say exactly when the netbook would hit store shelves. “But it will be sooner than you think,” he said.
P1 has another reason to celebrate this year, It has received a RM50mil loan, payable over four years, from ICT (information and communications technology) industry financier and development facilitator, Malaysian Debt Ventures (MDV).
Lai said the bulk of the loan will fund P1’s expansion into Sabah and Sarawak, which is likely to start in the second half of this year.
“We will begin with the major towns, such as Kota Kinabalu and Kuching, before going into the other regions,” he said.
Since it started rolling out its services in August 2008, P1 claims to have extended its broadband service to about 35% of the population in Peninsular Malaysia as of 2009. It is working to bump that up to 45% this year, it said.
Must have
“Broadband is not a privilege anymore but a necessity if Malaysia is to compete effectively in a globalised economy,” Lai said.
He said one important aspect of increasing broadband penetration is the development of applications for the WiMAX platform.
P1 is working on such applications, he said, even as it deploys its WiMAX network.
Both are inter-dependent on each other; you must have a reliable network to support the applications and it is such applications that will help drive take-up of the network.
To date, P1 already has several such applications, including the social networking site Ruumz.com and Internet security software NetSecure.
Md Zubir Ansori Yahaya, MDV managing director and chief executive officer, said MDV supports the establishment of high-speed broadband and WiMAX infrastructure as part of the Government’s strategy to encourage economic growth.
“A part from fibreoptic networks, MDV believes that WiMAX is an important technology for broadband,” he said.
He pointed out that WiMAX, unveiled in the late 1990s, is gaining critical mass now. “Other technologies are being developed but WiMAX is the way to go at this time,” he said.
NEWS: More broadband centres, libraries for Sabah
TAWAU: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (SKMM) will set up 30 more broadband centres and libraries in Sabah to close the “digital gap” between the urban and rural communities.
Its chairman, Tan Sri Khalid Ramli, said that there are six broadband centres and a broadband library in the state in line with the objective of the National Broadband Plan.
The addition of 16 centres and 14 libraries will be focused on the rural areas to expose the rural folk, especially the young, to information technology, he said.
He was speaking to reporters after launching an information programme on broadband Internet opportunities in the state.
The effort to set up such centres and libraries in the rural areas is in line with the objectives set by the Government for the SKMM to achieve 30% broadband penetration in households in Sabah, Khalid said, adding that the penetration rate last year was 14%.
He said the SKMM is also upgrading telecommunications coverage in the state with the construction of 212 telco towers this year and the next.
The Government has allocated RM343mil to upgrade telecommunications coverage in the country. Sabah and Sarawak will be given priority, added Khalid. — Bernama
Its chairman, Tan Sri Khalid Ramli, said that there are six broadband centres and a broadband library in the state in line with the objective of the National Broadband Plan.
The addition of 16 centres and 14 libraries will be focused on the rural areas to expose the rural folk, especially the young, to information technology, he said.
He was speaking to reporters after launching an information programme on broadband Internet opportunities in the state.
The effort to set up such centres and libraries in the rural areas is in line with the objectives set by the Government for the SKMM to achieve 30% broadband penetration in households in Sabah, Khalid said, adding that the penetration rate last year was 14%.
He said the SKMM is also upgrading telecommunications coverage in the state with the construction of 212 telco towers this year and the next.
The Government has allocated RM343mil to upgrade telecommunications coverage in the country. Sabah and Sarawak will be given priority, added Khalid. — Bernama
NEWS: Mimos. UTM increase R&D collaboration
PETALING JAYA: Applied research centre Mimos and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) launched a centre of excellence (CoE) in telecommunications technology at the university’s Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Skudai, Johor.
The establishment of the CoE follows research and development collaborations already running between UTM and Mimos in the areas of WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access Networks), 4G, IP Multimedia Sub System (IMS) and others.
IMS is a framework to develop multimedia applications on the Internet.
The CoE is aimed at strengthening R&D activities in the telecommunications field and enhancing the competitiveness of Johor’s local information and communications technology sector within the Iskandar Malaysia development project there.
Datuk Abdul Wahab, chief executive officer of Mimos, said UTM has the potential to excel in R&D.
The establishment of the CoE follows research and development collaborations already running between UTM and Mimos in the areas of WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access Networks), 4G, IP Multimedia Sub System (IMS) and others.
IMS is a framework to develop multimedia applications on the Internet.
The CoE is aimed at strengthening R&D activities in the telecommunications field and enhancing the competitiveness of Johor’s local information and communications technology sector within the Iskandar Malaysia development project there.
Datuk Abdul Wahab, chief executive officer of Mimos, said UTM has the potential to excel in R&D.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
NEWS: Battle of the bots
THE atmosphere was intense. For the parents, it was as if they were watching a critical football match, or the final concluding episode of a soap opera, complete with unexpected twists.
Battling ‘bots’ called to mind a mini version of Transformers, and cries of triumph and loss filled the air at the CTWorkshop Battle Bot Challenge 2009.
The knockout competition between Lego robots was organised by Children’s Technology Workshop (CTWorkshop) Malaysia at Bangsar Village II in Kuala Lumpur recently.
Last year’s winner, ‘Team X’ — consisting of Choy Wai Kit and Aaron Gibson from ELC International School — once again emerged as champions in the seven-to-nine years old category.
Under Category B (age 10-14), Benjamin Koh and Kevin Phung — team ‘Dark Void’ — from SK Taman Megah fought a tough battle before knocking out the competition.
“We never expected ourselves to reach the finals, what more becoming the winners!” enthused Benjamin.
“We would like to thank our instructors from CTWorkshop who had given us much valuable experience through creative technology programmes that helped us in this challenge,” said Kevin.
Kevin’s mother, Lee Swee Chin, said that while she was pleased to see him win, it was the participation in such activities that was important in a child’s learning.
“Aside from academics, I think it’s important that parents should expose their children to outside activities that could help strengthen the child’s thinking capabilities just like this challenge,” said Lee.
The challenge, which was held over two days, saw over 40 teams from both local and international schools participate, including Alice Smith, the Australian International School, Garden International School, Mont Kiara International School, Sri KDU, SK Bukit Damansara, SJK (C) Yuk Chai, and The Children’s House.
The teams of two had to battle it out in two stages — the group stage and the knockout stage — where participants had to strategically design and create a ‘bot’, or vehicle, using Lego parts and pieces that is strong enough to withstand challenges from other teams.
The bots were driven by motors and powered by a programmer.
CTWorkshop director and competition organiser Nina Adlan Disney said that she was impressed with the creativity, skills, designs and teamwork displayed by the contestants.
”This challenge is not just about competing, but it’s also about having fun and I think that’s important,” said Nina.
She also said that she hoped the challenge could further strengthen participants’ critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork.
Battling ‘bots’ called to mind a mini version of Transformers, and cries of triumph and loss filled the air at the CTWorkshop Battle Bot Challenge 2009.
The knockout competition between Lego robots was organised by Children’s Technology Workshop (CTWorkshop) Malaysia at Bangsar Village II in Kuala Lumpur recently.
Last year’s winner, ‘Team X’ — consisting of Choy Wai Kit and Aaron Gibson from ELC International School — once again emerged as champions in the seven-to-nine years old category.
Under Category B (age 10-14), Benjamin Koh and Kevin Phung — team ‘Dark Void’ — from SK Taman Megah fought a tough battle before knocking out the competition.
“We never expected ourselves to reach the finals, what more becoming the winners!” enthused Benjamin.
“We would like to thank our instructors from CTWorkshop who had given us much valuable experience through creative technology programmes that helped us in this challenge,” said Kevin.
Kevin’s mother, Lee Swee Chin, said that while she was pleased to see him win, it was the participation in such activities that was important in a child’s learning.
“Aside from academics, I think it’s important that parents should expose their children to outside activities that could help strengthen the child’s thinking capabilities just like this challenge,” said Lee.
The challenge, which was held over two days, saw over 40 teams from both local and international schools participate, including Alice Smith, the Australian International School, Garden International School, Mont Kiara International School, Sri KDU, SK Bukit Damansara, SJK (C) Yuk Chai, and The Children’s House.
The teams of two had to battle it out in two stages — the group stage and the knockout stage — where participants had to strategically design and create a ‘bot’, or vehicle, using Lego parts and pieces that is strong enough to withstand challenges from other teams.
The bots were driven by motors and powered by a programmer.
CTWorkshop director and competition organiser Nina Adlan Disney said that she was impressed with the creativity, skills, designs and teamwork displayed by the contestants.
”This challenge is not just about competing, but it’s also about having fun and I think that’s important,” said Nina.
She also said that she hoped the challenge could further strengthen participants’ critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork.
NEWS: Govt pushing Malaysians to innovate
KUALA LUMPUR: The Government has earmarked 2010 to be the Year of Innovation and has launched its Malaysia Innovative 2010 (MI2010) campaign.
The campaign aims to celebrate and encourage innovation among Malaysians. It will also serve as an education platform for people to hone their innovative and creative skills.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili said an ecosystem needs to exist for innovation to flourish, and that proper support and education is an important component.
“Education, incentives, research and development, as well as proper funding channels, need to be put in place in the process of culturalising innovation,” he said at a press conference after launching the official logo of the MI2010 campaign here.
Ongkili said innovation will help the country achieve its aspirations of building a high-income economy.
“We need to innovate and remain competitive. At a macro-level, our economy is trapped in the middle-income bracket. We need to move up the value chain and innovation can help us do that,” he said in an interview with In.Tech after the event.
MI2010, he said, is one of the ways to encourage more Malaysians to be innovative and his ministry hopes to use the campaign to get everyone involved, not just those in the science and technology industry.
“We want to demolish the belief that inovation can only exist within that industry,” he said, adding that the activities arranged under MI2010 will be relevant to the entire strata of Malaysian society.
Bridging it
This goal gels well with one of the objectives of the campaign, which is to narrow the “digital divide,” that gap between the technology haves and have nots.
Ongkili said the activities for MI2010 have the potential to contribute to the societal well-being of the less previleged.
Innovative minds will have the opportunity to showcase their ideas at the various exhibitions and events held during the year and some of them may even be picked up by the private sector for commercialisation.
“Not only will this contribute towards the country’s economic growth, it will also help elevate the social standing of the innovators,” Ongkili said.
He said his ministry will be working with several parties in the private sector to tap the potential of these innovative Malaysians and help commercialise their inventions.
MI2010 will be officially launched by the Prime Minister on Jan 27.
At the end of the campaign, Ongkili said, the Government hopes to show that information and communications technology is available to all Malaysians, including the underprivileged.
The campaign aims to celebrate and encourage innovation among Malaysians. It will also serve as an education platform for people to hone their innovative and creative skills.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili said an ecosystem needs to exist for innovation to flourish, and that proper support and education is an important component.
“Education, incentives, research and development, as well as proper funding channels, need to be put in place in the process of culturalising innovation,” he said at a press conference after launching the official logo of the MI2010 campaign here.
Ongkili said innovation will help the country achieve its aspirations of building a high-income economy.
“We need to innovate and remain competitive. At a macro-level, our economy is trapped in the middle-income bracket. We need to move up the value chain and innovation can help us do that,” he said in an interview with In.Tech after the event.
MI2010, he said, is one of the ways to encourage more Malaysians to be innovative and his ministry hopes to use the campaign to get everyone involved, not just those in the science and technology industry.
“We want to demolish the belief that inovation can only exist within that industry,” he said, adding that the activities arranged under MI2010 will be relevant to the entire strata of Malaysian society.
Bridging it
This goal gels well with one of the objectives of the campaign, which is to narrow the “digital divide,” that gap between the technology haves and have nots.
Ongkili said the activities for MI2010 have the potential to contribute to the societal well-being of the less previleged.
Innovative minds will have the opportunity to showcase their ideas at the various exhibitions and events held during the year and some of them may even be picked up by the private sector for commercialisation.
“Not only will this contribute towards the country’s economic growth, it will also help elevate the social standing of the innovators,” Ongkili said.
He said his ministry will be working with several parties in the private sector to tap the potential of these innovative Malaysians and help commercialise their inventions.
MI2010 will be officially launched by the Prime Minister on Jan 27.
At the end of the campaign, Ongkili said, the Government hopes to show that information and communications technology is available to all Malaysians, including the underprivileged.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
NEWS: Google scraps phone launch in China
BEIJING: Google postponed the launch of two mobile phones in China, adding to the potential commercial fallout of its dispute with the Chinese Government over Internet censorship and e-mail hacking.
The delay affects separate phones made by Motorola and Samsung. The handsets are both powered by Android, a mobile operating software system developed by Google. Both phones were scheduled to make their debut this week, with China Unicom Ltd serving as the carrier.
The change in plans is the latest aftershock from Google’s threat to close its Internet search engine and pull out of China unless the government relents on its rules requiring the censorship of content that the ruling party considers to be subversive.
Google decided to challenge the restrictions on free expression after uncovering a computer attack that targeted its software coding and the e-mail accounts of human rights activists protesting the Chinese Government’s policies.
The postponement of the new mobile phones in China show the country stands to lose more than just the world’s best-known search engine if Google leaves.
Both the Samsung and Motorola phones are geared to run Google’s search engine and other Internet services. With the availability of those services remaining accessible in China now in doubt, it makes sense to put the sale of the phones on hold for now.
In the balance
Google still wants to remain in China if a compromise can be reached with the government in the next few weeks. The outcome of those discussions appear likely to determine whether the Samsung and Motorola phones will be sold in China.
The nation is world’s most-populous mobile phone market, with more than 700 million accounts, and has an increasingly prosperous populace eager for the latest technology.
Beijing referred to Google by name on Tuesday for the first time since the company’s Jan 12 announcement might shut down its China-based search engine. The government said the search giant must obey China’s laws and traditions, suggesting it was giving no ground in talks with the company.
“Foreign enterprises in China need to adhere to China’s laws and regulations, respect the interests of the general public and cultural traditions and shoulder corresponding responsibilities. Google is no exception,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu at a regular news briefing.
Free speech groups and the White House lauded Google’s stance but there was no indication other companies might follow its lead and challenge government controls.
A Google pullout would be awkward for China. Chinese and foreign businesses rely on its e-mail, maps and other services based abroad. That could lead to disruptions if authorities try to retaliate by blocking access to Google’s US site.
Cyberattacks
Google said last week that an attack in December from China targeted the Mountain View, California-based company’s infrastructure and at least 20 other major companies from the Internet, financial services, technology, media and chemical industries.
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China sent an e-mail on Monday to its members warning that reporters in at least two news bureaus in Beijing had said their Gmail accounts had been broken into, with their e-mails surreptitiously forwarded to unfamiliar accounts. One of the accounts belonged to an Associated Press journalist.
Ma, the foreign ministry spokesman, said China strictly prohibits computer hacking in any form.
The chief executive of China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, which operates the China arm of Google rival Yahoo! Inc, said on Tuesday at a conference in Taiwan that foreign companies such as Google should not pull out of China.
“It is easy to give up, but one must hang on,” said Jack Ma. “China will set the rule of (the) game in the 21st century, and businesses must not go to the mainland for the profit motives only but rather to take part in setting the rules.”
Yahoo! turned over its China operations to Alibaba several years ago after failing to gain market share against Chinese competitors. Yahoo! now owns 39% of Alibaba.
China also has the world’s most-populous Internet market, with more than 384 million people online, bigger than the entire US population.
Google.cn, set up in 2005, trails local rival Baidu Inc, with a 35% market share to Baidu’s 60%. — AP
The delay affects separate phones made by Motorola and Samsung. The handsets are both powered by Android, a mobile operating software system developed by Google. Both phones were scheduled to make their debut this week, with China Unicom Ltd serving as the carrier.
The change in plans is the latest aftershock from Google’s threat to close its Internet search engine and pull out of China unless the government relents on its rules requiring the censorship of content that the ruling party considers to be subversive.
Google decided to challenge the restrictions on free expression after uncovering a computer attack that targeted its software coding and the e-mail accounts of human rights activists protesting the Chinese Government’s policies.
The postponement of the new mobile phones in China show the country stands to lose more than just the world’s best-known search engine if Google leaves.
Both the Samsung and Motorola phones are geared to run Google’s search engine and other Internet services. With the availability of those services remaining accessible in China now in doubt, it makes sense to put the sale of the phones on hold for now.
In the balance
Google still wants to remain in China if a compromise can be reached with the government in the next few weeks. The outcome of those discussions appear likely to determine whether the Samsung and Motorola phones will be sold in China.
The nation is world’s most-populous mobile phone market, with more than 700 million accounts, and has an increasingly prosperous populace eager for the latest technology.
Beijing referred to Google by name on Tuesday for the first time since the company’s Jan 12 announcement might shut down its China-based search engine. The government said the search giant must obey China’s laws and traditions, suggesting it was giving no ground in talks with the company.
“Foreign enterprises in China need to adhere to China’s laws and regulations, respect the interests of the general public and cultural traditions and shoulder corresponding responsibilities. Google is no exception,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu at a regular news briefing.
Free speech groups and the White House lauded Google’s stance but there was no indication other companies might follow its lead and challenge government controls.
A Google pullout would be awkward for China. Chinese and foreign businesses rely on its e-mail, maps and other services based abroad. That could lead to disruptions if authorities try to retaliate by blocking access to Google’s US site.
Cyberattacks
Google said last week that an attack in December from China targeted the Mountain View, California-based company’s infrastructure and at least 20 other major companies from the Internet, financial services, technology, media and chemical industries.
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China sent an e-mail on Monday to its members warning that reporters in at least two news bureaus in Beijing had said their Gmail accounts had been broken into, with their e-mails surreptitiously forwarded to unfamiliar accounts. One of the accounts belonged to an Associated Press journalist.
Ma, the foreign ministry spokesman, said China strictly prohibits computer hacking in any form.
The chief executive of China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, which operates the China arm of Google rival Yahoo! Inc, said on Tuesday at a conference in Taiwan that foreign companies such as Google should not pull out of China.
“It is easy to give up, but one must hang on,” said Jack Ma. “China will set the rule of (the) game in the 21st century, and businesses must not go to the mainland for the profit motives only but rather to take part in setting the rules.”
Yahoo! turned over its China operations to Alibaba several years ago after failing to gain market share against Chinese competitors. Yahoo! now owns 39% of Alibaba.
China also has the world’s most-populous Internet market, with more than 384 million people online, bigger than the entire US population.
Google.cn, set up in 2005, trails local rival Baidu Inc, with a 35% market share to Baidu’s 60%. — AP
NEWS: Microsoft cuts IP address storage to 6 months
BRUSSELS: Microsoft Corp will shorten the time it stores Internet users’ addresses from web search queries — from 18 months to six months — following a request from a European Union data privacy panel.
It said the change would make its Bing search a better choice for privacy-conscious users than the world’s leading search engine Google Inc, because Microsoft will delete the entire Internet Protocol (IP) address from search queries.
An IP address is a string of numbers that shows a computer’s location.
“We believe that the balance between privacy and efficiency is very much in the mind of consumers,” Microsoft’s associate general counsel John Vassallo told reporters. “Getting the balance right does make the search engine more attractive.”
Microsoft says its search engine has some 2% of the European market, well below Google’s 80%.
Google says keeping data from search queries is important to improving the way it processes search results and “represents a crucial arm in our battle to protect the security of our services against hacks and frauds.”
It says it makes users’ search details anonymous after nine months and allows people see and control some of the information that is stored on their searches.
Yahoo! says it deletes IP addresses and makes user log data anonymous after 90 days, with some exceptions to fight fraud, secure systems and meet legal obligations.
EU data protection officials have questioned the need for search engines to keep data on searches and had asked for a six-month limit.
Microsoft’s announcement comes days after the German Government warned users against Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser until it fixes a security flaw.
The company will also likely see more competition for the browser, the most widely used, when European users start to see a box urging them to choose between Internet Explorer and rival browsers in coming months — a move that helped end an EU antitrust investigation into the browser. — AP
It said the change would make its Bing search a better choice for privacy-conscious users than the world’s leading search engine Google Inc, because Microsoft will delete the entire Internet Protocol (IP) address from search queries.
An IP address is a string of numbers that shows a computer’s location.
“We believe that the balance between privacy and efficiency is very much in the mind of consumers,” Microsoft’s associate general counsel John Vassallo told reporters. “Getting the balance right does make the search engine more attractive.”
Microsoft says its search engine has some 2% of the European market, well below Google’s 80%.
Google says keeping data from search queries is important to improving the way it processes search results and “represents a crucial arm in our battle to protect the security of our services against hacks and frauds.”
It says it makes users’ search details anonymous after nine months and allows people see and control some of the information that is stored on their searches.
Yahoo! says it deletes IP addresses and makes user log data anonymous after 90 days, with some exceptions to fight fraud, secure systems and meet legal obligations.
EU data protection officials have questioned the need for search engines to keep data on searches and had asked for a six-month limit.
Microsoft’s announcement comes days after the German Government warned users against Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser until it fixes a security flaw.
The company will also likely see more competition for the browser, the most widely used, when European users start to see a box urging them to choose between Internet Explorer and rival browsers in coming months — a move that helped end an EU antitrust investigation into the browser. — AP
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
NEWS: Pikom predicts 8% growth in IT industry this year
KUALA LUMPUR: The Association of the Computer and Multimedia Industry of Malaysia (Pikom) projects an 8% growth for the industry this year thanks to incentives and tax breaks set down by the Government in the nation’s Budget 2010.
The industry only grew 5% last year as companies spent less due to the global economic slowdown, according to the association.
C.J. Ang, Pikom president, said the Government’s RM500 tax relief for every Malaysian subscribing to broadband and the RM5,000 loan to civil servants for PC purchases every three years (instead of five years previously) are some of the initiatives that will spur IT spending.
“Another factor that will contribute is the netbooks for university students programme, where up to 100,000 students will be provided with a portable computer and broadband connection each for just RM50 a month over two years,” he said.
Pikom also believes that the national rollout of High Speed Broadband (HSBB) and related services, such as Internet Protocol TV (IPTV), will also stimulate IT spending.
HSBB, which is undergoing trials, promises websurfing speeds of at least 10Mbps (megabits per second), compared to current speeds of up to 4Mbps.
Such high surfing speeds would mean smoother videoconferencing, streaming video, e-commerce transactions, and multiplayer gaming on the Web.
Fuelling the industry
Pikom pointed out that there are other government initiatives that will help push the IT sector forward.
“The implementation of the petrol subsidy system, for example, will require information technology to enable it,” Ang said.
The Government is planning a fuel pricing mechanism to ensure that only targeted groups, particularly those in the lower income group, will receive the subsidised petrol.
“Also, preparation work for the introduction of GST (Goods and Services Tax) will require investments in IT solutions,” he added.
The industry only grew 5% last year as companies spent less due to the global economic slowdown, according to the association.
C.J. Ang, Pikom president, said the Government’s RM500 tax relief for every Malaysian subscribing to broadband and the RM5,000 loan to civil servants for PC purchases every three years (instead of five years previously) are some of the initiatives that will spur IT spending.
“Another factor that will contribute is the netbooks for university students programme, where up to 100,000 students will be provided with a portable computer and broadband connection each for just RM50 a month over two years,” he said.
Pikom also believes that the national rollout of High Speed Broadband (HSBB) and related services, such as Internet Protocol TV (IPTV), will also stimulate IT spending.
HSBB, which is undergoing trials, promises websurfing speeds of at least 10Mbps (megabits per second), compared to current speeds of up to 4Mbps.
Such high surfing speeds would mean smoother videoconferencing, streaming video, e-commerce transactions, and multiplayer gaming on the Web.
Fuelling the industry
Pikom pointed out that there are other government initiatives that will help push the IT sector forward.
“The implementation of the petrol subsidy system, for example, will require information technology to enable it,” Ang said.
The Government is planning a fuel pricing mechanism to ensure that only targeted groups, particularly those in the lower income group, will receive the subsidised petrol.
“Also, preparation work for the introduction of GST (Goods and Services Tax) will require investments in IT solutions,” he added.
NEWS: Malaysians advised against being immersed in Facebook, Twitter
SEREMBAN: Malaysians, especially Muslims, must avoid being totally immersed in the internet culture, especially Facebook and Twitter, said Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim.
He added that facilities like internet could not be accepted wholly because it was a form of business introduced by the West and "Malaysians were just users."
"We are not saying that they cannot use Facebook or Twitter but when using such facilities they must upkeep the values taught by Islam, Buddhism or Christianity to maintain our culture," he told reporters after opening a Seminar on the 1Malaysia concept here on Saturday.
He added that Malaysians who used internet services on social networking sites should be careful with what they see and hear.
"We must be strong in our believes and culture because the identity and image of our country depends on us.
"They are just selling Facebook, Twitter, L-Band and various other services, even through space, as a product but we do not do such business. We accept all this in a state of cultural shock," he said.
He chided some Malaysians who belittled those who were no savvy of the Facebook and Twitter culture.
"We should not be quick to condemn or look down on those who do not use Facebook. Newspapers are still relevant, so is Facebook, but do not be carried away with everything and disregard the old system," he said.
Rais also praised the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (SKMM) for its success in tracking down a student from the National Arts Culture and Heritage Academy for posting a public safety threatening comment on Facebook about the recent spate of attacks on churches while discussing the ongoing "Allah" controversy on the popular social networking website.
"Syabas to the commission for its action in nailing those who used Facebook, Twitter and SMS for the wrong reasons.
"As a former analyst of the law in the country, I wish to advise the people that they cannot escape from the law for their actions," he said.
Rais said the Information Department had also found that 62% of Malaysians understood the 1Malaysia concept.
He added that the Government would initiate more programmes featuring the 1Malaysia concept, especially for students. - BERNAMA
He added that facilities like internet could not be accepted wholly because it was a form of business introduced by the West and "Malaysians were just users."
"We are not saying that they cannot use Facebook or Twitter but when using such facilities they must upkeep the values taught by Islam, Buddhism or Christianity to maintain our culture," he told reporters after opening a Seminar on the 1Malaysia concept here on Saturday.
He added that Malaysians who used internet services on social networking sites should be careful with what they see and hear.
"We must be strong in our believes and culture because the identity and image of our country depends on us.
"They are just selling Facebook, Twitter, L-Band and various other services, even through space, as a product but we do not do such business. We accept all this in a state of cultural shock," he said.
He chided some Malaysians who belittled those who were no savvy of the Facebook and Twitter culture.
"We should not be quick to condemn or look down on those who do not use Facebook. Newspapers are still relevant, so is Facebook, but do not be carried away with everything and disregard the old system," he said.
Rais also praised the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (SKMM) for its success in tracking down a student from the National Arts Culture and Heritage Academy for posting a public safety threatening comment on Facebook about the recent spate of attacks on churches while discussing the ongoing "Allah" controversy on the popular social networking website.
"Syabas to the commission for its action in nailing those who used Facebook, Twitter and SMS for the wrong reasons.
"As a former analyst of the law in the country, I wish to advise the people that they cannot escape from the law for their actions," he said.
Rais said the Information Department had also found that 62% of Malaysians understood the 1Malaysia concept.
He added that the Government would initiate more programmes featuring the 1Malaysia concept, especially for students. - BERNAMA
NEWS: Telcos should have more cultural content
KUALA LUMPUR: Telecommunication companies (telcos) should also give priority to content on culture and the development of human civilisation, said Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim.
He said this would further help stimulate the minds of Malaysians, more so this in this era of sophisticated and borderless communications, and was an aspect of content the telcos should address besides chasing profits.
“New applications like SMS, Yahoo Messenger, Twitter, ICQ, Skype and devices like the Blackberry and the like have made communications between humans easier and this has contributed to the development of civilisation and changed the landscape of communications universally, which before heavily depended on the telephone, telex, fax and the postal service,” he said.
He said this in his speech which was read out by his deputy Datuk Joseph Salang at the prize-giving ceremony for winners of the “Mobile Content Challenge 2009” contest, here on Tuesday.
According to Rais, owing to the ease of communication, certain aspects of culture, like language, might face challenges.
He said the truncating spellings used in SMSes could jeopardise the integrity of Bahasa Malaysia besides posing challenges to ethical issues in inter-personal relationships.
“There have been cases of consumers using SMS, MMS, chatrooms, Facebook and Twitter to spread rumours and with speed, spread hatred among people,” he said.
He said abuse of these applications should be addressed together by raising awareness on the ethics and proper norms of using sophistcated communition tools in this ultra-modern age.
On the contest, he said it was a very good programme and should be continued in future.
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s team emerged the overall winner with its “Flyer: On-The-Fly Flash Composer And4 Community” mobile content and walked with total prize money of RM60,000 for the university and the team.
For the Mobile Entertainment category, team Genex of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) walked away with the top prize while team Vicegerent of Universiti Islam Antarabangsa (UIA) won the Mobile Info Base category.
Both teams took home RM10,000 each.
Team Qlip.in from UPM were awarded a special prize for their product which was themed on developing a 1Malaysia community. -- Bernama
He said this would further help stimulate the minds of Malaysians, more so this in this era of sophisticated and borderless communications, and was an aspect of content the telcos should address besides chasing profits.
“New applications like SMS, Yahoo Messenger, Twitter, ICQ, Skype and devices like the Blackberry and the like have made communications between humans easier and this has contributed to the development of civilisation and changed the landscape of communications universally, which before heavily depended on the telephone, telex, fax and the postal service,” he said.
He said this in his speech which was read out by his deputy Datuk Joseph Salang at the prize-giving ceremony for winners of the “Mobile Content Challenge 2009” contest, here on Tuesday.
According to Rais, owing to the ease of communication, certain aspects of culture, like language, might face challenges.
He said the truncating spellings used in SMSes could jeopardise the integrity of Bahasa Malaysia besides posing challenges to ethical issues in inter-personal relationships.
“There have been cases of consumers using SMS, MMS, chatrooms, Facebook and Twitter to spread rumours and with speed, spread hatred among people,” he said.
He said abuse of these applications should be addressed together by raising awareness on the ethics and proper norms of using sophistcated communition tools in this ultra-modern age.
On the contest, he said it was a very good programme and should be continued in future.
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s team emerged the overall winner with its “Flyer: On-The-Fly Flash Composer And4 Community” mobile content and walked with total prize money of RM60,000 for the university and the team.
For the Mobile Entertainment category, team Genex of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) walked away with the top prize while team Vicegerent of Universiti Islam Antarabangsa (UIA) won the Mobile Info Base category.
Both teams took home RM10,000 each.
Team Qlip.in from UPM were awarded a special prize for their product which was themed on developing a 1Malaysia community. -- Bernama
NEWS: Foreign reporters’ Google e-mail hacked in China
BEIJING: International journalists in China said that their Google e-mail accounts have been hacked in attacks similar to the ones against human rights activists that the search giant cited as a reason for considering pulling out of the country.
In announcing a possible exit from China last week, Google did not specify how the accounts with its Gmail service were hacked into or by whom. Information since then has trickled out.
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China sent an e-mail on Monday to its members warning that reporters in at least two news bureaus here said their Gmail accounts had been broken into, with their e-mail messages surreptitiously forwarded to unfamiliar accounts.
Although the warning did not name the organisations, one of the accounts belonged to an Associated Press (AP) journalist.
John Daniszewski, senior managing editor for international news at the news co-operative in New York, deplored the breach and said AP will be investigating to determine if any vital information was compromised.
The foreign correspondents’ club asked its members to be vigilant in protecting their e-mail accounts and computers from attack.
“We remind all members that journalists in China have been particular targets of hacker attacks in the last two years,” the club’s message read. “Please be very careful what you click on, and run virus checks regularly.”
Under attack
Google’s announcement on Jan 12 that it might quit the huge Chinese market shocked the international business community and cheered many free-speech advocates.
Google alleged that a sophisticated attack in December from China targeted the Mountain View, California-based company’s infrastructure and at least 20 other major companies from the Internet, financial services, technology, media and chemical industries.
It said only two e-mail accounts were infiltrated in the attacks, with basic information such as subject lines and the dates that the individual accounts were created, accessed.
In its investigation, Google said it found that dozens of accounts of human rights advocates in China, the United States and Europe were routinely accessed by third parties, not due to a security breach at Google, but through viruses and spyware placed on the users’ computers.
The tactics used against the journalists are similar to those described by one human rights activist.
After Google’s announcement, Beijing law professor and human-rights lawyer Teng Biao wrote on his blog that someone broke into his Gmail account and forwarded e-mail messages to another account.
The attack made use of a service that Gmail and other web-based e-mail services offer, allowing users to set e-mail addresses to which their mail can be forwarded automatically.
Intruder alert
Another activist said she was notified by David Drummond, Google’s top lawyer, on Jan 7 about an intrusion into her account.
Tenzin Seldon, a Tibetan rights activist and sophomore at Stanford University, said she allowed her laptop to be inspected by Google’s security experts, who found no viruses on the machine.
China-based international correspondents have seen their e-mail accounts hit by periodic waves of cyberattacks and snooping from undetermined sources over the past two years.
AP, Agence France-Presse, Dow Jones, Reuters and other news organisations were targeted in September in an attack in which viruses were implanted in ordinary looking e-mail messages.
The e-mail messages, which appeared to be from an editor of an English-language paper in Singapore, bore an attachment that once opened would install malware — malicious software — on computers, said a report late last year by computer security experts McAfee Inc. — AP
In announcing a possible exit from China last week, Google did not specify how the accounts with its Gmail service were hacked into or by whom. Information since then has trickled out.
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China sent an e-mail on Monday to its members warning that reporters in at least two news bureaus here said their Gmail accounts had been broken into, with their e-mail messages surreptitiously forwarded to unfamiliar accounts.
Although the warning did not name the organisations, one of the accounts belonged to an Associated Press (AP) journalist.
John Daniszewski, senior managing editor for international news at the news co-operative in New York, deplored the breach and said AP will be investigating to determine if any vital information was compromised.
The foreign correspondents’ club asked its members to be vigilant in protecting their e-mail accounts and computers from attack.
“We remind all members that journalists in China have been particular targets of hacker attacks in the last two years,” the club’s message read. “Please be very careful what you click on, and run virus checks regularly.”
Under attack
Google’s announcement on Jan 12 that it might quit the huge Chinese market shocked the international business community and cheered many free-speech advocates.
Google alleged that a sophisticated attack in December from China targeted the Mountain View, California-based company’s infrastructure and at least 20 other major companies from the Internet, financial services, technology, media and chemical industries.
It said only two e-mail accounts were infiltrated in the attacks, with basic information such as subject lines and the dates that the individual accounts were created, accessed.
In its investigation, Google said it found that dozens of accounts of human rights advocates in China, the United States and Europe were routinely accessed by third parties, not due to a security breach at Google, but through viruses and spyware placed on the users’ computers.
The tactics used against the journalists are similar to those described by one human rights activist.
After Google’s announcement, Beijing law professor and human-rights lawyer Teng Biao wrote on his blog that someone broke into his Gmail account and forwarded e-mail messages to another account.
The attack made use of a service that Gmail and other web-based e-mail services offer, allowing users to set e-mail addresses to which their mail can be forwarded automatically.
Intruder alert
Another activist said she was notified by David Drummond, Google’s top lawyer, on Jan 7 about an intrusion into her account.
Tenzin Seldon, a Tibetan rights activist and sophomore at Stanford University, said she allowed her laptop to be inspected by Google’s security experts, who found no viruses on the machine.
China-based international correspondents have seen their e-mail accounts hit by periodic waves of cyberattacks and snooping from undetermined sources over the past two years.
AP, Agence France-Presse, Dow Jones, Reuters and other news organisations were targeted in September in an attack in which viruses were implanted in ordinary looking e-mail messages.
The e-mail messages, which appeared to be from an editor of an English-language paper in Singapore, bore an attachment that once opened would install malware — malicious software — on computers, said a report late last year by computer security experts McAfee Inc. — AP
NEWS: 谷歌传查骇客内鬼 与中方谈判似有转机
（台北19日综合电）据报道，谷歌（Google）网站上月中受到的攻击，骇客极可能是中国办事处职员，公司正调查是否有1名或以上的“内鬼”。而谷歌声称与中国有关部门正展开谈判，意味退出中国之事或有转机。
据报导，驻北京的西方记者昨天宣称，他们的Gmail也遭入侵，手法跟中国异议人士的谷歌电邮户口遭入侵类似。
中国的外国记者协会昨晚发电邮警告记者，称至少有两个新闻机构的Gmail电邮遭入侵，电邮更被转寄至其他不明户口。美联社承认其中1个电邮帐户属该社记者。
谷歌北京办公室的职员告诉媒体，先前的带薪休假已经停止，同事已经全部恢复上班。
谷歌上周二宣称，公司去年12月中检测到1次“来自中国的、对Google网络设备高度精密和有针对性的攻击”，集团不满被攻击及搜索内容被审查，扬言要退出中国市场。
消息人士指出，上次攻击的目标针对某些能进入谷歌网路特定部份的人，因此有可能是谷歌中国内部人员所为。
网路安全分析员指出，那次攻击谷歌网站的是一种经过改良、名为"Hydraq"的木马程式。其复杂性不在于程式本身，而是在于知道要攻击谁。
报导说，上周二起，谷歌曾一度停止过滤中国政府“禁止”内容，但随后又表示，不排除继续留在中国的可能性。
谷歌昨天透过电邮发表声明，指正与中国有关部门商讨，未来几日将安排更多讨论，公司寻求在法律允许范围内经营不经过滤的搜寻引擎。
昨天搜索"刘晓波"，可搜索到3210条链接，但每页只显示2至6条链接，页面标明：据当地法律法规和政策，部份搜索结果未予显示。
中国禁出祸 引发网友“移民潮”
（北京19日综合电）中国加强对网站的监管，引发“移民潮”。当局借扫黄之外，大力收紧对互联网控制、禁止个人拥有代表中国的.cn域名，大量“移民”到境外，1周内注册外地网站的数字急增130倍。中国互联网络信息中心（CNNIC）眼看生意外流，负责人着急地说：“当局应把用户和网站留在国内，而不是赶到国外去！”
当局大规模扫黄，并且以人手查核所有在CNNIC注册的网站，至去年底已审查204万个；同时当局又实施域名注册实名制，禁止个人注册.cn域名，只有单位、企业才能拥有，引发网民恐慌，纷纷将网站改到海外，以.com注册。
当局的统计显示截至去年.cn网站有1681万个，较前年减少11万个，而在当局在上月宣布实名制的1周，在中国注册的.com域名突然暴增18万个。CNNIC主任助理齐麟称，当局应尽快开放个人拥有域名，将用户和网站留在国内。当局已着手研究、起草个人注册域名方案。
印度指受中国骇客攻击
(伦敦19日综合电)英国《泰晤士报》报道，印度政府指有中国骇客企图渗透印度最敏感的政府部门，并认为这是亚洲两大国之间关系日益紧张的最新迹象。
印度国家安全顾问纳拉亚南说，他的办公室和其他政府部门在去年12月15日成为了骇客的攻击目标，而在同一天，美国的公司亦报告说遭到来自中国的网上攻击。
极少接受访问的纳拉亚南对《泰晤士报》说，这已不是第一次有中国骇客企图攻击他们的电脑，他说攻击是以带有“木马”病毒PDF附件的电邮发动，黑客可遥距进入电脑，下载或删除档案。
纳拉亚南说：“相当肯定这是来自中国的黑客，虽然很难找到确实的源头，但他们最可疑。”他表示，印度已与美国和英国合作加强网上防卫。中国方面已否认有关指控。
据报导，驻北京的西方记者昨天宣称，他们的Gmail也遭入侵，手法跟中国异议人士的谷歌电邮户口遭入侵类似。
中国的外国记者协会昨晚发电邮警告记者，称至少有两个新闻机构的Gmail电邮遭入侵，电邮更被转寄至其他不明户口。美联社承认其中1个电邮帐户属该社记者。
谷歌北京办公室的职员告诉媒体，先前的带薪休假已经停止，同事已经全部恢复上班。
谷歌上周二宣称，公司去年12月中检测到1次“来自中国的、对Google网络设备高度精密和有针对性的攻击”，集团不满被攻击及搜索内容被审查，扬言要退出中国市场。
消息人士指出，上次攻击的目标针对某些能进入谷歌网路特定部份的人，因此有可能是谷歌中国内部人员所为。
网路安全分析员指出，那次攻击谷歌网站的是一种经过改良、名为"Hydraq"的木马程式。其复杂性不在于程式本身，而是在于知道要攻击谁。
报导说，上周二起，谷歌曾一度停止过滤中国政府“禁止”内容，但随后又表示，不排除继续留在中国的可能性。
谷歌昨天透过电邮发表声明，指正与中国有关部门商讨，未来几日将安排更多讨论，公司寻求在法律允许范围内经营不经过滤的搜寻引擎。
昨天搜索"刘晓波"，可搜索到3210条链接，但每页只显示2至6条链接，页面标明：据当地法律法规和政策，部份搜索结果未予显示。
中国禁出祸 引发网友“移民潮”
（北京19日综合电）中国加强对网站的监管，引发“移民潮”。当局借扫黄之外，大力收紧对互联网控制、禁止个人拥有代表中国的.cn域名，大量“移民”到境外，1周内注册外地网站的数字急增130倍。中国互联网络信息中心（CNNIC）眼看生意外流，负责人着急地说：“当局应把用户和网站留在国内，而不是赶到国外去！”
当局大规模扫黄，并且以人手查核所有在CNNIC注册的网站，至去年底已审查204万个；同时当局又实施域名注册实名制，禁止个人注册.cn域名，只有单位、企业才能拥有，引发网民恐慌，纷纷将网站改到海外，以.com注册。
当局的统计显示截至去年.cn网站有1681万个，较前年减少11万个，而在当局在上月宣布实名制的1周，在中国注册的.com域名突然暴增18万个。CNNIC主任助理齐麟称，当局应尽快开放个人拥有域名，将用户和网站留在国内。当局已着手研究、起草个人注册域名方案。
印度指受中国骇客攻击
(伦敦19日综合电)英国《泰晤士报》报道，印度政府指有中国骇客企图渗透印度最敏感的政府部门，并认为这是亚洲两大国之间关系日益紧张的最新迹象。
印度国家安全顾问纳拉亚南说，他的办公室和其他政府部门在去年12月15日成为了骇客的攻击目标，而在同一天，美国的公司亦报告说遭到来自中国的网上攻击。
极少接受访问的纳拉亚南对《泰晤士报》说，这已不是第一次有中国骇客企图攻击他们的电脑，他说攻击是以带有“木马”病毒PDF附件的电邮发动，黑客可遥距进入电脑，下载或删除档案。
纳拉亚南说：“相当肯定这是来自中国的黑客，虽然很难找到确实的源头，但他们最可疑。”他表示，印度已与美国和英国合作加强网上防卫。中国方面已否认有关指控。
Saturday, January 16, 2010
NEWS: Cyberattacks hit law firm in China suit
LOS ANGELES: The law firm representing a Santa Barbara company that sued China for allegedly pirating its Internet content filtering software says it has been the target of cyberattacks from within China.
Los Angeles-based Gipson Hoffman & Pancione says its attorneys received e-mail messages starting on Monday containing trojans, which can allow outside access to the target’s computer. It hasn’t been determined if the attacks were successful.
The firm filed a US$2.2bil (RM7.5bil) federal lawsuit last week on behalf of Cybersitter LLC, alleging the Chinese copied its codes and incorporated them into censorware used to block Chinese citizens’ access to sites deemed politically undesirable by the government. — AP
Los Angeles-based Gipson Hoffman & Pancione says its attorneys received e-mail messages starting on Monday containing trojans, which can allow outside access to the target’s computer. It hasn’t been determined if the attacks were successful.
The firm filed a US$2.2bil (RM7.5bil) federal lawsuit last week on behalf of Cybersitter LLC, alleging the Chinese copied its codes and incorporated them into censorware used to block Chinese citizens’ access to sites deemed politically undesirable by the government. — AP
NEWS: Yahoo! backs Google in China tiff
SHOW OF SOLIDARITY: Flowers from Chinese users on display on a sign outside the Google China headquarters in Beijing. Yahoo! says it supports Google's threat to pull out of China over censorship. — AP
SUNNYVALE (California): Yahoo! supports rival Google’s threatened departure from China because of computer attacks that pried into the e-mail accounts of human rights activists.
In a statement, Yahoo! says it is “aligned” with Google’s reaction to the hacking that allegedly originated from within China.
Google has promised to stop censoring its search results in China, defying the country’s government. The move may result in Google pulling out of China completely.
Yahoo! closed its offices in China in 2005 when it sold its business there to the Alibaba Group. As part of that deal, Yahoo! retains a 39% stake in Alibaba that represents one of its most valuable assets.
A Yahoo! spokesman declined to say whether its solidarity with Google would cause the company to sell its Alibaba holdings. — AP
SUNNYVALE (California): Yahoo! supports rival Google’s threatened departure from China because of computer attacks that pried into the e-mail accounts of human rights activists.
In a statement, Yahoo! says it is “aligned” with Google’s reaction to the hacking that allegedly originated from within China.
Google has promised to stop censoring its search results in China, defying the country’s government. The move may result in Google pulling out of China completely.
Yahoo! closed its offices in China in 2005 when it sold its business there to the Alibaba Group. As part of that deal, Yahoo! retains a 39% stake in Alibaba that represents one of its most valuable assets.
A Yahoo! spokesman declined to say whether its solidarity with Google would cause the company to sell its Alibaba holdings. — AP
NEWS: Asia Pacific Internet-builders to gather at KL summit
KUALA LUMPUR: A technical summit on the Internet and operational technologies will take place here next month.
This 10-day forum targets Internet builders, including backbone and regional network operators and engineers. It will feature training activities, workshops, conferences, social events, plenaries and more.
The Asia Pacific Regional Internet Conference on Operational Technologies (Apricot) 2010 is hosted by the Association of the Computer and Multimedia Industry of Malaysia (Pikom).
It is scheduled to run from Feb 23 to March 5 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, and is expected to draw about 600 participants from 40 countries.
Among the many topics to be discussed are security issues, network management, and Voice-Over-Internet Protocol which is technology that enables phone calls via the Web.
Pikom president C.J. Ang said Apricot’s objective is to provide a forum for Internet service providers, telcos and other key players in the information and communications technology (ICT) industry to learn from their peers in the Internet building community.
“With the proliferation of broadband services and close to 50% Internet penetration in this country, Apricot’s agenda will help enhance the knowledge of our ICT professionals,” he said.
Ang said the conference would also benefit professionals in the Asia Pacific, where Internet services, regional networks, web-hosting facilities, firewalls and corporate intranets are being created and deployed at a staggering pace.
“ICT engineers are under tremendous pressure to master the skills needed to build and operate these increasingly complex systems,” he said.
Apricot is organised by the Asia & Pacific Internet Association (APIA), which is a non-profit trade association whose aim is to promote the common business interests of the Internet-related service industry in the Asia Pacific region. APIA was established in 1997.
The event here is is supported by the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry, Information, Communications and Culture Ministry, and the Multimedia Development Corporation, guardian of the MSC Malaysia initiative.
For more information on this year’s summit, surf to www.apricot2010.net.
This 10-day forum targets Internet builders, including backbone and regional network operators and engineers. It will feature training activities, workshops, conferences, social events, plenaries and more.
The Asia Pacific Regional Internet Conference on Operational Technologies (Apricot) 2010 is hosted by the Association of the Computer and Multimedia Industry of Malaysia (Pikom).
It is scheduled to run from Feb 23 to March 5 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, and is expected to draw about 600 participants from 40 countries.
Among the many topics to be discussed are security issues, network management, and Voice-Over-Internet Protocol which is technology that enables phone calls via the Web.
Pikom president C.J. Ang said Apricot’s objective is to provide a forum for Internet service providers, telcos and other key players in the information and communications technology (ICT) industry to learn from their peers in the Internet building community.
“With the proliferation of broadband services and close to 50% Internet penetration in this country, Apricot’s agenda will help enhance the knowledge of our ICT professionals,” he said.
Ang said the conference would also benefit professionals in the Asia Pacific, where Internet services, regional networks, web-hosting facilities, firewalls and corporate intranets are being created and deployed at a staggering pace.
“ICT engineers are under tremendous pressure to master the skills needed to build and operate these increasingly complex systems,” he said.
Apricot is organised by the Asia & Pacific Internet Association (APIA), which is a non-profit trade association whose aim is to promote the common business interests of the Internet-related service industry in the Asia Pacific region. APIA was established in 1997.
The event here is is supported by the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry, Information, Communications and Culture Ministry, and the Multimedia Development Corporation, guardian of the MSC Malaysia initiative.
For more information on this year’s summit, surf to www.apricot2010.net.
NEWS: Google looks to pull out of China
SAN FRANCISCO: Google Inc will stop censoring its search results in China and may pull out of the country completely after discovering that computer hackers had tricked human-rights activists into exposing their e-mail accounts to outsiders.
The change of heart announced on Tuesday heralds a major shift for the Internet’s search leader, which has repeatedly said it will obey Chinese laws requiring some politically and socially sensitive issues to be blocked from search results available in other countries.
This acquiescence had outraged free-speech advocates and even some shareholders, who argued Google’s co-operation with China violated the company’s “don’t be evil” motto.
The criticism had started to sway Google co-founder Sergey Brin, who openly expressed his misgivings about the company’s presence in China.
But the tipping point didn’t come until Google recently uncovered hacking attacks allegedly launched from within China. The puported goals: Breaking into the computers of at least 20 major US companies and gathering personal information about dozens of human rights activists trying to shine a light on China’s alleged abuses.
Google spokesman Matt Furman declined to say whether the company suspects the Chinese Government may have had a hand in the attacks.
Google officials plan to talk to the Chinese Government to determine if there is a way the company can still provide unfiltered search results in the country.
If an agreement can’t be worked out, Google is prepared to leave China four years after creating a search engine bearing China’s web suffix, “.cn” to put itself in a better position to profit from the world’s most populous country.
“The decision to review our business operations in China has been incredibly hard, and we know that it will have potentially far-reaching consequences,” David Drummond, Google’s top lawyer, wrote in a blog posting yesterday.
A spokesman for the Chinese consulate in San Francisco had no immediate comment.
Not at the top
Abandoning China wouldn’t put a big dent in Google’s earnings, although it could crimp the company’s growth as the country’s Internet usage continues to rise. China’s Internet audience already has soared from 10 million to nearly 340 million in the past decade.
Google, based in Mountain View, California, said its Chinese operations account for an “immaterial” amount of its roughly US$22bil (RM75bil) in annual revenue. J.P. Morgan analyst Imran Khan had been expecting Google’s China revenue to total about US$600mil (RM2.04bil) this year.
Although Google’s search engine is the most popular worldwide, it’s a distant second in China, where the homegrown Baidu.com processes more than 60% of all requests.
Free-speech and human rights groups are hoping Google’s about-face will spur more companies to take a similar stand.
“Google has taken a bold and difficult step for Internet freedom in support of fundamental human rights,” said Leslie Harris, president of the Center for Democracy & Technology, a civil-liberties group in Washington. “No company should be forced to operate under government threat to its core values or to the rights and safety of its users.”
It’s “an incredibly significant move,” said Danny O’Brien, international outreach co-ordinator at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, an Internet rights group in San Francisco.
“This changes the game because the question won’t be ‘How can we work in China?’ but ‘How can we create services that Chinese people can use, from outside of China?’”
Many websites based outside China, including Google’s YouTube video site, are regularly blocked by the country’s government.
Google’s new stance on China was triggered by what it described as a sophisticated computer attack orchestrated from within the country. Democratic Rep Anna Eshoo praised Google for disclosing chicanery that “raises serious national security concerns.”
IP stolen
Without providing details, Google said it and at least 20 other major companies from the Internet, financial services, technology, media and chemical industries were targeted.
The heist lifted some of Google’s intellectual property but didn’t get any information about the users of its services, the company said. Google has passed along what it knows so far to US authorities and other affected companies.
It does not appear that any US Government agencies or websites were affected by the attack, according to two US administration officials. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly about the issue.
The assault on Google appeared primarily aimed at breaking into the company’s e-mail service, Gmail, in an attempt to pry into the accounts of human right activists protesting the Chinese Government’s policies.
Only two e-mail accounts were infiltrated in these attacks, Google said, and the intruders were only able to see subject lines and the dates that the individual accounts were created. None of the content written within the body of the e-mail messages leaked out, Google said.
As part of its investigation into that incident, Google stumbled onto another scam that was more successful. Google said dozens of activists fighting the Chinese Government’s policies fell prey to ruses commonly known as “phishing” or malware. The victims live in the United States, Europe and China, Google said.
Phishing involves malicious e-mail messages urging the recipients to open an attachment or visit a link that they’re conned into believing comes from a friend or legitimate company. Clicking on a phishing link of installs malware (malicious software) on to computers.
Once it’s installed on a computer, malware can be used as a surveillance tool that can obtain passwords and unlock e-mail accounts. — AP
The change of heart announced on Tuesday heralds a major shift for the Internet’s search leader, which has repeatedly said it will obey Chinese laws requiring some politically and socially sensitive issues to be blocked from search results available in other countries.
This acquiescence had outraged free-speech advocates and even some shareholders, who argued Google’s co-operation with China violated the company’s “don’t be evil” motto.
The criticism had started to sway Google co-founder Sergey Brin, who openly expressed his misgivings about the company’s presence in China.
But the tipping point didn’t come until Google recently uncovered hacking attacks allegedly launched from within China. The puported goals: Breaking into the computers of at least 20 major US companies and gathering personal information about dozens of human rights activists trying to shine a light on China’s alleged abuses.
Google spokesman Matt Furman declined to say whether the company suspects the Chinese Government may have had a hand in the attacks.
Google officials plan to talk to the Chinese Government to determine if there is a way the company can still provide unfiltered search results in the country.
If an agreement can’t be worked out, Google is prepared to leave China four years after creating a search engine bearing China’s web suffix, “.cn” to put itself in a better position to profit from the world’s most populous country.
“The decision to review our business operations in China has been incredibly hard, and we know that it will have potentially far-reaching consequences,” David Drummond, Google’s top lawyer, wrote in a blog posting yesterday.
A spokesman for the Chinese consulate in San Francisco had no immediate comment.
Not at the top
Abandoning China wouldn’t put a big dent in Google’s earnings, although it could crimp the company’s growth as the country’s Internet usage continues to rise. China’s Internet audience already has soared from 10 million to nearly 340 million in the past decade.
Google, based in Mountain View, California, said its Chinese operations account for an “immaterial” amount of its roughly US$22bil (RM75bil) in annual revenue. J.P. Morgan analyst Imran Khan had been expecting Google’s China revenue to total about US$600mil (RM2.04bil) this year.
Although Google’s search engine is the most popular worldwide, it’s a distant second in China, where the homegrown Baidu.com processes more than 60% of all requests.
Free-speech and human rights groups are hoping Google’s about-face will spur more companies to take a similar stand.
“Google has taken a bold and difficult step for Internet freedom in support of fundamental human rights,” said Leslie Harris, president of the Center for Democracy & Technology, a civil-liberties group in Washington. “No company should be forced to operate under government threat to its core values or to the rights and safety of its users.”
It’s “an incredibly significant move,” said Danny O’Brien, international outreach co-ordinator at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, an Internet rights group in San Francisco.
“This changes the game because the question won’t be ‘How can we work in China?’ but ‘How can we create services that Chinese people can use, from outside of China?’”
Many websites based outside China, including Google’s YouTube video site, are regularly blocked by the country’s government.
Google’s new stance on China was triggered by what it described as a sophisticated computer attack orchestrated from within the country. Democratic Rep Anna Eshoo praised Google for disclosing chicanery that “raises serious national security concerns.”
IP stolen
Without providing details, Google said it and at least 20 other major companies from the Internet, financial services, technology, media and chemical industries were targeted.
The heist lifted some of Google’s intellectual property but didn’t get any information about the users of its services, the company said. Google has passed along what it knows so far to US authorities and other affected companies.
It does not appear that any US Government agencies or websites were affected by the attack, according to two US administration officials. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly about the issue.
The assault on Google appeared primarily aimed at breaking into the company’s e-mail service, Gmail, in an attempt to pry into the accounts of human right activists protesting the Chinese Government’s policies.
Only two e-mail accounts were infiltrated in these attacks, Google said, and the intruders were only able to see subject lines and the dates that the individual accounts were created. None of the content written within the body of the e-mail messages leaked out, Google said.
As part of its investigation into that incident, Google stumbled onto another scam that was more successful. Google said dozens of activists fighting the Chinese Government’s policies fell prey to ruses commonly known as “phishing” or malware. The victims live in the United States, Europe and China, Google said.
Phishing involves malicious e-mail messages urging the recipients to open an attachment or visit a link that they’re conned into believing comes from a friend or legitimate company. Clicking on a phishing link of installs malware (malicious software) on to computers.
Once it’s installed on a computer, malware can be used as a surveillance tool that can obtain passwords and unlock e-mail accounts. — AP
NEWS: Friendster, Yahoo! SEA users to gain from tie-up
MOUNTAIN VIEW (California): Friendster Inc, a pioneer social networking website, has formed a multi-year strategic partnership with Yahoo! South-East Asia — one of the most trafficked Internet destinations in Asia.
The partnership is designed to benefit their users via the introduction of integrated product features and promotional initiatives across both their web properties.
It will also foster new user registrations and increase user activity for both companies.
Yahoo! — the world’s largest global online network of integrated services — is the leading provider of web mail, instant messaging and other content and services throughout South-East Asia. It has 500 million users worldwide.
Friendster’s social network in South-East Asia has more than 90 million registered users while 90% percent of its daily traffic comes from that region today.
The strategic relationship comprises four major components — a new application built by Friendster that is available, or coming soon, on the new Yahoo! homepages in the region.
There are the graphical and text-based promotional placements for Yahoo! products and services on the Friendster site.
Then, there is the upcoming launch of enhanced search results for Friendster user-profiles and Friendster fan-profiles within Yahoo! Search.
And finally, Friendster users will soon be able to link their account to their Yahoo! account on an opt-in basis to share their Friendster network activity updates with friends and others via Yahoo! properties.
Making improvements
The launch of Friendster’s enhanced Yahoo! search results for Friendster member profiles and fan profiles, also used by celebrities, artistes and organisations, in early 2010 will make Friendster results on Yahoo! Search more visible, useful, and engaging.
Friendster said the new search results will include a custom layout of Friendster pages in Yahoo! search results that will include convenient links, photos, and key information from the underlying profile pages.
This, it said, will help Yahoo! and Friendster users more easily discover and connect with the things that are important to them.
Of course, privacy settings that have already been set and are controllable by each Friendster user for their profile page will apply to the information shared in the enhanced Yahoo! search results.
Being able to link Friendster and Yahoo! accounts means Friendster users will have the ability to publish Friendster network activity (from a user’s “Stream” on the site) to Yahoo! Messenger and other Yahoo! properties (that leverage the Yahoo! Updates API and initiative).
This will allow Friendster users to share their publicly-available activities on Friendster — such as new Shoutouts, new photos, new friends, new messages, etc — to Yahoo! and their friends in Yahoo! Messenger, for example.
Symbiotic
“Our new relationship, integration and cross-promotional efforts with Yahoo! will help build stronger links between two large and leading web properties in Asia for the benefit of both user bases,” said David Jones, vice-president of global product at Friendster.
Friendster was acquired in December last year by MOL Global Pte Ltd, an affiliate of leading online payment solutions provider MOL AccessPortal Bhd, a Malaysian company.
Friendster and MOL have combined to form Asia’s largest end-to-end content, distribution and commerce network; pairing MOL’s offline retail channel partners and payment platform with Friendster’s large online footprint, social network and user community in Asia. — Bernama
The partnership is designed to benefit their users via the introduction of integrated product features and promotional initiatives across both their web properties.
It will also foster new user registrations and increase user activity for both companies.
Yahoo! — the world’s largest global online network of integrated services — is the leading provider of web mail, instant messaging and other content and services throughout South-East Asia. It has 500 million users worldwide.
Friendster’s social network in South-East Asia has more than 90 million registered users while 90% percent of its daily traffic comes from that region today.
The strategic relationship comprises four major components — a new application built by Friendster that is available, or coming soon, on the new Yahoo! homepages in the region.
There are the graphical and text-based promotional placements for Yahoo! products and services on the Friendster site.
Then, there is the upcoming launch of enhanced search results for Friendster user-profiles and Friendster fan-profiles within Yahoo! Search.
And finally, Friendster users will soon be able to link their account to their Yahoo! account on an opt-in basis to share their Friendster network activity updates with friends and others via Yahoo! properties.
Making improvements
The launch of Friendster’s enhanced Yahoo! search results for Friendster member profiles and fan profiles, also used by celebrities, artistes and organisations, in early 2010 will make Friendster results on Yahoo! Search more visible, useful, and engaging.
Friendster said the new search results will include a custom layout of Friendster pages in Yahoo! search results that will include convenient links, photos, and key information from the underlying profile pages.
This, it said, will help Yahoo! and Friendster users more easily discover and connect with the things that are important to them.
Of course, privacy settings that have already been set and are controllable by each Friendster user for their profile page will apply to the information shared in the enhanced Yahoo! search results.
Being able to link Friendster and Yahoo! accounts means Friendster users will have the ability to publish Friendster network activity (from a user’s “Stream” on the site) to Yahoo! Messenger and other Yahoo! properties (that leverage the Yahoo! Updates API and initiative).
This will allow Friendster users to share their publicly-available activities on Friendster — such as new Shoutouts, new photos, new friends, new messages, etc — to Yahoo! and their friends in Yahoo! Messenger, for example.
Symbiotic
“Our new relationship, integration and cross-promotional efforts with Yahoo! will help build stronger links between two large and leading web properties in Asia for the benefit of both user bases,” said David Jones, vice-president of global product at Friendster.
Friendster was acquired in December last year by MOL Global Pte Ltd, an affiliate of leading online payment solutions provider MOL AccessPortal Bhd, a Malaysian company.
Friendster and MOL have combined to form Asia’s largest end-to-end content, distribution and commerce network; pairing MOL’s offline retail channel partners and payment platform with Friendster’s large online footprint, social network and user community in Asia. — Bernama
NEWS: MDeC manga contest draws 150 entries
KUALA LUMPUR: The Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) organised a National Manga Competition to promote a wider interest here in Japanese comic book art.
The first-time in Malaysia event drew 150 participants in total for its three entry categories — amateur (18 years old and above), secondary (13 to 17 years) and primary (7 to 12 years).
According to an MDeC press release, Chua Ka Sin, Ng Sueh Yi and Amanda Lam Tara took the top prize in their respective categories.
Chua’s entry was titled Crazy God of Singing, Ng’s was Prince Of Glory while Lam’s was Jonesy’s Bakery. Each won a cash prize of RM3,000.
Benny Wong, the competition’s chief judge and creative director for Comixo Studio, said he was delighted with the quality of the works.
MDeC, which is guardian of the MSC Malaysia initiative, organised the contest with companies Intrepid Works Sdn Bhd and Liquid Media Communication (M) Sdn Bhd.
The first-time in Malaysia event drew 150 participants in total for its three entry categories — amateur (18 years old and above), secondary (13 to 17 years) and primary (7 to 12 years).
According to an MDeC press release, Chua Ka Sin, Ng Sueh Yi and Amanda Lam Tara took the top prize in their respective categories.
Chua’s entry was titled Crazy God of Singing, Ng’s was Prince Of Glory while Lam’s was Jonesy’s Bakery. Each won a cash prize of RM3,000.
Benny Wong, the competition’s chief judge and creative director for Comixo Studio, said he was delighted with the quality of the works.
MDeC, which is guardian of the MSC Malaysia initiative, organised the contest with companies Intrepid Works Sdn Bhd and Liquid Media Communication (M) Sdn Bhd.
NEWS: Google power at website on former PMs
PETALING JAYA: Researchers will now find it easier to sift through archived information on the country’s former Prime Ministers at the Perdana Leadership Foundation website thanks to Google Mini Search.
Tan Sri Nik Mohamed Yaacob, executive director of the foundation, said Google Mini Search is able to index millions of pages in any database and return fast, accurate results.
“We believe this will be a boon to researchers and members of the public keen to know more about our leaders and the nation’s history,” he said.
There are already about 300,000 digital documents, comprising speeches, news clippings, journal articles, books and other materials about the prominent men, and the database is growing.
Nik Mohamed said Perdana received a special deal from US-based Internet search king Google Inc on the use of Google Mini Search because the foundation is a non-profit organisation.
Google Mini Search, he said, is also more user-friendly than the search engine included in the foundation’s library-management solution.
The foundation was set up in 2003 with the aim of preserving, developing and disseminating materials by and on Malaysia’s former Prime Ministers. It is located in Putrajaya.
++++
www.perdana.org.my/
Tan Sri Nik Mohamed Yaacob, executive director of the foundation, said Google Mini Search is able to index millions of pages in any database and return fast, accurate results.
“We believe this will be a boon to researchers and members of the public keen to know more about our leaders and the nation’s history,” he said.
There are already about 300,000 digital documents, comprising speeches, news clippings, journal articles, books and other materials about the prominent men, and the database is growing.
Nik Mohamed said Perdana received a special deal from US-based Internet search king Google Inc on the use of Google Mini Search because the foundation is a non-profit organisation.
Google Mini Search, he said, is also more user-friendly than the search engine included in the foundation’s library-management solution.
The foundation was set up in 2003 with the aim of preserving, developing and disseminating materials by and on Malaysia’s former Prime Ministers. It is located in Putrajaya.
++++
www.perdana.org.my/
NEWS: Technopreneurs getting a leg up
PETALING JAYA: There has been a 10% to 20% success rate among startups looking for additional funding over the past two years, said Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd.
Jonathan Lee, manager of Cradle’s Ideas Bank, said it is working to boost the success rate by improving the business and presentation skills of such startups via training programs.
Recently, eight entrepreneurs under Cradle pitched their ideas to more than 20 local venture capitalists, which included investment banks and government funding agencies.
Chong Chee Keh, senior vice-president of Teak Capital Sdn Bhd, one of the venture capitalists, said the technopreneurs were well prepared for questions.
He also said that the ideas presented were interesting.
There was no announcement as to how many of those entrepreneurs were successful.
Cradle offers two types of conditional grants — pre-seed and seed/commercialisation.
The pre-seed grants offer funding of up to RM150,000 to teams or individuals while the seed/commercialisation grant offers up to RM500,000 to budding Malaysian technopreneurs and other entrepreneurs.
Every quarter, Cradle selects between eight and 10 entrepreneurs who have successful completed their pre-seed development phase, to present their ideas to potential investors.
Jonathan Lee, manager of Cradle’s Ideas Bank, said it is working to boost the success rate by improving the business and presentation skills of such startups via training programs.
Recently, eight entrepreneurs under Cradle pitched their ideas to more than 20 local venture capitalists, which included investment banks and government funding agencies.
Chong Chee Keh, senior vice-president of Teak Capital Sdn Bhd, one of the venture capitalists, said the technopreneurs were well prepared for questions.
He also said that the ideas presented were interesting.
There was no announcement as to how many of those entrepreneurs were successful.
Cradle offers two types of conditional grants — pre-seed and seed/commercialisation.
The pre-seed grants offer funding of up to RM150,000 to teams or individuals while the seed/commercialisation grant offers up to RM500,000 to budding Malaysian technopreneurs and other entrepreneurs.
Every quarter, Cradle selects between eight and 10 entrepreneurs who have successful completed their pre-seed development phase, to present their ideas to potential investors.
NEWS: Would taxing Google help fund the arts?
PARIS: How to help prop up the ailing music industry? Tax Google, suggests a new report commissioned by the French Government.
The report, handed to Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand on Wednesday, said Google and other Internet portals should be slapped with a new tax on their online ad revenues in France.
The money can then be used to fund the development of legal outlets for buying books, movies and especially music on the Internet.
This proposal is the latest idea to emerge amid France’s efforts to fight illegal filesharing and impose order — French-style — on the free-for-all that is the Internet.
The plan “seemed inevitable to us, if we want to maintain a certain pluralism in the culture world” and prevent the “endless enrichment of two or three world players who will impose their cultural formatting on us,” Patrick Zelnik, a record producer who helped lead the commission, was quoted as telling Liberation newspaper.
Google appears cool to the idea but sought a conciliatory tone. Google France’s public affairs director said the company told the commission it wanted “co-operation between Internet players and the cultural fields to develop new models.”
Olivier Esper said there were opportunities to promote innovative solutions “instead of continuing on a path that opposes the Internet and the cultural worlds, for example the path of taxation.”
President Nicolas Sarkozy said he planned to push forward with several of the report’s ideas. Though he did not specifically mention the Google tax, he said the report’s authors “rightly have proposed” asking French competition authorities to weigh on “Google’s dominant position in the online ad sector.”
Along with Google, the report cites Microsoft, AOL, Yahoo! and Facebook. The French branch of Microsoft did not immediately respond to requests for comment, nor did officials at Facebook and AOL in the United States.
Christophe Pelletier, communications director of Yahoo! France, said the commission had not contacted the company for input and said it seemed to “stigmatise American companies.”
Easier said than done
Critics say the plan would be messy to implement and that Internet portals would shoulder an unfair share of the burden.
“Where does it start and stop? The argument is that Google has culpability for declining music revenues because people start searches for illegal files often by Google,” said Mark Mulligan, vice-president of Forrester Research.
But “what about the computers? Because without the computer people wouldn’t be able to download. And then what about the electricity that powers the computer?”
The proposal is still in the early stages, and the report doesn’t spell out specifics — like exactly how much new tax the portals would pay, on top of the taxes that they, like all companies, already contribute.
It does estimate, however, that “given the size of the ad market on the Internet, this measure could eventually bring in 10mil euro (RM50mil) a year.”
While debate on the proposal has focused on the unusual so-called “Google tax,” the report also suggests that the sales tax should be raised on triple-play packages of video, Internet and phone service.
France should rally fellow European nations to support its efforts, the document said.
The commission’s leaders included Zelnik, head of France’s Naive record label — whose artistes include the French first lady, model-turned-singer Carla Bruni-Sarkozy. Former Culture Minister Jacques Toubon and Guillaume Cerutti, president of Sotheby’s auction house France, also took part.
Subsidy plan
The panel concluded that its most urgent goal is to promote legal music sales over the Internet. One way to do that, it suggests, is to offer youths a card for buying online music, which would be partly government-subsidised.
The tax on web portals and Internet service providers would help pay for the subsidies as well as for a publicity campaign about the music cards, the report said.
To a lesser extent, the money would also fund other cultural efforts, including digitising more books and promoting efforts to make more films available for online purchase.
Altogether, the mission said, its proposals should cost about 50mil euro (RM250mil) this year, and 35mil to 40mil euro (RM175mil to RM200mil) in the two years after that.
The French society of authors and composers, SACD, praised the ideas as “audacious and pertinent.”
Sarkozy’s government is making efforts to regulate the Web and protect intellectual property in the Internet age.
Lawmakers here recently passed legislation that would cut off people caught illegally downloading movies and music from the Internet, and authorities are debating how to best respond to Google Book’s request to digitise French libraries’ collections. — AP
The report, handed to Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand on Wednesday, said Google and other Internet portals should be slapped with a new tax on their online ad revenues in France.
The money can then be used to fund the development of legal outlets for buying books, movies and especially music on the Internet.
This proposal is the latest idea to emerge amid France’s efforts to fight illegal filesharing and impose order — French-style — on the free-for-all that is the Internet.
The plan “seemed inevitable to us, if we want to maintain a certain pluralism in the culture world” and prevent the “endless enrichment of two or three world players who will impose their cultural formatting on us,” Patrick Zelnik, a record producer who helped lead the commission, was quoted as telling Liberation newspaper.
Google appears cool to the idea but sought a conciliatory tone. Google France’s public affairs director said the company told the commission it wanted “co-operation between Internet players and the cultural fields to develop new models.”
Olivier Esper said there were opportunities to promote innovative solutions “instead of continuing on a path that opposes the Internet and the cultural worlds, for example the path of taxation.”
President Nicolas Sarkozy said he planned to push forward with several of the report’s ideas. Though he did not specifically mention the Google tax, he said the report’s authors “rightly have proposed” asking French competition authorities to weigh on “Google’s dominant position in the online ad sector.”
Along with Google, the report cites Microsoft, AOL, Yahoo! and Facebook. The French branch of Microsoft did not immediately respond to requests for comment, nor did officials at Facebook and AOL in the United States.
Christophe Pelletier, communications director of Yahoo! France, said the commission had not contacted the company for input and said it seemed to “stigmatise American companies.”
Easier said than done
Critics say the plan would be messy to implement and that Internet portals would shoulder an unfair share of the burden.
“Where does it start and stop? The argument is that Google has culpability for declining music revenues because people start searches for illegal files often by Google,” said Mark Mulligan, vice-president of Forrester Research.
But “what about the computers? Because without the computer people wouldn’t be able to download. And then what about the electricity that powers the computer?”
The proposal is still in the early stages, and the report doesn’t spell out specifics — like exactly how much new tax the portals would pay, on top of the taxes that they, like all companies, already contribute.
It does estimate, however, that “given the size of the ad market on the Internet, this measure could eventually bring in 10mil euro (RM50mil) a year.”
While debate on the proposal has focused on the unusual so-called “Google tax,” the report also suggests that the sales tax should be raised on triple-play packages of video, Internet and phone service.
France should rally fellow European nations to support its efforts, the document said.
The commission’s leaders included Zelnik, head of France’s Naive record label — whose artistes include the French first lady, model-turned-singer Carla Bruni-Sarkozy. Former Culture Minister Jacques Toubon and Guillaume Cerutti, president of Sotheby’s auction house France, also took part.
Subsidy plan
The panel concluded that its most urgent goal is to promote legal music sales over the Internet. One way to do that, it suggests, is to offer youths a card for buying online music, which would be partly government-subsidised.
The tax on web portals and Internet service providers would help pay for the subsidies as well as for a publicity campaign about the music cards, the report said.
To a lesser extent, the money would also fund other cultural efforts, including digitising more books and promoting efforts to make more films available for online purchase.
Altogether, the mission said, its proposals should cost about 50mil euro (RM250mil) this year, and 35mil to 40mil euro (RM175mil to RM200mil) in the two years after that.
The French society of authors and composers, SACD, praised the ideas as “audacious and pertinent.”
Sarkozy’s government is making efforts to regulate the Web and protect intellectual property in the Internet age.
Lawmakers here recently passed legislation that would cut off people caught illegally downloading movies and music from the Internet, and authorities are debating how to best respond to Google Book’s request to digitise French libraries’ collections. — AP
NEWS: Scammers trying to cash in on Haiti quake sympathy
PETALING JAYA: Online scams exploiting the Haitian earthquake, including spam e-mail messages soliciting for donations, have been identified by security company Symantec Corp.
Any money sent according to the instructions in the scam e-mail messages will not help anyone in Haiti, it will end up in the pockets of cybercriminals.
Symantec advises those who want to make donations online to avoid clicking on links in e-mail or Instant Messaging messages because these could lead to spoofed websites.
The security experts suggest typing the web address of the charity organisation directly into your browser rather than clicking on links within messages.
Also, Symantec advises the public to never fill out forms in messages that ask for personal or financial information, or passwords, because a reputable charitable organisation is unlikely to ask for such data via e-mail.
More information can be be found at the Symantec blog, http://bit.ly/5Qkerz.
An earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale struck Haiti on Jan 12. The death toll is estimated to be in the tens of thousands.
Any money sent according to the instructions in the scam e-mail messages will not help anyone in Haiti, it will end up in the pockets of cybercriminals.
Symantec advises those who want to make donations online to avoid clicking on links in e-mail or Instant Messaging messages because these could lead to spoofed websites.
The security experts suggest typing the web address of the charity organisation directly into your browser rather than clicking on links within messages.
Also, Symantec advises the public to never fill out forms in messages that ask for personal or financial information, or passwords, because a reputable charitable organisation is unlikely to ask for such data via e-mail.
More information can be be found at the Symantec blog, http://bit.ly/5Qkerz.
An earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale struck Haiti on Jan 12. The death toll is estimated to be in the tens of thousands.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
NEWS: US software maker sues China for piracy
LOS ANGELES: A US software maker has sued China and seven major computer makers, alleging piracy of its Internet filtering software.
Cybersitter LLC, whose software is designed to help parents filter content seen by children, seeks US$2.2bil (RM7.5bil) in damages in the federal lawsuit.
The company alleges that the Chinese copied its codes and incorporated them into software used to block Chinese citizens’ access to sites deemed politically undesirable by the government. Seven computer manufacturers, including Sony, Lenovo, and Toshiba, also were sued for distributing the Chinese program with PCs sold in the country.
“I don’t think I have ever seen such clear-cut stealing,” said attorney Gregory Fayer, who represents Santa Barbara-based Cybersitter.
He said the alleged piracy was discovered by a university researcher who posted a report on Internet filtering programs online.
Fayer said Chinese software makers appeared to have downloaded the program from the Cybersitter server and copied more than 3,000 lines of code, then incorporated it into their program, Green Dam Youth Escort.
“They did a sloppy job of copying,” said Fayer, noting that they included directions on how to get to the Cybersitter site.
Aborted move
Last year, the Chinese Government issued an order requiring computer manufacturers to pre-install or supply Green Dam Youth Escort software with PCs made for sale in China.
China later backed down after a major outcry from Chinese citizens and computer companies.
Although Chinese authorities had said the Green Dam system is needed to block access to violent and obscene material, analysts who reviewed the program say it also filters out material the government considers politically objectionable.
The lawsuit says that while the mandate was reversed, the computer makers continued to distribute Green Dam with its computers in China even after learning the software was pirated.
Those named in the lawsuit were Sony, Lenovo, Toshiba, Acer, AsusteK, BenQ and Haier.
The complaint alleges misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair competition, copyright infringement and conspiracy. It also claims the Chinese software makers broke US criminal laws governing economic espionage.
Fayer said none of the defendants had been served with the lawsuit yet.
Keeping mum
A Lenovo spokesman said by e-mail that the company was unable to comment on pending litigation. Taiwan’s BenQ Corp said in an e-mailed statement, that the company had not been notified of the lawsuit and could not comment.
Acer Inc also declined comment. AsusteK did not immediately respond to efforts seeking comment. Representatives for Sony Corp, Toshiba Corp and China’s Haier Group did not immediately respond to e-mailed questions.
The chief executive of one of the Chinese software makers being sued, Zhengzhou Jinhui Computer System Engineering, did not answer calls.
Representatives at another Chinese software maker named in the lawsuit, Beijing Dazheng Human Language Technology Academy, were not available.
Fayer said Cybersitter, a family-owned company, is seeking damages for royalties due on its product, which sells for US$39.95 (about RM136) a copy. He said the case could be “a watershed for the protection of American intellectual property internationally.”
“We don’t make many widgets anymore,” he said. “What we have to offer the world is our ingenuity and creativity, our ideas and what lawyers call intellectual property.
“From small companies like Cybersitter to Microsoft to motion pictures and the music industry, these are the products we have to offer the world. It is important that they be protected.” — AP
Cybersitter LLC, whose software is designed to help parents filter content seen by children, seeks US$2.2bil (RM7.5bil) in damages in the federal lawsuit.
The company alleges that the Chinese copied its codes and incorporated them into software used to block Chinese citizens’ access to sites deemed politically undesirable by the government. Seven computer manufacturers, including Sony, Lenovo, and Toshiba, also were sued for distributing the Chinese program with PCs sold in the country.
“I don’t think I have ever seen such clear-cut stealing,” said attorney Gregory Fayer, who represents Santa Barbara-based Cybersitter.
He said the alleged piracy was discovered by a university researcher who posted a report on Internet filtering programs online.
Fayer said Chinese software makers appeared to have downloaded the program from the Cybersitter server and copied more than 3,000 lines of code, then incorporated it into their program, Green Dam Youth Escort.
“They did a sloppy job of copying,” said Fayer, noting that they included directions on how to get to the Cybersitter site.
Aborted move
Last year, the Chinese Government issued an order requiring computer manufacturers to pre-install or supply Green Dam Youth Escort software with PCs made for sale in China.
China later backed down after a major outcry from Chinese citizens and computer companies.
Although Chinese authorities had said the Green Dam system is needed to block access to violent and obscene material, analysts who reviewed the program say it also filters out material the government considers politically objectionable.
The lawsuit says that while the mandate was reversed, the computer makers continued to distribute Green Dam with its computers in China even after learning the software was pirated.
Those named in the lawsuit were Sony, Lenovo, Toshiba, Acer, AsusteK, BenQ and Haier.
The complaint alleges misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair competition, copyright infringement and conspiracy. It also claims the Chinese software makers broke US criminal laws governing economic espionage.
Fayer said none of the defendants had been served with the lawsuit yet.
Keeping mum
A Lenovo spokesman said by e-mail that the company was unable to comment on pending litigation. Taiwan’s BenQ Corp said in an e-mailed statement, that the company had not been notified of the lawsuit and could not comment.
Acer Inc also declined comment. AsusteK did not immediately respond to efforts seeking comment. Representatives for Sony Corp, Toshiba Corp and China’s Haier Group did not immediately respond to e-mailed questions.
The chief executive of one of the Chinese software makers being sued, Zhengzhou Jinhui Computer System Engineering, did not answer calls.
Representatives at another Chinese software maker named in the lawsuit, Beijing Dazheng Human Language Technology Academy, were not available.
Fayer said Cybersitter, a family-owned company, is seeking damages for royalties due on its product, which sells for US$39.95 (about RM136) a copy. He said the case could be “a watershed for the protection of American intellectual property internationally.”
“We don’t make many widgets anymore,” he said. “What we have to offer the world is our ingenuity and creativity, our ideas and what lawyers call intellectual property.
“From small companies like Cybersitter to Microsoft to motion pictures and the music industry, these are the products we have to offer the world. It is important that they be protected.” — AP
NEWS: TV makers testing market for 3D
LAS VEGAS: This is supposedly the year 3D television becomes the hot new thing in the United States: Updated sets and disc players are coming out, and 3D cable channels are in the works. But it’s not clear the idea will reach out and grab mainstream viewers.
Besides having to spring for expensive new TVs, people would have to put on awkward special glasses to give the picture the illusion of depth. That limits 3D viewing to times when viewers can sit down and focus on a movie or show.
It’s one thing to put on 3D glasses in a theatre, but “at home, you’re with other people in the living room, running to the kitchen and doing other things,” said Greg Ireland of the research firm IDC.
Unfazed by the potential hang-ups, the biggest TV makers began revealing their 3D models on Wednesday before the official opening of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Tim Baxter, president of Samsung Electronics Co’s consumer division, said in an interview that 10% to 14% of the roughly 35 million TVs sold in the United States this year will be 3D-capable.
Samsung is determined to make 3D a big feature on its more expensive TVs this year. It’s teaming with DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc to make the Blu-ray 3D version of the movie Monsters vs Aliens an exclusive for buyers of Samsung’s 3D TVs.
LG Electronics Inc said it will introduce 47in and 55in flatpanel TVs with 3D capabilities in May. LG and Samsung are among the companies that plan to sell 3D Blu-ray disc players later in the year.
LG didn’t announce exact prices for its new sets. But Tim Alessi, director of product development at LG Electronics USA, said 3D TV sets will likely cost US$200 to US$300 (RM700 to RM1,000) more than comparable flatpanel sets without 3D capabilities, which already run more than US$1,000 (RM3,400).
Announcements of 3D TV sets were also expected from Sony Corp and Panasonic Corp.
Gradual pick up
Manufacturers aren’t counting on 3D to take over instantly. Colour TV and high definition caught on over many years. Like those earlier advances, 3D programming requires upgrades throughout the TV and movie infrastructure, from shooting to editing to distribution.
FULL STEAM AHEAD: Manufacturers aren't putting all their eggs in the 3D basket, instead banking on high definition flatpanel TV sets. — AP
Incidentally, Samsung and Dreamworks are working with Technicolor, which pioneered colour movies, to get 3D right.
Of course, movies in 3D have been around since the 1950s and from time to time have been billed as the next big thing in entertainment. And technically speaking, 3D viewing in the home has been possible for the past few years. But there has been no good way to get 3D movies and shows to watch.
That obstacle is being swept away this year, as plans for a 3D version of the Blu-ray disc have solidified. Players are expected this spring.
On Tuesday, two major cable networks — ESPN and Discovery — said they plan to start beaming 3D entertainment into US homes for the first time.
ESPN plans to have its channel running in time to show World Cup soccer matches in 3D on June 11. Discovery Communications Inc will partner with Imax Corp and Sony to bring out its own full-time 3D network in 2011.
Samsung isn’t waiting for 3D programming: It said its sets will be able to convert standard 2D programming to 3D on the fly. The effect likely won’t be as good as original 3D footage, but it will “tide consumers over” until there is more 3D programming, Baxter said.
Toshiba is taking the same tack. It plans roll out a new line of five TVs this year that will perform the 2D to 3D conversion in a separate box with a powerful processor similar to one used in the Sony PlayStation3.
Like the other manufacturers, Toshiba didn’t announce prices for the sets, but they will probably be expensive.
Blue success
TV manufacturers, movie studios and broadcasters are counting on the excitement around the latest wave of 3D movies in theatres to finally drive interest in adapting the technology for the home.
In particular, James Cameron’s Avatar has set a new standard for 3D in movies and has surpassed US$1bil (RM3.4bil) at the box office. It demonstrates that 3D is viable for more than just computer-animated children’s or family movies such as Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.
“The hopes of the industry have undoubtedly been raised by the success of Avatar,” said NPD analyst Ross Rubin.
But it’s not clear people will be eager to pony up the premium prices for 3D in the home — at least for a few years — or even that the experience will translate well from the movie theatre to the living room.
HARD TO TELL: Experts say it is unclear if people who have recently ponied up for HD TV sets will want to splurge again so soon for what will invariably be a pricey upgrade to 3D TV. — AP
(It is possible to do 3D TV without glasses, but those solutions usually require viewers to keep their heads in one particular place. The image quality is also lower.)
Viewing 3D discs will require new Blu-ray players that could cost a few hundred dollars, to the possible annoyance of people who invested in regular Blu-ray players in the past several years.
And it may be difficult to tempt shoppers to buy new TVs after the flatpanel binge of the last few years.
Not many bites
Jay Weil, 42, a day trader from San Francisco, said he’s unlikely to jump in to buy 3D technology right away because he bought a new 52in, high-definition TV about six months ago for US$1,800 (about RM6,000). He has no problems with the setup.
“I am not suffering, even though it’s 2D,” he said on Wednesday inside a Best Buy store in San Francisco.
Analyst Riddhi Patel at iSuppli Corp said one target market would probably be people who have moved the flatpanels they bought a few years ago into their bedrooms and now want new sets for their living rooms.
Or TV makers can count on hitting the mainstream later and aim for enthusiasts first — people such as Michael Pearce, 39, a supervisor at a biotechnology company.
Pearce loves the thrill of new electronics even though his family tells him he’s gone overboard. He says he has bought 12 flatscreen TVs in the last three years and sells the old ones on eBay whenever he upgrades.
“I like to see how they push the envelope. I like to see what’s next,” he said. “3D TV is like, wow. You have to go to the movies for that.” — AP
Besides having to spring for expensive new TVs, people would have to put on awkward special glasses to give the picture the illusion of depth. That limits 3D viewing to times when viewers can sit down and focus on a movie or show.
It’s one thing to put on 3D glasses in a theatre, but “at home, you’re with other people in the living room, running to the kitchen and doing other things,” said Greg Ireland of the research firm IDC.
Unfazed by the potential hang-ups, the biggest TV makers began revealing their 3D models on Wednesday before the official opening of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Tim Baxter, president of Samsung Electronics Co’s consumer division, said in an interview that 10% to 14% of the roughly 35 million TVs sold in the United States this year will be 3D-capable.
Samsung is determined to make 3D a big feature on its more expensive TVs this year. It’s teaming with DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc to make the Blu-ray 3D version of the movie Monsters vs Aliens an exclusive for buyers of Samsung’s 3D TVs.
LG Electronics Inc said it will introduce 47in and 55in flatpanel TVs with 3D capabilities in May. LG and Samsung are among the companies that plan to sell 3D Blu-ray disc players later in the year.
LG didn’t announce exact prices for its new sets. But Tim Alessi, director of product development at LG Electronics USA, said 3D TV sets will likely cost US$200 to US$300 (RM700 to RM1,000) more than comparable flatpanel sets without 3D capabilities, which already run more than US$1,000 (RM3,400).
Announcements of 3D TV sets were also expected from Sony Corp and Panasonic Corp.
Gradual pick up
Manufacturers aren’t counting on 3D to take over instantly. Colour TV and high definition caught on over many years. Like those earlier advances, 3D programming requires upgrades throughout the TV and movie infrastructure, from shooting to editing to distribution.
FULL STEAM AHEAD: Manufacturers aren't putting all their eggs in the 3D basket, instead banking on high definition flatpanel TV sets. — AP
Incidentally, Samsung and Dreamworks are working with Technicolor, which pioneered colour movies, to get 3D right.
Of course, movies in 3D have been around since the 1950s and from time to time have been billed as the next big thing in entertainment. And technically speaking, 3D viewing in the home has been possible for the past few years. But there has been no good way to get 3D movies and shows to watch.
That obstacle is being swept away this year, as plans for a 3D version of the Blu-ray disc have solidified. Players are expected this spring.
On Tuesday, two major cable networks — ESPN and Discovery — said they plan to start beaming 3D entertainment into US homes for the first time.
ESPN plans to have its channel running in time to show World Cup soccer matches in 3D on June 11. Discovery Communications Inc will partner with Imax Corp and Sony to bring out its own full-time 3D network in 2011.
Samsung isn’t waiting for 3D programming: It said its sets will be able to convert standard 2D programming to 3D on the fly. The effect likely won’t be as good as original 3D footage, but it will “tide consumers over” until there is more 3D programming, Baxter said.
Toshiba is taking the same tack. It plans roll out a new line of five TVs this year that will perform the 2D to 3D conversion in a separate box with a powerful processor similar to one used in the Sony PlayStation3.
Like the other manufacturers, Toshiba didn’t announce prices for the sets, but they will probably be expensive.
Blue success
TV manufacturers, movie studios and broadcasters are counting on the excitement around the latest wave of 3D movies in theatres to finally drive interest in adapting the technology for the home.
In particular, James Cameron’s Avatar has set a new standard for 3D in movies and has surpassed US$1bil (RM3.4bil) at the box office. It demonstrates that 3D is viable for more than just computer-animated children’s or family movies such as Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.
“The hopes of the industry have undoubtedly been raised by the success of Avatar,” said NPD analyst Ross Rubin.
But it’s not clear people will be eager to pony up the premium prices for 3D in the home — at least for a few years — or even that the experience will translate well from the movie theatre to the living room.
HARD TO TELL: Experts say it is unclear if people who have recently ponied up for HD TV sets will want to splurge again so soon for what will invariably be a pricey upgrade to 3D TV. — AP
(It is possible to do 3D TV without glasses, but those solutions usually require viewers to keep their heads in one particular place. The image quality is also lower.)
Viewing 3D discs will require new Blu-ray players that could cost a few hundred dollars, to the possible annoyance of people who invested in regular Blu-ray players in the past several years.
And it may be difficult to tempt shoppers to buy new TVs after the flatpanel binge of the last few years.
Not many bites
Jay Weil, 42, a day trader from San Francisco, said he’s unlikely to jump in to buy 3D technology right away because he bought a new 52in, high-definition TV about six months ago for US$1,800 (about RM6,000). He has no problems with the setup.
“I am not suffering, even though it’s 2D,” he said on Wednesday inside a Best Buy store in San Francisco.
Analyst Riddhi Patel at iSuppli Corp said one target market would probably be people who have moved the flatpanels they bought a few years ago into their bedrooms and now want new sets for their living rooms.
Or TV makers can count on hitting the mainstream later and aim for enthusiasts first — people such as Michael Pearce, 39, a supervisor at a biotechnology company.
Pearce loves the thrill of new electronics even though his family tells him he’s gone overboard. He says he has bought 12 flatscreen TVs in the last three years and sells the old ones on eBay whenever he upgrades.
“I like to see how they push the envelope. I like to see what’s next,” he said. “3D TV is like, wow. You have to go to the movies for that.” — AP
NEWS: Ford adds Twitter to in-car system
LAS VEGAS: The Ford Motor Co is adding Twitter messages and Internet radio to its in-car entertainment and communication service, known as Sync.
It suggests that the voice-activated system is safer for drivers than trying to manipulate applications on their cellphones.
Ford CEO Alan Mulally told an audience at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Thursday that Sync is designed as a way for drivers to do things like chat with their kids and make dinner reservations, “while keeping their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel.”
The carmaker is one of many companies at the show that are showing off information and entertainment technologies for car drivers and passengers.
Ford’s Sync service, which was developed by Microsoft Corp and rolled out in 2007, already lets drivers do such things as make phone calls and use GPS technology to get turn-by-turn directions and traffic information.
Now, Ford executives said Thursday, Sync will begin working with two Internet radio services in the United States — Pandora and Stitcher.
It will also connect to OpenBeak, which can read your or your friends’ Twitter posts out loud.
Users will need to have the Sync versions of these applications on a phone with a Bluetooth wireless link. — AP
It suggests that the voice-activated system is safer for drivers than trying to manipulate applications on their cellphones.
Ford CEO Alan Mulally told an audience at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Thursday that Sync is designed as a way for drivers to do things like chat with their kids and make dinner reservations, “while keeping their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel.”
The carmaker is one of many companies at the show that are showing off information and entertainment technologies for car drivers and passengers.
Ford’s Sync service, which was developed by Microsoft Corp and rolled out in 2007, already lets drivers do such things as make phone calls and use GPS technology to get turn-by-turn directions and traffic information.
Now, Ford executives said Thursday, Sync will begin working with two Internet radio services in the United States — Pandora and Stitcher.
It will also connect to OpenBeak, which can read your or your friends’ Twitter posts out loud.
Users will need to have the Sync versions of these applications on a phone with a Bluetooth wireless link. — AP
NEWS: Would taxing Google help fund the arts?
PARIS: How to help prop up the ailing music industry? Tax Google, suggests a new report commissioned by the French Government.
The report, handed to Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand on Wednesday, said Google and other Internet portals should be slapped with a new tax on their online ad revenues in France.
The money can then be used to fund the development of legal outlets for buying books, movies and especially music on the Internet.
This proposal is the latest idea to emerge amid France’s efforts to fight illegal filesharing and impose order — French-style — on the free-for-all that is the Internet.
The plan “seemed inevitable to us, if we want to maintain a certain pluralism in the culture world” and prevent the “endless enrichment of two or three world players who will impose their cultural formatting on us,” Patrick Zelnik, a record producer who helped lead the commission, was quoted as telling Liberation newspaper.
Google appears cool to the idea but sought a conciliatory tone. Google France’s public affairs director said the company told the commission it wanted “co-operation between Internet players and the cultural fields to develop new models.”
Olivier Esper said there were opportunities to promote innovative solutions “instead of continuing on a path that opposes the Internet and the cultural worlds, for example the path of taxation.”
President Nicolas Sarkozy said he planned to push forward with several of the report’s ideas. Though he did not specifically mention the Google tax, he said the report’s authors “rightly have proposed” asking French competition authorities to weigh on “Google’s dominant position in the online ad sector.”
Along with Google, the report cites Microsoft, AOL, Yahoo! and Facebook. The French branch of Microsoft did not immediately respond to requests for comment, nor did officials at Facebook and AOL in the United States.
Christophe Pelletier, communications director of Yahoo! France, said the commission had not contacted the company for input and said it seemed to “stigmatise American companies.”
Easier said than done
Critics say the plan would be messy to implement and that Internet portals would shoulder an unfair share of the burden.
“Where does it start and stop? The argument is that Google has culpability for declining music revenues because people start searches for illegal files often by Google,” said Mark Mulligan, vice-president of Forrester Research.
But “what about the computers? Because without the computer people wouldn’t be able to download. And then what about the electricity that powers the computer?”
The proposal is still in the early stages, and the report doesn’t spell out specifics — like exactly how much new tax the portals would pay, on top of the taxes that they, like all companies, already contribute.
It does estimate, however, that “given the size of the ad market on the Internet, this measure could eventually bring in 10mil euro (RM50mil) a year.”
While debate on the proposal has focused on the unusual so-called “Google tax,” the report also suggests that the sales tax should be raised on triple-play packages of video, Internet and phone service.
France should rally fellow European nations to support its efforts, the document said.
The commission’s leaders included Zelnik, head of France’s Naive record label — whose artistes include the French first lady, model-turned-singer Carla Bruni-Sarkozy. Former Culture Minister Jacques Toubon and Guillaume Cerutti, president of Sotheby’s auction house France, also took part.
Subsidy plan
The panel concluded that its most urgent goal is to promote legal music sales over the Internet. One way to do that, it suggests, is to offer youths a card for buying online music, which would be partly government-subsidised.
The tax on web portals and Internet service providers would help pay for the subsidies as well as for a publicity campaign about the music cards, the report said.
To a lesser extent, the money would also fund other cultural efforts, including digitising more books and promoting efforts to make more films available for online purchase.
Altogether, the mission said, its proposals should cost about 50mil euro (RM250mil) this year, and 35mil to 40mil euro (RM175mil to RM200mil) in the two years after that.
The French society of authors and composers, SACD, praised the ideas as “audacious and pertinent.”
Sarkozy’s government is making efforts to regulate the Web and protect intellectual property in the Internet age.
Lawmakers here recently passed legislation that would cut off people caught illegally downloading movies and music from the Internet, and authorities are debating how to best respond to Google Book’s request to digitise French libraries’ collections. — AP
The report, handed to Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand on Wednesday, said Google and other Internet portals should be slapped with a new tax on their online ad revenues in France.
The money can then be used to fund the development of legal outlets for buying books, movies and especially music on the Internet.
This proposal is the latest idea to emerge amid France’s efforts to fight illegal filesharing and impose order — French-style — on the free-for-all that is the Internet.
The plan “seemed inevitable to us, if we want to maintain a certain pluralism in the culture world” and prevent the “endless enrichment of two or three world players who will impose their cultural formatting on us,” Patrick Zelnik, a record producer who helped lead the commission, was quoted as telling Liberation newspaper.
Google appears cool to the idea but sought a conciliatory tone. Google France’s public affairs director said the company told the commission it wanted “co-operation between Internet players and the cultural fields to develop new models.”
Olivier Esper said there were opportunities to promote innovative solutions “instead of continuing on a path that opposes the Internet and the cultural worlds, for example the path of taxation.”
President Nicolas Sarkozy said he planned to push forward with several of the report’s ideas. Though he did not specifically mention the Google tax, he said the report’s authors “rightly have proposed” asking French competition authorities to weigh on “Google’s dominant position in the online ad sector.”
Along with Google, the report cites Microsoft, AOL, Yahoo! and Facebook. The French branch of Microsoft did not immediately respond to requests for comment, nor did officials at Facebook and AOL in the United States.
Christophe Pelletier, communications director of Yahoo! France, said the commission had not contacted the company for input and said it seemed to “stigmatise American companies.”
Easier said than done
Critics say the plan would be messy to implement and that Internet portals would shoulder an unfair share of the burden.
“Where does it start and stop? The argument is that Google has culpability for declining music revenues because people start searches for illegal files often by Google,” said Mark Mulligan, vice-president of Forrester Research.
But “what about the computers? Because without the computer people wouldn’t be able to download. And then what about the electricity that powers the computer?”
The proposal is still in the early stages, and the report doesn’t spell out specifics — like exactly how much new tax the portals would pay, on top of the taxes that they, like all companies, already contribute.
It does estimate, however, that “given the size of the ad market on the Internet, this measure could eventually bring in 10mil euro (RM50mil) a year.”
While debate on the proposal has focused on the unusual so-called “Google tax,” the report also suggests that the sales tax should be raised on triple-play packages of video, Internet and phone service.
France should rally fellow European nations to support its efforts, the document said.
The commission’s leaders included Zelnik, head of France’s Naive record label — whose artistes include the French first lady, model-turned-singer Carla Bruni-Sarkozy. Former Culture Minister Jacques Toubon and Guillaume Cerutti, president of Sotheby’s auction house France, also took part.
Subsidy plan
The panel concluded that its most urgent goal is to promote legal music sales over the Internet. One way to do that, it suggests, is to offer youths a card for buying online music, which would be partly government-subsidised.
The tax on web portals and Internet service providers would help pay for the subsidies as well as for a publicity campaign about the music cards, the report said.
To a lesser extent, the money would also fund other cultural efforts, including digitising more books and promoting efforts to make more films available for online purchase.
Altogether, the mission said, its proposals should cost about 50mil euro (RM250mil) this year, and 35mil to 40mil euro (RM175mil to RM200mil) in the two years after that.
The French society of authors and composers, SACD, praised the ideas as “audacious and pertinent.”
Sarkozy’s government is making efforts to regulate the Web and protect intellectual property in the Internet age.
Lawmakers here recently passed legislation that would cut off people caught illegally downloading movies and music from the Internet, and authorities are debating how to best respond to Google Book’s request to digitise French libraries’ collections. — AP
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
NEWS: Homepage building tool for MSIG partners
KUALA LUMPUR: MSIG Insurance Bhd hopes to help its partners generate more business in cyberspace through a homepage-creating tool.
Using the newly launched MSIG General Insurance Page (GenPage), partners can build their own professional homepages that communicate MSIG product offerings, financial tools, useful tips and news updates from the insurance provider.
All this is offered free to MSIG partners.
“It’s even easier than creating a blog,” said Chua Seck Guan, MSIG Malaysia deputy chief executive officer at the launch here on Tuesday.
He said GenPage helps the partners meet the demands of customers who expect all businesses nowadays to have an Internet presence. The homepages also provide their customers with the option of contacting their insurance advisors online.
“Additionally, the public can also check the credentials of MSIG-registered partners for added peace of mind,” Chua said.
MSIG has invested RM500,000 in the portal and started developing the tool last August. The web tool offers hosting facilities, as well as website design and maintenance support.
The partners can choose from five website themes and customise their homepages with pictures, messages and other details.
“The templates are there to give our partners some structure when building their sites,” said Chin Jee Gwan, MSIG assistant vice-president of e-commerce.
GenPage follows in the success of another of MSIG’s online offerings — GenLink, a web-based business-to-business portal introduced in 2003.
GenLink enables MSIG agents or partners to make enquiries, as well as issue and renew policies for up to 10 different products for their customers. It has since evolved to include online payment facilities and other features.
MSIG is targeting to have about 300 agents using GenPage by year-end.
Using the newly launched MSIG General Insurance Page (GenPage), partners can build their own professional homepages that communicate MSIG product offerings, financial tools, useful tips and news updates from the insurance provider.
All this is offered free to MSIG partners.
“It’s even easier than creating a blog,” said Chua Seck Guan, MSIG Malaysia deputy chief executive officer at the launch here on Tuesday.
He said GenPage helps the partners meet the demands of customers who expect all businesses nowadays to have an Internet presence. The homepages also provide their customers with the option of contacting their insurance advisors online.
“Additionally, the public can also check the credentials of MSIG-registered partners for added peace of mind,” Chua said.
MSIG has invested RM500,000 in the portal and started developing the tool last August. The web tool offers hosting facilities, as well as website design and maintenance support.
The partners can choose from five website themes and customise their homepages with pictures, messages and other details.
“The templates are there to give our partners some structure when building their sites,” said Chin Jee Gwan, MSIG assistant vice-president of e-commerce.
GenPage follows in the success of another of MSIG’s online offerings — GenLink, a web-based business-to-business portal introduced in 2003.
GenLink enables MSIG agents or partners to make enquiries, as well as issue and renew policies for up to 10 different products for their customers. It has since evolved to include online payment facilities and other features.
MSIG is targeting to have about 300 agents using GenPage by year-end.
NEWS: US software maker sues China for piracy
LOS ANGELES: A US software maker has sued China and seven major computer makers, alleging piracy of its Internet filtering software.
Cybersitter LLC, whose software is designed to help parents filter content seen by children, seeks US$2.2bil (RM7.5bil) in damages in the federal lawsuit.
The company alleges that the Chinese copied its codes and incorporated them into software used to block Chinese citizens’ access to sites deemed politically undesirable by the government. Seven computer manufacturers, including Sony, Lenovo, and Toshiba, also were sued for distributing the Chinese program with PCs sold in the country.
“I don’t think I have ever seen such clear-cut stealing,” said attorney Gregory Fayer, who represents Santa Barbara-based Cybersitter.
He said the alleged piracy was discovered by a university researcher who posted a report on Internet filtering programs online.
Fayer said Chinese software makers appeared to have downloaded the program from the Cybersitter server and copied more than 3,000 lines of code, then incorporated it into their program, Green Dam Youth Escort.
“They did a sloppy job of copying,” said Fayer, noting that they included directions on how to get to the Cybersitter site.
Aborted move
Last year, the Chinese Government issued an order requiring computer manufacturers to pre-install or supply Green Dam Youth Escort software with PCs made for sale in China.
China later backed down after a major outcry from Chinese citizens and computer companies.
Although Chinese authorities had said the Green Dam system is needed to block access to violent and obscene material, analysts who reviewed the program say it also filters out material the government considers politically objectionable.
The lawsuit says that while the mandate was reversed, the computer makers continued to distribute Green Dam with its computers in China even after learning the software was pirated.
Those named in the lawsuit were Sony, Lenovo, Toshiba, Acer, AsusteK, BenQ and Haier.
The complaint alleges misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair competition, copyright infringement and conspiracy. It also claims the Chinese software makers broke US criminal laws governing economic espionage.
Fayer said none of the defendants had been served with the lawsuit yet.
Keeping mum
A Lenovo spokesman said by e-mail that the company was unable to comment on pending litigation. Taiwan’s BenQ Corp said in an e-mailed statement, that the company had not been notified of the lawsuit and could not comment.
Acer Inc also declined comment. AsusteK did not immediately respond to efforts seeking comment. Representatives for Sony Corp, Toshiba Corp and China’s Haier Group did not immediately respond to e-mailed questions.
The chief executive of one of the Chinese software makers being sued, Zhengzhou Jinhui Computer System Engineering, did not answer calls.
Representatives at another Chinese software maker named in the lawsuit, Beijing Dazheng Human Language Technology Academy, were not available.
Fayer said Cybersitter, a family-owned company, is seeking damages for royalties due on its product, which sells for US$39.95 (about RM136) a copy. He said the case could be “a watershed for the protection of American intellectual property internationally.”
“We don’t make many widgets anymore,” he said. “What we have to offer the world is our ingenuity and creativity, our ideas and what lawyers call intellectual property.
“From small companies like Cybersitter to Microsoft to motion pictures and the music industry, these are the products we have to offer the world. It is important that they be protected.” — AP
Cybersitter LLC, whose software is designed to help parents filter content seen by children, seeks US$2.2bil (RM7.5bil) in damages in the federal lawsuit.
The company alleges that the Chinese copied its codes and incorporated them into software used to block Chinese citizens’ access to sites deemed politically undesirable by the government. Seven computer manufacturers, including Sony, Lenovo, and Toshiba, also were sued for distributing the Chinese program with PCs sold in the country.
“I don’t think I have ever seen such clear-cut stealing,” said attorney Gregory Fayer, who represents Santa Barbara-based Cybersitter.
He said the alleged piracy was discovered by a university researcher who posted a report on Internet filtering programs online.
Fayer said Chinese software makers appeared to have downloaded the program from the Cybersitter server and copied more than 3,000 lines of code, then incorporated it into their program, Green Dam Youth Escort.
“They did a sloppy job of copying,” said Fayer, noting that they included directions on how to get to the Cybersitter site.
Aborted move
Last year, the Chinese Government issued an order requiring computer manufacturers to pre-install or supply Green Dam Youth Escort software with PCs made for sale in China.
China later backed down after a major outcry from Chinese citizens and computer companies.
Although Chinese authorities had said the Green Dam system is needed to block access to violent and obscene material, analysts who reviewed the program say it also filters out material the government considers politically objectionable.
The lawsuit says that while the mandate was reversed, the computer makers continued to distribute Green Dam with its computers in China even after learning the software was pirated.
Those named in the lawsuit were Sony, Lenovo, Toshiba, Acer, AsusteK, BenQ and Haier.
The complaint alleges misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair competition, copyright infringement and conspiracy. It also claims the Chinese software makers broke US criminal laws governing economic espionage.
Fayer said none of the defendants had been served with the lawsuit yet.
Keeping mum
A Lenovo spokesman said by e-mail that the company was unable to comment on pending litigation. Taiwan’s BenQ Corp said in an e-mailed statement, that the company had not been notified of the lawsuit and could not comment.
Acer Inc also declined comment. AsusteK did not immediately respond to efforts seeking comment. Representatives for Sony Corp, Toshiba Corp and China’s Haier Group did not immediately respond to e-mailed questions.
The chief executive of one of the Chinese software makers being sued, Zhengzhou Jinhui Computer System Engineering, did not answer calls.
Representatives at another Chinese software maker named in the lawsuit, Beijing Dazheng Human Language Technology Academy, were not available.
Fayer said Cybersitter, a family-owned company, is seeking damages for royalties due on its product, which sells for US$39.95 (about RM136) a copy. He said the case could be “a watershed for the protection of American intellectual property internationally.”
“We don’t make many widgets anymore,” he said. “What we have to offer the world is our ingenuity and creativity, our ideas and what lawyers call intellectual property.
“From small companies like Cybersitter to Microsoft to motion pictures and the music industry, these are the products we have to offer the world. It is important that they be protected.” — AP
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
NEWS: Google poised to unveil its smartphone
SAN FRANCISCO: Google Inc’s vision for how a mobile phone should be made and sold will likely raise the stakes in the Internet search leader’s bid to gain more control over how people surf the Web while they’re on the go.
The catalyst in Google’s latest attempt to shake up the mobile market apparently will be the Nexus One, the first smartphone designed by the company’s own engineers.
Google has said little about the phone except to confirm that its workers received the handsets three weeks ago for a final round of internal testing.
It is expected to provide the first concrete details about the phone, along with its vision for how such devices should be made and sold, during a press conference later today at its headquarters in Mountain View, California.
In its invitation to the event, Google said the wireless market had only seen “the beginning of what’s possible” with the free Android operating system that it introduced for mobile phones in late 2007.
Android was designed to make it easier to interact on a mobile phone with websites and services, including Google’s, while providing an egalitarian platform to run applications developed by outside programmers.
The applications don’t have to go through an extensive review before they can be distributed to Android-powered devices, a contrast from the control that Apple Inc holds on its hotselling iPhone.
Until now, Google has been content to let other companies design the devices relying on Android.
And these devices thus far have largely been distributed like most other mobile phones, tethered to major wireless carriers that typically require buyers to lock into two-year contracts in return for discounts on the handsets.
But Google now appears to be ready to push its operating system in a new direction while trying to give consumers more flexibility to connect a mobile phone with the wireless carrier of their choice.
New wave
Google intends to stamp its own brand on the Nexus One and sell it directly to consumers over the Web, leaving it up to the buyers to pick their own carriers. That could open new possibilities while igniting new tensions in the mobile phone market.
Just how much Nexus One shakes things up will likely hinge on the phone’s price.
Take the US market for example, where most smartphones designed for web access sell for US$50 to US$200 (RM170 to RM680), thanks to subsidies provided by wireless carriers in return for commitments to service plans that cost US$800 to US$1,000 (RM2,700 to RM3,400) a year.
Without the financial aid, the phones would sell for US$400 to US$600 (RM1,400 to RM2,000) — a range that most US consumers have been unwilling to pay, especially in a shaky economy.
US wireless carrier T-Mobile has agreed to provide a subsidy for a Nexus One that works on its network, according to published reports. Such an agreement wouldn’t represent a substantial change from the status quo.
Yet Google appears to be betting that the Nexus One will make a big enough splash to persuade other major US wireless carriers — AT&T Inc, Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel Corp — to subsidise the device too, said technology analyst Rob Enderle.
“If enough customers want this phone, the carriers will have no choice but to follow,” he predicted.
That would also break the traditional practice of giving carriers the right to sell specific models exclusively for a certain period.
Google conceivably could offer a sharp discount on the Nexus One without carriers’ help, hoping to recoup some of the costs by selling more ads on the devices.
But the mobile advertising market is unlikely to grow quickly enough to offset the costs of the discounts for several years, so pursuing that strategy would likely crimp Google’s profits — something that could drive down the company’s stock price.
Plan B
Another option is for Google to simply sell the phone at the full price, banking that it’ll be attractive enough for buyers looking for the freedom to choose their own carrier.
A smartphone that empowers consumers to choose from a variety of carriers could post a threat to the iPhone, which is tied exclusively to AT&T in the United States.
That tie-in has spurred complaints from some iPhone users who say AT&T’s network bogs down amid heavy web traffic, particularly in big cities such as New York and San Francisco.
With the competition between the two companies heating up, Google chief executive Eric Schmidt resigned from Apple’s board five months ago.
Selling its own phone also could foster more resentment toward Google among the business partners that have been backing Android as a viable alternative to the mobile operating systems made by Apple, BlackBerry manufacturer Research in Motion Ltd and Microsoft Corp.
Verizon, for instance, has raised consumer awareness about Android during the past two months by bankrolling a marketing blitz for the Droid phone made by Motorola Inc.
In an effort to keep the peace, Google probably will try to position the Nexus One as a way to encourage even more innovation with its Android system, said Forrester Research analyst Charles Golvin.
“They might tell everyone in the Android ecosystem, ‘We applaud you for what you have done so far, we just want to take things even further and think we can help light the way,’” Golvin said. — AP
The catalyst in Google’s latest attempt to shake up the mobile market apparently will be the Nexus One, the first smartphone designed by the company’s own engineers.
Google has said little about the phone except to confirm that its workers received the handsets three weeks ago for a final round of internal testing.
It is expected to provide the first concrete details about the phone, along with its vision for how such devices should be made and sold, during a press conference later today at its headquarters in Mountain View, California.
In its invitation to the event, Google said the wireless market had only seen “the beginning of what’s possible” with the free Android operating system that it introduced for mobile phones in late 2007.
Android was designed to make it easier to interact on a mobile phone with websites and services, including Google’s, while providing an egalitarian platform to run applications developed by outside programmers.
The applications don’t have to go through an extensive review before they can be distributed to Android-powered devices, a contrast from the control that Apple Inc holds on its hotselling iPhone.
Until now, Google has been content to let other companies design the devices relying on Android.
And these devices thus far have largely been distributed like most other mobile phones, tethered to major wireless carriers that typically require buyers to lock into two-year contracts in return for discounts on the handsets.
But Google now appears to be ready to push its operating system in a new direction while trying to give consumers more flexibility to connect a mobile phone with the wireless carrier of their choice.
New wave
Google intends to stamp its own brand on the Nexus One and sell it directly to consumers over the Web, leaving it up to the buyers to pick their own carriers. That could open new possibilities while igniting new tensions in the mobile phone market.
Just how much Nexus One shakes things up will likely hinge on the phone’s price.
Take the US market for example, where most smartphones designed for web access sell for US$50 to US$200 (RM170 to RM680), thanks to subsidies provided by wireless carriers in return for commitments to service plans that cost US$800 to US$1,000 (RM2,700 to RM3,400) a year.
Without the financial aid, the phones would sell for US$400 to US$600 (RM1,400 to RM2,000) — a range that most US consumers have been unwilling to pay, especially in a shaky economy.
US wireless carrier T-Mobile has agreed to provide a subsidy for a Nexus One that works on its network, according to published reports. Such an agreement wouldn’t represent a substantial change from the status quo.
Yet Google appears to be betting that the Nexus One will make a big enough splash to persuade other major US wireless carriers — AT&T Inc, Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel Corp — to subsidise the device too, said technology analyst Rob Enderle.
“If enough customers want this phone, the carriers will have no choice but to follow,” he predicted.
That would also break the traditional practice of giving carriers the right to sell specific models exclusively for a certain period.
Google conceivably could offer a sharp discount on the Nexus One without carriers’ help, hoping to recoup some of the costs by selling more ads on the devices.
But the mobile advertising market is unlikely to grow quickly enough to offset the costs of the discounts for several years, so pursuing that strategy would likely crimp Google’s profits — something that could drive down the company’s stock price.
Plan B
Another option is for Google to simply sell the phone at the full price, banking that it’ll be attractive enough for buyers looking for the freedom to choose their own carrier.
A smartphone that empowers consumers to choose from a variety of carriers could post a threat to the iPhone, which is tied exclusively to AT&T in the United States.
That tie-in has spurred complaints from some iPhone users who say AT&T’s network bogs down amid heavy web traffic, particularly in big cities such as New York and San Francisco.
With the competition between the two companies heating up, Google chief executive Eric Schmidt resigned from Apple’s board five months ago.
Selling its own phone also could foster more resentment toward Google among the business partners that have been backing Android as a viable alternative to the mobile operating systems made by Apple, BlackBerry manufacturer Research in Motion Ltd and Microsoft Corp.
Verizon, for instance, has raised consumer awareness about Android during the past two months by bankrolling a marketing blitz for the Droid phone made by Motorola Inc.
In an effort to keep the peace, Google probably will try to position the Nexus One as a way to encourage even more innovation with its Android system, said Forrester Research analyst Charles Golvin.
“They might tell everyone in the Android ecosystem, ‘We applaud you for what you have done so far, we just want to take things even further and think we can help light the way,’” Golvin said. — AP
NEWS: Govt wants reasonable rates for broadband
KUALA LUMPUR: The Government will study the existing rates for broadband services with a view to widening fast-Internet usage, said Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim.
He said that in this context, the ministry will compare the local charges with existing rates in several countries such as South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia.
“The ministry will find a way so that the charges for Internet and broadband services in Malaysia are affordable and do not pose a burden to users,” he said at a media conference after a special programme with Radio Klasik Nasional at Wisma Radio, Angkasapuri, here on Monday.
He said that although the discussion on the payment rates is not welcomed by the service providers, the ministry is committed to reducing the charges so that more people can use the service.
“We hope the charges for Internet and broadband services in Malaysia can be brought down so that they will be more affordable ... as such, all service providers must discharge their social responsibility to achieve the Government’s aspiration,” he said.
Not practical
Meanwhile, Rais said that using the number of households as an index for broadband penetration in Malaysia, which has been the case for the past 10 years, is no longer practical.
The minister said broadband penetration should not be focused on the number of households only but should also consider the number of users of cellphones and computers, which has reached 28 million.
“Using the number of households to calculate the broadband penetration index had been practised in South Korea for the past 10 years and Malaysia has also used the same method. So we used the number of households — which was six million (then) — to determine the broadband penetration index in this country,” he said.
“We did not reject it. In fact, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (SKMM, the industry regulator) had also recorded the rate of broadband penetration at 31% based on the figure of six million households.”
Although the usage of smartphones and computers have been increasing, Rais said it is strange that both these gadgets are not being taken into account when gauging the rate of broadband penetration now.
He said using the handphones as an index or indicator would be more accurate because there were now 28 million cellphone users in Malaysia and it can be said that most of them use handphones with the 3G (third-generation cellular) service, which means that broadband usage has increased.
More towers
In another development, Rais announced that the Government will construct more than 1,000 transmission towers of various sizes throughout the country this year to increase the penetration of broadband services in the country.
He said the building of the towers under the supervision of the SKMM will contribute towards increasing the broadband penetration rate in several areas in Sabah, Sarawak, Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu, which was still below 15% currently. — Bernama
He said that in this context, the ministry will compare the local charges with existing rates in several countries such as South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia.
“The ministry will find a way so that the charges for Internet and broadband services in Malaysia are affordable and do not pose a burden to users,” he said at a media conference after a special programme with Radio Klasik Nasional at Wisma Radio, Angkasapuri, here on Monday.
He said that although the discussion on the payment rates is not welcomed by the service providers, the ministry is committed to reducing the charges so that more people can use the service.
“We hope the charges for Internet and broadband services in Malaysia can be brought down so that they will be more affordable ... as such, all service providers must discharge their social responsibility to achieve the Government’s aspiration,” he said.
Not practical
Meanwhile, Rais said that using the number of households as an index for broadband penetration in Malaysia, which has been the case for the past 10 years, is no longer practical.
The minister said broadband penetration should not be focused on the number of households only but should also consider the number of users of cellphones and computers, which has reached 28 million.
“Using the number of households to calculate the broadband penetration index had been practised in South Korea for the past 10 years and Malaysia has also used the same method. So we used the number of households — which was six million (then) — to determine the broadband penetration index in this country,” he said.
“We did not reject it. In fact, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (SKMM, the industry regulator) had also recorded the rate of broadband penetration at 31% based on the figure of six million households.”
Although the usage of smartphones and computers have been increasing, Rais said it is strange that both these gadgets are not being taken into account when gauging the rate of broadband penetration now.
He said using the handphones as an index or indicator would be more accurate because there were now 28 million cellphone users in Malaysia and it can be said that most of them use handphones with the 3G (third-generation cellular) service, which means that broadband usage has increased.
More towers
In another development, Rais announced that the Government will construct more than 1,000 transmission towers of various sizes throughout the country this year to increase the penetration of broadband services in the country.
He said the building of the towers under the supervision of the SKMM will contribute towards increasing the broadband penetration rate in several areas in Sabah, Sarawak, Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu, which was still below 15% currently. — Bernama
Monday, January 4, 2010
NEWS: New tools for young learners
IT IS a known fact that children learn best when they are having fun and the British Council Teaching Centre in Kuala Lumpur, has of this year, introduced new teaching tools specifically designed to engage and motivate children in ways that traditional teaching cannot achieve.
New teaching tools have been introduced to keep the chilldren engaged and motivated in class.
Our approach has always been to stimulate our young learners with exciting activities that not only improve their language skills but also their confidence,” said Melanie Hutton, the British Council’s young learner manager.
The enhancements to the syllabus for young learners include the introduction of a range of up-to-date course books, digital software and hardware, as well as web resources. A new digital software called Genki English for those aged between five and eight, will be used in the KL centre’s classrooms which have been equipped with interactive whiteboards (IWB) since 2002.
Older students aged between 13 and 17 on the other hand, will get to use award-winning software called Language Garden which challenges them to focus on sentence construction that motivates and develops literary awareness at the same time. — By CINDY POH
New teaching tools have been introduced to keep the chilldren engaged and motivated in class.
Our approach has always been to stimulate our young learners with exciting activities that not only improve their language skills but also their confidence,” said Melanie Hutton, the British Council’s young learner manager.
The enhancements to the syllabus for young learners include the introduction of a range of up-to-date course books, digital software and hardware, as well as web resources. A new digital software called Genki English for those aged between five and eight, will be used in the KL centre’s classrooms which have been equipped with interactive whiteboards (IWB) since 2002.
Older students aged between 13 and 17 on the other hand, will get to use award-winning software called Language Garden which challenges them to focus on sentence construction that motivates and develops literary awareness at the same time. — By CINDY POH
NEWS: IT competition for varsity students
AIMING to improve students’ technical knowledge in the information technology field, software company SAS Malaysia recently held its inaugural programming quiz.
The competition saw 11 teams battle for the top spot in a series of quizzes held at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM).
Contestants were tested on their understanding of programming, with a focus on data management and the application of analysis tools for business computing.
According to the company’s academic programme manager Tan Siew Ling, the objective of the competition was to expose university students to the practical application of computing software.
“We believe they will benefit immensely by getting a taste of the SAS experience in terms of the relevancy of programming skills applied in the corporate sense,” said Tan.
Bagging the first prize were students Yakub Sebastian, Wendy Japutra Jap and Lai Chee Ping from the Swinburne University of Technology, Sarawak.
Yakub said that the competition was an invaluable academic experience.
“It was also a delightful and eye-opening social experience to interact with other university students with the same interests,” he added.
Coming in second were Yeo Ee Fong, Au Yong Chee Hau, Jeric Yuen and Han Yian Ting of Sunway University College, while UiTM students Lia Farhana, Norraniza and Nuraitul won third place.
The competition saw 11 teams battle for the top spot in a series of quizzes held at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM).
Contestants were tested on their understanding of programming, with a focus on data management and the application of analysis tools for business computing.
According to the company’s academic programme manager Tan Siew Ling, the objective of the competition was to expose university students to the practical application of computing software.
“We believe they will benefit immensely by getting a taste of the SAS experience in terms of the relevancy of programming skills applied in the corporate sense,” said Tan.
Bagging the first prize were students Yakub Sebastian, Wendy Japutra Jap and Lai Chee Ping from the Swinburne University of Technology, Sarawak.
Yakub said that the competition was an invaluable academic experience.
“It was also a delightful and eye-opening social experience to interact with other university students with the same interests,” he added.
Coming in second were Yeo Ee Fong, Au Yong Chee Hau, Jeric Yuen and Han Yian Ting of Sunway University College, while UiTM students Lia Farhana, Norraniza and Nuraitul won third place.
ＮＥＷＳ：Maxis speeding up broadba：
KUALA LUMPUR: Maxis Bhd has deployed High-Speed Packet Access+ (HSPA+) technology to enhance its wireless broadband services.
The incorporation of this data transmission capability into Maxis’ existing 3G network will enable subscribers surfing the Internet in selected areas in the Klang Valley and Johor Baru to experience significant improvement in download speeds, it said.
Mark Dioguardi, Maxis executive vice-president and head of network and technology, said HSPA+ technology will make browsing the Internet, video-streaming, as well as the uploading and downloading of high-resolution files, enjoyable and seamless to service subscribers.
The new technology is available now to select users on a trial basis, and following new announcements, will become widely available to Maxis customers during 2010.
With HSPA+, Maxis claims its wireless broadband network can support peak rated network speeds of 21Mbps (megabits per second), although users can expect speeds of up to 10Mbps and to15Mbps in environments that have “good coverage.”
Maxis claims this equates to a doubling of current download speeds in certain areas of its network.
The incorporation of this data transmission capability into Maxis’ existing 3G network will enable subscribers surfing the Internet in selected areas in the Klang Valley and Johor Baru to experience significant improvement in download speeds, it said.
Mark Dioguardi, Maxis executive vice-president and head of network and technology, said HSPA+ technology will make browsing the Internet, video-streaming, as well as the uploading and downloading of high-resolution files, enjoyable and seamless to service subscribers.
The new technology is available now to select users on a trial basis, and following new announcements, will become widely available to Maxis customers during 2010.
With HSPA+, Maxis claims its wireless broadband network can support peak rated network speeds of 21Mbps (megabits per second), although users can expect speeds of up to 10Mbps and to15Mbps in environments that have “good coverage.”
Maxis claims this equates to a doubling of current download speeds in certain areas of its network.
ＮＥＷＳ：TM helps Malacca with network upgrade：
PETALING JAYA: Malacca state government agencies have upgraded their networks to an ethernet connection that offers speeds of 8Mbps (megabits per second) to 1Gbps (gigabit per second).
Prior to the upgrade, the connection speed of the departments was only 2Mbps.
Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) built the Melaka Metro Ethernet (or Melaka Metro-E) network to connect 27 buildings for the state government.
The improved connectivity means the departments will be able to communicate more efficiently. The new technology also offers better data security, more cost-efficient maintenance and other benefits.
Among the current business applications that are supported by Melaka Metro-E are Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services, video streaming, video and audio conferencing, data recovery and data storage, as well as network-based computer-aided design.
TM is also working with Melaka ICT Holdings to develop a wireless broadband network throughout the state.
Prior to the upgrade, the connection speed of the departments was only 2Mbps.
Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) built the Melaka Metro Ethernet (or Melaka Metro-E) network to connect 27 buildings for the state government.
The improved connectivity means the departments will be able to communicate more efficiently. The new technology also offers better data security, more cost-efficient maintenance and other benefits.
Among the current business applications that are supported by Melaka Metro-E are Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services, video streaming, video and audio conferencing, data recovery and data storage, as well as network-based computer-aided design.
TM is also working with Melaka ICT Holdings to develop a wireless broadband network throughout the state.
NEWS：Cisco: Identify talented students in varsities：
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is not short of talented ICT (information and communications technology) graduates but there is a shortage of those with the right kind of talent, said networking giant Cisco Systems.
“We have about 60,000 unemployed graduates because the supply outpaces the private sector demand for those skills,” said Cisco Malaysia managing director Anne Abraham.
“The private sector needs to be more involved with prospective employees at the university level so that they can be scouted out and trained for the positions they will ultimately be holding.”
“All the players in the ICT industry should get involved in higher education,” said Abraham. “This is the only way we can guarantee the effective streamlining of our human capital.”
Cisco organises annual networking competitions, called NetRiders, that give networking students the opportunity to put their knowledge to the test.
The competition utilises Cisco Telepresence and Cisco WebEx videoconferencing technology and the contestants have to troubleshoot simulated enterprise network problems.
Soon Sing Tee, 23, Chamal Sapumohotti, 23, and Ravan Nagalingam, 24, from the Multimedia University (MMU) won the national and Asia-Pacific NetRiders 2009 competition. They received an all expense paid trip to San Jose to visit the Cisco headquarters.
“Our lecturers told us about the competition and urged us to participate,” said Chamal. “The competition also certifies us in practical training which will definitely help us start our careers.”
Although the three students have yet to graduate, Chamal and Soon have already found jobs. Chamal is now a WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) research officer for MMU while Soon is a trainee network engineer for Mesiniaga.
The Cisco Networking Academy hosts national and regional networking competitions in universities throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
“We have about 60,000 unemployed graduates because the supply outpaces the private sector demand for those skills,” said Cisco Malaysia managing director Anne Abraham.
“The private sector needs to be more involved with prospective employees at the university level so that they can be scouted out and trained for the positions they will ultimately be holding.”
“All the players in the ICT industry should get involved in higher education,” said Abraham. “This is the only way we can guarantee the effective streamlining of our human capital.”
Cisco organises annual networking competitions, called NetRiders, that give networking students the opportunity to put their knowledge to the test.
The competition utilises Cisco Telepresence and Cisco WebEx videoconferencing technology and the contestants have to troubleshoot simulated enterprise network problems.
Soon Sing Tee, 23, Chamal Sapumohotti, 23, and Ravan Nagalingam, 24, from the Multimedia University (MMU) won the national and Asia-Pacific NetRiders 2009 competition. They received an all expense paid trip to San Jose to visit the Cisco headquarters.
“Our lecturers told us about the competition and urged us to participate,” said Chamal. “The competition also certifies us in practical training which will definitely help us start our careers.”
Although the three students have yet to graduate, Chamal and Soon have already found jobs. Chamal is now a WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) research officer for MMU while Soon is a trainee network engineer for Mesiniaga.
The Cisco Networking Academy hosts national and regional networking competitions in universities throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
NEWS: Content providers want out of USP fund
KUALA LUMPUR: Mobile-content providers want the Government to do away with the requirement that such companies must contribute 6% of their annual revenue to the Universal Service Provision (USP) fund.
Azli Paat, president of the Malaysian Mobile Content Provider Association (MMCPA) said the USP fund is an infrastructure fund and not a content fund, so content providers (CPs) should not be required to contribute to it.
“The telecommunications companies are already contributing to the USP fund, which will eventually be beneficial to them,” he said. “Once an underserved area is developed (using the fund), the telcos can profit from it by charging for their infrastructure.”
“We get some benefits because we can then sell our content in these developed areas, but not as much as the telcos because we do not have the infrastructure to profit from,” Azli said.
The USP fund was established in 2003 to help provide telecoms facilities and Internet access to underserved areas. The fund currently totals RM5bil and is managed by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (SKMM), the telco industry regulator.
CPs in the country, such as M-Mode Sdn Bhd and Radius Sdn Bhd, develop and sell content, including wallpapers, ringtones and games, for cellphones and other portables.
The CPs claim that their profits from such content are dwindling. They said the value of the local industry has shrunk from about RM540,000 to RM300,000 in just one year.
“The mandatory contribution to the USP fund is stifling the growth of CPs,” said Azli. He explained that CPs that make more than RM2mil in annual revenue are required to hand over 6% of that to the fund.
“This requirement is counter-productive. Some CPs are purposely trying not to exceed RM2mil in annual revenue because of this. This puts a damper on CP growth,” he said.
The MMCPA informed the SKMM of this in November and are awaiting feedback. The association has also requested a meeting with Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim over the issue.
Another thorn
Besides the USP fund requirement, the set up of a so-called Preventive Gateway is also causing CPs that develop content for mobile devices to suffer declines in their revenue.
The gateway is a technology that helps screen out unscrupulous CPs, such as those who deliver content to consumers without asking first, and then bill the consumers for the content.
This electronic gateway checks SMSes from the CPs and consumers to ensure that the consumers have given consent for the content to be sent to them.
“This is all very well but another 3% of our revenue is taken away for maintenance of the gateway annually,” said Azli. “The law-abiding CPs are also being made to pay for the sins of a few unscrupulous vendors.”
The MMCPA also believes that the revenue share that telcos demand from CPs for pushing their content is too high.
“In Japan, it is an 80%/20 % revenue share between CP and telco. But here, the telcos demand a 50%/50% share,” Azli said.
He said the association had asked the telcos to switch from revenue share to a fixed rate but the call had fallen on deaf ears.
“This unfair revenue split is forcing most of the local CPs to do business overseas where they can enjoy better returns. We are focusing our business on Indonesia, Thailand and China because it is too limiting here,” he said.
The MMCPA is two years old and looks after the rights of mobile-content providers. The organisation has 31 members now. There are 300 CPs dealing in mobile content nationwide.
Azli Paat, president of the Malaysian Mobile Content Provider Association (MMCPA) said the USP fund is an infrastructure fund and not a content fund, so content providers (CPs) should not be required to contribute to it.
“The telecommunications companies are already contributing to the USP fund, which will eventually be beneficial to them,” he said. “Once an underserved area is developed (using the fund), the telcos can profit from it by charging for their infrastructure.”
“We get some benefits because we can then sell our content in these developed areas, but not as much as the telcos because we do not have the infrastructure to profit from,” Azli said.
The USP fund was established in 2003 to help provide telecoms facilities and Internet access to underserved areas. The fund currently totals RM5bil and is managed by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (SKMM), the telco industry regulator.
CPs in the country, such as M-Mode Sdn Bhd and Radius Sdn Bhd, develop and sell content, including wallpapers, ringtones and games, for cellphones and other portables.
The CPs claim that their profits from such content are dwindling. They said the value of the local industry has shrunk from about RM540,000 to RM300,000 in just one year.
“The mandatory contribution to the USP fund is stifling the growth of CPs,” said Azli. He explained that CPs that make more than RM2mil in annual revenue are required to hand over 6% of that to the fund.
“This requirement is counter-productive. Some CPs are purposely trying not to exceed RM2mil in annual revenue because of this. This puts a damper on CP growth,” he said.
The MMCPA informed the SKMM of this in November and are awaiting feedback. The association has also requested a meeting with Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim over the issue.
Another thorn
Besides the USP fund requirement, the set up of a so-called Preventive Gateway is also causing CPs that develop content for mobile devices to suffer declines in their revenue.
The gateway is a technology that helps screen out unscrupulous CPs, such as those who deliver content to consumers without asking first, and then bill the consumers for the content.
This electronic gateway checks SMSes from the CPs and consumers to ensure that the consumers have given consent for the content to be sent to them.
“This is all very well but another 3% of our revenue is taken away for maintenance of the gateway annually,” said Azli. “The law-abiding CPs are also being made to pay for the sins of a few unscrupulous vendors.”
The MMCPA also believes that the revenue share that telcos demand from CPs for pushing their content is too high.
“In Japan, it is an 80%/20 % revenue share between CP and telco. But here, the telcos demand a 50%/50% share,” Azli said.
He said the association had asked the telcos to switch from revenue share to a fixed rate but the call had fallen on deaf ears.
“This unfair revenue split is forcing most of the local CPs to do business overseas where they can enjoy better returns. We are focusing our business on Indonesia, Thailand and China because it is too limiting here,” he said.
The MMCPA is two years old and looks after the rights of mobile-content providers. The organisation has 31 members now. There are 300 CPs dealing in mobile content nationwide.
NEWS: HDS peeks at 2010 trends
KUALA LUMPUR: Cloud storage and the scaling up of storage for increased datacentre virtualisation should be among the top priorities for company investments this year, said Johnson Khoo, managing director of Hitachi Data Systems Sdn Bhd.
When more workloads are virtualised into multicore processors, he said, the strain on the underlying storage infrastructure increases from both a capacity and a performance standpoint.
“Companies should be investing in a storage infrastructure that can scale up and out, depending on performance and capacity requirements,” he said.
Hitachi’s research shows that storing data in the cloud is on the rise as more companies embrace the “pay as you grow” concept during difficult economic times.
“Instead of investing in more infrastructure, the benefits of cloud computing and cloud storage are becoming more evident with the turn of each year,” Khoo said.
When more workloads are virtualised into multicore processors, he said, the strain on the underlying storage infrastructure increases from both a capacity and a performance standpoint.
“Companies should be investing in a storage infrastructure that can scale up and out, depending on performance and capacity requirements,” he said.
Hitachi’s research shows that storing data in the cloud is on the rise as more companies embrace the “pay as you grow” concept during difficult economic times.
“Instead of investing in more infrastructure, the benefits of cloud computing and cloud storage are becoming more evident with the turn of each year,” Khoo said.
NEWS: Mobile media on the rise
PETALING JAYA: Mobile media is poised for explosive growth in Asia, including here in Malaysia, creating new revenue opportunities for broadcasters, wireless operators, content providers, advertisers and companies with complementary services and technologies.
Industry analysts recognise the vast potential of mobile media services, predicting that the global market will surpass US$90bil (RM306bil) by 2018.
Consumer support for mobile media is also on the rise.
The Asia-Pacific region is forecast to account for more than 50% of the global mobile TV subscribers by the end of 2013, with countries such as Malaysia, Taiwan and Japan emerging as the potential leading markets in the region.
Broadcast mobile TV services continue to do well in Asia with more than 43 million ISDB-T One-Seg users in Japan and 15 million DMB users in South Korea. In Malaysia, there is a lot of consumer interest in mobile TV and the industry is actively working on plans for a commercial rollout.
FLO Technologies has conducted successful technical trials in Malaysia with Maxis and Astro which featured 25 live channels and clip-casting media.
Gadget driven
Much of the increased mobile consumption is due to the proliferation of new portable devices such as the iPhone and other smartphones featuring high-quality video capabilities, and the surge in mobile applications and services.
Apple has reported more than 5.2 million iPhones sold during its fiscal 2009 third quarter and its users have downloaded more than two billion applications from its App Store.
Also, some 70% of Japanese social network users access sites from a mobile phone; and social networking site Facebook has reported more than 30 million regular users via mobile phones.
As a result, data traffic from mobile media has increased 350% over the past two years.
These figures demonstrate the technology, content and, most importantly, demand for mobile media are all firmly in place and reflect a shift in how consumers access, view and engage with mobile content.
Consumers demand greater flexibility over where and when they consume content — such as freedom of place and time so they are not tied to their home screens or tethered to a broadcast TV schedule.
Rather than flipping through hundreds of channels, they want intuitive discovery and recommendations to find content that’s personally relevant. They also want interactive capabilities that provide connectivity to friends and colleagues through messaging and social networks.
The convergence of mobile media with social networking applications, and the increased consumer demand for them, provide a unique opportunity for an integrated entertainment service that brings together all of these elements.
Expanding access
Consumers have a wealth of information and entertainment devices from which to choose. Increasingly, the line between various categories of devices is blurring.
From the proven (mobile phones, laptops and personal media players) to the emerging (smartbooks, portable gaming consoles and in-vehicle mobile TV devices), multifunctional devices and applications are appearing that deliver information and entertainment on the move.
With worldwide smartphones expected to reach 600 million in 2013, low-cost accessories that enable mobile media delivery to smartphones are in demand. Connectivity via USB, mini-USB, or WiFi devices will unlock a vast, installed user base.
And, new devices that provide content and services using broadcast delivery in place of wireless connectivity are proliferating.
In markets, such as Japan, where users may commute long distances on public transportation, there is a growing interest in personal media players and public mobile TVs.
Outdoor digital signage displays are also being used to deliver media to consumers outside the home — KDDI, Samsung Japan and Toyota are among the companies trying new ways to expand media access — in malls, schools and on the road.
In other countries, where consumers often travel long distances by car, they have embraced in-car DVD players to provide entertainment during the road trips. Today there are motre than 23 million vehicles in the United States alone equipped with such entertainment systems.
Integrated offering
Delivering such a broad range of formats and services to such a wide variety of devices is technically challenging.
From a technology standpoint, streaming 3G, WiFi and mobile broadcast technologies each serve different mobile consumer needs.
3G networks are well-suited to deliver long-tail content such as niche programming and on-demand services. In addition, they provide immense content variety and a return path for interactive applications such as voting, rating, messaging, and m-commerce.
Side-loading content over WiFi or wired broadband is useful when 3G is not available or content is not time sensitive.
Mobile broadcast technologies provide instant gratification for live, time-sensitive content including exclusive sporting events, concerts and breaking news — when millions of consumers may be accessing the same content simultaneously.
Mobile broadcast networks can also be employed to deliver live and time-shifted mobile content including popular full-length programming, clip-casting media such as the day’s top YouTube videos, and always-on, broadcast IP data services such as news, weather and sports highlights.
Combined, these three mobile content delivery mechanisms provide true time- and place-shifting, allowing consumers the freedom and control to watch what they want, where and when they want.
A successful, fully integrated mobile media service leveraging all three technologies would provide the depth and breadth of popular and personalised content, services, and features consumers desire in a seamless and compelling user experience.
An integrated service approach would also empower mobile media providers to differentiate their services and compete more effectively to win and retain customers.
Last word
Deploying a successful mobile media service in markets like Malaysia has much in common with any other large-scale consumer service. It takes time, investment, a clear strategy, sound execution and the flexibility to quickly adjust to consumer trends and lessons learned.
Mass-market adoption of integrated mobile media services is only a matter of time; and when it hits, the advantages will go to the industry’s first movers.
(Note: The author is senior vice-president and general manager at Qualcomm FLO Technologies. The company offers an interactive mobile TV platform and enhanced mobile broadcast services.)
Industry analysts recognise the vast potential of mobile media services, predicting that the global market will surpass US$90bil (RM306bil) by 2018.
Consumer support for mobile media is also on the rise.
The Asia-Pacific region is forecast to account for more than 50% of the global mobile TV subscribers by the end of 2013, with countries such as Malaysia, Taiwan and Japan emerging as the potential leading markets in the region.
Broadcast mobile TV services continue to do well in Asia with more than 43 million ISDB-T One-Seg users in Japan and 15 million DMB users in South Korea. In Malaysia, there is a lot of consumer interest in mobile TV and the industry is actively working on plans for a commercial rollout.
FLO Technologies has conducted successful technical trials in Malaysia with Maxis and Astro which featured 25 live channels and clip-casting media.
Gadget driven
Much of the increased mobile consumption is due to the proliferation of new portable devices such as the iPhone and other smartphones featuring high-quality video capabilities, and the surge in mobile applications and services.
Apple has reported more than 5.2 million iPhones sold during its fiscal 2009 third quarter and its users have downloaded more than two billion applications from its App Store.
Also, some 70% of Japanese social network users access sites from a mobile phone; and social networking site Facebook has reported more than 30 million regular users via mobile phones.
As a result, data traffic from mobile media has increased 350% over the past two years.
These figures demonstrate the technology, content and, most importantly, demand for mobile media are all firmly in place and reflect a shift in how consumers access, view and engage with mobile content.
Consumers demand greater flexibility over where and when they consume content — such as freedom of place and time so they are not tied to their home screens or tethered to a broadcast TV schedule.
Rather than flipping through hundreds of channels, they want intuitive discovery and recommendations to find content that’s personally relevant. They also want interactive capabilities that provide connectivity to friends and colleagues through messaging and social networks.
The convergence of mobile media with social networking applications, and the increased consumer demand for them, provide a unique opportunity for an integrated entertainment service that brings together all of these elements.
Expanding access
Consumers have a wealth of information and entertainment devices from which to choose. Increasingly, the line between various categories of devices is blurring.
From the proven (mobile phones, laptops and personal media players) to the emerging (smartbooks, portable gaming consoles and in-vehicle mobile TV devices), multifunctional devices and applications are appearing that deliver information and entertainment on the move.
With worldwide smartphones expected to reach 600 million in 2013, low-cost accessories that enable mobile media delivery to smartphones are in demand. Connectivity via USB, mini-USB, or WiFi devices will unlock a vast, installed user base.
And, new devices that provide content and services using broadcast delivery in place of wireless connectivity are proliferating.
In markets, such as Japan, where users may commute long distances on public transportation, there is a growing interest in personal media players and public mobile TVs.
Outdoor digital signage displays are also being used to deliver media to consumers outside the home — KDDI, Samsung Japan and Toyota are among the companies trying new ways to expand media access — in malls, schools and on the road.
In other countries, where consumers often travel long distances by car, they have embraced in-car DVD players to provide entertainment during the road trips. Today there are motre than 23 million vehicles in the United States alone equipped with such entertainment systems.
Integrated offering
Delivering such a broad range of formats and services to such a wide variety of devices is technically challenging.
From a technology standpoint, streaming 3G, WiFi and mobile broadcast technologies each serve different mobile consumer needs.
3G networks are well-suited to deliver long-tail content such as niche programming and on-demand services. In addition, they provide immense content variety and a return path for interactive applications such as voting, rating, messaging, and m-commerce.
Side-loading content over WiFi or wired broadband is useful when 3G is not available or content is not time sensitive.
Mobile broadcast technologies provide instant gratification for live, time-sensitive content including exclusive sporting events, concerts and breaking news — when millions of consumers may be accessing the same content simultaneously.
Mobile broadcast networks can also be employed to deliver live and time-shifted mobile content including popular full-length programming, clip-casting media such as the day’s top YouTube videos, and always-on, broadcast IP data services such as news, weather and sports highlights.
Combined, these three mobile content delivery mechanisms provide true time- and place-shifting, allowing consumers the freedom and control to watch what they want, where and when they want.
A successful, fully integrated mobile media service leveraging all three technologies would provide the depth and breadth of popular and personalised content, services, and features consumers desire in a seamless and compelling user experience.
An integrated service approach would also empower mobile media providers to differentiate their services and compete more effectively to win and retain customers.
Last word
Deploying a successful mobile media service in markets like Malaysia has much in common with any other large-scale consumer service. It takes time, investment, a clear strategy, sound execution and the flexibility to quickly adjust to consumer trends and lessons learned.
Mass-market adoption of integrated mobile media services is only a matter of time; and when it hits, the advantages will go to the industry’s first movers.
(Note: The author is senior vice-president and general manager at Qualcomm FLO Technologies. The company offers an interactive mobile TV platform and enhanced mobile broadcast services.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
