The Internet - The first Worldwide Tool of Unification ("The End of History")

" ... Now I give you something that few think about: What do you think the Internet is all about, historically? Citizens of all the countries on Earth can talk to one another without electronic borders. The young people of those nations can all see each other, talk to each other, and express opinions. No matter what the country does to suppress it, they're doing it anyway. They are putting together a network of consciousness, of oneness, a multicultural consciousness. It's here to stay. It's part of the new energy. The young people know it and are leading the way.... "

" ... I gave you a prophecy more than 10 years ago. I told you there would come a day when everyone could talk to everyone and, therefore, there could be no conspiracy. For conspiracy depends on separation and secrecy - something hiding in the dark that only a few know about. Seen the news lately? What is happening? Could it be that there is a new paradigm happening that seems to go against history?... " Read More …. "The End of History"- Nov 20, 2010 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll)

"Recalibration of Free Choice"– Mar 3, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - (Subjects: (Old) Souls, Midpoint on 21-12-2012, Shift of Human Consciousness, Black & White vs. Color, 1 - Spirituality (Religions) shifting, Loose a Pope “soon”, 2 - Humans will change react to drama, 3 - Civilizations/Population on Earth, 4 - Alternate energy sources (Geothermal, Tidal (Paddle wheels), Wind), 5 – Financials Institutes/concepts will change (Integrity – Ethical) , 6 - News/Media/TV to change, 7 – Big Pharmaceutical company will collapse “soon”, (Keep people sick), (Integrity – Ethical) 8 – Wars will be over on Earth, Global Unity, … etc.) - (Text version)

“…5 - Integrity That May Surprise…

Have you seen innovation and invention in the past decade that required thinking out of the box of an old reality? Indeed, you have. I can't tell you what's coming, because you haven't thought of it yet! But the potentials of it are looming large. Let me give you an example, Let us say that 20 years ago, you predicted that there would be something called the Internet on a device you don't really have yet using technology that you can't imagine. You will have full libraries, buildings filled with books, in your hand - a worldwide encyclopedia of everything knowable, with the ability to look it up instantly! Not only that, but that look-up service isn't going to cost a penny! You can call friends and see them on a video screen, and it won't cost a penny! No matter how long you use this service and to what depth you use it, the service itself will be free.

Now, anyone listening to you back then would perhaps have said, "Even if we can believe the technological part, which we think is impossible, everything costs something. There has to be a charge for it! Otherwise, how would they stay in business?" The answer is this: With new invention comes new paradigms of business. You don't know what you don't know, so don't decide in advance what you think is coming based on an old energy world. ..."
(Subjects: Who/What is Kryon ?, Egypt Uprising, Iran/Persia Uprising, Peace in Middle East without Israel actively involved, Muhammad, "Conceptual" Youth Revolution, "Conceptual" Managed Business, Internet, Social Media, News Media, Google, Bankers, Global Unity,..... etc.)


German anti-hate speech group counters Facebook trolls

German anti-hate speech group counters Facebook trolls
Logo No Hate Speech Movement

Bundestag passes law to fine social media companies for not deleting hate speech

Honouring computing’s 1843 visionary, Lady Ada Lovelace. (Design of doodle by Kevin Laughlin)

Monday, August 29, 2011

Gaunt and frail, cancer battle takes its toll on Steve Jobs in first picture since he left Apple

Daily Mail, by DAVID GARDNER, 28th August 2011

Frail: Steve Jobs is helped into
a car by a friend outside his
 home in California
Looking gaunt and frail, this is Steve Jobs seen for the first time since his surprise departure from Apple last week.

This picture, taken outside the technology mogul’s California home, fuelled fears that Jobs was nearing the end in his eight-year battle with pancreatic cancer.

The 56-year-old Apple founder looked even thinner than he did during his last public appearance two months ago.

Jobs, who founded Apple in his garage in 1976, seemed almost too weak to hold himself up as he prepared to get into a waiting car in Palo Alto, northern California.

He wore a black long-sleeved T-shirt, black shorts and sandals instead of his familiar turtleneck and jeans for the trip to nearby San Francisco, the city where he was born.

Jobs made no direct reference to his health problems in his letter of resignation to the Apple board last week.

He wrote only that he had always said he would step down as CEO if he felt he could no longer do the job to his high standards.

A steady stream of flowers and gifts have arrived since the announcement at the house where he has mostly remained behind closed doors with his wife and four children.

Jobs had surgery to remove a tumour after being diagnosed with a rare type of pancreatic cancer in 2003 and had a liver transplant two years ago in a further attempt to prevent the spread of the disease.

Although Apple shares took a 5 per cent hit after Mr Jobs stepped down, market fears were allayed because he was staying on as chairman.

Now the picture underlines the fact that he is unlikely to play any major role in the day-to-day running of the company he founded in his garage in 1976.

Jobs went on medical leave in January, but still introduced the second generation iPad a couple of months later and has led the development of the iPhone 5 and iPad3.

On the day Job's announced his resignation, Apple board member Art Levinson, chairman of Genentech, issued the following statement on behalf of the Apple board: 'Steve's extraordinary vision and leadership saved Apple and guided it to its position as the world's most innovative and valuable technology company.

'Steve has made countless contributions to Apple's success, and he has attracted and inspired Apple's immensely creative employees and world class executive team.


Gaunt: Steve Jobs in 2001 (left) and speaking in March this year
at the iPad2 launch

Though his resignation letter was short and to the point, it was obviously full of emotion as he thanked 'the best friends he made for life' at the billion dollar company.

More...

He is seen as the heart and soul of Apple, with analysts and investors repeatedly expressing concern over how the company, based in Cupertino, California, would handle his departure.
He has now been replaced by former Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook.


Old and new: A young Steve Jobs holds the Apple II computer in
1977 (left) and in 1994

Cook ran Apple when Jobs went on medical leave and has taken over day-to-day operations since early this year, with the company racking up record revenue and profit.

He was previously responsible for Apple's worldwide sales and operations, including management of the supply chain, sales activities, and service and support in all markets and countries, according to ABC.


Gadget: Steve Jobs unveils the iPad in January 2010, it quickly|
became a big seller

He has been at the company since 1998 and was recently given a $5million bonus as well as 75,000 restricted stock units as a thank you for his 'outstanding performance'.

Apple officially  became the most valuable company in America this month and is now worth $338billion, $1billion more than Exxon Mobil.

Pancreatic cancers are generally some of the most lethal of all tumours, and the most common type often kills within six months.


Concerns: In April Steve Jobs seemed frail sparking speculation
he may resign

Jobs has battled a less common variety that grows far more slowly and develops in the hormone-secreting section of the pancreas, according to USA Today.

Although diagnosed in 2003, his illness was not disclosed until the following year, after he'd had surgery.

The fiercely private CEO has said relatively little about his health problems, although he did acknowledge his bout with cancer during a commencement speech at Stanford University, saying: 'No one wants to die. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it.'





Thursday, August 25, 2011

Facebook and Twitter to oppose calls for social media blocks during riots

Ministers expected to row back from David Cameron's demand that suspected rioters be barred from websites


guardian.co.uk, Josh Halliday, Wednesday 24 August 2011

UK riots: Facebook, Twitter and BlackBerry Messenger were accused
of having helped spread unrest. Photograph: Michael Bowles/Rex Features

Facebook and Twitter are preparing to stand firm against government ministers' calls to ban people from social networks or shut their websites down in times of civil unrest.

The major social networks are expected to offer no concessions when they meet the home secretary, Theresa May, at a Home Office summit on Thursday lunchtime.

Ministers are expected to row back on David Cameron's call for suspected rioters to be banned from social networks, such as Twitter and Facebook, following the riots and looting across England a fortnight ago.

The home secretary will explore what measures the major social networks could take to help contain disorder – including how law enforcement can more effectively use the sites – rather than discuss powers to shut them down. The acting Metropolitan police commissioner, Tim Godwin, and the Tory MP Louise Mensch have separately explored the idea of shutting down websites during emergencies.

The technology companies will strongly warn the government against introducing emergency measures that could usher in a new form of online censorship. Attacks on London landmarks, including the Olympics site and Westfield shopping centres, were thwarted earlier this month after police managed to intercept private BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) posts – suggesting that leaving networks running can provide a valuable source of intelligence and information.

The summit is not expected to signal a dramatic shift in government policy, with only one hour slated for a discussion between more than a dozen social media executives, police officers and ministers.

Executives from Facebook, Twitter and RIM will be joined by Lynn Owens, the assistant commissioner of central operations at the Met police, members of the association of chief police officers, and civil servants from both the foreign office and the department for culture, media and sport. The home secretary will lead the meeting, alongside James Brokenshire, the minister for security and a member of the National Security Council.

May will urge the social networks, all of which are based in either the US or Canada, to take more responsibility for the messages posted on their websites.

In response, Twitter and Facebook are expected to outline the steps that both social networks already take to remove messages that potentially incite violence. Facebook, which has 30 million users in the UK, said it had actively removed "several credible threats of violence" to stem the riots across England this month.

Research in Motion, the Canada-based BlackBerry maker, will explain to the government which parts of its popular BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) service are private or encrypted. Unlike Facebook and Twitter, BBM is a pin-protected instant messaging system, and was claimed to be the most popular network among rioters.

Each of the social networks are preparing to explain how current powers are proportionate for tackling provocative material. Current measures allow internet companies to identify users who may be worth further investigation without examining the content of their messages.

RIM and other companies can be forced to disclose users' private messages if served with a warrant by police.

Godwin told MPs on the home affairs committee last week that police had explored the unprecedented step of switching off social networks, but discovered that they did not have the legal powers to do so.

Under the current system, most websites take down material if served with "notice and takedown procedures" by authorities. Facebook also operates a self-policing method whereby its own users can flag inappropriate material.

Two leading police forces told the Guardian earlier this month that it would be a mistake to introduce overzealous powers over the websites. Greater Manchester police and the Devon and Cornwall force both said social networks had an "overwhelmingly positive" role in dispelling rumours and reassuring residents during the riots.

A spokeswoman for Facebook said: "We look forward to meeting with the home secretary to explain the measures we have been taking to ensure that Facebook is a safe and positive platform for people in the UK at this challenging time.

"In recent days we have ensured any credible threats of violence are removed from Facebook and we have been pleased to see the very positive uses millions of people have been making of our service to let friends and family know they are safe and to strengthen their communities."

Twitter and RIM declined to comment.

Four men from Lancashire appeared in court on Wednesday accused of using Facebook to encourage the looting. None of the four entered pleas to the charges, and all four were granted bail in the hearing at Preston crown court.

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Wednesday, August 24, 2011

European technology company accused of enabling torture

Deutsche Welle, 24 Aug 2011  

NSN again faces charges its
technology is being misused
Bahraini security officials used systems from Nokia Siemens Networks to track dissidents, who were later tortured, a new report says. Human rights activists don't want repressive regimes to get surveillance technology.

Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) faces new allegations that technology it exported is being used by repressive governments to track human rights activists. Bloomberg reports that Bahraini officials used NSN monitoring systems to intercept text messages and gather information about mobile phone conversations.

Bahraini activist Abdul Ghani Al Khanjar told Bloomberg that security officials tortured him numerous times while he was in detention for some seven months. When questioning him, his captors were able to quote from his private conversations with alarming detail.

In a statement to Deutsche Welle, NSN said that it divested the monitoring center business in March 2009 and no longer provides the technology to any country.

The statement goes on to say that "such abuse, if it has occurred, is wrong and is contrary to [NSN's] Code of Conduct and accepted international norms. The company condemns such misuse. ... While Nokia Siemens Networks recognizes the risks of abuse and its responsibility to take steps to reduce the potential for abuse, it strongly believes that, on balance, individuals - including those who live under repressive regimes - are better off for having access to telecommunications."

Calls for government to step in

Companies often point out that they're not responsible for what people do with their products. But human rights activists don't accept this answer, and want regulators to step in to make sure corporations don't let technology get into the wrong hands.

Activists say Iranian officials used NSN
systems to monitor dissidents
"If the US or the EU are proudly focusing on internet freedom while security and other ICT products made in the West are used to repress the same citizens we are trying to protect, this is clearly neither credible nor effective," said Marietje Schaake, a European Member of Parliament from the Netherlands who closely follows human rights issues, via e-mail.

Schaake said that she wants to see more transparency from companies. She also sees a role for the European Union.

"The EU should take the lead in raising awareness of the double-edged sword technologies," Schaake said. "The EU could also implement an early warning mechanism in order to prevent the export of technologies to regimes that systematically abuse human rights."

A troubled history

The revelation about Bahrain is the latest in a series of human rights controversies to strike NSN. Last year, two Iranians, Isa Saharkhiz and Mehdi Saharkhiz, sued NSN in an American federal court. They alleged that the sale of surveillance technology enabled Iranian security forces to arrest and torture Isa Saharkhiz.

The case was subsequently dropped, but the Iranians' attorney Ali Herischi said at the time that he planned to revisit the suit later.

Nokia Siemens Networks is a joint venture founded in 2006 between the Finnish telecom giant Nokia and the German corporation Siemens.

Author: Mark Garrison
Editor: Stuart Tiffen

China Tops US as World's Biggest PC Market

Jakarta Globe, August 24, 2011

Related articles

China eclipsed the United States as the world's largest personal-computer market in the second quarter, and is set to capture the full-year title in 2012, International Data Corporation said Tuesday.

PC shipments in China rose to about 18.5 million units in the quarter, compared to 17.7 million units in the United States, research firm IDC said.

The shipments were worth $11.9 billion and $11.7 billion, respectively.

During the April-June period, China's market share of global PC shipments increased to 22 percent, surpassing the 21 percent share held by the world's biggest economy.

The data includes desktops, portables and mini--notebooks, but not handhelds, such as tablets, the research firm said in a global quarterly report.

IDC forecast that 85.2 million units will be shipped in China in 2012, compared to 76.6 million in the US.

"There are of course still risks ahead for China, including not just inflation but also the impact of economic conditions in the US and Europe," Kitty Fok, vice president for Greater China Research at IDC, said in the statement.

"But in the meantime, the Chinese government's 12th Five-Year Plan should help large enterprises... to continue to move along, not to mention of course the ongoing efforts to increase consumer penetration in lower-tier cities." 

AFP 

Saturday, August 20, 2011

HP sinks as investors flee business revamp

Reuters, By Sinead Carew and Sayantani Ghosh, NEW YORK/BANGALORE, Fri Aug 19, 2011

A HP Invent logo is pictured in front of Hewlett-Packard international offices
 in Meyrin near Geneva in this August 4, 2009 file photograph.
(
Credit: Reuters/Denis Balibouse/Files)

(Reuters) - Shares of Hewlett-Packard slumped by more than 20 percent to a six-year low on Friday as investors wiped about $16 billion off the market value of the world's biggest PC maker in a resounding rejection of its plan for a major shake-up.

Investors also appeared to lose confidence in Chief Executive Leo Apotheker after a flurry of HP announcements on Thursday including an $11.7 billion acquisition offer, a shuttering of its mobile efforts and the potential spin-off its PC business.

This was on top of disappointing financial guidance for the third quarter in a row. HP may also be risking future PC sales as its customers could flee to rivals like Dell Inc in the uncertainty, one analyst said.

"They're doing too many things at the same time," said Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu.

Even if it makes sense in the long term, HP should not have told the world it was thinking of getting rid of its PC business, which brings in 16 percent of its profits, Wu said.

"Why would anybody want to do business with them if it's up for sale," he said. "To have this in limbo for 12 months is going to be pretty material."

On top of this, investors worried that HP's offer of nearly $12 billion for British software company Autonomy Corp was too high and questioned why it was giving up so soon on the mobile business it bought for $1.2 billion from Palm Inc, Wu said.

HP shares fell as low as $22.76 on Friday making it the biggest loser on the New York Stock Exchange. Before the announcements its shares had closed at $31.39 on Wednesday. Investors fled to rivals like Dell, pushing its shares up nearly 3 percent, as it is expected to profit from HP's chaos.

"There's not a lot of confidence in (Apotheker's) management," said Wu, noting that he had to lower guidance every quarter since he joined HP. "This is just further proof,"

At least two brokerages downgraded Palo Alto, California-based HP, and five cut their price targets, mainly citing uncertainty and expenses related to the restructuring.

"Last night HP may have eroded what remained of Wall Street's confidence in the company and its strategy," Needham & Co said in a research note.

Gleacher & Co analyst Brian Marshall cut his price target for the stock to $39 from $50 saying he "materially underestimated the magnitude and timing of this metamorphosis."

He said however that HP "is undergoing a sound strategy transformation by focusing on high-growth, high-margin opportunities in the enterprise/commercial markets."

With a forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio of 5.6, the company is trailing its peers, including Dell, Apple and IBM according to Starmine SmartEstimate.

Before Thursday's news HP's stock had already lost nearly a fifth of its value since it reported quarterly results in May.

HP said it has already stopped production of its WebOS-based devices like its TouchPad tablet, which failed to attract buyers.

Cypress Semiconductor Corp -- the main supplier of touch controllers for TouchPad -- will also hurt if the company pulls the plug on the product, brokerage Collins Stewart said.

Cypress' shares fell 1 percent to $16.93 on Friday.

HP has been struggling with its once hugely popular PC business, as niftier gadgets like Apple's iPad have eaten into its business.

Thursday's weak forecast follows smaller rival Dell's lowered revenue outlook earlier this week that dragged down both stocks.

Both companies have been venturing out of traditional comfort zones and into enterprise solutions and services, but continuing soft sales have been a constant source of trouble.

Brokerage Robert W. Baird said HP is no longer a "safe haven" stock and expects it to lose market share.

HP's decision to spin off the PC business reflects commoditization, as consumers change the use of computers, and this may hurt Intel, the world's largest supplier of PC chips, brokerage Nomura said in a note.

"A reversal in average selling prices would remove a key revenue driver over the last six quarters (for Intel)."

(Additional reporting by Rachel Chitra in Bangalore; Editing  by Don Sebastian, Joyjeet Das, Dave Zimmerman)



Related Articles:





IBM PC



Social media: don't blame the Messenger®

RNW, 19 August 2011, by Robert Chesal

 (Photo: ANP)
             
Britain's response to last week's riots - a proposed clampdown on social networks and modern telecommunications - caused widespread anger. It sets a bad example for countries like China, say civil rights activists. But was it an attack on democracy, a desperate measure by an embattled politician, or a reasonable response?

When British Prime Minister David Cameron addressed parliament in the wake of last week's riots, he blamed Facebook, Twitter and RIM (the maker of Blackberry) for the content posted on their networks. He said people would be banned from social networks if suspected of inciting violence. His call for a temporary communications shutdown was unheard of in the West.

Rethinking democracy

China's state-controlled press was thrilled, calling it a “bold measure” and warning the developing world against “blind worship of Western democracy”.  The call on Chinese “advocates of an unlimited development of the internet” to “think twice” was especially striking.

Surely, China’s approval was not what Cameron was hoping for. Clamping down on social networks? The very tools that helped the Egyptian masses bring down Mubarak? Was this what he wanted to achieve?

Wrong measures

Criticism of Cameron's proposal was sharp here in the Netherlands, the first country to enshrine consumers' right to internet access in law. “First of all, shutting down communication networks doesn't stop social unrest,” argues Ot van Daalen, internet rights activist at Bits of Freedom.

He points to the 1992 race riots in Los Angeles which erupted after police were acquitted of brutality for the beating of black man Rodney King - an incident captured on video by a passerby. Internet and social media did not exist at the time.

And in Egypt, he says, the uprising continued after the internet was cut off. According to Mr Van Daalen, the authorities should use measures that don't affect law-abiding citizens and leave privacy and freedom of communication intact. A good example?

"Monitoring tweets or court-ordered tapping of internet traffic by suspected criminals. But not cutting off entire networks."

Ignorance

Dutch Labour Party politician Diederik Samson disagreed with the activists. In defiance of his own party's policy, he posted a widely-read tweet supporting local shutdowns of Ping, Blackberry's free messaging service, during public disturbances. Internet is grown up now, he argued, so it's time for a realistic discussion on public order and safety.

Calls like these raise the eyebrows of security experts. Not because they overstep civil rights, but because they reveal an ignorance of technology. Blackberry Messenger, supposedly the rioters' favourite way to send encrypted messages, is in fact easy to scan, says security researcher Ross Anderson of Cambridge University in the UK. In other words, there's no need to shut it down.

“If you've got a normal Blackberry that you bought in a shop and you use it to send messages to others in furtherance of a crime, the police can get all the traffic.”

Irrelevant measures

So why do Mr Cameron and Mr Samsom blame the messenger? In Mr Anderson's view, “politicians everywhere feel the need to be seen to be doing something,” even if those initiatives are “impractical and irrelevant, and the following day they're forgotten”.

He compares the British Prime Minister's approach to France's new three-strikes law, which allows the authorities to ban people from the internet for repeated illegal file-sharing. It's part of a growing disregard for judicial rights in Western Europe, Mr Anderson says:

“Several countries in Western Europe have a disgraceful record. France with its three-strikes law, and Denmark with its proposals for really vigorous censorship of the internet, are on the side of China in this. And Britain is showing signs of joining the French, the Danes, the Chinese and the Iranians.”

Censorship

According to Mr Anderson, the United States stands out as a defender of the constitutional right to freedom of expression. However his comparison between European measures and the policies of China is firmly rejected by Courtney Radsch at Freedom House, a pro-democracy watchdog in Washington, D.C.:

“In the UK they're discussing whether they have the right to shut down specific social media. But they're discussing it in a democratic context where people can express their opinions about whether the government has the authority to do that. That's where there's a fundamental difference with a country like China, Burma or Cuba where there are broad restrictions on freedom of expression and information technology.”

Ms Radsch points out that what’s being discussed in the UK are targeted, temporary measures to address an imminent threat of violence. And that, she says, is a far cry from what happened in Egypt during the Tahir Square uprising, when the nation's entire communications network was shut down.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Building a healthier, greener Google

Google Blog, 8/17/2011

(Cross-posted on the Green blog)

When it comes to greening our office buildings, we apply the same focus that we use for any of our products: put the user first. We want to create the healthiest work environments possible where Googlers can thrive and innovate. From concept through design, construction and operations, we create buildings that function like living and breathing systems by optimizing access to nature, clean air and daylight.





Since I arrived at Google in 2006, I’ve been part of a team working to create life-sustaining buildings that support the health and productivity of Googlers. We avoid materials that contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other known toxins that may harm human health, so Googlers don’t have to worry about the air they’re breathing or the toxicity of the furniture, carpet or other materials in their workspaces. We also use dual stage air filtration systems to eliminate particulates and remaining VOCs, which further improves indoor air quality.

Since building materials don’t have ingredient labels, we’re pushing the industry to adopt product transparency practices that will lead to real market transformation. In North America, we purchase materials free of the Living Building Challenge Red List Materials and EPA Chemicals of Concern, and through the Pharos Project we ask our suppliers to meet strict transparency requirements.

We also strive to shrink our environmental footprint by investing in the most efficient heating, cooling and lighting systems. Throughout many of our offices, we’ve performed energy and water audits and implemented conservation measures to develop best practices that are applied to our offices worldwide. To the extent possible, we seek out renewable sources for the energy that we do use. One of the earliest projects I worked on at Google involved installing the first solar panels on campus back in 2007. They have the capacity to produce 1.6 megawatts of clean, renewable electricity for us, which supplies about 30 percent of our peak energy use on the buildings they cover.

With a little healthy competition, we’ve gotten Google’s offices around the world involved in greening our operations. Our internal Sustainable Pursuit program allows teams to earn points based on their office’s green performance—whether it’s through green cleaning programs, water efficiency or innovative waste management strategies. We use Google Apps to help us track progress toward our goals—which meet or exceed the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED standards—and share what we’ve learned among our global facilities teams.

We’re proud of our latest LEED Platinum achievement for the interior renovation of an office building at the Googleplex. While we have other LEED Platinum buildings in our portfolio, it’s a first for our headquarters and a first for the City of Mountain View. The interior renovation was designed by Boora Architects and built by XL Construction, using healthy building materials and practices. In fact, we now have more than 4.5 million square feet of building space around the world on deck to earn LEED Certification.

Looking ahead, our team will have many more opportunities to redefine how we green our buildings and workspaces. It’s a win for Googlers, our business and the environment.

Posted by Anthony Ravitz, Green Team Lead, Real Estate & Workplace Services


Related Article:


Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Dutch student raises thousands for London riot victim

RNW, 16 August 2011

An Internet appeal started by Björn Conradi, a student from Den Bosch, has raised over 35,000 pounds (about 40,000 euros) for an elderly London barber whose shop was destroyed in last week’s riots.

“The door was smashed in and they even nicked my chairs,” said Aaron Biber, who had been working at his Tottenham salon for over 40 years before he found it ransacked and destroyed on 10 August. “I will probably have to close because I haven’t got insurance and I can’t afford the repairs.”

Conradi was touched by Biber’s story and launched the charity website, Keep Aaron Cutting. The total funds were raised from donors all over the world in the span of just three days.

The result is much more than Biber needs to restore his salon. Speaking to Dutch newspaper Brabants Dagblad, Conradi said he hopes to see the extra money shared with other businesses in the area affected by the violence.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Samsung to launch banned tablet on Dutch market

Google/AFP  – Aug 15, 2011

South Korean electronics giant Samsung will launch its Galaxy Tab 10.1
on the Dutch market (AFP/File, Park Ji-Hwan)

THE HAGUE — South Korean electronics giant Samsung will Tuesday launch its Galaxy Tab 10.1 on the Dutch market in the midst of a legal stand-off with rival US-based Apple and sales banned elsewhere in Europe.

"The Galaxy Tab 10.1 will be on sale from Tuesday" in a large electronics chain around the country, Tamara Villani, Samsung spokeswoman in the Netherlands, said on Monday.

From August 23, the tablet will be available in various other stores, she added.

Apple's lawyers last week asked a Dutch judge to ban the sale of three different types of Samsung smart phones as well as three tablets, including the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.

It filed papers before the Hague district court on June 27, asking for an injunction and accusing Samsung of infringing on its design and patents.

The court was expected to give its decision by 15 September.          

Samsung's spokeswoman said she could not comment on how sales in the Netherlands would affect the trial's outcome.

"Whatever the decision, we can continue our business as planned until October 13," Villani said, referring to the date the judge would set for Samsung to remove offending products from the shelves if an injunction was granted in Apple's favour.

The case before the Dutch court is the latest episode in the battle between Samsung and Apple, manufacturer of the iPad, who have been pursuing legal action against one another since April over design rights.

Earlier this month, Apple also launched legal proceedings in Australia against Samsung, accusing it of infringing its patents with the Galaxy Tab 10.1.

A Dusseldorf court a week ago granted a separate injunction halting the sale of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 across Europe, with the exception of the Netherlands.

Samsung indicated that it would appeal the decision.

Friday, August 12, 2011

IBM Marks PC's 30th Anniversary By Hailing Post-PC Future

Jakarta Globe, Andy Goldberg, August 12, 2011

(AFP Photo) 


Related articles

San Francisco. Thirty years after IBM first introduced its personal computer, one of the designers of that landmark machine has marked its anniversary by declaring the twilight of the PC era.

Mark Dean, IBM's chief technology officer for the Middle East and Africa, said in a blog posting that personal computers were "going the way of the vacuum tube, typewriter, vinyl records, CRT and incandescent light bulbs," as consumers moved on to tablets, phones and other internet-connected devices.

His blog was posted to mark the 30th anniversary of the IBM 5150 personal computer, which debuted on August 12, 1981. It was preceded by computers including the Apple II and Commodore PET, but the combination of IBM's reach with Microsoft's MS-DOS operating system is widely seen as marking the start of popular computing.

"Little did we expect to create an industry that ultimately peaked at more than 300 million unit sales per year," Dean said.

The company had foreseen the decline of the business, he pointed out, and IBM sold its PC business to China's Lenovo in 2005: "While many in the tech industry questioned IBM's decision to exit the business at the time, it's now clear that our company was in the vanguard of the post-PC era." Dean, who confessed that his primary computer is now a tablet, said he was surprised by the demise of the PC.

"When I helped design the PC, I didn't think I'd live long enough to witness its decline," he said. "But, while PCs will continue to be much-used devices, they're no longer at the leading edge of computing." Microsoft rode the PC wave to technology pre-eminence, as its software, in the long run, proved vastly more lucrative than the hardware it ran on.

Frank X Shaw, Microsoft's vice president of corporate communications, wrote in a blog to mark the anniversary that the PC era had evolved into the PC-plus era, given that more than 400 million PCs will be sold worldwide this year.

"Some time ago, we extended our ambitions beyond the PC ... to the Web and to screens that fit in your pocket, your backpack and your living room," he said. "In some cases we build our own hardware (Xbox, Kinect), while in most other cases we work with hardware partners on PCs, phones and other devices to ensure a great end-to-end experience that optimizes the combination of hardware and software."