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)

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Dead on arrival? Dutch Parliament kills ACTA before EU vote

RT.com, 29 May, 2012

Protesters wearing Anonymous Guy Fawkes masks take part in a
 demonstration against controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement
(ACTA) (AFP Photo/Jean-Philippe Ksiazek)

Lawmakers in Holland have voted to strike down the international Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), slammed by many as a free speech and information access choker. Dutch MPs have also ruled the government will never sign any such agreement.

The Dutch parliamentarians have opted not to wait for the EU’s vote on ACTA which is set for June, with consultations kicking off already this Thursday.

"The treaty should be taken off table, whatever the decision the European Parliament should take," said MP Kees Verhoeven, a major sponsor of Tuesday’s motion in the Dutch Parliament.

Lisa Neves Goncalves, a spokeswoman for the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation, said the government had earlier this year stated it would not sign off on the treaty until it was clear it did not breach the Dutch or EU constitution.

As the controversial bill is making its slow way through the EU Parliament, the UK Pirate Party, the Open Rights Group (ORG) and the French La Quadrature Du Net are calling for more anti-bill rallies.

"The votes this Thursday, in three of the Committees responsible for offering 'Opinions' on the treaty, will really affect whether the European Parliament ultimately rejects ACTA or not. It is important that your MEP understand people's concerns. And calling your MEP will help make this happen," says the Open Rights Group in a blog post.

ACTA is an international agreement aimed at protecting intellectual property. It somewhat resembles the US’s Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), which was shelved by lawmakers after protests.

The European Union suspended efforts to ratify the treaty in February amid a storm of protest from activists who say the agreement would stifle free speech and access to information. 
Thousands demonstrated across the EU against giving big firms the power to ban people from using the Internet for illegally swapping files. Twenty-two countries in the bloc signed up to the agreement, with a vote on its ratification due this summer in Brussels.

The US, most of the EU, Australia, Canada, Japan and several other countries have signed the ACTA treaty, but none of these signatories' parliaments have yet ratified it. This last step would make the agreement viable. As soon as ACTA is ratified by any six nations, the convention will come into force.

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Apple CEO gives up $75 million in dividend income

Reuters, by Poornima Gupta, San Francisco, Thu May 24, 2012

Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks on stage during an Apple event introducing
 the new iPad in San Francisco, California in this March 7, 2012 file photo.
(Credit: Reuters/Robert Galbraith)

(Reuters) - Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook will not be earning dividend income on the more than 1 million shares to which he is entitled, which will cost him about $75 million.

Apple said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday that Cook had asked to be excluded from a recently instituted company program through which employees can accumulate dividends on their restricted stock units that are still vesting.

Asked why Cook was doing this, Apple declined to comment beyond the filing.

Cook, who took over as chief executive from late co-founder Steve Jobs in August, has 1.125 million outstanding restricted Apple shares that are vesting over the next 10 years.

In January, Apple's board granted Cook 1 million restricted stock units (RSUs) for running the company during Jobs' medical leaves and as a retention tool. Half of those units are due to vest in 2016 and the remainder are due to vest in 2021.

Apple said in March that it would pay a cash dividend of $2.65 per share to its shareholders.

(Reporting By Poornima Gupta)

Related Articles:



Thursday, May 24, 2012

Obama orders agencies to make services available via mobile phones

English.news.cn   2012-05-24 04:09:59            
     
WASHINGTON, May 23 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday issued an executive order requiring government agencies to make services available via mobile phones, as part of a larger effort to shift to a more "future-ready," mobile approach.

Under the new order, each federal agency will be required to make two "key government services" available on mobile devices within the next 12 months. Steven VanRoekel, Obama's chief information officer, will be in charge of implementing the new directive.

"Americans deserve a government that works for them anytime, anywhere, and on any device," Obama said in a statement. "By making important services accessible from your phone and sharing government data with entrepreneurs, we are giving hard-working families and businesses tools that will help them succeed."

The administration is also working to make government data more easily accessible to the public to spur entrepreneurs to create new services and mobile apps, ultimately boosting job creation.

"We're living in an increasingly mobile world and it is critical that the federal government keep up with the way the American people do business," Obama said.

Mobile is rapidly becoming the platform of choice for Americans; it is now anticipated that by 2015 more people will be accessing the Internet via mobile phones than via traditional desktop computers.

Obama also announced the start of a new program that will bring outside innovators into government for "tours of duty" as Presidential Innovation Fellows. U.S. Chief Technology Officer Todd Park will oversee the program, which will begin with the aim to make consumer-friendly government information about health, education, energy, safety and personal finance more accessible to all Americans.

These two initiatives are part of the administration's more comprehensive digital road map that's being announced Wednesday. The "Digital Government: Building a 21st Century Platform to Better Serve the American People" strategy requires agencies to set up websites to provide online resources for outside developers, and make government information open and machine-readable by default.

"Ultimately, this strategy will ensure that agencies use emerging technologies to serve the public as effectively as possible," Obama said. "As a government, and as a trusted provider of services, we must never forget who our customers are -- the American people."

Editor: Mu Xuequan

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Facebook IPO: banks investigated for allegedly keeping negative news secret

Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs are said to have shared with big investors while keeping public in the dark

guardian.co.uk, Tom McCarthy in New York, Tuesday 22 May 2012

Facebook stock charted a lackluster performance in its first day of trading
 before falling steeply at the start of this week. Photograph: Brendan
Mcdermid/Reuters

Financial regulators are to investigate whether the banks in charge of Facebook's initial stock offering broke the rules by selectively releasing negative news about the company before shares went on sale.

The financial industry regulatory authority (Finra) is looking into allegations that Morgan Stanley and other banks released reduced revenue forecasts for Facebook to big investors – but not the general public – before Friday's IPO. Such activity could constitute a violation of securities law.

Mary Schapiro, chairwoman of the securities and exchange commission, said it also had concerns. Speaking to reporters outside a Senate banking committee hearing into JP Morgan's financial reporting, she said: "I think there is a lot of reason to have confidence in our markets and in the integrity of how they operate, but there are issues that we need to look at specifically with respect to Facebook."

Facebook stock charted a lackluster performance in its first day of trading before falling steeply at the start of this week. News of the Finra investigation drove the stock down more than 8% Tuesday.

It is the second regulatory investigation tied to the Facebook IPO. The SEC announced Friday that it was looking into reports of breakdowns in trading mechanisms at the Nasdaq exchange as the stock went on sale.

And the SEC investigation isn't the only headache for Nasdaq after the Facebook IPO. An investor is suing the exchange, accusing it of negligence in handling trades that resulted in losses for traders, Reuters reports.

All three banks that worked on the Facebook deal – Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs – will be investigated for allegedly sharing the negative news with institutional investors but not the public at large, Finra chairman Richard Ketchum told Reuters.

"If true, the allegations are a matter of regulatory concern to Finra and the SEC," Ketchum said.

The Facebook underwriters already had come under criticism for rolling out the stock at a price the market could not sustain, although the aggressive pricing netted $16bn for Facebook owners.

Barry Ritholtz, the widely followed financial blogger and chief market strategist at Fusion IQ in New York, criticised all sides – Facebook, Morgan Stanley and Nasdaq.

"Thus, what we see are a series of bad decisions made by Facebook's executives going back many years," he wrote on his blog Tuesday. "The insiders got greedy, too clever by half, in how they used secondary markets. They picked a bad banker and an awful exchange," Ritholtz said.



Friday, May 18, 2012

Main Apple data center to tap only renewable power

Reuters, Thu May 17, 2012

Customers enter the Apple flagship retail store to purchase the new iPad
 in San Francisco, California March 16, 2012. (Credit: Reuters/Robert Galbraith)

(Reuters) - Apple Inc plans to power its main, North Carolina data center entirely with renewable energy sources by the end of this year, taking steps to address longstanding environmental concerns about the rapid expansion of high-consuming computer server farms.

On Thursday, the makers of the iPhone and iPad said it was building two solar array installations in and around Maiden, North Carolina, with the ability to supply 84 million kWh of energy annually.

Those sites will use high-efficiency solar cells and an advanced solar tracking system. Apple did not mention which companies will supply the equipment needed. Later in 2012, it also intends to build a third, smaller bio-gas fuel-cell plant.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

New threat to internet freedom

RNW, 15 May 2012, by Willemien Groot

 (Vladimir Kazanevsky)
        
Out of public view, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a UN agency, is working on a proposal to give governments more control over the internet. The effort is supported by a number of countries including Russia, Brazil and China, and if it’s successful it could mean the end of internet freedom.

After the WikiLeaks-affair and the Arab Spring, an increasing number of countries would like to ‘democratise’ the internet. China India, Brazil and South Africa all use the ITU as a platform to advance their plans, says Dieuwertje Kuijpers from the Telders Foundation, a research agency connected with the pro-market VVD party.

“It’s a useful platform for them, enabling them to set rules about what is and is not allowed on the internet.” That includes rules for both acceptable behaviour and internet regulation.

Trivial

Russia and China were the first UN members to propose setting up the International Code of Conduct for Information Security. The code lists the rights and responsibilities of states when it comes to the web. The rules also make it possible to fight internet criminals and extremists attempting to undermine the ‘economic and political stability of the state’ - in other words, bring order to the chaos. The first thing was to get rid of ‘trivial’ aspects like the right to anonymity and privacy on the web. The proposal was considered somewhat laughable in US and Europe but the controversial code of conduct is now getting a second chance.

India, Brazil and South Africa are calling for the creation of a new UN organisation to monitor and protect equal access to the internet. The UN Committee for Internet-Related Policies (CIRP) would consist of 50 member states, along with four advisors from the business world and society. Many people don’t realise that this committee would mean the end of the so-called multi-stakeholder principle that everyone has a say in the internet. The 50 countries represented would decide how around 6 billion people are allowed to use the internet.

Control

Dutch Green Left MP Arjan El Fassed believes that restraint is necessary:

"The growth and development of the internet is possible precisely because it belongs to everyone and no one. Many different groups would like to control aspects of the internet, from the entertainment industry to governments. The danger is that regulation will be used to disguise attempts to take control. That’s bad for everyone.”

The United Nations is the last body that should be dealing with this issue, according to Dieuwertje Kuijpers: "The UN is too bureaucratic and opaque. That makes it almost creepy.” It’s also impossible to make this kind of agreement on the basis of consensus.

The ITU has proven its usefulness in the past. The agency facilitated the liberalisation of the internet in the late eighties, guaranteeing access for everyone without restrictive international frameworks. National governments are responsible for the rules of usage. Independent organisations such as ICANN ensure the technical standards and stability of the internet.

Radical

It’s unclear exactly what the proponents of government control actually wish to accomplish. Clearly, cyber security, privacy and data storage concerns are part of their agenda, but so far the draft text has not been released to the public. Given the radical nature of the proposal, the public has a right to know more about the plan.

Arjan El Fassed thinks the Netherlands should refuse to continue negotiating until the ITU proposal is made public:

"The majority of users will benefit from an open internet, not from more control. The problem with these proposals is that civil society has almost no say. The Netherlands should have the courage to stand up for those users, like other European countries.”

"Member States shouldn’t wait for ratification, they must have a say now,” says Dieuwertje Kuijpers. "This process started back in 2005. There is no earthly reason to be taken by surprise if the proposal is presented at the end of this year at the telecom conference in Dubai.”

Picnic

The ratification of the controversial anti-piracy law ACTA has already demonstrated that politicians have little idea what these agreements entail. Specialists in the field of civil rights and internet freedom had to explain what ACTA means to computer illiterate MPs and civil servants. They cannot afford to be that ignorant this time around, says Kuijpers:

"ACTA was a picnic compared to what the ITU is planning.” 

See also: The Economist - In Praise of Chaos


Related Articles:

Neelie Kroes backs ACTA protests

Anti-piracy ACTA treaty referred to EU high court


Marchers in London gathered outside British Music House,
home to several major rights holders

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Pirate Pay torrent 'blocker' backed by Microsoft

BBC News, 14 May 2012

Related Stories 

Blocking tool Pirate Pay draws its
name from controversial piracy site
The Pirate Bay
A Russian company has developed software it says can disrupt and prevent people from downloading pirated content.

Pirate Pay has been backed by Microsoft and has so far worked with Walt Disney Studios and Sony Pictures to stop "thousands" of downloads.

The tool poses as real bit torrent users but then "confuses" peer-to-peer networks, causing disconnections.

Critics argue that the method will be ineffective in the long term.

The entertainment industry claims that the downloading of pirated material costs copyright holders billions of pounds in lost revenue every year.

Last month, the British Phonographic Industry won a court battle to force UK internet service providers to block its customers from accessing high-profile piracy site The Pirate Bay.

However, the true extent of the financial impact is strongly questioned by internet rights campaigners.

Swamping

Bit torrent blog Torrent Freak reported that Pirate Pay began life as traffic management software for internet service providers.

From here they discovered it could be used to swamp peer-to-peer networks - which are used to share the files - with false information.

"After creating the prototype, we realised we could more generally prevent files from being downloaded, which meant that the program had great promise in combating the spread of pirated content," said Andrei Klimenko, the company's chief executive, in an interview with Russia Beyond the Headlines.

The technology has received high-profile praise from the president of Microsoft Russia - Pirate Pay was awarded one million rubles (£62,000, $100,000) from a seed investment fund set up by the company behind Windows.

A recent campaign saw Pirate Pay "protect" recent Russian film Vysotsky. Thanks to God, I am Alive, made by Walt Disney Studios.

Pirate Pay said it blocked 44,845 attempted illegal downloads of the film.

However, as the Torrent Freak blog pointed out, the blocked downloaders might have simply just tried again later.

'Social issues'

Although exact details on how the system operates are not known outside of the company, security researcher Richard Clayton from the University of Cambridge told the BBC it was a process that could work, if only in the short term.

"If you flood the network with lots of lies, then you will be short of real things.

"[But] the networks are robust about this in the long term because you will say to your peer 'please give me this data', and when it gives you the data it will say 'this doesn't match' and throw it away."

Mr Clayton, who blogs about such issues, said peer-to-peer networks would eventually adapt, sharing information about "bogus" peers such as those reportedly utilised by companies like Pirate Pay.

Mr Clayton added: "You don't solve social issues with technical fixes.

"The social issue here is that a lot of people think that the legal offerings are too expensive and don't provide what they want.

"Once you solve that, nobody's going to want to mess around with complicated bits of software to get what they need."


Cybersquatting Hits Coca-Cola as New Suffixes Come Online: Tech

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Sunday, May 13, 2012

“Dear Ones, ready yourselves for the changes” – (SaLuSa channeled by Mike Quinsey)

SaLuSa 11-May-2012

Mike Quinsey
So much is happening, but we are not always at liberty to give you the details. It must be sufficient to say that we are well in control and our allies are close to commencing a series of actions, that will show everyone that we mean business. No longer will we put up with being obstructed, and we will quickly deal with those involved. There are a number of trusted allies that are in the forefront of releasing information, that makes clear what our intentions are. In short time we will also play our part in bringing out the facts directly to the public. You are looking at weeks rather than months, for the mass arrests to take place. However it is a big operation that cannot start until everything is in place. Having come this far we want it to run smoothly, with as little trouble as possible.

Our craft are busy monitoring the activities of many countries that have the potential to use nuclear devices, and along with our warnings we will prevent them from being used. Wars have always been for profit mainly for the Arms Industry, who have no scruples and will supply equipment and arms to any side involved in the conflict. They shall answer for their involvement in the wars, as will any member of the Forces who have engaged in crimes against the people. Many atrocities have taken place that you are unaware of, but the truth cannot be concealed. Once the media commence reporting the arrests that are already underway that include many public figures, there will be calls for retribution. We do however ask that everyone avoids their emotions running away with them, as we assure you justice will be seen to be done. Unlike earlier times, no one will be able to cheat justice or buy their way out of it.

You will have so much to enjoy in the near future, as you realize that you are being freed from the clutches of the dark Ones. With the governmental changes there will again be some surprises in store for you, as you will see those who are of the Light take positions of power and authority. The US Government will still have Barack Obama amongst those retained, because as we have stressed many times, he is a great soul of the Light. He is already taking actions that will aid our allies, in bringing the cabal to answer for their crimes.

There is soon going to be one astonishing revelation after another, and the full intent of the plan for your freedom will be clear. Your sovereignty is to be returned, and we of the Galactic Federation will be party to any changes to ensure they are both legal and just. All over the world you rights have been gradually eroded, and often draconian laws introduced to replace them. All of that will be changed and the people of the Earth will be re-united once again. You have a lot more in common than you realize, and religion and politics will no longer come between you. These are all issues that will be sorted out so that in future they will be based on the truth, and with the ideal of fairness and to represent the desires of the people.

Our message to you is to stay calm, and ignore the attempts of those who will try to put the wrong meaning on events as they unfold. Some of it will be deliberate to create fear, and others without any prior knowledge will be confused. However, through various sources particularly the Internet, we will make sure that information is readily available. You are soon to witness the biggest spectacle that has ever occurred in your time, and then you will realize how thorough our plans have been made. History is about to be made that is unprecedented in its scope and scale, to bring out into the open those who have illegally and criminally controlled your lives.

Since many of you are well advanced in becoming of the Light, we look to you to spread calmness and understanding until we ourselves can address you directly. At the end of the road is as you might say the Golden Egg that holds so much promise, and a new life that truly reflects all that is of Light and Love. By the time it is fully established it will bear little resemblance to what you experience now, and have moved to a new level that gives you everything you have so far been denied. You will discover that you have powers that have for most of you lain dormant, and they will come with your higher levels of consciousness. Out of all that is happening that is the most important change, as it is part of your preparations for Ascension. When you look back a few years, we feel many of you will acknowledge that you have indeed already moved to a new level of consciousness. Hitherto you have never been encouraged to accept that you have the ability to lift yourselves up, and have been kept in ignorance for many years.

Dear Ones, ready yourselves for the changes and know that any inconvenience will only be short lived. It will differ from one area to another, and one country to another, but overall you should get through the difficult times. It is sensible to cover yourselves against a temporary shortage of food and other essentials, but you do not need to panic as we and our allies are planning for all contingences. Together we will get things running normally again as quick as possible. The main point is to keep you well informed, and hope that in short time we will have set up a reliable communications system. To be forewarned is to be prepared, and you have adequate time to give serious thought to how you will cope with matters that will directly affect you.

You have waited a long time to reach this point in your lives, and we know that until you see real proof of what is about to occur, you are sensibly going to be cautious. It will seem unreal and certainly unbelievable when you learn the extent to which the arrests are taking place. We cannot leave any of the dark Ones in place to interfere with our actions, and we will stop them in their tracks, as we know they still plan atrocities to put you in fear. Do not worry as we are fully aware of what they plan, and we will not allow any attacks upon you. Our technology is far too advanced to be fooled by any attempts to get round it.

I am SaLuSa form Sirius and trust that we have set your mind at rest, as we want you to enjoy the changes by setting your sights on the outcome. It will be the breaking of the final strangle hold the dark Ones have over you.

Thank you SaLuSa.
Mike Quinsey.
Related Articles:


"Recalibration of Free Choice"–  Mar 3, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Caroll) - (Subjects: (Old) SoulsMidpoint on 21-12-2012, Shift of Human Consciousness, Black & White vs. Color, 1 - Spirituality (Religions) shifting, Lose 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.)


“ … There’s much violence and anger throughout the world; when we look at the Middle East, we can see that changes are coming there. The West has a lot of power over the Middle East, but that power will begin to dissolve. The Muslim people of this world will begin to have their own power, and their own prosperity, and they will begin to disconnect from the Western World. This disconnection doesn’t have to be violent as violence only happens when somebody hangs onto what doesn’t belong to them....

... What Military Energy means if we use an analogy: it would be like putting grinding paste into the oil of your motor car. Once you release these energies you will begin to feel lighter as you disconnect from this reality, and, you will find it easier and easier to release any other negative emotions. Military Energies are the core of all your problems...."

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Thailand contracts with Chinese company to supply 1 mln tablets for students

English.news.cn   2012-05-10
               
BANGKOK, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Thai government signed a contract with a Chinese company on Thursday to buy one million tablet computers for primary school students.

Shenzhen Scope Scientific Development Co (Scope) shall deliver 400,000 tablets, priced 32.8 million U.S. dollars, within 60 days. A total of one million tablets will be purchased by repeat order, according the contract between the company and Thailand's Ministry of Information and Communication Technology.

Thai Ministry of Education had previously planned to hand out the tablets to Grade 1 primary school students. It is part of the "One Tablet per Child Program" -- providing each school child with a tablet computer, promised by the ruling Pheu Thai during last year's election.

The minimum requirements for the tablet include 1 GHz CPU, 512 MB RAM, 8 GB storage and 7-inch crosswise screen, according to the contract.

Liu Jun, chairman of Scope, said the company can produce more than 20,000 tablets per day. "I'm certain that our company can deliver the tablets in time."

Scope will dedicate about 19 of its over 30 production lines for the tablets. Each production line can produce 1,000 tablet in an 8-hour shift. "We can work for more than one shift a day. So 20, 000 tablets a day is not a problem," Liu said.

Editor: Luan

Orangutans at Miami zoo use iPads to communicate

Associated Press, by David Fischer, May 9, 2012  

In this Feb. 21, 2012 photo, after being told a word, an orangutan points to
 that object on an IPAd at Jungle Island in Miami. Experts who work with
 primates have been using sign language and other methods to communicate 
with apes for years. But with advancements in tablet computer technology,
workers  at Jungle Island in Miami are using iPads to better communicate with
their orangutans. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

MIAMI (AP) — The 8-year-old twins love their iPad. They draw, play games and expand their vocabulary. Their family's teenagers also like the hand-held computer tablets, too, but the clan's elders show no interest.

The orangutans at Miami's Jungle Island apparently are just like people when it comes to technology. The park is one of several zoos experimenting with computers and apes, letting its six orangutans use an iPad to communicate and as part of a mental stimulus program. Linda Jacobs, who oversees the program, hopes the devices will eventually help bridge the gap between humans and the endangered apes.

"Our young ones pick up on it. They understand it. It's like, 'Oh, I get this,'" Jacobs said. "Our two older ones, they just are not interested. I think they just figure, 'I've gotten along just fine in this world without this communication-skill here and the iPad, and I don't need a computer.'"

Jacobs said she began letting the orangutans use iPads last summer, based on the suggestion of someone who had used the devices with dolphins. The software was originally designed for humans with autism and the screen displays pictures of various objects. A trainer then names one of the objects, and the ape presses the corresponding button.

The devices have been a great addition to the enrichment programs Jungle Island already does with the orangutans, Jacobs said. Keepers have long used sign language to communicate with them. Using their hands, the orangutans can respond to simple questions, identify objects and express their wants or needs. The apes can also identify body parts, helping the trainers care for them and even give them shots.

"We're able to really monitor their health on a daily basis," Jacobs said of the need for communication with the orangutans. "We can do daily checks. If somebody's not feeling well, we know it immediately."

While Jacobs and other trainers have developed strong relationships with the orangutans, the iPad and other touchscreen computers offer an opportunity for them to communicate with people not trained in their sign language.

"It would just be such a wonderful bridge to have," Jacobs said. "So that other people could really appreciate them."

Orangutans are extremely intelligent but limited by their physical inability to talk, she said.

"They are sort of trapped in those bodies," Jacobs said. "They have the intelligence that they need to communicate, but they don't have the right equipment, because they don't have voice boxes or vocal chords. So this gives them a way to let us know what they know, what they are capable of, what they would like to have."

Other zoos and nature parks are doing similar work.

Richard Zimmerman, executive director of Orangutan Outreach, said he's building an "Apps For Apes" program with old, donated iPads at facilities throughout North America, though Jungle Island isn't part of that group. Orangutan Outreach started working with the Milwaukee County Zoo and then expanded to zoos in Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Toronto, Houston and elsewhere. They're hoping to use a video-conferencing program to reconnect orangutans with friends and family members who have been transferred to other zoos, he said.

"We're putting together what we're calling primate playdates or red ape rendezvous, which is to say connecting the orangutans in different facilities," Zimmerman said. "We're looking at a larger picture."

When it comes to orangutans, the iPad itself has limitations. First, the relatively small screen causes orangutans to hit the wrong buttons sometimes. Also, the touchscreen won't register if they try to use their fingernails. Most importantly, the devices are just too fragile to actually hand over to the apes — the trainers must hold them.

"If I gave them the iPad, I could just basically hand them $600 and say, 'Go have fun,'" Jacobs said. "So until we come up with a better screen or a better case, I'm going to hold onto the iPad."

If Jacobs gets her way, a more secure interface might not be far off. The long-term plan is to set up a larger, orangutan-proof screen in the holding area, along with another screen outside for guests. They would ask the orangutans questions and the apes could respond.

"It's really just a matter of getting the technology and equipment here," Jacobs said. "There's not a doubt in my mind that they could do it and would be marvelous at it, and I think the public would absolutely love it."

It's important to note that training the orangutans isn't done to entertain Jungle Island workers or guests. Because the animals are so intelligent, Jacobs said their minds must be kept active to prevent them from getting bored or depressed. The challenge is making the enrichment activities enjoyable.

"They need a lot of stimulation," Jacobs said. "Training isn't mandatory, but they love it."

Scientist and conservationist Birute Mary Galdikas, founder of Orangutan Foundation International, said orangutans are among the most intelligent animals. Orangutans in the wild, where Galdikas has studied the apes for more than four decades, routinely use tools to scratch themselves, swat insects and create simple shelters. In captivity, Galdikas said, orangutans have demonstrated remarkable creative-thinking skills, specifically in their ability to escape enclosures.

"Anything that Jungle Island can do to help their orangutans while away the day is to be commended," Galdikas said. "IPads seem to work for humans. It's not surprising that orangutans, who share 97 percent of their genetic material with humans, like them, too."

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