E Buzz - 29 October 2010

by Libergraph 29. October 2010 11:14
LimeWire shut down by federal court
LimeWire, one of the world's most popular peer-to-peer filesharing websites, has been shut down after a four-year legal battle with the US music industry. A federal court in New York issued a "permanent injunction" against LimeWire late on Tuesday, ruling that the platform intentionally caused a "massive scale of infringement" by permitting the sharing of thousands of copyrighted works by its 50 million monthly users. Founded in 2000 by Mark Gorton, a former Wall Street trader, LimeWireis now restricted from allowing the searching and sharing of copyrighted material. The website will continue "working with the music industry to move forward", a LimeWire spokeswoman confirmed.

From touchpad to thought-pad?
Move over, touchpad screens: New research funded in part by the National Institutes of Health shows that it is possible to manipulate complex visual images on a computer screen using only the mind. The study, published in Nature, found that when research subjects had their brains connected to a computer displaying two merged images, they could force the computer to display one of the images and discard the other. 

Broadband - is the gulf widening?
Yesterday, Virgin Media announced a broadband service offering speeds of 100mbps; even David Cameron praised it as “exciting news”. And while Britain’s average is just 5.2mbps, in some areas BT will launch an “up to 110mbps” product in the spring– not to be outdone, Virgin is testing a 200mbps service and its hardware is capable of handling 400mbps. In America, Google is rolling out 1,000mbps services to half a million people.

Twitter reveals its Windows Phone 7 app
witter has launched its official Windows Phone 7 application, and praised the "clean design" of Microsoft's new smartphone OS as being ideal for tweeting. The app matches the existing versions for iPhone, Android and BlackBerry for features, and can be used with or without a Twitter account (albeit only to read other people's tweets in the latter case). In its blog post introducing the app, Twitter hails the Metro design and user interface for WP7 as "especially great for Twitter users because it's simple and easy to use".

Inside Google's Anti-Malware Operation
A Google malware researcher gave a rare peek inside the company's massive anti-malware and anti-phishing efforts at the SecTor conference here, and the data that the company has gathered shows that the attackers who make it their business to infect sites and exploit users are adapting their tactics very quickly and creatively to combat the efforts of Google and others.

Verizon Wireless pays FCC $25M for years of false data charges
The Federal Communications Commission said Thursday that it has reached a record $25 million settlement with Verizon Wireless over the company’s false charges of "mystery" Internet fees over the past several years. The payment will go to the U.S. Treasury and is the largest settlement in FCC history. The settlement also ends the FCC's 10-month investigation into overcharges at Verizon Wireless, the agency said in a news release. An FCC spokeswoman declined to comment on whether the settlement also ends the agency's other billing inquiries.

'Wireless' humans could form backbone of new mobile networks
Members of the public could form the backbone of powerful new mobile internet networks by carrying wearable sensors. According to researchers from Queen's University Belfast, the novel sensors could create new ultra high bandwidth mobile internet infrastructures and reduce the density of mobile phone base stations. The engineers from Queen's renowned Institute of Electronics, Communications and Information Technology (ECIT), are working on a new project based on the rapidly developing science of body centric communications.

China Makes World's Fastest Supercomputer
China has replaced United States as the maker of the world's fastest supercomputer. A Chinese research center unveiled the Tianhe-1A at a national conference on high-performance computers in China.Tianhe, meaning Milky Way, was designed by the National University of Defense Technology (NUDT) in China, usurped the Cray XT5 Jaguar system as the world's fastest supercomputer.

MP Robert Halfon calls for internet bill of rights
The MP will also call for an internet bill of rights to protect the privacy of web users. He will tell the House of Commons that a legal framework is necessary to "protect ordinary people" from having private information collected by commercial companies. Mr Halfon requested the parliamentary debate following Google's confession in May this year that it had collected "fragmentary" data belonging to UK citizens while compiling information to use on its Street View application.

Sony figures show PSP sales falling - but more sold than you may expect
With all the gossip about PSP2 and the ever increasing growth in app/mobile/download gaming it's easy to forget about the original PSP. Although Sony's once magical device - honestly, who wasn't impressed by that screen in 2005? - has lost some lustre the handheld console is still a gaming force. The likes of Monster Hunter and Phantasy Star Portable 2 are proof that for hardcore gamers at least it still remains a viable option. As you would expect though sales have suffered recently.

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E Buzz - 28 October 2010

by Libergraph 28. October 2010 12:24
UK's internet industry worth £100bn - report
The internet is worth £100bn to the UK economy, more than 7% of national income, according to a report out today. If it were an industry in its own right, the internet would be more than twice as large as the UK hotel and restaurant market and nearly as big as the financial services sector, which accounted for 9% of GDP in 2009, the study says. The findings come in a report for Google, the internet's most successful company. The study, by Boston Consulting Group, US consultants, places a value on the UK internet market for the first time.

Credit cards get colour screens
Toppan Printing has demonstrated a credit card with a colour screen and keypad, claiming that you don't need a mobile phone to manage mobile commerce.
The card, which at 3.9mm thick squeezes into the definition of such, has a 2.2-inch colour screen with a 320x240 resolution, but most importantly Toppan Printing reckons it will cost under $25 when production ramps up next year. As highlighted by NFC World: a card like this makes proximity payments viable without relying on a mobile telephone.

PlayStation phone heading for Christmas release?
In what seems to be the missing link in the evolution of mobile and gaming, more evidence of a Sony Ericsson PlayStation phone has been unearthed by Engadget - along with tantalising pictures of a prototype handset. Originally slated for a 2010 release, 2011 now looks more likely for the handset which could put Sony Ericsson back in the smartphone game. The PlayStation phone will probably run Android 3.0 (a more advanced version of Android destined for tablets and higher-powered phones) and the prototype pored over by Engagdet has 512Mb of RAM, 1Gb of ROM with two familiar PS controller buttons and a central touchpad

Nvidia claims to power 'world's fastest computer
Gaming graphics chip specialists Nvidia has claimed that its technology powers the world's fastest computer in China.
SAN FRANCISCONvidia has provided over 7,000 top-end GPUs each worth around $2,500 - to power the new Chinese supercomputer, called Tianhe-1A.
The Tianhe-1A also uses over 14,000 Intel CPUs.

Is Google TV gunning for games consoles?
Google TV already includes Flash Player 10.1 as part of the platform - it needs that to play everything on YouTube as well as many of the other video sites it turns into TV channels (and for the full experience when you're browsing web pages) That means if there's a Flash game on a web page, you'll be able to play it on the first version of Google TV.

James Cameron planning Avatar 2 for 2014
In a wide-ranging conversation with Google's chief exec Eric Schmidt, filmmaker James Cameron has announced plans for the next two Avatar movies, criticised the current state of 3D television and reiterated his belief that technology can save the planet from ecological apocalypse. Cameron says stereoscopic 3D TV's day will come, but stressed that it requires far better tech and content before going truly mass market.

The University of Facebook opens its doors
There's a certain amount of irony to this one. Mark Zuckerberg comes up with Facebook whilst studying at University so, according to the portrayal in The Social Network at least, he can gain access to clubs "because they're exclusive and fun, and lead to a better life". And now, seven years later, Facebook is offering everyday folk the chance to have a shot at the big-time, by joining Zuckerberg's club - the business man's club. In partnership with The London School of Business and Finance and The University of Wales, Facebook is going to offer free access to MBA course material, in a "try before you buy" scheme

Most smartphone users breach employers’ security, says survey 
Network systems company Juniper Networks surveyed 6,000 mobile device users and found that the use of smartphones and tablet computers poses a potentially major security risk to corporate information. Consumer-focused devices are often far less well protected than laptops or secure email devices which are designed and configured by a company's own IT department. The survey found that, despite citing information security as a major concern, device owners are using the machines to bypass corporate data protection measures. "Almost 44% of respondents use their devices for both personal and business purposes," said a Juniper statement. "81% admit using their devices to access their employer's network without their employer's knowledge or permission and 58% do so every single day."

Mind control: New study shows how images on a screen can be controlled using thought alone
Forget touchscreens, the iPhones and iPads of the future might be controlled by something even more impressive: the human mind. Scientists have discovered that it is possible to manipulate complex visual images on a computer screen using only a handful of brain cells. The study, published in Nature, found that when volunteers had their brains connected to a computer displaying two merged images, they could force the computer to display one of the images and discard the other. 

2012 Olympics to drive Euro mobile ad market
The mobile ad exchange says the Euro zone is set to join Asia and the US as members of the ‘billionaire club’. It believes the build-up to the London 2012 Olympics will move mobile into the mainstream, and that there will be almost 160 million users in UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy 


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E Buzz - 27 October 2010

by Libergraph 27. October 2010 11:52
Chinese Twitter user seized after supporting Liu Xiaobo
Chinese police seized a woman from her house in the middle of the night after she tweeted her intention to demonstrate with a banner congratulating jailed dissident Liu Xiaobo on winning the Nobel peace prize, a friend said today. The news comes amid a crackdown on Liu's friends and supporters that has raised questions about who will collect his award next month. His wife Liu Xia, who is under house arrest, has invited more than 140 dissidents, activists and celebrities to accept the prize because she fears she will be unable to go.

Google 'taken by surprise' by Street View row
Google's newly appointed director of privacy has admitted the internet giant was "taken by surprise" by concerns over its Street View mapping product and has generally given its users too many "unpleasant surprises" in recent months. Alma Whitten, one of Google's longest-standing privacy and security experts, today said the company had "taken to heart" concerns raised about its Street View service, which adds panoramic street-level photographs to Google Maps. Google installed Whitten late last week as privacy director of its engineering and product divisions, following intense scrutiny of the company's ambitious mapping project in a number of countries including the UK.

Samsung presents Take That tour
Samsung is to be the presenting partner for Take That’s first UK tour as a reformed five-man band next year. Progress Live 2011 will tour the UK next summer, as well as selected European dates. Samsung is the presenting partner for the UK leg of the tour, which will visit Sunderland, Manchester, Cardiff, Dublin, Birmingham and London. The announcement was made at the recently refurbished Savoy Hotel in London, where all five members of Take That were equipped with Samsung Galaxy Tab tablets to support the presentation. 

New pocket-sized smartbomb - just for killer robots
US weaponry megacorp Raytheon says it has successfully tested a new, pocket-sized smartbomb specifically designed for use by killer robots. The weapon has been rather prosaically dubbedd Small Tactical Munition (STM). STM is a 13-pound guided bomb that is approximately 2 feet long, according to Raytheon. Two of the little smartbombs have now been successfully trialled at the US Army's Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona. According to a company statement, both used GPS-INS combo satnav'n' inertial guidance to get themselves to where they could see their targets: then homed in on a laser pointer dot for the final part of their descent. According to Raytheon, this dual-mode guidance enables the STM minibombs to "enable the weapon to engage both fixed and moving targets around-the-clock, regardless of weather conditions".

Want innovation? Look no further than IT, say CEOs
Olympus Corporation of the Americas’ recently released findings of a Harris Interactive survey of the attitudes of 304 Fortune 1000 executives toward enterprise innovation.  IT is viewed as having been the most innovative function within executives’ own companies during the past 10 years (44 percent), beating customer service, marketing and sales. IT is also seen by far as the most likely focal point for investment (60 percent) and continued innovation (63 percent) over the next two years.

RIM Demos PlayBook at Adobe MAX
RIM has used Adobe’s Max Conference to provide the first glimpse of its PlayBook tablet in operation. Yesterday, Adobe unveiled the SDK for its Adobe AIR platform supporting the Blackberry Tablet OS. RIM is hoping that AIR’s cross platform appeal will persuade developers that otherwise might not look at Blackberry OS to code apps for the PlayBook.  RIM chief executive took to the stage to show off the PlayBook running the regular desktop PC version of YouTube and demonstrated it playing back an HD Adobe Flash 10.1 video. The PlayBook seemed pretty sluggish in operation but as its not scheduled to ship until next year, there’s still plenty of time to sort that out. Hopefully.

PayPal unveils Mobile Express Checkout payments system
Payments firm PayPal has announced Mobile Express Checkout, a new service to make it faster for people to buy from retailers' mobile websites and apps. The system promises 'a two-click checkout experience', and has been in beta tests with several retailers, who PayPal claims saw 'double-digit sales growth' from their mobile stores after implementing it. Starbucks is already signed up, and will be allowing people to refuel their Starbucks Cards from within its iPhone and iPod touch app.

MySpace mounts last ditch effort to retain social music crown
The troubled social network, which saw its UK audience halve to 3.3 million monthly visitors in July earlier this year, is pinning its hopes of renewed success with a return to its music roots. Everything has been changed; right down to the logo – which is now the word 'My' and an extended underscore to represent the ‘Space’. The redesigned site, which is to focus a lot more around content, rather than social networking, will not go live in the UK until mid November, but rolls out in the US today. The focus in the UK during the launch period of the redesign will be solely on music discovery, with other content focus areas, such as TV and film, to come later. However, the US MySpace revamp launches with movie, TV and celebrity content ‘hubs’ already in place.

Google to release Nexus Two with Carphone Warehouse?
Reports are appearing of a tie up between Google and The Carphone Warehouse to sell a forthcoming 'Nexus Two' Android phone. City AM is claiming that a second Google-branded phone would be around in time for Christmas, although no manufacturer has been named (although rumours of it being Samsung are being played down). Quoting an industry source, the story stated: "It looks like Google is experimenting with the future of its mobile model in the UK. It tried releasing through a single carrier, now it is trying a single retailer.

Mobile gaming market worth $10 billion by 2014
The market for mobile gaming is set to be worth a massive $10 billion (£6.3 billion) by 2014, according to a new report. The market forecast for the mobile gaming industry comes courtesy of a new Futuresource Consulting report which, unsurprisingly, predicts rapid growth over the next three years in mobile phone gaming. Apple's App Store, not including iPad sales, is forecast to generate $1.7 billion in revenue this year, which is around 30 per cent of total spend in mobile games market in 2010.

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E Buzz - 26 October 2010

by Libergraph 26. October 2010 11:39

How Google crossed the creepy line
When Eric Schmidt, Google’s CEO, said that his company’s policy was to get right up to the creepy line and not cross it he will have provoked more than a few shudders. Schmidt’s remarks, made in an American magazine earlier this month, come with the company fighting privacy battles across the world. The latest development, last week, saw Google admit that it had been collecting emails, passwords and web addresses from wireless networks across Britain. The data was collected by Google’s Street View cars, which traverse streets across the globe taking photographs that Google uses in its mapping services. Google apologised and a spokesman said that the company had not collected the data intentionally.
The Telegraph

Virgin Media might launch 100Mbps broadband this week
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's super-fast broadband. Virgin Media's 100Mbps broadband looks set to land this week with the Prime Minister letting slip its release date.,When David Cameron gave a speech about a 'new economic dynamism' to the CBI, he mentioned that Virgin Media would be revealing the "new ultrafast 100Mbps service.",According to TechRadar, Cameron said: "...we'll work with utility companies to get more investment in our energy, with construction companies on our roads, with the telecommunications industry on broadband. This collaboration is already working.
T3

Amazon.com bestsellers sell more on Kindle than print
Top ten selling twice as many on Kindle as hardcover and paperback combined
Amazon has testified to the remarkable success of ebooks with more eye-catching financial data.During the past 30 days, Amazon.com customers purchased more Kindle books than print books hardcover and paperback combined for the top 10, 25, 100, and 1,000 bestselling books on Amazon.com. The firm also says sales of the new generation Kindle devices for three weeks in October have already surpassed the total Kindle device sales from October through December 2009.
Mobile Entertainment

Sony's pioneering Walkman finally plays its last tune
It was as synonymous with the 1980s as the Wham! tunes its leg warmer-wearing owners played on it. When Sony first launched the Walkman in 1979 it was derided as a fad. Fast forward 31 years (might need some spare batteries) and 400 million sales, the electronics giant has quietly pressed stop on the pioneering gadget. The last batch of cassette Walkmans to be made in Japan have left factories, and production in China will also stop once existing orders in Asia and Europe have been met. Its termination coincides with the iPod's ninth birthday. "The music-listening style of our customers has shifted so much to digital audio," said a Sony spokeswoman, Hiroko Nakamura. "We have decided to end shipments because demand for the cassette-type Walkman has decreased."
The Independent

Android Market hits 100,000 apps: Growth now level with iOS
The Android App Market count has hit the 100,000 mark this morning, with the Android Dev Team tweeting: One hundred thousand apps in Android Market. The last head count we got from Google was back at the beginning of September, when Google’s Director of Mobile Hugo Barra told us there were 80,000 apps in the Android Market. That’s a jump of 20,000 in a month and a half, which is about the same pace as Apple’s growth when it hit the 80,000 mark back in mid September last year. If Android can hit 120,000 before 5 January, it’ll be gaining ground on Apple
Electric Pig

As e-voting comes of age, security fears mount
New technologies allowing voters to cast ballots via the Internet or other electronic means are catching on in the United States and elsewhere, even as fears mount about security of the systems. A total of 33 US states are allowing some email, fax or online ballots in 2010, according to the Verified Voting Foundation, a group that monitors security of election systems. These systems, which are also used in several other countries, can potentially increase voter participation but security remains a question mark, especially following one spectacular attack on an Internet vote pilot project. The startling security breach came in September, when a pilot Internet vote system for the city of Washington, DC, was put online for a test.
The Independent

Bafta to award social media gaming
British Academy of Film and Television Arts has announced it will create the new category of Social Network Game as part of next year's Award, in a move that will make it one of the first major awards-giving bodies to recognise social gaming.  Bafta says the huge growth in downloaded games and games played over networks offers the opportunity for content owners to create original IP and deliver it to a global market via the internet. Bafta says the new Social Newtork Game award is identifying and rewarding excellence and innovation in order to recognise and further encourage creativity in this area.
The Telegraph

Vodafone says British businesses losing out on billions
Companies across the country are losing valuable contracts because they cannot be reached fast enough by potential customers. Time-pressed business people expect a prompt response, and in the current economic climate, goodwill and personal relationships count for little if a supplier fails to get back in time. With the average cost of not responding to a potential new business enquiry topping £30,000 for the average company this year, an almost £10,000 rise on 2009, that is £70 billion of potential business lost across the country. Time really is money for British businesses that want to grow.
Mobile Business Magazine

Lady Gaga attracts over one billion video views on YouTube
Yesterday the American singer tweeted the news to her seven million followers on Twitter, saying: We reached 1 Billion views on youtube little monsters! If we stick together we can do anything. I dub u kings and queens of youtube! Unite! The one billion-plus figure is the total amount of views all of her content has totted up via the video-sharing site, as opposed to one video’s popularity. Justin Bieber is close behind Lady Gaga’s record, with just over 965 million views of his content. However, Bieber still holds the title for the most watched video of all time on YouTube: Baby, featuring Ludacris, which has been viewed over 366 million times.
The Telegraph

US sets up internet privacy committee
The White House has announced a new sub-committee of the National Science and Technology Council to help balance online economic opportunities with consumers' rights to privacy.
The Subcommittee on Privacy and Internet Policy will also help to synchronise the practices of federal agencies with policy being considered and developed by lawmakers. The sub-committee is to be chaired by Cameron Kerry, general counsel at the Department of Commerce, and Christopher Schroeder, assistant attorney general at the Department of Justice. Despite growing concerns about privacy on the internet, the US has yet to develop a comprehensive policy to cover consumer privacy.
Computer Weekly

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E Buzz - 25 October 2010

by Libergraph 25. October 2010 09:42
Femtos outnumber macrocells in US
Femtocells now outnumber conventional outdoor cell sites in the US, marking a major milestone in the evolution of mobile networks. Conservative estimates suggest there are currently 350,000 femtocells and around 256,000 macrocells in the US. But by March 2011, there are expected to be at least twice as many femtocells as macrocells in the country. The figures were published by Informa Telecoms & Media in a new quarterly market status report, which revealed that over the past quarter the total number of global femtocell deployments has increased to 17 alongside six further commitments.

Windows Phone 7 puts Microsoft back on the mobile map
Windows Phone 7 handsets went on sale this week in the UK, arguably marking the most important milestone in a decade for Microsoft’s mobile division. Up until now, Windows Mobile was a punishment forced largely upon corporate office workers, much to their evident chagrin. It was the technical equivalent to forcing a beaver and an otter to produce offspring, then spending years keeping it alive with injections of blood and adrenaline, while dressing it up as a cat in the hope that no-one would notice the monstrosity that lurked beneath.

WiMax or LTE are not 4G
The International Telecommunication Union Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) has ruled that neither WiMax nor LTE are real 4G telephone technologies. This will be news to countless telcos which are trying to flog the new technologies as the next big thing. However the ITU-R said that it had had finished its assessment of submissions for the 4G standard, also called IMT-Advanced, and neither WiMax or LTE were up to scratch. If they really wanted to sell 4G, carriers will have to flog something like LTE-Advanced and WirelessMAN-Advanced. The latter is already slated to be under the bonnet of WiMax Release 2. It is starting to look like the carriers are going to ignore the ITU-R completely and attempt to flog WiMax or LTE as 4G.

Little or No Mobile Strategy in Most Companies, says Forrester
57 per cent of organisations either do not have, or are in early stage development, of a mobile strategy; 10 per cent have had a fully operational mobile strategy for less than a year; a third of firms have had a mobile strategy for more than a year. That’s the conclusion of a study conducted by Forrester Research among more than 200 global firms, 40 per cent from Europe, 40 per cent from the US, and 20 per cent from the rest of the world. “Despite the fact that mobile is the technology that has reached the greatest ubiquity in the shortest time - more than 5bn connections established worldwide in less than 20 years - the largest companies have not yet moved away from the trial stage,” writes Forrester analyst Thomas Husson in his new report, How Mature Is Your Mobile Strategy?

Amazon to let Kindle users lend out their e-books
One of the common criticisms of e-books is that you can't lend them to friends like you would a paperback. However, that's changing. Amazon has revealed plans to introduce 'lending for Kindle', which will allow its customers to lend their e-books to other Kindle device or Kindle app users. "Each book can be lent once for a loan period of 14-days and the lender cannot read the book during the loan period," explains Amazon in a posting on its official forums. "Additionally, not all e-books will be lendable - this is solely up to the publisher or rights holder, who determines which titles are enabled for lending."

Google launches standalone YouTube app for Android
Google has launched a new YouTube application for Android smartphones, making it available for download from its Android Market store. Isn't YouTube already available for Android? Yes, but it's part of the core Android OS. As Electronista points out, that means the native YouTube app only gets refreshed when users get an update for the whole Android OS.

Location-based services still too niche for large brands
Mobile location services are well suited to niche brands but lack the scale necessary for large FMCG brands, according to speakers at today’s nma Live. Campaigns such as Jimmy Choo’s Catch A Choo on Foursquare were singled out as being good for driving positive online PR but limited at driving the footfall necessary to interest large brands, according to panellists at the event.

Ericsson's profits please despite components shortages
Ericsson posted stronger than expected results for its third quarter, despite continuing component shortages. These have afflicted vendors on the infrastructure and device side, indicating that the supply chain have failed to adjust swiftly to improved business conditions. On the handset front, Sony Ericsson and Apple, in particular, said their potential had been limited by scarcities in areas like touchscreens and printed circuit boards; like Ericsson, Nokia Siemens cited shortages in its results, though said the situation was improving compared to Q2.

Sony Ericsson ousted from top five by ZTE and RIM
Sony Ericsson (SEMC) saw various positives in its quarterly results, notably an increase in smartphone revenues, but this came at the expense of volume, and it has fallen out of the overall handset top five. The joint venture now lies in sixth place worldwide, according to research by iSuppli. SEMC's total shipments did increase by 4.8% year-on-year in the third quarter, but this was not sufficient to fend off the higher growth rates of challengers like ZTE. The top five now consists of Nokia, Samsung, LG, ZTE and RIM, though only the big three have 10% share or more, with other players separated only by small amounts. According to iSuppli's estimates, Nokia had 36.2% share in the quarter, Samsung had 20.8% and LG 10%.

Microsoft faces hard questions over smartphones and PCs
The world's biggest software company is expected to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in the coming months marketing its Windows Phone 7 operating system. Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's chief executive, said in June that the company had "missed a whole cycle" in developing software for mobile phones. The Seattle-based company will be quizzed when it reports its financial results for the last quarter on Thursday. Microsoft is forecast to produce profits of $4.81bn (£3.1bn) on sales of $15.8bn, up from $4.52bn and $15.3bn in the prior quarter, respectively.

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E Buzz - 22 October

by Libergraph 22. October 2010 11:42
Pirate Parties Plan to Shoot Torrent Site Into Orbit
It is almost four years ago that The Pirate Bay announced they wanted to buy the micronation of Sealand, so they could host their site without having to bother about copyright law – an ambitious plan that turned out to be unaffordable. This week, Pirate Parties worldwide started brainstorming about a similarly ambitious plan. Instead of founding their own nation, they want to shoot a torrent site into orbit.

Kindle helps Amazon beat forecasts
The Kindle is the best-selling product on Amazon.co.uk, the company announced last night, as it revealed better-than-expected quarterly results showing products up by 16% to $231m and revenues up 39% to $7.56bn. But lower forecasts for profits in the next quarter led its stock to fall in late trading, as it invests in new warehouses to deal with products.

Why Facebook is selling you out - and won't stop
Facebook and its developers could bring in as much as $1 billion this year; only a bozo would think that Mark Zuckerberg will give that up to protect the privacy of his users My buddy Robert X. Cringely wonders if Facebook is evil or merely incompetent. That's an easy one: both -- not to mention arrogant and greedy. But how surprising is that? Facebook is in business to make money, whether it's from advertising or the increasingly attractive treasure trove of third-party apps. Never mind that "don't be evil" stuff. Mrs. Zuckerberg's boy Mark wants to be a billionaire for real -- not just on paper.

Google 2.4% Rate Shows How $60 Billion Lost to Tax Loopholes
Google Inc. cut its taxes by $3.1 billion in the last three years using a technique that moves most of its foreign profits through Ireland and the Netherlands to Bermuda. Google’s income shifting -- involving strategies known to lawyers as the “Double Irish” and the “Dutch Sandwich” -- helped reduce its overseas tax rate to 2.4 percent, the lowest of the top five U.S. technology companies by market capitalization, according to regulatory filings in six countries.

Sharp quits the PC business reminding us that Sharp still makes PCs
It's no secret that Japanese consumer electronics companies are having a tough time competing right now (damn Yen). Now Sharp becomes the latest casualty with the announcement that it will exit the cut-throat personal computer business to focus on market segments where it can be profitable. You know, like tablets, where Sharp hopes to have more success with its new Galapagos and related e-book, music, and video services.

A Cell-Phone Network without a License
A trial cell-phone network in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, gets by without something every other wireless carrier needs: its own chunk of the airwaves. Instead, xG Technology, which made the network, uses base stations and handsets of its own design that steer signals through the unrestricted 900-megahertz band used by cordless phones and other short-range devices.

US networks block shows from Google TV
It means that hit television shows, such as The Office and CSI cannot be viewed through Google TV, a new service from the search giant that makes it easier for people to access on-demand content, scheduled television and the best of the internet through special set-top boxes or enabled TVs. The reasons for the action have not officially been stated, but it is thought that some broadcasters are concerned Google TV will cannibalise existing revenue streams, and could tip the balance of power away from broadcasters and the networks in favour of Google.

Is Facebook Outing Gay Users to Advertisers?
Facebook allows users to list which gender of partner they're "interested in." But do you want Facebook's advertisers to know if you're gay? A Microsoft researcher has found a loophole which could secretly reveal a gay user's sexuality to advertisers. It's no secret that Facebook, like many other online services, targets ads to different groups of users based on demographic data. But using a sensitive category like sexuality to target advertising—which Facebook apparently does—can lead to troubling privacy issues.

Windows Phone 7 phones go on sale
Microsoft's chief executive admitted that "we have a lot of work to do to get into the [mobile] game" in a meeting with analysts on Thursday night as the first Windows Phone 7 phones went on sale.
Windows Phone 7 devices have gone on sale in Europe, Australia and New Zealand – although US consumers will have to wait until 8 November. The first purchase was by Jourdan Templeton, who took advantage of the time difference to buy his in New Zealand.

U.S. Government Prepares to Regulate Internet Privacy 
There are at least five U.S. government efforts to regulate data and online privacy, according to a new U.S. government internet policy official, who said that some kind of privacy regulation appears likely. Ari Schwartz, who left the Center for Democracy and Technology two months ago to become senior internet policy advisor at the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), told the Predictive Analytics World conference this week that stories like Facebook's never-ending privacy concerns are getting noticed both by consumers and government officials.

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E Buzz - 21 October

by Libergraph 21. October 2010 11:08
Three sites contribute ten per cent of all mobile traffic
he stats reflect data traffic on the network of one European operator. The remaining 90 per cent of the data was generated from a long tail of 771 sites. Openwave says video on demand, status updates from social networking sites and mobile search are clogging up available network resources.

eBay's non-Skype profits climb 16%
eBay's third-quarter revenues climbed 10 per cent over the same quarter last year, if you exclude revenues from the failed VoIP experiment with Skype, while non-Skype, non-GAAP profits rose 16 per cent. With net earnings per share topping out at 40 cents, eBay beat the expectations of the Wall Street guessmen, and it gave much of the credit to PayPal, which ended the quarter with over 90 million active accounts worldwide. "We delivered strong third quarter results, with great performance at PayPal and stable results at eBay,” read a canned statement from CEO John Donahoe.

Govt to spend £530m to deliver rural broadband
The government will plough £530m into giving the residents of North Yorkshire, Cumbria, Hertfordshire and the Highlands superfast broadband. The project will be rolled-out over the next four years and will see £300m of the funding coming from the remainder of the BBC licence fee, which was initially earmarked for the digital switch-over.

EA takes Angry Birds publisher under its wing
Electronic Arts has purchased Angry Birds publisher Chillingo, thus buying up a significant part of the mobile gaming industry.Reuters puts the price of Chillingo just shy of $20m, though neither company is prepared to provide details. As well as Angry Birds, which was developed by Rovio, Chillingo owns the distribution rights to several of the top mobile games and EA sees the publisher as a way of increasing its presence on the iPhone.

Google Is Determined to Crack the Social Code
Google has been stunningly adept at devising computer algorithms to help people search the Internet. But when it comes to building features for social networking, the company has been much less effective. And changing that is one of the company’s biggest business challenges these days.

Human beings can back up their brains
A man has claimed that people will be able to back up a human brain in the next 20 years. If what he is saying is true, it means that every memory and experience you ever had will not be lost. With a bit of decent programming it might even be possible to have an IT copy of yourself live on the Internet forever.According to the Daily Mail, Raymond Kurzweil, who has done a lot of work creating things like voice recognition technology, told guests at a 'future talk' event in Vienna, Austria, that the human brain backup was already technically possible.

O2 extends tablet range with Samsung Galaxy Tab
2 has announced that the Samsung Galaxy Tab, Samsung’s innovative Android-powered tablet device, will be joining O2’s growing tablet range on 1 November. The Tab, Samsung’s first tablet, runs on Google’s Android 2.2 Froyo software and gives customers the freedom to access all their content and favourite websites on the go, even those using Adobe Flash content.  And with unlimited access to thousands of BT Openzone and The Cloud Wi-Fi hotspots built into all O2’s Mobile Broadband tariffs, customers will be able to use the Tab’s 7 inch touch screen to watch, surf and browse and to their heart’s content.


Dell to spend hundreds of millions on makeover
Dell is getting a marketing makeover, trying to shed its image as a cheaper alternative to rivals. The PC maker said it will spend "hundreds and hundreds of millions" on an advertising campaign for its consumer business, to coincide with the launch of new products, including laptops with JBL speakers.

'Smell-O-Vision' TV developed by Japanese scientists
The researchers said it would release a candy floss smell when the image shows a fairground and can even emit the briny scent of the seaside when people look at their holiday photos. The technique uses printers to spray small amounts of scent rather than ink.  Dr Kenichi Okada, of Keio University, Tokyo, toldNew Scientist: "We are using the ink-jet printer's ability to eject tiny pulses of material to achieve precise control."

IT industry news: Mobile advertising 'on the rise thanks to smartphone take-up'
Developments in the IT industry have paved the way for the smartphone and its take-up is promoting the use of mobile advertising, according to Gordon Borrell, CEO of Borrell Associates, a research and consulting firm that tracks local advertising. "Phones are quickly going from audio-only to graphical, so we have the proliferation of 'your ad here' opportunities," he said.

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E Buzz - 20 October 2010

by Libergraph 20. October 2010 12:12
Intel invests $8 billion in new chip factories
Intel is investing a cool $8 billion (a shade over £5 billion) in new chip manufacturing plants in the US, with the focus on developing increasingly small 22-nanometer chips. Intel's latest investment will see upgrades to its factories in Arizona and Oregon, in addition to an entirely new fabrication plant in Oregon.

RIM boss hits back at Steve Jobs
Blackberry manufacturer RIM's co-chief executive has hit back at Steve Jobs recent attack on his company and products. Research In Motion's Jim Balsillie was responding to comments made by Steve Jobs earlier this month, in which Jobs said he could not see RIM catching up with Apple in the smartphone market, taking some time out to trash the idea of a 7-inch tablet PC at the same time. RIM is of course readying its very own 7-inch tablet PC, the PlayBook. 

Get Online Week Should Also Be Get Offline Week
For those not in the know, Get Online Week has a simple and self evident message: a one week drive by some of the largest brands in the UK to try and persuade some of the estimated 9.2m Brits who have never used the Internet to take that brave first click. Partners behind the scheme include the BBC, Post Office, BT, Google, Sky, 3, PriceGrabber, Microsoft, Facebook, McDonalds, TalkTalk, Directgov, ITV, Comet and the Daily Mirror.

HP Unveils WebOS 2.0, Palm Pre 2 on the Way
When HP bought Palm last year it was not certain Palm as a handset brand had much of a future. All is now clear however, as HP has announced the arrival of webOS 2.0, a major update to the Palm OS, and that the Palm Pre 2 will be released as soon as this Friday – in France. The US and Canada will get the handset in the coming months, but there’s no word of UK availability at this time.  

The Cheapest 3D Blu-ray Player Costs Just $140
I hear you. You've just spent over a grand on a 3DTV, $400 getting enough glasses for the whole family, and you still need a Blu-ray player for all those 3D films. Samsung's C5900 is now the cheapest, at $140. Of course, you can buy better models out there for another $100 or so, and there's always the PS3 with its upgradable firmware. But, if you're wanting out-of-the-box 3D, with HDMI 1.4, Internet@TV support, BD-Live and Wi-Fi, the discounted C5900 at Amazon will mean you've still got enough dimes left over for some popcorn. 

So what now for Symbian?
It's a little heartbreaking for anyone who knows Symbian - or anyone who appreciates good system design - to see its predicament today. It's a bit like gradually watching a divine beauty turn into a neglected and unloved hag in middle age. Through lack of care and attention, Nokia has let those good looks go to waste. Now Lee Miller, chief executive of the Symbian Foundations, has stepped down for "personal reasons", with the Foundation's operations guy Tim Holbrow replacing him with immediate effect.

Mozilla preempts Google with 'open' web app store prototype
Mozilla has released a prototype for what it calls an "open web app ecosystem," a browser-agnostic answer to Google's upcoming Chrome Web App Store. The open source outfit proposes a store that works with any "modern" desktop or mobile browser, offering both free and for-pay apps based on standard web technologies. "The open Web is a great platform for rich applications," reads a blog post from Mozilla man Jay Sullivan. "It would be even better if it had additional capabilities to ease discovery, acquisition, installation, and use of apps, while also enabling monetisation for developers."

Google Street View broke Canada's privacy law with Wi-Fi capture
Google violated the privacy of thousands of Canadians when it inadvertently collected personal information about them with its Street View mapping cars, the country's privacy commissioner has ruled. But the decision not to pursue legal proceedings against the search giant, despite being found breaking the law, has been described as "worrying" by influential privacy groups. Google committed a "serious violation of Canadians' privacy rights" when it accidentally intercepted and stored data including emails and, separately, names of people suffering from certain medical conditions, Jennifer Stoddart, the Canadian privacy commissioner said on Tuesday.
 
Synchronica Signs Up 10th African Operator
Mass market messaging services provider Synchronica has signed a new framework agreement with a pan-African operator for distribution of the group’s Mobile Gateway tool, bringing its tally of carriers spanning the continent to 10 in total, writes Martin Conway. Under the terms of the agreement, the African operator, whose identity Synchronica declined to divulge, has confirmed purchase orders worth $752,000, and is expected to launch Mobile Gateway across all subsidiaries in the immediate future. Mobile Gateway provides a multi-protocol gateway, combining IMAP, SyncML, ActiveSync, email to MMS and email to SMS, thereby enabling push email and synchronisation to any mobile phone, without the need for the downloading of additional clients.

Gingerbread: Android 3.0 details leaked
Android 3.0 is on the way and while a lot is still unknown about the forthcoming OS, some new leaked information has thrown light on some of the new operating system’s core features. The leaked information, along with one of the blurriest screen shots we’ve ever seen, comes via Phandroid. According to Phandroid, the new Google OS will feature built-in video calling as well as some serious tweaking and improvements to the UI.

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E Buzz - 19th October 2010

by Libergraph 19. October 2010 11:50

Google Android isn't really that open, says Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs launched in to an astonishing five-minute critique of rival companies, operating systems and platforms during the earnings call, in which Apple announced record profits of $20 billion for the quarter.  He said that the Google Android platform was fragmented, and not as open as some people made out, while also saying that iPad-style tablet computers with smaller 7in screens would be dead on arrival.  Google loves to characterise Android as ‘open’ and iOS and the iPhone as ‘closed’, said Jobs. We find this a bit disingenuous, and clouding the real difference between our two approaches.  Android is very fragmented. HTC and Motorola install proprietary user interfaces to differentiate themselves from the commodity Android experience. The user’s left to figure it all out. Compare this with the iPhone, where every handset works the same. He said the fragmentation of the Android platform left developers facing a “daunting challenge. Many Android apps only work on selected Android handsets, running selected Android versions. Compare this with iPhone, where there are two versions of the software, the current and the most recent predecessor, to test against.
The Telegraph

Diamond-encrusted, £5m iPhone 4 is world's priciest smart phone
Behold the world's most expensive smart phone: a diamond-studded iPhone 4, priced at £5m. An Australian businessman commissioned Liverpudlian designer Stuart Hughes to slap a few precious stones on the iPhone, according to Small World News Service. Hughes has form in the field. Also available on his website are a solid-gold iPhone 4 worth £22,000, a £100,000 pink-diamond-encrusted Nokia handset, and a £110,000 solid-gold iPad. The iPhone 4 'Diamond Rose' has a bezel featuring approximately 500 individual, flawless rose diamonds. The rear is covered with rose gold, with the Apple logo comprised of 53 diamonds. The home button is made of platinum, with a whopping, 7.4-carat pink diamond stuck in the middle. If that's not good enough for you, it can be replaced with an 8-carat, single-cut, flawless diamond. The phone comes with a 7kg granite chest in which to store it. Other than that, it's just like a run-of-the-mill 32GB iPhone 4.
CNET

Ray Ozzie steps down from Microsoft
In a surprise move, Microsoft announced on Monday that chief software architect Ray Ozzie is leaving the company. The move, which raises questions about the company's future technology direction, was announced in an email to employees from chief executive Steve Ballmer. Ozzie is leaving after an unspecified transition period, expected to be several months."With our progress in services and the cloud now full speed ahead in all aspects of our business, Ray and I are announcing today Ray's intention to step down from his role as chief software architect," Ballmer said in the memo, which was posted on Microsoft's website. "He will remain with the company as he transitions the teams and ongoing strategic projects within his organisation  bringing the great innovations and great innovators he's assembled into the groups driving our business. Following the natural transition time with his teams but before he retires from Microsoft, Ray will be focusing his efforts in the broader area of entertainment, where Microsoft has many ongoing investments."
ZDNet

Britain climbs broadband league tables
Typical British web users can comfortably enjoy the latest web applications, a new survey has said. But the Broadband Quality Survey 2010 shows that British broadband services still lag some way behind the best in the world, such as those enjoyed by South Korea, Hong Kong and Japan. The survey, conducted for Cisco by the Said Business School and the University of Oviedo, found that the UK had improved 23 per cent in a single year. It added that in 2010 there was a 39 per cent improvement in download speeds from 2009 and a 17 per cent rise in upload speeds. The authors placed the UK in a category of Broadband Penetration leaders, with three-quarters of UK households already having broadband access, and claimed that, on average, the UK shows no broadband quality digital divide between the most populated cities and those outside. This was cited as a major achievement given the geography and demography of the country.
The Telegraph

KPN rolls out German mobile data network
Dutch Telco to offer flat rate mobile data services from start of November. Dutch telecoms operator Royal KPN said Tuesday it has accelerated the roll-out of its high-speed mobile data network in Germany, enabling it to offer customers in the country flat rate mobile data packages from Nov. 1. The accelerated roll-out is supported by additional mobile spectrum that KPN bought in the recent German spectrum auction as well as by existing operational, technological and commercial partnerships. The new packages will be offered through KPN's German operator E-Plus' own Base brand, according to KPN's spokesman Christian Schieven. Mobile data, due to the surge in smart phones and notebooks, is a growth area for KPN, with customer demand rapidly increasing. KPN said the offers combine a range of smartphones plus a data package for a single monthly fee to which a choice of voice plans can be added. Schieven said the price range for KPN's new offerings will be between EUR11 and EUR30 a month and at this point doesn't include Research In Motion Ltd's Blackberry or Apple Inc.'s iPhone.
Total Telecom

Microsoft Warns Of 'Unprecedented Wave' Of Java Attacks
Microsoft has warned of an "unprecedented wave" of attacks on Oracle's Java platform. On a blog post on the Microsoft Malware Protection Center page, the company said that attacks exploiting vulnerabilities affecting the Java platform have significantly increased in the past nine months. The number of attacks on Java rose from half a million in the first quarter of 2010 to 6 million in the third quarter. Microsoft's Holly Stuart wrote on the blog: In fact, by the beginning of this year, the number of Java exploits (and by that I mean attacks on vulnerable Java code, not attacks using JavaScript) had well surpassed the total number of Adobe-related exploits we monitored.
IT Pro Portal

Net neutrality: BBC tells EU that ISPs must be transparent about traffic shaping
The discussion about net neutrality - which has mostly focused on the US market so far - seems simplified into two camps. On one side, large corporate media and the internet service providers. On the other, the public sector and the web purists. (If you're still in the dark about exactly what net neutrality is, it's actually very simple. Read this explainer.) Erik Huggers, BBC director of future media and technology, threw his weight behind the open web argument today, criticising ISPs who have restricted access to the iPlayer at certain times of day (even with a meaty connection, iPlayer is often glitchy at early evening peak times) and calling for more transparency about current traffic-shaping practices among ISPs. He summarises key points made by the BBC in its submission to the commission on net neutrality being conducted by Ofcom and the European Commission, a submission which tries to persuade the commission that its three goals are universal access, quality of service and the long-term support of innovative, competitive business models.
The Guardian

RIM partners with UAE to launch Dubai services
Blackberry maker Research In Motion (RIM) has announced a series of partnerships with the United Arab Emirates' telecoms regulator just weeks after the state threatened to block Blackberry services. The company has unveiled plans to launch mobile banking and online payment systems in the Middle East, along with a Blackberry application that will allow Dubai-based users to pay utility bills via smartphones, according to the Financial Times. Jim Balsillie, co-chief executive of RIM, said, "The enormous popularity of Blackberry Messenger in the Middle East demonstrates the potential for new apps and services in the region."Back in August when the UAE's Telecommunication Regulatory Authority said it would suspend Blackberry's instant messenger, e-mail and Web browsing services because they could not be monitored and raised national security concerns.
Computer Weekly

Google terminates contracts in China
Google's contracts with large Chinese advertising resellers will end on 27 October, the company has announced. In September Google said it would end the contracts, but has not given a reason for the decision. It is thought the move will benefit China's leading search engine Baidu, which has more than 70% of the country's search market revenue. This follows figures from research firm Analysys which found that Google's share of China's online market fell to 24.2% in the three months to June, from 30.9% in the first quarter. China renewed Google's licence in July, after the web giant threatened to close its operations because of concerns about state censorship
Computer Weekly

Android developers can now advertise with BuzzCity
Mobile entertainment company BuzzCity has it’s fingers in a lot of pies entertainment content, games downloads, advertising networks, etc but it all boils down to the same central model. It offers free entertainment to mobile owners, and monetises their attention through advertising. And today, it has released a Software Development Kit (SDK) for Android, allowing developers to earn ad revenue from BuzzCity.The BuzzCity model revolves around being all-inclusive. You’ll find that the content it offers is targeted mostly at low-end devices; the drive towards smartphones and upper-market devices is fairly recent. It’s popular Djuzz gaming network caters mostly to feature phones, and offers a massive number of free games. These are all monetised in the same way that an Android dev will be with the new SDK:
GoMo News

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E Buzz - 18 October 2010

by Libergraph 18. October 2010 13:27
Microsoft Kinect supplies ‘running low’
Several stores, including Game and Play.com, have already sold out of their pre-order allocation of the Kinect gaming system, which officially goes on sale on Nov 10. Kinect, previously known as Project Natal, does away with the need for controllers, and instead uses a camera, connected to an Xbox 360 games console, to capture gestures and movement made by players and translate it in to on-screen action. The shortage of Kinect systems has lead to worries that the peripheral, which is expected to be a big seller this Christmas, could be in short supply during the festive period.

Huawei poses risk to Australian NBN
Australia has become the latest country to express concern about security risks posed by Huawei equipment, joining the UK, US and India. Security experts warn that Australia will leave itself vulnerable to cyber crime if it deploys the Chinese firm’s equipment in its national next-generation network, saying the kit could contain secret entrances to the network, and that the government should reject it even if it passes muster in close inspections. They are worried by Huawei’s alleged links with the Chinese military, as the firm reportedly prepares bids for a significant chunk of Australia’s NBN next generation contracts, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Redstone puts Marcom to sleep
Managed services provider Redstone is offloading the bulk of its Marcom Communications division in a bid to boost efficiency. The firm has agreed to sell some of Marcom’s key assets to Maintel Europe for £1.75 million (€2 million), in a deal that includes 40 employees and some other maintenance contracts, as the firm seeks to deliver cost savings and focus on higher-margin revenue streams. Proceeds from the sale will be used to cut the firm’s debt and to fund its long-term development.

HP snaps up Meego boss
Ari Jaaksi, who until so recently was running Nokia's Meego project, has been recruited by HP to bring some of that Meego magic to its own webOS. Ari Jaaksi left Nokia early this month for what were described at the time as "personal reasons". We can only assume those personal reasons included not being shackled to a sinking ship or copping the blame when Nokia's last, best, hope goes down with all hands as he's now boasting the title of Senior Vice President with responsibility for webOS. Not that webOS is unsinkable, but at least it has a device or two on the market, and some respect for its technical competence.

Microsoft steers OEMs away from putting Phone 7 on Tablets
Microsoft is usually decisive. There is a saying in contact sports such as American football and rugby – it doesn‘t matter if you make a wrong decision, if you commit to it and do it hard enough, you can make it into the right decision. It works for business too. Decisiveness – even when based on poorly thought-out decisions – can be taken for market leadership. Indecisiveness looks like you have no idea of what is going on. A Microsoft executive this week said that Phone 7 was not man enough for the job of running tablets. At least that‘s what Greg Sullivan, senior product manager at Microsoft, said at the Windows Phone 7 launch event. He told us: "Windows 7 will provide a richer touch and applications experience and will be necessary on tablets."

China slaps copyright tax on Internet cafes
China's National Copyright Administration has moved to extend copyright protections in the populous republic. The CFCA said it intends to collect royalties from the screening of Chinese films in public places such as aeroplanes, public transport systems and Internet cafes. Internet cafes are one of the few places in China where the majority of the population can get online. Under the new scheme these will effectively pay a copyright tax based on their size. There is nothing so sophisticated as a fee per downloaded film.

Voda confirms OneNet Express, 1m Europe OneNet users
Vodafone UK has confirmed launch of its cut-down One Net Express unified communications proposition for small businesses. It launches with it, starting today (October 15), a multi-million pound marketing campaign around its two small-business unified communications propositions, OneNet and OneNet Express. The pair sit alongside its full-blow corporate offer, Vodafone One. Vodafone said it has signed its millionth customer to OneNet across its European territories.

Games download market soars to $2.9bn
NPD said gamers spent up to $2.9 billion on digital online goods, against $3.7 billion on console and PC games purchased in stores in the first half of 2010. The digital goods figure includes revenue from used games, game rentals, subscriptions, full game digital downloads, social network games, downloadable content, and mobile game apps. Dollars spent on physical retail items such as hardware, software and accessories still accounts for the majority of the total consumer spend.

New additions bring WAC membership to 48
Myriad, Accenture, Ericsson, Huawei, Intel, Qualcomm and others join Wholesale Applications Community. The WAC was formed in February by a group of operators in order to provide shared APIs that will give developers the opportunity to write apps that can be deployed across multiple platforms. It's pitching this as a single 'pipe' for reaching a potential 3bn subscribers. An independent company was formed in July to promote and manage the activities of the WAC. Must be working as the new additions include some of the industry's biggest infrastructural names.

US Consumers Favour the Browser Over Apps
Adobe has released the results of its first quantitative mobile consumer study, conducted by its Omniture Business Unit, including newly integrated Adobe Scene7. The study of 1,200 US consumers measured mobile user preferences, characteristics, satisfaction levels and other experiential factors across four key consumer categories: Consumer Products & Shopping; Financial Services; Media & Entertainment; and Travel. The study revealed that when it comes to the mobile user experience, respondents generally favour mobile browser experiences over downloadable mobile app experiences across all four categories, and that they prefer mobile apps when interacting with social media and music and self-contained experiences such as games and maps. Overall, consumers report equal satisfaction levels with their browser and app experiences, and spend about the same amount of time interacting with each.

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