EU fights 'fierce lobbying' to devise data privacy law
It’s in demand, but a new EU privacy law aims to return control of personal details to you. What makes Facebook worth $100 billion? In the words of one EU spokesman, “it’s quite simple: Facebook has 850 million users, and it wants to sell their stuff to advertisers. Data is the currency of our age”. While the social network is not selling any individual’s information, its explicit aim is to make advertisements more relevant and personalised than ever before. Now the European Union is seeking a balance between commercial interest and personal privacy. Viviane Reding, the EU justice commissioner, is hoping that her E-Privacy Directive will offer a solution. She wants to harmonise the rules of all 27 EU member states. At the moment, laws differ significantly between – and sometimes within – countries. The German MEP Axel Voss says that what you can do with a German citizen’s data online differs in the north and the south of the country. What Europeans will notice first is likely to be a much greater emphasis on telling them what data are being given to companies, whether to Tesco for its Clubcard or to Facebook for social networking.
Telegraph

UK PC sales 'worst decline in five quarters'
New Gartner figures have revealed the sharpest yet decline in PC sales as the British market fell 19.6 per cent, even more than the Western European average of 16 per cent, in what Gartner called a the "worst decline in five quarters of PC sales in the UK." Gartner said the UK was a "prime illustration" of a weakness in PC demand across Europe. "Despite aggressive pricing and special holiday deals for PCs, consumers' attention was caught by other devices, such as smartphones, media tablets and e-readers," said Gartner analyst Meike Escherich. All of the major PC vendors suffered with market leader HP down 27 per cent, Dell down 32 per cent and Toshiba down five per cent. In what is perhaps a sign of the times, the only growing player was Apple which despite the difficult trading conditions, grew 17.2 per cent.
PCR Online

UK government rejects Alan Turing’s posthumous pardon petition
The House of Lords is still haunted by repugnance and discriminating perception, which was apparent from its act of not granting pardon to Alan Turing, the father of computer science. Discarding the petition supported by 23,000 people on the internet, requesting the government to absolve Turing from his charges, the UK government has only earned discontent among the common masses. Alan Turing was charged of homosexuality, which fell into the purview of unpardonable acts during the 1880s. However after traversing through the list of contributions of Turing to the British government during World War II, it seems that it has been really unjust experience rendered to Turing. Alan used his skills of artificial intelligence during the World War to decipher the confidential codes of the German force. It was only the Turing's "bombes" which were able to decode 3,000 German messages per day.
It Pro Portal

Cheapflights.co.uk identifies travel habits based on smartphone brands
Cheapflights.co.uk has identified key traits and practices of individuals based on their smart phone choice with its travel habits of mobile phone users infographic combining the results of a recent survey in which more than 700 people took part, along with information based on search data. The comparison of Blackberry, iPhone and Android Phone users produced some interesting results which concluded that iPhone users were the most romantic, Android users the most adventurous and Blackberry users the biggest spenders on holiday. "It might seem like just a bit of fun, but in an age where people are so brand driven, the type of mobile you carry really does provide an insight into aspects of your personality. We took this thinking a step further and applied it to travel behaviour, which enabled us to determine the type of traveller a user is, based on their choice of mobile phone," says Nadine Hallak, Travel Expert for Cheapflights.co.uk.
Travel Daily News

Google to pay web users to browse - as long as search giant can 'watch'
Google is to pay computer users to browse the web, while the search giant watches every link they click. 'Panelists' in the new Google Screenwise programme will be paid up to $25 in Amazon gift cards. The payments offer an insight into how much web users' private data - usually harvested by giants such as Facebook and Google without payment - is worth. Users have to download a browser extension, which allows Google to monitor which sites they visit and how they use them. Popular blog Search Engine Land said, 'The timing of this program seems odd, especially considering the backlash that Google has faced over the upcoming changes to its privacy policy.' 'Even though this Screenwise program is completely opt-in, some critics are bound to question why Google needs more data about web searchers and the websites they visit.' Google is currently taking applications for the programme. It's not clear how many people will participate in Screenwise.
Daily Mail

Google will offer cloud storage
Internet services giant Google is getting set to launch a cloud based storage service it will call Google Drive. The firm already offers its users a decent chunk of email storage, but Google Drive will be a Dropbox like digital locker. The Wall Street Journal reports that the launch is near. Google does not comment on things that it might do in the future, but usually when stories like this pop up they come true. The US financial rag cites sources close to the matter. Google might launch the storage service in the next few months, and it will let users store photos, music and other media in the cloud. With other web sites like Megaupload going to ground, this could be a good alternative for users. The WSJ said that users will be able to upload content to Google Drive and share it with a link, rather than say capturing a photo and instant messaging or emailing it as a file.
The Inquirer

Apple ousts LG as third largest mobile phone vendor by volume
Malik Saadi, principal analyst at Informa Telecoms & Media, comments on mobile phone vendors' 4Q11 results, which show that Apple has ousted LG as the third largest mobile phone vendor by volume. Apple's results in 4Q11 were marked by a strong performance in smartphone sales which saw it climb to become the third largest mobile phone vendor by volume - up from number five just a year ago. In 2011, Apple led the mobile phone market in terms of both volume and value but in the final three months of the year (reported as 1Q12 in the company's financial year) it also became the third largest mobile vendor by volume alone, after Nokia and Samsung. Apple's market share rose to 8.4 per cent in the quarter, up from 4.2 per cent recorded in 4Q10. The company managed to double the shipments of its iPhone year-on-year in the quarter to 37 million, not only thanks to the impressive performance of the iPhone 4S introduced in October 2011 but also to its strategy to conquer the mass market by keeping earlier versions of the iPhone in the market.
Biz Community

Windows 8 consumer preview to be launched at MWC
Event invites have been sent out as Microsoft prepares to unveil its 'Windows 8 Consumer Preview' at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain on February 29th. Whilst Microsoft stock has remained strong so far in 2012, sales of its Windows operating system have been dropping, with the lack in shifted units largely attributed to a slowing PC market as the steel monsters begin to clash with the ever popular tiny tablets. For Microsoft, Windows 8 is an attempt to re-enter the full breadth of the computing market, where, despite its popularity, Windows 7 has seen itself cut out of many sales as mobile segments featuring ARM-based devices, not capable of running the full Windows OS, have emerged. Windows 8 has had a serious makeover, with a redesigned kernel supporting for the first time the ARM instruction set, native USB 3.0 support, alternative approaches to authentication, installation on a USB drive, multiple desktop backgrounds, a host of new management features and most importantly, the new metro UI system and propagation of the Ribbon interface throughout the OS, to allow for a smooth touch-screen experience.
Hexus

Microsoft, Facebook, Ericsson, Motorola: Intellectual Property
Microsoft Corp., the largest software maker, said it would be “fair and reasonable” in licensing its industry-standard technology, pledging to negotiate with competitors instead of trying to block sales of their products. Microsoft also will make its industry-essential patents available without requiring companies to cross-license their own non-essential technology, according to a posting yesterday on the company’s website. The pledge comes as Google Inc. prepares a similar promise to appease regulators scrutinizing its acquisition of Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. Motorola Mobility has sued Microsoft and Apple Inc. for infringing patents that are covered partly by standards in which companies agree to share technology that is common across their industry. Google, which has drawn scrutiny over the acquisition, plans to send the letter to standards organizations reassuring them it will license Motorola Mobility patents on fair terms, according to two people with knowledge of the situation who asked not to be named because the decision isn’t yet public.
Business Week

One in six parents do not understand their children's hi-tech gadgets
The digital divide between children and adults appears to have widened with only one in six parents understanding the gadgets used by the younger generation, a new survey has found. It also discovered that more than two thirds of children are allowed to watch films seen as unsuitable for their age and a quarter play computer games that are classified for older people. The report was compiled by the ParentPort website which was jointly set up by bodies including the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the Press Complaints Commission and the Office of Communications (Ofcom). It found that one in six – 16 per cent – of parents admitted buying their children a device or gadget that they did not fully understand how to use. The report, on how parents control their children's access to adult media, said a quarter of children were allowed to play games classified above their age, and 40 per cent were allowed to watch films above their age limit.
Telegraph