Bigmouthmedia Search Engine News: /asia/

Google criticises potential changes to the UN's internet treaty

Thu, 22 Nov 2012 03:37:00 GMT

Changes made at an upcoming UN conference could threaten the independence of the internet, according to Google.

Government officials are attending the meeting in December to decide upon a new information and communications treaty which will govern how the internet operates.

Opponents of the changes believe that some countries will attempt to use the agreement as a way of suppressing free speech and restricting access material critical of them.

In a statement on their Take Action website Google voiced their concerns, saying, "The [UN agency] International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is bringing together regulators from around the world to renegotiate a decades-old communications treaty.

"Some proposals could permit governments to censor legitimate speech - or even allow them to cut off internet access. Other proposals would require services like YouTube, Facebook, and Skype to pay new tolls in order to reach people across borders. This could limit access to information - particularly in emerging markets."

Google is encouraging internet users to sign their online position to support their objections, with the company also critical of the fact that only nation states have been invited to the conference. The search engine giant is particularly fearful control over domain names and technical aspects of the internet could end up being transferred from the US to the international body.

The ITU has refuted Google's criticisms, stating that a new treaty is essential for allowing increased access to the internet and continuing its open and informative character. They also believe that the previous 1998 communications treaty needs drastically overhauled to encompass online advances and the development of smartphones.

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Rise in attempts by governments to monitor Google

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 02:13:00 GMT

Almost 21,000 requests for information were made to Google by governments in the first half of 2012.

The figure emerged as part of Google's recent Transparency Report, with the American government again the most zealous in pursuing data with 7,969 requests.

British appeals doubled to 1,425 during the first six months of 2012, with the search engine giant complying with 64 per cent of these requests.

Dorothy Chou, Google's Senior Policy Analyst, told the BBC that, "This is the sixth time we've released this data, and one trend has become clear: government surveillance is on the rise.

"It reflects laws on the ground. For example in Turkey there are specific laws about defaming public figures whereas in Germany we get requests to remove neo-Nazi content. And in Brazil we get a lot of requests to remove content during elections because there is a law banning parodies of candidates.

"We hope that the report will shed light on how governments interact with online services and how laws are reflected in online behaviour."

In total requests for user data affected 34, 614 people, with governments seeking to gain access to their search history, Gmail accounts or YouTube videos.

The Turkish government made 501 requests for content to be taken down, with the US making 273 whilst Germany was third with 247 demands. The most common reasons for removing information or online content are defamation, privacy breaches or security issues.

The report also disclosed the fact that a British law enforcement agency made 14 requests to have information criticising the police removed but Google rejected their appeals. The company also turned down a demand to remove a YouTube video that accused the police of racism.

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iPad Mini photos leaked ahead of a November release?

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 04:49:00 GMT

A Twitter user has fuelled speculation Apple is set to release the iPad Mini - a pint-sized and cut-price tablet - in November by uploading pictures of what appears to be the device.

According to The Reg, Sonny Dickson - a self-titled "tech enthusiast" and "9to5Mac researcher" - has posted what appears to be three pictures of the yet-to-be-released iPad Mini to his Twitter feed.

The shots show a 32G model that looks around 50-75 per cent of the size of the average iPad and features Apple's new lightning connector. But as the images do not show the device powered-on or working it's unclear whether the pictures are a yet another i-hoax or a legitimate look into a the future of Apple's tiny tablet.

The publication of images of what's thought to be the iPad Mini has come at an interesting time - sources have told The Guardian the release of the iPad Mini "is imminent" and retailers expect to be able to put the model on shelves as early as 2 November 2012, with case-maker Knomo confirming it will have iPad Mini covers available to ship in days.

The newspaper also reported sources have indicated the iPad Mini will likely be Wi-Fi only.

Analysts have predicted Apple could sell as many as 10 million iPad Mini tablets before Christmas, particularly if the pint-sized device is priced at the lower end of the market allowing it to go toe-to-toe with Google's Nexus 7 and Amazon's Kindle Fire.

It's also thought the Apple will bring even more profits to its Cupertino coffers by also releasing a revised version of the iPad 4G that comes with the all-new lightning connector and can connect to the Everything Everywhere network.

Apple has yet to confirm whether the photographs are legitimate. At present, no invitations have been sent to the press to announce the launch of the mini model.

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Windows set to release its own phone?

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 03:49:00 GMT

Claims have emerged that Windows is set build its own smartphone handset.

The computing giant has already collaborated on models with Nokia, Samsung and HTC but it is believed the company wants to have complete control over its own hardware to demonstrate the full capabilities of the new Windows 8 operating system.

The claims were made on both The China Times and WPCentral, with them pointing to increased security procedures at certain Microsoft offices plus tip-offs from unnamed sources.

Industry expert Daniel Rubino has speculated at the motivation behind Microsoft's change in strategy, claiming on WPCentral that it could be, "in case the Windows Phone 8 launch doesn't go well and the currently announced devices don't catch on. Nokia could be in trouble financially and Microsoft would need another dedicated hardware partner."

It is rumoured the phone has already been developed and is currently undergoing testing, with an intended release date sometime after HTC's latest model.

The move would confirm Microsoft's intentions to increase its presence in the mobile computing market place, with the company having recently announced it will release its own tablet device. The Surface is also intended to showcase the potential of Windows 8, with its development conducted in secret in a process similar to that of the rumoured smartphone.

Whilst Microsoft's new operating system has received strong reviews on the phones it has been licensed to, sales have struggled to match those of market leaders Apple or Android. Like the Surface, it is believed that any smartphone would attempt to be more powerful and quicker in order to gain an edge over its rival models.

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Twitter revamps profile pages

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 09:13:00 GMT

Twitter has revamped profile pages and also launched a new app on the iPad, hoping to bring greater emphasis to photo sharing on the micro-blogging site.

Now users can place a large photograph at the top of their profile, much like the cover photo feature on Facebook and Google+, except the Tweeter's profile picture and short biography will appear in the centre of the header photo. The photostream on a user's profile is also being given more prominence, and the changes are being rolled out across mobile and iPad platforms too.

Twitter announced the update on NBC's Today programme, and several high profile Twitter users have already started updating their profiles.

"Starting today you can make your presence on Twitter more meaningful with new Twitter profiles," Sachin Agarwal, product manager at Twitter, wrote on the company blog.

"Upload an all-new header photo on mobile apps for iPad, iPhone and Android or twitter.com, and the same image will appear whenever anyone views your profile on the web or these apps. You can upload your header photo, which appears above your Tweets, to express yourself instantly, anywhere.

"New profiles also help you get to know people better through their pictures. Photo streams now appear below anyone's most recent Tweets on iPhone, Android and iPad. Swipe through the stream to see the photos other users have shared or tap any thumbnail to view their photos in fullscreen.

"While the header photo keeps your profile simple and consistent on iPhone, iPad and Android, you will also still have an additional photo - a background photo - on twitter.com."

The newly launched iPad Twitter app allows users to see what's trending, track conversations and view personalised information, and comes amid reports third party image services such as Twitpic are being removed from Twitter's apps.

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Google uses Ground Truth to entice Apple users

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 06:13:00 GMT

Apple's decision to drop Google Maps from its iPhone and iPad devices in its next iOS update presents a quandary for the search giant - the move will have an impact on advertising sales, and Mountain View will lose access to valuable user data about how Apple owners use the software.

To help entice users back to the Google Maps software, Google is in the process of upgrading its maps content even further, launching Ground Truth 2.0 and extending its reach further to locations like India, as well as updating information in the 31 nations it already covers.

"We decided to start a project called Ground Truth, and this was really to build our own maps from scratch. We would start with licenced data and we would find whatever we could where we could get full rights to the data and improve it from there," Google Maps head honcho Brian McClendon told the BBC.

"One of the challenges to licensed data is that when the data is being managed by a third-party company it can take months or even a year or more to update the data you get even when you know something is wrong.

"Reducing the time frame to minutes has been very very useful to us because typically when users see that their input was heard they give more input."

Google also aims to improve its service by mapping the interiors of buildings - approved photographers are mapping transport hubs, shopping centres, museums and businesses that pay for them to visit.

"It's not just being able to draw it in the virtual reality sense of saying 'here we've reproduced the current world', but to understand the data, to know this is the doorway to a business, this is the path to the stairs... this is a public building, these are private areas," McClendon said.

"The more information we can provide the users about where they are and where they should go, I think that will give everybody the confidence in their ability to travel and their ability to interact as they won't worry am I allowed to do this, or should I go there."

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New Amazon Product sells out in the US

Fri, 31 Aug 2012 04:01:00 GMT

Following in the footsteps its predecessor, the Amazon Kindle Fire has completely sold out in the US, stimulating suspicions a new product is soon to be released.

"It is a dead certainty that they are going to release a new version. But when the Kindle Fire first came out it was a unique proposition. There was no other way to get a device that size and that price. That is no longer the case," Benedict Evans, an analyst with Enders told the Telegraph

The Kindle Fire offers a broad range of digital content including e-books, films, applications, books and even films and television. It has been noted if indeed a new product is to be released soon, the company will face considerable competition from e-readers like the Googel Nexus 7, which markets at the same price and offers a better service, with a better screen and slightly faster service. Rumours that Apple will launch a similar product in the coming months have also begun to circulate.

"There are widespread rumours that Apple will come out with a tablet with a similar price point and size to a Kindle. If that happens they will blow everybody else out of the water. If they come out with a $300 iPad why would you buy a $200 Kindle Fire or Nexus?" Evans said.

Yesterday, Amazon announced the launch of its own Appstore in the UK, offering both free and paid for Android apps for smartphones and tablets alike. The app is available across Europe in many countries including Germany, France, Spain and Italy.

"It hasn't set the world on fire. The Google Appstore is still pretty poorly executed so there has always been scope for someone to do it better," Evans said of the new Appstore.

"Amazon in a sense is trying to do that but it hasn't had really major adoption yet although since Amazon doesn't release any numbers it is hard to know for sure." Evans concluded.

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Apple and Samsung banned in South Korea

Fri, 24 Aug 2012 02:13:00 GMT

Apple and Samsung's patent war has escalated further after both companies were banned from trading some products in South Korea.

The limited ban came after a South Korean court ruled that both technology giants had infringed each other's patents, Apple on two counts and Samsung on one.

The court order means that a range of both companies' top products will no longer be sold in the country.

Apple had taken action against Samsung over alleged design similarities in design of their products. However the judge rejected their claims, with Reuters reporting him as saying, "There are lots of external design similarities between the iPhone and Galaxy S, such as rounded corners and large screens... but these similarities had been documented in previous products.

"Given that it's very limited to make big design changes in touchscreen based mobile products in general... and the defendant [Samsung] differentiated its products with three buttons in the front and adopted different designs in camera and [on the] side, the two products have a different look."

As a result of the ban, Apple's latest iPhone and iPad will be unavailable in the Asian country, along with Samsung's Galaxy smartphones and tablets.

Both companies also have to pay each other damages, with Apple fined £22,000 whilst Samsung was ordered to pay just under £14,000.

The South Korean decision comes as both companies also wait for a Californian court to decide on the same patent issue. Apple are seeking £1.6 billion in damages for Samsung's alleged copying of its mobile technology and features.

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Apple to drop YouTube app from future

Tue, 07 Aug 2012 07:01:00 GMT

Technology giant Apple has announced its new iOS 6 will not include a pre-installed YouTube app as part of its offering.

The decision continues Apple's initiative to remove competitors from its future operating systems and will be seen as a significant rebuff to Google, who purchased the video-sharing site in 2006 for $1.65 billion.

Apple, who will also remove Google Maps from its iOS 6, had previously included the YouTube app as standard since the launch of the iPhone in 2007. Fans wishing to use the video-sharing site will now have to access it through their browser or download it specifically from the app store.

Commenting on the move, a YouTube spokesman said: "We are working with Apple to ensure we have the best possible YouTube experience for iOS users."

News of the change has also sparked speculation among industry experts about why Apple has decided to drop the familiar app from its home screen.

Nathan Ingraham, staff writer for The Verve said: "Apple may have grown tired of paying the Google license, or it may have simply wanted the iOS experience to be free of Google's apps out of the box.

"However, the end result may end up being better for consumers. The iOS YouTube app has languished for years without seeing any major improvements - but now Google can iterate and update its own YouTube app as it sees fit."

Google, formerly a close tech associate of Apple's, has increasingly emerged as the main competitor to the company in recent years. Most significantly, Google's Android phone and operating system has become its biggest rival in the lucrative smartphone market.

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Microsoft Surface to launch in October

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 05:13:00 GMT

Microsoft has announced a release date for its new tablet and iPad rival, Surface.

Writing in its annual report, Microsoft confirmed, "The next version of our operating system, Windows 8, will be generally available on Oct 26, 2012. At that time, we will begin selling the Surface, a series of Microsoft-designed and manufactured hardware devices."

Although prices for the Surface have not yet been released, the device is being positioned as a replacement for iPads and Microsoft 7 laptops. The October 2012 release date applies to only one of the two tablets Microsoft intend to release. A more powerful version is set to be made available to consumers in 2013.

Specifications that have been released include that the two devices will be 9.3mm and 13.5mm thick respectively, and both will feature 10.6" HD displays and a kickstand so they can stand up.
They will weigh 676g and 903g respectively, and also both come with a new case incorporating a thin keyboard. The Pro Version offers up to 128GB of memory, while the RT will come with either 32GB or 64GB.

In its annual report, Microsoft claims Windows 8's "success depends on a number of factors including the extent to which customers embrace its new user interface and functionality, successfully coordinating with our OEM partners in releasing a variety of hardware devices that take advantage of its features, and attracting developers at scale to ensure a competitive array of quality applications. We expect to incur substantial marketing costs in launching Window 8 and associated services and devices, which may reduce our operating margins".

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