Vodafone iPad 3G activation server folds

Vodafone is struggling to activate iPad 3G Micro Sim devices due to overwheleming demand for the device.

A Vodafone call centre told us that "the server has now been down for a couple of hours" and that they cannot currently activate any Micro Sim devices bought today.

Owners of iPad devices in the UK must purchase the Micro Sim separately, and three operators are offering Micro Sims alongside the iPad (Vodafone, O2, and Orange) with a fourth network, Three, selling Micro Sim cards independently.

O2 is the only service that can be activated from within the iPad itself, Orange and Vodafone customers must phone the Vodafone call centre to activate the card.

It appears that Vodafone has struggled due to the demand. The call centre is closing at 8pm today and unless it gets its system online will not be able to activate any 3G cards for iPad owners.

Editors Note: Vodafone has been in touch to inform us that there are now no problems with its activation service and that customers can now activate their iPad 3G Micro SIM cards on03333040044.

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Rumour: The next Apple TV revealed?

Could the next Apple TV be right around the corner? According to a tip that Engadget received, the next Apple TV is a "doozy." Apple's new set-top box is apparently rumored to have been in the works for longer than Google TV.

The device is rumoured to include Apple's A4 CPU, limited on-board flash memory (16GB), and 1080p HD playback support, making it remarkably similar to the architecture of the next-gen iPhone 4. Apparently it will also utilize the iPhone OS instead of the standard Mac OS X version, as is the case with the current Apple TV. Engadget also claims that there is no word on if apps will be available or not on the Apple TV.

According to the rumour, the next Apple TV will also use so-called cloud storage, where you would save your media files to an online server (presumably Apple's) instead of your own hard drive. The rumor also states that you will also be able to store media on an Apple Time Capsule. The best part about this rumor? If true, the next Apple TV will cost only $99. The current base model Apple TV--with 160GB of on-board storage--costs 223/$230.

Will the Apple TV remain a hobby, or does Apple finally have serious plans for it? Apple's 2010 Worldwide Developer's Conference is less than two weeks away, so we may find out soon enough.

[Via Engadget]

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Letter from a CEO: Steve Jobs responds to your email

A few weeks ago I asked readers what they'd say to Steve Jobs, if they have the opportunity to email him. I promised to forward any emails onto Mr. Jobs himself.

As we've learned over the last few months, Steve will occasionally reply to questions from Apple customers and developers. Sometimes he'll even engage in a public flame war with a blogger, quoting Bob Dylan and questioning the blogger's purpose in life. I thought there was a reasonable chance he might write back, and he did -- once.

Here are excerpts from the emails I forwarded, along with Steve's lone response. I'll start with the best one, a thoughtful letter from Cringester M. W. It was long, so this is just a portion:

I am a dyed-in-the-wool Windows user who has worked in IT for thirty years. My family and I have owned a number of iPods and we use the iTunes service regularly. This is in no small part due to how well the iPod is integrated into the iTunes store.

All that said ...

I find your recent email response to a young blogger to be totally inappropriate for someone in your position. You just shouldn't treat people disrespectfully. No matter how much you might disagree with them....

It has become clear to me, Steve, that you and Bill Gates are cut from the same cloth! ... Granted you are far more polished and can get your loyal customers to pay whatever you want so they can own your product. ...

At least be honest about what you are selling and don't pretend that there are not reasonable alternatives to your products. Enable your customers to do more, not just inside your ecosystem but outside of it as well. That's how you keep loyal customers -- not by berating the competition.

The response? [Crickets] I guess that Bill Gates comparison must have stung. Even if they are cut from the same cloth, Steve wears it much more stylishly.

Now comes a somewhat less thoughtful question for Jobs from reader G. P.:

Can you ask him why he acts like such a duck?

Personally, I have never noticed any affinities to water fowl in Jobs' movements, nor have I ever seen a duck wearing a black turtleneck (though I suppose Daffy Duck comes pretty close). But I'll keep an eye out for this in the future.

Here's a not very nice email from "Jay" in Tennessee about Jobs' liver transplant last year. (Background: Jobs purchased a house in the Memphis area in March 2009 where he recovered from a the transplant performed at Methodist University Hospital.) Here goes:

How does it feel to have a liver you bought and paid for when you came to nashville and jumped in line of some one else waiting for the liver you recieved? [sic] Money cant buy you happiness but it sure can let you rent apartment in nashville tn jump on the donor list and get a liver... Be arrogant all you want....you didnt live in my city and you cut in line.

This one actually did garner a response from Jobs:

Wow, I bet his mother is proud of him.

I'm with Jobs on this one. And probably so is Jay's mom. Yes, the man lives in California and got a transplant in Tennessee. I don't think anyone did anything illegal. When you have the money, you can get on as many state and hospital donor lists as you can afford. That's just how health care in this country works. Want to reform it? Good luck with that.

Finally, I heard from longtime reader CS, who feels I (and InfoWorld in general) come down too hard on Apple and Jobs:

Lately, you are sounding like damaged goods, like a bitter ex with regards to Apple... Steve Jobs particularly. This appears to be the InfoWorld party line lately....

As a developer of custom apps for small businesses, sure I would like the ability to code for the iPad without getting Apple's approval. The reality is it is Apple is the vision of Steve Jobs. It is not a computer, technology or manufacturing company like Microsoft, Dell, HP, IBM, Oracle, etc. Apple sells products that appeal to people... The others make office equipment.

Over the past year I have purchased an iPhone and iMac. My wife and daughter love the iPhone and iMac. Apple is doing a phenomenal job innovating. Apple is obsessed with design and perceived quality. Sure they are not perfect, but your articles make them sound like the bottom half of the class.

Let me correct any misconceptions. I don't think Apple products are in the bottom half of the class. I think they're in a class by themselves. But that doesn't make them any more "revolutionary" or less overhyped.

And it doesn't make Steve Jobs any less arrogant. To be fair, though, if you or I or anyone you know had done what Jobs managed to achieve with Apple, we'd be pretty darned arrogant too. At least he comes by it honestly.

Got a bone to pick with me, Jobs, Apple - Email me: cringe@infoworld.com.

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Photo gallery: iPad launch Apple Regent Street Store, London

Macworld UK was at the Apple Store, Regent Street this morning, as the queue (estimated to be over 300 people) lined up for the official launch of the iPad.

Celebrities Stephen Fry turned up to pick up an iPad, and there was lots of excitement (including the usual whooping and hi-fiving from the staff and crowd).

Don't miss out on Macworld's Complete Guide To The iPad. ON SALE NOW! Click here for a free 10-page sample edition.

Here are some pictures of the event:

Due to the large crowd security was controlling the event much more tightly than before

Excitement (and whooping) as the Apple Store opens.

The media was out in force filming the event as the first customers head in.

People waiting in line to get their iPads.

The world's tallest couple promoting the Guinness Book of Records iPad app.

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Apple iPad UK launch: List of PC World stores stocking Apple's iPad

A website, Cheapest Apple iPad, has revealed which branches of high street store PC World are stocking Apple's iPad from today. Electronics retail giant DSGi signed a deal to offer the iPad in high street stores Currys, Dixons and PC World earlier this week

The following PC World stores are offering the iPad for sale.

PC World Edinburgh, 1-17 Glasgow Road, Corstophine, Edinburgh, EH12 8NL

PC World Kircaldy, Fife Central Retail Park, Chapel Park, Kircaldy, KY2 6QL

PC World & Currys Livingston, Almondvale Retail Park, Livingstone, EH54 6RQ

PC World & Currys Uddingston, Birkenshaw Industrial Estate, Rannoch Road, Uddingston, G71 5PR

PC World North Shields, Middle Engine Lane Retail Park, North Shields, NE28 9NT

PC World Gateshead, Retail World, Team Valley, Gateshead, NE11 0BD

PC World Bolton, Bolton Gate Retail Park, Turton Street, Bolton, Lancashire, BL1 2SP

PC World Stockport, The Peel Centre, Stockport, SK1 2HD

PC World Warrington, Alban Retail Park, Winwick Road, Warrington, WA2 8TW

PC World Preston, 102-120 Blackpool Road, Preston, PR2 6BX

PC World & Currys Ashton Under Lyne, Snipe Retail Park, Ashton Under Lyne, OL7 0DN

PC World Sheffield, Meadowhall Retail Park, Attercliffe Common, Sheffield, S9 2YZ

PC World Leeds, Junstion One Retail Park, Beeston Ring Road, Leeds, LS11 0BD

PC World Leeds Central, The Basilica, The Headrow, Leeds, LS1 6AG

PC World & Currys Leeds Birstall, West Yorkshire Retail Park, Holdening Way, Birstall, WF17 9AE

PC World York, Clifton Moor, York, YO30 4XZ

PC World Wakefield, Albion Mills Retail Park, Ings Road, Wakefield, WF2 9SA

PC World Leicester, Fosse Park South, Everard Way, Leicester, LE19 1UT

PC World Derby, Meteor Centre, Wheatcroft Way, Derby, DE21 4RY

PC World Mansfield, Nottingham Road, Mansfield, NG18 1BW

PC World Nottingham, Trinity Square, Nottingham, NG1 4AF

PC World Solihull, 498 Stratford Road, Shirley, Solihull, West Midlands, B90 4AY

PC World Stoke Festival Park, Ridge House Drive, Stoke on Trent, ST1 5PU

PC World Sutton Coldfield, 30-34 Chester Road, New Oscott, Sutton Coldfield, B73 5DA

PC World Worcester Unit 1 Tybridge Street, Worcester, Worcestershire, WR2 5BA

PC World Telford, Telford Forge Retail Park, Telford, TF3 4AG

PC World Birmingham, Axletree Way, Wednesbury, WS10 9QY

PC World Lakeside, Lakeside Retail Park, West Thurrock, Essex, RM20 1WN

PC World Colchester,4 Tollgate Retail Park, Colchester, CO3 8RH

PC World Peterborough, The Boulevard Retail Park, Peterborough, PE1 2HS

PC World Norwich, Sweetbriar Retail Park, Norwich, NR6 5DH

PC World Cambridge, Cambridge Retail Park, Newmarket Road, Cambridge, CB5 8WR

PC World Stevenage, Roebuck Retail Park, Stevenage, SG1 1XZ

PC World & Currys Kings Lynn, Sweetbriar Retail Park, Norwich, NR6 5DH

PC World Beckton, Gateway Retail Park, Clapsgate Lane, Beckton, E6 6LG

PC World Brentford, 6 West Cross Way, Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 9DE

PC World Colliers Wood, Priory Retail Park, Colliers Wood, Merton, SW19 2PP

PC World Enfield, De Mandeville Gate, 333 Southbury Road, Enfield, Middlesex, EN1 1TW

PC World Northolt, White Hart Roundabout, Ruislip Road, Northolt, UB5 6GR

PC World Tottenham, Tottenham Retail Park, Tottenham, London, N15 4QD

PC World Romford, Eastern Avenue West, Romford, RM7 7PH

PC World Chesterfield, Ravenside Retail Park, Chesterfield, S40 1TB

PC World Tottenham Court Road, 145 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7NE

PC World Old Kent Road, 585/589 Old Kent Road, Southwark, London, SE15 1LA

PC World Kensington High Street, 47/53 Kensington High Street, London, W8 5ED

PC World Staples Corner, Unit 1 Geron Way, London, NW2 6LW

PC World Staines, Two Rivers Retail Park, Mustard Hill, Staines, Middlesex, TW18 4WA

PC World Kingston, 19-23 Fife Road, Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey, KT1 1SB

PC World & Currys Bromley, 27 Holmsdale Rd, Bromley, Kent, BR2 9LY

PC World & Currys Crayford, Tower Retail Park, Crayford Road, Crayford, Kent, DA1 4LD

PC World & Currys Fulham, Hurlingham Retail Park, Wandsworth Bridge Road, Fulham, London, SW6 3DU

PC World Orpington, Sevenoakes Way, Orpington, Kent, BR5 3SR

PC World Oxford, Botley Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX2 0HA

PC World Guildford, The Old Dairy Site, Woodbridge Rd, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 1EE

PC World Portsmouth, Ocean Retail Park, Burrfields Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO3 5NP

PC World Slough, West Gate, Retail Park, Slough, SL1 5PS

PC World Brighton Hove, Old Shoreham Road, Hove, Brighton, East Sussex, BN3 7EG

PC World Milton Keynes, Routeco Site, Winterhill, Milton Keynes, MK6 1BN

PC World Basildon, Pipps Hill Retail Park, Miles Grey Road, Basildon, SS14 3AF

PC World Tunbridge Wells, Great Lodge, Longfield Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 3EW

PC World Chichester, Portfield Retail Park, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 7YH

PC World Southampton Central, Mountbatten Retail Park, Western Esplanade, Southampton, SO15 1QJ

PC World Reading, The Oracle, Reading, RG1 2AH

PC World & Currys Hemel Hempstead, Apsley Mill Retail Park, London Road, Hemel Hempstead, HP3 9QN

PC World & Currys Weybridge, The Paddock Retail Park, Brooklands, Weybridge, KT13 OXR

PC World & Currys Southampton, Hedge End Retail Park, Southampton, SO30 2UH

PC World & Currys Canterbury, Sturry Road Retail Park, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 1WZ

PC World Plymouth, Marsh Mills Retail Park, Longbridge Road, Plymouth Devon, PL6 8LR

PC World Bournemouth, Mallard Retail park, Mallard road, Bournemouth, BH8 9PE

PC World Weston-Supermare, Wyvern Centre, Marchfields Way, Weston-Supermare, BS23 3YY

PC World Truro, Treliske Retail Park, Truro, Cornwall , TR1 3LF

PC World Exeter, Rydon Lane Retail Park, Exeter, EX2 7HX

PC World Bristol Cabot Circus, Brigstowe Street, Bristol, BS1 3BX

PC World & Currys Bristol, Cribbs Causeway Retail Park, Bristol, BS34 5TX

PC World Merthyr Tydfil, Triangle Business Park, Pentrebach, Merthyr Tydfil Store, CF48 4TQ

PC World Sprucefield Store, Sprucefield Centre, Hillsborough Road, Lisburn, BT27 5UJ

PC World Newtown Abbey Store, Abbey Trading Estate, Longwood Road, Newtown Abbey, BT3 79UL

[Via Cheapest Apple iPad]

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Adobe issues security update for Photoshop CS4

Adobe has released a security update for Photoshop CS4. The Photoshop CS4 11.0.2 update addresses a number of critical issues and vulnerabilities discovered after the product shipped Adobe's John Nack notes in a blog post.

'Critical vulnerabilities have been identified in Photoshop CS4 11.0.1 and earlier for Windows and Macintosh that could allow an attacker who successfully exploits these vulnerabilities to take control of the affected system. A malicious .ASL (swatch), .ABR (brush), or .GRD (gradient) file must be opened in Photoshop CS4 by the user for an attacker to be able to exploit these vulnerabilities. Adobe recommends Photoshop CS4 customers update to Photoshop CS4 11.0.2, which resolves these issues.'

The update also addresses a number of problems with brushes, styles and gradient preset files.Nack adds, the Adobe update for both Mac and PC does not apply to the recently introduced Photoshop CS5.

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Spotify for iPhone, offline sync over 2G/3G update gets Apple approval

Swedish streaming music Spotify has revealed via Twitter that Apple has approved an Spotify for iPhone update. "Awesome! New version of Spotify for iPhone approved that supports offline sync over 2G/3G. No need to find Wifi anymore to stay in sync! :-)."

iPhone users will need to subscribe to Spotify Premium at 9.99 per month to benefit from the update. Billed as the the ultimate Spotify experience, Spotify Premium offers users a chance to listen to music on or offline and stream music at a higher bitrate of up to 320kbps. Earlier this month Spotify introduced Spotify Unlimited, at 4.99 per month and Spotify Open, offering 20 hours per month of streaming music free. A comparison chart of all four Spotify services can be found here.

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Google rejects German request for Wi-Fi data

Google rebuffed a request from German data protection officials to hand over data it mistakenly collected as part of Street View imagery.

Google had until midnight Wednesday to turn over a hard drive from one the vehicles collecting the data to Hamburg's Data Protection Agency.

"They told us yesterday that they refuse to give the hard drive because they are afraid they could breach German telecommunication law," said Johannes Caspar, who heads the Data Protection Agency, on Thursday.

Caspar said he spoke with Hamburg's prosecutor, who said they would not prosecute if Google turned over information to the agency. Google has been informed of that opinion, he said.

A Google spokeswoman in London said the company wants to comply with the request, but "granting access to payload data creates legal challenges in Germany which we need to review. We are continuing to discuss the appropriate legal and logistical process for making the data available. We hope, given more time, to be able to resolve this difficult issue."

Google could potentially face a €50,000 fine (US$61,000) fine, for not turning over the hard drive, Caspar said. But the agency plans to have continuing discussions with Google over the next week.

Google has agreed to let experts from the agency examine one of the vehicles used to collect Street View images as well as the original software that was engineered to collect traffic from non-password protected Wi-Fi networks.

The data gathered included information such as SSID (Service Set Identifier) information and MAC (Media Access Control) addresses.

Google initially said it was not collecting the data. After Hamburg's DPA requested an audit, however, Google acknowledged it had in fact collected the data.

The company said an engineer had written some code for an experimental Wi-Fi project that sampled "payload data" for publicly broadcast Wi-Fi networks. That code ended up in the software used in Google's Street View cars, which collect images of street scenes for Google's Maps application.

Since then, data protection officials throughout the world have undertaken investigations, including in Italy, France and Spain. Ireland and the U.K. said they would not take action if Google deleted the data.

Meanwhile, the Hamburg prosecutor's office started a criminal investigation last week into Street View. No charges have been filed yet, but the office has been in contact with Google, said spokesman Wilhelm Mllers on Thursday.

In the U.S., Galaxy Internet Services, an ISP for homes and businesses in Massachusetts, filed a class-action lawsuit against Google on Tuesday over the program.

Send news tips and comments to jeremy_kirk@idg.com.

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After outrage, Facebook to launch simplified privacy controls

Facebook is ready to make up for its latest privacy debacle by introducing new privacy settings as soon as Wednesday.

During the TechCrunch Disrupt conference in New York on Tuesday, Facebook's Vice President of Product Chris Cox reportedly said the new privacy controls will be "drastically simplified".

Facebook has seen a backlash in the past few weeks over new privacy settings introduced after its f8 conference in April. Users and critics alike complained about the changes and Facebook's privacy policy, which, it seems, was longer than the U.S. Constitution.

The opt-out privacy settings Facebook introduced didn't help, as they had over 50 different privacy buttons, which equate to a headache-inducing 170+ options for users.

To try and diffuse the situation, Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg admitted his company made "a bunch of mistakes" and just "missed the mark" on privacy control in a Washington Post column, and in an e-mail to blogger Robert Scoble.

Zuckerberg also promised new user privacy controls would arrive soon, and indeed Facebook has moved fast, considering today's announcement.

According to the TechCrunch report, Facebook's Chris Cox did not give any other details regarding the imminent privacy settings changes.

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Chrome browser exits beta for Mac, Linux for the first time

Google has removed the beta label from the latest version of its Chrome browser, marking the first time a "stable release" is available for the Linux and Mac OS platforms, not just Windows.

Google promises that the Mac OS version will provide "a seamless native Mac application experience," while describing the Linux version as a "solid, high-performance, fully-featured, all-purpose browser."

The announcement, made Tuesday, comes three weeks after the release of the latest beta update, which featured a performance improvement Google characterized as significant, making that version -- 5.0.375.29 -- the fastest yet.

Benchmarked against the Google V8 and the Apple WebKit SunSpider Javascript engine tests, the latest Chrome version performed 30 percent and 35 percent, respectively, compared to the previous one, according to Google.

In addition to the performance boost, Google also added the ability for users to replicate browser preferences across different machines via their Google accounts. This saves users from manually applying preferences to Chrome in each PC.

Other improvements in this Chrome release include the adoption of HTML5 capabilities, like geolocation APIs (application programming interfaces), application caching and drag-and-drop capabilities.

One feature that didn't graduate from the beta to the stable version on Tuesday was the integration of Adobe Systems' Flash player plug-in into the browser, something Google plans to include once the final 10.1 version of the Flash player is released.

Launched in September 2008, Chrome ranked third last month in usage market share with a 6.7 percent slice of the pie, according to Net Applications. That put it ahead of Apple's Safari, which had a 4.7 percent share, and behind market leader Internet Explorer (59.9 percent) and Firefox (24.6 percent).

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Facebook page banned by Pakistan is back online

The Facebook page that led the Pakistan government to ban the entire site was back online Saturday, at least for some users, after it was inaccessible for about two days.

The page was removed Thursday after one of the moderators had his e-mail and Skype account hacked into, and his personal data revealed, according to a post on the page on Saturday. The moderator then got scared and deleted the page, a blog, and e-mails, according to the post.

"This is another scare tactic from the Islamic extremists," the post said. "We won't fall," it added. The moderator who removed the page has however backed out, according to the post.

The page had over 108,000 fans and over 11,700 photos posted on Saturday. Though the Facebook users who created the page put it back up Saturday, some users in India were able to access it for only a brief time before their access was once again blocked. Meanwhile access to Facebook as a whole continues to be blocked in Pakistan.

The page "Everybody draw Mohammed Day!" invites users to post caricatures of Prophet Mohammed, which led a court in Pakistan to order the site to be blocked.

There were also a large number of protests on the streets of Pakistan on Wednesday and Thursday, objecting to the page.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Wednesday ordered operators to block Facebook on Wednesday until further orders. It also ordered YouTube to be blocked on Thursday for displaying "sacrilegious" content. It said it had also blocked over 450 links on the Internet that contained derogatory material.

"Facebook has not taken any action on this page," a spokeswoman for the company said earlier on Saturday. The company had said on Thursday that it would not rule out making the content that Pakistan objected to inaccessible to users in Pakistan.

When dealing with user-generated content on global Web sites, there are occasions where content that is illegal in one country is not, or may even be protected, in another, Facebook said on Thursday. Most companies, including Facebook, approach this issue by preventing certain content from being shown to users in the countries where it is illegal, it added.

The PTA has said it would welcome contact from Facebook and YouTube to resolve the issue.

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Apple drops 'Get a Mac' for 'Why you'll love a Mac'

Justin Long, the actor behind the endearing-turned-belittling Mac character in Apple's long-running "Get a Mac" ads, wasn't kidding when he foretold the end of the campaign. Apple on Friday unveiled its new, less imperative marketing approach: Why you'll love a Mac.

This time around, Apple has apparently ditched the humour, as there are no chuckle-worthy Web or TV video ads - at least not yet. Apple's new campaign, which the old Get a Mac link now redirects to, is a testament to Apple's emphasis on brevity and clarity. A series of straightforward, single-sentence pitches are organized in a grid, such as "it's designed to be a better computer," and "it comes with software you'll love to use." Mouse over each one and a concise blurb will appear, along with a link to expand on the topic if you want to know more.

Apple is still banging the same marketing drums, though. In addition to better design and lovable software, Apple boasts the Mac's freedom from viruses, compatibility with "your stuff," and ability to run Windows and Windows applications should that steady stream of new switchers need a lifeline.

We'll have to wait and see if Apple's new approach will translate to a similar attitude in video ads on the Web and TV. The "Get a Mac" bit got pretty long in the tooth, so consumers will almost surely welcome anything new (well, to the extent that one can "welcome" a refreshed ad campaign). Developers who were concerned that the Mac is getting left behind in favor of the iPad and iPhone might also find some relief in this rejuvenated attention from Apple.

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HP survey: UK consumers still prefer CDs, DVDs over digital formats

A survey carried out by HP of over 1000 UK consumers, aged between 16 and 60, appears to reveal that despite the rise of Apple's iTunes and download and streaming services people are still feel attached to physical formats such as CDs and DVDs. While HP found that 86 per cent of the population access some form of digital media, the survey revealed consumers attach very little monetary or emotional value to the digital content they do own.HP found that 68 per cent of consumers still prefer photographs to be physical rather than digital. 64 per cent of those surveyed preferred CDs over MP3s and downloads when purchasing music. 75 per cent preferred DVDs when it came to films, while a massive 95 per cent still prefer reading books traditionally.

While the 16-24 and 25-34 age groups are the most enthusiastic when it comes to digital media, many of them - some 39 per cent - are still purchasing CDs and DVDs alongside digital formats. The move to subscription based models is even more far out, with 73 per cent of the sample saying that they can never see a time when they’d move to a 100 per cent subscription model for their music and films - such as service offered by streaming music service Spotify.

According to HP, research suggests that UK consumers are treating their media collections more as a utility rather than a personal purchase. 71 per cent revealed they have never lost their media library and are not worried about security while 27 per cent put their digital media collection’s value at less than 50. The survey found digital media was generally viewed on a desktop computer with 56 per cent listening or viewing while sat at a desk. Laptops also proved a popular option with 47 viewing, while DVD players took up 28 per cent, MP3 players 25 per cent and mobile phones with 18 per cent. HP found 14 per cent said they did not access any form of digital content.

"In this technologically driven age it is easy to get carried away and think that everybody is embracing digital and leaving physical behind," says Shaun Hobbs, Home Server Manager for HP PSG UK and Ireland. "Our survey shows that this isn’t the case. Britons are on an evolutionary journey with media still being bought on multiple formats and enjoyed using a variety of devices." The survey was commissioned to help promote HP’s MediaSmart Server, which is billed as central 'store' for music, films, pictures and other digital content. "We’re not yet ready to give up the old ways of purchasing media. However, the survey shows that the benefits of being able to access and enjoy a much broader range of content thanks to the Internet are also clearly appreciated. It’s a safe bet to assume attitudes will change to favour digital over physical but at present, we’re happy to have both," Hobbs added.

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SeeSaw premium online TV service goes live

Online catch-up TV service SeeSaw has made its premium service featuring paid-for TV shows available to web users. SeeSaw, a free service that uses the technology originally employed for the Project Kangaroo venture, announced in March it was planning to offer paid-for content. SeeSaw was made publicly available in February, after less than a month of a closed beta trial of 20,000 web users.

It offers around 3,000 hours of TV programmes from the BBC, Channel 4 and Five, and is similar to music-streaming service Spotify because the content available is peppered with 60-second adverts that can not be skipped. The premium service offers around 1,000 hours of paid for shows from broadcasters including Comedy Central, BBC Worldwide and MTV.

Individual show such as The Hills and Gavin & Stacey can be rented from as little as 99p each. Alternatively web users can pay for the entire series, with prices between 3.99 and 17.99, although it depends upon how many episodes the series is made up of and when it was first aired. Single shows can be rented for up to 30 days, although the user has 48 hours to complete watching the show from the first-time it is played.

Meanwhile, an entire series can be kept for 90 days, with a 48-hour window to watch each episode once viewing has started. "Going forward, we are confident that our blend of free and premium programming will enhance the appeal of SeeSaw to both viewers and advertisers," said chief executive of SeeSaw Pierre-Jean Sebert. Currently only TV shows are available on the premium service. However, SeeSaw confirmed it planned to make a number of movies available in the future.

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New Tory - Lib Dem government considers McKinnon's appeal

Britain's new government is giving fresh consideration to a hacker's plea to postpone an upcoming court hearing in a long-running bid to avoid a U.S. trial that could send him to prison for decades.

The U.K.'s Home Office, which oversees criminal justice affairs, is reviewing a letter from lawyers for Gary McKinnon, who was charged in the U.S. in 2002 for breaking into military and government computers.

McKinnon is scheduled for a judicial review hearing in the High Court on May 25 and 26 on the basis of his diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome, a neurological disorder related to autism characterized by deficiencies in social interaction.

Theresa May, the new home secretary from the Conservative party, is expected to issue a response "as soon as possible," according to a Home Office spokesman.

"The Home Secretary has received a letter from Gary McKinnon's legal team asking her to agree to an adjournment of the Judicial Review in light of further representations," according to a Home Office statement.

McKinnon's case has risen in profile over the last couple of years, with celebrities, along with politicians, voicing their support for him.

The recent change in government could help his cause. Some members of the U.K.'s new coalition government have been highly critical of the circumstances of McKinnon's case.

Last year, David Cameron - now Britain's prime minister - criticised the extradition treaty McKinnon was subject to. Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat's leader who is deputy prime minister, said last year he opposed extraditing McKinnon given his medical condition.

The U.K. government approved McKinnon's extradition in 2006, but his lawyers undertook a series of court maneuvers that have kept him from being extradited.

McKinnon had asked to be prosecuted in the U.K., but the request was denied on the basis that U.S. authorities wanted jurisdiction over the case and because most of the witnesses are in the U.S.

McKinnon was indicted by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in 2002 for hacking into 97 military and NASA computers between February 2001 and March 2002. He could face up to 60 years in prison.

McKinnon has remained free in the U.K. but isn't allowed to use a computer. He has publicly admitted to hacking the computers using a program called "RemotelyAnywhere," a remote access tool.

McKinnon has said that many of the computer systems still had their default passwords -- considered a poor security practice -- and that other passwords were easy to obtain.

McKinnon, who went by the name "Solo," contends he was merely searching for proof of the existence UFOs and didn't harm the systems. The U.S. military contends that McKinnon deleted critical files from its computers, which hampered its efforts after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Send new tips and comments to jeremy_kirk@idg.com.

Lindsay Lohan gets child protection visitPirate Bay appeal judges are not biased, says Swedish Court

New MacBook gets faster 2.4Ghz CPU, GeForce 320m, higher UK price

Apple has refreshed its MacBook model, incorporating a new faster 2.4GHz processor, and NVIDIA GeForce 320m graphics processor.

These changes bring it into line with recently released MacBook Pro model, and were initially rumoured by Macworld UK yesterday.

Apple is claiming that the new MacBook provides 80 per cent faster performance, largely due to the the improved graphics NVIDIA GeForce 320m graphics processor.

Like the NVIDIA 9400m graphics chip it replaces, the 320m shares its memory (256MB) from the main system RAM, rather than possessing the discrete graphics memory found on the NVIDIA 330m (used by the MacBook Pro).

Currently, Apple is the only manufacturer to be using the NVIDIA GeForce 320m, although our understanding is that the chip has not been exclusively made for Apple, and other manufacturers can begin using the chipset.

As well as offering faster performance, the NVIDIA 320m is 40 per cent more efficient than the 9400m chip it replaces. Apple is claiming a fairly hefty 10 hours of wireless productivity from the new MacBook.

Another new feature (albeit a small one) is that the DVI socket now supports the DVI to HDMI adaptor, enabling you to connect the older monitors to the laptop.

Aside from that the rest of the specifications, sockets, and features remain the same. Not that this is a bad thing, with its unibody casing and glass trackpad the MacBook offers most of the functionality of the MacBook Pro at a lower price.

However, this is slightly tinted by the price rising again in the UK, this time from 819 to 849. In what is a familiar story, the price of Apple products continues to rise as the UK exchange rate continues to fall against the US dollar.

The UK price is also considerably higher than the US price due to the 17.5 per cent VAT added on to the price in this country. Potential customers might also want to consider the mooted rise in VAT (sales tax) from 17.5 per cent, to 20 per cent by the new government. The new government has announced that an emergency budget will take place in the next 50 days, and it is likely that VAT will rise at this point (this would take the new MacBook to approximately 870).

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Apple clarifies Japan iPad SIM-lock, sort of

If you haven’t been following the news over whether or not iPads in Japan are being SIM-locked to wireless provider Softbank, it’s understandable: at this point, the story has doubled back on itself more than your average Hollywood heist flick. Fortunately, Apple has finally clarified the company’s position. Mostly.

Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, an Apple spokesperson said that 3G-enabled iPads sold in Japan will be compatible only with Softbank, and not from rival providers such as NTT DoCoMo, when used in Japan. However, despite that, those iPads can still be used outside of Japan with any provider who uses compatible micro-SIM cards.

The comment provided to the Journal does not specifically address whether or not the iPad is SIM-locked, but reading between the lines it would seem that the situation in Japan may be similar to the situation in the U.S. with AT&T.

In one of his increasingly common alleged email exchanges, Apple CEO Steve Jobs told one customer last week that the Japanese 3G iPad would accept international SIMs. That would seem to agree with a comment Jobs made during the iPad’s launch in January, when he said all iPad 3G models were unlocked. However, one site reported that the Japanese FAQ for the 3G iPad says that international SIMs won’t work in the iPad—that may mean that you can’t buy a SIM card from another country and use it in Japan.

Despite the clarification offered by Apple, it seems that the situation is still somewhat on the convoluted side. For the full story, we may have to wait until the 3G iPad arrives in Japan later this month.

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NDrive UK & Ireland app for iPhone now £4.99

NDrive Navigation Application Solutions S.A has reduced the price of NDrive UK & Ireland for iPhone 3G/3GS to 4.99/€5.99 for a limited period. According to the company, the move is part of a global movement to make its software more affordable to end users. Prices have been dropped in strategic countries such as UK, Ireland, Germany, USA, Italy and the Netherlands.

Newly updated to version 10, NDrive UK & Ireland promises to turn your iPhone 3G/3GS into a fully functioning GPS navigation device.

The application offers the following features:

- Fully functional SIGNPOSTS AND INFOLANES
- Embedded store-inside-store in order to allow an easy download of extra features to your App such as new voices, alerts, etc.
- Highly effective search engine and rapid calculations allows benefits such as a fast and easy calculation of alternative routes
- Most important buildings and landmarks are presented in 3D
- Car, Pedestrian or Adventure Mode, where ADVENTURE MODE will guide your way while trekking, bike riding, off-road in cars, on boats and even on light aircrafts
- Simple and intuitive user interface
- MULTI-TOUCH TECHNOLOGY with gesture recognition for menu, zooming, tilting and panning will enable you to control and display maps easily
- POIs (Points of Interest) and favourites with phone/fax number, description, email and website address
- UNLIMITED NUMBER of customizable favourites entries and user defined categories
- Navigating and searching for city center, street names and numbers, crossings, postal codes, favorite places, recent locations, coordinates and nearby POIs
- Advanced itinerary with multiple waypoints for enhanced planning
- Keyboard available in either ABC or QWERTY mode
- INTEGRATION WITH IPOD, listen to music while driving
- Automatic Day/Night mode
- Sound and visual alarms for desired and fixed maximum speed levels
- Automatic Portrait/Landscape display mode
- Free access to the NDRIVE COMMUNITY to share POIs with other user anywhere in the world
- Search online from you NDrive using search engines like GoogleTM and find additional POIs in any location

Available from the Apple iTunes App Store, NDrive UK & Ireland for requires the iPhone 3.0 Software Update. NDrive notes all map data is stored on your iPhone so you can navigate without the need to pay for additional data downloads. Due to the size of this application - 286 MB - NDrive strongly recommend you download the application via iTunes.

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US trade agency to investigate Apple's patent complaint

The U.S. International Trade Commission will investigate complaints by Apple that Eastman Kodak violated its patents related to digital imaging devices and software, the latest dispute in a long-standing patent skirmish between the two companies.

Apple filed a so-called section 337 complaint against Kodak on April 15, alleging that the company had violated its patents related to digital imaging devices and associated software. In the complaint, Apple asked the USITC to bar Kodak from importing products containing the technology into the U.S.

The USITC announced late Thursday it would investigate the complaint by Apple.

U.S. companies alleging patent infringement by competitors often file section 337 complaints in addition to filing lawsuits. Many section 337 complaints result in a settlement.

Apple's complaint against Kodak came after the USITC, in February, voted to investigate a complaint filed by Kodak against Apple and Research In Motion. In that case, which is still pending before the USITC, Kodak alleged that Apple and RIM violated patents related to mobile phone and other devices containing digital cameras.

Kodak filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Apple and RIM in January. In the lawsuit, Kodak alleged that the Apple iPhone and some BlackBerry smartphones use a method for previewing camera phone images that has been patented by Kodak.

Apple responded with its own lawsuit in April. Apple's complaint against Kodak alleges that the company has infringed two patents -- one involving unified memory architecture in digital cameras, and one involving modular digital imaging processing. Several Kodak camera models infringe the patents, Apple alleged.

In the new USITC investigation, the agency will set a target date for completing the investigation within 45 days.

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Google stops sniffing Wi-Fi data after privacy gaffe

Google has decided to stop its Street View cars from sniffing wireless networking data after an embarrassing privacy gaffe.

The company revealed Friday that Street View vehicles had been sniffing the content of users' Internet communications on open wireless networks, despite the company's earlier statements to the contrary.

Google has since discovered that it has been mistakenly collecting the content of communications from non-password-protected Wi-Fi networks, the company said in a statement posted to its blog Friday afternoon.

Google Street View cars are best known for driving around cities and logging snapshots of the area, which are then posted online and integrated with Google Maps. Google cars had been sniffing some network data -- SSID (Service Set Identifier) information and MAC (Media Access Control) addresses -- that was then used to help the company get a better fix on the locations of things in order to improve its Web products. Google had said that it wasn't sniffing other data sent over the networks, but it turned out that this wasn't true.

Google says it was all a mistake.

"In 2006 an engineer working on an experimental Wi-Fi project wrote a piece of code that sampled all categories of publicly broadcast Wi-Fi data," Google said, "A year later, when our mobile team started a project to collect basic Wi-Fi network data like SSID information and MAC addresses using Google's Street View cars, they included that code in their software -- although the project leaders did not want, and had no intention of using, payload data."

Google discovered its error after auditing its Street View Wi-Fi data at the request of the Hamburg, Germany, data protection authority.

The company will now hire a third party to audit the software that Street View used and ensure that all potentially sensitive data was deleted.

"In addition, given the concerns raised, we have decided that it's best to stop our Street View cars collecting Wi-Fi network data entirely," Google added.

Because the Street View cars are usually in motion, they probably would have recorded only snippets of information from open networks, but they could have picked up sensitive data from unencrypted Web sites, including Google's own Gmail service, which only recently started requiring encrypted (HTTPS) Web connections.

"Next week we will start offering an encrypted version of Google Search," Google said.

Google's sniffing is only a problem for people who used open, unencrypted networks. Google wouldn't have been able to log any comprehensible data from networks that used encryption technologies such as WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) or WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access).

"The engineering team at Google works hard to earn your trust," Google said. "And we are acutely aware that we failed badly here."

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Reminder: Blurb Photography Book Now competition offers $25,000 Grand Prize

Blurb, a creative publishing and marketing platform for user-created book publishers, has announced the Photography Book Now 2010 competition is now open for entries, with a grand prize of $25,000, around 16,000.

Now in its third year, this international-juried competition, presented by Blurb, celebrates the very best in self-published photography books and the photographers behind them.

Entries will be accepted in three categories – Fine Art, Editorial, and Photography Portfolio. The finalists’ books in each category will become part of the permanent collections at the International Center for Photography, the Annenberg Space for Photography and the George Eastman House.

Noted photography book expert Darius Himes will serve as lead judge for the third year. In this role, Himes will lead a panel of distinguished photographers, publishers, editors and gallery curators who will jury the Photography Book Now competition.

The 2010 competition jurors include:

Monica Allende, Photo Editor, London Sunday Times
David Fahey, Gallery Director, Fahey Klein
Michael Mack, Publisher, Steidl/Mack
Lesley Martin, Publisher, Aperture
Susan Meiselas, Photographer
Erin O’Toole, Assistant Curator of Photography, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Martin Parr, Photographer
Judith Puckett-Rinella, Senior Photography Editor, T: The New York Times Style Magazine
Brian Smith, Photographer

Blurb notes, submissions will be accepted through 11:59 pm PDT on 15 July, 2010 at www.photographybooknow.com. Contestants who choose to enter online must create their books using Blurb’s creative publishing platform. Each entry costs 20/€27.50/$35 by credit card payment only.

A full list of Photography Book Now rules can be found here.

Hewlett Packard has been announced as the main Photography Book Now sponsor. Category award winners will receive prizes provided by Sony Electronics, Lensbaby, CENTER, Wacom, B&H Photo, Digital Photo Pro Magazine, X-Rite, Induro, Tenba and Maine Media Workshops. Additional sponsors include New Page, American PHOTO, Photo District News and British Journal of Photography.

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Steam for Mac launches with dozens of games, LucasArts sale

Valve released a new version of the Steam video game distribution client for Apple's Mac platform today, and while the company has yet to distribute an official list of the launch titles, Joystiq has culled a list of 50 games that are already available.

The available titles include former Mac stalwarts like Portal and Torchlight, hardcore shooters like Call of Duty 1 & 2, Telltale adventure episodes including five Tales of Monkey Island chapters and six Sam & Max episodes, as well as a quartet of classic LucasArts games -- Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Loom, and The Dig.

The four LucasArts games are available standalone for $5 each, or in a limited-time bundle that nets you all four games for $10. With Valve's Steam Play allowing for players to download games on multiple operating systems with one purchase, you can rest assured that deal goes for PC gamers too.

You can check out the entire list via the source link below -- Mac owners, anything tickling your fancy?

SOURCE: Steam for Mac now available; 50 launch games

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Intel aims wireless display technology at handhelds

Intel will bring its wireless display technology to mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, company executives said this week.

The company's Wi-Di technology enables consumers to wirelessly transmit images and video from a PC to a high-definition TV screen. The technology will likely appear in devices such as netbooks, tablets and handheld devices, said Kerry Forrell, wireless display product manager at Intel.

"We fully expect to take the technology there," Forrell said, but he couldn't provide a time frame in which the technology would reach handheld devices.

At an investor conference earlier this week, Intel CEO Paul Otellini said Wi-Di technology bundled with Intel-based devices could make it easier for users to view HD content stored on gadgets like mobile phones on larger screens.

"What we want to do is have better out-of-box usage experience. What we'll be doing over the next few years is take the Wi-Di capability that's in the laptop today and extend that into all the Intel platforms," Otellini said. "Any of the Intel-based devices you have will be able to handle that seamless wireless communication of HD video between that device and the big screen."

Video quality from home camcorders is also improving, and there is an increasing interest in viewing such content on big screens, Forrell said.

Wi-Di involves software that uses the graphics capabilities inside Intel's Core processors and a wireless chipset to create a point-to-point Wi-Fi connection between the TV set and PC. The software automates the process of transmitting images from the PC to the TV.

But Intel's immediate focus is to put the technology in more PCs, Forrell said. The technology is currently available with PCs that carry Intel's Core i5 and Core i7 chips, and will soon become available with Intel's Core i3 processors. The technology will also become available in laptops in China and Europe soon.

In addition to spreading Wi-Di, the company is trying to make it easier to use. Currently, a wireless receiver box needs to be attached to the TV. Forrell said eventually the wireless functionality could be integrated into TVs.

"We will over time add this as a function to multifunction devices including TVs," he said.

The company is also confident that Wi-Fi technology will be able to handle transmission of high-definition content to TV sets. There is a half-second delay in displaying content between when it reaches a laptop to when it is shown on a TV. Over time, the company will try to cut that delay, Forrell said.

Commercial applications of the technology could include wireless transmission of presentations to a projector, Forrell said. There is also growing interest in watching 3D content on TVs, and Intel will develop the technology for transmission of such content.

Intel's Wi-Di could face competition from consumer electronics companies, which already sell Internet-ready devices capable of bringing online videos and movies to TVs. For example, Nintendo's Wii gaming console streams content from Netflix to TVs. Companies like LG and Samsung also sell TVs and Blu-ray players that are capable of streaming movies directly from online movie sites.

While consumer electronics makers are partnering with content providers to optimize content for HDTV screens, Intel is focused on developing the technology, Forrell said. It is primarily up to the content providers to optimize applications and content for Wi-Di.

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Report: Virgin Media blocks file sharing sites

UK ISP Virgin Media appears to have blocked, temporarily at least, access to well known file sharing sites Rapidshare and Megaupload. While both have legitimate uses for uploading and downloading large files via the internet, users are also known to upload pirated films, music and software for anyone to download. Additionally, the sites are known for giving access to popular and cult US TV shows only hours after broadcast.

Virgin Media customers noticed the sites blocked on Thursday, discussing the problem in the Virgin Fibre optic broadband (cable) forum. "I am hoping that this is some sort of error and Virgin arent daring to dictate which sites people can access and which they cant, that is just outrageous," forum member jo1st noted. Meanwhile xpath suggested the move could be pre-emptive action on the part of the ISP prior to the introduction of the Digital Economy Bill, which aims to crack down on widespread internet piracy.

'Thats excatly what the digital economy bill is trying to inforce. i dont know if vm are blocking access to file hosts such as rapidshare and megaupload etc... but theres realy nothing you can do about it if they are," xpath claimed. "The digital economybill gives the government the power to block access to any site it deams associated with file shareing and in the case of RS and MU MS etc.. it would make sence that this is now being done."

Later, a report from Bitterwallet claimed Virgin blamed an error for the problem, offering an way to circumvent the Rapidshare block by simply replacing http:// with https:// in the site address. By Friday morning, both Rapidshare and Megaupload now appears to be accessible for some Virgin users.

[Via The Next Web]

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Bid & Borrow offers try before you buy Apple iPad deal

A company is offering potential iPad customers a chance to try before they buy Apple's long-awaited device. For 20 per day, Bid & Borrow will let you borrow the 16GB Wi-Fi iPad to test before making a more serious financial commitment. Borrowers can also bid a lower than listed borrow fee to ensure they achieve a deal they are happy with.

Bid & Borrow promises to bring lenders and borrowers together so that the 'stuff' they own can be used time and time again, an ecologically-sound concept insists the company. Bid & Borrow already offers hundreds of items to borrow, with lenders able to generate potential income for the items they lend out.

Full details can be found at www.bidandborrow.com. All items require a deposit.

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Fujitsu intros teddy bear robot, designed to motivate children, stimulate the elderly

Fujitsu has developed a robot teddy bear that's designed to motivate children and stimulate the elderly.

The bear is on show this week at the company's Fujitsu Forum event in Tokyo and proved a hit with show attendees, who gathered around to watch it laugh, wave, exercise and even sleep.

"Inside the robot about 300 behaviors are registered and the bear executes some of them depending on its emotional state and the user's interaction," said Ichiro Watanabe, a senior researcher at Fujitsu Laboratories, who developed the robot.

"If I touch him it reacts like this," he said before proceeding to vigorously rub the bear's stomach. The bear then erupted into giggles.

There are 13 sensors across the bear's body to sense human touch, including sensors on both hands, an internal tilt sensor, a microphone and a camera that's mounted in the bear's nose. Through these inputs it attempts to gather information about its surroundings and the emotional state of its user then, armed with that information, tries to react in an appropriate way.

If you smile, it smiles back.

Twelve robotic actuators through the bear's body help it achieve movements like nodding or shaking its head and opening or closing its eyes.

Fujitsu envisages it could be used in nursing homes to stimulate the minds of the elderly and keep them company; in nurseries to promote learning, and as a general companion at home.

The company's work on the robot goes beyond the gears, motors and sensors that make up its body. The company envisages the robot will maintain a data connection to its service provider business through which data and other services can be provided.

Real-world tests of the robot have already taken place and development work is continuing towards an eventual launch.

Japanese robot makers view nursing homes and elderly care facilities as a prime potential market for their products. Japan's society is aging fast and elderly care is expected to be a major business sector in the future.

Government figures released last month show just under 23 percent of the country's population is now aged 65 or older. In contrast those 14 years of age or younger make up just 13 percent of the overall population of 127 million.

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Pirate Bay appeal judges are not biased, says Swedish Court

Sweden's Supreme Court has found that two of the judges scheduled to hear an appeal in the Pirate Bay case are unbiased, it ruled on Wednesday.

Judges Kristina Boutz and Ulrika Ihrfelt had been accused of bias because of their involvement in pro-copyright organizations. The Supreme Court's ruling means they will be able to hear the Pirate Bay's appeal in a copyright case pitting it against record labels, film studios and other entertainment companies. The appeal trial is scheduled to start on Sept. 28, the Svea Court of Appeals said in March.

But the dates aren't set in stone. Peter Sunde, one of the four defendants, has said he isn't able to attend, and the Court of Appeals will now have to decide if Sunde's reasons are legitimate, according to Ihrfelt. The accusations of bias have until now prevented the court from looking into this matter, Ihrfelt said.

If Sunde's reasons are legitimate, the trial date will have to be moved, Ihrfelt said. The appeals trial was postponed last year because of the bias accusations directed at Boutz and Ihrfelt by Carl Lundstrm, another of the defendants in the case.

It is now over a year since Fredrik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm Warg, Sunde and Lundstrm were found guilty of being accessories to crimes against copyright law, and each sentenced to one year in prison. The Stockholm District Court also ordered them to pay around 30 million Swedish kronor (US$3.9 million) in damages. All four subsequently appealed the verdict.

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Rob Shoesmith intros Problem Halved 2 for iPhone

Coventry's best known binman Rob Shoesmith has updated his iPhone application Problem Halved. Shoesmith gained interest from local and national TV and radio, newspapers and magazines when Problem Halved hit the Apple iTunes App Store in August 2009.

Rob Shoesmith of Whitley, developed his application, Problem Halved, with the help of MEDL Mobile, a company that builds iPhone applications, and encourages development with an App Incubator scheme.

The application aims to allow people from around the world to give suggestions to help solve problems. Users can post a problem or answer a problem, or do both, as the application suggests a problem shared is a problem halved. Problem Halved 2 promises a new sleek design, the addition of national flags/country of origin to see whose posting where, thread-style posting, with the ability to respond to a problem or a solution and share features including via email, Facebook and Twitter.

Available from the Apple iTunes App Store Problem Halved 2 for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad costs 1.79 and requires the iPhone 3.1.3 Software Update or later.

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Facebook hires former Bush regulator for privacy defence

Facebook has hired lawyer Tim Muris, a former senior regulator in the Bush administration, to defend its privacy policies against government scrutiny.

According to the Financial Times, Muris has been appointed while the regulatory agency Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is examining complaints that have been made against the social network on the grounds of privacy. Formerly a chairman of the FTC, Muris is now a lawyer at law firm O’Melveny & Myers.

Earlier this year, Muris appeared before the Senate commerce committee opposing a proposal that recommended giving the FTC greater authority to pass regulations, for example on privacy issues. The proposal has been passed in the House of Representatives and consumer rights advocates are supporting the bill, which is currently being debated in the Senate.

Governments around the world are trying to decide how to regulate Facebook, as its footprint grows. The site currently has around 400 million users worldwide, and faces a great deal of criticism with regards to its privacy policies.

On 5 May, the Washington-based advocacy group Electronic Privacy Information Center, on behalf of itself and 14 other privacy and consumer protection organisations, filed a complaint with the FTC alleging that Facebook “has engaged in unfair and deceptive trade practices in violation of consumer protection law”.

This follows recent changes to the social network that allows disclosure of user data to third parties without prior consent. EPIC said that these changes “violate user expectations, diminish user privacy and contradict Facebook’s own representations.”

In addition, EPIC sent a letter to Congress, urging US government committees to monitor closely the FTC’s investigation.

Last month, US Senator Charles Schumer also asked the FTC to set out guidelines for social networking sites on how to use and share users’ information. He believed that users should be able to opt in to policies rather than opt out. This led to Facebook officials meeting with Schumer's staff to discuss the issues.

In response to complaints, Facebook has said that it actually gives its users more control over their privacy. However, just last week, a bug in the site's system allowed users to view their friends' chat sessions and their friends' pending friend requests on the site.

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Fujitsu develops curved Plasma Tube Array display

Fujitsu demonstrated on Tuesday a meter-square, full-color display panel that is curved so it can be mounted around corners and pillars.

The panel features a Plasma Tube Array (PTA) screen made by standing hundreds of millimeter-high plasma tubes on end, one after another. The tubes are organized in batches of three, one each representing red, green and blue, and this is repeated across the display. The orientation of the tubes means the display can be gently curved, for example to fit around a pillar.

The basic display technology for the screen was developed by Japan's Shinoda Plasma. The company first demonstrated its technology in 2008 when it unveiled a 125-inch panel made up of six of the meter-square panels.

Fujitsu Frontech, a subsidiary of Fujitsu, developed the screen into a meter-square display module suitable for commercial use.

Visitors to the company's Fujitsu Forum event in Tokyo got a taste of the displays on Tuesday as they arrived. Four pillars, each featuring two meter-square displays, one above the other, were on show at the entrance to the event.

The screens will be commercially available in the latter half of this year. Pricing details were not announced.

Shinoda Plasma and Fujitsu have long had links through Tsutae Shinoda, chairman of the company that bears his name. Shinoda is best known as the inventor of the PDP display and previously worked as a fellow at Fujitsu Laboratories on development of plasma tube arrays.

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Intel to launch new processors for ultrathin laptops

Intel will soon release new low-power processors for a class of thin and light laptops that bridge the gap between netbooks and mainstream laptops, a company spokeswoman confirmed on Friday.

The new processors will be available under Intel's Core i3 and Core i5 brands and will power laptops that are as portable as netbooks but have larger screens and greater functionality. Called ultrathin laptops, these PCs are usually priced between US$400 and $800 and provide performance that is adequate to run standard applications and high-definition multimedia.

An Intel road map presented during a webcast on Thursday showed that the chips will be less powerful than the standard-voltage Core i3 and Core i5 laptop processors, which are priced between $133 and $294, according to an Intel price list. However, the new processors will be faster than Intel's Atom chips, which go into netbooks.

The road map also showed that the chips are due for release this quarter. The Intel spokeswoman declined comment on further chip details such as release date, performance and pricing. However, ultrathin processors are generally cheaper than mainstream laptop chips.

The new processors will reach laptops in the second half of the year, said Stephen Smith, vice president and director of PC client operations and enabling at Intel, during a webcast speech.

The chips will be made using the latest 32-nanometer manufacturing process, Smith said. The processors could provide a significant performance and power-savings boost over the first ultrathin chips introduced last year by Intel under the Core and Pentium brands. Intel's Core i3 and Core i5 processors integrate the CPU and graphics processor inside a single chip package, which could improve graphics performance while drawing less power. The chips are also capable of running two threads per one core, which could improve application performance.

The ultrathin laptop category first emerged when AMD introduced its Athlon Neo processors in January last year. Intel followed suit, releasing new ultrathin chips a few months later. The laptops were expected to fill a power and performance gap between netbooks and mainstream laptops, but adoption rates were slow.

However, research firm iSuppli said in a statement on Thursday that shipments of ultrathin laptops will pick up this year. iSuppli estimated that ultrathin shipments to total 14.5 million, a 93 percent increase from the 7.5 million ultrathin laptops that shipped last year. iSuppli estimated total laptop shipments to be 209.5 million units this year, a 25.5 percent year-over-year growth.

Acer was the top ultrathin laptop maker last year, shipping 5 million units, followed by Asustek, Hewlett-Packard, Dell and Sony. Apple hasn't yet adopted ultrathin processors for its laptops.

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Nokia, Apple Ratchet Up the Patent Madness

Nokia vs. Apple is not your garden variety patent infringement lawsuit.

The companies have been at each other's throats since October, when Nokia accused Apple of infringing 10 patents with the iPhone. Apple countersued, and Nokia piled on seven new patents in January. Then, both companies took their cases to the United States International Trade Commission, where the lawsuits are now pending. On Friday, Nokia announced that it's suing Apple some more, tacking on another five patents and including Apple's 3G-enabled iPad.

When you look at some of the tech sector's biggest patent cases over the years, (ongoing ones here and major past lawsuits here), this is not how it's supposed to play out.

Usually there are two potential scenarios: Most likely, an obscure company sues a tech giant, seeking a big cash payout for little-known innovations and making headlines in the process. A notable example is NTP's lawsuit against BlackBerry phone maker Research in Motion for several wireless patents. RIM ultimately paid a $615 million settlement to prevent an injunction on its phones. More recently, a company called i4i almost knocked Microsoft Office off store shelves due to a patent related to XML.

The other kind of case involves two or more major brand names going head-to-head on big ideas. For example, TiVo and EchoStar have been fighting for years over a TiVo DVR patent related to watching one show and recording another at the same time. In 1998, Apple sued Microsoft, alleging that Windows stole Apple's idea of a graphical user interface for computers. Then, Xerox joined the fray, claiming the GUI was its idea. An ongoing example is Apple's patent lawsuit against HTC, which claims that the Android phone maker rips off several aspects of the iPhone's user interface.

The quarrel between Apple and Nokia falls into neither category. Both companies are household names, so this isn't a case of Goliath stealing David's big idea. But unlike Apple's battle with HTC over user interface, or TiVo's fight with EchoStar over one DVR function, it's hard to point to a specific innovation at stake in this case because both sides are piling all sorts of patent claims, ranging from wireless technologies to speech and data transmission to space-saving techniques.

The argument from both sides, in aggregate, is that the other company stole a lot of important ideas and needs to pay up. But what good does that serve for innovation and the consumer?

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WhiteWall brings its pro printing service to the UK

WhiteWall is bringing its professional printing service from Germany to the UK. We caught up with Whitewall's Jan Seewald to go over the service it offers, and what it hopes to bring to the UK creative community.

"We're dealing with photographic artists" explained Jan. Whitewall is responsible for printing most of the editions displayed, and sold, in LUMAS contemporary art galleries in Germany, Paris, and New York.

"We started out with LUMAS five years ago" explains Jan, "and we still roll hundreds of prints every day for LUMAS." But Whitewall decided a few years ago to open its professional printing service to a wider public.

We're geared up to the professional and amateur market, explains Jan. What we do is really high quality prints in professional finishes. finishes.

The finishes range from direct prints on aluminium backing, or behind acrylic glass to real photo prints with with a silicon layer behind aluminium backing or acrylic glass; the company also offers a range of frames, boxes, and also pegs that turn pictures directly into photo frames.

They also have a variety of print techniques and paper options: Lambda prints on Fujicolor, Oc Lightjet prints on Kodak Pro Ulatra Endura, to UV Art Prints.

They're also fairly adept at turning out custom prints and can do just about anything between 9x9cm up to 6 meter fabric prints. "We can also do interesting dimensions, widescreen prints and so on. We do everything from individual prints up to whole gallery exhibitions".

Another area where Whiteall is interesting is the shipping. "Shipping damage is down to 0.1 per cent with us" says Jan Seebald, "we started out at 12 per cent but worked really hard to improve our shipping". They did this by using the CRC cutter to not just cut the prints, but also to cut the packaging for each print individually.

The company has launched its Website in the UK, although prices are still in Euros and shipping pricing has yet to be confirmed. Pricing is in reach of the average customer though, from 10 for a photo print on acrylic glass and 5 on acrylic glass, although if you start going up to poster sized pictures on aluminium with acrylic the pricing can go up to 500.

It seems to us a good way to go about turning great photographs into artworks, however. More information can be found online at WhiteWall.com.

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Google refreshes mobile search for iPhones, Android

A day after Google revamped its search results page, the company has revealed similar changes to the search results available to Android and iPhone smartphone users.

The most obvious change is a button to the left of the search box that opens an options menu listing categories such as "News," "Products,""Past 24 hours" and more. Clicking on those category links can further refine a search.

While it might initially look like the actual search results get sacrificed to show the menu listing, users can simply pan across the page to see the full search results.

Google is promising to expand availability of its revised mobile search more smartphone platforms and locations (beyond the United States) in the weeks ahead.

The mobile search changes are part of an overall Google effort to present a more consistent search experience across all of its offerings. Google is headed toward a universal search approach that integrates text, images, video and other content into its results.

Google went through a lengthy testing process before making its latest changes, said Patrick Riley, Google's technical lead for Web search.

"We're definitely well aware that small changes we make can have a high impact on how people use the site," he said. "We're happy with the results based on all the different forms of testing we've done."

Naturally, Google's search engine changes aren't for everyone, with some suggesting the revised Google page looks too much like Microsoft's Bing and tries to do too much.

Google, however, is making its moves from a position of increasing strength. According to the latest market numbers, the company's share of the US search market is actually on the rise, approaching nearly three quarters of searches, whereas rivals Yahoo and Bing are slipping a bit.

Other recent upgrades to the Google search offering include a virtual keyboard that enables users to search in 35 different languages.

And while Google still has catching up to do in the Web browser market, it also is powering ahead with newer, faster versions of Chrome, which Google is hoping more people will use to browse -- and search -- the Web.

Meanwhile, Google continues to invest in startups that could one day bolster its search and other products. The company has also started 2010 on a torrid M&Apace, snapping up 9 companies already, including Aardvark, a social search technology company.

IDGNews Service contributed to this article.

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iPad scaring off some US schools, at least temporarily

While Israel has grabbed many headlines for its Wi-Fi-related iPad import ban, several U.S. universities are also approaching the iPad with caution.

Universities are known for taking much more of an anything-goes approach to IT than corporations, all in the name of academic freedom, but some schools are concerned about what impact the iPad could have on overall network performance. Though none are indicating any sort of ban will be permanent: it's clear from the fact that Apple said it sold 500,000 iPads in the U.S. during their first week on the market that this device is going to make its way onto all sorts of networks.

Princeton University has issued the following alert:

"Network monitoring has shown that many iPad devices are causing a problem on the campus network. These devices are continuing to use an IP address they have been leased well beyond the time they should. (In technical terms, the device's DHCP client software stops renewing its lease, but the device keeps using the IP address after the DHCP lease expires. This is not a Wi-Fi issue.) This behavior causes a disruption on the campus network.

At this time, we have seen this behavior from (at last count) half of the iPad devices connected to the campus network. We believe this is a bug within the iPad operating system. OIT has reported this bug to Apple. Princeton network administrators and Apple are working together to resolve the issue.

Until a fix is provided by Apple, OIT recommends not connecting your iPad device to the campus network as it is likely it will malfunction. iPad devices that malfunction in this manner while connected to the campus network may need to be blocked to maintain the stability and reliability of campus network services."

The Wall Street Journal has also reported that Cornell University has seen network and connectivity issues with the iPad and is seeking to head off the sort of bandwidth hogging issues it saw when the iPhone arrived on campus. George Washington University cited incompatibilities between the iPad and the school's security system.

There's also been some discussion about iPad network issues on an EDUCAUSE mailing list for wireless network administrators at academic institutions.

Meanwhile, other schools, such as Seton Hill in Pennsylvania, recently said it is issuing next fall's freshmen iPads and MacBooks.

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Antitrust move against Apple would 'sink,' says expert

Antitrust charges against Apple over its decision to ban rivals' development tools from the iPhone would likely fail because the company doesn't have a stranglehold on the mobile market, an expert said today.

"It's going to be difficult for the government to prove antitrust allegations," said Hillard Sterling, an antitrust attorney at Chicago-based law firm Freeborn & Peters LLP.

"The government has to show that Apple's conduct is adversely affecting competition for consumers, and that requires that it show the absence of choice."

However, although the iPhone is an important part of the smartphone market, it doesn't control an overwhelming share of that market, Sterling argued.

Recent data, albeit on the global scene, back him up. Estimates by Strategy Analytics published last week show Apple's iPhone accounts for 16.4% of the smartphone market, behind both Nokia, with 38.2%, and BlackBerry-maker Research in Motion, with 19.7%.

Earlier on Monday, the New York Post, citing an unnamed source, said regulators at the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) were arguing over which agency will open an antitrust inquiry into Apple's actions.

The Post claimed that officials at both Justice and the FTC were looking into a recent Apple decision to block software developers from using cross-platform compilers when they create programs for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.

Representatives at the DOJ and the FTC have declined to comment on the report.

Later in the day, other reports, including one by the Reuters news service, also cited sources familiar with the agencies' plans who said that the both the FTC and Justice were mulling an antitrust investigation.

Four weeks ago, Apple modified the licensing agreement of its iPhone 4 SDK (software developers kit) to bar developers from using cross-platform compilers, tools that let programmers write in one framework -- say, Flash or JavaScript -- and then recompile their work in native code for another platform, like the iPhone.

Most analysts have agreed that the move was aimed at Adobe and the cross-platform compiler included in its Flash Professional CS5. Two weeks ago, Adobe acknowledged it was the target when it canceled future development of the compiler.

Then last week, Apple CEO Steve Jobs followed up by trashing Flash as "no longer necessary" on mobile devices, and wrote at length about why Adobe's development tool was being banned.

"The government isn't barred from bringing an antitrust action," said Sterling. "It could patch together something to make it float for a while. But in the end, I think it would sink. The government isn't going to win by just showing that some competitors have been harmed."

Adobe, which also declined comment today on the Post's report, has not publicly claimed hardship. However, after Jobs posted his open letter slamming Flash, Adobe's chief technology officer countered with a blog post titled "Moving Forward" that said the company was giving up on bringing Flash to the iPhone and iPad media tablet.

"We are working to bring Flash Player and AIR [Adobe Integrated Runtime] to all the other major participants in the mobile ecosystem, including Google, RIM, Palm, Microsoft, Nokia and others," Adobe's Kevin Lynch wrote.

Even though he believes any antitrust move against Apple would ultimately fail, Sterling doesn't doubt that regulators are looking closely at the company. "The government probably is looking at this seriously," said Sterling when asked how much credence to put to the initial report by the Post.

"There is a new era in antitrust enforcement with the current administration," Sterling said.

One possibility is that the Department of Justice and the FTC are digging into Apple's behavior not to build a strict antitrust case, but to craft something wider, and perhaps easier to establish.

"They may be after a broader case, one focused on allegedly anti-competitive behavior," Sterling said. "The government may then not have to show consumer impact, but only whether a competitor is acting unfairly."

If that's the intent, the government's task would still be difficult, Sterling argued, saying that the bar for unfair competition is "hard and high to clear. Hardball aggressive competition [on the part of Apple] isn't sufficient to prove anti-competitive practices."

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In the end, much may hinge on Apple CEO Steve Jobs' missive of last week, in which he took Flash to task and blamed third-party cross-platform compilers for resulting in "sub-standard apps" for the iPhone and iPad.

"It will go to Apple's credibility in the end," said Sterling. "Is it true that Apple faces technical problems if it allows cross-platform compilers? I'm sure the government has various experts looking closing at Jobs' technical assertions."

And if they dispute the CEO's contentions? "The government would have a much stronger case if Jobs' comments are only a pretext," Sterling said.

Apple has not replied to a request seeking comment on the reports of an impending investigation.

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