Rumor: Improved notification system, widgets coming to iOS 5

If there one major, collective complain among iOS fans is that the current operating system lacks a good a notification system. There is no stackable interface were all the notifications could go, using an old-fashioned one-upon-one layered format that is now extremely cumbersome and outdated. Thankfully, rumors of a new notification system for the iOS have been hinted at, what with Apple acquiring app developer Boxcar, who developed a notification app for different services.

Now, TechCrunch is reporting that a new notification system is indeed in the workshop, and will be unveiled at Apple’s upcoming WWDC event. The report also mentions another new feature for the iOS: widgets. Currently, users have to rely on jailbroken apps like Lockinfo that works as an all-in-one notification area and supports add-on such as weather.

Of course, all of these are just rumors, so take it how you may. WWDC begins from June 6-10.

Etisalat awarded ‘The Telecommunication Leader’ for Arab world

Press release:
Etisalat was crowned the Arab world’s “Telecommunications Leader” at the Arab Achievement Awards, which took place alongside the Arab Investment Summit, which was held in Abu Dhabi.

Ahmed Bin Ali, Group Senior Vice President Corporate Communications received the award on behalf of Etisalat from H.E. Juma Mohammad Al Kait, Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Trade.

H.E. Juma Mohammad Al Kait, Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Trade said: “Etisalat offers the very latest telecommunication technologies and services and thanks to its efforts the UAE enjoys a prominent place among the world’s most innovative and technology ready countries.”

Commenting on this event, Mr. Ibrahim Moosa Jamel, Director of Operations – Education Cluster at Dubai Knowledge Village and the host of the Arab Achievement Awards 2011 said: “Etisalat is one of the leading providers of telecom services and the award is a positive reflection of its achievements. It’s work over the years in developing the communications infrastructure has contributed to enhancing UAE’s attractiveness as a business destination.”

Etisalat continues to provide the best in class communications services in all countries of its operations it was the first to introduce new and advanced communications technologies in the UAE in addition to introducing the first third and fourth generation mobile networks in the Middle East and Africa.

Etisalat has also extended its fiber-optic network to cover all of Abu Dhabi making it the first capital city in the world that is fully connected by fiber. It is expected that Etisalat will complete the deployment nationwide in 2011 which will make the UAE the first country that is entirely covered with the fiber.

Etisalat has also successfully exported its expertise to all other countries in which it operates.

Microsoft makes more money from Android than WP7

According to a Citi analyst Walter Pritchard, Microsoft is currently making more money from Android than it is with its own mobile platform Windows Phone 7. True story.

Pritchard states that as a result of a case settlement with HTC, Microsoft is required to be paid $5 for every Android phone the Taiwanese company sells. To put that into the calculator, HTC has sold about 30 million Android smartphones, resulting in $150 million for Microsoft to pocket. Comparatively,  Microsoft has issued only 2 million Windows Phone licenses to date, with a license fee of $15 per device sold, equally to a much lesser $30 million.

Pritchard further stated that Microsoft is looking to sue even more manufacturers over infringement on the company’s intellectual property, and could be seeking anywhere between $7.50 to $12.50 for per device sold.

PayPal sues Google over trade secret theft

Popular online payment service PayPal has sued Google over claims of ‘misappropriating’ trade secrets from the company.

Apparently, two former employees, now working at Google, were involved in leaking vital information of Paypal’s mobile-payment business. Paypal is currently working with major retailers to develop a new type of point of sale system.

In the lawsuit, Paypal claims that a former employee, Osama Bedier, stole confidential information and passed it over to Google. Another former employee, Stephanie Tilenius, violated her contractual obligations by recruiting Bedier.

Bedier “is now leading Google’s efforts to bring point of sale technologies and services to retailers on its behalf,” according to the complaint. “Bedier and Google have misappropriated PayPal trade secrets by disclosing them within Google and to major retailers.”

PayPal also accused Bedier of non-disclosure of private talks between him and Google about a potential job at the search giant, while making negotiations to make PayPal a payment option on the Android Market – a breach of his fiduciary duty.

Google had yesterday unveiled its own NFC-payment service called Google Wallet.

Japan, Germany, Serbia, named safest place to surf the web by Kaspersky

Press release:
Kaspersky Lab, a leading developer of secure content and threat management solutions, presents statistics for IT threats in the first quarter of 2011. All the data was obtained from consenting participants of the Kaspersky Security Network which brings together millions of users of Kaspersky Lab’s products from 213 countries around the world.

According to the company’s research, in the first quarter of 2011, the number of web-borne attacks blocked stood at 254,932,299. Notably, 89% of all web resources used for hosting malware were detected in just 10 countries. The United States still tops this list – between January and March 2011, the share of malicious hosting sites in the US increased by 1.7 percentage points. The bulk of the malicious content is located on compromised legitimate sites. The number of malicious hosting sites continued to fall in China and Germany, with the volume of web attacks originating from the two countries falling by 3.33 and 3.28 percentage points respectively compared to the final quarter of 2010.

Those facing the highest risk of infection via the Internet were users in Russia and Oman. Nearly every second computer (49%) in those two countries became the target of a web attack during the first three months of the year. Other high-risk countries included Iraq, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. The safest countries for Internet surfing were Japan, Germany, Serbia, the Czech Republic and Luxembourg.

During Q1 2011, Kaspersky Lab’s solutions successfully blocked 412,790,509 attempted local infections of users’ computers connected to the Kaspersky Security Network. The Top 10 list of countries where users’ computers were exposed to the highest risk of local infections consisted entirely of Asian and African countries. First place in the ranking is occupied by various malicious programs detected with the help of cloud-based technologies. These technologies work when a malicious program first enters circulation and the antivirus databases do not have signatures or heuristic tools to detect it; at this time, information about this malware may well exist in the cloud.

The main point of interest in the Top 10 vulnerabilities detected on users’ computers was the presence of just a single Microsoft product vulnerability in 8th place. Vulnerabilities in Adobe products occupied a total of five positions in the list, including 1st and 2nd places.

“The statistics collected from computers belonging to KSN subscribers show that users’ computers in the developing countries are at the highest risk of both local and web-borne infection. With local infections, the groups within the maximum and high risk brackets consist exclusively of developing countries. In the countries that fall into the maximum risk bracket, local threats are blocked on over 60% of all computers that have Kaspersky Lab’s security products installed on them, while the corresponding figure for the high risk bracket is 40-60%. IT penetration is increasing rapidly in these countries, and levels of IT security awareness may not always advance at the same pace,” explains Yury Namestnikov, Kaspersky Lab expert and author of the quarterly report.

“However, the most advanced Trojans such as TDSS, Sinowal and Zbot, etc., primarily target users in developed countries, including the US, Germany, the UK, Italy, France and Spain. It is the digital wallets of users living in these countries that the cybercriminals are really after.”

Google announces Google Wallet services

At the New York press conference today, Google announced its new mobile payment service: Google Wallet.

Google Wallet will work much like your phone’s credit and can be used on many of the promised installations around the US. Google said that it is working with banks, retailers and other partners to allow users to make payment with their mobiles.

“Your phone will be your wallet,” Google’s VP of Commerce, Stephanie Tilenius, said. “Just tap, pay and save.” As of yet, Citi, MasterCard, Macy’s, Subway, Walgreens, and Sprint have partnered with the search giants to help trials, with a full launch expected this summer.

Users will be able to charge their Google Wallet with either their credit cards or by using a prepaid Google card. The Wallet will then apply discounts, loyalty rewards, or coupons at the point of sale automatically.

Google expects that, by 2014, around 150 million smartphones will be enabled with near-field communications.

People watch 3 billion videos on YouTube per day

On it’s 6th anniversary, like most tech companies, Google dished out some stats cake for its birthday boy YouTube.

According to the search giant, the popular video hosting website streams over 3 billion videos every day, causing mind-boggling strain on its severs and creating giant global warming holes in the sky-thingy. Okay, the last bit was made up. Anyway, this represents an increase of 50% over last year.

The company also said that over 48 hours, again, hours, of footage gets uploaded every minute, again, every minute, on the website, which is an 100% increase over last year (it better be!).

That’s nice, YouTube. Here’s a treat, from us to you:

Hedge fund manager: Ballmer should step down “to give someone else a chance”

In a statement that could most likely enrage Steve Ballmer to once again resort to his chair-throwing antics, David Einhorn, a popular hedge fund manager, has openly criticized the Microsoft CEO for the company’s years of stagnant stock values.

Einhorn believes that it is time for Steve Ballmer to step down and “give someone else a chance”, saying that “his continued presence is the biggest overhang on Microsoft’s stock.” Steve Ballmer took over the ship after Bill Gates unannounced retirement in 2000. Einhorn’s company, Greenlight Captial, holds around 9 million Microsoft shares, or 0.11 percent of the entire company.

On Tuesday, IBM for the first time in 15 years over took Microsoft in market value after the Redmodians continued their static stock performance. Apple too had swept past Microsoft to become the world’s most valuable tech company last year. Microsoft is now seen as a company who is playing catch up to the rest of the market who has outsmarted them across all frontiers.

Steve Ballmer has shown no signs of giving up the prestigious chair, however, repeated calls from shareholders might see him in a tight spot. Recently, Steve Ballmer was rated as the worst CEO by his own employees in an industry round-up survey.

‘Mango’ update to bring 500 new juicy features to Windows Phone 7

Press release:
Microsoft today previewed the next major release of Windows Phone, code name “Mango,” for the Gulf region at a media event in the UAE coinciding with a series of media events around the world. “Mango” will deliver more than 500 new features to push the boundaries of the smartphone experience around communications, apps and the Internet.  The Mango release will be available for free to  Windows Phone 7 customers and is scheduled to  ship on new phones beginning this fall; More details on device update timing will be provided closer to availability. Windows Phone will also add support for additional languages, expand access to apps by launching Marketplace in new countries, and partner with new OEMs to enable expansion to new markets.

“Seven months ago we started our mission to make smartphones smarter and easier for people to do more,” said Gustavo Fuchs, Director, Mobility, Microsoft Middle East & Africa. “With ‘Mango’, Windows Phone takes a major step forward in redefining how people communicate and use apps and the Internet, giving you better results with less effort.”

Communications: Easier to connect and share

The smartphone experience can be complicated by a sea of disconnected apps and accounts as people attempt to keep pace with all the ways they communicate – from calls, texts, email and IM to status updates, tweets, check-ins, photo posting and tagging.  To help people stay on top of that growing complexity, the Mango release organizes information around the person or group people want to interact with, not the app they have to use.

• Threads. Switch between text, Facebook chat, and Windows Live Messenger within the same conversation.
• Groups. Group contacts into personalized Live Tiles to see the latest status updates right from the start screen and quickly send a text, email or IM to the whole group
• Deeper social network integration. Twitter and Linked In feeds are now integrated into contact cards, and Mango includes  built-in Facebook check-ins  and new face detection software that makes it easy to quickly tag photos and post to the web.
• Linked Inbox. See multiple email accounts in one linked inbox. Conversations are organized to make it easy to stay on top of the latest mail.
• Hands-free messaging. Built-in voice-to-text and text-to-voice support enables hands-free texting or chatting.

A smarter approach to apps

Windows Phone will challenge the way people think about apps. Today their usefulness is measured by what can be done within the app, but we see the promise of apps in how they can be integrated directly into the core experiences of the phone. In addition to making it easier to get timely notifications and updates from apps right from the Start Screen, the Mango release will also surface apps as part of search results and within Windows Phone Hubs.  As a result, a useful app is more likely to be right there when you need it.

• App Connect. By connecting apps to search results and deepening their integration with Windows Phone Hubs, including Music and Video and Pictures, Mango allows apps to be surfaced when and where they make sense.
• Improved Live Tiles. Get real-time information from apps without having to open them.  Live Tiles are more dynamic and can hold more information.
• Multitasking. Quickly switch between apps in use and allow apps to run in the background while helping to preserve battery life and performance

Taking the Internet beyond the browser

In addition to including Internet Explorer, the Mango release will connect the power of the web to the unique capabilities of your phone, such as location awareness, camera and access to apps, to present a new way of viewing the web that is more localized, actionable and relevant.

• Internet Explorer 9. A browser based on the powerful IE9 and including support for HTLM5 and full hardware acceleration.
• Local Scout. Provides hyper-local search results and recommends nearby restaurants, shopping and activities in an easy to use guide.
• Bing on Windows Phone. More ways to search the web, including Bing Vision, Music Search and Voice so it is easier to discover and decide.
• Quick Cards. When searching for a product, movie, event or place see a quick summary of relevant information, including related apps.

Strengthening the Ecosystem

The Windows Phone ecosystem has grown steadily since Windows Phone 7 first launched in October, with more than 17,000 apps currently available on Marketplace and Windows Phone handsets available from a range of partners worldwide, and Microsoft’s recently announced partnership with Nokia. Mango will further expand and strengthen the Windows Phone ecosystem through new partnerships with Acer, Fujitsu Limited and ZTE Corp which today announced plans to deliver new Windows Phone devices in markets around the world. Furthermore, Microsoft announced it will support additional languages, including Brazilian Portuguese, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, and will greatly expand the list of countries where consumers have access to apps via Windows Phone Marketplace. Finally, a Beta release of the free Windows Phone Developer tools that will be used to create the next generation of Mango apps and games will be posted for public download to Microsoft’s website within 24 hours of today’s events.

Panasonic brings three new cameras to the ME market

Press release:
Panasonic has added three new models of digital still cameras to the award winning LUMIX series of cameras – the TZ-20 an ultimate travel companion, the rugged FT3, and the smart touch FX78, it was announced today.

The LUMIX DMC-TZ20 is an ideal travel companion with its versatile ultra wide-angle to telephoto lens which is capable of recording high quality videos.

The DMC-FT3 is specially geared for active outdoor use, incorporating more powerful features in even more rugged design. The new 12.1-megapixel DMC-FT3 further strengthens its toughness to be waterproof to 12m with shockproof to 2m, freezeproof to -10 degrees C and dustproof reliability. The built-in GPS function, compass, altimeter, and barometer are added functionality on the FT3.

The DMC-FX78 features a Smart Touch operation on the 3.5-inch large LCD screen. The touch screen controls all functions of the camera including – Touch AF, Touch Zoom or Touch Shutter during recording and various playback functions including, new Art Retouch and Beauty Retouch mode.

“Panasonic cameras are designed to meet the varied needs of the consumer. The new line up of LUMIX cameras with their unique functionality will definitely meet customer demands. The cameras are versatile, trendy and the image quality is of the highest caliber, be it still or videos,” commented Hitesh Ojha, Hitesh Ojha, Senior Manager, Sales and Marketing – AV Categories, Panasonic Marketing Middle East FZE.

DMC – TZ20

The lens system in the DMC-TZ20 is totally redesigned with new mechanical structure, optical system combining advanced technology such as Nano Surface Coating for even higher optical performance while maintaining the compactness of the unit.  Furthermore, the newly developed high quality LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR lens with ultra wide-angle to powerful 16x optical zoom covers even wider shooting situations.

A newly adopted 14.1-megapixel MOS sensor and the advanced image processor Venus Engine FHD feature high speed, high sensitivity image recording to realize 1,920 x 1,080 full-HD movie recording and high speed burst shooting in high picture quality. It also compiles the Intelligent Resolution technology to perform the optimum signal processing depending on the part of a picture to give a whole image outstandingly natural clearness with fine details.

The powerful 16x optical zoom increases its power to 21x equivalent with the Intelligent Zoom function taking advantage of the Intelligent Resolution technology maintaining the picture quality even using digital zoom. The Sonic Speed AF, which boasts approx. 49% higher speed compared with the predecessor, and a quick start-up time give the DMC-TZ20 super fast response that helps to catch even the most fleeting photo opportunities.

The built-in GPS (Global Positioning System) function is upgraded for DMC-TZ20. The number of landmark information is increased to more than 1,000,000 and the speed of search is accelerated.  The newly incorporated 3.0-inch large 460,000-dot Smart Touch Intelligent LCD allows Touch AF, Touch Zoom or Touch Shutter during recording and various playback functions with high visibility.

The realistic, less-distorted 3D image produced by DMC-TZ20 with the new 3D Photo mode can also be enjoyed on a VIERA HDTV or other MPO-compatible 3D equipment. The newly added LUMIX Image Uploader realizes direct, instant image sharing via Facebook (photo) or YouTube (movie) with any PC on the spot to let users enjoy communication with photos and movies they take. With a host of technologies advanced further, more compact, pocket-sized hybrid powerhouse performer DMC-TZ20 offers exquisite beauty in photo and movie recording and ultimate convenience and fun tailored for the energetic world travelers.

DMC – FT3

Empowered by a newly developed 12.1-megapixel Hi-Speed CCD sensor, the DMC-FT3 is compatible with high-speed, large-capacity signal processing required for 1920 x 1080 full-HD movie recording in AVCHD and high speed continuous shooting.

The camera comes with a LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR lens in folded optics boasts not only high quality image but also rugged design. Starting at the 28mm wide angle, and zooming up to a useful 4.6x in telephoto, this camera gives you the flexibility for virtually all shooting scenes – especially underwater, where movement is often restricted and the angle of view becomes important for composing your shots.

The advanced image processing LSI, the Venus Engine FHD, assures high picture quality in both photo and movie recording. It also compiles the Intelligent Resolution technology to perform the optimum signal processing depending on the part of a picture to give a whole image outstandingly natural clearness with fine details.

The powerful 4.6x optical zoom increases its power to 6x equivalent with the Intelligent Zoom function taking advantage of the Intelligent Resolution technology maintaining the picture quality even using digital zoom. The Sonic Speed AF and a quick start-up time give the DMC-FT3 super high speed response that helps to catch even the most fleeting photo opportunities.

The newly added LUMIX Image Uploader realizes direct, instant image sharing via Facebook (photo) or YouTube (movie) with any PC on the spot to let users enjoy communication with photos and movies they take. The realistic, less-distorted 3D image produced by DMC-FT3 with the new 3D Photo mode can also be enjoyed on a VIERA 3D HDTV or other MPO-compatible 3D equipment.

Take DMC-FT3 out for your outdoor adventures anywhere in any season – diving, snorkeling, surfing, climbing, skiing, snowboarding, or camping – and bring back tremendous record of memory in stunning photos or in full-HD.

DMC – FX78

The DMC-FX78 comes not only with the high basic performance, but also with a host of entertainment features that adds fun to photography such as new Beauty Retouch, Art Retouch and My Photo Album.

The newly added LUMIX Image Uploader realizes direct, instant image sharing via Facebook (photo) or YouTube (movie) with any PC on the spot to let users enjoy communication with photos and movies they take. The 3D image produced by DMC-FX78 with the new 3D Photo mode can also be enjoyed on a VIERA 3D HDTV or other MPO-compatible 3D equipment.

A new LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMARIT lens 24mm ultra wide angle 5x optical zoom (equivalent to 24mm to 120mm on a 35mm camera) with F2.5 brightness has been developed to fit in the compact lens unit enhancing the slimness of camera body. The lens especially excels not only in shooting dynamic landscapes with its wide angle of view but also in capturing moving subjects even in low-lit situations such as indoors or at night with its outstanding brightness.

Incorporating a newly developed 12.1-megapixel Hi-Speed CCD sensor, the DMC-FX78 is compatible with high-speed, large-capacity signal processing required for 1920 x 1080 full-HD movie recording in AVCHD and high speed continuous shooting. And the advanced image processing LSI, the Venus Engine FHD, assures high picture quality in both photo and movie recording.

It also compiles the Intelligent Resolution technology to perform the optimum signal processing depending on the part of a picture to give a whole image outstandingly natural clearness with fine details. The powerful 5x optical zoom increases its power to 6.5x equivalent with the Intelligent Zoom function taking advantage of the Intelligent Resolution technology maintaining the picture quality even using digital zoom.

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