BOSTON: The BlackBerry -- renowned for the security of its messaging -- doesn't offer 100 per cent protection from eavesdropping. At least not in the United States.
US law enforcement officials said they can tap into emails and other conversations made using the device, made by Research in Motion, as long as they have proper court orders.
RIM's willingness to grant authorities access to the messages of its clients is a hot-button issue. The United Arab Emirates claims it does not have the same kind of surveillance rights to BlackBerry messages as officials in the United States. It has threatened to clamp down on some services unless they get more access. A similar problem exists in India as well.
The exact details of the dispute remain unclear, but security experts say that many governments around the world enjoy the ability to monitor BlackBerry conversations as they do communications involving most types of mobile devices.
"The ability to tap communications is a part of surveillance and intelligence and law enforcement all over the world," said Mark Rasch, former head of the computer crimes unit at the US Department of Justice.
RIM is in an unusual position of having to deal with government requests to monitor its clients because it is the only smartphone maker who manages the traffic of messages sent using its equipment. Other smartphone makers -- including Apple Inc, Nokia, HTC and Motorola Corp -- leave the work of managing data to the wireless carrier or the customer.
RIM's encrypted, or scrambled, traffic is delivered through secure servers at its own data centers, based mostly in its home base of Canada. Some corporate clients choose to host BlackBerry servers at other locations.
Rasch said that RIM may feel uncomfortable granting such access to officials in UAE. There may be concern authorities could abuse that access, he said.
"You reach a point where a company feels uncomfortable from the client perspective with what a government is asking them," Rasch said. "It may be a function of what they are being asked to do, or it may be a function of which government is asking."
US rules that govern wire-tapping are designed to avoid abuse of power. "It's a very complex process going to go about getting a wire tap. It's not something that is made easy for us to do," said Connecticut State Police Sargeant Shawn Corey.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
IMEI No.: Govt plans crackdown
NEW DELHI: National security and consumer interests are being compromised with the government discovering extremely poor compliance from telecom service providers over shutting down service to all handsets without a genuine International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. The government is preparing to initiate strict action against all violators.
The Department of Telecom's (DoT) study of the compliance data reveals that every fifth call of certain operators, comes from a handset without an IMEI number, which is a high level of noncompliance. This is despite law enforcement agencies cracking down on service providers over this issue since 2008.
"In June, an Equipment ID Register (EIR) was set up. The EIR ensures that calls from invalid IMEI numbers do not pass through. The non-compliance level suggests that operators are disabling the EIR to allow these calls, which is quite a grave violation," a senior DoT official told ToI.
According to a DoT note, almost every service provider has been found guilty of noncompliance, demonstrating how lightly the telecom industry treats matters of national security and proving allegations of non-cooperation on security matters to be true. Even subscriber verification norms are routinely bypassed by telcos even in sensitive border areas despite checks and penalties imposed on companies.
India has over 650 million mobile subscribers and there are no available estimates of how many of these do not have genuine IMEI numbers on their handsets. A year ago, when the subscriber base was 500 million, GSM association COAI had estimated that 17 to 18 million of these did not have an IMEI number.
Law enforcement agencies find it difficult to intercept targets that do not have a legitimate IMEI. Accordingly, in November 2009, all service providers were instructed by the DoT not to process or to reject all calls from mobile handsets that are not available in the latest updated IMEI database of the GSM Association with effect from November 30, 2009.
Telcos were also asked to submit their compliance on this matter by December 15, 2009.
"The unsatisfactory compliance is the non-implementation of the instruction of Department in proper way which has implications on working of law enforcement agencies," the DoT note says.
When contacted, COAI (Cellular Operators Association of India) director general Rajan Mathews told ToI, “Instead of disenfranchising legitimate consumers, the COAI had initiated an exercise to implant legitimate IMEI numbers on the handsets. This exercise was completed, however, the problem could be arising from the fresh influx of Chinese handsets into the country.”
According to Mathews, grey market retailers implant genuine IMEI numbers on handsets which do not have an IMEI number, which means multiple handsets could have the same IMEI number.
The Department of Telecom's (DoT) study of the compliance data reveals that every fifth call of certain operators, comes from a handset without an IMEI number, which is a high level of noncompliance. This is despite law enforcement agencies cracking down on service providers over this issue since 2008.
"In June, an Equipment ID Register (EIR) was set up. The EIR ensures that calls from invalid IMEI numbers do not pass through. The non-compliance level suggests that operators are disabling the EIR to allow these calls, which is quite a grave violation," a senior DoT official told ToI.
According to a DoT note, almost every service provider has been found guilty of noncompliance, demonstrating how lightly the telecom industry treats matters of national security and proving allegations of non-cooperation on security matters to be true. Even subscriber verification norms are routinely bypassed by telcos even in sensitive border areas despite checks and penalties imposed on companies.
India has over 650 million mobile subscribers and there are no available estimates of how many of these do not have genuine IMEI numbers on their handsets. A year ago, when the subscriber base was 500 million, GSM association COAI had estimated that 17 to 18 million of these did not have an IMEI number.
Law enforcement agencies find it difficult to intercept targets that do not have a legitimate IMEI. Accordingly, in November 2009, all service providers were instructed by the DoT not to process or to reject all calls from mobile handsets that are not available in the latest updated IMEI database of the GSM Association with effect from November 30, 2009.
Telcos were also asked to submit their compliance on this matter by December 15, 2009.
"The unsatisfactory compliance is the non-implementation of the instruction of Department in proper way which has implications on working of law enforcement agencies," the DoT note says.
When contacted, COAI (Cellular Operators Association of India) director general Rajan Mathews told ToI, “Instead of disenfranchising legitimate consumers, the COAI had initiated an exercise to implant legitimate IMEI numbers on the handsets. This exercise was completed, however, the problem could be arising from the fresh influx of Chinese handsets into the country.”
According to Mathews, grey market retailers implant genuine IMEI numbers on handsets which do not have an IMEI number, which means multiple handsets could have the same IMEI number.
EU ditches BlackBerry for iPhone, HTC
BRUSSELS/HELSINKI: The European Union Commission rejected Research in Motion's BlackBerry in favour of Apple's iPhone and HTC smartphones, a spokesman said, amid a spreading row about BlackBerry security.
The EU's executive arm, which employs more than 32,000 people, reviewed its choice of smartphone against a number of criteria, including security and financial impact, when it deployed a new technology platform in 2008. A number of governments have recently threatened to curb use of the BlackBerry on security grounds, with Saudi Arabia on Tuesday joining the United Arab Emirates, India and Kuwait.
Governments are concerned they cannot monitor BlackBerry traffic, because unlike rivals Nokia and Apple, Research in Motion (RIM) controls its own networks, which handle encrypted messages through server centres in Canada and Britain.
"Following this evaluation, the HTC and the iPhones emerged at the most suitable platforms for voice/mail-centric mobile devices. As a result, the Commission currently supports these two platforms," the spokesman wrote in an email. Previously, the Commission had used PDAs made by Qtek, now owned by Taiwan's HTC.
The spokesman said about 2,500 staff were affected, and that all the criteria -- which also included resilience and administration overheads -- had weighed equally. RIM's Chief Technology Officer David Yach said on Tuesday he believed governments were unlikely to follow through on their threats because state officials themselves depended heavily on BlackBerries.
But the once-iconic devices are no longer the indispensable business tools they once seemed, with many corporations opening up to allow alternatives like the iPhone as staff demand the same performance from their work tools as their leisure devices.
British bank Standard Chartered said earlier this year it was giving its staff the option to replace the BlackBerry with the iPhone, a move that could eventually result in thousands of bankers switching. And many top French government ministers have been issued specially encrypted smartphones after a French security agency recommended that cabinet ministers and President Nicolas Sarkozy stop using BlackBerries due to security concerns.
RIM on Tuesday unveiled a new BlackBerry aimed at wooing consumers away from the iPhone and other rivals. Analysts said the Torch did not represent a major advance, but would help RIM catch up in terms of consumer-friendly features.
Nokia had 40 per cent of the global smartphone market in the second quarter, with RIM in second place at 19 per cent and Apple at 14 per cent, according to communications research firm Strategy Analytics.
The EU's executive arm, which employs more than 32,000 people, reviewed its choice of smartphone against a number of criteria, including security and financial impact, when it deployed a new technology platform in 2008. A number of governments have recently threatened to curb use of the BlackBerry on security grounds, with Saudi Arabia on Tuesday joining the United Arab Emirates, India and Kuwait.
Governments are concerned they cannot monitor BlackBerry traffic, because unlike rivals Nokia and Apple, Research in Motion (RIM) controls its own networks, which handle encrypted messages through server centres in Canada and Britain.
"Following this evaluation, the HTC and the iPhones emerged at the most suitable platforms for voice/mail-centric mobile devices. As a result, the Commission currently supports these two platforms," the spokesman wrote in an email. Previously, the Commission had used PDAs made by Qtek, now owned by Taiwan's HTC.
The spokesman said about 2,500 staff were affected, and that all the criteria -- which also included resilience and administration overheads -- had weighed equally. RIM's Chief Technology Officer David Yach said on Tuesday he believed governments were unlikely to follow through on their threats because state officials themselves depended heavily on BlackBerries.
But the once-iconic devices are no longer the indispensable business tools they once seemed, with many corporations opening up to allow alternatives like the iPhone as staff demand the same performance from their work tools as their leisure devices.
British bank Standard Chartered said earlier this year it was giving its staff the option to replace the BlackBerry with the iPhone, a move that could eventually result in thousands of bankers switching. And many top French government ministers have been issued specially encrypted smartphones after a French security agency recommended that cabinet ministers and President Nicolas Sarkozy stop using BlackBerries due to security concerns.
RIM on Tuesday unveiled a new BlackBerry aimed at wooing consumers away from the iPhone and other rivals. Analysts said the Torch did not represent a major advance, but would help RIM catch up in terms of consumer-friendly features.
Nokia had 40 per cent of the global smartphone market in the second quarter, with RIM in second place at 19 per cent and Apple at 14 per cent, according to communications research firm Strategy Analytics.
Apple becomes richest tech company in World
SAN FRANCISCO: Apple Inc Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer faces a dilemma that perhaps every finance chief wishes to have: obscene amounts of cash and no place to put it.
The iPhone, iPad, iPod and Mac computer maker has accumulated a massive cash pile that totals nearly $46 billion, the biggest cash hoard among US tech companies and equivalent to one-fifth of Apple's market capitalization.
And yet, due to an ultra-conservative investment strategy and low interest rates, that cash is earning next to nothing for Apple, which rarely makes acquisitions and does not pay a regular dividend or buy back stock.
"Oppenheimer probably has the most enviable CFO job on the planet," joked Creative Strategies analyst Tim Bajarin, who has been following Apple since the early 1980s.
Analysts say Apple's near-death experience in the 1990s helps explain why it likes to remain liquid by investing in safe but low-yielding US Treasury and agency debt. The company earned a mere 0.76 per cent on its cash and investments in its most recent quarter, down from 1.43 per cent in fiscal 2009, 3.44 per cent in 2008 and 5.27 per cent in 2007.
Despite these low returns, Apple does not face much pressure these days to put its cash to better use. Any dissenting investors are probably appeased by the meteoric rise in the company's share price, which has tripled since 2007.
"When a company is growing as fast as Apple, cash management is pretty far back in people's thoughts," said Pacific Crest Securities analyst Andy Hargreaves.
"But that'll change at some point," he added, estimating that Apple's cash could hit a cool $65 billion by the end of fiscal 2011 if the company continued to generate free cash flow at the current pace. For now, Oppenheimer has a mantra that he repeats on every quarterly earnings conference call: He tells Wall Street that Apple's investment priority is the "preservation of capital" with a focus on "short-dated, high-quality investments."
Bajarin said Oppenheimer's cautious approach dates from his time at Automatic Data Processing Inc, but Apple's conservatism is also driven by Chief Executive Steve Jobs. Both Jobs, 55, and Oppenheimer, 47, subscribe to the Silicon Valley maxim that "only the paranoid survive," he said.
They remember the dark days when Apple was a struggling company to stay alive and had to lay off thousands to cut costs. When Oppenheimer joined the company in 1996 as its controller for the Americas, a series of bad management decisions had eroded profits and sent its share price diving to less than $5. Things got so bad that one of the first things Jobs did when he returned to Apple was take a lifeline in the form of a $150 million investment from Microsoft Corp in 1997.
The iPhone, iPad, iPod and Mac computer maker has accumulated a massive cash pile that totals nearly $46 billion, the biggest cash hoard among US tech companies and equivalent to one-fifth of Apple's market capitalization.
And yet, due to an ultra-conservative investment strategy and low interest rates, that cash is earning next to nothing for Apple, which rarely makes acquisitions and does not pay a regular dividend or buy back stock.
"Oppenheimer probably has the most enviable CFO job on the planet," joked Creative Strategies analyst Tim Bajarin, who has been following Apple since the early 1980s.
Analysts say Apple's near-death experience in the 1990s helps explain why it likes to remain liquid by investing in safe but low-yielding US Treasury and agency debt. The company earned a mere 0.76 per cent on its cash and investments in its most recent quarter, down from 1.43 per cent in fiscal 2009, 3.44 per cent in 2008 and 5.27 per cent in 2007.
Despite these low returns, Apple does not face much pressure these days to put its cash to better use. Any dissenting investors are probably appeased by the meteoric rise in the company's share price, which has tripled since 2007.
"When a company is growing as fast as Apple, cash management is pretty far back in people's thoughts," said Pacific Crest Securities analyst Andy Hargreaves.
"But that'll change at some point," he added, estimating that Apple's cash could hit a cool $65 billion by the end of fiscal 2011 if the company continued to generate free cash flow at the current pace. For now, Oppenheimer has a mantra that he repeats on every quarterly earnings conference call: He tells Wall Street that Apple's investment priority is the "preservation of capital" with a focus on "short-dated, high-quality investments."
Bajarin said Oppenheimer's cautious approach dates from his time at Automatic Data Processing Inc, but Apple's conservatism is also driven by Chief Executive Steve Jobs. Both Jobs, 55, and Oppenheimer, 47, subscribe to the Silicon Valley maxim that "only the paranoid survive," he said.
They remember the dark days when Apple was a struggling company to stay alive and had to lay off thousands to cut costs. When Oppenheimer joined the company in 1996 as its controller for the Americas, a series of bad management decisions had eroded profits and sent its share price diving to less than $5. Things got so bad that one of the first things Jobs did when he returned to Apple was take a lifeline in the form of a $150 million investment from Microsoft Corp in 1997.
Monday, July 26, 2010
E-Lock launches e-sign solution mobiSigner
NEW DELHI: E-Lock, a global provider of digital signature solutions, has launched a new electronic signing solution, mobiSigner. E-Lock mobiSigner can electronically sign files using WAP-enabled mobile or PC anywhere, anytime.
Users can sign PDF documents with mobiSigner directly on the server without any download or installation at the client-end.
To sign files (either with mobile or PC), users have to just login to the mobiSigner with their username and password. They can review the documents that are to be signed, and can complete the signing process with a single password.
The solution can be used as standalone or can be integrated with any third-party applications. The company claims that mobiSigner allows organisations to electronically sign documents in their existing processes / applications without reengineering or disturbing the workflow.
Dr Prakash Ambegaonkar, CEO, E-Lock, said, “Today, customers are looking for ‘on the move’ solutions that can help them save time, money, and efforts. E-Lock has always answered to the customers’ demands, and has come up with this innovative solution. This is the first-of-its-kind solution that enables signing through mobile and PC on single platform. The functionalities are same for both mobiles and PC’s.”
Users can sign PDF documents with mobiSigner directly on the server without any download or installation at the client-end.
To sign files (either with mobile or PC), users have to just login to the mobiSigner with their username and password. They can review the documents that are to be signed, and can complete the signing process with a single password.
The solution can be used as standalone or can be integrated with any third-party applications. The company claims that mobiSigner allows organisations to electronically sign documents in their existing processes / applications without reengineering or disturbing the workflow.
Dr Prakash Ambegaonkar, CEO, E-Lock, said, “Today, customers are looking for ‘on the move’ solutions that can help them save time, money, and efforts. E-Lock has always answered to the customers’ demands, and has come up with this innovative solution. This is the first-of-its-kind solution that enables signing through mobile and PC on single platform. The functionalities are same for both mobiles and PC’s.”
UAE warns of BlackBerry security risks
DUBAI: The BlackBerry, made by Canada's Research In Motion, is open to misuse that poses security risks to the United Arab Emirates, which said that it would seek to safeguard its consumers and laws.
Gulf state Bahrain in April warned against the use of BlackBerry Messenger software to distribute local news, drawing criticism from media freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) which called it an act of censorship.
That sparked concerns that other Gulf countries might also consider curbing the use of certain applications on the BlackBerry, which holds around 20 percent of the global smartphone market behind Nokia but ahead of Apple. BlackBerry was operating "beyond the jurisdiction of national legislation", the UAE's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority said in a statement issued on Sunday. "As a result of how BlackBerry data is managed and stored, in their current form, certain BlackBerry applications allow people to misuse the service, causing serious social, judicial and national security repercussions."
The UAE was working to resolve "these critical issues with the objective of finding a solution that safeguards our consumers and operates within the boundaries of UAE law."
Earlier this month, RIM said it was preparing to launch an applications store and consumer Internet services in China as part of its push into the world's top mobile market. A long-running censorship dispute between Beijing and Google Inc was only recently resolved. Google had said it might be forced to abandon the Chinese market because of hacking attacks and censorship concerns.
Gulf state Bahrain in April warned against the use of BlackBerry Messenger software to distribute local news, drawing criticism from media freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) which called it an act of censorship.
That sparked concerns that other Gulf countries might also consider curbing the use of certain applications on the BlackBerry, which holds around 20 percent of the global smartphone market behind Nokia but ahead of Apple. BlackBerry was operating "beyond the jurisdiction of national legislation", the UAE's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority said in a statement issued on Sunday. "As a result of how BlackBerry data is managed and stored, in their current form, certain BlackBerry applications allow people to misuse the service, causing serious social, judicial and national security repercussions."
The UAE was working to resolve "these critical issues with the objective of finding a solution that safeguards our consumers and operates within the boundaries of UAE law."
Earlier this month, RIM said it was preparing to launch an applications store and consumer Internet services in China as part of its push into the world's top mobile market. A long-running censorship dispute between Beijing and Google Inc was only recently resolved. Google had said it might be forced to abandon the Chinese market because of hacking attacks and censorship concerns.
5 must-have Windows tools
WASHINGTON: These days, the best Windows utilities tend to be those that perform a single function and perform it well. The trouble is, you might download, install, and try out hundreds of tools before finding a handful that fulfill their promise and earn a permanent place on your hard drive.
Take a shortcut to utility nirvana by trying the tools mentioned here first. All of these apps are among the best in their categories -- and some are free.
File synchronisation
With external hard drives, flash drives, CDs, and DVDs, you probably have multiple copies of important files scattered across your storage media. That's a good thing. What's not so good is that all of those files are likely out of sync, which is where a file synchronisation tool comes in.
Microsoft has taken multiple stabs at the file synchronisation problem, from the now oudated Briefcase model in Windows XP to SyncToy (http://bit.ly/17AYut), which is still available, to Live Sync (https://sync.live.com), which utilises online file storage as an intermediate repository.
None of these solutions, though, has offered either the power or simplicity of third-party applications. Super Flexible File Synchronizer (http://www.superflexible.com) stands out as one of the best. Available in a 30-day trial version, this tool packs synchronisation options in a wizard-based package that's easy enough for novices but full-featured enough for experts. What's more, it can be installed as a Windows service, which means that you can ‘set and forget’ file synchronisation jobs that will run automatically at pre- defined times.
Quicker copies
With each new version of Windows, Microsoft changes the look and feel of the Windows Explorer file manager, but it hasn't done much to improve Windows’ often frustrating file copying behaviour. The free TeraCopy (http://bit.ly/dTLC) does.
TeraCopy claims to speed up copy and move operations in Windows, and subjectively, it seems to. However, the greater benefit of TeraCopy come in the power it gives you during the process of copying large amounts of data.
First, with TeraCopy, you can pause and resume file transfers -- something that, amazingly, is simply not possible with Windows' standard file copying utility. Equally important, TeraCopy will not abort a copy operating when it encounters a problem file, as Windows does. Instead, the tool will try multiple times to copy a file. If that fails, it will skip over the file and continue with the rest of the copy operation.
Failed file transfers are reported after the operation is complete, allowing you to troubleshoot issues and copy the file later.
Take a shortcut to utility nirvana by trying the tools mentioned here first. All of these apps are among the best in their categories -- and some are free.
File synchronisation
With external hard drives, flash drives, CDs, and DVDs, you probably have multiple copies of important files scattered across your storage media. That's a good thing. What's not so good is that all of those files are likely out of sync, which is where a file synchronisation tool comes in.
Microsoft has taken multiple stabs at the file synchronisation problem, from the now oudated Briefcase model in Windows XP to SyncToy (http://bit.ly/17AYut), which is still available, to Live Sync (https://sync.live.com), which utilises online file storage as an intermediate repository.
None of these solutions, though, has offered either the power or simplicity of third-party applications. Super Flexible File Synchronizer (http://www.superflexible.com) stands out as one of the best. Available in a 30-day trial version, this tool packs synchronisation options in a wizard-based package that's easy enough for novices but full-featured enough for experts. What's more, it can be installed as a Windows service, which means that you can ‘set and forget’ file synchronisation jobs that will run automatically at pre- defined times.
Quicker copies
With each new version of Windows, Microsoft changes the look and feel of the Windows Explorer file manager, but it hasn't done much to improve Windows’ often frustrating file copying behaviour. The free TeraCopy (http://bit.ly/dTLC) does.
TeraCopy claims to speed up copy and move operations in Windows, and subjectively, it seems to. However, the greater benefit of TeraCopy come in the power it gives you during the process of copying large amounts of data.
First, with TeraCopy, you can pause and resume file transfers -- something that, amazingly, is simply not possible with Windows' standard file copying utility. Equally important, TeraCopy will not abort a copy operating when it encounters a problem file, as Windows does. Instead, the tool will try multiple times to copy a file. If that fails, it will skip over the file and continue with the rest of the copy operation.
Failed file transfers are reported after the operation is complete, allowing you to troubleshoot issues and copy the file later.
IT cos get tough on notice period
NEW DELHI: A large number of IT companies are becoming more strict with departing employees and are asking them to serve the full notice period to ensure that business activities are not affected by a sudden shortage of manpower.
IT companies, whose revenues primarily depend on projects from their clients with a time-bound delivery, face serious risks to their businesses if skilled staff make a sudden exit, HR experts said.
"Now with the revival in the job market, companies want to hold on to their employees with critical skills and so they may be becoming stricter with regard to serving of full notice periods," Ma Foi Randstad President (Staffing/Selection & Training) E Balaji said.
"The trend of asking employees to serve the full notice period is being followed by many IT services companies. This is being done to reduce the risk on projects (from manpower resources perspective) and to get sufficient time to get replacement for a position," executive search firm GlobalHunt Director Sunil Goel said.
Notice period for employees generally refers to the amount of time specified in terms and conditions of employment that an employee must work between resigning from a firm and joining another.
Recruitment Process Outsourcing firm Elixir's Manager IT Practice Sitipragyan Rath Chadha said that it has become imperative for firms to review their relieving policies to manage higher employee turnover amid rising opportunities in the market.
"IT employees are usually deployed in time based projects and attrition can cause severe shortfall on deliverables, hence companies are focusing on evolving their policies regarding notice periods," Chadha added.
Experts said stricter relieving policies by firms may make it tougher for employees specially in middle and junior levels to make a shift.
Usually notice periods for middle and junior level staff is one month, while in some cases it may be three months.
"At leadership level, future employer do give flexibility to serve the full notice period in many cases if the buy-out is not possible. But future employers are not willing to wait for three months notice period being served by employees at mid and junior levels," Goel said.
Goel said companies are validating parallel resources, those who can join as soon as possible, and 90 days mandatory notice period can be an obstacle for many of the good job opportunities for many.
"Notice period does impact negatively on an outgoing employee with a good offer, but as more firms realise benefits of honouring notice periods, they will also keep positions on hold for deserving candidates," Chadha added.
IT companies, whose revenues primarily depend on projects from their clients with a time-bound delivery, face serious risks to their businesses if skilled staff make a sudden exit, HR experts said.
"Now with the revival in the job market, companies want to hold on to their employees with critical skills and so they may be becoming stricter with regard to serving of full notice periods," Ma Foi Randstad President (Staffing/Selection & Training) E Balaji said.
"The trend of asking employees to serve the full notice period is being followed by many IT services companies. This is being done to reduce the risk on projects (from manpower resources perspective) and to get sufficient time to get replacement for a position," executive search firm GlobalHunt Director Sunil Goel said.
Notice period for employees generally refers to the amount of time specified in terms and conditions of employment that an employee must work between resigning from a firm and joining another.
Recruitment Process Outsourcing firm Elixir's Manager IT Practice Sitipragyan Rath Chadha said that it has become imperative for firms to review their relieving policies to manage higher employee turnover amid rising opportunities in the market.
"IT employees are usually deployed in time based projects and attrition can cause severe shortfall on deliverables, hence companies are focusing on evolving their policies regarding notice periods," Chadha added.
Experts said stricter relieving policies by firms may make it tougher for employees specially in middle and junior levels to make a shift.
Usually notice periods for middle and junior level staff is one month, while in some cases it may be three months.
"At leadership level, future employer do give flexibility to serve the full notice period in many cases if the buy-out is not possible. But future employers are not willing to wait for three months notice period being served by employees at mid and junior levels," Goel said.
Goel said companies are validating parallel resources, those who can join as soon as possible, and 90 days mandatory notice period can be an obstacle for many of the good job opportunities for many.
"Notice period does impact negatively on an outgoing employee with a good offer, but as more firms realise benefits of honouring notice periods, they will also keep positions on hold for deserving candidates," Chadha added.
Why India's $35 PC may fail
NEW DELHI: Here we go again! India's Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal has "launched" a $35 computer, evidently a "dream project" of his.
The touchscreen, Linux-based device looks iPad-inspired, but we know little about how it works.
It emerged from a student project with a bill of material adding up to $47, a price that the minister wants to bring down to $10 "to take forward inclusive education". It promises browser and PDF reader, wi-fi, 2GB memory, USB, Open Office, and multimedia content viewers and interfaces.
Will it die a quick death within this year, or a painful, government-funded one over the next two? I fear the latter. Project Sakshat even has a busy website so it looks like a project well under way.
Remember the Rs 10,000 personal computer, the Simputer, the $100 laptop from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the NetPCs from a host of companies and India's so-called $10 laptop? How many flops and failures will it take to convince governments -- and brave, but misled companies -- to get these facts of life tech, products, and life?
You don't launch products until you have a product to launch. Else it's vapourware. The Indian government is building up a good track record of vapourware, from $10 laptops upward. Apple, for in sharp contrast, for instance, launches with a million units ready to sell, and midnight queues outside.
You don't show prototypes unless they are working ones with running apps, backed by a clear game plan to build up a vendor and apps network, and a clear design and specifications -- and, preferably, a bill of materials.
It isn't about the hardware -- it's about the application and the applications (apps) ecosystem. What will it be used for? Who will make those apps? Where's the developer community? Where is the road map for hundreds of applications?
Apple had it all when it launched the iPhone and the iPad. Product design isn't one-off. It's an ongoing process, with software updates, improvements, upgrades, and most of all, growing apps support. You can make a working laptop, but it's no trivial task maintaining it through the life cycle of the product, ensuring support, firmware and hardware upgrades, and new versions.
The touchscreen, Linux-based device looks iPad-inspired, but we know little about how it works.
It emerged from a student project with a bill of material adding up to $47, a price that the minister wants to bring down to $10 "to take forward inclusive education". It promises browser and PDF reader, wi-fi, 2GB memory, USB, Open Office, and multimedia content viewers and interfaces.
Will it die a quick death within this year, or a painful, government-funded one over the next two? I fear the latter. Project Sakshat even has a busy website so it looks like a project well under way.
Remember the Rs 10,000 personal computer, the Simputer, the $100 laptop from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the NetPCs from a host of companies and India's so-called $10 laptop? How many flops and failures will it take to convince governments -- and brave, but misled companies -- to get these facts of life tech, products, and life?
You don't launch products until you have a product to launch. Else it's vapourware. The Indian government is building up a good track record of vapourware, from $10 laptops upward. Apple, for in sharp contrast, for instance, launches with a million units ready to sell, and midnight queues outside.
You don't show prototypes unless they are working ones with running apps, backed by a clear game plan to build up a vendor and apps network, and a clear design and specifications -- and, preferably, a bill of materials.
It isn't about the hardware -- it's about the application and the applications (apps) ecosystem. What will it be used for? Who will make those apps? Where's the developer community? Where is the road map for hundreds of applications?
Apple had it all when it launched the iPhone and the iPad. Product design isn't one-off. It's an ongoing process, with software updates, improvements, upgrades, and most of all, growing apps support. You can make a working laptop, but it's no trivial task maintaining it through the life cycle of the product, ensuring support, firmware and hardware upgrades, and new versions.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Google profits up sharply but fail to impress
Internet giant Google has reported a sharp rise in profits and revenue in quarterly results that nonetheless failed to impress Wall Street.
Revenue was $6.82bn, also up sharply on the $5.52bn posted a year ago.
However, analysts had expected better and chose to focus instead on operating expenses, which increased sharply.
As a result, shares in Google fell more than 4% in after-hours trading.
'Strong growth' "They're throwing more money into research and development than people were expecting and a little bit less into sales and marketing," said Colin Gillis at BGC Partners.
"Google has been pretty clear that it's going back into investment mode. They added 1,200 people in the quarter, which means more expenses are going to kick in in September."
Despite the underwhelming response from Wall Street, Google chief executive said the firm had "had a strong second quarter" based on "solid growth in our core business and very strong growth in our emerging businesses".
Google dominates the search engine market. It has about a 65% share of the US market and about 90% in Europe.
It received a boost last week when the Chinese government renewed the company's licence to operate in China following a long-standing dispute between the two.
iPhone: Second-hand market flooded
SAN FRANCISCO: Apple's record-setting debut of the iPhone 4 has led to another surge: A flood of old iPhones hitting EBay, recyclers and discount sites.
Gazelle.com, a site that buys electronics from consumers, purchased 20,000 used iPhones in the two weeks after Apple and AT&T began taking preorders for the iPhone 4. That compares with 350 in a typical two-week period.
“It’s off the charts,” said Kristina Kennedy, a spokeswoman for Boston-based Gazelle, referring to the influx of old phones.
“It’s three times what we projected.”
The yearly introduction of a new iPhone, combined with the desire of Apple fans to own the company’s latest devices, has put millions of old phones back in circulation. While many of these devices are recycled, tossed out or socked away in a drawer, some can still command hundreds of dollars. Environmental groups, though, say the constant upgrades encourage waste.
As of July 2, Gazelle offered $168 for a perfect-condition 32-gigabyte iPhone 3GS, last year’s model. The company would have paid as much as $304 for the same product before the iPhone 4 came out, Kennedy said. The phones can fetch more from secondhand sites than they cost new from AT&T, the iPhone’s US carrier — in part because AT&T offers a subsidised price, dependent on signing a contract.
Shoppers snapped up 1.7 million iPhone 4s in the three days after they went on sale, leading Apple chief executive officer Steve Jobs to call it the company’s most successful product launch. Models costing $199 and $299 debuted in the US, UK, Japan, France and Germany on June 24. Many stores, including Best Buy, ran out of inventory.
In 2009, the 3GS model sold 1 million in its first weekend. EBay’s site lists thousands of used iPhone 3GSs for sale, with prices starting as low as 1 cent.
The number of iPhone 3 models — including the older 3G — rose 124% in the US between June 5 and June 28, said Katherine Chui, a spokeswoman for the San Jose, California-based company.
EBay has also become a hub for people looking to make a profit on the iPhone 4, with the average selling price hitting $942, she said.
Gazelle.com, a site that buys electronics from consumers, purchased 20,000 used iPhones in the two weeks after Apple and AT&T began taking preorders for the iPhone 4. That compares with 350 in a typical two-week period.
“It’s off the charts,” said Kristina Kennedy, a spokeswoman for Boston-based Gazelle, referring to the influx of old phones.
“It’s three times what we projected.”
The yearly introduction of a new iPhone, combined with the desire of Apple fans to own the company’s latest devices, has put millions of old phones back in circulation. While many of these devices are recycled, tossed out or socked away in a drawer, some can still command hundreds of dollars. Environmental groups, though, say the constant upgrades encourage waste.
As of July 2, Gazelle offered $168 for a perfect-condition 32-gigabyte iPhone 3GS, last year’s model. The company would have paid as much as $304 for the same product before the iPhone 4 came out, Kennedy said. The phones can fetch more from secondhand sites than they cost new from AT&T, the iPhone’s US carrier — in part because AT&T offers a subsidised price, dependent on signing a contract.
Shoppers snapped up 1.7 million iPhone 4s in the three days after they went on sale, leading Apple chief executive officer Steve Jobs to call it the company’s most successful product launch. Models costing $199 and $299 debuted in the US, UK, Japan, France and Germany on June 24. Many stores, including Best Buy, ran out of inventory.
In 2009, the 3GS model sold 1 million in its first weekend. EBay’s site lists thousands of used iPhone 3GSs for sale, with prices starting as low as 1 cent.
The number of iPhone 3 models — including the older 3G — rose 124% in the US between June 5 and June 28, said Katherine Chui, a spokeswoman for the San Jose, California-based company.
EBay has also become a hub for people looking to make a profit on the iPhone 4, with the average selling price hitting $942, she said.
Apple to open second store in China
SHANGHAI: Apple Inc is opening its second flagship store in China, in the heart of Shanghai's financial district, the company has said.
The retail outlet, featuring a 40-foot glass cylindrical wall, is located near Shanghai's famous Oriental Pearl Tower.
"We are very happy to open at such an excellent location in Shanghai, that this will be just one of many stores Apple plans to open in China," Ron Johnson, Apple's senior vice-president for retail operations, said in a statement.
The company opened its first China store in 2008 in Beijing. Apple products are currently sold in China through resellers, this is the company second direct-selling outlet.
Apple, which makes popular electronic devices such as the iPhone and iPad, competes in an extremely price-conscious market. Due to the long lead time for Apple to bring products to China, consumers often turn to the gray market for smuggled Apple goods or buy pirated versions.
Lenovo Group Chairman Liu Chuanzhi was quoted as saying earlier this month that Apple was missing out on the opportunity to further expand in China.
China Unicom is the only mobile operator to sell the iPhone in China, although rivals such as China Mobile have previously expressed interest in offering the smartphone.
The retail outlet, featuring a 40-foot glass cylindrical wall, is located near Shanghai's famous Oriental Pearl Tower.
"We are very happy to open at such an excellent location in Shanghai, that this will be just one of many stores Apple plans to open in China," Ron Johnson, Apple's senior vice-president for retail operations, said in a statement.
The company opened its first China store in 2008 in Beijing. Apple products are currently sold in China through resellers, this is the company second direct-selling outlet.
Apple, which makes popular electronic devices such as the iPhone and iPad, competes in an extremely price-conscious market. Due to the long lead time for Apple to bring products to China, consumers often turn to the gray market for smuggled Apple goods or buy pirated versions.
Lenovo Group Chairman Liu Chuanzhi was quoted as saying earlier this month that Apple was missing out on the opportunity to further expand in China.
China Unicom is the only mobile operator to sell the iPhone in China, although rivals such as China Mobile have previously expressed interest in offering the smartphone.
Zenith may sell PC biz
KOLKATA: Zenith Computers, one of India’s first domestic PC makers, is planning to sell its laptop and desktop business to focus on the group’s software business.
Zenith has decided to demerge the PC business into a separate entity, where it wants to sell stake to a strategic investor. It is in talks with the Kolkata-based, Rs 918-crore RP Infosystem, which sells computers under the Chirag brand, two sources close to the development said.
As part of the transaction, Zenith plans to sell its PC manufacturing plant at Goa as well as its brand name. Both Zenith and RP Infosystem have recently signed a non-disclosure agreement as part of the due diligence process. While Zenith has valued its PC business at around Rs 160 crore, RP Infosystem plans to appoint PricewaterhouseCoopers for undertaking the valuation and act as an advisor for the deal, sources said.
When asked about the deal, Zenith Computers chairman and managing director, Raj Kumar Saraf denied the development. “There are no such plans to demerge the PC business or sell it to anyone. And I have never met anyone from RP Infosystem or know anything about them,” Saraf said.
RP Infosystem chairman Kaustuv Ray, too, declined to comment. “All I can say is acquisition is a key part of our strategy. We have already done few such deals and are continuously evaluating suitable opportunities,” he said.
While Raj Kumar Saraf and his family hold 54.37% stake in Zenith Computers, the promoters plan to demerge the PC business and transfer all related assets and liabilities to the new company, where it will offer controlling stake.
Zenith has appointed Mumbai-based investment banking and corporate advisory firm Singhi Advisors for the deal. While HCL is the largest domestic PC brand, the second, third and fourth slot varies between Zenith, Wipro and Chirag.
If RP Infosystem manages to clinch the deal, it will become the number two domestic player with around 6% market share. Apart from this, the deal will help RP Infosystem to tap Zenith’s massive distribution and corporate client base in the West.
According to Zenith’s website, the company’s corporate customer base includes Intel, Microsoft, Tata Group, Godrej, Taj Hotels, Kotak, HDFC, Mahindra and Mahindra, Toyota, Colgate, State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, ITC, Castrol and IBM. Zenith currently employs more than 630 people and its Goa plant has a capacity for two lakh units.
Zenith Computers’ revenue and net profit for fiscal year 2009-10 stood at Rs 277 crore and Rs 2.1 crore, respectively. Shares of Zenith Computers on Thursday rose 1.75% on the BSE and closed at Rs 32. On the NSE, Zenith Computers closed at Rs 32.10, up 1.74%.
Zenith has decided to demerge the PC business into a separate entity, where it wants to sell stake to a strategic investor. It is in talks with the Kolkata-based, Rs 918-crore RP Infosystem, which sells computers under the Chirag brand, two sources close to the development said.
As part of the transaction, Zenith plans to sell its PC manufacturing plant at Goa as well as its brand name. Both Zenith and RP Infosystem have recently signed a non-disclosure agreement as part of the due diligence process. While Zenith has valued its PC business at around Rs 160 crore, RP Infosystem plans to appoint PricewaterhouseCoopers for undertaking the valuation and act as an advisor for the deal, sources said.
When asked about the deal, Zenith Computers chairman and managing director, Raj Kumar Saraf denied the development. “There are no such plans to demerge the PC business or sell it to anyone. And I have never met anyone from RP Infosystem or know anything about them,” Saraf said.
RP Infosystem chairman Kaustuv Ray, too, declined to comment. “All I can say is acquisition is a key part of our strategy. We have already done few such deals and are continuously evaluating suitable opportunities,” he said.
While Raj Kumar Saraf and his family hold 54.37% stake in Zenith Computers, the promoters plan to demerge the PC business and transfer all related assets and liabilities to the new company, where it will offer controlling stake.
Zenith has appointed Mumbai-based investment banking and corporate advisory firm Singhi Advisors for the deal. While HCL is the largest domestic PC brand, the second, third and fourth slot varies between Zenith, Wipro and Chirag.
If RP Infosystem manages to clinch the deal, it will become the number two domestic player with around 6% market share. Apart from this, the deal will help RP Infosystem to tap Zenith’s massive distribution and corporate client base in the West.
According to Zenith’s website, the company’s corporate customer base includes Intel, Microsoft, Tata Group, Godrej, Taj Hotels, Kotak, HDFC, Mahindra and Mahindra, Toyota, Colgate, State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, ITC, Castrol and IBM. Zenith currently employs more than 630 people and its Goa plant has a capacity for two lakh units.
Zenith Computers’ revenue and net profit for fiscal year 2009-10 stood at Rs 277 crore and Rs 2.1 crore, respectively. Shares of Zenith Computers on Thursday rose 1.75% on the BSE and closed at Rs 32. On the NSE, Zenith Computers closed at Rs 32.10, up 1.74%.
AMD sales beat analysts' estimates
NEW DELHI: Advanced Micro Devices Inc, Intel Corp’s main competitor in computer processors, posted sales that beat analysts’ estimates as more personal-computer makers build products based on AMD chips.
Revenue rose 40 percent to $1.65 billion, AMD said today in a statement. That compares with the $1.55 billion average of estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Profit, minus certain items, was 11 cents a share. Analysts projected 6 cents.
PC makers including Sony Corp. added laptop models that use its chips, Sunnyvale-based AMD said. The company increased its profitability, widening its gross margin by 8 percentage points to 45 percent in the quarter. Corporations are beginning to replace older PC networks and add servers to data centers, boosting demand for semiconductors, Intel said this week.
“The numbers look good across the board,” said Doug Freedman, an analyst at Gleacher & Co. in San Francisco, who recommends buying the stock. “We’re seeing pretty strong margin results.”
AMD rose 11 cents, or 1.5 percent, in late trading to $7.47, after falling 3 cents to $7.41 today on the New York Stock Exchange. The stock has dropped 23 percent this year.
The company said it expects revenue to be “up seasonally” in the current quarter. Sales will increase 5 percent to 10 percent from the second quarter, Chief Financial Officer Thomas Seifert said on a conference call.
The company is “feeling good” about PC consumption for the rest of the year, said Chief Executive Officer Dirk Meyer.
Revenue rose 40 percent to $1.65 billion, AMD said today in a statement. That compares with the $1.55 billion average of estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Profit, minus certain items, was 11 cents a share. Analysts projected 6 cents.
PC makers including Sony Corp. added laptop models that use its chips, Sunnyvale-based AMD said. The company increased its profitability, widening its gross margin by 8 percentage points to 45 percent in the quarter. Corporations are beginning to replace older PC networks and add servers to data centers, boosting demand for semiconductors, Intel said this week.
“The numbers look good across the board,” said Doug Freedman, an analyst at Gleacher & Co. in San Francisco, who recommends buying the stock. “We’re seeing pretty strong margin results.”
AMD rose 11 cents, or 1.5 percent, in late trading to $7.47, after falling 3 cents to $7.41 today on the New York Stock Exchange. The stock has dropped 23 percent this year.
The company said it expects revenue to be “up seasonally” in the current quarter. Sales will increase 5 percent to 10 percent from the second quarter, Chief Financial Officer Thomas Seifert said on a conference call.
The company is “feeling good” about PC consumption for the rest of the year, said Chief Executive Officer Dirk Meyer.
Intel posts biggest profit in decade
SAN FRANCISCO: Intel Corp has posted its largest quarterly net income in a decade as the company benefits from a strengthening computer market and more sophisticated factories.
An encouraging sign for the US economy was that large corporations, which have been slower than consumers to start spending again after the worst of the recession passed, bought more computers that use Intel's most expensive chips.
That suggests businesses are freeing up their technology budgets, which should have helped other companies as well. Intel's main rival, Advanced Micro Devices Inc, reports on Thursday, while IBM Corp and Microsoft Corp issue results next week.
Intel's results, reported after the market closed Tuesday, topped Wall Street's forecasts, and the company raised its guidance. Shares of the company rose nearly 7 per cent in extended trading.
Intel's net income was $2.89 billion, or 51 cents per share, in the quarter ended June 26. That compares with a loss of $398 million, or 7 cents per share, a year ago, when Intel was forced to pay a $1.45 billion fine in Europe over antitrust violations.
Analysts expected net income of 43 cents per share in the latest period.
The last time Intel's quarterly net income topped $2.5 billion was in 2000 during the dot-com heyday, when Internet fever fueled spectacular computer sales.
Revenue was $10.77 billion in the latest period, above the $10.25 billion expected by analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters.
Intel's third-quarter forecast was stronger than expected. Intel expects revenue of $11.20 billion to $12 billion. Analysts were projecting $10.92 billion.
Intel's profit forecast also got a lift. Intel now expects gross profit margin - a key measure of a company's ability to control costs - of 64 per cent to 68 per cent of revenue. Its previous forecast was for 62 per cent to 66 per cent.
The results point to robust spending on computers that use Intel's chips. Intel is the world's No. 1 maker of microprocessors, the ``brains'' of personal computers and servers.
Consumer spending on discounted PCs has been a major help to Intel over the past year and a half. More recently, corporate spending on computer servers also came back, but many companies have been stingy about upgrading their work forces' PCs amid lingering fears about the health of their businesses.
Spending on PCs is critically important to Intel because the company gets the bulk of its profit from the sale of chips that go into PCs.
An encouraging sign for the US economy was that large corporations, which have been slower than consumers to start spending again after the worst of the recession passed, bought more computers that use Intel's most expensive chips.
That suggests businesses are freeing up their technology budgets, which should have helped other companies as well. Intel's main rival, Advanced Micro Devices Inc, reports on Thursday, while IBM Corp and Microsoft Corp issue results next week.
Intel's results, reported after the market closed Tuesday, topped Wall Street's forecasts, and the company raised its guidance. Shares of the company rose nearly 7 per cent in extended trading.
Intel's net income was $2.89 billion, or 51 cents per share, in the quarter ended June 26. That compares with a loss of $398 million, or 7 cents per share, a year ago, when Intel was forced to pay a $1.45 billion fine in Europe over antitrust violations.
Analysts expected net income of 43 cents per share in the latest period.
The last time Intel's quarterly net income topped $2.5 billion was in 2000 during the dot-com heyday, when Internet fever fueled spectacular computer sales.
Revenue was $10.77 billion in the latest period, above the $10.25 billion expected by analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters.
Intel's third-quarter forecast was stronger than expected. Intel expects revenue of $11.20 billion to $12 billion. Analysts were projecting $10.92 billion.
Intel's profit forecast also got a lift. Intel now expects gross profit margin - a key measure of a company's ability to control costs - of 64 per cent to 68 per cent of revenue. Its previous forecast was for 62 per cent to 66 per cent.
The results point to robust spending on computers that use Intel's chips. Intel is the world's No. 1 maker of microprocessors, the ``brains'' of personal computers and servers.
Consumer spending on discounted PCs has been a major help to Intel over the past year and a half. More recently, corporate spending on computer servers also came back, but many companies have been stingy about upgrading their work forces' PCs amid lingering fears about the health of their businesses.
Spending on PCs is critically important to Intel because the company gets the bulk of its profit from the sale of chips that go into PCs.
Global PC shipments jump 22%
SEATTLE: Market research group IDC says worldwide shipments of personal computers climbed 22.4 per cent in the second quarter.
That's half a percentage point less than predicted. The reason is slightly lower PC shipments in the US and Asia.
IDC credits businesses replacing aging computers and the popularity of low-cost PCs for the quarterly increase.
Hewlett-Packard Co. remained the top computer maker in the world, followed by Dell Inc. and Acer Group.
US consumer spending on PCs is slowing down, IDC believes, and big business spending on technology is picking up. That has helped Dell, which relies on businesses for much of its business, overtake Acer and reclaim the No. 2 spot.
PC makers shipped 81.5 million computers in the quarter.
That's half a percentage point less than predicted. The reason is slightly lower PC shipments in the US and Asia.
IDC credits businesses replacing aging computers and the popularity of low-cost PCs for the quarterly increase.
Hewlett-Packard Co. remained the top computer maker in the world, followed by Dell Inc. and Acer Group.
US consumer spending on PCs is slowing down, IDC believes, and big business spending on technology is picking up. That has helped Dell, which relies on businesses for much of its business, overtake Acer and reclaim the No. 2 spot.
PC makers shipped 81.5 million computers in the quarter.
Steve Jobs: We are not perfect
CUPERTINO: Apple will give free protective cases to buyers of its latest iPhone to alleviate the so-called "death grip" problem: holding the phone with a bare hand can muffle the wireless signal.
Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs announced the giveaway at a news conference. Those who have already bought the iPhone 4 and new buyers through Sept. 30 will be eligible. People who already purchased the $29 "Bumper" cases will be refunded.
Jobs declared, "We're not perfect." He is apologizing to those who don't like the phone. He says refunds are available, even for those with long-term AT&T contracts.
But he says the problem isn't widespread, and less than 2 percent have returned the device.
Consumer Reports refused to recommend the phone and called on Apple to compensate buyers.
Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs announced the giveaway at a news conference. Those who have already bought the iPhone 4 and new buyers through Sept. 30 will be eligible. People who already purchased the $29 "Bumper" cases will be refunded.
Jobs declared, "We're not perfect." He is apologizing to those who don't like the phone. He says refunds are available, even for those with long-term AT&T contracts.
But he says the problem isn't widespread, and less than 2 percent have returned the device.
Consumer Reports refused to recommend the phone and called on Apple to compensate buyers.
Engineer warned Jobs of iPhone 4 flaw
SAN FRANCISCO: Apple Inc’s senior antenna expert voiced concern to Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs in the early design phase of the iPhone 4 that the antenna design could lead to dropped calls, a person familiar with the matter said.
Last year, Ruben Caballero, a senior engineer and antenna expert, informed Apple’s management the device’s design may hurt reception, said the person, who is not authorised to speak on Apple’s behalf and asked not to be identified. A carrier partner also raised concerns about the antenna before the device’s June 24 release, according to another person familiar with the situation.
The latest model of the iPhone carries a metal antenna that surrounds the outside of the device -- a design chosen by Apple executives because it yielded a lighter, thinner handset. It has also resulted in dropped or degraded calls that led Consumer Reports to refrain from endorsing the iPhone 4, weighed on the company’s stock and stepped up pressure on Apple to issue a fix.
Steve Dowling, a spokesman for Apple, declined to comment and said he wouldn’t make Caballero available for an interview. Caballero didn’t respond to a call and an email seeking comment.
Apple plans to hold a press conference about the device. Dowling declined to elaborate on what will be discussed. A separate person familiar with the matter said Apple doesn’t plan to announce a recall of the phone.
Record sales
Apple broke sales records with the iPhone 4, which debuted June 24 in the US, the UK, Japan, France and Germany. The exclusive US carrier is AT&T Inc. Apple’s European partners include Vodafone Group Plc, France Telecom SA and Deutsche Telekom AG. Softbank Corp carries the iPhone 4 in Japan.
In the first three days, the company sold 1.7 million devices, the most for any iteration of its top-selling product.
Apple’s industrial design team, led by Jonathan Ive, submitted several iPhone designs before Jobs and other executives settled on the bezel antenna, said the person familiar with the company’s design. Caballero, the antenna expert, voiced concern in early planning meetings that it might lead to dropped calls and presented a serious engineering challenge, the person said.
The metal bezel surrounding the handset would need to be separated in sections to create individual antennas capable of handling particular ranges of the radio frequencies for different wireless networks, the person said. If a user covered one of the seams between the sections, their finger would act as a conductive material, interfering with the signal, the person said. Consumer Reports suggests iPhone 4 users cover the antenna with duct tape to help mitigate reception woes.
Last year, Ruben Caballero, a senior engineer and antenna expert, informed Apple’s management the device’s design may hurt reception, said the person, who is not authorised to speak on Apple’s behalf and asked not to be identified. A carrier partner also raised concerns about the antenna before the device’s June 24 release, according to another person familiar with the situation.
The latest model of the iPhone carries a metal antenna that surrounds the outside of the device -- a design chosen by Apple executives because it yielded a lighter, thinner handset. It has also resulted in dropped or degraded calls that led Consumer Reports to refrain from endorsing the iPhone 4, weighed on the company’s stock and stepped up pressure on Apple to issue a fix.
Steve Dowling, a spokesman for Apple, declined to comment and said he wouldn’t make Caballero available for an interview. Caballero didn’t respond to a call and an email seeking comment.
Apple plans to hold a press conference about the device. Dowling declined to elaborate on what will be discussed. A separate person familiar with the matter said Apple doesn’t plan to announce a recall of the phone.
Record sales
Apple broke sales records with the iPhone 4, which debuted June 24 in the US, the UK, Japan, France and Germany. The exclusive US carrier is AT&T Inc. Apple’s European partners include Vodafone Group Plc, France Telecom SA and Deutsche Telekom AG. Softbank Corp carries the iPhone 4 in Japan.
In the first three days, the company sold 1.7 million devices, the most for any iteration of its top-selling product.
Apple’s industrial design team, led by Jonathan Ive, submitted several iPhone designs before Jobs and other executives settled on the bezel antenna, said the person familiar with the company’s design. Caballero, the antenna expert, voiced concern in early planning meetings that it might lead to dropped calls and presented a serious engineering challenge, the person said.
The metal bezel surrounding the handset would need to be separated in sections to create individual antennas capable of handling particular ranges of the radio frequencies for different wireless networks, the person said. If a user covered one of the seams between the sections, their finger would act as a conductive material, interfering with the signal, the person said. Consumer Reports suggests iPhone 4 users cover the antenna with duct tape to help mitigate reception woes.
TCS, Infosys, Wipro rap Accenture
Top Indian IT firms have accused Accenture of violating campus recruitment norms by beginning placements in some colleges a semester ahead. Companies including TCS, Infosys, Wipro and Cognizant have lodged a complaint with industry lobby Nasscom.
Even a couple of years back, IT companies used to hire engineering graduates a year before they passed out. However, Nasscom asked top colleges last year to postpone their placement season to the final semester. This was done to ensure that software firms would go in for just- in-time hiring, to ensure that they do not over hire in an environment where project pipelines were under pressure.
Nasscom wanted the same practice to be followed for the 2010-11 batch too even though growth has returned to the industry. To boot, Nasscom president Som Mittal wrote an e-mail to senior execs at TCS, Infosys, Wipro, Cognizant and Accenture last week asking them to continue with the policy. ET has a copy of the mail.
But IT firms allege that Accenture had violated this directive by giving offer letters to students in a couple of colleges based in Pune and Ahmedabad. When asked, Mittal said: “When you are doing this across a very large country, there can be some leakages or emissions , but nothing is at scale. But we have spoken to companies and they said that they will abide by the directive.” Mittal did not, however, go into the specifics of the issue. “It was a gentleman’s agreement and they have broken it. It is a clearly loss of face for the Indian IT industry,” said a person in charge of campus placements at one of the rival firms. The colleges where Accenture has given offer letters are Sinhgad group of institutions in Pune and Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication in Gujarat. Two people involved in the placement process at these two institutes confirmed that Accenture had issued offer letters.
An Accenture spokesman declined to offer comments on the accusation made by rivals . Industry watchers say campuses will see aggressive hiring as growth returns to the IT sector after a tough year. “There is better traction in hiring and this is indicated by higher attrition levels. The normal rules of truce will be forgotten in such an environment . So, if one or two break the ranks, it is a free for all,” said E Balaji, CEO of HR consulting firm Ma Foi Randstad.
“This is just an aberration. Hiring in the last semester is good for everyone so I don’t see why companies won’t align,” Mittal said.
Even a couple of years back, IT companies used to hire engineering graduates a year before they passed out. However, Nasscom asked top colleges last year to postpone their placement season to the final semester. This was done to ensure that software firms would go in for just- in-time hiring, to ensure that they do not over hire in an environment where project pipelines were under pressure.
Nasscom wanted the same practice to be followed for the 2010-11 batch too even though growth has returned to the industry. To boot, Nasscom president Som Mittal wrote an e-mail to senior execs at TCS, Infosys, Wipro, Cognizant and Accenture last week asking them to continue with the policy. ET has a copy of the mail.
But IT firms allege that Accenture had violated this directive by giving offer letters to students in a couple of colleges based in Pune and Ahmedabad. When asked, Mittal said: “When you are doing this across a very large country, there can be some leakages or emissions , but nothing is at scale. But we have spoken to companies and they said that they will abide by the directive.” Mittal did not, however, go into the specifics of the issue. “It was a gentleman’s agreement and they have broken it. It is a clearly loss of face for the Indian IT industry,” said a person in charge of campus placements at one of the rival firms. The colleges where Accenture has given offer letters are Sinhgad group of institutions in Pune and Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication in Gujarat. Two people involved in the placement process at these two institutes confirmed that Accenture had issued offer letters.
An Accenture spokesman declined to offer comments on the accusation made by rivals . Industry watchers say campuses will see aggressive hiring as growth returns to the IT sector after a tough year. “There is better traction in hiring and this is indicated by higher attrition levels. The normal rules of truce will be forgotten in such an environment . So, if one or two break the ranks, it is a free for all,” said E Balaji, CEO of HR consulting firm Ma Foi Randstad.
“This is just an aberration. Hiring in the last semester is good for everyone so I don’t see why companies won’t align,” Mittal said.
Indians fueling tech innovation in US
WASHINGTON: Indians immigrants are boosting technological innovation in the United States, according to a study published by William Kerr of the Harvard Business School and William Lincoln of the University of Michigan.
According to the study, which appears in the Journal of Labor Economics, the number of US patent applications filed by people with Indian and Chinese names increased substantially in cities and firms dependent upon the program. US businesses use the H-1B programme to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in fields, such as scientists, engineers, or computer programmers.
The report also states that the number of applications filed by people with Anglo-Saxon names, a proxy for US-born workers did not vary with fluctuations in H-1B admissions.
"We conclude that total invention increased with higher [H-1B] admissions primarily through the direct contributions of immigrant inventors, we are also able to rule out displacement of native workers," the authors are quoted, as saying.
The study used data gathered from 1995 to 2008, and since patent applications do not record inventors' nationalities, the researchers used an algorithm to determine probable nationalities based on the inventors' names.
They then compared those data with the number of H-1B visas granted in a given year. The number of visas fluctuated widely over the study period, due to changes in a government-mandated cap on the program. At its lowest, visas were capped at 65,000 per year, and peaked at 195,000.
According to the study, which appears in the Journal of Labor Economics, the number of US patent applications filed by people with Indian and Chinese names increased substantially in cities and firms dependent upon the program. US businesses use the H-1B programme to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise in fields, such as scientists, engineers, or computer programmers.
The report also states that the number of applications filed by people with Anglo-Saxon names, a proxy for US-born workers did not vary with fluctuations in H-1B admissions.
"We conclude that total invention increased with higher [H-1B] admissions primarily through the direct contributions of immigrant inventors, we are also able to rule out displacement of native workers," the authors are quoted, as saying.
The study used data gathered from 1995 to 2008, and since patent applications do not record inventors' nationalities, the researchers used an algorithm to determine probable nationalities based on the inventors' names.
They then compared those data with the number of H-1B visas granted in a given year. The number of visas fluctuated widely over the study period, due to changes in a government-mandated cap on the program. At its lowest, visas were capped at 65,000 per year, and peaked at 195,000.
Monday, July 12, 2010
What's new in Apple Safari 5 browser
Innovation has always been a hallmark of Apple’s products. When Apple launched Safari 5 last month, along with the much-hyped iPhone 4, it claimed the latest version is the world’s fastest and most innovative web browser.
But various tests show that Chrome 6 is a tad faster and Apple will try to overcome that hitch in its forthcoming updates.
Here is a look at some of the features of Safari 5 web browser:
Safari Reader
With a wide range of new features, Safari surely proves itself to be a great browsing experience. ‘Safari Reader’ is one such addition in Safari 5.
The Reader presents a neat, ad-free version of the web page content. This tool can be activated via a ‘Reader’ icon which appears within the address bar when one visits a compatible webpage.
On clicking it, a paper-like scroll appears within the address bar and presents only the text version, as if it was copied manually and pasted onto word.
Multi-page articles pulled into the window
The Reader also pulls multi-page articles into the window, making it a pleasant experience for readers to browse through long articles.
This innovation is one which other developers need to watch out for -- that is to develop innovative ways to grab the attention span of users.
Address bar scans URLs
A convenient address bar scans entire URLs for easier recall of visited webpages. The function provided for the web search is not as good as Google’s Chrome which combines the search and address bar.
Using tabs is a pleasure on Safari 5 as they can be moved back and forth and even out on to the desktop to create a new window.
This feature is absent in IE or Firefox. A small thumbnail represents the page. It zooms to full size when released. The functionality becomes better as dragging a tab from one browser window into another is simple.
But various tests show that Chrome 6 is a tad faster and Apple will try to overcome that hitch in its forthcoming updates.
Here is a look at some of the features of Safari 5 web browser:
Safari Reader
With a wide range of new features, Safari surely proves itself to be a great browsing experience. ‘Safari Reader’ is one such addition in Safari 5.
The Reader presents a neat, ad-free version of the web page content. This tool can be activated via a ‘Reader’ icon which appears within the address bar when one visits a compatible webpage.
On clicking it, a paper-like scroll appears within the address bar and presents only the text version, as if it was copied manually and pasted onto word.
Multi-page articles pulled into the window
The Reader also pulls multi-page articles into the window, making it a pleasant experience for readers to browse through long articles.
This innovation is one which other developers need to watch out for -- that is to develop innovative ways to grab the attention span of users.
Address bar scans URLs
A convenient address bar scans entire URLs for easier recall of visited webpages. The function provided for the web search is not as good as Google’s Chrome which combines the search and address bar.
Using tabs is a pleasure on Safari 5 as they can be moved back and forth and even out on to the desktop to create a new window.
This feature is absent in IE or Firefox. A small thumbnail represents the page. It zooms to full size when released. The functionality becomes better as dragging a tab from one browser window into another is simple.
Desi BPO on UK co’s radar
UK-based business process outsourcing (BPO) company Vertex is scouting for takeover opportunities in India and has reportedly zeroed in on Spanco BPO — a 6,500-strong outfit.
With revenues of around Rs 75 crore, Spanco’s BPO division has three broad arms — one catering to the domestic market, the second, Spanco Respondez, catering to the UK market and the third, GKS, servicing Qatar-based banking clients. The deal size is said to be in the region of Rs 175 crore.
Spanco BPO’s biggest clients are Reliance Telecom, Videocon Mobile, Citi Financials and Kotak Mahindra.
Though both companies categorically denied that such a deal is on, sources close to the development say that a due diligence has already been done. If the deal goes through, Vertex would get a toehold in the Indian BPO market.
With revenues of around Rs 75 crore, Spanco’s BPO division has three broad arms — one catering to the domestic market, the second, Spanco Respondez, catering to the UK market and the third, GKS, servicing Qatar-based banking clients. The deal size is said to be in the region of Rs 175 crore.
Spanco BPO’s biggest clients are Reliance Telecom, Videocon Mobile, Citi Financials and Kotak Mahindra.
Though both companies categorically denied that such a deal is on, sources close to the development say that a due diligence has already been done. If the deal goes through, Vertex would get a toehold in the Indian BPO market.
'Google remains at risk in China'
BEIJING: China’s government confirmed that it renewed Google Inc’s Internet license, after the US company’s local venture pledged to allow its Web content to be supervised by regulators, the official Xinhua news agency said.
Beijing Guxiang Information Technology Co, operator of Google’s China website, has undertaken to comply with Chinese law and provide no law-breaking content, Xinhua reported, citing an unidentified official at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
Getting the go-ahead gives Google, which disclosed China’s decision to renew its license last week, a chance to win search share lost to market leader Baidu Inc and woo advertisers put off by the company’s half-year dispute with the government. Some Google operations were in jeopardy as it balked at censorship rules that require companies to filter Web content.
Google was surprised by how quickly China renewed the company’s Internet-services license, Chief Executive Officer Eric Schmidt said in a July 9 interview. There were no formal negotiations between Google and Chinese officials over the decision, a person familiar with the matter said.
China renewed the license through 2012, and officials will revisit the decision annually. China’s government can still use its authority to yank the license if it deems Google’s compliance wanting, said Sandeep Aggarwal, an analyst at Caris & Co. in San Francisco.
‘At risk’
“Google remains at risk in China,” Aggarwal said. “Chinese regulators gave them a back door.”
Google, owner of the world’s most popular search engine, went public with its dispute in January, saying it was no longer willing to comply with China’s filtering regulations.
“We look forward to continuing to provide Web search and local products to our users in China,” the company said on its July 9 blog. Spokeswoman Jessica Powell declined to say whether China had imposed any conditions on renewing the permit.
Google, based in Mountain View, California, won approval after changing the way it handled search requests. After closing its Chinese search engine in March, it had been automatically redirecting users to its unfiltered site in Hong Kong. To allay officials’ concerns, Google added an extra hurdle for Chinese Web surfers, directing them to a landing page that in turn pointed them to the Hong Kong site.
Beijing Guxiang Information Technology Co, operator of Google’s China website, has undertaken to comply with Chinese law and provide no law-breaking content, Xinhua reported, citing an unidentified official at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
Getting the go-ahead gives Google, which disclosed China’s decision to renew its license last week, a chance to win search share lost to market leader Baidu Inc and woo advertisers put off by the company’s half-year dispute with the government. Some Google operations were in jeopardy as it balked at censorship rules that require companies to filter Web content.
Google was surprised by how quickly China renewed the company’s Internet-services license, Chief Executive Officer Eric Schmidt said in a July 9 interview. There were no formal negotiations between Google and Chinese officials over the decision, a person familiar with the matter said.
China renewed the license through 2012, and officials will revisit the decision annually. China’s government can still use its authority to yank the license if it deems Google’s compliance wanting, said Sandeep Aggarwal, an analyst at Caris & Co. in San Francisco.
‘At risk’
“Google remains at risk in China,” Aggarwal said. “Chinese regulators gave them a back door.”
Google, owner of the world’s most popular search engine, went public with its dispute in January, saying it was no longer willing to comply with China’s filtering regulations.
“We look forward to continuing to provide Web search and local products to our users in China,” the company said on its July 9 blog. Spokeswoman Jessica Powell declined to say whether China had imposed any conditions on renewing the permit.
Google, based in Mountain View, California, won approval after changing the way it handled search requests. After closing its Chinese search engine in March, it had been automatically redirecting users to its unfiltered site in Hong Kong. To allay officials’ concerns, Google added an extra hurdle for Chinese Web surfers, directing them to a landing page that in turn pointed them to the Hong Kong site.
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