WWWorld.ru · Темы дня · Разделы дня · Интересы дня · 2012 · Свежие новости

NewsFactor - You buy an iPhone with a special SIM card, and then you choose and activate your wireless carrier. According to news reports, Apple is working on such a potential game-changer for the European market. Yahoo! News: Personal Technology »

PARIS (Reuters) - WikiLeaks directed readers to a web address in Switzerland on Friday after two U.S. Internet providers ditched it in the space of two days, and Paris tried to ban French servers from hosting its trove of leaked data. Reuters: Internet News »

Reuters - WikiLeaks directed readers to a web address in Switzerland on Friday after two U.S. Internet providers ditched it in the space of two days, and Paris tried to ban French servers from hosting its trove of leaked data. Yahoo! News: Internet News »

PC World - European Union plans to "create a single secure cyberspace" have come under fire from civil liberties groups, with many saying that they only serve to highlight how far the bloc still has to go in understanding the modern online world. Yahoo! News: Internet News »

Mashable - More Saudi Arabian women drove their cars in the streets of capital Riyadh Wednesday, continuing a campaign -- largely rooted in social media -- to push the kingdom into overturning a ban on female drivers. At the same time, one of the European Union's top diplomats sent a long-requested message of support for their campaign. The drivers were Sara Al-Khalidi, who was accompanied by her mother, and Azza Al-Shamasi, who was accompanied and filmed by blogger Eman Al Nafjan. The group was also filmed by Saudi media group Rotana. Yahoo! News: Internet News »

Microsoft is one step closer to adding Skype to its lineup. On Friday, the European Commission approved the software giant's $8.5 billion acquisition of the voice-over-Internet communications company. The U.S Federal Trade Commission approved the purchase in July, and the company awaits decisions from regulators in the Ukraine, Russia, Serbia and Taiwan. 'Not Significantly Impede' Competition The European decision was handed down by the commission official in charge of competition, Joaquin Almunia. A Skype competitor in Italy, Messagenet, had asked the commission to block the sale unless the Skype user network was opened to other companies, but the request was not granted. In a statement, Almunia said the "deal would not significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area." The commission's investigation found the two companies already overlap in video communications, considering that Microsoft offers such capabilities through its Live Messenger and other products. It also found that this media communications market is growing and has "numerous players," including Google. For enterprise communications, the agency also found that Skype's presence is limited and does not compete with Microsoft's Lync enterprise communication product. One question addressed was whether Microsoft might downgrade Skype's interoperability with other software, or if Microsoft would integrate Skype with its widespread Windows operating system, creating market advantages others could not match. On the first matter, the commission found that Microsoft would have no incentive to diminish Skype's interoperability, since it's to the advantage of the Skype brand that it be available via as many partners and platforms as possible. 124 Million Registered Users Concerning whether Microsoft could integrate Skype with Windows, as it had been accused of doing with its Internet Explorer browser, the commission reasoned that most users can readily download a version of Skype if they want, and that most users who buy a PC with Skype pre-installed are already registered Skype users. In... newsfactor.com »

Max Schrems wasn't sure what he would get when he asked Facebook to send him a record of his personal data from three years of using the site. What the 24-year-old Austrian law student didn't expect, though, was 1,222 pages of data on a CD. It included chats he had deleted more than a year ago, "pokes" dating back to 2008, invitations to which he had never responded, let alone attended, and hundreds of other details. Time for an "aha" moment. In response, Schrems has launched an online campaign aimed at forcing the social media behemoth that has 800 million users to abide by European data privacy laws -- something the Palo Alto, California-based company insists it already does. Yet since Schrems launched his "Europe vs. Facebook" Web site in August, Facebook has increasingly been making overtures not only to Schrems, but to other Europeans concerned about data privacy, including Germany's data security watchdogs. "Have we done enough in the past to deal with you? No," Facebook's director of European public policy, Richard Allan, testified Tuesday before a German parliamentary committee on new media. "Will we do more now? Yes." The lawmakers were holding a hearing on privacy rights. Europeans -- Germans in particular -- have long been more concerned about data privacy than their U.S. peers. Still, the European campaign comes amid increased agitation in the U.S. over what many view as invasive Internet marketing practices that allow consumers to be observed, analyzed and harvested for profit, with no regard for their right to privacy. Last month, several U.S. privacy interest groups asked the U.S. Federal Trade Commission in Washington to look into recent changes made by Facebook that give the company greater ability to disclose users' personal information to businesses than it used to have. The German lawmakers brought up a raft of complaints Tuesday, from allegations... newsfactor.com »

Are Apple and major publishers creating an e-book cartel? That's a question that the European Commission is investigating. On Tuesday, the commission announced that an inquiry is under way to see if anti-competitive practices are emerging in the relatively new e-book market, particularly relating to Apple's agreements with book publishers. Those deals, with Hachette Livre in France, Harper Collins and Simon & Schuster in the U.S., Penguin in the U.K., and Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holzbrinck in Germany, are so-called agency agreements that allow publishers to set their own prices. 'Unannounced Inspections' In a statement, the commission said it "will in particular investigate whether these publishing groups and Apple have engaged in illegal agreements or practices that would have the object or the effect of restricting competition," and will examine the terms of the agency agreements. When Apple was introducing its iPad and iBookstore in 2010, it allowed publishers to establish the final price that would be charged for e-books to customers. There had also been a previous investigation by the Office of Fair Trading in the U.K., but now the commission will take over, and the OFT has officially closed its inquiry. The commission said there had been "unannounced inspections at the premises of several companies active in the e-book publishing sector" in March of this year. Gartner analyst Allen Weiner said the European Commission's investigation is not so much about actual anti-competitive actions by Apple and the five publishers in the European e-book market, since there are substantially different e-book markets in the various European countries, and Apple plays a relatively small role there. Federal Lawsuit The much larger role in e-books in Europe, he said, is played by Amazon, and possibly soon by Barnes & Noble, which starts selling outside the U.S. next year. Weiner said the commission is more concerned about issues... newsfactor.com »

The EU wants the United States to strengthen data protection practices in order to create a uniform "privacy landscape" on both sides of the Atlantic, a top official said Tuesday. Internet companies in Europe are now offering cloud computing services whose selling point is that they shelter users from the U.S. Patriot Act, European Union Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding noted. The anti-terrorism law has been widely criticized by civil libertarians. "I do encourage cloud computing centers in Europe ... but this cannot be the only solution," Reding said. "We need free flow of data between our continents (and) it doesn't make much sense for us to retreat from each other." The EU and U.S. are currently negotiating a new umbrella agreement on data protection, which the Europeans would like to see go into effect by the end of 2012. It would set out the main principles of data protection, and would be the basis for any new accords on specific issues -- such as passenger name recognition or data on bank transfers used in the fight against terrorism and organized crime. Since 2001, Europe and the United States have had a series of disagreements on how to strike the proper balance between protecting privacy and battling terrorism. European officials have insisted on the need to defend data privacy rights amid pressure from U.S. officials to get access to information about European citizens for security reasons. Last month, Brussels and Washington initialed an accord over air-passenger data for flights from Europe to America that will limit what information U.S. officials can use. The accord will replace a 2007 agreement that the European Parliament criticized for giving U.S. authorities too much authority to view the private data of EU citizens. Reding said substantial progress still needs to be made on the umbrella accord. "Europeans should be confident that their rights... newsfactor.com »

THE HAGUE (Reuters) - The European Union will outline a strategy on Monday to support activists living under repressive governments who are using technology to organise, mobilise and exercise their rights, European Commissioner Neelie Kroes said on Friday. Reuters: Internet News »

The European Union has temporarily suspended its review of Google's proposed acquisition of Motorola Mobility to obtain more information from the companies as well as give third parties an opportunity to submit comments. After receiving formal notification of the deal late last month, the EU said the deal may fall within the scope of European Commission merger regulations. Motorola Mobility, which has registered offices in fifteen European Union member states, declined to comment on the EU review suspension made public Monday. However, Google indicated that it is not concerned about the temporary suspension of the EU's anti-competition review. "The European Commission has asked for more information, which is routine, while they review our Motorola Mobility acquisition," a Google spokesperson said Monday. Still, the EU's invitation of comments from third parties could potentially lead to a lengthy review process. Google had previously expected the $12.5 billion transaction to close in late 2011 or early 2012. Though Google declined to comment on how the review's suspension might affect the timing of its Motorola Mobility acquisition, the company maintained an upbeat attitude. "We're confident the commission will conclude that this acquisition is good for competition and we'll be working closely and cooperatively with them as they continue their review," Google's spokesperson said. Building Goodwill Though many European activists have long been wary of the search-engine giant's online operations, Google has been working hard of late to improve its image on the continent. Last Thursday, for example, Google hosted a "big tent event" to promote Internet freedom in cooperation with the Dutch non-governmental organization Free Press Unlimited. The event's participants included Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal as well as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who urged companies around the world to help protect Internet freedom. She also called upon equipment and software makers... newsfactor.com »

As the holiday vacation arrives, it's good to remember that there once was a time when people didn't get e-mail at all hours of the day or night. Now, Volkswagen has agreed to give German workers a taste of that world. Following a union agreement, the largest European carmaker will limit work-related e-mails on the BlackBerry smartphones of about 1,200 workers to a half-hour before and a half-hour after the workday for its staff. Mobile devices will still be available for calls by those workers, at any time. No Longer 'Switch Off' According to news reports, the agreement only relates to those workers covered by collective bargaining, thus apparently leaving executives to the same always-on schedule. The Trades Union Congress has issued a statement cautioning that Volkswagen's solution may not work in other organizations. Another German company, Deutsche Telekom, created a Smart Device Policy in 2010 that allows workers to have a communication-free time when they're not at work. At the time, the company said that mobile communication devices have advantages, but they also create conditions where employees can no longer "switch off" their worktime. Communication overload is also being addressed by other European companies. For example, international IT services company Atos Origin proclaimed an ambition in February to become a "zero e-mail company" within three years. CEO and Chairman Thierry Breton said in a statement that "we are producing data on a massive scale that is fast polluting our working environments and encroaching into our personal lives." 'Unsustainable for Business' Thierry said the volume of work-related e-mail was "unsustainable for business," with managers spending five to 20 hours weekly on e-mails, using 25 percent of their time searching for information, and finding that only about 15 percent of the e-mails received in a day were useful. He added that his company was "taking action... newsfactor.com »

The European Union has restarted the clock on its antitrust review of Google's proposed acquisition of Motorola Mobility, which was announced last August and received Motorola stockholder approval in November. European Union's antitrust authorities have also set a Feb. 13 deadline for completing its review of the deal. Last month, the European Commission put a temporary hold on its antitrust review of the deal in order to obtain more information from the two companies. A Google spokesperson characterized the pause as "routine" and said in December that the search-engine giant remained confident the EC will conclude that this acquisition is good for competition. "We'll be working closely and cooperatively with them as they continue their review," Google's spokesperson said. Motorola's smartphones have not succeeded in gaining significant traction in European Union member states to date, which suggests that if the EC does decide to approve Google's bid for Motorola the deal would not have any direct impact on European wireless network operators -- at least not right away. "I do not think operators there are particularly concerned about this," said Gartner Research Vice President Carolina Milanesi in an e-mail Thursday. "But they are concerned about Google overall and this will be one more thing that Google will have to influence consumers." Other Hurdles In the long run, however, other analysts based in the region believe that European carriers are concerned about Google's plans for Motorola. "The acquisition is seen as a threat by mobile operators in Europe," said Francisco Jeronimo, IDC's research manager for European mobile devices. European carriers are concerned they might "become even more dependent" on Google's offerings, Jeronimo said in a Thursday email. Not only are they worried about the Android platform itself, he noted, but also about the hardware "if Google manages to boost Motorola's brand in Europe." Even if... newsfactor.com »

(Reuters) - Payment processor Euronet Worldwide Inc said a "small portion" of its European business was the target of a criminal security breach late last year, sending its shares down as much 6 percent. Reuters: Internet News »

Companies doing business in Europe would have new data privacy rules and fines for violations, under proposals made public Wednesday. The proposals from the European Commission follow a two-year study of how sites such as Facebook, Google and Yahoo are being used. Proposed fines are very stiff, up to 2 percent of a company's annual revenue. For Google, as an example, that could amount to as much as three-quarters of a billion dollars. The proposed rules will become law by the end of next year if approved by all members of the European Union and the European Parliament. 'Right to Be Forgotten' Google, which has been under investigation by various countries for privacy violations, said through a spokesperson in Brussels that it supports "simplifying privacy rules in Europe to both protect consumers online and stimulate economic growth." The company said it that it was possible "to have simple rules that do both." The European commissioner for data privacy, Viviane Reding, said the new legislation was needed to better protect consumer privacy. She told reporters that, while personal data protection is a fundamental right, "citizens do not always feel in control" of their information. Reding said the proposal would save businesses nearly $3 billion annually. The previous European laws on privacy date from 1995, when less than 1 percent of European users had access to the Internet. One component of the proposed legislation is what Reding describes as "the right to be forgotten," where a user can require that all data about them is removed from a Web site and related databases. In addition, the guidelines would require user consent to maintain customer data, rather than simply a default consent. Social networking sites often remove user information from public view if requested, but keep the information as part of its database. 27 Rules to One The commission... newsfactor.com »

Cisco is battling against Microsoft's $8.5 billion Skype acquisition in the European Union's high court. Rather than trying to kill the acquisition itself, Cisco just wants to make sure Microsoft won't block other video conferencing services from interfacing with the platform. Marthin De Beer, head of Cisco's video conferencing division, noted that the world remains some distance from the goal of video calls being as easy and ubiquitous as phone calls are today. He asked his blog readers to imagine how difficult it would be if they were limited to calling people who only use the same carrier or if their phone could only call certain brands. "Cisco wants to avoid this future for video communications, and therefore today appealed the European Commission's approval of the Microsoft/Skype merger to the General Court of the European Union," De Beer said. Messagenet, a European VoIP service provider, joined Cisco in the appeal. Insisting on Interoperability De Beer was quick to mention that Cisco does not oppose the merger, but believes the European Commission should have placed conditions that would guarantee standards-based interoperability so that no single company can control the future of video communications. "This appeal is about one thing only: securing standards-based interoperability in the video calling space," De Beer said. "Our goal is to make video calling as easy and seamless as e-mail is today. Making a video-to-video call should be as easy as dialing a phone number. Today, however, you can't make seamless video calls from one platform to another, much to the frustration of consumers and business users alike." Cisco is calling for open standards in a move to accelerate innovation, create economic value, and increase choice for users of video communications, entertainment and services. This is critical, De Beer noted, because the world will be home to nearly 3 billion Internet users... newsfactor.com »

Business travelers -- and the enterprises that foot their phone bills -- have been complaining about high roaming fees in Europe for years. Now, some relief is finally in sight. Indeed, both data roaming and phone calls travelers make while doing business (or taking a vacation) in Europe should be much cheaper this summer thanks to a deal done in the European Parliament this week. Members of the European Parliament and the Danish Presidency of the Council of Ministers agreed to lower price caps on roaming. Parliament as a whole still needs to approve the deal. But if all runs smoothly the new rules will take effect July 1. "I am satisfied that the Council approved Parliament's approach to tackle very high prices of phone calls, SMS and in particular of data roaming," said Angelika Niebler of Germany, Parliament's reporter for the draft legislation. "The proposed price caps ensure a sufficient margin between wholesale and retail prices to assure a level of competition that will enable new players to enter the market." How Low Do They Go? The agreement increases transparency and consumer protection to prevent bill shocks, Niebler said. That means European Union consumers no longer need to worry about accidentally running up huge bills when using their mobile devices both within and outside the EU. Of course, it's also a boon for consumers from other nations traveling to Europe. How much savings are we talking about? According to the new rules, a downloaded megabyte would cost no more than 70 cents. That cost drops down to 45 cents in 2013 and 20 cents by July 2014. This is a big improvement, seeing as there is currently no price ceiling for mobile data services charged to consumers. On the phone call front, the cost of a one-minute call would not exceed 29 cents under the... newsfactor.com »

LONDON (Reuters) - Web search giant Google Inc defended its new privacy policy as lawful and cited measures to educate users about it, in a letter sent on Thursday to French data protection regulators investigating its approach. Reuters: Internet News »