Weekly Digest
Weekly Digest Issue No. 517
27-05-2010
by Emmet Cole
Facebook backtracks on privacy issues | Europe gets set for iPad launch
Ireland becomes 'three strikes' net nation
This week, Ireland enjoyed the dubious honour of becoming the first country in the world to implement a system whereby persistent filesharers will have their internet connection cut off. Eircom announced on Monday that it is to begin implementing a 'three strikes' rule for its 750,000 broadband users. Eircom users who share copyrighted music will receive three warnings before having their internet service cut for a year.
Eircom agreed to introduce the scheme following an out-of-court settlement with the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) in February 2009. In April 2010, High Court Judge Peter Charlton ruled in favour of IRMA, rejecting the Data Protection Commissioner Billy Hawke's claim that such a scheme would infringe on Irish internet users' privacy. The scheme is set to be reviewed after three months, but until then Eircom has agreed to process 50 IP addresses a week, which it will receive from Dtecnet, a third-party firm hired by IRMA for the purpose. While it is not known exactly how Dtecnet will trace filesharers, it seems likely that it will monitor torrent sites for torrents that are being uploaded by Irish IP addresses.
Not all Irish ISPs are so keen on monitoring and potentially blocking their customers' internet access, however. Cable operator UPC, for example, has refused requests from IRMA to implement a similar system. IRMA and UPC are due to meet in court in June over the issue.
Europe gets set for iPad launch
Apple's much-hyped iPad tablet device is set to launch in nine countries this week: the UK, France, Canada, Spain, Germany, Australia, Italy, Japan and Switzerland. The device is set for a July release date in Ireland, Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore.
Originally scheduled for a late April release, Apple claims that stronger than expected demand for the iPad in the US caused the delay. The iPad 3G model has been sold out in Apple's US stores for weeks, with 1 million 3G models being sold Stateside within a month of release. The Wi-Fi model has limited availability in US Apple stores.
Mixed reactions to iPad apps developed newspapers and magazines are making some European media companies more cautious than their US counterparts about embracing the new device. The Guardian, Daily Mail, and Economist, for example, will not have iPad apps ready for Friday's UK launch. The BBC, however, is set to release a new version of its iPlayer, optimised for playback of video content on the iPad, in time for the launch.
Meanwhile, Apple CEO Steve Jobs is expected to unveil the new iPhone OS4 - the company's new mobile operating system - at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference next month. Jobs missed last year's event due to ill health.
Finally, on Wednesday, Apple overtook Microsoft in the valuation stakes to become the largest tech firm by market value. When the New York Nasdaq market closed on Wednesday, Apple was worth USD222 billion. Microsoft was valued at USD219 billion.
Will consumers swallow Dell tablet?
In other news of tablet devices, PC maker Dell released details of the Streak this week -- a 5-inch touchscreen device (roughly half the size of the iPad's screen), running on the Android operating system. It will go on sale in the UK in early June, before its US release.
The Streak comes with an ARM-based Snapdragon chipset, a 1GHz processor and 2GB of storage, expandable to 32GB with a microSD card. The device also has a 5-megapixel camera, removable battery, and offers Wi-Fi, 3G and Bluetooth connectivity. On Tuesday, Dell announced that the Streak will later be upgraded to Android version 2.2, which was announced recently at Google's I/O conference.
Crucially, the Streak can also be used as a mobile phone. At present, the only 3G service provider signed up is O2. A US carrier has not yet been announced. Pricing details are expected to be announced before the Streak goes on sale next month.
Earlier this month, Microsoft ceased development of the Courier -- a two-screen, tablet-style device that could have been used to read e-books. And, on the same day, Hewlett-Packard announced that it was shelving plans for its Slate tablet computer. It seemed that Apple had the short-term tablet market sewn up. But with the Streak set for release in a few weeks, it will be interesting to see how the tablet market reacts over the coming months.
Facebook backtracks on privacy issues
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been forced to publicly backtrack over privacy issues, following criticism of the social networking site's settings. In an op-ed piece for the Washington Post published on Monday, Zuckerberg admitted that Facebook had "missed the mark" on privacy.
Then, in a news conference at Facebook's California headquarters on Wednesday, Zuckerberg announced simpler privacy controls for Facebook users. A simple check box will block a user's Facebook information from outside sites - making it easier for users to opt-out of the 'Like' feature, which shared Facebook information with third-party websites. Facebook will also require less user information to be made public.
Users will be able to put their information into three categories: friends, friends of friends, or everyone. The changes will also mean that Facebook apps, such as the popular Farmville game, will be able to access less personal data about users than was hitherto available. All of the changes will be implemented on a new privacy settings page and are expected to be introduced within weeks.
Facebook received huge criticism from users when the site implemented new privacy settings last December. Stateside, New York Senator Charles E. Schumer called for an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission. On the back of the new changes, US digital privacy advocate The Electronic Information Privacy Center is said to be reconsidering its formal complaint to the FTC. It's too soon to tell if the changes will be enough to appease European privacy groups, however.
Nokia and Yahoo just do it
Nokia and Yahoo have announced 'Project Nike' -- a distribution partnership that will see Yahoo providing email and IM to Nokia handsets and Nokia providing Ovi maps services to Yahoo. The co-branded service offerings are expected to become available from the second half of 2010 in the US, with global availability expected in 2011.
Nokia and Yahoo are struggling within their respective markets against Apple (the iPhone) and Google (Google MapQuest), respectively, and the agreement is being seen as a way for both companies to improve their competitiveness.
This week's news didn't send the stock market into a state of frenzied excitement, however. Nokia stocks finished Monday's regular trading session down 0.5 percent at USD10.02. Meanwhile, Yahoo's stock closed up just 0.4 percent at USD15.54.
Yahoo has been striking deals worldwide in an attempt to keep up with Google and expand its share of the mobile services market. Last month, Yahoo announced a deal with Samsung that will see Yahoo services and software featured more prominently on Samsung mobile phones. Samsung is the world's second-largest mobile phone company. Meanwhile, earlier this month Yahoo bought freelance news site Associated Content. And this week the internet giant acquired Indonesian mobile social networking company Koprol for an undisclosed amount.
Caped Koala Studios has built a virtual world for kids, combining education and social networking 