AMD chases Intel into gadget market with embedded chips

Intel has focused its Atom microprocessor on new kinds of devices from netbooks to tablet computers. Advanced Micro Devices is now launching a new version of its Fusion chips — which combine a processor and graphics in the same chip — to go after the same market.

This means we’ll likely see smarter and smarter internet-connected gadgets in the future. Shane Rau, an analyst at IDC, expects this market segment to grow at a double-digit rate in the next five years.

The new AMD Embedded G-Series platform uses the first Accelerated Processor Unit (APU, or a combo chip), which AMD has designed for “embedded systems,” or the gadgets that aren’t considered phones or PCs. Embedded systems typically serve one or two functions and are generally not programmable for other tasks.

AMD has offered chips in the embedded market for some time, such as its AMD Geode processor from 2003. But it has steadily increased the computing power of the chips it has offered in the space, culminating with an APU that is optimized for low-power consumption, smaller size, lower prices, and high performance.

AMD is targeting the new chips at a variety of vertical markets. Those include thin-client computers for enterprises, kiosks and cash register systems, digital signs, industrial controls, rugged military systems, medical imaging, game machines, single-board computers, storage, and telecommunications/networking gear. With the G-Series, computer makers can design a PC with a 3.5-inch circuit board (pictured).

The AMD Fusion family of APUs combines a microprocessor with a graphics system all on one chip. The G-Series platform has two “Bobcat” microprocessor cores, a variety of video processors and a controller hub for display output and input-output functions. AMD has lined up a number of developer tools for support. And its customers include Microsoft’s new Surface table computers, MediaVue, Quixant, Wyse, Fujitsu, Advansus, Compulab, Congatec, Haier, Kontron, Mitec, Sintrones, Starnet, WebDT, and Hewlett-Packard.

AMD says its embedded G-Series platform uses chips that are smaller than Intel’s equivalent Atom chips. That means they use less power and cost less.

Space Shuttle Discovery in the repair shop (photos)

In late December, the space shuttle Discovery trundled from the launch pad back to NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida amid tests and inspections after cracks were found in its massive external fuel tank--the big orange cylinder to which the shuttle clings. Just this week, engineers at the space agency said they believe they've determined what caused the cracks, and space shuttle management gave the go-ahead for repairs.

The goal is to get Discovery ready for a launch now set for February 24, on a mission to the International Space Station. The shuttle has been delayed since an initial expected launch date in the latter half of 2010.

Scaffolding surrounds the space shuttle's external tank for the repairs, which are centered on the intertank section between the liquid oxygen tank--the conical top portion of the big external tank assembly--and the larger liquid hydrogen tank below. More specifically, the work is being done on the "stringers," the support beams that show here in the ribbed portion of the external fuel tank. Additional support structures called radius blocks are being added to the stringers, which lie lengthwise around the circumference of the tank.

This photo from December shows wires and sensors--a total of 39 strain gauges and 50 thermal sensors--in place on the intertank section for a "tanking test" designed to help technicians assess the status of the stringers. (NASA said it was expecting the sensors to generate more than 6 terabytes of data.) At that time, four cracks were discovered near the top of three stringers. Cracks had first appeared at the top of a pair of stringers during fueling operations in early November for a launch planned at that time. (A separate problem, with the "ground umbilical carrier plate," actually was what caused NASA to scrub that launch.)NASA expects to complete the repairs by the last week of January.

Here's a closer look at the stringers with their outer coating removed. The radius blocks are small by comparison--just six inches long and about one fifth of an inch thick. But those small pieces of aluminum, NASA says, are enough to keep the stringers flat. Without the radius blocks in place, the danger is that the stringers could flex as the liquid oxygen tank shrinks as it's filled, causing more cracks.

That outer layer of foam serves as insulation to help keep the chill in the super-cold propellants. It also protects against damage by what NASA delicately calls "aerodynamic environments" during lift-off.

The external fuel tank delivers fuel to the three main engines in the space shuttle itself during launch. Empty, it weighs 78,100 pounds, and it carries about 1,585,000 pounds of propellant. It's a little over 150 feet long, and has a diameter of nearly 28 feet

The big external tank also provides structural support for both the shuttle and the two separate solid rocket boosters. Its work is done at about 8 to 9 minutes into the flight, at an altitude of about 70 miles, when the shuttle has reached near orbital velocity; the external tank is then jettisoned and whatever parts survive disintegration fall into the ocean. (The solid rocket boosters, which provide about 80 percent of launch thrust, drop off earlier, at about 28 miles above the Earth.)

This view of the external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters amid the scaffolding in the Vehicle Assembly Building gives a sense of the tank's generous proportions. That bottom section, again, holds the liquid hydrogen fuel. Just behind the tanks, you can make out part of Discovery's wings and the bottom rear of its fuselage, at the main engine exhausts.

The stringers come under scrutiny from a pair of NASA technicians.

Discovery has had a notable career. NASA says that it has flown more missions than any other spacecraft--38, not counting the upcoming flight. It has gone around the Earth 5,600 times and carried 174 people into space, and its payloads have included the Hubble Space Telescope.

At first glance, this looks like a circular saw, but it is in fact a backscatter device used to acquire data in a very exacting process. The backscatter devices, which bounce radiation off the tank and pick up the reflected energy, take about 90 minutes to survey a single 21-foot-long stringer. There are a total of 108 of the metal stringers on the tank.

Technicians also used computing radiography scanners which move faster, scanning as many as five stringers per hour.

Here, some repaired stringers get a new spray coating of foam insulation. This is from earlier repairs done in November on the initial set of stringers in which cracks were discovered.

[CNET]

Nadal makes strong start in Australia

(CNN) -- Rafael Nadal is on track to win his fourth successive grand slam after Marcos Daniel was forced to retire during their first-round match at the Australian Open on Tuesday.

World number one Nadal had already opened up a 6-0 5-0 lead before the Brazilian suffered a knee injury after 47 minutes of the match.

Nadal, a nine-time major winner, is hoping to become the first player since Rod Laver in 1969 to win four consecutive grand slams.

"I think I played right," the 24-year-old told the ATP Tour's website ahead of his next match against American debutant Ryan Sweeting, who is ranked 116th.

"I played some good shots, some long shots. The serve can be a little bit better. That's the only point that I think I can improve."

The Australian Open should be in February!

British fifth seed Andy Murray progressed to round two after his opponent also became injured.

Murray, who was a beaten finalist in Melbourne last year, led Slovakia's Karol Beck 6-3 6-1 4-2 when the world number 101 succumbed to a shoulder problem.

The match lasted for one hour and 42 minutes before Beck withdrew, meaning the 23-year-old Murray will now face Illya Marchenko of the Ukraine who beat Spain's Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo.

"I thought it was a pretty good match," said Murray.

"Obviously you'd rather finish the match off without your opponent being hurt, but it does happen quite a lot. So you just have to move on and get yourself ready for the next round."

Juan Martin del Potro scored a victory on his return to grand-slam action as he defeated Israel's Dudi Sela 7-6 6-4 6-4.

Argentina's Del Potro, the 2009 U.S. Open champion, has not played in one of the four majors since last year's Melbourne Park tournament after struggling with a wrist injury.

"Today I played good tennis again," the former world number four said.

"But I'm really enjoying this week. I met with all the players, especially the top-10 players. They supported me when I was very bad. So now I am face to face with them I can say thank you."

Del Potro will now play the 2006 Australian Open champion Marcos Baghdatis, who beat Slovenia's Grega Zemlja 3-6 7-5 6-1 4-6 6-2.

Australia's Lleyton Hewitt and David Nalbandian of Argentina played out a five-set clash which lasted four hours and 48 minutes at the Rod Laver Arena in a rematch of the 2002 Wimbledon final.

Nalbandian eventually sealed a 3-6 6-4 3-6 7-6 9-7 victory, with the final set lasting 93 minutes, as he avenged that defeat and also his reverse to hewitt in the 2005 Austalian Open quarterfinals.

Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis will be Nalbandian's second-round opponent after he beat another Australian Marinko Matosevic 6-4 6-2 7-5.

France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga came from two sets down to claim a 4-6 2-6 6-2 6-3 6-4 triumph over Philipp Petzschner of Germany.

Tsonga, seeded 13th, eventually won the match after 194 minutes to set up a tie against Andreas Seppi after the Italian defeated Arnaud Clement.

America's John Isner hit 26 aces on his way to a 6-3 7-6 6-3 win over Florent Serra of France.

Isner is set to face Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic in the second round, who advanced at the expense of Deni Gremelmayr.

51 dead from flooding in the Philippines; 1.6 million affected

(CNN) -- Some 51 people are dead in the Philippines after weeks of intense rain caused severe flooding across the Asian nation, the country's national disaster agency said early Monday.

Rains continued to linger over much of the the island of Luzon, with land around the Visayan Sea and the eastern island of Mindanao also experiencing significant precipitation, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said in a statement.

Those killed, ranging from ages 1 to 80, died from drowning, landslides or electrocution, according to the disaster agency.

Twelve people are still missing, while another eight were hurt -- all in landslides in southern Leyte province.

The crisis began weeks ago, on December 29, when a monsoon over northern and central Luzon met a cold front in southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The result was severe flooding and landslides in 25 provinces.

The storms have affected nearly 1.6 million people from more than 300,000 families, according to the disaster agency.

Some of the worst conditions have been in Caraga, on Mindanao island, where more than 600,000 people have been impacted and 20 killed. Leyte and Samar also have been hard hit, with about 530,000 people in that region affected.

The monsoon has wreaked havoc on structures and infrastructure as well. More than 500 homes have been destroyed, and just under 2,000 partially damaged. The disaster agency estimated that, in total, the storms caused 417,715,140 Philippine pesos' ($9.5 million U.S.) worth in damage to agriculture, infrastructure and private properties.

December and January are traditionally part of the Philippines' dry season, with heavy rains more common in the islands from May to October during the summer monsoon.

Chinese president arrives for U.S. state visit

Washington (CNN) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in the United States on Tuesday for a state visit that will include high-profile talks with President Barack Obama on trade, currency, North Korea and other issues.

The three-day trip includes a state dinner on Wednesday and the eighth face-to-face meeting between Obama and the Chinese leader, which administration officials say illustrates the importance of relations between two global powers at a time described by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as a "critical juncture."

Chinese state media has reported that Hu will stress how a constructive, comprehensive partnership between the two nations could be mutually beneficial and help ensure stability in Asia and worldwide, despite differences between Beijing and Washington on issues such as human rights and currency controls.

In addition to Obama, Hu is also scheduled to meet with top legislators and business executives. After Washington, Hu will make a stop in Chicago on Thursday.

Vice President Joe Biden greeted Hu when the Chinese leader arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Tuesday afternoon. A military honor guard saluted Hu and a military band played the national anthems of both countries as Hu and Biden stood on a red carpet on the air base tarmac.



Hu later arrived at the White House for what officials called a small dinner gathering with Obama, Clinton and National Security Adviser Tom Donilon.

"This provides a bit of an informal setting in which to have some of these discussions," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said earlier Tuesday about the dinner.

On Wednesday, the two leaders will hold bilateral talks followed by a joint news conference, and Hu will be the guest of honor at a formal state dinner in the evening.

Before Hu's arrival, U.S. legislators and demonstrators criticized China's human rights record, including political repression, and called for Obama to press the issue in his talks with the Chinese leader.

"It is more important to honor and remember those who cannot attend this State Dinner rather than those who will be in attendance," said a statement by the Rev. Patrick Mahoney, director of the Christian Defense Coalition. "While the guests are dining on expensive and extravagant food there will be scores who will be oppressed and placed behind bars by the Chinese government because of their faith and political beliefs; people like Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Liu Xiaobo who is in prison," and others.

Gibbs said that Obama would raise human rights concerns with Hu.

"Obviously that is a topic of some significance that the two leaders will talk about," Gibbs told reporters. "We will continue to have difficult conversations" with China on the subject.

This week's meeting between the leaders of the world's two largest economies also put the spotlight on criticism that the government-controlled People's Bank of China artificially undervalues the yuan, bringing down the cost of Chinese exports, which would give it an advantage in the international market.

Last week, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said China must do more to address its undervalued currency and dependence on exports, adding that such a move is in Beijing's best interest because it will control inflation.

Senate Democrats this week renewed their push to crack down on countries that manipulate their currencies, with China clearly in their crosshairs.

A bill introduced Monday by New York Sen. Charles Schumer and two other Democrats would impose penalties, including possible tariffs, on nations that manipulate their currencies.

The senators told reporters in a conference call that China's currency and trade polices undercut U.S. manufacturers and are costing American jobs.

"China's currency is like a boot on the throat of America's economic recovery," Schumer said.

But Hu dismissed the argument that price stability is a reason for yuan appreciation, telling the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal that Chinese inflation is "moderate and controllable."

In an apparent attempt to smooth relations ahead of this week's meeting with Obama, the Bank of China last week began providing the yuan directly to U.S. traders for the first time.

The Chinese president has complaints of his own, particularly with Federal Reserve policy aimed at stimulating the economy. The policies especially affect China, given that it holds billions of dollars in government debt. The Federal Reserve policy makes U.S. bonds a less attractive investment for the Chinese.

In a speech Friday at the State Department, Clinton said China must assume the responsibility of being a world power, rather than basing policies on its own self-interest.

Clinton acknowledged that relations between Beijing and Washington were at a "critical juncture," noting persisting tensions on economic and security issues and accusing China of discriminatory practices that put American firms at a disadvantage.

Still, insisting that the United States doesn't view China as a threat, she said, "our economies are intertwined and so are our futures."

One hot-button issue that Beijing addressed on Sunday was the Korean peninsula, days after Clinton urged China to use its "unique ties" with North Korea to tamp down tensions there.

Urging an early resumption of long-stalled six-party talks committed to reining in North Korea's nuclear program, Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue told Xinhua that "the peninsula's denuclearization and the normalization of relations" was in all parties' interest.

"China will continue to work with all the parties concerned and the international community to ensure peace, stability and prosperity," he said.

Major earthquake strikes southwestern Pakistan

Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 struck Wednesday morning in a remote area of southwestern Pakistan, but initial reports revealed no major damage.

The earthquake occurred at 1:23 a.m. (3:23 p.m. Tuesday ET) at a depth of 84 kilometers (52 miles), the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was centered 45 kilometers (30 miles) west of Dalbandin, and 1,035 kilometers (640 miles) west-southwest of Islamabad, the USGS said on its website.

Arif Mahmood, director of the Pakistan Meteorological Department, put the epicenter at 320 kilometers (about 200 miles) southwest of Quetta near Kharan, Balochistan, and said it had been felt in Punjab, Sindh, and Balochistan provinces in Pakistan, as well as parts of Iran and India.



Mahmood predicted major aftershocks. "Earthquakes with such magnitudes in the past have brought on aftershocks," he told CNN from Islamabad.

Residents near the epicenter in the districts of Kalat, Dalbadin and Kharan told CNN some mud-walled homes were damaged but no one was hurt.

An official at Quetta's Civil Hospital said a female cardiac patient suffered a fatal heart attack during the earthquake. He said two residents raced to the hospital but they proved not to have been injured, just scared.

Malik Muhammad Iqbal, the police chief of Balochistan province, said he was aware of no injuries.

"Things in the headquarters started shaking and books fell off the desks," Balochistan Police Inspector Sultan Mehmood told CNN in a telephone interview. "We left the headquarters running into the streets -- scared for our lives."

In Karachi, Faraz Leghari, director general police, said he had heard no immediate reports of casualties or building damage.

USGS initially reported the quake at 7.4. Quakes of 7.0 to 7.9 are classified as major; anything over 8.0 is classified as great.

In Dubai, about 500 miles southwest of the epicenter, a reporter said he felt a moderate shaking that lasted for about 30 seconds.

Usman Zahid, a night manager at Serina Hotel in Quetta, Pakistan, felt the quake. He said it was "frightening" and estimated that it lasted about 20 seconds. It left "broken glass in the kitchen" and made a chandelier swing, but caused no major damage, he said.

People with Twitter accounts in New Delhi, Jaipur and Dehradun -- all in India -- felt the quake. People with Twitter accounts in Bahrain said they felt the quake.

In Dubai, "I was just getting ready to go to bed," said Leone Lakhani in Dubai. She said she texted her friends in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain.

"It's not uncommon for this region to have earthquakes," said Kurt Frankel of the Georgia Institute of Technology. It is where two tectonic plates come together, he said.

Source: CNN

2 students shot in L.A. high school; suspect arrested

Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- A 17-year-old boy arrested after a handgun in his backpack accidentally discharged and wounded two other high students Tuesday was able to bring his automatic pistol on campus apparently because the Los Angeles school does only random metal detector checks, police said.

The chief of Los Angeles Unified Schools District police, Steve Zipperman, said the district's policy calls for random screening with metal detectors, to be determined by each school's principal.

"It is a possibility that the student who walked on with that backpack was not checked," Zipperman told reporters.

The arrested student, a senior whom authorities didn't identify, entered a health class Tuesday morning and set his backpack on a desk, Los Angeles Police Deputy Chief Patrick Gannon said.

When the backpack landed on the desk, the automatic handgun discharged, firing a single round that struck a girl in the temple and a boy in the neck, Zipperman said.



The student then fled, prompting a police search, Gannon said. Police were told the boy went to another classroom, and he was taken into custody about two hours after the shooting, Zipperman said.

Zipperman said the shooting appeared accidental. "Based on the information we have, it appears that it's a possible accident," he said. "There was no struggle taking him into custody."

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said he was keeping the victims and their families in his prayers.

"No student should ever fear for his or her life within the halls and classrooms of our schools," the mayor said in a statement. "We must work together to ensure safety in and around our schools so that all students can benefit from an environment conducive to learning."

The 15-year-old girl had head surgery early Tuesday afternoon at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, California, and was in critical condition, Hospital Chief Medical Officer Gail Anderson told reporters Tuesday.

The bullet struck the left side of her head, Anderson said, gesturing to his temple as he spoke. The bullet then also exited from the same area and didn't pass through her head, though it caused some fracturing to the girl's skull, Anderson said late Tuesday afternoon.

The girl suffered "a significant blood clot on the left side of her brain." Doctors removed a piece of her skull and haven't replaced it yet because the brain swells 48 hours after such an injury, Anderson said.

When the girl arrived at the hospital by ambulance, she was unconscious, said hospital Dr. Scott Bricker. "She already had signs of a significant brain injury" from the shock wave of the bullet striking her skull, Bricker said.

Said Anderson: "We're going to be looking for her to be moving her arms and legs" when she awakens.

Physicians didn't find any evidence of bullet fragments, Anderson said.

The 15-year-old boy was in fair condition with a neck wound, and he didn't need surgery, Anderson said.

"He seems to be resting comfortably," Anderson said. "The boy, he's in a lot better shape right now. But we can't tell until we get more information."

Students and faculty were dismissed from the school at 1:52 p.m., authorities said. The high school had been under lockdown shortly after the 10:41 a.m. shooting.

Those students who witnessed the shooting were giving statements to authorities and will be given an opportunity to speak to counselors, if needed, Zipperman said.

Police corrected an earlier report that at least three people were shot at the school, Gannon said.

In 2002, two students were seriously wounded in another shooting on the campus when three other students demanded money from one of them, the Los Angeles Times reported. Both students recovered from the gunshot wounds, and the three student assailants were sentenced to jail, the newspaper reported.

Source: CNN

Families search for missing as death toll rises in Brazilian floods

Rio De Janeiro (CNN) -- The death toll from devastating flooding in Brazil continued to climb Tuesday, surpassing 700, the government said.

A helicopter rescued 18 people from a city in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state after rains caused devastating flooding and mudslides in the mountainous region.

Four children -- including a 30-day-old baby, were among those lifted to safety Monday. The Air Force said one of them -- 6-year-old Guilherme Carvalho -- summed up the feelings of the group with a simple exclamation: "Relief!"

But rescuers have not been able to reach some hard-hit areas, and many more people are feared dead. Forecasters predict rain will continue for several days in areas already submerged in water.

The death toll from flooding in Rio de Janeiro state has climbed to 710, according to government figures released Tuesday. And thousands are homeless across the state.



Other states in the South American country have also seen heavy rainfall. Last week, authorities in neighboring Sao Paulo state said 24 people had been killed by flooding.

In Rio de Janeiro state, flooding and mudslides turned the once-picturesque tourist town of Teresopolis into a wasteland. Bodies and belongings remained strewn amongst fallen boulders Monday as family members searched for loved ones in the rubble.

Outside a makeshift morgue in Teresopolis -- where the government said at least 292 people had died in flooding -- a crowd of people waited for their turn to identify loved ones.

Marco Antonio Siqueira Costa said the last time he saw his brother, sister-in-law and niece was a few days ago, before mud buried their house.

"I think that last meeting was God's way of granting us a farewell," he said.

Residents in the city donned masks and helped clean streets or deliver first aid. Others combed the city searching desperately for missing loved ones.

Meanwhile, experts and officials tried to pinpoint what caused the catastrophe.

"Combine a weather event and environmental irresponsibility and the sum equals a tragedy," said Carlos Minc, Rio de Janeiro's environment minister.

Minc said he wants to stop construction of homes in high-risk areas, such as river banks or steep mountain slopes -- a practice that he said was encouraged by previous governments. He pointed to Nova Friburgo -- the hardest-hit city, according to government figures, which list 335 deaths due to flooding there.

"We are monitoring river levels, but it isn't enough. In Nova Friburgo, for example, we had warned six hours in advance that the river was overflowing, but...there is no emergency plan or drills with the population so they know what to do in a situation like this," he said.

Brazilian authorities have been criticized for a lack of disaster planning, and for allowing people to build homes in areas known to become treacherous in the rainy season.

They are under increasing pressure to show a strong response. Brazil is scheduled to host the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016.

Source: CNN

Men have upper hand in sexual economy

It's not a new theory: As women progress in educational and professional opportunities, their odds of finding a committed man appear to go down. Women in their 40s and 50s have long heard this, but new research finds it's true for women just entering adulthood as well.

That's one of the findings in the new book "Premarital Sex in America: How Young Americans Meet, Mate and Think About Marrying," by researchers Mark Regnerus and Jeremy Uecker at the University of Texas at Austin.

They looked at the results from a number of national studies including the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health and the National Study of Youth and Religion, in addition to interviews with young people ages 18 to 23.

Researchers found that since women in the 18- to 23-year-old group feel they don't need men for financial dependence, many of them feel they can play around with multiple partners without consequence, and that the early 20s isn't the time to have a serious relationship. But eventually, they do come to want a real, lasting relationship. The problem is that there will still be women who will have sex readily without commitment, and since men know this, fewer of them are willing to go steady.

"Women have plenty of freedom, but freedom does not translate easily into getting what you want," Regnerus said.

The wide availability of pornography has also influenced the dynamics of relations between men and women, Regnerus said. A segment of 20-something men are content to have their sexual experiences by themselves, removing them from the pool of available partners. That means high-quality men - likely those who want monogamous, committed relationships - are still eligible for dating, but the overall dating pool has shrunk, meaning some women will be left unsatisfactorily single.

Researchers also found that marrying at or before age 20 constitutes the greatest risk for subsequent divorce, the data show. Early marriage doesn’t cause the divorce, but the partners are likely to be unprepared for the kinds of adjustments required, Regnerus said.

And here's perhaps some good news: Sexual behavior among this age group is less salacious than you might think. The "hookup culture" is most prominent when there is a Greek system present; otherwise, college students seem more inclined toward stable relations and have fewer sexual partners.

In case you were wondering, 16% of 18- to 23-year-olds are virgins, according to the surveys used in the book. In that age group there are more men than women who have never had sex. By age 27, the portion of virgins goes down to 8%.

The 3 Biggest Stories in Social Media This Morning

Welcome to this morning’s edition of “First To Know,” a series in which we keep you in the know on what’s happening in the digital world. We’re keeping our eyes on three particular stories of interest today.

Facebook Halts Phone & Address Sharing (For Now)

Following widespread displeasure over its recent decision to allow application developers to request access to a user’s address and mobile phone number, Facebook has decided to temporarily disable this feature until it implements changes that will help users make better informed decisions about their privacy.

Facebook Generated $1.86B in Ad Revenue in 2010

According to recently released figures from eMarketer, Facebook‘s revenue for advertising alone — which excludes revenue for virtual currencies and other sources — came to an impressive $1.86 billion in 2010.

Cheezburger Network Scores $30 Million in Funding

The Cheezburger Network, an Internet publisher known for popular memes like LOLcats and FAILS, has just scored a $30 million Series A led by Foundry Group, with participation from Madrona Venture Group, Avalon Ventures and SoftBank Capital.

Further News

* The World-Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has unveiled a new logo for HTML5.
* Mysterious UK guerilla artist Banksy is about to be unceremoniously identified to the highest bidder in an eBay auction.
* A new version of Instagram, featuring two new filters and the return of an old one, has hit the iOS App Store
* HP is bringing a new kind of comedy show to YouTubein which actors from the Upright Citizens Bridgade Theater will take skit ideas from viewers and perform them live on Google’s video-sharing site.

Internet Penetration Around The World [Infographic]

As Internet use around the world continues to grow, where is it making the greatest impact? This infographic shows you which countries have the most Internet users, those with the fewest and how usage has grown around the world over the past decade.

Not making money as a YouTube partner? Here are some tips from YouTube itself

YouTube hosted a live event today to help partners get the most out of their YouTube revenue.

Phil Farhi of YouTube, began the event by telling partners about a few of the new initiatives that YouTube is working on, to help make partners as successful as possible. He started by bringing us through the history of advertising on YouTube.

Phil mentioned that just 3 short years ago, YouTube began using in-video and overlay ads, the first step in monetizing videos. And following the first format of ads, YouTube brought Ad Sense ads, enabling smaller advertisers/customers to get on board, allowing YouTube to capture a broader range of advertisers.

Next came in-Stream Ads (mid and pre-roll ads), a format that was launched about two years ago. YouTube said this has been popular because advertisers will pay more for ads that are similar to the format on TV. At almost the same time, promoted ads were introduced and it was proven to drive traffic to videos that were featured using the ‘promoted video’ format.

A few months ago, a new ad format for partners called TrueView was rolled-out. This format lets users watching a video skip the ad after five seconds. An ad format that YouTube says is less interruptive and doesn’t risk annoying your audience because it gives them the chance to hit stop.

Phil asked the question “ What makes a movie a successful?” Using the movie industry as an analogy, he went on to explain that there are many factors that come into play that make up the overall picture; ticket prices, seats filled, distribution etc. It’s the same with YouTube as he pointed out. Partners shouldn’t look at one aspect such as RPM (revenue per thousand page views) or CPM (cost per thousand, as an example $1 or $5 per thousand views), they should look at everything including geography.

A few points to take away

Good partners focus on overall revenue and aren’t fixated on “ticket price”. They also work hard at building a strong audience as well as trying to increase views. Good partners look at geography, RPM and CPM.

Bad partners look at the wrong metrics and don’t build up their audience. Partners who only focus on RPM might think everything is fine however, it’s critical that users concentrate on CPM as well and continue to build audience loyalty.

YouTube says advertisers are creating content that competes with user content, and millions of users are watching advertisements on the site. Think about the popularity of Superbowl ads.

Keep experimenting! Compare ad formats by type and geography and play around with different scenarios. Try enabling ads after your loyal audience has seen them or try it in reverse. Play with different recipes and see what happens when ad formats are enabled/disabled. There is a wide variety of ways to make revenue.

Take a good look at revenue break downs and compare formats; True View, in-Stream, etc.

Better reporting for ad formats coming soon. YouTube admits that partners don’t have the best reporting feature right now.

YouTube will be adding an option for partners to opt-in to just TrueView Ads without needing to be signed up with other formats.

Ensure the metadata on videos have the correct information and enough words to help YouTube’s algorithm bring the best targeted ads to your videos.

Web design gets physical with Poland’s UXPin

As the digitized world becomes increasingly encompassing, it’s unusual and refreshing to see a company bring it back to the drawing board, literally.

UXPin‘s portable kit is the first ever complete tool to prototype website ideas on paper. At first, I thought it was backwards to start one’s web design on paper. After all, aren’t there a myriad of expensive wireframing computer programs that could do something similar and save you time in the end?

I tracked down a few UXPin users and here’s what they said:

“UXPin is most useful in a workshop or meeting situation, when working directly with the client. We employ a collaborative approach to concepting and prototyping, and not only are our clients excited by the idea of UXPin and rapid paper prototyping, but they also love the fact that UXPin allows them to be directly involved in a process, that if done on a computer in isolation, they would usually be shut out from.

With this in mind, it actually works as a great risk management tool. By engaging stakeholders early in projects, we can ensure their vision and our proposed strategy and direction are aligned from the start. UXPin allows them to envision their product in a way they can relate to, away from software and technical jargon whilst still understanding the complex nature of the problem, as we propose the simplest and most efficient interaction design and user experience for them.” – Jamie Brooker Co-Founder of We Are Human in London, UK.

“I use the UXPin as a tangible way of getting my team involved in the design decisions at an early stage of the development process. Being able to represent form prototypes on paper gives my guys a greater level of insight into the interactions we will be building for the end customer, and this allows us to define good and bad user expereinces at an early stage in the process.” -Stephen Colman, an online developer for a large financial services organisation in Australia.


Essentially, UXPin is THE canvas for web design and it holds its greatest value in brainstorm sessions. Sketching is often faster, especially for designers who don’t want to spend all day in Dreamweaver. UXPin lets you envision what a sketch would look like without having the browser and sections completely flushed out.



According to Todd Zaki Warfel, in his book “Prototyping,” paper prototyping is still used by 70% of designers. But classic paper prototyping and sketching ideas don’t always look professional enough for clients or the boss.

So the 3 person UX team in Poland redesigned paper prototyping. “It may sound crazy as we tried to redesign something that is very, very, very simple, but well… we believe in a change and our ability to make everything better,” says Marcin Treder, a Co-Founder of UXPin. The result? A technology that consists of GUI elements with post-it-like glue strips and paper browser notepad.


So will Poland conquer the tech world? Marcin Treder believes so.

Though Poland wasn’t very active on the world start up scene, we have great professionals here. Soon we’ll be able to conquer tech world. Running a company in Poland isn’t too different from the other parts of the world. It requires lots of self discipline, devotion and passion. We love what we do and we get lots of support from our families, friends and clients. We can overcome any obstacle with that. UXPin gained recognition and great, devoted, clients surprisingly fast.We didn’t expect that in the first several days after launch we’d get clients from the most respectable interactive agencies, freelancers and companies such as Google, Microsoft, Blackberry, MySpace and IBM.







While UXPin works perfectly in a smaller workshop situation, one user wished for a larger version, which is apparently being developed. UXPin for mobile is also coming soon.

iPod Touch Now Accounts for Half of iPod Sales

In recent quarters, Apple has seen sales of iPod fall flat, a signal to some that iPhone is starting to cannibalize sales of standalone mp3 players.

However, on its earnings call this afternoon, Apple noted that sales of iPod touch are continuing to grow. In fact, the company says that iPod touch now makes up more than half of total iPod sales, up 27% year-over-year.

That means that the company sold roughly 10 million of the device in the quarter (versus 16.2 million iPhones and 7.3 million iPads). Beyond helping Apple’s bottom line, that’s important because of the impact it has on the total size of the iOS ecosystem, which now totals 160 million devices.

The latest iteration of the device, which was revealed back in September, does just about everything that one can do with an iPhone 4, including run apps, use Facetime and record HD video (or what Steve Jobs joked is an “iPhone without a contract”). Given the sales numbers, that appears to be a compelling proposition to customers, even as mp3 players on the whole appear to be a declining category.

With Android smartphones (in aggregate) now outselling iPhone and Android (Android)-powered devices like the Samsung Galaxy Player set to hit the market, iPod touch is clearly a big part of keeping iOS’s numbers in the same ballpark as its main competition, which, unlike Apple, now has devices being built by dozens of manufacturers.

Apple COO Calls Android Tablet a “Bizarre Product”

Ahead of its earning call for the first quarter of fiscal 2011, Apple announced record-breaking earnings, led by strong sales of the iPhone, Mac and iPad product lines.

The iPad in particular had a phenomenal holiday season, with more than 7.3 million units sold. That’s an increase of more than 85% from the fourth quarter. Since launching the iPad in April 2010, Apple has sold almost 15 million iPads.

The success of the iPad hasn’t cannibalized Mac sales — to the contrary, Apple had its best quarter ever for the Mac, selling 4.19 million units in the December quarter.

Apple: We’re Not Sitting Still

As we saw at CES, tablet fever has taken over the consumer electronics industry, with would-be iPad competitors appearing at every turn. Everyone (and we do mean everyone) has a tablet or is working on a tablet.

The fact that Apple has established a user base of nearly 15 million in just nine months makes Apple a formidable competitor in this emerging space.

For comparison, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab — one of the few high-profile non-Apple tablets to hit the retail market before the end of 2010 — managed to sell more than a million units in its first 60 days. By comparison, Apple is averaging a little more than 2 million iPad units per month, with that figure rising every month.

We should note that these sorts of leads are not insurmountable. After all, Android (Android) as a device category is now eclipsing iOS in terms of sales. Still, individual phone models from companies like HTC, Motorola, Nokia and Samsung aren’t matching the figures Apple continues to turn out with the iPhone.

Apple COO Tim Cook (the man currently taking over day-to-day operations for Steve Jobs) commented on the current competition during Tuesday’s earnings call. Cook made it clear that Apple doesn’t believe the Android-based tablets on the market are competition. He called these devices “scaled up smartphones” and continued to opine that he sees them as “bizarre product[s]” that don’t offer the “real tablet experience,” and he asserted Apple’s belief that it has a “huge, first-mover advantage.”

Cook acknowledged that future tablets running Google (Google) Honeycomb or from RIM may provide some competition, noting that Apple will “assess [the competition] as [it is] coming;” Cook made it clear that Apple isn’t sitting still.

Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer noted that 80% of the Fortune 100 is either deploying or piloting the iPad in the enterprise. That’s up from 65% in the fourth quarter of 2010.

With this level of penetration on the consumer and business side, unseating Apple in this space won’t be easy. It will be interesting to watch what Google, Microsoft, RIM and HP do in the future.

Two Face Criminal Charges in AT&T Security Breach

Criminal charges have been filed against two individuals accused of stealing the e-mail addresses and other personal data of roughly 114,000 iPad 3G customers.

U.S. prosecutors have charged Daniel Spitler and Andrew Auernheimer (pictured) with one count of fraud and one count of conspiracy for allegedly hacking AT&T’s servers last June. The two were part of a group calling itself Goatse Security, which sent Gawker the full list of e-mail addresses. The list included well-known government officials, celebrities and other high-profile media professionals, including the former White House chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, and Diane Sawyer of ABC News, as well as our own Christina Warren.

The addresses were allegedly obtained through a security loophole on AT&T’s website that returned e-mail addresses associated with ICC IDs, which are used to link SIM cards on mobile devices with specific subscribers. The group didn’t release information until the security hole had been closed, and it only released the data on the condition that the subscribers’ personal information would not be compromised.

Auernheimer said that he and his colleagues were acting in the public’s best interest to expose AT&T’s security hole. AT&T, however, believes it was a publicity stunt.

Auernheimer was arrested a week after the incident, when police acting on an FBI search warrant found cocaine, ecstasy and LSD, as well as unnamed controlled pharmaceuticals, in his home.

Spitler is expected to appear later today in federal court in Newark, New Jersey; Auernheimer is scheduled to appear in federal court in Arkansas. The FBI and Paul Fishman, the U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey, have scheduled a joint press conference to discuss the case this afternoon.

Source: Reuters

Facebook Apps’ New Access to Contact Information

On Friday, Facebook announced that it will allow application developers to request access to a user’s address and mobile phone number. Although the company is making strides to point out that the request is optional and must be explicitly granted by the user, the feature is already drawing criticism from privacy advocates and security experts.

Historically, Facebook applications have been able to request certain bits of information about a user. This information can include basic tidbits, like a person’s name, gender, list of friends and other publicly viewable information. More recently, Facebook has also allowed applications to request access to a user’s e-mail address. An application may then use this data to better serve the user.

On its developer blog, Facebook stresses that access to this data is governed by Facebook’s Platform Policies. These policies are supposed to ensure that user data is only used for legitimate purposes. Of course, that’s easier said than done.

As Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos points out, some of the hysteria surrounding this new feature is perhaps being blown out of proportion. “This change isn’t as drastic as it might first appear, because users will need to give permission for third-party Facebook applications to access this data,” he says.

That doesn’t mean that the feature is without its foibles. Cluely continues, “It still sounds like a recipe for disaster, given the prevalence of rogue scam applications already on Facebook — all of which benefit from apparently being blessed by the Facebook name and brand.”

In fact, our real problem with the new feature is that it can be used by developers regardless of their intentions. Rogue Facebook apps continue to spread like wildfire and now those apps will potentially have access to even more user information.

Clueley makes the suggestion that only approved developers should have access to information like phone numbers and addresses. We agree. While we’re sure there are legitimate use cases for giving an application access to such information (though we can’t think of that many offhand), if Facebook is really concerned about its users privacy, it should impose stricter standards on app developers before giving them keys to the kingdom.

Furthermore, the notion that the feature is opt-in seems disingenuous. This might be accurate, but in most scenarios, requests for this kind of information are going to be made during the initial sign-up/install process. In other words, users are forced (and usually programmed) to allow the permissions request if an app is to be used. At the very least, for apps that don’t absolutely rely on needing a telephone number or address, there should be an option to allow partial access to public information, while still keeping phone numbers and addresses private.

The comments on the Facebook Developers blog entry are overwhelmingly negative — and many of those negative responses are from developers. Many are advocating that users remove their phone number and address data from Facebook.

That’s not a bad idea — although it seems to be an extreme response to a problem that realistically shouldn’t exist in the first place. If Facebook would take a harder stance on rogue applications, allow more granular permission types and do more to ensure that developers actually respect their platform policies, maybe users would feel less squeamish about offering up their personal information to the service.

Apple Chief Steve Jobs to Take Leave

Steve Jobs, who has battled pancreatic cancer and received a liver transplant, is taking another unexpected leave from running Apple Inc., raising uncertainty over his health and the future of the world's most valuable technology company

In a Monday morning email to Apple employees on a federal holiday, Mr. Jobs wrote that the company's board of directors "has granted me a medical leave of absence so I can focus on my health."

Apple's 55-year-old chief executive and co-founder didn't specify what health issue was causing him to take the time off or when he might return. Instead, Mr. Jobs said he hoped to be back as soon as possible and his family would "deeply appreciate respect for our privacy."

The leave marks the third time in the past decade Mr. Jobs has been forced to step back from his role at Apple, which he has built into a $65 billion consumer electronics giant with products such as the iPhone and iPad. He took a leave in 2004 when he had surgery to remove a tumor in his pancreas and then again in the first half of 2009 for the liver transplant

In his six-sentence email, which Apple released publicly, Mr. Jobs said he will continue as CEO and "be involved in major strategic decisions for the company." In his absence, day-to-day operations will be run by Tim Cook, his longtime lieutenant and chief operating officer. Mr. Cook, 50 years old, led Apple during Mr. Jobs's previous leave and won praise for his ability to make Apple's sprawling operations move on time.

Mr. Jobs's email came a day before the Cupertino, Calif., company is slated to report its latest quarterly results. It also was released on a day U.S. stock markets were closed to commemorate Martin Luther King's birthday. In Frankfurt trading, Apple shares fell 8% to €239.50 ($317.96).

he CEO's leave raises anew questions about the company's succession plans and product road map, since Mr. Jobs is so closely identified with Apple's gadgets and strategy. It also revives debate about Apple's disclosure practices, given the limited information the company has revealed about a CEO who is seen as so central to its success.

Mr. Jobs's Monday statement to Apple employees "leaves a lot to the imagination—and that was the problem the last time," said Charles Elson, head of the Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at the University of Delaware's business school. "It does leave a lot for investors to worry about."

With many questions unanswered about Steve Jobs' medical leave of absence, Wall Street Journal 'ROI' columnist Brett Arends says the news is ominous for investors.

Apple chief executive officer Steve Jobs told employees in an email Monday that he will be taking a medical leave of absence but will remain CEO. WSJ's Marcelo Prince talks to Lauren Goode about what it means for the company and its shareholders.

The Securities and Exchange Commission opened an informal inquiry into Apple's disclosure about Mr. Jobs's health in January 2009, but didn't pursue an investigation. The agency is unlikely to open a fresh inquiry, as the company has publicly disclosed Mr Jobs's latest medical leave at its outset, people familiar with the matter said.

Mr. Jobs didn't respond to an email for comment or a call to his home. Apple's six other directors declined to comment or couldn't immediately be reached.

Asked if the company or board planned to disclose further details, Apple spokeswoman Katie Cotton responded: "We've said all we're going to say."

The news about Mr. Jobs, who was last seen in public in October at an Apple Macintosh event, surprised many in Silicon Valley. A former Apple employee said none of his former colleagues had noted any recent concerns with Mr. Jobs's health.

Mr. Jobs didn't appear last week at a Verizon Wireless event announcing the iPhone would soon be available through the carrier; Mr. Cook was there instead. Mr. Jobs was expected to announce with News Corp. a new digital publication for the iPad this week, but the event was postponed.

Concerns about Mr. Jobs's health have swirled since he appeared thin at a conference for developers in June 2008, before his liver transplant.

As Apple CEO Steve Jobs goes on medical leave, COO Tim Cook is set to run day-to-day operations at the company. Journal reporter Nick Wingfield talks to Lauren Goode about about Cook's management style and background.

People familiar with the situation said shortly after the transplant that Mr. Jobs was having trouble gaining weight. At his most recent appearance in October, the CEO continued to look thin.

Mr. Jobs was diagnosed in 2004 with a rare type of pancreatic cancer called islet cell neuroendocrine tumor, which could be cured if surgery removed it promptly. But in 2008 he began exhibiting weight loss, and questions intensified when he said he would skip the Macworld trade show in early 2009. The CEO initially blamed a hormone imbalance for his weight loss in January 2009 but a week later went on medical leave blaming a "more complex" condition he didn't disclose.

Apple didn't explain Mr. Jobs's 2009 medical leave, but a physician expert at the time said the type of cancer Mr. Jobs had commonly metastasizes in another organ, usually the liver, during a patient's lifetime. A Tennessee hospital later disclosed Mr. Jobs had received a liver transplant there.

Over the past year and a half, Mr. Jobs has again taken center stage in public events, making it clear that he was providing the direction of the company.

People familiar with the situation have said Mr. Jobs had come back to work with full energy and was like the "old Steve." During his 2009 leave, Mr. Jobs kept close management ties with Apple.

Kim Caughey Forrest, an analyst for the Fort Pitt Capital fund, which previously owned Apple stock, said there are concerns about succession at Apple.

"I'm not sure that the company, and the board of directors in particular, have answered the question on succession planning," she said. "We had this issue in 2008, and the board was supposed to learn from it, but they haven't."

Despite concerns about Mr. Jobs's health, Apple's business has flourished. Over Apple's past two fiscal years ended in September, the company's sales have more than doubled to $65.2 billion and its profit has nearly tripled to $14 billion.

Last year, Apple passed Microsoft Corp. in market capitalization to become the world's most valuable technology company. The stock hit its latest high of $348.48 on the Nasdaq Stock Market on Friday, more than four times where it stood two years ago.