24 April 2009
Apple App Store hits one billion landmark
Only nine months to hit the 10 figure total. Apple’s App Store has hit its billionth download, just over nine months from its summer 2008 launch. The App Store arrived back on July 11 2008 with the second version of the iPhone, the iPhone 3G, giving users access to third party applications both free and paid for. The service has proved a huge hit within the mobile phone industry, and the ten-figure landmark has been reached in an extraordinarily small period, with iPhone and iPod touch users benefiting from the addition of functionality, productivity and entertainment additions to their gadgets.
http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/apple-app-store-hits-one-billion-landmark-594122
Google Street View cleared of breaking Data Protection Act
Google Street View does not breach the Data Protection Act, the information commissioner ruled on Thursday. Hundreds of people complained that their privacy was breached by the service, which launched last month for 25 cities and towns. The Information Commissioner’s Office rejected those complaints but said it would watch Google closely to ensure that it responded quickly to requests for the removal of images that identified individuals. Scores of pictures, including one of a man leaving a Soho sex shop, were removed the day after the site’s UK launch.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/apr/23/google-street-view-data-protection-cleared
Microsoft suffers first sales dip
Microsoft has said sales in the first three months of 2009 fell 6% from the previous year – its first quarterly drop in 23 years as a public company. The world’s largest software maker said profit dropped by 32% to $2.98bn (£2bn). Sales slipped to $13.65bn. Microsoft makes most of its profit selling the Windows operating system and business software such as Office. However demand has been hit by falling sales of personal computers as consumers and businesses trim spending. “We expect the weakness to continue through at least the next quarter,” said the firm’s chief financial officer, Chris Liddell.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8015623.stm
Apple sorry for ‘Baby Shaker’ app
Apple has apologised for a “deeply offensive” iPhone application called Baby Shaker, which made a game of quieting crying babies by shaking them. It removed the $0.99 (£0.59) game from its iTunes Store on Wednesday, two days after it went on sale. The aim of the game was to quieten babies by shaking the iPhone until a pair of thick red Xs appeared over each eye of a baby drawn in black and white. “This application was deeply offensive and should not have been approved for distribution on the App Store,” Apple said in a statement. But an Apple spokeswoman would not comment on why the programme – developed by a company called Sikalosoft – was approved for sale in the first place, or how many people had downloaded it.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8015705.stm
3 announces unlimited Skype for all
3 has announced a deal that further separates it from other major mobile networks as it will now offer unlimited Skype to its customers, after they pay a one off fee of £1.99 for a SIM card they will have free Skype calls and IM. From the 1 May, users will be able to buy a handset taking advantage of the deal, and at some point during the summer, 3 will open up the offer to all users, meaning if you have an unlocked phone (and one that supports a Skype client) you can join in. The move further highlights 3’s efforts to distinguish itself from the other major networks, which appear to not be keen on allowing Skype through their data networks.
http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/3-announces-unlimited-skype-for-all-594117
Deutsche Telekom seeks damages from ex-chairman
Deutsche Telekom is seeking €1m ($1.3m) in damages from its ex-chairman and looks set make a similar claim against its former chief executive over their roles in a year-old scandal involving allegations of snooping at the telecoms group. Deutsche Telekom’s executive board sent a letter to Klaus Zumwinkel outlining the group’s claim to “around €1m” in damages for allegedly failing to comply with his responsibilities when he was chairman, a person close to the matter said. This person also said Deutsche Telekom’s supervisory board was preparing a similar demand at the same level that could “soon” be presented to Kai-Uwe Ricke, chief executive when alleged spying on staff took place in 2005 and 2006. Both Mr Zumwinkel and Mr Ricke have in the past denied any wrongdoing.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/50ac6bb6-302b-11de-88e3-00144feabdc0.html
Yahoo to shut down GeoCities
Yahoo has announced that it is to close its GeoCities service later this year. The web-hosting site, which offers free to low-cost hosting accounts, was bought by Yahoo back in 1998 for $3.57 billion. Despite a deluge of similar sites hitting the web since then, and a significant drop in cost to host a website, GeoCities managed to attract around 177 million visitors in 2008. “We have decided to discontinue the process of allowing new customers to sign up for GeoCities accounts as we focus on helping our customers explore and build new relationships online in other ways,” says Yahoo in the Customer Help section of its website, concluding with “we will be closing GeoCities later this year.”
http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/yahoo-to-shut-down-geocities-594214
Nepal firm to expand mobile coverage to Everest
A Nepali telecom firm plans to expand its mobile phone services to the top of Mount Everest, benefitting climbers on the world’s highest mountain, a company official said on Thursday. Hundreds of climbers, who go to the 8,850 meter (29,035 feet) Mount Everest every year, depend on expensive satellite phones to speak with their families as the remote Himalayan region does not have communication facilities. “We are going to set up mobile towers in Thakdin, Manjo, Pheriche and Gorak Shep, which will bring the summit of Mount Everest within the network coverage,” Anoop Ranjan Bhattarai, director of the satellite service wing of Nepal Telecom, said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE53M3HR20090423
