Facebook phone rumors explode after Android event announced

Computerworld - Talk that Facebook is developing its own smartphone is spreading again.

Speculation about Facebook's hardware plans exploded yet again after the company late Thursday invited reporters to a press event on April 4 at its offices in Menlo Park, Calif.
The invitation reads: "Come See Our New Home on Android."
Not long after the invitations were sent, several news sites have speculated that Facebook is developing an Android-based smartphone.


The stories mark the latest round of rampant speculation that Facebook may be diving into the hardware business.
For instance, a Facebook announcement of a press conference in January also prompted widespread talk of a new smartphone. In fact, Facebook unveiled its Graph Search tool at the event.
The speculation comes despite past proclamations by Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg that the social networking company has no plans to sell smartphones. "The phone just doesn't make any sense," Zuckerberg said at a conference last September.
Zuckerberg repeatedly said he couldn't emphasize it enough that there will be no Facebook phone.
"That's always been the wrong strategy for us," he said in September. "We'll have 950 million users soon. Let's say we built a phone, theoretically -- we're not -- but we get 10 million people to use it. That doesn't move the needle for us. The phone just doesn't make any sense."
Ezra Gottheil, an analyst with Technology Business Research, said he's not putting much, if any, stock into Zuckerberg's denials.
"Is there a rule that business leaders have to tell the truth?" he asked. "When [Apple's Steve] Jobs spoke, the more emphatic he was, the more I knew he would do the opposite. Heck, it might even have been true at the time."
Gottheil said it would make sense for Facebook to try its hand at hardware, despite the fact that it's out of the company's comfort zone and is already a highly competitive business.
"A phone, even an Android phone, makes sense," Gottheil said. "Facebook, like Google, is a major beneficiary of the mobile revolution. To have a device that sort of points you toward Facebook makes sense. Getting involved in handsets makes sense, too."
Zeus Kerravala, an analyst with ZK Research, said Facebook doesn't need to offer a hand-held phone. The company could simply build VoIP services into Facebook that would enable voice and video conferencing.
"They could build a dedicated voice app based on Android first," he said. "It would be similar to the Messenger app. Think about it. With a voice app or service right in Facebook, you would have a list of users who are online and have voice capabilities. If I want to call one of them, just tap a button and it creates a VoIP call."
Kerravala said he could envision a service or app that enables Facebook users to call or video chat with their friends and generate significant business for the company. "People spend more time in Facebook than any other application, so I can see it being very popular," he noted.

The GM tech-support representatives

　　As the speed of in-car technological innovation raises and infotainment systems come to be additional sophisticated, the volume of automobile consumers perplexed because of the newest bells and whistles is expanding.
　　Even though automakers have pushed for more vendor training that will help purchasers comprehend and run these devices, there’s however a understanding lag -- and unfortunately, a lot of people really don't discover issues till after they’ve obtained the car.
　　To resolve this -- also to minimize potential buyers regret and improve manufacturer loyalty -- a number of automakers have stepped up their game in providing tech aid. Luxurious models particularly have started out staffing dealerships with particular engineering specialists.
　　Previous year, Lexus additional Car or truck Technological know-how Experts when it launched the tech-laden GS, and Cadillac did exactly the same when the XTS and its new Cue system went on sale. Thieving a webpage -- and title -- from Apple, in February BMW reported it will incorporate a “genius” at its dealerships to help you buyers with tech problems.
　　Previous week, GM declared that it would double its tech-support attempts by selecting 25 Linked Customer Specialistsassigned to dealerships across the place, bolstering the twenty five it included previous November. If the purchaser prefers to call to take care of an issue rather of driving again to your dealership, GM has set up a specific rapid-response workforce at its Infotainment Center in Austin, Texas.
　　At the new SXSW Interactive know-how convention in Austin, which GM co-sponsored, I received a close-up take a look at the automaker’s cutting-edge tech-support efforts. At the rear in the sprawling GM Infotainment Middle is a compact, dimly lit place by using a dozen customer-service agents sitting down at computer system workstations and speaking with vehicle homeowners by wireless headsets. This is exactly where Tom Kanable, director of tech assistance on the facility, oversees GM’s remote Geek Squad-like team.
　　Kanable started by outlining that his crew prefers to maintain the lights very low. “Geeks like doing the job inside the dark,” he informed MSN Autos, grinning. He also explained that low-level white sound is pumped in the room to assist prevent a caller from hearing the conversations of adjacent brokers. “It’s not like that coldness you get if you get in touch with the cable business,” he mentioned.
　　The GM tech-support representatives also undertake the lexicon on the caller. “I may call the buttons on a car’s in-dash screen icons,” Kanable stated. “My grandmother may phone it a doo-dad. Once we chat to buyers and hear them say, ‘Well, the doo-dad on the screen …’ we halt calling it an icon and start indicating doo-dad. This way we start to build rapport with shoppers so that they are able to stroll us [through the problem] using their terminology.”
　　To higher comprehend the issues prospects are having with linked products, a table inside the centre of your space has standalone operating types of GM’s present-day infotainment programs, this sort of as Cadillac Cue and Chevy MyLink. Scattered all around they are dozens from the most popular moveable units that automobile house owners might join to their cars and trucks.
　　Kanable also pointed out that should the crew notices that selected difficulties consistently pop up, they're able to be identified and solved more swiftly applying a collective strategy. Difficulties which are “trending” are displayed on three substantial screens on just one wall on the area. “The brokers can see around the screens when traits commence to sort,” he stated, “and be far more inform to pinpointing them."
　　Pinpointing recurring complications and listening to shopper feedback might also direct product designers to vary an infotainment program down the road. “Customers notify us the many time the things they want within their autos,” Kanable mentioned. “They say, ‘This really should genuinely perform this way.’ We deliver those people strategies to engineering, advertising and marketing and solution progress. So a large customer-service center then gets to be an intimate expertise foundation.”

Apple seeks yet another new trial against Samsung

Apple has asked to proceed with a new trial against Samsung in an attempt to scupper its rival from succeeding with an appeal.


The iPad and iPhone maker wishes to go ahead with a new trial on 14 Samsung products, as reported by Bloomberg. After being granted $1.05 billion in damages, Apple's patent-infringement compensation was overturned by U.S. judge Lucy Koh, who quashed the jury's verdict and reduced the amount by $450.5 million.
The fracas in the San Jose court left the judge to suggest that the original damage award was based on a faulty understanding of the legal and patent issues involved, and that if the two firms weren't happy, they should try the appeals court.
Samsung has requested that the case be put on hold. Apple, in response, believes that an appeals court battle would "likely lead to a remand without a substantive decision."
As noted by FOSS Patents' Florian Mueller, the vacation of such a large amount means that a new trial and new jury is required. Apple has also filed a motion to show that two products were sold within the period permissible for design infringement — in contest to Koh's original findings.
Although the legal area and time allotment is slippery, if Apple's claims concerning the Samsung's Galaxy S II AT&T and Infuse 4G are correct, this could add tens of millions to the original damages award, potentially reaching a total of $685 million, $85 million of which coming from the two additional smartphone models. The tech giant has requested that if Koh wants Samsung to go through the appeals process before a new trial takes place, the judge should consider reinstating this compensation.
Continued disputes over alleged patent infringement have taken place worldwide between the two rival smartphone and tablet makers. The most high-profile dispute fell largely in favor of Apple, which accused its South Korean rival of "slavishly" copying their devices. The trial was concluded after three days' deliberation on August 24.

The function will go well with a self-confident

　　Being viewed as for this position it's essential to be ITIL capable to Specialist or Practitioner amount; be sure to make certain this is often evidently indicated on your CV.
　　A unique chance has arisen for a qualified IT Companies Supervisor to join an effective, progressive and secure enterprise. This really is a great opportunity to get a really visible, determination making posture for an organization whose principal pursuits lie from the technology marketplace.
　　The remit of the purpose is usually to take care of the prevailing IT Assist and Community providers team (12-15 people) and ensure the company?ˉs core enterprise aims are achieved by the due date and they are delivered into the best attainable regular.
　　A crucial element of this purpose will be to create the service shipping framework with the crew to stick to which include the processes, guidelines and techniques; be sure to be certain proof of this is evidently described on the CV.
　　The function will go well with a self-confident IT Solutions Manager with very clear eyesight and fantastic working experience blending strategy, man-management and complex techniques. The profitable prospect may have encounter managing IT Aid inside a multi-site atmosphere ¨C ideally pan-European ¨C and supporting quite a few hundred end users.
　　Performing carefully using the Head of Group Safety the posture is dependable for sustaining the security and integrity in the group?ˉs infrastructure, guaranteeing compliance with pertinent polices and practices.
　　You need to even have knowledge running substantial budgets, placing ambitions and placing equally short and long-term approach into place.

Google Play Movies now available in India

　　On a month ago Google had launched its Play Books store in India, and day before Google started selling the Nexus 7 in India via the Play Store. Today, Google has also enabled the Play Movies store in India. Alongside India, the service has also gone live in Mexico.


　　The Google Movies & TV app comes as another extension to the Play Store, and is dedicated to movies and TV shows. It offers thousands of movies including HD titles, new releases and award-winning films as well. Though currently, the TV shows are restricted to the US only, Indian users can rent or purchase movies from the Play Movies Store on their Android devices. These movies can either be streamed online or can be downloaded to be watched later on offline mode.
　　Interestingly, the Play Movies store is loaded with not only a lot of Hollywood content, but there is quite a bit of local Bollywood content. New movies like Ek Tha Tiger are readily available.

　　Additionally, it appears that Google Play Movies has a slight edge over iTunes in terms of content pricing. For instance, a movie like ‘Here comes the Boom’ can be bought for Rs 490 for the HD copy, while the on iTunes the same movie can be had for Rs 650. The discrepancy in pricing increases when we talk about SD movies as the same can be had for Rs 190 on the Play Store, and Rs 390 on iTunes. Fortunately, pricing for Rentals remain the same. That said, iTunes does have more content in India than the Play Movies store, and it has the added advantage of the music store, which Google is yet to bring to India.

　　Users can download the Play Movies & TV application on their phones or tablets to keep track of the movies available or see the list of downloads in their playlist. The app can be downloaded from here.

Talking at the event Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa

　　Sri Lanka is scheduling on developing an IT industry relevant service centre in Old Tripoli Market, Colombo. The challenge is funded from the City Growth Authority and the building in the job is expected to begin shortly. The Sri Lanka Navy has undertaken the construction of proposed centre.
　　The full thought will be to set up a typical spot the place IT and Understanding marketplace linked organizations may very well be accommodated. This might assistance to receive to be aware of the various tips of business pros to go ahead and take IT and BPO market to the up coming degree. Sri Lanka Navy‘s involvement for the building from the centre would reduce the job value by two 3rd,?±a senior formal said. The development of the Know-how Park in Hambantota can also be in progress underneath the Hambantota Growth Project.
　　Talking at the event Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa explained：It is essential that Sri Lankan firms in various sectors also, dedicate themselves to this development generate by marketing new ventures and also even more developing expansion chances through the nation. There are various sectors in which Sri Lanka has great potential. IT and BPO sectors are two of this kind of examples.
　　You can find already quite a few local firms that have created a mark internationally, by acquiring large typical program solutions. A lot of the software program engineers and also other specialists who had created these solutions experienced been educated and properly trained in this article, as have been the entrepreneurs who created possibilities for them to develop potent careers in this field. Given that the region moves forward, additional plus more these kinds of prospects must be exploited. Sri Lanka has extraordinarily gifted industry experts in several fields, such as accountancy, engineering and medication.
　　They need much more avenues wherever they may utilize their abilities. As top specialists during the IT and BPO sectors, I am positive that many of you could possibly perform a very important part in generating this sort of possibilities.
　　For its section, the federal government has actually been engaged inside a large-scale progress travel to produce a beneficial surroundings for firms. Urban advancement is a single these kinds of significant area with this regard.

Google Chrome takes spell checking into the cloud

　　It's that time in Chrome's six-weekly release cycle where another stable version is pushed out the door. Leading the feature list this time is an addition entitled "Ask Google for suggestions".
　　This feature sends the text that a user types to Google's servers for context-sensitive spell checking, homonym suggesting, and grammar checking.
　　Also added in this Chrome release is a feature that synchronises the custom words added to dictionaries between different devices using Chrome.
　　These changes are available on Windows, Linux, and Chrome OS — Mac support is still being worked on.
　　For the tin-foil hat wearers who are using Chrome, the good news is that this feature is optional. But I would love to see the marketing geniuses behind Microsoft's Scroogle campaign get to work on this.
　　The truth of the way people are working at the present time is that Google is the easiest, generally correct spell checker available for those instances where a baked-in spell check is not available, or is too troublesome to turn on.
　　I would not dare to turn on a spell checker when coding (especially in vim), that would merely turn my code into a never-ending river of red underlining and blocks. But when I need to double check a word that I have questionably spelled, it is too easy to check it by simply typing the word into my browser's address bar and letting Google take care of the rest.
　　If Microsoft and the tin-foil hat brigade are right, then Google is already reading all of my emails anyway. The least that Google could do is make sure that they are spelled right, and that the grammar makes sense.