Microsoft bids $44 billion for Yahoo!

United States software giant Microsoft has launched an unsolicited bid to buy Internet search giant Yahoo! for US$44 billion or approximately US$31 per share.

The deal, which is half in cash and half in stock, if accepted by Yahoo!'s shareholders, could create a major competitor to Google, the search giant which currently dominates the Internet search market.


Microsoft llença una oferta de 30.000 milions d'euros per comprar Yahoo!

1 de febrer del 2008, Nova York, Estats Units

Avui Microsoft ha fet pública una oferta de 44.600 milions de dòlars (29.930 milions d'euros) per comprar el segon cercador d'Internet, Yahoo!.

Steve Ballmer, director execurtiu de Microsoft, ha dit que és un camí per millorar la presència de Microsoft als serveis d'Internet tot i que afirma que "Tenim un gran respecte per Yahoo! i junts podem oferir grans solucions per als consumidors, editors i anunciants mentre ens posicionem millor davant la competència del mercat de serveis en línia".

De moment encara no se sap la resposta de Yahoo! que ha dit que no havien demanat l'oferta però que l'estudiaran. L'oferta ve després que el dimecres Yahoo! comuniqués que despatxaria un 7% del personal. Microsoft ofereix 31 euros per acció, un 62% més del que valien ahir al Nasdaq. Hi ha nombrosos rumors que Microsoft fa mesos que intenta comprar Yahoo!, però davant la negativa dels directius d'aquesta empresa, finalment ha fet una oferta públicament.

Aquesta és una jugada per intentar acabar amb la supremàcia de Google al món d'Internet, que aglutina més d'un 90% de les cerques d'Internet.

Després de l'anunci de l'oferta de compra de Microsoft, el panorama a la borsa ha patit grans canvis. Les accions de Yahoo! han pujat en poques hores un 51,2% mentre les de Google baixaven un 6,8%.


Microsoft will Yahoo kaufen

Redmond (Washington) / Sunnyvale (Vereinigte Staaten), 01.02.2008 – Microsoft gab am 1. Februar 2008 bekannt, dass die Internetplattform Yahoo übernommen werden soll.

Während eine Yahoo-Aktie am Donnerstag noch bei zirka 20 US-Dollar lag, bietet Microsoft 31 Euro je Aktie, also einen Aufschlag von 62 Prozent. Danach wird die Übernahme von Yahoo etwa 44,6 Milliarden US-Dollar (zirka 30 Milliarden Euro) kosten.

Microsoft will damit den Platzhirschen Google angreifen.


Microsoft ofrece 30.250 millones de euros para comprar Yahoo

Microsoft ha anunciado que ha realizado una propuesta para adquirir la totalidad de Yahoo por la suma de 45.000 millones de dólares (unos 30.235 millones de euros).

La oferta de Microsoft supone el pago de 31 dólares (20,85 euros) por acción de Yahoo, lo que representa un incremento de 62% respecto del precio de cierre de las acciones del gigante de Internet el jueves. Los accionistas de Yahoo: podrán elegir entre efectivo o intercambio de acciones comunes.

Las acciones de Yahoo se disparaban un 56%, a 29,95 dólares, en las operaciones previas a la apertura del mercado.

"Tenemos un gran respeto por Yahoo, y juntos podemos ofrecer una creciente e interesante cantidad de soluciones para los consumidores, editores y anunciantes mientras mejoramos nuestra posición para competir en el mercado de los servicios online", ha explicado Steve Ballmer, presidente ejecutivo de Microsoft.

"Una fusión podía tener sentido en otro momento, pero la compañía considera que la única alternativa en este momento es la combinación de Microsoft y Yahoo que nosotros proponemos", añade.

La posible compra de Yahoo por parte de Microsoft ha estado en el aire durante bastante tiempo. Hace casi un año ambas empresas mantuvieron algunas conversaciones informales al respecto.

En aquella ocasión no se llegó a un acuerdo, pero las conversaciones se han mantenido hasta ahora.


Microsoft lance une OPA sur Yahoo!

Publié le 2 février 2008   L'entreprise informatique américaine a annoncé vendredi lancer une offre publique d'achat non sollicitée sur le groupe Internet Yahoo!.

La compagnie fondée par Bill Gates propose 31 dollars pour chaque action de Yahoo!, cotée 19,18 dollars lors de la clôture du Nasdaq, ce qui représente une prime de 62 % sur la valeur du titre. Le montant total dont dispose Microsoft pour cette opération est de 44,6 milliards de dollars, ce qui représente 6,4 fois le chiffre d'affaires de Yahoo! en 2007, et 68 fois son bénéfice net. Le conseil d'administration de Yahoo! a déclaré « étudier attentivement » l'offre sans toutefois y donner encore de réponse.

La principale raison avancée par Microsoft pour ce rachat concerne la concurrence que se livrent les entreprises pour le marché de la publicité en ligne, qui devrait passer de 40 milliards de dollars en 2007 à 80 milliards en 2010, et où la société Google est largement en tête devant Yahoo! et Microsoft. De plus, des économies évaluées à 1 milliard de dollars pourraient être réalisées dans le cadre de ce rachat que Steve Ballmer, directeur général de Microsoft, pense pouvoir être finalisé au second semestre 2008, après obtention des autorisations réglementaires.

À la fin de 2006, Microsoft avait déjà tenté sans succès de prendre le contrôle de Yahoo!. Cependant, les circonstances sont cette fois différentes, Yahoo! connaissant depuis plusieurs années des difficultés financières, malgré la popularité et la diversité des sites contrôlés par Yahoo!, tels que Flickr (pour le partage de photos) Yahoo! Mail, ou Yahoo! 360 (un réseau social) pour ne citer que les plus importants.


Microsoft chce kupić Yahoo!

Firma Microsoft, światowy producent oprogramowania, poinformowała o chęci kupna światowego koncernu internetowego - Yahoo!

Microsoft za Yahoo! chce zapłacić 44,6 mld dolarów. Propozycja jest bardzo interesująca, bo Microsoft oferuje 31 dol. za akcję, czyli 62 proc. więcej niż czwartkowy kurs akcji. Microsoft przejmując Yahoo chce zaoferować "jeszcze bardziej frapujący zestaw rozwiązań dla konsumentów, wydawców i ogłoszeniodawców".


Microsoft quer comprar o Yahoo!

Devido a crise do Yahoo com corte de gastos em algumas áreas e o corte de 7% do seu quadro de funcionários, a Microsoft ofereceu uma oferta de  44 bilhões de dólares para comprar a empresa. Isso mostra uma clara tentativa de concorrer com o Google.

A Microsoft já tentou um acordo de parcerias comerciais e uma fusão com a Yahoo! no final de 2006, porém a proposta foi rejeitada.

Sobre a proposta, a empresa afirma em nota que "O conselho de diretores vai avaliar a proposta cuidadosamente e prontamente no contexto dos planos estratégicos do Yahoo! e procurar o melhor caminho para maximizar os rendimentos dos acionistas no longo prazo".

A Microsoft espera que o acordo seja fechado e que as agências e orgãos reguladores aprovem o negócio ainda este ano.


Microsoft предлагает 44,6 миллиарда USD за Yahoo!

Лидер мирового рынка программного обеспечения Microsoft готов выложить за интернет-гиганта Yahoo! феноменальную сумму — 44,6 млрд долларов.

Cтив Балмер, преемник Билла Гейтса и нынешний президент Microsoft, в своём письме акционерам Yahoo! написал:

Microsoft предполагает осуществить сделку путём выкупа акций интернет-гиганта Yahoo! и оплаты оставшейся части наличными. При этом компания Билла Гейтса предлагает приобрести акции Yahoo! по цене $31 за одну акцию, что превышает их рыночную стоимость (по состоянию на день закрытия торгов на фондовых площадках США 31 января 2008 года) более чем на 60 %.

Венчурные инвесторы отмечают, что с учётом надвигающейся рецессии в США и недавнего кризиса на долговом рынке лучшего предложения Yahoo! не сделает никто: компаний, равным Microsoft по финансовой мощи, нет.

1 февраля 2008 года


微软446亿美元收购Yahoo!

世界软件市场的领导者Microsoft已经准备好收购后因特网时代的巨头Yahoo!，收购金额为446亿美元。

比尔盖茨的继任者现任微软CEO巴尔默在写给Yahoo!股东的信中说：

微软将通过回购Yahoo!的股票、其余部分通过现金支付的方式完成这笔交易。 通过这样的操作，比尔盖茨的公司以31美元每股的价格购买了Yahoo!的股票。超过了市值60%（美国2008年1月31日股市停盘时）。

风险投资家评价说在即将到来的美国衰退和最近的债务市场危机的情况下没有谁能提供Yahoo！比这更好的报价：没有谁比微软有更强的财务实力。

【2008年2月2日讯】


Microsoft faults Google on its copyright protection practices

Microsoft has begun an attack against Google over the issue of copyright infringements. The officials from the software giant state that the number one search engine takes a cavalier approach to what concerns copyright protection. The associate general counsel of Microsoft, Mr. Thomas Rubin, prepared a remark that he delivered to the Association of American Publishers. He argued that Google's idea to create a book search engine might come at publishers' expense.

Mr. Rubin criticized those companies that use the works of various publishers and not their own, stating that such companies make billions on the back of other people's content. He said that in distinction from Microsoft, Google feels comfortable making a certain content searchable online and afterwards asking permission from the author. According to the associate general counsel of Microsoft, Google does not always ask permission and uses the copyright work until its author tells the company to stop.

In response to the accusations from Microsoft, the senior vice president for corporate development of Google said that Google performs legal actions. Whenever the company wanted to make certain content available online it always asked for permission. In such a way Google worked with several thousands publishing partners and recently made a partnership with BBC and N.B.A. to display videos on YouTube.


Microsoft critica Google sul copyright

Microsoft ha attaccato Google sul copyright. Alcuni funzionari del gigante del software hanno constatato che Google ha un approccio alquanto "superbo" per quanto riguarda il copyright. Il consulente di Microsoft, Thomas Rubin, ha preparato una nota che ha inviato all'associazione americana degli editori. Egli ha sottolineato che l'idea di Google di creare un motore di ricerca per i libri online potrebbe riversarsi sulle spalle degli editori.

Rubin ha criticato quelle compagnie che usano il lavoro di vari editori e non il proprio, constatando che queste compagnie fatturano miliardi di dollari sulle spalle di altre persone. Ha affermato che, a differenza di Microsoft, Google si sente sicura nel rendere rintracciabili online certi contenuti e chiedere solo dopo il permesso all'autore. Secondo il consulente generale di Microsoft, Google non avrebbe sempre chiesto il permesso, riservandosi anzi di farlo solo dopo che l'autore avrebbe chiesto alla società di rimuovere i contenuti contestati.

In risposta alle accuse di Microsoft, il vicepresidente del reparto sviluppo di Google ha detto che la sua società si riserva il diritto di adire vie legali contro le accuse, in quanto Google avrebbe sempre chiesto il permesso di pubblicare online determinati contenuti. A dimostrazione del fatto, il vicepresidente ha affermato che Google ha lavorato con alcune migliaia di partner e che negli ultimi tempi ha dato vita ad una partnership con la BBC e la N.B.A. per mostrare video su YouTube.


Microsoft launches BizTalk Server 2006 R2 with RFID integration in Taiwan

On Tuesday, Microsoft launched BizTalk Server 2006 R2 with Radio-frequency Identification (RFID) technology in Taiwan. Microsoft Taiwan held a launch seminar with "Pulse the Operations with the Communication of Enterprises" topic and invited hardware and software companies to highlight the integration of RFID, SOA, and EDI with BizTalk Server 2006 R2.

At the press conference, Steven Martin (Director of Product Management for BizTalk® Server Product Group at Microsoft Corp.) mentioned the improvements to BizTalk Server 2006 R2 and the lower costs, which could increase the opportunities for enterprises. Martin also praised Taiwan for having an environment conducive to the development of RFID technology, and suggested that was the reason Microsoft Global Headquarters chose Taiwan as the first location for the product launch.

Aside from seminars and exhibitions, Microsoft Taiwan also welcomed Chang Jung Christian University, Telecommunication Laboratories of Chunghwa Telecom Co., Ltd., Tekho Inc., Formosa Petrochemical Co., Ltd., and Quanta Computer lnc. to introduce their solutions from their earlier integration and show the strength of RFID technologies in Taiwan.

After the launch series in Taiwan, Microsoft Global Headquarters announced that the next launch for BizTalk Server 2006 R2 would be Sydney, Australia on September 13, followed by Chicago, United States on October 2.


BizTalk Server 2006 R2 台灣先行發佈 RFID技術完全展現

Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006 R2今日正式問世，因為台灣在RFID技術上的優勢，微軟總部也選定台灣成為全球巡迴發佈的第一站，並且邀請各家導入的廠商進行經驗分享，台灣微軟也以「企業彼此通，營運向前衝」做為主題，邀請各家廠商向參觀者介紹RFID、SOA、EDI等三方面與BizTalk Server 2006 R2的整合。

全球微軟策略平台總經理史提芬‧馬丁（Steven Martin）表示，BizTalk Server 2006 R2與RFID、SOA、EDI的整合，除了協助企業縮短作業流程，並可降低整體成本，而達到提升企業營運的優勢；另外，他也指出，台灣在RFID的發展上，無論產、官、學界，都顯現出各項不同的優勢，因此總部也決定讓台灣成為第一個優先發布這套軟體的地方。

除了研討會與週邊展示部分，在今日的記者會中，台灣微軟也邀請了長榮大學、中華電信研究所、德河貿易、台塑石化、廣達電腦的代表，針對先期導入的情形，進行成果發表，確實展現出台灣在RFID上的發展實力，並奠定台灣在RFID應用上的基礎。


Microsoft offers to pay blogger to 'correct' Wikipedia article

Conflict-of-interest editing on Wikipedia

Software giant Microsoft has attempted to correct a Wikipedia article concerning the Microsoft Office Open XML format.

Wikipedia strongly discourages contributors involved with the subject of an article from editing the article, when a conflict of interest is likely. Instead, such contributors are advised to comment or suggest changes to the articles for the broader community of editors to review and implement, if found acceptable. Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales and  administrators have on occasion blocked users thought to have violated these guidelines from editing Wikipedia.

Doug Mahugh from Microsoft contacted Rick Jelliffe, who is the top technical officer for Sydney computing company Topologi - and offered to pay him for the time it would take to modify the article.

“Wikipedia has an entry on Open XML that has a lot of slanted language, and we'd like for them to make it more objective but we feel that it would be best if a non-Microsoft person were the source of any corrections,” reads the email Microsoft employee Mahugh wrote to Jelliffe.

One of Wikipedia's core policies is that articles must be written from a "neutral point of view" or NPOV.

“Would you have any interest or availability to do some of this kind of work? Your reputation as a leading voice in the XML community would carry a lot of credibility, so your name came up in a discussion of the Wikipedia situation today."

The e-mail also stated that Microsoft would not stop Jelliffe from disclosing the deal and rather encouraged him to post it on his blog at oreillynet.com. It also reassured Jelliffe that Microsoft did not have to approve any changes he made to the article.

"We were very disappointed to hear that Microsoft was taking that approach," Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales said. Wales stated that the proper thing for Microsoft was to write a "white paper" concerning the article, post it on an outside website and then link it to the discussion page of the Wikipedia articles' discussion forums. "It seems like a much better, transparent, straightforward way," Wales said.

Microsoft spokeswoman Catherine Brooker said she believed the articles were heavily written by people at IBM, which is a supporter of the rival ISO-approved OpenDocument standard used by two leading Open Source office suites rather than the controversial Microsoft Office Open XML format.


Microsoft bezahlt Programmierer für Mitarbeit an Wikipedia

Redmond (Washington) (Vereinigte Staaten), 24.01.2007 – Der Software-Gigant Microsoft versucht Einfluss auf den Artikel zum Thema „Open XML“ in der englischsprachigen Wikipedia zu nehmen, um ihn angeblich neutraler zu gestalten. Microsoft-Mitarbeiter Doug Mahugh erklärte, dass man Rick Jelliffe eine Bezahlung für das Umschreiben des Artikels angeboten habe. Jellife ist Technikchef von Topologi, einer Softwarefirma in Sydney und wird von Microsoft als glaubwürdig und eine der führenden Stimmen in der XML-Community bezeichnet.

Mahugh erklärte in seiner E-Mail-Anfrage an Jellife die Änderungswünsche wie folgt: „Der Wikipedia-Artikel über Open XML ist in einer gefärbten Sprache geschrieben, und wir würden ihn gerne objektiver gestalten. Wir denken aber, dass dies durch eine Non-Microsoft-Person geschehen sollte“. Es sei daher beschlossen worden, Jelliffe zu beauftragen. Jelliffe wurde ermutigt, den Handel bekannt zu machen, und ihn in seinem Blog auf oreillynet.com zu veröffentlichen. Microsoft versicherte, dass es Jelliffes Änderungen keiner Zensur unterziehen würde. Microsofts Pressesprecherin Catherine Brooker sagte, dass der Wikipedia-Artikel stark durch IBM-Leute beeinflusst sei, da IBM den Konkurrenzstandard OpenDocument befürwortet. OpenDocument ist von der ISO anerkannt und in der Open-Source-Community weit verbreitet.

Wikipedia rät grundsätzlich davon ab, einen Artikel zu einem Thema zu bearbeiten, mit dem der Autor persönlich zu tun hat, wenn ein Interessenkonflikt bestehen könnte. Statt einen solchen Artikel direkt zu editieren, schlägt Wikipedia vor, die gewünschten Änderungen bei anderen Autoren anzuregen. Die sollen dann entscheiden, ob die Veränderungen akzeptabel sind. Wikipedia-Gründer Jimmy Wales und einige Administratoren hatten in der Vergangenheit schon Benutzer geblockt, die diese Richtlinien verletzt haben. Zum geplanten Vorgehen von Microsoft sagte Wales: „Wir waren enttäuscht über den Ansatz von Microsoft.“ Statt dessen schlug Wales vor, Microsoft solle ein „White Paper“ über den Artikel erstellen und auf der Diskussionsseite des Open-XML-Artikels dorthin verlinken. „Das wäre ein besserer, transparenter, direkterer Weg“, so Wales.


Microsoft chciał płacić za poprawianie artykułów w Wikipedii

Przedstawiciele firmy Microsoft przyznali, że oferowali Rickowi Jelliffe'owi, znanemu blogerowi, pieniądze w zamian za edytowanie artykułów w Wikipedii, wolnej internetowej encyklopedii, dotyczących stworzonego przez Microsoft formatu dokumentacji OOXML oraz konkurencyjnego formatu ODF.

Sprawa ujrzała światło dzienne, kiedy Rick Jellife na swoim blogu napisał o e-mailu, jaki otrzymał od Microsoftu. Według niego Microsoft poszukiwał kogoś „niezależnego, ale przyjaznego”. Jeliffe oferty nie przyjął. Napisał, „Microsoft jest sfrustrowany z powodu ilości niedokładnych informacji pochodzących od sympatyzujących z formatem ODF”, znajdujących się na blogach i w Wikipedii.

Rzecznik Microsoftu twierdzi, że jego firma chciała jedynie, aby niezależny ekspert poprawił niedokładności w artykułach Wikipedii.

W świetle zasad Wikipedii takie praktyki są niedozwolone. „Jesteśmy bardzo rozczarowani działaniem Microsoftu” – powiedział Jimbo Wales, założyciel internetowej encyklopedii. Powiedział też, że właściwym rozwiązaniem dla Microsoftu byłoby przygotowanie notki dotyczącej artykułu, opublikowanie w Internecie i umieszczenie linku do niej na stronie dyskusji artykułu (miejsce do dyskusji nad artykułem). „Byłby to o wiele lepszy, przejrzysty, prosty sposób” – powiedział Wales.


Microsoft Office 12 will support PDFs

Microsoft announced yesterday that the next version of Microsoft Office, currently code-named "Office 12", will support PDF format exportation.  Microsoft Senior Vice President Steven Sinofsky said Microsoft receives 120,000 requests monthly to save documents created in Office as PDF files.

PDF is a file format created by Adobe Systems that ensures files appear similarly on any computer operating system. PDF is an open standard, and programs can read and write PDFs royalty-free. Adobe distributes software at no cost to read PDF files on many platforms. Many open source readers are also available.

There are many ways to create PDFs from Office documents. Users can purchase Adobe Acrobat Standard (MSRP US$299.00), and can already export any Microsoft Office document to PDFs using the free Office Suite OpenOffice.org software. They can also use one of the many free programs that act as print drivers such as the open source PDFCreator. Adobe also offers a somewhat slower, but free online PDF converter on their website. While such options have long been available, the high cost, moderate difficulty and lack of awareness has discouraged PDF use in most daily exchanges of Office created documents.

Because Microsoft has no plans to create a PDF importer, it will be impossible for the Office PDF export functionality to fulfill Massachusetts' recent requirements Open Standards drive for official, state created documents.

The first, or beta version, of Office 12 is expected in November.


Microsoft Office 12 permitirá grabar archivos PDF

Microsoft anunció ayer que la próxima versión de Microsoft Office, actualmente en código clave "Office 12", podrá exportar en formato PDF. Steven Sinofsky, vicepresidente mayor de Microsoft dijo que Microsoft recibe 120.000 peticiones mensuales para guardar documentos creados en Office como archivos PDF.

PDF es un formato creado por Adobe Systems, el cual asegura que los archivos aparezcan similarmente en cualquier sistema operativo. PDF es un formato abierto, y los programas pueden leer y escribir PDFs sin tener que pagar por ello. Adobe distribuye software sin costo para leer archivos PDF en muchas plataformas. También hay muchos otros lectores de PDFs que son de libre distribución.

Hay muchas formas para crear PDFs de documentos de Office. Un usuario puede comprar Adobe Acrobat Standard por 299$ (247.60€ aprox.) o exportar cualquier documento de Microsoft Office con la Suite gratuita OpenOffice.org. También se puede usar una de las muchas herramientas gratuitas que actúan como impresoras de archivos, como en el caso de PDFCreator. Adobe también ofrece un conversor PDF en su página web que es gratuito pero algo lento. Mientras estas opciones han estado disponibles desde hace tiempo, el alto coste, la dificultad moderada y la conciencia han desanimado el uso de los PDF en la mayoría de intercambios de documentos creados con Office.

Se espera que la versión beta o primera versión de Office aparezca en Noviembre.


Microsoft Office 12 permitirá gravar arquivos PDF

A Microsoft anunciou segunda-feira (3) que a próxima versão da suíte de escritório Microsoft Office, chamada por enquanto de Microsoft  Office 12, permitirá a exportação de arquivos no formato de PDF.

O Vice-presidente sênior da Microsoft Steven Sinofsky disse  que a empresa recebe mensalmente 120 mil  pedidos para incorporar ao software de escritório a funcionalidade de salvar documentos criados no formato de PDF.

O Portable Document Format (PDF) é um formato de arquivo criado pela   Adobe Systems que procura garantir que o conteúdo produzido e gravado num arquivo apareça de  maneira similar em qualquer outro sistema operativo de computador.

O PDF é um padrão aberto, e os programas podem ler e escrever arquivos PDFs sem necessidade de comprar uma licença para isso.

A Adobe distribui gratuitamente um software multiplataforma para ler arquivos PDF. Muitos leitores PDF de domínio público estão também disponíveis.

A versão  beta do Microsoft Office 12 é esperada para novembro.


Microsoft releases low-cost Windows XP Starter Edition in Brazil

Microsoft has announced a low-cost Windows XP Starter Edition is to be launched in Brazil.

Windows XP Starter Edition has been previously released in several other countries in Asia and Russia. These editions are sold only as a low-cost OEM bundle. The edition is quite similar to Windows XP Home but with some restrictions: only three applications may be run concurrently, 800×600 is the maximum display resolution and home networking is disabled.

Brazil has been increasingly adopting open source software for IT projects, rather than using Microsoft products. The country recently launched the PC Conectado initiative, which aims to greatly increase the use of computers in homes, schools and businesses by making them as much as 50% cheaper. An important cost-saving measure is the exclusive use of open source software. No Microsoft software is being used.


Microsoft lança versão de baixo custo do Windows XP no Brasil

A Microsoft anunciou nesta última quarta-feira, 13 de abril, o lançamento de  uma nova versão do  Windows para o Brasil, o Windows XP Starter Edition. O Windows XP Starter Edition é uma versão de baixo custo do Windows XP.

O Windows XP Starter Edition foi anteriormente lançado em vários outros países da Ásia. Esta edição é vendida só como um pacote  OEM de baixo custo. Ela é bastante semelhante ao Windows XP Home mas com algumas restrições: só três aplicações podem ser executadas concorrentemente, 800×600 é a resolução de exibição máxima e a ligação em rede local está incapacitada.

O Brasil é um país que vem de forma crescente a adotar software livre, principalmente em alguns serviços e empresas públicas.


Microsoft Tech·Ed Taiwan 2007 begins after Typhoon Wipha crossed Taiwan

Microsoft Tech·Ed Taiwan 2007, organized by Microsoft Taiwan, began today after Typhoon Wipha crossed Northern Taiwan yesterday and it goes to the 13th this year. Though this international seminar reduced from 3 days to 2 days, it still attracted more than 2500 technical engineers and developers, and some companies exhibited aside of Tech·Ed Taiwan 2007.

This year of Tech·Ed Taiwan 2007 is focused on future software by Microsoft such as Windows Server 2008 (code name "Longhorn"), Visual Studio 2008 (code name "Orcas"), SQL Server 2008 (code name "Katmai") and title the topic with "Make Your Mark". Also, Microsoft Taiwan provided Hands-On-Lab for attendees who can experience the frontier technologies.

Bob Kelly (General Manager of Infrastructure Server Marketing Department, Microsoft Global) emphasized the importance of "Dynamic IT" and predicted that virtual environment of collaboration is the main future on IT industry, he also remarked that Microsoft provided solutions on Dynamic Systems Initiative, Trustworthy Computing, and .NET with the trend of enterprise IT from basic system infrastructure, standard, rational, to dynamic.

Except from seminars and exhibitions, Microsoft also held "IT Master Challenge" and "Tech·Ed Taiwan 2007 Show Girls" competitions, and Tenlong Computer Book Co., Ltd. was invited to set up temporarily bookstore at 3F South Lounge of Taipei International Convention Center (TICC). On the other hand, Microsoft Taiwan also set up Free Internet Access Area at 3F North Lounge of TICC.


一掃韋帕颱風陰霾 微軟Tech·Ed台灣站登場

自1995年首度在台灣舉辦，也是微軟最大型的技術人員交流大會的Tech·Ed，今年在台進入第13屆，雖然這項年度盛會受到颱風影響，第一天議程部分取消與調整，並且全部議程縮水成兩天進行，但仍舊吸引近2500位的技術人員親臨參與，同時也有部分廠商在週邊進行解決方案的展示。

今年的Tech·Ed Taiwan，是以「成就自己、撼動全局（Make Your Mark）」做為主題，研討會中包含Windows Server 2008（Longhorn）、Visual Studio 2008（Orcas）、SQL Server 2008（Katmai）等未來將要發佈的軟體，並且邀請國內知名講師主講，安排軟體實做教室，讓與會者體驗微軟最新的軟體技術。

受邀的全球微軟企業基礎架構伺服器行銷部副總裁鮑伯·凱利（Bob Kelly），在今日的開幕演講中，強調全方位資訊科技的重要性，並預測在未來，虛擬化的工作環境，將成為重要趨勢，而微軟也長期針對企業，基於企業資訊科技的基礎系統架設、標準化、合理化到全方位化等趨勢的轉變，提供了全方位系統計畫、可信賴的電腦運算和.NET等解決方案。

除了週邊展示與會議以外，台灣微軟也舉辦了「IT狂人擂台賽」與「Tech·Ed 2007活力美少女選拔賽」，並在三樓分別設置了微軟圖書展售區與免費上網區，與加強信義商圈周邊的餐飲服務，也讓整個微軟的年度大會，在信義商圈活絡起來，而這項活動預計於明日結束。


Microsoft to licence Windows source code

In a move aimed to prevent fines stemming from its antitrust lawsuit filed by the European Commission (EC), Microsoft announced that it will be releasing portions of the source code to its Windows operating system.

The EC ruled in March 2004 that Microsoft had abused its position in the low-end server and media player market, and required that Microsoft "disclose complete and accurate interface documentation which would allow non-Microsoft work group servers to achieve full interoperability with Windows PCs and servers".  Microsoft reacted by making available 12,000 pages of technical documentation and up to 500 hours of technical support, but the EC came to the conclusion that it was not enough.

Announcing that "we are putting our most valuable intellectual property on the table so we can put technical compliance issues to rest", Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith asserted that Microsoft would be superseding the EC's requirements as a sign of good faith.  "While we are confident that we are presently in full compliance with the Decision, we wish to dispel any notion that Microsoft’s technical documents are insufficient", said Smith.

The EC responded in a memo that it will study Microsoft's reply to the Statement of Objections once it receives the full details.  However, EC Competition Commissioner spokesman Jonathan Todd commented that "it would be premature to conclude access to the source code would resolve the problem of the lack of compliance with our decision."

A similar offer was made by Microsoft in August 2002 during its antitrust lawsuit filed by the United States Department of Justice and several states' Attorneys General.  The resulting "Microsoft Communications Protocols Program" had suffered continuous criticism regarding excessive cost, paperwork, and non-disclosure agreements.  It is unclear at this time if Microsoft's planned "Work Group Server Protocol Program" will suffer from the same issues if accepted by the EC.

Microsoft is expected to return to the EC courts in April.


Microsoft libera código fonte do Windows

Em um movimento apontado como uma estratégia para prevenir multas de um processo antitruste arquivado pela Comissão Européia (CE),  a Microsoft anunciou que estará liberando porções do código fonte do sistema operacional Windows.

A CE concluiu em março de 2004 que a Microsoft abusou da sua posição no mercado de servidores e aplicativos multimídia e exigiu que ela fornecesse a documentação completa e apurada da interface para permitir que servidores não-Microsoft e computadores pessoais com Windows pudessem ter  interoperabilidade completa. A Microsoft reagiu disponibilizando doze mil páginas de documentação técnica e quinhentas horas do suporte técnico, mas, a CE chegou à conclusão que isto não era o bastante.

O código, de acordo com a Microsoft, está sendo liberado com o objetivo de auxiliar desenvolvedores de softwares a entender melhor como desenvolver produtos que interagem com o Windows como se fosse uma "documentação definitiva"; no entanto, não é permitido copiar partes do código-fonte para utilização em outros projetos.

A Comissão Européia ainda não se pronunciou sobre o assunto, mas, os envolvidos no processo afirmam que o código fonte não pode ser considerado como uma "documentação definitiva".


MiniMax Discount to open inaugural stores in southern Romania

MiniMax Discount, a recently-established joint venture between several Romanian and foreign investors, will open its first three discount stores between today and April 28. The discount stores, which will be similar to supermarkets, will open in the southern Romanian cities of Slatina, Urziceni and Târgovişte. MiniMax invested 750,000 euro per outlet, with each store having 1,000 m² of floor space and a parking area for 100 cars. The first store to be opened will be the one in Slatina, with the other ones opening by April 28.

The company is planning to open a total of ten stores this year, as well as another twenty in 2006. It is expected that most of the stores will open in small- to medium-sized cities, of greater than 20,000 inhabitants, rather than larger cities of over 150,000 inhabitants. In a few years time, it has said that it plans to extend its network to over 100 stores.


MiniMax Discount va deschide magazine inaugurale în sudul României

19 aprilie 2005 București, România —

MiniMax Discount, o companie recent fondată de o serie de investitori români și străini, va deschide primele sale magazine între astăzi și 28 aprilie. Aceste magazine vor fi tip "discounter", adică similare cu un supermarket dar cu prețuri reduse. Primele trei magazine vor fi deschise în orașele Slatina, Urziceni și Târgoviște, în sudul țării. MiniMax a investit 750.000 euro pentru construcția fiecărui magazin, fiecare având 1.000 m2 de spațiu și loc de parcare pentru 100 de mașini. Primul magazin va fi deschis astăzi în Slatina, Olt, cu celelate fiind deschise până pe 28 aprilie.

Compania va deschide un total de zece magazine în acest an, și încă douăzeci în 2006. Se așteaptă că magazinele vor fi situate în orașe mici sau mijlocii, cu o populație mai mare de 20.000, și nu în orașe mai mare, cu populații de peste 150.000. În câțiva ani, MiniMax planifică să aibă o rețea de peste 100 de magazine în toată țara.

Adrian Hamzescu, „MiniMax Discount opens three outlets” — Bucharest Daily News, 19 aprilie 2005


Minimum wage in United States increases to $6.55

The federal minimum wage in the United States increased Thursday by 70 cents from US$5.85 to $6.55. This is the second of three increases to take place each year in the federal minimum wage under a law passed by Congress in 2007. Next year, the federal minimum wage is scheduled to increase to $7.25.

Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia already have higher minimum wage settings than that of the Federal Government. The new minimum wage can be considered to be less than the wage level of 1997, which when adjusted for inflation, was the equivalent of $7.02. Adjusting for inflation the minimum wage 40 years ago was the equivalent of $10.06 in today's dollars, according to the U.S. Labor Department.

District of Columbia law sets its minimum wage to automatically be $1.00 higher than the federal minimum. Eight states will have their state minimums increase to the federal minimum. 18 states automatically follow the federal minimum, while 24 already have minimum wage rates higher than the federal minimum. These range from Washington state at $8.07, California and New York at $8.00, to Florida at $6.79. Nevada sets its minimum wage at $6.85 unless health benefits are included, in which case the minimum is $5.85. Several states have their state minimums indexed to inflation. South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana are the only states yet to set a minimum wage law.

A number of cities, including San Francisco and New York, also have local minimum wage laws which set the minimum wage for jobs in those cities to figures higher than the federal minimum, and in some cases higher than the state minimum.

About two million workers will get an increase as a result of the change. Approximately five million will receive an increase from next year's minimum wage increase.

A number of small businesses will have difficulties raising prices to cover the increase in costs, while other businesses in tight labor markets indicate the increase is irrelevant as employees are already being paid more than the federal minimum.

"Government price-setting has never been good for the economy, and they are setting the price of labor," said William Dunkelberg, chief economist for the National Federation of Independent Business. "If you want more people hired, you don't make it more expensive to hire them."


Minimální mzda v USA vzrostla na 6,55 $ na hodinu

6 dolarů a 55 centů, v přepočtu asi 98 korun. To je nová výše hodinové minimální mzdy ve Spojených státech. Nárůst o 70 centů z předchozích 5,85 USD je jedním z mnoha navýšení, která se snaží udržet hranici výplaty tak, aby nedocházelo k jejímu snižování vinou inflace. Podle zákona, který byl přijat kongresem v roce 2007, má dojít k navýšení i příští rok, a to na 7,25 dolaru.

Dvacet čtyři států Unie spolu s distriktem Columbia však již nyní má vlastní sazbu pro minimální mzdu, která je vyšší než federální. Nová výše minimální mzdy může být považována za nižší, než byla v roce 1997 (její hodnota očištěná od inflace by dnes činila 7,02 USD); před čtyřiceti lety dosahovala ještě vyšší hodnoty, a to deset dolarů a šest centů. Uvedlo to americké ministerstvo práce.

Osm států nyní bude muset zvýšit svoji vlastní sazbu tak, aby korespondovala s federální. 18 států USA vlastní sazbu nemá, 24 zbývajících má naopak vyšší, než je ta stanovená z Washingtonu. Například v Kalifornii a v New Yorku je to 8 USD, na Floridě 6,79 USD. Také zákony Federálního distriktu stanovují minimální mzdu o dolar na hodinu vyšší, než je celounijní sazba.

Rozhodnutí kritizují zástupci firem, kteří argumentují tím, že nastavení výše minimálních mezd nikdy ekonomice neprospělo. Navíc většina zaměstnanců má stejně mzdy mnohem vyšší, a tudíž změna pro ně nebude mít význam.

Tato zpráva byla založena zčásti nebo zcela překladem zprávy Minimum wage in United States increases to $6.55 na anglických Wikizprávách.


Mobile operator Orange bills French doctor €160,000 for one month of Internet use

In a third case of staggering sums billed for "unlimited" Internet access reported this week, a French emergency-room doctor from Fontainebleau beats all records with a €159,212 (US$237,417) bill. The telephone-number-sized bill covers one month's use of an unlimited 3G dongle on Orange's network; the beleaguered Dr Jean Spadaro has been battling this for six months.

"To begin with I thought it was a joke", said Spadaro, confirming a story from l'Observateur du Valenciennois; The same newspaper that revealed last week a similar case — Eric Gernez, a café owner in Petite-Forêt near to Valenciennes — who received a bill for €45,000. Christophe Aupy-Fargues, head of an insurance brokerage firm in Saint-Herblain, west of Nantes, and another unlimited 3G dongle user, confirmed to Ouest-France on Monday the blocking of payment on a bill for €39,500 demanded by Orange.

"I subscribed in November 2008 to a basic internet access by 3G dongle at €30 per month [...] seeing my bills reach sums going up to €860 in April, I decided in May to subscribe to unlimited access by 3G dongle with Orange business at €50 per month. When I saw my bill for May, I couldn't believe my eyes: €159,212, for one month's connection, it's impossible, especially as we don't use it all of the time" added Spadaro, the father of two children, aged sixteen and nineteen.

On opening the envelope in June, he expected to read an amount neighbouring the cost of his subscription; but, to his horror, it was €159,212; a demand large enough to make an emergency-room doctor's head spin.

Spadaro claims France Télécom (Orange's parent company) never explained to him that the "unlimited" package only related to the time spent surfing on the Internet — not the volume of traffic — limited to one Gigabyte per month. The package's quota corresponds to moderate usage (reception of simple emails for example). As normal Internet users, the members of the Spadaro family surfed Facebook, YouTube, sent emails with attachments, received same, &c. That volume of traffic proved to be costly. €0.17 per Megabyte, or €170 per Gigabyte. Until the bills arrived, the Spadaro family were using the Internet, ignorant of the cost being incurred.

The doctor's bills, not listed in detail, are €53 for February, €346 for March, €860 for April before soaring to more than €159,000 in May. Spadaro also claims, with evidence of his letters in hand, he had increased the number of protest actions and received, in response, "warnings with threats of seizure".

Battle-weary after six months of contacting his operator, Spadaro has lost all patience. "Since June, I've spent hours writing emails, letters or calling Orange to ask for an explanation. I've been passed from call centre to call centre, from customer services to debt collection. No one at Orange was able to give me the slightest clarification. A real wall", he said. He has never contacted a consumer association, "due to lack of time and also because I trusted the people with whom I was speaking".

At the end of last week he stumbled upon the article on the Observateur du Valenciennois internet site concerning the case of Eric Gernez. He then also threatened Orange with the press. "The result did not tardy", he continues. "A customer services representative and a debt collector immediately contacted me by email November 16. And immediately afterwards I received a credit for €136,529". A first credit having already been sent to him in June, Orange now considers the dossier as "definitively resolved".

This resolution does not satisfy Jean Spadaro at all, who simply wishes that the bill be cancelled. "I have been a client with Orange for 17 years. I don't want to attack their image, but here, enough is enough. It's a question of principles", he says, highlighting that "on forums, dozens of subscribers tell similar stories". Furthermore, the two credits do not reimburse him for all of the additional fees he has incurred. "The following months, Orange tried to debit the sum from my account, causing rejection fees from my bank and unpaid fees from the operator. Around €35 each time".

Exasperated by the whole affair, Spadaro awaits the end of his current contract with Orange in February next year. "I will cancel all of my subscriptions to Orange: 3G+ dongle, but also mobile telephone and internet", he promises. He has been a client with the operator since 1997.

Orange has promised to work with each case of overbilling. Interviewed on France 2 on Wednesday, Jean-Paul Cottet, director of the business market for France, said that the number of problems were marginal. According to him, 4,000 professionals have opted for a package with a 3G key. It is "a 24/24 but not unlimited offer. Out of these 4,000 cases, there are 1% which are a problem" he explained, listing about thirty such "absurd bills". "We will correct that", he promised. "We will work with each client".

Jean-Paul Cottet pointed out that the general public offers better protection to the client. Once the authorised download limit is reached, the service quality diminishes but there is no overbilling.

Asked about the information given to clients about the conditions of billing elements not included in the package, Elizabeth Alvez, communications representative for the regional department for the North of France, said that "all the tarification information is available at points-of-sale and on orange.fr. This information is given as part of the dialogue between the client and the vendor. We are obliged to communicate the prices." Nevertheless, one must first of all take the time to read the entire contract with the salesperson before signing.


Abenteuerliche Gebühren für Telefon und Internet

Fontainebleau (Frankreich), 19.11.2009 – Innerhalb einer Woche sind in Frankreich drei Fälle von schwindelerregenden Rechnungen für „unbegrenzten“ Internet-Zugang bekannt geworden. Ein Notarzt aus Fontainebleau bei Paris schlägt alle Rekorde mit 159.212 Euro. Diese Telefonrechnung betrifft einen Monat unbegrenzte Nutzung der 3G-Dongle am Netz von Orange, gegen die Dr. Jean Spadaro nunmehr seit sechs Monaten kämpft. Vor einem Jahr hatte er einen Basisvertrag mit einer Monatsgebühr von 30 Euro abgeschlossen. Nachdem die Rechnung im April 2009 auf 860 Euro gestiegen war, beschloss er auf einen „unbegrenzten“ Vertrag zu 50 Euro im Monat umzusteigen. Zu seinem Entsetzen erhielt er im Juni eine Rechnung für den Monat Mai in Höhe von 159.212 Euro. Der Arzt ist seit 17 Jahren Kunde bei der Firma Orange und beanstandet, France Télécom, der Mutterkonzern von Orange, habe nicht darüber aufgeklärt, dass der Begriff „unbegrenzt“ sich nur auf die Zeit, nicht aber auf die Datenmenge beziehe. Bisher hatten sich Dr. Spadaro und seine Familie keine Gedanken über die Kosten gemacht, die sich auf 170 Euro je Gigabyte belaufen.

Zuvor waren zwei andere Fälle von Geschäftsleuten in Frankreich bekannt geworden, die Rechnungen über jeweils rund 40.000 Euro für einen Monat Nutzung von Orange erhalten hatten. Die englische und französche Version von Wikinews berichten ausführlich.


Orange facture un médecin urgentiste 160 000 € pour un mois de communications Internet

Une facture sur une période d'un moi a coûté très cher à un médecin urgentiste. Il s'agit du troisième cas enregistré en une semaine portant sur des factures faramineuses pour des accès « illimités » avec Orange par clé 3G. Un record à la clef : 159 212 € pour le seul mois de mai. Depuis six mois, ce médecin essaie de résoudre le problème de cette « douloureuse ».

« Au départ j'ai cru à une blague », raconte Jean Spadaro, confirmant une information publiée sur le site de l'Observateur du Valenciennois. Le journal avait déjà révélé la semaine passé la mésaventure similaire d'Éric Gernez, résident de Petite-Forêt près de Valenciennes. Christophe Aupy-Fargues, un responsable d'une société de courtage d'assurances de Saint-Herblain près de Nantes, aussi abonné au forfait illimité, avait affirmé lundi avoir bloqué le paiement d'une facture de 39 500 € émise par Orange.

« J'ai souscrit en novembre 2008 un abonnement internet de base par clé 3G à 30 euros par mois » mais  « voyant mes factures atteindre des sommes allant jusqu'à 860 euros en avril, j'ai décidé en mai de souscrire un abonnement illimité par clé 3G Orange business à 50 euros par mois. Quand j'ai vu ma facture du mois de mai, je n'en croyais pas mes yeux : 159 212 euros, pour un mois de connexion, c'est impossible, surtout que nous ne l'utilisons pas tout le temps », ajoute ce père deux enfants de 16 et 19 ans.

Lors de l'ouverture de l'enveloppe en juin, il attendait trouver une somme avoisinante le coût de son forfait 3G pro. Mais le choc lui a été rude :  159 212 euros.

Selon ce médecin, France Télécom n'aurait jamais pris le soin de lui expliquer que le forfait « illimité » ne concernait que le temps passé sur Internet. Le volume de transfert est limité à 1 Gigaoctet par mois. Ceci correspond à un usage modéré telle la réception des courriels sans pièces-jointes. Or, la famille a navigué sur des sites tels que Facebook et YouTube, puis a échangé des courriels avec pièce-jointe. La note s'avère salée : 0,17 € par Mégaoctet, soit 170 € par Gigaoctet. Les intéressés ont indiqué qu'ils ignoraient ce détail tant que la facture le leur était pas parvenue.

Les factures non détaillées sont de 53 € pour le mois de février, 346 € pour le mois de mars, 860 € pour le mois d'avril avant d'exploser le compteur en mai. Le médecin relate aussi que malgré le nombre d'actions croissant de sa part auprès de son fournisseur, il recevait en réponse des « mises en demeure avec menace de saisie ».

Fatigué après six mois de bataille, Dr. Spadaro a perdu patience. « Depuis le mois de juin, j'ai passé des heures à écrire des courriels, des courriers ou à passer des coups de fil à Orange pour demander des explications. On m'a dirigé de plateforme téléphonique en plate-forme téléphonique, de service clientèle en service recouvrement. Personne chez Orange n'a été capable de m'apporter le moindre éclaircissement. Un véritable mur », confie l'intéressé. Le praticien ne s'est jamais rapproché d'aucune association de consommateur, « par manque de temps et aussi parce que je faisais confiance à mes interlocuteurs ».

À la fin la semaine dernière, il tombe par hasard sur l'article sur Internet de l'Observateur du Valenciennois relatant le cas d'Eric Gernez. Lui aussi, il menace Orange avec la presse. «  Le résultat ne s'est pas fait attendre », poursuit-il. « Un chargé de clientèle et un chargé de recouvrement m'ont immédiatement répondu par mail lundi 16 novembre. Et, dans la foulée, je me suis vu adresser un avoir de 136 529 euros. » Orange lui ayant accordé un premier avoir de 22 622 euros en juin. Orange estime maintenant le dossier comme «  définitivement régularisé ».

Mais cette situation ne satisfait pas encore Jean Spadaro. Estimant encore que le compte n'y est pas, il désire tout simplement que la facture soit annulée. « Je suis client d'Orange depuis 17 ans. Je ne veux pas m'attaquer à son image mais là, trop c'est trop. C'est une question de principe », raconte le médecin. Il confie avoir relevé « sur les forums, des dizaines d'abonnés racontent des histoires similaires ». De surcroît, il a dû supporter des frais bancaires. « Les mois qui ont suivi, Orange a tenté de prélever la somme sur mon compte, occasionnant des frais de rejet de la part de ma banque et des frais d'impayés de la part de l'opérateur. Environ 35 euros à chaque fois » rajoute-t-il.

Aujourd'hui, Jean Spadaro a perdu patience et ne supporte plus la façon dont son opérateur considère son problème. « Tout ce que je demande c'est de l'honnêteté et de la transparence », explique-t-il, fatigué par six mois « de combat ».

Le Dr. Spadaro attend l'échéance de son contrat actuel. « La date anniversaire de mon contrat est fixée au 21 février 2010. Je vais résilier tous mes abonnements chez Orange : clé 3G+, mais aussi téléphonie mobile et Internet », promet-il. Il est client de l'opérateur depuis 1997.

Interrogé sur France 2, Jean-Paul Cottet, directeur du marché entreprises pour la France, a répondu mercredi aux soucis des 4 000 abonnés aux formules avec clé 3G: « C'est une offre 24/24 mais pas illimitée. Sur ces 4 000 cas, 1 % de cas nous pose un problème », a-t-il rassuré, en notant une trentaine de « factures absurdes ». « On va corriger ça », a-t-il promis. « On va traiter avec chaque client ». Et de reconnaître que du côté offres grand public, les clients sont mieux protégés. Une fois la limite de téléchargement atteinte, le niveau de service diminue. Orange ne « surfacture » aucun client, a-t-il conclu.

Elizabeth Alvez, chargée de communication à la direction régionale Nord de France Télécom indique « que toutes les fiches tarifaires sont accessibles dans les points de vente ainsi que sur orange.fr. Cette information se fait dans le cadre d'un échange entre le client et le vendeur. Nous sommes dans l'obligation de communiquer sur les prix ». Mais encore faut-t-il que le contrat soit lu attentivement avant d'être signé.


MOEA Taiwan signs MOUs with 5 global WiMAX companies to connect with networking industry world-wide

2007 WiMAX Forum Taipei Showcase & Conference

At the 1st day of WiMAX Forum Taipei Showcase & Conference, Ministry of Economic Affairs of R.O.C. Taiwan (MOEA Taiwan) not only set M-Taiwan Pavilion supervised by Industrial Development Bureau of MOEA Taiwan, but also signed MOUs with five world-class WiMAX companies to enhance the advance of networking industry in Taiwan especially in WiMAX environment.

In the contract-signing ceremony, MOEA Taiwan chose Alcatel-Lucent, Motorola Inc., Nokia-Siemens, Starent Networks, and Sprint-Nextel to sign MOUs with different technologies such as interoperability testing (IOT) to help companies in Taiwan with testing and purchasing WiMAX networking devices and develop solutions with high prime costs to expand the opportunity in global marketing.

"Governments and networking industry in Taiwan is still promoting on M-Taiwan project, the investment with WiMAX infrastructure in Taiwan is the 2nd highest in the world, we estimate that by 2012, the production value of WiMAX will break NT$140 billion. With the MOUs signing, the industry development of WiMAX infrastructure in Taiwan will be improved rapidly with product testing and lots ways of applications to ensure the prime position in the global WiMAX chain." Steve Ruey-long Chen (Minister of Economic Affairs of Taiwan) remarked at the Ceremony.

According to MOEA Taiwan, this MOUs signing is the 2nd time after signing with world-class companies like Intel, NEC, Nortel, and Rohde & Schwarz Technology. With this MOUs signing, it will improve the networking industry and WiMAX infrastructure in Taiwan.


拓展行動產業 經濟部與WiMAX五大廠簽約 象徵台灣與全球接軌

台北WiMAX論壇展覽暨會議（WiMAX Forum Taipei Showcase & Conference）的第一天，經濟部除了工業局執行的「行動台灣應用推動計畫」（M-Taiwan）進行主題展示，另外也安排了一項與WiMAX旗下五大會員廠商的合作備忘錄簽約儀式，希望藉由這項備忘錄的簽約，促成五大廠與台灣廠商的合作，打造台灣WiMAX的環境佈局，並提升產業優勢。

經濟部在這項簽約儀式中，針對不同的技術，選定阿爾卡特‧朗訊（Alcatel-Lucent）、摩托羅拉（Motorola）、諾基亞‧西門子（Nokia-Siemens）、星運網路（Starent Networks）、Sprint Nextel等五大WiMAX廠進行簽約，主要是透過WiMAX網路通訊設備的採購，協助企業開發高成本解決方案，進行互通測試（Interoperability testing，簡稱IOT），以開拓國際市場，而這些大廠也在今天的台北WiMAX Forum展覽中進行展示。

經濟部長陳瑞隆在致詞中表示，政府與網路產業仍持續努力M-Taiwan的推展，台灣投資在WiMAX的建設，則是全球第二，預估在2012年，產值將突破千億元（新台幣）。透過這項簽約，可以幫助台灣在WiMAX的發展中，加速產業發展，並透過產品的測試與應用，成為走向國際市場的跳板。

根據經濟部表示，這項簽約是繼經濟部與英特爾（Intel）、恩益禧（NEC）、北電網路（Nortel）、羅德史瓦茲（Rohde & Schwarz Technology）簽約後，再度與國際知名廠商的重要簽約，這對於台灣的網路產業發展來說，著實地打下一劑強心針。


Moldovan premier invites Romanian counterpart to pipeline start

During an official visit to Romania on Tuesday, Moldovan premier Iurie Leancă invited his Romanian counterpart, Victor Ponta, to attend Moldovan Independence Day on August 27.  On that occasion, the two neighbouring countries are to start building a cross-border gas pipeline between cities Iași, Romania, and Ungheni, Moldova.

European Union (EU) commissioner for energy Günther Oettinger is also expected to attend the meeting. The Moldovan premier seeks support for EU visa facilitation for Moldovan citizens as well as economic and energy ties with the EU.  Russian energy minister Aleksandr Novak declared in September 2012 that the Russian Federation agrees to lower gas prices for Moldova only if the ex-soviet republic denounces the Energy Community of South East Europe between the EU and eight non-EU countries including Moldova.

Moldova is one of the poorest countries in Europe. The latest Transparency International report on global corruption says Moldovan citizens report the second most widespread bribery of a European country. Moldovan politicians often accuse each other of being either under the influence of Russia — the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova; or under the influence of Romania and the EU — the Alliance for European Integration, the current government coalition.  Russia maintains a motorized infantry battalion and some ammunition depots from the soviet era in Moldova's breakaway Transdnestr region; Russian vice-premier Dmitry Rogozin said earlier this year Russia would continue these until the status of the region is settled.  This situation has persisted for some time; in the OSCE Summit Declaration of Istanbul of 1999, Russia was to pull its troops out of Transnistria by the end of 2002.

Moldova also hopes to sign the European Union Association Agreement by the end of 2013.


Moldavský premiér pozval rumunského na oslavu dne nezávislosti a stavbu společného plynovodu

Moldavský premiér Iurie Leancă během své oficiální návštěvy v Rumunsku v úterý pozval rumunského premiéra Victora Pontu na moldavské oslavy nezávislosti, které se budou konat 27. srpna. Zároveň se jedná o pozvánku na zahájení stavby mezinárodního plynovodu, který bude spojovat rumunské město Jasy s moldavským městem Ungheni.

Setkání by se měl zúčastnit i Günther Oettinger, komisař pro energetiku Evropské komise. Iurie Leancă patří k politikům, kteří chtějí posilovat spíše ekonomické a energetické vazby na Evropskou unii než na Rusko, na které se v Moldavsku orientuje především v současnosti opoziční Strana komunistů Moldavské republiky. Ruský ministr energetiky Alexandr Novak přitom v září prohlásil, že Rusko by Moldavsku mohlo zlevnit plyn, pokud Moldavsko odejde z Energetického společenství, které tvoří státy Evropské unie spolu s osmi neunijními státy včetně Moldavska.

Tato zpráva byla založena zčásti nebo zcela překladem zprávy Moldovan premier invites Romanian counterpart to pipeline start na anglických Wikizprávách.


Motorola to launch iTunes mobile phone

Motorola has recently confirmed plans that it will launch an iTunes compatible mobile phone. The firm, which released quarterly results on Friday, revealed that the phone would be available in a few months time.

There had been speculation that the wireless communications giant would scrap the phone after an underwhelming response from US operators, however CEO Ed Zander confirmed the company's intentions at the results presentation.

The phone, when launched, will allow users to easily download digital music from Apple's popular iTunes music store onto their handset. The combination of mobile phone and MP3 player is a long awaited example of the much touted "technological convergence" often mentioned by the industry's CEO's.

Wikinews will have a reporter live at Apple's WWDC keynote (when the software is likely to be released) on June 6 to cover the event.


Motorola disse que vai lançar telefone móvel para o iTunes

A  Motorola confirmou os planos que deve lançar um telefone móvel compatível ao iTunes. A empresa  revelou que o telefone estaria  disponível em alguns meses, durante a apresentação dos resultados da empresa.

Houve especulação que a gigante de comunicações sem fios sucataria o telefone depois de uma resposta que não muito satisfatória de operadores dos Estados Unidos da América, contudo o executivo-chefe (CEO) Ed Zander confirmou as intenções durante  a costumeira  apresentação de resultados da empresa.

O telefone, quando lançado, permitirá que usuários efetuem o download facilmente da música digital da  iTunes music store do Apple para o seu fone. A combinação de telefone móvel e tocador de  MP3 é um  aguardado há bastante tempo exemplo   da convergência tecnológica  muitas vezes mencionado pelo CEO'S de setores industriais.


MT duo & Robot Taiwan 2008: Vast opportunities for machinery industry

The 2008 Taipei CNC Machine Tools & Manufacturing Technology Show (MT duo) and Taiwan International Robot Exhibition (Robot Taiwan 2008) both began yesterday. These events are both taking place in the build up to Taipei International Machine Tool Show (TIMTOS 2009) at TWTC Nangang, which is due to take place next year.

The 2008 MT duo and Robot Taiwan mainly focused on software designed for industry, rather than consumers. This is in contrast to the choice of software displayed in many Japanese Trade Shows, which often displays products designed for consumers.

Robotics is a major industry in Taiwan. As a result the organizer of the event decided to refine "Manufacturing Taipei" and split it into the "Robot & Industrial Automation" of Manufacturing Taipei and "Robot Taiwan".

There was also a "Taiwan International Robotics Forum" and "Seminars on MT duo" at the event. Both were designed to attract executives from IT, manufacturing, and machinery industries to promote the worldwide use of robotics in industry.


2008數控展、機器人展 雙展合璧 共營商「機」

為了要幫明年移師南港館的工具機展進行暖身，加上台灣機械產業走向，近年來有局部改變的關係，在經過重新包裝後，選定於1日，在台北世貿開幕的「台北國際數控工具機暨製造技術展」與「台灣國際機器人展」，匯聚機械、工具機產業上、中、下游，兩展覽共289家廠商（940個攤位）參與，預料將為兩項展覽，帶來利市。

與日本機器人展格外不同的是，在台北舉行的數控與機器人展，以高附加價值的工業應用為重心，娛樂應用者較少；另外，中山科學研究院也在本次展覽中，向參觀者展示安全產業解決方案，受到消防與保全業的高度重視。

據貿協資料指出，2006年之前，同樣是兩年一度，且與台北國際工具機展交錯的數控展，原本是結合工業應用主題，以製造技術展的內容呈現，但隨著工業自動化的需求日益明顯，加上台灣目前也是全球工具機出口產值的第四名，因此，機械與製造產業，需要有適當的轉型，進而在本年度，將工業應用區塊，轉型成機器人展，並將原有的內容，以數控工具機及製造應用展的方式，進行呈現。

針對本次的兩項展覽，貿協也特別在開幕起一連三天，舉行「機器人論壇」與「工具機研討會」等，邀集資訊、製造、機械等產官學界菁英，展望各國機器人市場，與機械產業的未來，包括土耳其、埃及、羅馬尼亞、印度、巴西、波蘭、俄羅斯、日本等國的採購團，也將參觀展覽，瞭解台灣的機械產業市場。

【2008年5月2日讯】


New Icelandic government to take office today

The newly formed Icelandic coalition interim government will take office today, according to a coalition leader. The new government will also include a new prime minister, Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, the country's and the world's first openly gay prime minister.

"If everything goes as planned now a new government will take over [this] afternoon," said Steingrimur Sigfusson, who heads the Left-Green Movement.

On January 27, it was announced that the nation's coalition government had collapsed and dissolved following a banking financial crisis. In October of 2008, Iceland's banking sector collapsed and was largely nationalised. Iceland's interest rate is now 18%, with GDP expected to fall 9.6% this year. Inflation has reached 13.1%. Just before the announcement of the government taking office, nearly 1,500 people were protesting outside the parliament building over the collapsed government and the recent financial crisis, but protesters seemed happy about the change.

"The demands of the people have been met. Therefore today is a celebration," said protest organizer Hordur Torfason to the crowd who were cheering about hearing the news.

The new minority coalition will consist of Jóhanna's Social Democratic Alliance and the Left-Green Movement with backing from the Progressive Party. Jóhanna will be replacing the current prime minister, Geir Haarde who resigned on January 26, and is the chairmen of the nation's independent party and a critic of Jóhanna. He criticizes her appointment because he believes she will not help the economic crisis, resulting in more government spending.

The quick appointment of the new government also means an early election, which is scheduled to take place on April 25.


Sozialdemokratin Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir führt Übergangsregierung in Island

Reykjavík (Island), 02.02.2009 – Die bisherige Außen- und ehemalige Sozialministerin Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir übernimmt als erste Frau das Amt des Regierungschefs in Island. Sie gehört der sozialdemokratischen Partei Allianz an und ist 66 Jahre alt. Sie verfügt über große politische Erfahrung, erstmals wurde sie 1978 in das isländische Parlament, das „Althing“, gewählt. Sie übernimmt die Amtsgeschäfte von dem konservativen Ministerpräsidenten Geir Haarde, der am Freitag, 23. Januar, wegen der Folgen der Finanzkrise für Island seinen Rücktritt erklärt hatte. Der politischen Führung des Landes war eine Mitverantwortung dafür gegeben worden, dass Island durch die internationale Finanzkrise an den Rand des Staatsbankrotts getrieben worden war. Die isländische Krone verlor die Hälfte ihres Wertes, wodurch die Preise für viele Waren drastisch stiegen. Viele Bürger verloren außerdem ihre Ersparnisse, und es wird mit steigender Arbeitslosigkeit durch die große Zahl von Konkursen gerechnet. Der Rücktritt Haardes war durch monatelange Massenproteste förmlich erzwungen worden.

Die neue Regierungschefin soll die Amtsgeschäfte jedoch nur bis zu den Neuwahlen führen, die nun für den 25. April dieses Jahres geplant sind. Ursprünglich sollten die Parlamentswahlen erst am 9. Mai stattfinden.


Islanda: Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir premier, è il primo capo di governo omosessuale del mondo

Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir è stata nominata premier ad interim dell'Islanda per guidare la nazione fino alle prossime elezioni del 25 aprile.

Succeduta a Geir Hilmar Haarde, dimessosi a seguito della recente crisi finanziaria che ha portato il paese al collasso, è ora a capo della coalizione Verde Socialdemocratica.

Con la nomina di Sigurðardóttir a presidente del Consiglio dei Ministri ad interim dell'Islanda, per la prima volta al mondo un omosessuale dichiarato è stato nominato capo del governo. Sigurðardóttir è anche la prima donna presidente del Consiglio dell'Islanda.

Il nuovo presidente, che traghetterà il paese fino alle elezioni del 25 aprile, convive con la giornalista e sceneggiatrice Jónína Leósdóttir, con la quale Sigurðardóttir è unita in una "convivenza registrata" civile dal 2002; ha anche due figli da un precedente matrimonio.

Secondo una fonte ufficiale del governo islandese, le preferenze sessuali del nuovo capo del governo non sono note a molti, in quanto Sigurdardottir ha sempre condotto una vita appartata.


Nieuwe regering in IJsland aangetreden

In IJsland is een nieuwe regering geïnstalleerd, bestaande uit de sociaaldemocratische Alliantie (18 zetels) en de linkse milieupartij Links-Groen (9 zetels). Premier is de 66-jarige Jóhanna Sigurdardóttir (Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir in IJslands schrift) van de Alliantie; zij was al minister in de vorige regering, het kabinet-Haarde.

Het betreft een minderheidscoalitie voor de periode tot aan de vervroegde verkiezingen op 25 april 2009. Omdat ze met 27 zetels niet over een meerderheid in het Althing, het 63 zetels tellende IJslandse parlement, kan beschikken, is ze aangewezen op gedoogsteun van de Progressieve Partij, een partij uit het politieke midden.

IJsland verkeert vanwege de kredietcrisis in grote financiële moeilijkheden, hetgeen zowel de inflatie als de werkloosheid omhoog heeft gestuwd en tot de val van de vorige regering heeft geleid, waarin behalve de Alliantie ook de centrumrechtse Onafhankelijkheidspartij zitting had.

Het bestrijden van de economische crisis zodat de talrijke betogingen kunnen worden beëindigd, zal een belangrijke doelstelling van het kabinet-Sigurdardóttir zijn, aldus Steingrímur Sigfússon, de nieuwe minister van financiën. Om dit te realiseren, zal het economisch toezicht worden vergroot. Zo is het nieuwe kabinet van zins de top van de Centrale Bank van IJsland, zoals bankdirecteur Davíd Oddsson, te vervangen omdat deze volgens veel IJslanders een negatieve rol in de ondergang van het bancaire systeem heeft gespeeld. Ook heeft de regering haar zinnen gezet op aansluiting bij de Europese Unie en wil daarvoor de grondwet wijzigen om via een volksraadpleging de aansluiting te kunnen regelen. Het kabinet is niet van plan om reeds tijdens zijn interimperiode een besluit over toetreding tot de EU te nemen.

Minister-president Jóhanna Sigurdardóttir geldt als een sociaal bevlogen politica (ze dankt er haar bijnaam van 'Heilige Jóhanna' aan), die oorspronkelijk als vakbondsbestuurder actief was voordat ze in 1978 het parlement binnenkwam. Later werd ze tot tweemaal toe minister van sociale zaken. Het idee van de verzorgingsstaat draagt zij een warm hart toe, dit in tegenstelling tot de vrije markt, waarover zij terughoudender opvattingen op nahoudt.

Een bijzonderheid is dat met het interimpremierschap van Jóhanna Sigurdardóttir IJsland niet alleen voor het eerst een vrouw als premier heeft gekregen maar ook het eerste land ter wereld is dat een regeringsleider heeft aangesteld waarvan officieel bekend is dat zij lesbisch is. Sinds 2002 is zij namelijk door middel van een geregistreerd partnerschap verbonden aan een vrouw. Daarvoor was zij getrouwd met een man maar dat huwelijk eindigde in een echtscheiding.


News Corp. acquires Dow Jones & Co.

News Corporation has succeeded in purchasing the Dow Jones & Company, the 125-year-old financial information firm and publisher of The Wall Street Journal in a three month long US$5 billion takeover bid. Rupert Murdoch is the chairman and chief executive officer of News Corporation.

The Bancroft family, which owns 64.2% of the Dow Jones' voting power met Tuesday and finalized the deal amid opposition from some key members who were fearful that Journal's reputation and content would be altered. Last week, the board of the Dow Jones approved the sale, a $60-a-share bid which represents a 67% premium above Dow Jones's share price at the time of the offer. Yesterday, the News Corp. board gathered and gave the thumbs up for the acquisition, leaving only the Bancrofts to decide on the outcome.

Dow Jones, which also owns Barron's Magazine, has been owned by the Bancroft family since 1902.

Murdoch announced News Corporation's bid in May, and has maintained his company's position because of the lack of rivals. A Bancroft representative had approached other potential buyers, including billionaires Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, who both declined.

To address concerns that the Journal will be negatively altered, Murdoch plans to add four new pages of coverage, and has agreed to form a committee to decide on hiring or firing any editors.

News Corp. owns and operates dozens of large media companies, including the Fox News and British Sky Broadcasting television networks, newspapers The New York Post, The Australian, and The Sun, magazines TV Guide and The Weekly Standard, as well as internet assets such as Myspace and Photobucket.


News Corporation adquiere Dow Jones & Company

El magnate Rupert Murdoch, director y principal accionista de News Corporation, ha adquirido Dow Jones & Company, la empresa de 125 años de edad y publicadora de The Wall Street Journal, luego de una oferta pública de adquisición de un total de $5 billones de dólares.

La familia Bancroft, de la cual sus 33 miembros poseen el 64,2% de los votos y el 24% del capital de Dow Jones, se reunió el martes y finalizó un trato aunque con oposición de algunos miembros claves que temían que se vieran severamente alterados la reputación y los contenidos del Journal. La semana pasada, la junta directiva de Dow Jones aprobó la venta, una oferta de $60 millones que representaba un 67% premium sobre la cotización de Dow Jones en el tiempo de la oferta. Ayer, la junta directiva de News Corp. se reunió y decidió obtener la adquisición, dejando sólo a los Bancroft para decidir el resultado.

Dow Jones, que también es dueña de Barron's Magazine, ha sido de la familia Bancroft desde 1902.

Murdoch anunció la oferta de News Corporation en mayo, y ha mantenido la posición de su compañía debido a la falta de rivales. Un representante de los Bancroft había propuesto a otros compradores potenciales, como los multimillonarios Warren Buffett y Bill Gates, quienes ambos rechazaron la oferta.

En referencia a la preocupación de que Journal se verá alterado negativamente, Murdoch planea añadir cuatro nuevas páginas de cobertura, y ha aceptado formar un comité para que decida cuando se contrata o se despide a cualquier editor.

News Corp. es dueña y opera docenas de grandes compañías de medios, incluyendo las redes de televisión de Fox News y British Sky Broadcasting, los periódicos de The New York Post, The Australian y The Sun, las revistas TV Guide y The Weekly Standard, como también los recursos de internet de Myspace y Photobucket


No debt yet: Iceland's President vetoes repayment of Icesave losses

Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, President of Iceland, refused to sign a bill to pay US$5 billion (£3.1 billion) to Holland and the UK. Savers in those countries lost out when Icesave's parent bank Landsbanki collapsed and was nationalised alongside Glitnir and Kaupthing.

The governments of those nations paid out the money individuals had lost and the bill is designed to compensate them. However, the bill is unpopular with the public as 70% of them are said to oppose the measure, which critics have claimed will slow recovery for the Icelandic economy. A petition was given to the President demanding he refuse to sign the bill.

The constitution states that there must now be a public referendum on the issue. The UK has threatened the island nation's 320,000 inhabitants with economic isolation and has requested intervention from the European Union, which is currently considering an application from Iceland for membership. The national assembly has brought forward a planned meeting from the 26th to Friday.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Össur Skarphéðinsson met with every foreign ambassador in Iceland yesterday to discuss the matter. He also met with Mark Flanagan of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which currently has a deal to loan funds to Iceland. Flanagan later said that so long as the IMF scheme was funded repayment of the Icesave money did not affect this.


Presidentti ei allekirjoittanut Icesave-talletusten takaisinmaksua

Islannin presidentti Olafur Ragnar Grimsson ilmoitti eilen ettei allekirjoita lakia, jonka mukaan Islanti maksaa kaatuneen Landsbanki-pankin brittiläisten ja alankomaalaisten asiakkaiden menettämät talletukset. Iso-Britannia ja Alankomaat olisivat saaneet yhteensä 3,8 miljardia euroa asteittain vuoteen 2024 mennessä. Islannin asukkaiden kesken jaettuna summa vastaisi 12 000 euron maksua asukasta kohden. [1] Vuonna 2008 kaatunut islantilainen Landsbanki oli markkinoinut ulkomailla talletustilejään Icesave-brändillä.

Islannin parlamentti hyväksyi talletushyvityslain uudenvuodenaattona äänin 33−30. Mielipidetiedustelujen mukaan 70 prosenttia islantilaisista kuitenkin vastustaa uutta lakia.[2]

Koska presidentti ei allekirjoita lakia, siitä järjestetään kansanäänestys. Näin on käynyt vain kerran aiemmin Islannin historiassa.

Islannin hallitus vakuuttaa painokkaasti pääministeri Johanna Sigurdardottirin suulla, että se tukee edelleen Islannin kansainvälisten velvoitteiden suorittamista.

Icesave-lain voimaantulo on edellytys Kansainvälisen valuuttarahaston (IMF)[2] sekä muiden Pohjoismaiden tukilainoille. Pohjoismaat olivat varautuneet lainaamaan Islannille 1,8 miljardia euroa.

Kansainvälinen luottoluokittaja Fitch laski Islannin luottoluokitusta tuoreeltaan presidentin päätöksestä johtuen.[2]


Nobel Peace Prize to Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank

The microcredit Grameen Bank and its creator, Muhammad Yunus, are jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "for their efforts to create economic and social development from below."

Most people were expecting the founder to be nominated for the Economics Nobel prize but the Norwegian Nobel Institute decided to award him the Peace Prize for his attempt to destroy poverty, emphasizing women who have to "struggle against repressive social and economic conditions".

Yunus, from Bangladesh, said "We want the same kind of unity in politics like the unity that has been created by the Nobel prize award," at a press conference at the bank's office in the suburbs of the Bangladeshee capital, Dhaka.

In 2005, the Nobel Peace Prize was also awarded jointly to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Mohamed ElBaradei (محمد البرادعي) (Egypt).


Friedensnobelpreis 2006 für den Gründer der Grameen Bank

Oslo (Norwegen), 13.10.2006 – Das norwegische Nobelpreiskomitee hat den Gründer der Grameen Bank, Muhammad Yunus, und die Bank selbst mit dem diesjährigen Friedensnobelpreis ausgezeichnet. Der aus Bangladesch stammende Muhammad Yunus wird laut einer Pressemitteilung des Nobelpreiskomitees für seine Bemühungen zur Schaffung wirtschaftlicher und sozialer Entwicklung von unten geehrt. Dieses Engagement von unten trage zur Festigung der Demokratie und der Menschenrechte bei, heißt es in der Begründung des Nobelpreiskomitees.

Die Grameen Bank vergibt Mikrokredite an sehr arme Menschen im ländlichen Bangladesch, wobei die Kredite nicht an klassische Sicherheiten gebunden sind. Nach Angaben der Bank haben insgesamt 6,61 Millionen Menschen Kredite der Grameen Bank in Anspruch genommen (Stand: Mai 2006) – 97 Prozent der Kredite gingen an Frauen. Auf der Website der Grameen Bank heißt es, dass mehrere unabhängige Studien, darunter auch Studien der Weltbank und des International Food Research Policy Instituts, die positiven Auswirkungen der von der Grameen Bank vergebenen Mikrokredite auf die Kreditnehmer bewiesen hätten.


Muhammad Yunus obtient le prix Nobel de la paix

Publié le 14 octobre 2006   Le prix Nobel de la paix 2006 a été attribué par le jury d'Oslo à Muhammad Yunus et à la banque qu'il a fondée en 1976, la Grameen Bank. Cet économiste de 66 ans a permis à près de six millions de bangladais, sur une population totale de 130 millions, d'obtenir des microcrédits.


Nobel per la Pace 2006 a Muhammad Yunus

L'accademia di Oslo ha assegnato il Premio Nobel per la Pace a Muhammad Yunus (Bangladesh) per il suo impegno nella Grameen Bank, da lui fondata nel 1983, al fine di permettere ai poveri di ricevere un prestito che permettesse loro di sopravvivere (la cosiddetta formula del microcredito).

Il banchiere dei poveri (così è stato soprannominato Yunus), nato a Chittagong nel 1940, con una laurea negli USA in economia, ha rinunciato ad una carriera di professore universitario negli States per tornare nel proprio Paese e dedicarsi ad una popolazione tra le più povere al Mondo.

Si è imposto su 191 pretendenti al Nobel, aggiudicandosi il premio da 1 milione di euro (10 milioni di Corone Svedesi).

La motivazione dell'Academy norvegese ha dimostrato il legame tra economia e pace: una pace duratura non può essere conseguita se non facendo sì che riescano a superare la povertà ampi strati della popolazione.


Nokia acquires Navteq

Nokia, the mobile phone manufacturer based in Nokia, Finland, has negotiated the takeover of Chicago, United States Geographic Information Systems software development company Navteq for US$8.1 billion.

Nokia are paying $78 per share in Navteq, who employs 3,000 people and operates 168 offices spread across 20 countries. Nokia, meanwhile, is the world's largest mobile phone manufacturer.

The price comes in at only three cents a share more than current stock market prices, but these prices have recently risen steeply after rumours surfaced that the company may be subject to a takeover deal. However, share prices fell 1.7% after the deal was confirmed as fact.

“Location based services are one of the cornerstones of Nokia's Internet services strategy. By joining forces with Navteq, we will be able to bring context and geographical information to a number of our Internet services with accelerated time to market,” said a statement by Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, Nokia's chief executive. Meanwhile, MarketWatch had a slightly different take on events, using the headline “Nokia bets men will spend anything to avoid asking directions.”


Mappe digitali: Nokia acquisisce Navteq

Nokia, l'industria finlandese produttrice di telefoni cellulari, ha negoziato l'acquisizione della Navteq, azienda di Chicago specializzata nello sviluppo di software GIS. Prezzo del takeover, 8,1 miliardi di dollari.

Nokia pagherà 78 dollari per ogni azione della Navteq, che impiega 3 000 persone e opera in 168 filiali in 20 Paesi. Nokia, dal canto suo, è il più grande produttore di cellulare del mondo. L'acquisizione sembra essere una risposta all'olandese TomTom, altro big dei GPS, che aveva acquistato in precedenza un'altra industria, la Tele Atlas, una delle più attive aziende nel campo delle mappe digitali. Tuttavia anche Nokia aveva invaso il campo della Tom Tom, lanciando in primavera il primo cellulare con navigatore incorporato.

Il prezzo è al momento superiore di soli tre centesimi rispetto alle quotazioni del mercato azionario, ma i prezzi sono saliti di recente a causa di rumors che già prevedevano che la società sarebbe stata presto acquisita. Tuttavia, dopo che l'accordo è stato reso pubblico, il prezzo delle azioni è sceso del 1,7%.

“I servizi di localizzazione sono una delle pietre angolari della strategia Nokia per i servizi internet. Unendo le forze con Navteq, noi saremo pronti a portare le informazioni sui nostri servizi internet in minor tempo," ha detto Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, amministratore delegato della Nokia in un comunicato.

L'operazione verrà finanziata in parte per contanti e in parte per debito. Il mercato, tuttavia, non ha ben reagito all'acquisizione:  il titolo Nokia, che dall'inizio dell'anno ha guadagnato il 69%, ha chiuso ieri in calo dell'1,84%, mentre la capitalizzazione è scesa a 102 miliardi di euro.


Norton AntiVirus cripples thousands of PCs in China

A routine upgrade of anti-virus software has disabled tens of thousands of PCs in China, according to local media reports. The faulty upgrade caused Symantec's Norton AntiVirus software to remove critical Windows XP system files, the reports state.

The system files moved or deleted by the software include netapi32.dll and lsasrv.dll, according to Sohu News. The software incorrectly identifies the files as being infected with the Backdoor.Haxdoor trojan. With these files removed, Windows XP will no longer start up, and even the system safe mode no longer functions. Only Chinese-language versions of Windows appear to be affected so far.

The Norton AntiVirus application is part of Norton's 360 suite and it is pre-installed in many PCs sold in China, indicating that the problem could potentially affect millions of users.

The problem appears to stem from an update Microsoft released in November 2006, which contained new versions of some system files, as PCs which have not applied this update are unaffected.

Symantec has acknowledged the issue and is working on a solution, reports said - although there is no apparent mention of it on the company's Chinese website.

PC owners affected by the issue may be able to restore the missing files from their Windows XP installation CDs. However, since piracy of Windows XP is common in China, some users may not have access to these.


نورتون أنتيفيرس يتسبب في إيقاف الآلاف من أجهزة الكومبيوتر في الصين


Norton Antivirus bloque des dizaines de milliers de PC en Chine

Une routine de mise à jour du célèbre antivirus Norton AntiVirus a mis en panne des dizaines de milliers de PC en Chine, selon une communication des autorités locales. La mise à jour fautive du logiciel de Symantec a « neutralisé » des fichiers-système critiques de Windows XP,  selon cette communication.
Les fichiers-système déplacés ou effacés par le logiciel comprennent netapi32.dll et lsasrv.dll, selon Sohu News. Le logiciel identifie de manière incorrecte les fichiers comme étant infectés par le trojan Backdoor.Haxdoor. Ces fichiers retirés empêchent le démarrage de Windows XP, y compris en mode de démarrage sans erreurs. Seule la version en chinois de Windows semble touchée jusqu'ici.
L'application Norton AntiVirus est comprise dans la suite Norton's 360 et est pré-installée sur de nombreux PC vendus en Chine, ce qui fait que le problème peut affecter plusieurs millions d'utilisateurs.
Le problème semble provenir de la mise à jour de Microsoft sortie en novembre 2006, contenant de nouvelles versions de certains fichiers-système, les PC n'ayant pas été mis à jour avec ce « patch » n'étant pas touchés.
Symantec a été prévenu du problème et travaille sur une solution, indique le communiqué - bien qu'il n'y ait pas de ce fait sur le site internet chinois de l'entreprise.
Les possesseurs de PC touchés peuvent peut être restaurer leurs machines à partir des CD d'installation de Windows XP. Cependant, en raison du piratage de Windows XP relativement courant en Chine, certains utilisateurs pourraient ne pas y avoir accès.


Obama announces US$3.8 trillion 2011 budget plan for US

Barack Obama, the US President, has announced a budget plan worth US$3.83 trillion for next year. The budget includes additional spending for job creation, but cuts for other areas. The president also forecast that the national debt would reach $1.56 trillion in 2010.

Among the cuts proposed include scrapping the Constellation program, a plan to send astronauts to the Moon by 2020, and capping some domestic spending programmes for three years. Overall, the cuts are predicted to save $250 billion. There is also $100 billion in tax incentives aimed at hiring workers. US residents with incomes of over $250,000 per annum, however, would be given higher taxes, partially offsetting that.

Other increases in the proposed budget include; $48 billion for veterans' medical care, or an increase of eight percent; $53 billion for homeland security; $310 million to shut down the Guantanamo Bay prison. He also suggested freezing spending for some federal programs and departments and programs for three years, exempting Medicare, Social Security, and national security.

In order for the budget to take effect, Congress must approve it by the beginning of the fiscal year starting October 1.

When introducing the budget, Obama stated that "we [...] continue to lay a new foundation for lasting growth. Just as it would be a terrible mistake to borrow against our children's future to pay our way today, it would be equally wrong to neglect their future by failing to invest in areas that will determine our economic success in this new century."

At the White House, he also commented: "It's a budget that reflects the serious challenges facing the country. We're at war. Our economy has lost seven million jobs over the last two years. And our government is deeply in debt after what can only be described as a decade of profligacy [...] "It's very important to understand," the president said. "We won't be able to bring down this deficit overnight, given that the recovery is still taking hold and families across the country still need help."

The budget plan reads: "These estimates do not reflect any policy decisions about specific military or intelligence operations, but are only intended to indicate that some as-yet-unknown costs are anticipated."

"It will be impossible to bring the deficit down unless the economy is up. The budget the president is sending Congress today puts a priority on those objectives." The president blamed the previous George Bush administration for the financial difficulties, saying: "Over the course of the past 10 years, the previous administration and previous Congresses created an expensive new drug program, passed massive tax cuts for the wealthy and funded two wars without paying for any of it, all of which was compounded by recession and by rising health care costs. As a result, when I first walked through the door, the deficit stood at $1.3 trillion, with projected deficits of $8 trillion over the next decade."

"It will be impossible to bring the deficit down unless the economy is up. The budget the president is sending Congress today puts a priority on those objectives. It keeps one eye on the economy and the other on the deficit," remarked Democrat Representative John Spratt from South Carolina.

Republican senators, however, criticised the plan, citing the proposed tax increases, and suggesting that the deficit is an indication Obama isn't able to control government spending. "President Obama is submitting another budget that spends too much, taxes too much and borrows too much," said the House Minority Leader, John Boehner. "Serious fiscal responsibility requires more than a few cuts here and there at the margins. Republicans have proposed adopting strict budget caps that limit federal spending on an annual basis and are enforceable by the president."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell commented that "this budget provides a startling figure that should stop us all in our tracks. According to the administration’s budget, the interest on the federal debt is expected to be nearly 6 trillion dollars over the next decade. We’ve all heard about interest-only loans, but this is the equivalent of an average of $600 billion dollars in interest every year. That’s an astonishing number."

Republican Senator Judd Gregg also was critical of the plan: "These circumstances call for a bold, game-changing budget that will turn things around, put in place a plan to restrain spending, reduce the debt and tackle the big entitlement programmes that are growing out of control. Instead, the president has sent us more of the same." He described the financial situation as being a "quagmire".

Obama's proposal to pull the space plan also drew fire from Republicans. "The president's proposed Nasa budget begins the death march for the future of US human space flight," said Republican Senator Richard Shelby. Obama, however, described the Constellation programme as being "over budget, behind schedule, and lacking in innovation", and said it was draining resources from other activities at NASA.


Trotz Sparmaßnahmen: Obama legt Etat mit 3,8 Billionen US-Dollar vor

Washington D.C. (Vereinigte Staaten), 01.02.2010 – Die Etatplanung des US-Präsidenten Barack Obama für das Jahr 2011 sieht Ausgaben in Höhe von 3,8 Billionen US-Dollar vor. Dies entspricht einer Steigerung um 0,9 Billionen US-Dollar im Vergleich zum Jahr 2008. Dem stehen 120 Programme und Projekte gegenüber, für die kein Geld mehr da ist. Betroffen von den Sparplänen ist unter anderem das NASA-Programm für eine bemannte Mondlandung. Trotz der Sparpläne erreicht das Defizit im Bundeshaushalt der USA Schätzungen der Regierung zufolge eine neue Rekordmarke von 1,56 Billionen US-Dollar.

Schwerpunkt des Haushaltsplans sind Milliarden-Investionen zur Schaffung neuer Arbeitsplätze. Die Regierung rechnet mit einem Wirtschaftswachstum von 2,7 Prozent im laufenden Jahr. Im Jahr 2012 rechnet die Regierung sogar mit einem Wachstum von 4,3 Prozent. Unter anderem sind im Etat-Entwurf 100 Milliarden US-Dollar für Sofortmaßnahmen eingeplant. Kleinbetriebe sollen Steuererleichterungen erhalten und in den Bereichen Infrastruktur und saubere Energien investieren.


Obama renominates Bernanke as US central banker

United States President Barack Obama announced on Tuesday that he is nominating Ben Bernanke for a second term as Chairman of the Federal Reserve, the central bank of the United States.

Obama made the announcement during a brief break from his vacation at Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts.

"The man next to me, Ben Bernanke, has led the Fed through one of the worst financial crises that this nation and the world has ever faced. As an expert on the causes of the Great Depression, I'm sure Ben never imagined that he would be part of a team responsible for preventing another. But because of his background, his temperament, his courage, and his creativity, that's exactly what he has helped to achieve. And that is why I am re-appointing him to another term as Chairman of the Federal Reserve," the President said.

"Ben approached a financial system on the verge of collapse with calm and wisdom; with bold action and outside-the-box thinking that has helped put the brakes on our economic freefall," Obama added.

"We have been bold or deliberate as circumstances demanded, but our objective remains constant: to restore a more stable economic and financial environment in which opportunity can again flourish, and in which Americans' hard work and creativity can receive their proper rewards," Ben Bernanke said while accepting the nomination.

Ben Bernanke, who succeeded Alan Greenspan on February 1, 2006, will now face a Senate confirmation hearing.

"There will be a thorough and comprehensive confirmation hearing," said Senator Christopher Dodd, who is the chair of the Senate Banking Committee. "I expect many serious questions will be raised about the role of the Federal Reserve moving forward and what authorities it should and should not have."

"I am extremely pleased to learn that Ben Bernanke has been nominated for a second term as chairman of the Federal Reserve," read a statement by Jean-Claude Trichet, the President of the European Central Bank. "We have had an excellent and very close working relationship during the current episode of exceptional challenges for the world economy. The Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank have, together with other central banks, initiated an unprecedented level of close cooperation, which has been key in coping with the present situation."


USA: Obama riconferma Bernanke a capo della Federal Reserve

Il Presidente degli Stati Uniti d'America Barack Obama ha annunciato martedì la sua intenzione di nominare Ben Bernanke per un secondo mandato quale presidente della Federal Reserve, la banca centrale statunitense. Lo ha reso noto lo stesso presidente Obama, parlando dalla località turistica di Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, dove sta trascorrendo le sue vacanze.

«L'uomo al mio fianco, Ben Bernanke, - ha affermato Obama - ha guidato la Fed attraverso una delle peggiori crisi finanziarie che questa nazione e il mondo intero abbiano mai affrontato. Sebbene esperto delle cause della Grande Depressione, sono sicuro che Ben non avrebbe mai immaginato di essere parte della squadra che avrebbe dovuto prevenirne un'altra. Ma grazie al suo background, al suo temperamento, al suo coraggio e alla sua creatività, è stato esattamente ciò che ha contribuito a fare. E per questo ho deciso di proporlo per un secondo mandato quale presidente della Federal Reserve».

«Ben è intervenuto su un sistema finanziario verso il collasso con calma e saggezza; con le sue azioni coraggiose e il suo pensiero fuori dagli schemi ha permesso di frenare la caduta libera della nostra economia» ha aggiunto il presidente.

«Siamo stati audaci o cauti così come le circostanze lo richiedevano – ha detto a sua volta Bernanke, accettando la riconferma - ma il nostro obiettivo rimane lo stesso: ricostruire un ambiente economico e finanziario stabile, in cui le opportunità possano ancora fiorire e nel quale il duro lavoro e la creatività degli americani possano ricevere le giuste ricompense.

Ben Bernanke, che successe ad Alan Greenspan il 1º febbraio 2006, dovrà ora affrontare l'audizione di conferma presso il Senato degli Stati Uniti.

«Ci sarà un'approfondita audizione di conferma», ha detto il senatore Christopher Dodd, presidente della Commissione del Senato per le attività bancarie. «Mi aspetto che molte domande serie verranno poste riguardo il ruolo della Federal Reserve nel prossimo futuro e quali poteri essa debba o non debba avere».

«Sono estremamente compiaciuto di venire a conoscenza del fatto che Ben Bernanke sia stato nominato per un secondo mandato come presidente della Federal Reserve», ha affermato in un comunicato Jean-Claude Trichet, presidente della Banca Centrale Europea. «Abbiamo avuto con lui un eccellente e ravvicinato rapporto nel corso delle ultime eccezionali sfide per l'economia mondiale. La Federal Reserve e la Banca Centrale Europea, insieme con le altre banche centrali, hanno dato inizio ad un livello di cooperazione senza precedenti, che è stata la chiave per affrontare la situazione attuale».


Obama, Bernanke'yi yeniden aday gösterdi

Amerika Birleşik Devletleri Başkanı Barack Obama, ABD'nin merkez bankası FED'in başkanlığı için mevcut başkan Ben Bernanke'yi aday gösterdi.

Bir dönem daha görev yapması için yeniden aday gösterdiği Bernanke ile ilgili "Büyük Buhran’ın sebepleri konusunda bir uzman olan Ben, eminim yeni bir buhranı önlemekle görevli takımın bir parçası olacağını hayal bile etmemişti" diyen Obama, "Fakat geçmişte başardıkları, mizacı, cesareti ve yaratıcılığından ötürü ülkedeki buhranı önlemeye yardımcı olarak tam da hayal bile edemeyeceği şeyi başardı. Bu yüzden ben de onu Fed başkanlığına yeniden atıyorum" diye ekledi.

Obama, ABD ve dünyanın geçirdiği en ciddi finans krizin karşısında Benanke'nin güçlü bir liderlik gösterdiğini vurguladı.

2010 yılında görev süresi dolacak olan Bernanke, Senato'dan onay alması durumunda ABD'nin büyümesine ve gönenç düzeyini artırmasına çalışacağını söyledi.

Senato Bankacılık Komisyonu Başkanı Chris Dodd ise, kendisiyle bazı konularda görüş ayrılıkları olmasına rağmen Bernanke'nin en iyi aday olduğunu açıkladı.


Obama's first State of the Union speech focuses on economy, jobs

Federal Election Commission of the United States

In his first annual State of the Union address Wednesday night, United States President Barack Obama urged Americans to overcome a deficit of trust in government and work together to solve a damaged economy and other problems.

Obama acknowledged that many Americans are frustrated and angry, doubting whether he can deliver the change he promised in his 2008 campaign. But he said change is not easy, and he will continue to pursue it. "We do not quit. I do not quit. Let us seize this moment-to start anew, to carry the dream forward, and to strengthen our union once more," he said.

In his hour-long speech before both houses of the United States Congress, the president several times confronted the public anger that has caused his approval ratings to slide. "We have to recognize that we face more than a deficit of dollars right now. We face a deficit of trust-deep and corrosive doubts about how Washington works that have been growing for years," he said.

Much of Americans' frustration concerns the nation's stubborn 10-percent unemployment rate. Obama called for a number of initiatives to address the problem and urged the Senate to join the House of Representatives in passing a second jobs bill. "People are out of work. They are hurting. They need our help. And, I want a jobs bill on my desk without delay," he said.

Among the president's economic goals are doubling U.S. exports in five years and freezing most domestic government spending for three years, starting in 2011. Obama also called upon lawmakers to continue earmark reform, saying, "Tonight, I'm calling on Congress to publish all earmark requests on a single Web site before there's a vote, so that the American people can see how their money is being spent."

Obama urged Democratic lawmakers not to abandon the effort to reform the U.S. health care system, one of his administration's main priorities. "Do not walk away from reform. Not now. Not when we are so close. Let us find a way to come together and finish the job for the American people," he said.

He called on both Democrats and Republicans to overcome their bitter partisan divisions and work together to pass legislation to solve problems. "What frustrates the American people is a Washington where every day is Election Day," he said. "We cannot wage a perpetual campaign where the only goal is to see who can get the most embarrassing headlines about the other side.  A belief 'if you lose, I win.'"

On foreign policy, President Obama again pledged to remove all U.S. combat troops from Iraq by the end of August. "But make no mistake: this war is ending, and all of our troops are coming home," Obama said.

He also said he is confident the United States will succeed in the war in Afghanistan and that diplomatic efforts are helping isolate Iran and North Korea for their pursuit of nuclear weapons. He also addressed critics of his foreign policy agenda, such as former Vice President Dick Cheney saying, "Let's put aside the schoolyard taunts about who is tough. Let's reject the false choice between protecting our people and upholding our values."

Another plan announced by Obama is to end the U.S. military's controversial "don't ask, don't tell" policy on sexual orientation of service members that has existed since the Clinton administration saying, "This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are." He added, "It's the right thing to do."

Obama also addressed the recent ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission saying, "With all due deference to separation of powers, last week the Supreme Court reversed a century of law that I believe will open the floodgates for special interests – including foreign corporations – to spend without limit in our elections." In a break of decorum, Associate Justice Samuel Alito appeared to mouth the words, "No, not true", in response, according to many commentators.

The Republican Party's response to the president's speech came from the governor of the state of Virginia, Bob McDonnell. McDonnell gave the speech from the chamber of the Virginia House of Delegates. He said Democrats are spending too much and causing an unsustainable level of debt.

The newly inaugurated governor said, "What government should not do is pile on more taxation, regulation and litigation that kill jobs and hurt the middle class."

He also said Americans want affordable health care, but do not want the government to run it.

McDonnell also criticized the Obama administration's handling of the suspect accused of trying to blow up Northwest Airlines Flight 253 on Christmas Day. He said he does not agree with the decision to try the Nigerian suspect, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab in the Detroit airliner plot in a U.S. civilian court.

McDonnell is one of several Republicans who have recently won elections in states which the Democrats swept in 2008.