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Smartphones are now playing center stage in the consumer-electronics world, not only delivering staggering sales growth, but also cannibalizing sales of digital cameras, portable game machines and other strongholds of Japanese electronics. In an effort to catch up, Japanese companies are redoubling their smartphone push with varying degrees of ambition. People in and outside the industry cite a number of factors for why Japanese companies missed the trend: Too much focus on the domestic market; too slow and inflexible to adapt to dynamic conditions; a misread of consumer preferences and a dose of arrogance about hardware superiority.
Japan's Dimwitted Smartphones
In an appellate judicial ruling at the New Zealand High Court, a judge ruled that the FBI must allow Kim Dotcom, the founder of the now-shuttered Megaupload site, to see more evidence against him in his extradition case to the United States.
The ruling marks a significant blow to the American efforts to get Dotcom extradited to the US. A New Zealand district court had previously ordered the disclosure of some of the evidence against Dotcom during his extradition hearing. The United States challenged that ruling, seeking a “judicial review,” which the High Court dismissed. In the 51-page ruling, Justice Helen Winkelmann said that under New Zealand law, Dotcom had a legal right to see the evidence against him—otherwise he and his legal team would be "significantly constrained" in preparing an adequate defense. Similarly, the “requesting state would have a significant advantage." She added that Dotcom should be allowed to see "only relevant evidence," but did not explain what exactly that might mean.
The judge ordered the FBI to hand over:
- All records obtained or created in connection with the covert operations undertaken by agents involved in the investigations related to these proceedings in transacting and uploading/downloading data and files on the Megaupload site
- All records or information and/or material provided to or obtained by the investigation and/or prosecuting agencies by the investigating and/or prosecuting agencies in this case from holders and/or owners of copyright interests evidencing alleged infringement of their copyright and/or complaining of such infringement
- All records and materials related to communications between relevant copyright holders and Megaupload and/or its employees regarding their copyright interest, the direct delete access provided by Megaupload to any such copyright holders, and any communications between the copyright holders and Megaupload and/or its staff regarding takedown notices
New Zealand judge: FBI must release more evidence to Kim Dotcom
The UK’s controversial new video on demand (VOD) regulator has been re-appointed to the task, after a review backed every aspect of its work. The Authority for Television On-Demand (ATVOD) has ruffled online publisher and broadcaster feathers since its introduction in 2010.
Complaints included:
- the fees ATVOD charges operators to be regulated by it
- classifying online publishers like newspapers sites as “TV-like” under its auspice.
But, after an inquiry launched in May in to ATVOD’s suitability, UK communications regulator Ofcom has concluded it is acting adequately on all counts. It has re-assigned ATVOD to continue overseeing content standards on UK “TV-like” VOD services. In fact, Ofcom is also giving ATVOD more freedom to act without having to notify it of certain aspects of its work.
UK’s Internet video regulator is here to stay
It’s an increasingly common refrain in developed countries: libraries are no longer necessary because we can access all the books and information we could possibly need on the Internet. We’ve seen that libraries have all sorts of alternate uses in places where Internet penetration is high--for example, check out this library that also functions as a maker space--but they’re especially important in developing countries.
Beyond Access, an initiative supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is a coalition of nine organizations focused on helping libraries power development by acting as hubs for social and economic change. "People have certain perceptions about libraries. Many libraries have trouble talking about the work that they do," says Ari Katz, the deputy director for technology and civil society at IREX, a nonprofit focused on education, community, and independent media. "There’s a knee-jerk response on the part of development planners to create new institutions to do work that libraries have always been doing."
The Case For Keeping Libraries Alive
The United Nations' International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has called for a public consultation on a draft document ahead of a December meeting to finalize a new treaty for regulation of the Internet.
The ITU published on its website the draft version of the document that will be discussed during the upcoming World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) in Dubai. People can express their views and opinions on the content of the draft document or any other matter related to WCIT. The conference in Dubai is a global conference that will aim to sign a treaty to define the general principles for the provision and operation of international telecommunications networks around the world, the ITU said. The consultation will remain open until Nov. 3 and the inputs will be made available to all member states, ITU said.
ITU seeks public input on the future of Internet regulation UN body opens debate on Internet future to public after critics slam secrecy of talks (AP)
The judge presiding over the Apple vs. Samsung case stated that Samsung doesn’t have the right to complain that it didn’t have enough time to argue its case. Judge Lucy Koh said, outside the presence of the jury, that Samsung chose to use the bulk of its time questioning Apple witnesses rather than presenting its own case. By the time Apple rested its case, Judge Koh noted that Apple had used 13 hours and 37 minutes of its 25 hours, while Samsung had used 13 hours and 50 minutes of time. Judge Koh said she would not entertain any motions from Samsung that it lacked time to present its case and entered her statement into the record, should the matter come up on appeal.
Judge Koh: It’s Samsung’s Own Fault It Ran Out of Time Samsung rests its case after asking Apple for up to $421.8 million (The Verge)
Several Congress members may have broken the rules regulating official use of social media when responding to Mitt Romney’s announcement of his GOP running mate, according to the Sunlight Foundation.
Republicans and Democrats — like many regular citizens — rushed to Twitter and Facebook to express their opinion of Romney’s choice of Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI). The various offices later deleted many of the tweets sent to official Twitter accounts, but the pro-transparency Sunlight Foundation archives all deleted tweets by individual members of Congress at its Politwoops website. “It's illegal to comment on political matters on your official profile,” said a source familiar with congressional ethics rules. “It's also bad practice because it confuses constituents on which is political and which is official. The news of a VP pick has nothing to do with your elected official duties.”
Report: Congress broke social media rules in rush to discuss Ryan as VP
President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney have taken the fight for the female vote into the light of day — on TV. The target audience: stay-at-home moms.
Both campaigns are rushing to place ads on local TV stations in swing states during daytime TV staples, from “The Price Is Right” and “General Hospital” to “Ellen” and “Judge Judy,” according to political ad disclosure forms filed by broadcasters. New polling data show why: President Barack Obama has an astonishing 20-point lead over Mitt Romney among childless working women, but when it comes to stay-at-home moms, that margin drops to just 5 points.
Ad wars aim for stay-at-home moms
If you search for “Paul Ryan” on Google, this is what appears at the top: a link from the Mitt Romney campaign calling Romney and Ryan “America’s Comeback Team” and encouraging you to donate to the campaign, and another from the Obama campaign that tells you to “Get the facts about the architect of the extreme GOP budget plan.”
The digital fight to define Paul Ryan is on. Both parties launched an online and mobile battle that mirrored the one in real life. For the Romney campaign, the Web has served as a way to raise unprecedented amounts of campaign cash off the VP rollout and a space to introduce voters to Ryan in a positive way. For President Barack Obama's campaign, it’s where they hope to influence those searching for more details about Ryan and tell them why he’s wrong for the country. “Whereas the Obama campaign used digital ads to effectively brand Paul Ryan, the Romney campaign was using digital ads to raise money and engage Republican voters,” said Vincent Harris, a GOP strategist who ran the digital operations for Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich.
Campaigns race to define Paul Ryan online
President Barack Obama borrowed a tool from Teddy Roosevelt to prevent American companies from gouging consumers: a big stick. Just ask Apple, Google, AT&T, Visa, MasterCard and H&R Block. And now you can add Verizon to the list.
Obama’s Justice Department said it would approve the company’s plan to buy nearly $4 billion in wireless airwaves from other cable companies — but only with strict limits the department says are needed to protect consumers. Candidate Obama vowed in the last election to make up for what he called “lax enforcement” by the George W. Bush administration on antitrust. And Obama’s supporters say he has amassed a record on trust-busting that reflects a difference between his view of government's relationship with big business and that of his 2012 rival, Republican Mitt Romney.
Barack Obama, trustbuster?