UK News
HP to make webOS source code available under open-source license by September
After having first disclosed that it intends making its now-defunct webOS smartphone platform an open-source project in December, Hewlett-Packard (HP) has recently announced that its webOS source code will most likely be made available under an open-source license by September 2012.
Revealing that the webOS platform and its accompanying developer tools will be released over time and not in one go, HP said that, between now and September, small portions will be made available every month.
FBI solicits proposals for an online snooping “social media app”
In an apparent attempt to look for ways to better spy on the users of Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites, the Strategic Information and Operations Center (SOIC) of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is soliciting proposals for a “social media application” which can help the investigating agency detect emergencies before they actually take place.
Motorola Mobility posts $80 million loss in Q4
Intensified competition in the smartphone arena has resulted in Motorola Mobility’s $80 million loss in the fourth quarter, with the disappointing quarterly results further aggravated by merger costs linked to Google’s proposed $12.5 billion takeover of the company.
Motorola Mobility’s Thursday reporting of its 2011 fourth quarter and full-year results revealed that even though the yearly revenue for the company witnessed a marginal rise, the year-on-year earnings during the fourth quarter plunged because of poor device sales as well as high operating costs.
Spending cuts is not possible with NHS shake-up
MPs have stated that a way to cut down health spending without making much difference to the vital services is being hindered by the Government's controversial NHS shake-up.,
A report was made in which it was stated that in an attempt to save £20bn by 2014, short-term measures that are like salami slicing are being taken by hospitals and this is not going to yield benefits.
57 yr old goes to court to get permission for dying legally
A High Court bid has been made by a severely-disabled father-of-two to let doctors end his life lawfully.
The sufferer is 57-year-old Tony Nicklinson and he suffers from 'locked-in syndrome' due to which paralysis has struck him from the neck down, and due to this condition that he thinks is intolerable, has launched court action to that doctors can legally end his life.
For seeking that doctors can lawfully end his life, Nicklinson is seeking declarations and states that he is doing so with his own wish and under no pressures.
People die of poison at hospital
On January 14, a hospital poisoner led to deaths of people and this was known yesterday only.
Linda McDonagh who was 60 years of age and had a three year old died on January 14 and last Friday it was 73-year-old John Beeley.
The incidents took place at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport in Greater Manchester where saline drips of about 21 people were contaminated with insulin.
Auto show organizers: Attendance highest since 2005
According to the details shared by the officials of the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the attendance at the show this time round topped that for the last year event.
The statistics put forth by the officials reveal that while 750,000 people attended the auto show this year, making it the show with the highest attendance since 2005. The final day, Sunday, alone witnessed as many as 101,141 people in attendance at Cobo Center.
How Apple is sabotaging an open standard for digital books
The last week introduction of the iBooks 2.0 and the free iBooks Author software by Apple marks the company’s intentional locking out of the open EPUB standard --- a standard to which the company has been reiterating unconditional support, for the last almost two years, in an attempt to lure digital book publishers and authors.
In the opinion of Apple-watchers, the company’s development of its iBooks platform on the back of an open standard can essentially be seen as a present-day version of software giant Microsoft’s 1990s policy of “embrace, extend, and extinguish.”
Anonymous hacking group claims responsibility for attack on CBS.com
In continuation of its retaliatory action to protest against the shuttering of the Megaupload file-sharing site, “hacktivist” group Anonymous claimed the responsibility for the recent attack on CBS. com. Earlier, the group had, last week, targeted the public websites of the Justice Department, the FBI, and the world's biggest music company Universal Music.
Infection kills three babies
After a deadly bacterium took life of three babies, the source of infection is being located by the hospital staff at the maternity unit of the hospital.
The deaths that happened at the Royal Maternity Hospital in Belfast happened due to a bacterium called pseudomonas and as a preventive measure; samples from other babies have also been taken.
Deep cleaning will be done at the area where they were being treated. Worried relatives will be assisted with a helpline that has been established.
Breast implant scandal Compulsory insurance plan should be made for women
The way a fund has been set up for tour operators, similarly a fund should be set up for all those who have got affected by the faulty breast implants, said Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, who is leading a Government review into lessons that can be learned from the episode.
He further threw light on the way the cosmetics industry was run and how safety was put after the profits.
A vast bill might be picked up by the taxpayer in an attempt to remove implants made by a PIP or Poly Implant Prosthese, which is a French company and it used industrial-grade silicone filler.
Amazon launches a managed NoSQL database service called DynamoDB
On Wednesday, Amazon Web Services (AWS) debuted a managed NoSQL database service – the DynamoDB database service - which marks a widespread attempt in the direction of building a new type of database for “unstructured” information, so as to enable the users not only to launch a database but also to scale it up or down as per their requirements.
The new DynamoDB database service will be of immense significance to the web companies which are engaged in the collection, storing and processing of an increasing amount of data.
Intel says 40% of consumer laptops will be Ultrabooks by 2012 end
During the course of a conference call with analysts on Thursday, Intel CEO Paul Otellini said that the demand for thin laptops – called Ultrabooks – will likely be so huge in the coming times that, by the end of 2012, nearly 40 percent of the laptops in the consumer notebook arena would be Ultrabooks.
AT&T new data pricing risks defections
With AT&T having announced its plans to make its new data pricing effective from Sunday, January 22, there are speculations galore that the move may risk defections for the carrier.
AT&T's new data plans - which will have the new subscribers paying approximately 33 percent more for the monthly data plans - are apparently a part of the carrier's strategy to manage annual wireless data growth of around 40 percent as well as benefit from the demand for data-starving devices such as the Apple iPhone.
Abortions in India are unchecked
India is experiencing a rise in abortions despite the law becoming stringent and to top it all these abortions are unsafe.
The percentage of unsafe abortions was 66 out of the total number of abortions recorded in 2008.
The central and south Asia recorded about 10.5 million abortions and out of these about 6.5 million had taken place in India.
While doing abortions, women died and the total number of women who died in one lakh abortions was 200. The World Health Organization alongwith New York's Guttmacher Institute released these figures.
Apple to make an “education announcement” at publishing-related event on Thursday
According to a new Ars Technica report, the printed textbook market is seemingly on the verge of being "digitally destroyed" by Apple, which is scheduled to hold a publishing-related event on Thursday, January 19, at New York's Guggenheim Museum.
Despite the fact that Apple has, in its characteristic style, refrained from sharing any details about the event, other than that it will largely mark an "education announcement," reports have it that the company will announce what apparently will be a "GarageBand for Books" system for authoring as well as selling ebooks.
Samsung Electronics refutes report it may buy RIM
Refuting a recent report, by the Boy Genius Report (BGR) tech blog, that Samsung Electronics was apparently interested in buying BlackBerry-maker Research in Motion (RIM), the South Korean tech biggie said in a Wednesday statement that it has "never" mulled over a RIM acquisition.
In a telephonic clarification, Samsung's Seoul-based spokesman James Chung said that neither has there been any contact between Samsung and Ontario, Canada-based RIM nor has Samsung shown any interest in striking a licensing deal with RIM for using its software.
Apple iPad 3: Launching in February, March, or later?
According to a late last week report from Bloomberg News, the next iteration of the Apple iPad - which has been dubbed as the `iPad 3' by the tech media - will likely hit the markets in March.
The report, citing information from three unnamed sources, also said that the iPad 3 will boast a higher resolution touch screen, and a speedier processor. In addition, the new iPad will have 4G LTE connectivity, thereby marking a notable enhancement over the first two iPads which have Wi-Fi or 3G connectivity.
Apple publishes list of global suppliers for the first time
That Apple is looking to ward off the criticism about the rather deplorable working conditions at its supply chain in Asia is evident from that the company has, for the first time ever, published the much-guarded list of its global suppliers.
The revelation marks a dramatic as well as unprecedented move by Apple, which has disclosed the names of 156 firms which represent 97 percent of the supply chain of the company. The disclosure was all the more unusual in the wake of the fact that, for driving margins, the tech industry is greatly dependent on overseas component suppliers.
Facebook reportedly gearing up for biggest-ever IPO for a Web company
Even though Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has been stating since long that he is in no hurry to make Facebook go public, recent reports have revealed that the popular social network is gearing up for what will probably be the biggest-ever initial public offerings (IPO), thus far, for a Web company.
With Facebook reportedly heading towards an IPO, it is essential that CEO Zuckerberg, 27, and the company’s Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, 42, can effectively assure the investors that the social network is all set for the big time.
