Motorola offers Baidu search in China smartphones

Motorola said that China buyers of their Android powered smartphones can choose the local search engine Baidu instead of Google, the Internet giant behind the mobile software platform.

"Users will be able to choose their search experience from a variety of vendors, including Baidu and others, as Motorola has signed a strategic agreement, Motorola said in a release.

Google has promised to quit filter the search results as required by law in China and may be forced to pull out of the country as a result.

Motorola announced "new feature for Android phones with the launch of a China smart phone application store called Zhi-Jian-Yuan, translated to" Place for Apps Wisdom "in English.

"By giving them a choice in their applications and services, Motorola in China allows consumers to customize the way they experience the power of the mobile Internet, China Telecom said in a release.

The "SHOP4APPS" service and search capabilities through Baidu will be available preloaded on the Android phones, or as "over-the-air" updates of the Chinese New Year in mid-February, according to Motorola.

"We want the phones to reflect our lifestyle and our choices," China Unicom said in a release.

"The ability to pick their own search pages, our own instant messaging services, is our own game, and to create our own mobile experience to help China Unicom to deliver on the promise of 3G."

Motorola works closely with operators in China, and ecosystem partners "such as Baidu to provide a suite of smart phone services including e-mail, maps and search, according to Motorola Mobile Devices Vice President Christy Wyatt.

Apple, labels talk music in the cloud

leaders have talked with the top four record companies about plans to offer streaming music service free for consumers, several music industry sources told CNET.
Apple's leaders have not revealed many details about their plans, but did discuss the offer iTunes users a means to save copies of their music libraries on Apple's servers. The benefits to an iTunes user will include the ability to back up your music and access songs from the Internet from any Internet-connected device, and be from anywhere in the world.

Apple's song downloads, apparently not affected. Apple has told some music executives that they see on the streaming function as a "value add" that could help stimulate the sale. Apple indicated in negotiations that the current service could be ready to deploy as soon as this spring.

It is unlikely but not impossible that Apple will announce streaming service to a scheduled Jan. 27 press event, where Steve Jobs & Co. are widely expected to unveil a new tablet device. Apple has not publicly disclosed details of the plan, but to the four major record companies, according to sources with knowledge of the discussions. To provide this type of streaming service - even if it is to store and distribute the music you already purchased by a consumer - my sources say Apple may be necessary to negotiate new agreements with the labels.

An Apple spokesman would not comment.
Apple always the curiosity of iTunes fans last month when it bought Lala, a struggling streaming music service. Since then, many people guessed that Apple planned to use Lala and its leaders to stream music and possibly video too. Michael Roberton, founder of MP3.com and one of the tech sector's best-known agitators, led to more speculation Tuesday when he wrote on TechCrunch: "Apple plans to upgrade their users almost overnight into a cloud music service in an ambitious move to beat Amazon and others. "He cites unnamed music industry sources.

Robertson said Wednesday that many people involved in digital music thinks Apple is vulnerable when it comes to cloud computing. Streaming content is considered by many to be the next wave in digital entertainment, and Apple has not had much of a profile in this area. In the past two years, consumers have shown that they like streaming music. Pandora, the 10-year-old streaming radio service, last week announced it had recorded its first profitable quarter.

Robertson said he expects to see an "upload" button on iTunes as part of a future update.

Still, Robertson said an iTunes streaming plan can be problematic for the music industry. There is a possibility that Apple can not believe it has to compensate, or even buy new licenses to stream legally purchased songs to the owners, "says Robertson. As the largest music retailer in the world, Apple has kind of muscle to launch the service without asking for permission, according to Robertson.

"I have spoken with one of the labels the guys about this," Robertson said during our interview. "The person said that the labels are not very happy, but they are not sure that Apple will not try to jam this through no matter what the labels want. Apple can say: 'We sell 2 billion songs and this is what we do. "

On the issue of iTunes have licenses to play legally purchased music, Robertson has some experience. He fights a copyright lawsuit filed two years ago by EMI Music to its streaming-music service, MP3tunes.com. EMI argues that MP3tunes does not have authorization to exploit the company's music this way. Robertson counters that there is nothing illegal about the storage and streaming of someone's legally purchased songs. His case would come to a conclusion later this year.

Another possible conflict between Apple and the labels may come when Apple's streaming service starts to hurt subscription music services, "said Robertson. If Apple is allowed to stream music to a user anywhere in the world, why would anyone pay $ 8 a month subscription? I pointed out that the subscription services also offer all-you-can-eat music. Robertson says that the major and most important songs to music fans are the ones they already own.

"An iTunes streaming service could close the window of opportunity for labels to create a new type of subscription service," said Mr. Robertson.

Google's 4Q profit on higher sales fierce online advertising

Google License coil in more Internet ad spending during the holiday, vacation and approaching $ 2 billion in kuartal profit for the first time, giving the strongest sign yet that the online search leader terguncang from the recession doldrums.

Kuartal Tuesday announced fourth-income top analyst estimates, but only corresponding budget income.

Investors initially reacted with disappointment, but it looks like back because they have more time to digest results. On Wednesday, shares of the company are only 40 cents below the closing price of $ 582.98 after initially melorot of $ 33.98, or nearly 6 percent, in extended trading.

Google generates $ 1.97 billion, or $ 6.13 per share, in the last three months of 2009. Views such a dramatic increase from income of $ 382 million at the same time in 2008, when Google's revenue was reduced to reflect the costs erode the value of some investments.

Kuartal fourth income reached $ 6.7 billion, an increase of 17 percent. Income has also risen more than 10 percent from the previous kuartal, the first time Google has increased with consecutive double-digit growth since the U.S. recession began in December 2007.

"Given that the global economy is still in early recovery times, this is unusual for the end of this year," said Eric Schmidt, Google Chief Executive.

Accelerate the speed of growth shows that Google is recession retake pre-step that allows the company to consistently increase quarterly earnings by at least 30 percent. Google is so big now be difficult to return to that level, but analyst still think disposable income increased by nearly 20 percent this year - up from 9 percent for all of 2009.

Prospect has led Google to loosen the purse strings to hire more employees, I make more acquisitions and new business opportunities such as mobile phone. Investors are not happy with the commitment because Google will not say how many prepared to spend, raise concerns that profit margins may not grow as income this year.

Google added 170 employees in kuartal fourth, bringing its payroll to 19,835 employees. If you can not find enough qualified candidates, Google want to employ around 2000 workers this year, with emphasis on technical and ad sales, said Patrick Pichette, company financial officer.

Schmidt also told investors in a conference call that the company probably will make at least one acquisition per month, "the majority, is smaller." Is the largest acquisition the company suspended the proposed agreement to purchase admob, mobile advertising service, for $ 750 million.

Google's recent decision to sell the phone, called the Nexus One, was very annoying for investors because the cost to promote and support the device can be greater than the income derived, word Signal Hill Group analyst Todd Greenwald.

If there is no other, performance kuartal fourth possibility would be to give people something to talking about other threats to close it based on Google's Chinese search engine and may withdraw from the world's densest country in the dispute sensors and computer security.

Schmidt did not say something new about the uncertain future of Google in China during a conference call with the analyst. He reiterated Google hopes to find ways to maintain presence in China while the company emphasize means to stop censoring search results in the state in "time is short enough." Article conflict with China shows that the sanctions against the government considered subversive or pornographic.


Fourth Kuartal Google can indicate the overall online advertising market is getting back after losing the spirit of steam through most of 2009. But Google can prove to be an anomaly because of the dominance of online search so far has been placed in front of the pack. One competitor, Yahoo Inc., is expected to report lower earnings during the fourth kuartal release those results Wednesday.

For the full year, Google received $ 6.5 billion, or $ 20.41 per share, on revenue of $ 23.65 billion. In 2008, Google received $ 4.2 billion, or $ 13.31 per share, on revenue of $ 21.8 billion.

4 countries cleared hurdle for non-Latin Web names

Egypt, Russia, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates is the first country to win approval for the initial Internet address is written entirely in their native script.

Since their creation in the 1980s, the Internet domain names have been limited to 26 characters in the Latin alphabet used in English, and 10 numbers and dashes. Technical tricks have been used to allow parts of the Internet address to use other scripts, but until now, must use the suffix-37 characters.

Announcement from Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Number, known as ICANN, opening the way for the entire domain name that will appear in Cyrillic or Arabic in the middle of this year. Applications to string in another language which delayed.

That means Internet users with little or no knowledge of English no longer need to type Latin characters to access the Web sites targeting Russian or Arabic speakers. Although search engines can sometimes help people achieve this, the company still need to enter Latin characters in the ad.

Users may still need to Latin characters e-mail address, however, as engineers merampungkan Internet standards for e-mail application that can understand all of the domain name in Cyrillic or Arabic.

ICANN gave initial approval to the country after four years of debate and trial non-Latin name. Demand for them has increased throughout the world as the expanding Internet use among people from different languages.

Some countries have issued some non-Latin domain name script - just use the suffix latin characters. But Egypt, Russia, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates did not, said Tina Dam, senior director for ICANN Domain Name internationalization program.

For three Arabic-speaking countries, there will be too much confusion because their language is written right to left, while the Latin useful left to right. Russian, is a concern that Latin and Cyrillic characters look too similar and will create confusion if mixed in a single Internet address.

Four countries have now formally requested the suffix, ICANN and the hall must be signed. Is now expected that the ICANN staff has cleared the proposed suffix to ensure they will not cause technical problems or confusion with the Latin language is the domain name.

Their endings are:

• The equivalent of "Egyptian" in Arabic.

• "RF" for the Russian Federation, which is written in Cyrillic.

• The Arabic equivalent to "AlSaudiah," short for Saudi Arabia.

• "Emirates" written in Arabic for the UAE.

All four countries will maintain their current two-letter Latin suffix - ". For example" to Egypt, ". Ru" for Russia, ". Sa" and to Saudi Arabia. "Ae" for Emirates.

ICANN received applications from 16 countries in eight languages since mid of last November. Office will not release details about those who are still being studied.

Clinton plans to stump Net global freedom

Foreign Minister Hillary Rodham Clinton was preparing to deliver a major speech on Saturday raised the importance of Internet freedom and place influence from the United States' diplomacy behind the effort to protect it, according to many who have given explanations about the content of speech.

Clinton's speech at the Newseum in Washington, DC, intended to announce that support for independence and freedom of the press line will be the priority and the Department of Foreign Affairs will address the importance of CyberSecurity, who said the explanation was given. For example, the United States be prepared to ask for support countries to state the basic principles of freedom around the Internet as part of the conditions to receive foreign aid, sources told CNET News.

Speech will come just nine days after Google's blunt declaration about illegal Chinese sensors and electronic interference, including charges of theft of intellectual property. A total of 30 other companies may have been targeted, including Yahoo, Symantec, Juniper Networks, Dow Chemical, and Northrop Grumman.

One question answered for directing the Assistant Foreign Minister Michael Posner, which took place Tuesday morning, is whether the Department of Foreign Affairs will risk offending the Chinese government last week to discuss the proposed cost by Google. "We do not have the impact that will have particular reference Chinese Google incident," said Robert Mahoney, deputy director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, one of those given an explanation.

But State Department officials, speaking on background, told CNET that the incidents in the future will be included in Google's Chinese speech.

Speech came at a dangerous time in Washington-Beijing relations, which have been emphasized by the dispute at the Copenhagen summit carbon emissions and the controversy over China's currency valuation, yuan.

"If people find the putting out of 1-through-10 Internet agenda, they will be disappointed," said Leslie Harris, president of the Center for Democracy and Technology, who is also an explanation. "But if they find the United States to place the power of diplomacy on the line for Internet freedoms, it will become a very important speech."

Google believes blunt recognition that the Chinese government is behind penyusupan in the internal network, and possible theft of source code, has been among the turbulent political and technology since last week. Has led the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to show that it will lodge an official protest in a letter - called demarche - with Beijing.

In the last few days, State Department officials have been meeting with several partners and China say they plan to continue the discussion.