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  • Silicon Valley Commercial Office Vacancy Rate Nearly 20 Percent – And Rising [Voices]

    By Eric Savitz, Blogger and Columnist, Barron’s, Tech Trader Daily

    Anyone need 44 million square feet of office space?

    As the San Jose Mercury News reports, nearly 20 percent of Silicon Valley’s commercial office buildings stood empty at the end of 2009 – the worse vacancy rate in at least 15 years. And the situation is expected to get worse in 2010.

    Grubb & Ellis predicts that the office vacancy rate this year will hit 22.4 percent, up from 19.1 percent at the end of 2009. The vacancy rate for R&D buildings is expected to his 18.5 percent this year, up from 17 percent at the end of last year.

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  • Report: PSA Peugeot-Citroen, Mitsubishi inch closer to stock swap

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    Peugeot 4007, a rebadged Mitsubishi Outlander – Click above for high-res image gallery

    ‘Tis the season to form mergers, and the latest could involve a large stock swap between Mitsubishi and PSA Peugeot–Citroen. The two automakers have longstanding ties that include such projects as the Mitsubishi iMiEV electric car (which Peugeot has shown as the iOn) and the Mitsubishi Outlander SUV (which Peugeot sells as the 4007 and Citroen as the C-Crosser). But now the rapprochement could be entering a new stage.

    In a potential tie-in that could mirror rival French automaker Renault’s alliance with Japanese automaker Nissan, reports suggest that PSA and Mitsu are on the verge of a stock swap. Insiders aren’t sure what sort of arrangement could be brokered, but speculate that PSA could take effective control with a large minority stake in Mitsubishi in exchange for either stock in PSA, cash in hand or a combination of both.

    The strengthened partnership would stand to help PSA, Europe’s second largest automaker, compete not only with the Renault–Nissan Alliance, but also with Volkswagen, Europe’s largest automaker which is teaming up with Suzuki for presence in Asian markets. Industry analysts, however, note that with PSA already burdened with growing debts and given Mitsubishi’s relatively small production and market share, the move could be ill-advised for the French auto group. On speculation of the potential partnership, PSA stock reportedly fell 3.6 percent, while Mitsubishi’s rose 7.5 percent – the largest respective drop and gain for each automaker in months. Thanks for the tip, Vladimir!

    [Source: Bloomberg]

    Report: PSA Peugeot-Citroen, Mitsubishi inch closer to stock swap originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 08:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Ford Goes Online to Explain Mobile Navigation

    Having witnessed the huge success of the Fiesta movement, an advertising stunt pulled via social networks by Ford, the American manufacturer decided to use the same environment to explain the benefits behind Ford Mobile Navigation, the first fully-integrated mobile phone-based vehicle navigation system.

    The explaining is being done with the help of a few short video clips available at this address or on Youtube (search ‘Ford Mobile Navigation). The main goal of the videos is to explain how th… (read more)

  • Haiti and the Dominican repubic

    he day after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, Christian televangelist Pat Robertson sparked outrage with his comments on The 700 Club that the nation’s history of catastrophes was due to a "pact to the Devil" its residents had made some 200 years ago. How else to explain why Haiti suffers, while the Dominican Republic — which shares the 30,000 sq. miles of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola — is relatively well-off? "That island of Hispaniola is one island," Robertson said. "The Dominican Republic is prosperous, healthy, full of resorts, et cetera. Haiti is in desperate poverty."
    (Read why Pat Robertson is blaming Haiti.)
    Robertson’s rationale is more than suspect, yet the differences between the two nations are undeniable. The UN ranks the Dominican Republic 90th out of 182 countries on its human development index, which combines a variety of welfare measurements; Haiti comes in at 149th. In the Dominican Republic, average life expectancy is nearly 74 years. In Haiti, it’s 61. You’re substantially more likely to be able to read and write if you live in the eastern two-thirds of Hispaniola, and less likely to live on under $1.25 a day.
    (See TIME’s exclusive pictures from the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake.)
    Much of this difference is geographic. The mountains that lie across the island can cut off Haiti’s rainfall. The northeast trade winds, and so the rain, blow in the Dominican Republic’s favor. Haiti’s semiarid climate makes cultivation more challenging. Deforestation — a major problem in Haiti, but not in its neighbor — has only exacerbated the problem. Other differences are a result of Hispaniola’s long and often-violent history — even TIME called it a "forlorn, hate-filled little Caribbean island" in 1965. On the eastern part of Hispaniola, you’ll probably speak Spanish; in the west, it’s more likely to be French or Creole, a division that’s the result of centuries of European colonization and numerous power struggles. (Not to mention the decimation of Hispaniola’s indigenous Taino people — who, of course, spoke neither.)
    When Christopher Columbus arrived in 1492, he named the land La Isla Española; it served as a Spanish colony and base for the empire’s further conquests, though was never particularly profitable. In 1697 the Spanish formally ceded the western third of it to the French, already present and more heavily invested. The Hispaniolan outposts of both empires imported African slaves, though the latter did so to a much greater extent. The colonies — Santo Domingo and Saint-Domingue, respectively —subsequently developed vastly different demographics. According to a study by the American Library of Congress, by the end of the 18th Century there were about 40,000 white landowners, 25,000 black or interracial freedmen, and 60,000 slaves in the Spanish colony, compared with approximately 30,000 whites, 27,000 freedmen, and at least 500,000 black slaves in its French counterpart.
    As revolution raged in France in the 1790s, its colonial slaves in Hispaniola revolted; in 1804, they declared independence, and Haiti, which was named after the Taino word for "land of mountains," became the world’s first sovereign black republic. The Dominican Republic wasn’t established until 1844, after not just European rule but also 22 years of Haitian occupation. Strife between (as well as within) the neighbors, rooted in deep class, racial, and cultural differences, was constant. Interference by foreign powers was often the norm. The Spanish took back the Dominican Republic again in the early 1860s, and for periods during the twentieth century, the U.S. occupied both nations, supposedly to restore order but also, in the face of European threats, to assert its influence in the Western Hemisphere. Internal politics were characterized by multiple coups, revolts and dictators, the most infamous being Rafael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic and François and Jean-Claude Duvalier in Haiti. Juan Bosch, the first democratically elected president of the Dominican Republic in 1962, was almost immediately overthrown after taking office in 1963. Jean-Bertrand Aristide became the first freely-elected president of Haiti, in 1990; he was ousted as well, returned and was ousted again.
    But while both countries struggled with democracy, economically they began to diverge. Haiti had long been exploited, by foreign powers, neighbors and its own rulers. France not only milked its colony for coffee and sugar production, it also extracted an indemnity from Haiti: the young nation had to pay a burdensome sum to its former colonizer in order to achieve France’s diplomatic recognition. The lighter-skinned Dominicans looked down on the darker-skinned Haitians: in 1965, even as the D.R. was embroiled in civil war, Haitians were working in Dominican fields and not the other way around. And while Trujillo at least encouraged economic development in his country, Duvalier pere et fils essentially sold their own people as cheap sugar cane-cutters to the Dominican Republic.
    Today, with a lack of resources and a much higher population density than its neighbor, Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The UN has sent peacekeeping missions to maintain order there since the mid-1990s, but terrible conditions persist. Haiti’s dismal statistics have a long history; no Devil is necessary.
    See TIME’s full coverage of the Haiti earthquake
    See Haiti’s history of misery

    Read more: http://www.time.com/time/world/artic…#ixzz0d44gmgOf

  • REUTERS: TIMELINE-Kraft agrees Cadbury deal after 4-month fight

    Jan 19 (Reuters) – Kraft Foods (KFT.N) agrees a deal to buy Cadbury (CBRY.L) on Tuesday for around 11.9 billion pounds ($19.55 billion) by increasing its overall bid and offering more cash in an offer that was recommended by Cadbury’s board. [ID:nL9294700]

    The following are the key events in Kraft’s takeover battle for Cadbury:

    AUG 28 – Kraft’s Chairman and CEO Irene Rosenfeld meets Cadbury’s Chairman Roger Carr to outline a takeover deal in cash and shares which valued Cadbury’s shares at 755 pence each, but Carr dismissed the approach. The Kraft bid was worth 300p in cash and 0.2589 new Kraft shares for each Cadbury share.

    SEPT 7 – Kraft goes public with the bid, but by this time the value of the same offer had slipped to 745p per Cadbury share, or 10.2 billion pounds. Cadbury promptly rejects the bid.

    SEPT 12 – Cadbury’s Carr in a letter to Rosenfeld again rejects the bid saying it was an “unappealing prospect” being absorbed into Kraft’s “low growth conglomerate business”.

    SEPT 16 – Warren Buffett, the world’s second richest man and a leading shareholder in Kraft with a 9.4 percent stake, warned the U.S. food group not to overpay for Cadbury.

    SEPT 21 – Cadbury contacts the UK Takeover Panel to request a “put up or shut up” request be sent to Kraft, which would give a time frame for Kraft to come up with a formal bid.

    SEPT 23 – Cadbury CEO Todd Stitzer is reported at a Bank of America/Merrill Lynch conference as saying he saw some potential benefits from a Kraft deal and discussed valuations with investors, according to a note from the conference.

    SEPT 25 – Cadbury’s Stitzer says he does not believe Kraft’s offer for his company made strategic or financial sense, while Cadbury said his previous remarks had been misconstrued to imply a softening of his views about a deal with Kraft.

    SEPT 30 – UK Takeover Panel rules that Kraft has until 1700 GMT on Nov 9 to make a formal offer for Cadbury or walk away for six months. Cadbury reiterates its rejection of the Kraft bid.

    OCT 21 – Cadbury posts upbeat third-quarter trading with underlying sales up 7 percent as it raise its 2009 target for sales and profit margin growth. The shares fail to react as a counterbidder for Kraft is seen increasingly unlikely.

    OCT 22 – Nestle (NESN.VX) and Hershey (HSY.N) report third-quarter results but neither mention a speculated joint bid for Cadbury with Nestle’s focus on increasing its share buyback.

    NOV 3 – Kraft’s third-quarter results disappoint investors with weaker-than-expected revenue and as it cut its 2009 sales forecast. CEO Rosenfeld says she will not overpay for Cadbury.

    NOV 9 – Kraft formalises its bid at the same terms for Cadbury as the original approach — 300p in cash and 0.2589 new Kraft share for each Cadbury share — valued at 717p.

    NOV 18 – Both Italy’s Ferrero and Hershey said separately they were reviewing a possible bid for Cadbury but gave no assurance that either would make an offer.

    NOV 23 – Cadbury shares hits all-time high of 819-1/2 pence on speculation of a battle between Kraft and rivals for the British chocolate maker.

    DEC 4 – Kraft posts its offer document to Cadbury shareholders starting off a two-month fight for the British group under UK takeover rules. Kraft says its bid is now worth 713 pence a share or 10.1 billion pounds.

    DEC 14 – Cadbury issues its official defence document promising bigger dividends and strong growth as Cadbury reminds its shareholders that Hershey and Ferrero may bid.

    DEC 18 – Cadbury CEO Todd Stitzer tells Reuters in an interview that a significant number of its major shareholders do not believe Kraft’s bid reflects Cadbury stand-alone value.

    JAN 5 – Kraft sweetens bid with 60p more cash but cuts shares on offer to keep offer price unchanged.

    JAN 6 – Kraft says it has a 1.52 percent take-up for its offer for Cadbury at its first closing date for the bid.

    JAN 12 – Cadbury gives its final official defence against Kraft bid reporting robust trading and rejecting the bid on valuation. Ferrero pulls out, say sources close to the deal.

    JAN 14 – Cadbury fires last words in its defence as media reports say that Hershey is looking at mounting a solo bid, but many analysts doubt whether Hershey can come up finance. Reporting by David Jones; Editing by Louise Heavens)

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  • Ferrari makes a pen for Bugatti

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    Bugatti Pen by Ferrari da Varese – Click above or below-right for high-res image gallery

    If you’re going to sign a check for seven figures, you’re not going to use just any old Bic ballpoint, are you? Of course not. For just such an occasion, Bugatti has commissioned Ferrari to make them a suitable writing instrument.

    Well, sort of. This Bugatti pen is made by a company called Ferrari da Varese, which, to our knowledge, doesn’t have any ties to the eponymous purveyor of sportscars from Maranello. Call it a coincidence then, but don’t dare call it a knock-off. The Bugatti Type A pen from Ferrari da Varese is designed by Luigi Trenti, crafted from aluminum and plated in nickel, then sterling silver, then palladium and finally platinum, for an unrivaled luster. The nib is made from rhodium-coated 18kt gold, complimented by a sapphire glass window and a lacquered black embossed Bugatti logo.

    The 16-cm-long pen weighs a solid 95 grams and just for good measure, it comes in a leather and aluminum box. Which is a good thing, because each of the 499 fountain and 499 roller-ball pens cost a very car-like $15,000. Have a closer look in the gallery below.

    [Source: Ferrari da Varese]

    Ferrari makes a pen for Bugatti originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 19 Jan 2010 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Tech world moves equipment, talent, cash to help out Haiti




    The earthquakes in Haiti continue to send ripples throughout the Internet community as regular people look for ways to help. However, it’s not just Internet users who are trying to lend a helping hand—major communications companies, as well as the Federal Communications Commission, are stepping up efforts to bring back communications to the area and boost donations to those in need.

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  • Dish Network collects an extra $2,000 by double-billing for 27 months

    By the time Heather Hampton and her husband realized what was going on, Dish Network had double-charged them for 27 months of service, or roughly $2,000 in extra payments.

    At first, the Aurora couple were angry they had not noticed the error sooner.

    Then they began the long process of trying to get a refund.

    After weeks, the Hamptons filed a dispute with their bank, calling the second set of charges fraudulent. The bank ruled in the Hamptons’ favor and reversed 10 months’ worth of charges.

    The bank told the couple it could not go back any further because older charges were beyond the statute of limitations.

    “They said we were lucky we got the 10 months,” Hampton said.

    That still left the couple on the hook for the other 17 months — a whopping $1,257.46 in extra payments.

    Hampton said she and her husband, Justen, had been trying since late August to get the money back. At first, Dish Network representatives promised a refund within a week or two.

    But after hearing the same promise for months and not seeing a penny, the couple grew angrier.

    In late December, Heather Hampton called Dish Network again and was told by a customer service agent she probably was out of luck.

    “He said he’d seen this before,” Hampton said. “He said ‘it’s been too long, I can’t by law refund your money.’ ”

    Having reached her boiling point, Hampton e-mailed What’s Your Problem?

    “We’re out $1,200,” she said. “It’s not like a couple dollars.”

    Hampton said her husband discovered the error in August when he considered switching from regular programming to a high-definition package.

    When he looked at his bank statements to see how much the couple had been paying, he noticed that Dish Network had been charging his account twice — at the beginning of each month and again at the end.

    He did some digging and found the double-billing had started when they signed up for service in May 2007.

    Heather Hampton said the couple hadn’t noticed the problem because one monthly payment was taken from the couple’s checking account, the other from a debit card.

    “We never made the connection,” Hampton said. “It was our stupidity.”

    Still, Hampton said she deserved a refund.

    The Problem Solver agreed, and called Allyson Mylrea, a spokeswoman for Dish.

    Mylrea said she couldn’t comment on the Hamptons’ case, citing privacy concerns.

    But days later, a Dish representative called Hampton and said the company would refund the full $1,257.46.

    When the check will arrive is unclear.

    “He said, ‘You’re going to get it,’ ” Hampton said. “I said, ‘Can you tell me when I’m going to get it?’ He said, ‘No.’ ”

    Hampton said Dish Network never told her why she had been double-billed.

    Meanwhile, the Hamptons have switched to Comcast.

    Crazy fees?

    Tired of paying extra to check a piece of luggage? Has a hotel ever charged you for Internet service you did not use? Did your restaurant make you pay a dime for a straw in your soda?

    The Problem Solver is compiling a list of the most bizarre and frustrating fees.

    If you’ve been charged a fee that you think is excessive, or just plain stupid, e-mail the details to [email protected].

    We’ll run the list in a future column and on the Problem Solver’s blog, at chicagotribune.com/problemblog. You also can listen to the Problem Solver at 8:10 a.m. Wednesday on WGN-AM 720.

    Read the original article from Tribune News Services.


  • SearchIt browses multiple sites, search engines

    Despite its many flaws, the BlackBerry does make searching the web pretty easy. The Go To screen contains an address bar, a search bar, your bookmarks, and recently visited sites. For most users, that’s enough. More intense mobil web users might prefer wider reaching search options, beyond the basics — or, for Verizon customers, beyond just Bing. SearchIt has been available for a while, though I have to say I hadn’t seen it before today, when Obi at CrackBerry noted an update. Shaosoft has added plenty of features to an already excellent application.

    (more…)

  • UBS: You Better Hope ‘This Time It’s Different’, Because The Rate-Hike Cycle Is A Market Killer

    UBS's latest global equity strategy pieces look at history and asks 'What do rate hikes mean for equities?'. Unfortunately the answer isn't pretty. Average stock market returns have been far worse after interest rates start to rise, when compared with the 12-month period before the rate tightening cycle begins.

    Chart

    Though 2004 was a bit of an exception -- stocks continues to do quite well even after rates started to rise:

    Chart

    So there is hope, according to UBS, if indeed we live in historically abnormal times. 

    UBS: Positioning for upside. Policy tightening, along with other factors, is likely to keep market uncertainty high leading to a year of choppy returns. We recommend investors ‘trade up’ in quality as the junk rally gives way and companies with better fundamentals outperform. In global strategy we recommend a more balanced tilt between cyclicals and defensives than in 2009. This is shared by our strategists in both Europe and Asia who recently reduced their cyclical sector positioning, whereas our US and Canadian strategy teams prefer to stay more cyclically positioned for now.

    Also, we'd like to add that the other issue is whether the Fed will even start raising rates any time soon. Note that Goldman thinks it won't happen until 2012.

    (Via UBS, Global I/O: Equity Strategy, Jeffrey Palma, 18 January 2010)

    Add my twitter: @vincefernando

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  • Google Pack Now Bundles Avast Antivirus

    Google has updated the list of programs it offers users in its Google Pack bundle in several countries and now features the free Avast antivirus software replacing the older security software included. The move was rather predictable as Avast has been offering to install Google Chrome along with the antivirus program for about a month now. The new Google… (read more)

  • Apple Dominated With Nearly 100% of Mobile App Sales in 2009 [Apple]

    Say what you will about platforms, but in 2009, Apple’s App Store absolutely pwnd the paid mobile app space—selling 99.4% of the $4.2 billion market single-handedly, according to ars technica.

    All this data is based upon research by Gartner, who claims that, should sale trends continue, Apple could retain 2/3 of the paid mobile app market into 2010 (amidst growing competition from Android, Palm, RIM, etc). Of course, if Apple releases an app-wielding tablet, market share could error greatly in their favor again.

    (Note: there’s some discrepancy in these numbers, as Engadget counters ars’ 99.4% number crunching with a 97.5%. Whatever, either way, it’s enough of the market to mean every other retailer was moot in 2009.)[Ars and Gartner]






  • Google demonstrates how free Android is, blocks release of Android phones in China

    Android was meant to be a free, open source OS, but of course it has always solidly been under the thumb of Google.  This has been demonstrated consistently through the lack of multi-touch on high profile phones in the US, and of course withholding updates from some handsets.

    The latest evidence for Google’s iron grip on the supposed open source OS has been Google’s announcement that they would delay the release of two handsets running Android and Motorola on the China Unicom network.

    "The launch we have been working on with China Unicom has been postponed," said a Google spokesperson.

    Google’s behaviour in this matter will come as a surprise to phone OEM’s, who had earlier expressed the view that Android handsets would not be affected by this spat between Google and China.

    “Android uses a Android phone operating system, but that does not mean that Google’s Android on behalf of all the due, due, and Android is not related to R & D department in the country, so China’s launch of Google Android will not have much of impact.” said HTC’s Chinese CEO Mr. Chen Jinghong, it now appears optimistically.

    It does however prove that relying on the supposedly free and open source operating system is not a safe bet from interference from the sponsoring company, and serves to level the playing field between the supposed free OS and proprietary solutions such as Windows Mobile, which has traditionally been strong in the region.

    Read more at the BBC here.

    Via Engadget.com

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  • Twitter’s Growth Slows Dramatically

    hubspot_logo_jan09.jpgAfter news about the landing of US Airways 1549 in the Hudson first broke on Twitter in January 2009, the microblogging service quickly captured the imagination of a new group of potential users. Throughout the first months of 2009, Twitter grew at a rapid pace, peaking at a growth rate of 13% in March 2009.

    Now, however, according to the latest data from HubSpot, Twitter’s growth is slowing dramatically. In October 2009, Twitter’s growth rate had fallen to 3.5%. On a positive note, though, the average active user on Twitter today is more engaged than six months ago.

    Sponsor

    hubspot_twitter_growth_jan09.jpg

    Most Twitter users, however – even if they are now more engaged on average – still have fewer than 100 followers. Only 18% of all Twitter users have more than 100 followers. A total of 81% of all users are currently also following less than 100 people. Just 6 months ago, the average user was just following around 40 accounts.

    hubspot_twitter_follower_counts_jan09.jpg

    HubSpot’s analysis also shows that more Twitter users now include bios (54%), links (65%) and location data (41%) in their profiles.

    International Footprint Increases

    As we pointed out earlier this month, social media analytics firm Sysomos also noted that most of Twitter’s growth is currently happening internationally. According to HubSpot’s analysis of over 5 million Twitter accounts, 40% of the top 20 Twitter locations are now outside of North America. In July 2009, only 15% were from outside North America.

    For Twitter, this means that its current user base is making better use of the service, but the company also has to worry that its growth is slowing down. Maybe some of the earlier high growth rates were inflated by spam accounts, but a 3.5% growth rate is very low and the overall trend is only pointing down at this time.

    Discuss


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  • Japanese Good Design Award for Suzuki Gladius

    Unveiled in Paris in the spring of 2009, Suzuki’s Gladius 650 won one of the most prestigious awards in its home market, taking the honors in the motorcycle category of the famous ‘Good Design Awards’. Shortly after its unveiling, the entry-level machine, which replaced the popular SV650, managed to score highly with both press and customers.

    The Gladius name has the roots in Latin as a type of short, fighting sword. The model is based on the SV650, but uses a Ducati Monster 1100-style… (read more)

  • Josh’s Band, Come With Me

    Josh’s Band, Come With Me

    This week sees the culmination of T-Mobile’s ‘Josh’s Band’ campaign, as Saatchi & Saatchi releases a three minute TV commercial. The ad features the song ‘Come with me’, written and performed by Josh’s superband and set up using only T-Mobile’s free texts and internet for life offer.

  • Oldest Buildings in Kampala

    A collection of the oldest buildings (edifices) in Kampala.

    Post your collection of old buildings in Kampala mostly from Old Kampala, Bakuli, Buganda Road and on Bombo road.


    Former CID Headquarters, demolished in 2007 one among the earliest structures to accommodate government offices in colonial and post-colonial eras


    Nakasero Market is built in 1927 now under threat of demolition and/or redevelopment.


    Kampala Club has its history in a socialization and sports fraternity from 1912 of the then exclusively white nucleus of colonial administrators, most of whom resided on Nakasero Hill. Africans made entry into the Club from mid 1940s. After Uganda gained independence and subsequent emigration of the whites, the premises hosted a one Standard Hotel for about seven years. When Idi Amin took power, he allocated to Ministry of Internal Affairs under which it performed as Senior Police Officer’s Mess.


    Jina Building on Market Street, Nakasero. Built in 1934.


    The National Library is housed in this 1935 Asiatic building, Plot No. 33 Buganda Rd, Kampala.

  • 5 things you can do to help the people of Haiti

    The wake of a disaster, like last week’s earthquake that shook Haiti to the core, can reveal the very best of humankind. Over the last few days tradespeople, celebrities, politicians and poets have rallied together to raise funds and resources for the people impacted by Haiti’s emergency.  If you have already made a simple online donation and want to join the band of people doing that bit more, read on for 5 different ways to help Haiti.

    Hold a Big Night In
    Get on the blower and invite your friends round for a film night, a craft session, an acoustic jam or a Wii party. Ask everyone to donate to Haiti on this Big Night In what they would ordinarily spend on a Big Night Out. Going to the cinema equals a good 12 quid in my hood, club entry could set you back £20 and a slap up meal easily £30.

    Write to your local newspaper
    It could well be that in a few days the public interest in Haiti might fade away. It is paramount that attention remain on Haiti so that the needs of vulnerable people get met. Spend a few moments writing to the editor of your local newspaper with some new facts about the disaster and some of your own thoughts. For help with this, and to let us know about it, please get in touch with our Media Campaigner Lisa.  

    Shake a Tin
    We have a local volunteer who, within hours of an emergency, manages to organise some collections in Tube Stations across London. He and his team regularly gather thousands and thousands of pounds that go straight to the heart of the disaster. This is not a tricky thing to do and if you know some people you can get involved could be easily arranged. Get in touch with Lucy to find out how to organise a collection in your own neighbourhood.

    Ask for the cancellation of Haitian debt
    Take one minute to ask for the cancellation of Haitian debt.  It would be devastating if Haiti had to work through the aftermath of this disaster under the burden of their huge, historical debt. Email the Head of IMF to make sure the debt gets dropped.

    Do the thing you love
    Take 5 minutes to think about how you can use your own hobby or interests to raise funds or awareness for the people of Haiti. Nothing is more fabulous than people using the thing they are passionate about to do good. For example, lots of artists are selling off work on Ebay to raise money for Haiti  and auctioned it off, some bloggers organised a Bloggers Day of Action for Haiti and a tribe of dancers are holding a Haiti Dance Off. If you have any ideas and would like some support from us, do get in touch.

  • Motoroi: Motorola to release another Android phone in March (video)

    motoroi

    Motorola held a press conference in Seoul yesterday to announce a partnership with SK Telecom, a major Korean telecommunications company. The occasion: SK Telecom will be the first company to distribute an Android phone in that country, the so-called Motorola Motoroi.

    It’s not a rebranded Droid, but a completely new phone (in Europe, the Droid was named “Milestone” but remained largely unchanged technically). SK Telecom customers will be able to lay their hands on the Motoroi in early February.

    motoroi_2

    But Motorola Korea and SK Telekom representatives are quoted as saying that Motorola is ready to roll out the Motoroi in the US in March, too. And apparently it will be available in a number of other countries as well.

    Here are the main specs:

    • 3.7-inch WVGA 16:9 touch screen (480 x 854 resolution)
    • 8 MP camera with Xenon flash
    • HD video recording (720p)
    • HDMI interface
    • TV tuner (T-DMB)
    • 8GB internal memory (microSD card support up to 32GB)
    • Android 2.0 OS

    In Korea, the Motoroi will be sold for $800. Pricing and other details for the US and other territories haven’t been officially announced yet.

    motoroi_3

    Here’s a Motoroi video pulled from the phone’s Korean website. The clip is in Korean but enough to get a good first impression of the basic functions.

    Crunch Network: CrunchBase the free database of technology companies, people, and investors


  • The name is Seven. WinMo Seven.

    Image Credit: WMExperts

    With all of the Apple tablet rumors floating, it’s only fair to let Windows Mobile 7 have it’s time in the gossip column. WMExperts shines the spotlight on a slew of speculation and it’s the first I’ve heard the name “Seven” bandied around. The short, classy nomenclature just rings of a James Bond introduction, no?

    Some of the good include super high-end device specifications from LG and HTC — and by “super high-end” I mean at least as good as the über-powerful HTC HD2 that has folks drooling. Many of the specifications simply make sense to me, mainly because tight software integration and customization combined with fast hardware are what make the HD2 appealing. The banter about a 1280 x 720 resolution on a 3.8″ display doesn’t sound quite right, however. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but I can’t see that being an efficient resolution on a display of that size. A 5″ display would be better suited for WXGA, but even that’s a stretch.

    On the software side of the house, Seven appears to be coming in at least two versions: a Business Edition and a Media Edition. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the basic target audience for each, although I’m hoping that some phones offer the best of both worlds. With handhelds becoming the device we always have with us, limiting productivity or entertainment features by different editions isn’t appealing to me. One device should suffice for many purposes. And perhaps that’s what will happen — this is rumor and speculation, after all.

    The Business Edition is allegedly more of a bare-bones offering to allow for carrier and handset maker customization. But there’s talk of some remote document editing and management features as well. Media Edition sounds more up my alley with potential offerings like Zune and Xbox 360 integration of some type, as well as Silverlight, Mediaroom and ties to both Facebook and Twitter. The social aspects certainly sound legit, since many other current platforms are already offering that. And many Zune addicts have been clamoring for better WinMo integration for years.

    I expect we’ll begin to see a clearer picture for Seven at next month’s Mobile World Congress. As exciting as much of this functionality sounds, I’m equally as interested to see how revamped the user interface is, and at what level that revamp goes to. Previous releases showed that the old-style, stylus-driven input was still lurking just below the surface. While there’s a time and place for a stylus, nearly all other mobile platforms are succeeding without the pen.