Facebook was "GPS" for Arab Revolution

Facebook was "GPS" for Arab Revolution

"Facebook was something like the navigation system for this revolution," says the Tunisian-line activist fetus. "Without the road, there is no revolution, but if Facebook takes it, you get real potential." For the latest issue of TR TR-author John Pollock has spoken in the Middle East, with numerous witnesses and activists, to find out how much of the Internet and social networks on the current political upheaval had there.

One of his interlocutors, fetus belongs to Takriz - for own account was originally a tiny "cyber-Think-Tank", freedom of speech and affordable Internet access called for in the course of the "Tunisian revolution" but then played an increasingly important role as an information node. The group members communicate mainly via the network. Because "we could be anonymous online," says fetus, a technology consultant with an MBA degree, who speaks six languages ​​and by his own admission was a hacker, because he was not the high cost of telephone and Internet in Tunisia could afford. Foetus want his real name as well as other "Tak" is also not going to divulge - the group sees itself more in the fight against the followers of Ben Ali, in their view of the same wood are corrupt.

The balance of the activists is also shared by Zeynep Tufekci. The social scientist has been researching for years on the interaction between technology, culture, society and politics. She is Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina and a fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University. "These new technical possibilities do not create opposition. The opposition was always there. But they have allowed the malcontents to organize themselves in a new way," she says in an interview with T R.

"I think the era of the permanent, authoritarian governments that keep for decades by isolating people and censor, is nearing its end. That will not happen this year or next, but I think in this decade," so Tufekci. But a lot of states would be given the choice to be democratic, or to transform itself into a second North Korea or Burma - is so completely foreclose. "The policy will also influence the Chinese."

At the same time, the growing participation of the population "does not automatically lead to more democracy," warns dei scientist. "Overthrowing a dictator is one thing. To build a functioning democracy, is an entirely different problem. Technology can help solve this problem. But it can make things even more complicated."

Tufekci, however, believes that social media could be used as a confidence building measure. "When the information comes from a friend of a friend, she is perhaps trusted services like Google + and Facebook support this possibility - you have to but also the effort to attract, develop such networks Previously, you were sitting in front of the television and could say.. I have no idea whether or not to lie to me. Now there is this enormous shift of responsibility towards the individual. "

OpenCL SDK 1.5 supports vectorization per CPU

OpenCL SDK 1.5 supports vectorization per CPU

Intel has released version 1.5 of the SDK OpenCL. The OpenCL implementation includes adjustments for Intel processors and will assist developers in programming applications parallelized for multi-core systems. With the release of the software now featured dominated the first with Intel's Sandy-Brige-generation processor Intel introduced SSE extension Advanced Vector Extensions (Intel AVX) - specifically to floating-point-intensive operations by up to a factor of accelerated eighth

This includes the OpenCL SDK generates 1.5 with Implicit CPU Vectorization a new module for the automatic vectorization of code , the self-matching SIMD instructions for Intel AVX. Developers should thus not about the intricacies of parallel hardware architecture look to benefit from the instruction sets supported by Sandy Bridge. The generated code is, according to Intel processor compatible with future generations.

Are also included in the SDK, the SDK OpenCL Offline compiler, a standalone tool with which you can build on Linux kernel offline (which is track the code-generation in its own window and can be analyzed). And for Windows developers have added Intel SDK for debugging plug-in for Visual Studio 2008 allow to set in which breakpoints in an instance of the kernel and read OpenCL various kernel and memory variables.

The Intel OpenCL SDK 1.5 is available for Linux systems (64-bit) and Windows (32 - and 64-bit) free to download. Intel Core and Xeon processors will also provide a pure runtime component.

Report: HP feared takeover bid from Oracle

Report: HP feared takeover bid from Oracle

The chief change at Hewlett-Packard (HP) has been accelerated by information from the Bloomberg financial news agency of the fear of an offer to buy its competitor Oracle. The Board was concerned that the low stock price makes HP defenseless against possible attack from the Oracle takeover, Bloomberg reported Thursday, citing inaugurated circles. Hewlett-Packard last week, had replaced the former SAP CEO Leo Apotheker by former eBay's Meg Whitman charioteer. Pharmacist since taking office in November, the HP's stock had lost almost half their value.

From the Oracle environment, it said, according to Bloomberg at the same time, the software giant had "considered informally" to establish contact with HP, an offer in the foreseeable future is unlikely. Oracle could be most interested in HP's business with servers, storage and network technology, it said. At the same time the agreement would prohibit the exchange of pharmacist predecessor Mark Hurd to Oracle a takeover offer for the next time.

The mood between the two companies is extremely bad, and not just since the ousted Hurd at HP was a new top job at his friend and Oracle founder Larry Ellison. The two IT heavyweights to compete with each other in ever more areas, for example in server technology. After Ellison was stamped on the HP Board because of the detachment already Hurd as "idiots", is now an Oracle shoots on HP's planned takeover of software specialist Autonomy. The British have also been offered for sale to Oracle, but you've seen the then market price of $ 6 billion to be far too high, HP is now paying more than $ 10 billion. Autonomy CEO Mike Lynch as denied that he had ever offered his company Oracle, said little back diplomatically, "Either Mr. Lynch has a very bad memory or he's lying."

Meanwhile, it was known by a command from HP with the Securities and Exchange Commission that former HP CEO Léo Apotheker from his former company under the termination agreement, a total of 13 million U.S. dollars (9.6 million €) receives. Among them are 7.2 million U.S. dollars, the pharmacist within the next year and a half to be paid, and a - for top managers usually - bonus of 2.4 million U.S. dollars.

Intel is fighting with the atomic-GPU

Intel is fighting with the atomic-GPU


In April, Intel still promised DirectX 10.1 for Cedar View.
Image: Intel after the one hand there is pressure from the ARM-side and on the other hand, AMD introduced with C-50 and E-350 more potent competitor, Intel wanted to increase the stroke rate in the nuclear family really. Already on the developer forum Intel Developer Forum in Beijing in April, Intel had tumbled to 32-nanometer Atom generation Cedarview, and later announced a significant acceleration of the roadmap in 2013 to start the 22-nm version of Silver Mont and also the 14-nm-Airmont has already been mentioned.


In September, only the speech of DirectX 9.
Image: Intel Intel fights But apparently now at Cedarview with significant problems. By motherboard manufacturers learned heise online that the Windows graphics drivers do not work properly and it therefore could not deliver the products. A comparison of presentations from IDF Beijing in the spring of 2011 and the recently completed IDF Fall 2011 is noticeable that Intel DirectX 10.1 is no longer mentioned, is now only talk of DirectX 9.

Are in an unusual way a few days ago the first official information on Cedar View D2700 and D2500-atom appeared for desktop computers as well as on N2800 and N2600 for Netbooks Intel has mentioned some of these processors in the price list and published some data. Products with these processors, but show up nowhere, according to information from traders, they may appear only in December.

According to speculation, the Cedar View Graphics GMA-hot 3600 and actually come from Imagination Technologies: This is therefore a PowerVR SGX545. Even when PowerVR SGX535, the infected than GMA 500 and GMA 600 (the latter with a higher clock frequency) in the atom, Z500, Z670 and E600, Intel did with the drivers very hard - the Embedded Media and Graphics Driver (EMGD) supports, for example still only WDDM 1.0.

Currently is not entirely clear which requires Microsoft DirectX features of ARM or x86 SoCs that will run on Windows 8 in tablets and cheap notebooks. Presumably, it continues to DirectX 9 plus selected components of DirectX 10, because Windows 8 will use GPU acceleration than even Windows 7

Apple vs.. Samsung: Jobs sought conversation before litigation

Apple vs.. Samsung: Jobs sought conversation before litigation

The U.S. company Apple has been before the escalation of the patent dispute with Samsung on the initiative of then-CEO Steve Jobs apparently trying to settle the conflict with its supplier in the conversation. The Apple patent attorney Richard Lutton, according to the Wall Street Journal announced on Thursday a court in Sydney, Australia report.

Accordingly, jobs, Samsung has contacted in the summer of 2010 to come up with the South Korean company over the patent issue this week. Jobs at the meeting itself was no longer present. The iPad manufacturers wanted to give its major suppliers to these talks a chance to "do the right thing," Lutton is quoted as saying.

In April 2011, the now CEO appointed Tim Cook had already publicly stated that Apple was Samsung's biggest customer and it would be a stable relationship between the companies - but Samsung's mobile division has "crossed a line". After failed negotiations to Apple decided to sue Samsung.

The nine countries are currently extending patent battle, Apple has opened in April 2011 with the accusation, Samsung copy the IOS device. In Germany and the Netherlands, Apple could already obtain preliminary injunctions that restrict the Galaxy distribution of certain product lines. The Australian court is expected to decide next week whether it also shall issue a sales ban on Samsung's Galaxy Tablet - Samsung had postponed the launch of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia twice.

Blow against the illegal drug trade on the Internet

Blow against the illegal drug trade on the Internet

In the fight against Internet drug trafficking in illegal international agencies products worth 6.3 million U.S. dollars (4.6 million euros) have been confiscated. Abroad, 55 suspects have been identified, arrested some of them. At the week-long operation "Pangea IV" led by Interpol is investigating authorities from 81 countries participating. It was the largest of its type, said Interpol. 13 500 websites were shut down and 2.4 million illegal pills has been ensured.

In Germany alone drew more than 1,100 inches of letters or packages with about 53 500 tablets, capsules and ampoules from the market, told the Federal Criminal Police (BKA) in Wiesbaden and the Customs Office with. These were mainly potency funds from abroad, but also sleep, pain and weight loss product as well as heart drugs and anabolic steroids were seized. Arrests did not exist in Germany. In which countries the other suspects live, was not immediately known.

"Illegal traders use the impartiality of the patient and not offer to approved hazardous to health and fake drugs for sale," said BKA chief Joerg Ziercke. This will be the health of people "at risk in reckless manner."

The professional presentation of appropriate web sites it more difficult for customers to distinguish legitimate from illegitimate offers. Moreover, there is a risk that personal data of the buyer being abused. "Patients can protect themselves by drugs - even over the Internet - related only in licensed pharmacies," said Ziercke.

Police in Germany have done so far this year 268 investigations relating to offenses against the drug law in the Internet. Most of the illegal products come from abroad, mainly from India, China, Eastern Europe and Africa.

Open Government Partnership met with reservations

Open Government Partnership met with reservations

The 46 countries at the initiative of the United States and Brazil agreed on Open Government Partnership (COP) for more transparency in administration and government has a hard time in Germany. Probably for lack of resources so far have neither the federal government still leading open-data organizations pledged. The Bertelsmann Foundation in Germany promotes civil society organizations for their cooperation. Eight organizations have approached the foundation, which will now contact other players.

Civil society Organisationn Open Data Network Association, Open Knowledge Foundation, Germany and Digital Society scare so far back in front of a commitment because it would involve much additional volunteer work they prefer to invest in specific projects. The business-related government 2.0 Network initiated by Germany and the Google Co: llaboratory to make. The Open Data Network participates in the meetings though, but the board could decide not to date of accession, as it is divided.

The anti-corruption organization GlobalIntegrity criticized that were half of the 40 participants who want to work with governments, IT companies, software vendors and developers. Most are already involved in open-data projects. This could mean that the COP will focus more on providing data agencies, rather than get involved in participation and transparency projects.

Frank Frick Bertelsmann Foundation in charge of "good governance", is still "wide open" whether the network in Germany ever comes about and whether the federal government will participate. They would bring the government program "Integrated and transparent management" more momentum, since they also support transparency in addition to citizen participation, accountability, combating corruption and civic engagement, says Frick. He also argued that classical systems representative government would be accepted in recent years fewer and fewer. The democratic system would need to be further developed by citizens can be better informed at an early stage to participate in political decisions.

Thomas Lang cable in Germany as a Microsoft National Technology Officer for the authorities responsible business, noted that back office systems will need to be well integrated, so the data without human and technical effort analyzed and made available. Microsoft is currently trying the German authorities of Cloud Computing to convince. Just open-data projects would offer to do that because they were not connected with security and privacy risks. Microsoft wants to represent the government data on its platforms such as Virtual Earth or Azure.

In December, held a first international conference COP. The Interior Ministry is still hesitating with the promise, probably because at present only three people to worry about "Open Data", and then only in passing. Long Cable believes that the related preparatory and coordination work is very high and probably would take at least half a year.

Anke Domscheit-Berg, active for his own company and for the Government Opengov.me 2.0 Network Germany, explains the reluctance of the federal government with the lack of commitment from political leadership. In addition, there were communication problems within the Federal Government: How was the invitation to the COP candidate Hilary Clinton arrived at the Foreign Office. But that was not technically responsible, but the Interior Ministry. So loud Domscheit Mountain time had been lost.