Digital Trends
Earlier this year, Portugal made a deal with Intel to produce 500,000 Classmate PCs under license based on Intel’s design. Now, Portugal has turned around and made its own deal with Venezuela that will see one million Linux-powered Classmate PCs for use in Venezuelan schools. Although terms of the deal were not given, the move is part of a broader package of agreements involving energy development, infrastructure, and housing valued about about $3 billion.
Apple has announced an exchange program for the ultra-compact USB power adapters that have been sold with the popular iPhone 3G in several countries. Although Apple has received no reports of injuries from the adapters, the company says the power adapter’s metal prongs can break off and remain in a power outlet under certain conditions, creating a risk of electric shock.
The adapters have been sold with every iPhone 3G in the U.S., Japan, Canada, Mexico, Columbia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Peru; the adapters were also sold as a separate accessory in those countries, along with Chile, Costa Rica, Panama, and Argentina. The problem does not affect power adapters sold with the original iPhone, or to iPhone 3G units sold in other countries.
In its bi-annual Internet Security Threat Report (PDF), antivirus vendor Symantec says that it had identified over 1.1 million malicious code threats by the end of the 2007—and that almost two thirds of them were created during 2007. Symantec attributes the rapid rise in the number of malware programs to attackers’ explosive introductions of new Trojan programs, which pretend to be something useful or interesting while secretively installing spyware, key loggers, or taking over a user’s computer.
Despite years of skepticism, higher-than-expected costs, and competition from commercial endeavors like the Intel Classmate PC, the One Laptop Per Child project continues to gain momentum, with the government of Peru signing a deal to purchase 280,000 of the systems. Thew news comes just as the first non-pilot deployment of OLPC notebooks gets underway in Uruguay, and Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim has purchased 50,000 of the systems for distribution to Mexican children.
While One Laptop Per Child computers are already slated to have a handful of open-source games included on them, one major game publisher will take that list of games to the next level by donating an old-school classic from its archives. Electronic Arts announced on Thursday that it would donate the original 1989 version of SimCity on every OLPC sold.
Besides being a fun way to get kids using the computer, EA believes SimCity can also help them learn. “SimCity is entertainment that’s unintentionally educational,” said Steve Seabolt, vice president of global brand development for The Sims Label, in a statement. “Players learn to use limited resources to build and customize their cities. There are choices and consequences, but in the end, it’s a creativity tool that’s only limited by the player’s imagination.”
In the wake of a major natural disaster, it’s important to get the infrastructure working again. These days, a vital part of that is to get telecommunications up and running – not justthe phones, but also Internet communication. What you might not know is that there’s an organization called Telecoms Sans Frontieres (TSF) that goesinto affected areas right after the disaster. It’s a charity that works with the United Nations and the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) to restore communications indisaster-hit areas and the developing world.Right now they’re in Peru. The 8.0 magnitude there last Wednesday killed 500 people, and severely disputed roads and communications in partsof the country. Phone and Internet are fine in the capital, Lima, but in Pisco, where the quake was most extreme, and Ica and Chincha, there’s no access. Julie Cazenave, who is leadingthe five-member TSF team, said, “There is a lot of confusion right now because there is little information from the areas hit. We have to use satellite tech to re-connect differentorganization centers in the field. We will set up a telecoms centre at Pisco airport, which is the main logistical platform of emergency relief.” The team is equipped with everythingnecessary to set up Wi-Fi connections in the area, from satellite modems to laptops. They hoped to have the first centers set up by last Friday, with more over the weekend to co-ordinate recoveryweek in the areas and keep in touch with Lima. The priority will be given to aid and charity workers, but free phone calls will also be available to local residents. It’s estimated thatthe TSF workers will be in the field for at least three weeks.
The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) organization has revealed that the price for its XO laptop computer aimed at schools and education systems in the developing world has increased to $175 per unit. The initial goal of the program was to produce systems at $100 per unit; the price tag was eventually raised to $140, but only after several new features were added to the design, including a video-capable digital camera. However, MIT’s Nicholas Negroponte, who has spearheaded the project, remains confident costs will come down as much as 25 percent in the first year, as production ramps up and more orders are placed for the system.
The online video landscape shifted subtly today with two separate announcements. First, Britain’s BBC has inked a deal to distribute excerpts of its news and entertainment programming via Internet video sharing site YouTube, while upcoming Internet television service Joost has signed a deal with Canada’s JumpTV to being a variety of “ethnic” programming to its service.
Struggling video retailer Blockbuster announced that it succeeded in meeting its 2006 year-end goal of signing up 2 million subscribers to its online video rental service, hoping to show that it can stll flex its muscles alongside online video rental success Netflix, which boasts more than 6 million subscribers.
“We are pleased that we achieved our year-end goal of 2 million subscribers, an addition of more than 500,000 paying subscribers since the end of the third quarter. We credit our success to Blockbuster Total Access, which gives our online customers the option of returning their DVDs through the mail or exchanging them at a participating Blockbuster store for free in-store movie rentals,” said John Antioco Blockbuster Chairman and CEO in a statement.
From the company’s press release:
AT&T Wireless today announced the recent expansion of its international text messaging (SMS) services, permitting delivery of text messages between Mexican and North American users. The service helps build a communications bridge across the border that supports business development with Mexico´s primary trading partner and links the more than 10 million Mexicans living in the United States with their family and friends in Mexico.
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