China Unicom sells 100,000 iPhone 4s in 4 days

China Unicom has sold close to 100,000 iPhone 4s in the first four days of launching he device in China.

China Unicom, which is the mobile carrier for the iPhone 4 in China, has basically sold out of its first shipment of the device, company vice president Li Gang said. Earlier in the week, the mobile carrier reported that 200,000 users had pre-ordered the product. China Unicom has already stopped online reservations for iPhone 4, and is instead asking users to come directly to retail stores to sign up for the device.

The massive demand for the product outpaces last year's official launch of the iPhone 3G and 3GS in China. During that period, it had taken over a month before China Unicom had announced it sold 100,000 iPhone units.

The iPhone 4 was officially launched in China last Saturday, with the popularity of the device causing retail outlets in the country to sell out of the product.

Apple has said more iPhone 4s will be made available in China soon and that customers should check back with their local store for updates. China Unicom expects the second shipment of the iPhone 4 to arrive in China Oct 1.

The high sales figures for the iPhone 4 come as China Unicom reports it now has 10 million 3G users.

RIM unveils the BlackBerry PlayBook

BlackBerry maker Research in Motion is taking on iPad in the table computer game with a "PlayBook" aimed to capitalize on its strength.

RIM is calling its 7-inch, camera-packing tablet the BlackBerry PlayBook. CEO, Mike Lazaridis showed off the long-rumored device during the keynote of RIM’s BlackBerry developer conference in San Francisco.

RIM says its new tablet will arrive in the U.S. in early 2011, and in overseas markets in the second quarter of next year.

Expectations are a 0.9-pound tablet that’s 9.7 mm (or 0.4 inch) thick, complete with a pair of cameras: a 5-megapixel camera in the back, and a 3MP lens in front, both capable of recording HD video.

The 7 inch display - the same size as that on the just-announced Samsung Galaxy Tab - will boast a resolution of 1024 by 600, and it’s a capacitive multitouch display, good for such multi-finger gestures as punching and zooming.

The "no-compromises" PlayBook will run on a new tablet OS designed by QNX Software Systems which RIM acquired back in April, and it’ll be powered by a 1GHz dual-core processor, complete with a whopping 1GB of onboard RAM. The PlayBook will also support multitasking and Flash as well as multimedia-friendly HTML5 Web standards.

The PlayBook will arrive with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support, with both 3G and 4G versions coming "in the future”. The PlayBook will also connect to a nearby BlackBerry via Bluetooth for viewing e-mail, calendar, to-do items or contacts - meaning that you’ll be able to tap out messages on the PlayBook and fire them off from your handheld BlackBerry.

We can also expect "nonproprietary" microUSB and micro-HDMI ports, with the PlayBook capable of outputting full-on 1080p video via HDMI, RIM says.

A slick promo video for the PlayBook shows features such as tabbed browsing, an app task bar, threaded messaging, on-the-Web YouTube video, and tablet-sized e-mail and event interfaces - all very iPad-like, with the added twist of the PlayBook acting as a BlackBerry companion in addition to a stand-alone slate.

But we’ll have to wait for more details on the BlackBerry PlayBook until the tablet’s launch date which is un-announced yet.

Android based G2 to arrive on October 6

Good news for T-Mobile customers. The Android-based G2 is available for pre-order, with an October 6 delivery for orders placed by the October 4th. The offer is exclusive to T-Mobile customers, with a $50 rebate knocking the price down to $200. After October 6th, the G2 will also be available in Best Buy stores.

Running Android 2.2, the G2 is an updated nod to the original T-Mobile G1, the phone that pioneered the Android revolution in the U.S. market. It’s 3.2-inch screen and Snapdragon processor bring the G series up to speed for T-Mobile customers, which have been surpassed in many ways by devices from competing networks.

Voice search for Kindle Android app
Amazon’s Kindle app now has voice search, and Flickr’s Android app has been upgraded for 2.2 support. Kindle’s extra features include annotations and highlight text, as well as Shelfari integration for social recommendations and book clubs.

Amazon’s done well to maintain an array of apps on Android, even if some do receive such feature upgrades later than iPhone users. The Amazon Kindle is still the only Android e-Reader with such a full range of features, proving the influence of the Kindle brand.

Flickr users can get snappy, with 2.2 capabilities for direct upload. The Flickr mobile website works beautifully with Android devices running Froyo, thanks to the optimization Flickr has done. It’s quite exciting to see more interaction features for web use in more advanced phones.

Apple launches iPhone 4 in China

Apple has launched the latest version of its iPhone in China and boosted its presence in the world's biggest Internet and mobile market by opening another two stores in Beijing and Shanghai.

The new Apple stores in Beijing and Shanghai bring the company's total to four in China - two in each city. It plans to have 25 shops in the country by the end of next year.

The iPhone 4 - something of a status symbol in China - is available in Apple stores, as well as at China Unicom retail outlets for buyers who sign a two-year contract with the operator.

The 16-gigabyte version of the smartphone, which will have wireless Internet capability, will cost 4,999 yuan at Apple stores with the 32-gigabyte selling for 5,999 yuan.

China Unicom, the country's second-largest mobile phone operator, took nearly 50,000 pre-orders for the iPhone 4 on September 17, the opening day for such reservations.

With the two-year contract, the 16-gigabyte will sell for 5,880 yuan while the 32-gigabyte version will cost 6,999 yuan.

The iPhone 4 made its debut in China just a week after Apple officially launched the iPad in the country, with some customers queuing up for several days to ensure they got their hands on the tablet computer.

Both products have been available for several months on China's grey market, which has been booming thanks to great demand for Apple goods.

The earlier version of the iPhone only officially went on sale in China last October - more than two years after its US launch.

Consumers have had a shorter wait for the iPhone 4 and iPad - the latest version of the smartphone was released in June in France, Britain, Germany, Japan and the United States.
The iPad made its US debut in April.

China has at least 420 million web users and is also the world's largest mobile market with more than 800 million subscribers as of the end of June.

Toshiba launches WiMax-ready Laptops

Toshiba has announced that several of its premium laptops will have WiMax-ready chips built-in.

What's interesting is the WiMax chips are based on Intel's Kilmer Peak, a PCI-e adapter that was supposed to launch in 2011 with Intel's next-generation platform, codenamed Huron River. But because Sprint and Clearwire, the two companies betting on WiMax technology, have made good on their promise to deliver wireless 4G broadband nationwide, Toshiba is wasting no time jumping onboard.

WiMax is like a Wi-Fi connection that covers an entire city, with an average download speed of 2-3 Mbps and prices as low as $40 per month. By December, Clearwire is expected to roll out WiMax in New York and San Francisco.

WiMax wireless chips will be available in the Satellite A665 Series, the M645 Series, the Portege R705-P35, and the Satellite E205-S1908. These are portable mainstream laptops, with screen sizes ranging from 13 inches to 16 inches.

India launches mobile phone share trading

India has launched stock trading on mobile phones, hoping to capitalise on the country's position as the world's fastest-growing handset market by catering to tech-savvy investors.

Asia's oldest stock market, the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), started trading in shares on mobile phones on Tuesday while the rival National Stock Exchange (NSE) plans to launch a similar service early next month.

Trading on mobile phones is picking up globally, particularly in Asia, where equity markets are on the rebound from the global financial meltdown of 2008.

The new form of trading kicked-off in India as share prices hit a near three-year high, led by strong overseas fund inflows and optimism that Asia's third-largest economy could grow at nearly nine percent in coming years.

Both the BSE and NSE have tied up with local mobile phone operators and software firms to provide a real-time data feed and trading products.

Users will now be able to buy and sell shares, view live index and stock prices, as well as get margin and net investment positions on their phones.

BSE chairman S. Ramadorai said: "We believe that this will advance the development of financial inclusion through higher penetration of capital markets by leveraging the mobile telecom infrastructure in the country."

At least 35 accredited BSE brokers are eligible to provide mobile trading to their clients while at the NSE, at least 800 brokers are lining up to do the same.

"Mobile phone trading will pick up," said Rajiv Prabhakar, an analyst with Mumbai brokerage firm Sharekhan, through which nearly one million people trade across India.

India's investor community is estimated at between 10 and 20 million but those behind the scheme hope to capitalise on the buoyant state of the country's mobile phone sector.

One in 10 of the world's mobiles is sold in India, according to technology research specialists Gartner, and the country adds 15-17 million new mobile subscribers every month. There are now an estimated 650 million subscribers.

But per capita ownership in a country of 1.2 billion people is still low at 57 phones per 100 people, offering massive growth potential in the years ahead, particularly as 3G "smartphones" become more available across the country.

Brokerages involved hailed the stocks initiative as empowering consumers. But industry experts say trading on mobile phones is unlikely to supplant online trading anytime soon and initial usage may be limited simply to viewing market data.

"A new set of investors may not emerge with the opening of a new technology channel," said Monish Shah, financial services director of Deloitte India.

Mobile phone trading has picked up in Japan and South Korea. In Seoul, it accounts for nearly three percent of trading volume, according to stock exchange data.

Mobile banking, introduced two years back in India, "is yet to pick up" a Reserve Bank of India official has said, as transaction volumes remain low.

A recent Deloitte India study suggested nearly 70 percent of mobile phone users interviewed in Indian cities do not use mobile value-added services.

In the 22 to 36 age group, only half of those surveyed said they were comfortable viewing information online and the majority of people were not willing to make purchases online.

"The active-day trader will continue to trade online, and make calls to get market sensitive information, unavailable on a mobile," said Monish.

Subho Roy, president of the Internet and Mobile Association of India industry body added: "It is in the interest of the stock markets to accept this new technology as there is a huge market base that can be tapped."

RIM Tablet to be announced next week

Sources familiar to RIM's plans, claim the BlackBerry maker could show the world its tablet as early as next week, at a developers' conference in San Francisco.

The internal name for the tablet is BlackPad; it will have a 7-inch touch screen, one or two cameras, Bluetooth and broadband connections, and it's scheduled for a launch in the fourth quarter of the year. Interestingly enough, WSJ's sources claim the device will only be able to connect to mobile networks through a BlackBerry.

As far as the OS goes - and this is the most interesting bit - the same sources claim RIM will use a new platform built by QNX, an OS maker RIM bought earlier this year, instead of BlackBerry OS. Furthermore, BlackBerry is supposed to eventually move the BlackBerry to this new platform, too.

That's quite a bit of info from the Wall Street Journal, and although RIM did not confirm or deny any of it, it paints an interesting picture for the BlackBerry maker. RIM has slowly been losing ground to iPhone and Android phones in the last year, and - if real - these moves show a determination to turn things around. If RIM's tablet really brings a taste of the new platform that all BlackBerries will share, it won't be just a competitor to iPad, it will be a major test of RIM's ability to keep up with the current trends on the market.

IBM to buy Netezza for $1.7 billion

IBM Corp has agreed to pay $1.7 billion for Netezza Corp, a company that helps businesses sort through data on corporate servers.

The deal would help IBM expand in an area known as "analytics," where the company sees a major source of growth over the next few years. IBM expects to grow annual revenue from analytics services, software and hardware sales to $16 billion by 2015, up from $9 billion last year. It estimates the total annual market now amounts to roughly $100 billion.

IBM has been pushing into the analytics business through acquisitions. The company says it has spent $12 billion on 23 separate analytics companies over the past four years. Its biggest takeover in 2009 was a $1.2 billion deal for SPSS Inc., a company that makes analytics software for predicting future trends.

Netezza's software and hardware systems are designed to help companies use data about their businesses to make strategic decisions. The British TV, Internet and phone service provider Virgin Media Inc. uses the technology to quickly assess how price changes or tariffs are affecting sales.

Netezza, which is based in Marlborough, Mass., with about 500 employees, also lists Neiman Marcus, Time Warner Inc. and NYSE Euronext Inc. among its customers.

Big tech manufacturers have been snapping up smaller companies as they compete with one another to broaden the types of products and services they offer corporate clients.

Earlier this month computer maker Hewlett-Packard Co. topped Dell Inc. in a bidding war for data storage company 3Par Inc.

Google adds extra security to e-mail apps

Google Inc. is making it tougher for computer hackers and other imposters to break into e-mail accounts and other password-protected services.

An additional security measure introduced recently will require typing a six-digit code after an accountholder's Google password is entered. The codes will be sent to user's mobile phones.

The two-step process means it will take more than a password to get into an account, at least the first time that an attempted login is made from a particular computer. After logging in, users can ask Google to remember that their identity has been verified on that device and security codes won't be required to get into the account again.

The system is similar to that employed by some banks for online account access. The extra protection initially will be offered to companies and government agencies subscribing to a Google service that provides e-mail and other office applications. Google also is offering the added security to schools that rely on Google to run their e-mail systems.

People using Google's free Gmail service will have the option of making the security codes a part of their login process within the next few months. That could turn the security codes into a mainstream staple, given that Gmail had more than 185 million active accountholders worldwide in July, according to the most recent data from the research firm comScore Inc.

To make it easier to get the codes, Google has created a free security application for Apple's Inc.'s iPhone, Research In Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerry and phones running Google's own Android software.

Google wants more companies, government agencies and consumers to feel comfortable about "cloud computing," - which involves storing vital information on remote servers reached through the Internet.

Many people pick simple passwords, which makes it easier for hackers to break into an account. Requiring a security code that's only sent to the accountholder's mobile phone erects a new roadblock.

Facebook denies to build its own phone

Social networking website Facebook has said it is pushing deeper into the mobile phones sector, but denied an Internet report that it will build its own phone.

Privately held Facebook has more than 500 million users worldwide and the company already has applications on a number of mobile phones that tie into its social networking website.

But Jaime Schopflin, a spokesman for Facebook, said the privately held company "is not building a phone." Facebook's current projects include "deeper integrations with some manufacturers," he said.

"Our view is that almost all experiences would be better if they were social, so integrating deeply into existing platforms and operating systems is a good way to enable this," Schopflin said in a statement.

In a report, the technology website TechCrunch.com had revealed that a source with knowledge of the project revealed that Facebook is secretly building software for a phone and working with a third party to build the hardware.

TechCrunch.com said Facebook wants to integrate deeply into the contacts list and core functions of a mobile phone, which it can only do if it controls the phone's operating system.

Facebook, for its part, cited Facebook Connect, a service to allow members to log onto third-party websites, for Apple Inc's iPhone, and contact syncing on its iPhone application as projects it has already undertaken.

In May, Facebook also launched a stripped-down version of its social networking website designed for mobile phones with limited bandwidth Internet connections.

"The bottom line is that whenever we work on a deep integration, people want to call it a 'Facebook Phone' because that's such an attractive soundbite, but building phones is just not what we do," Schopflin said.

Facebook's denial comes after Google Inc last year dismissed media reports about its plans to build a phone, and then later came out with the Nexus One.

At the time, the company said it was focusing on developing its Android mobile operating software, which works on a multitude of mobile phones developed by other companies such as Motorola Inc's hot-selling DROID device.

But Google eventually did release in January its own smartphone called the Nexus One, manufactured by Taiwan-based HTC Corp.

Hacktivity 2010 to tackle Computer Security

A major anti-hacking conference wrapped up in Hungary after higlighting protection against increasingly sophisticated computer piracy as the Internet becomes ever more present in daily life.

"The Internet is the greatest generation gap since rock'n roll," world-renowned US cyber security expert Bruce Schneier told the two-day Hacktivity 2010 event in the capital Budapest.

"The older of us need to be prepared for a younger generation that lives life on the Internet, doesn't understand where their computer or smartphone ends and the Internet begins, shares passwords with their friends as a sign of trust and deliberately lies when registering for services," he said.

"At the same time, technological and business trends point to less user control: what will security and privacy look like in this new world?" he warned.

Some 30 presentations were scheduled over the two-day conference covering topics including database protection by softwares like Oracle, MySQL, MSSQL, DB2 LUW, Sybase, ASE and PostgreSQL.

Also of interest was the new concept of Web 2.0, which includes changes in the way the Web is used.

"Web 2.0 is a technology that is used more and more nowadays," said Csaba Krasznai, a former organiser of Hacktivity who now does research at Miklos Zrinyi National Defence University.

He said Web 2.0 posed a threat not just to individuals but also to companies and the state, and it was necessary to establish security measures "based on changes within society."

Smartphones like the iPhone and Blackberry were also discussed, with Hungarian security expert Domonkos Tomcsanyi noting that they could easily be pirated with a simple PDA, or palmtop computer.

US hacker Mitch Altman meanwhile demonstrated how, with a kit worth just a dozen dollars, it was possible to remotely switch off a public television or charge any device with a USB port.

Samsung Galaxy Tab to debut on all four big US carriers

Samsung’s recently announced 7-inch Android tablet, The Galaxy Tab, will be arriving on not one, not two, not three, but all four of the big U.S. carriers in the "coming months."

The Tab will pop up on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless. The 7-inch tablet will be priced competitively with Apple’s competing, red-hot iPad. Precise pricing and availability details for the Tab, the European version of which was officially unveiled earlier this month at the IFA consumer tech show in Berlin.

The specifications for the North American model of the Tab are pretty much the same as they are overseas - that is, we’re talking a 13-ounce, 0.47-inch thick tablet with a 7-inch "enhanced" TFT-LCD display (not Super AMOLED, as with Samsung’s Galaxy S Android smartphones) running on Android 2.2 "Froyo," complete with Flash support.

While Android 2.2 doesn’t support tablets, the Galaxy Tab does come with the Android Market installed, with some custom-designed apps (such as email, contacts, and the calendar) scaling to fit the Tab’s display and even switching to two-column mode when the tablet is held horizontally. Standard Android apps will appear in an 800-by-400 window on the Tab’s 1024-by-600 display.

The Galaxy Tab will also come with a pair of cameras: one in back with a 3-megapixel sensor (including an LED flash and auto-focus), and a 1.3MP lens in front, good for video chat over Wi-Fi with apps such as Qik and Fring.

In addition to Wi-Fi, the Tab will support cellular 3G data networks, given that the tablet will soon be offered by the four largest U.S. wireless carriers. Like the iPad, though, the Tab will only support wireless data and won’t do voice calls.

Another big part of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab announcement is the debut of the Media Hub, Samsung’s take on streaming media for its Galaxy phones and the Tab itself. At launch, the Media Hub will offer about 1,000 TV shows and movies from the likes of MTV Networks, NBC Universal, Paramount and Warner Brothers. Shows and movies will be available for purchase and rent.

Other features on the Tab include a built-in microphone, GPS, an accelerometer, DLNA media sharing, 16GB of internal storage plus up to 32GB of additional memory through the microSD slot, and a 4,000 mAh battery. Under the hood lies Samsung’s custom 1GHz A8 Cortex processor.

A trio of accessories will also be available, including a full-size and heavy keyboard dock ($100), a desktop dock with an HDMI video output ($50), and a car kit with a bracket that attaches to the dashboard or windshield ($100).

Apple's 27-inch Cinema Display available at Apple Online Store

Apple's 27-inch Cinema Display, which was announced about a month and a half ago, is finally on sale in Apple’s online store.

It's an IPS-based glossy monitor with a 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution, with LED backlighting, 1000:1 contrast ratio and a 178 degree viewing angle. It comes with built-in MagSafe charging, iSight camera, speakers, and three USB ports.

This new display replaces Apple's old 30'' Cinema Display; and is priced at $999.

Nokia N8 Release Dates Announced

Nokia N8 Release Dates Announced

Samsung to add Google Android Software to TVs

Google Android Software Samsung TV sets

ViewSonic launches 10-inch Tablet PC ViewPad 100

ViewSonic has launched its second tablet during the Internationale Funkaustellung (IFA) trade show in Berlin. The ViewPad 100 runs Windows 7 Home Premium and Android version 1.6.

The ViewPad 100 is a Wi-Fi only tablet that comes with 16GB of storage and a Micro SD slot for another 32GB. An Intel Atom N455 1.66Ghz processor powers the tablet and the screen has a 1024 x 600 pixel resolution.

Additional features include Bluetooth, A-GPS (Assisted-GPS) and a 1.3-megapixel webcam.

The already announced ViewPad 7, which sports a 7-inch screen, version 2.2 of Android and 3G - is still its flagship model to ViewSonic. The ViewPad 100 is a product you use at home or in the office, and the ViewPad you can bring with you.

The ViewPad 100 will be available in October for approximately US$845.

Sony unveils VAIO 3-D Laptop prototype

Get ready for a laptop computer with 3-D video and games. Sony, hoping that could be the Next Big Thing, has showed prototypes of an upcoming VAIO 3-D laptop at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin, Germany, and announced plans to launch a 3-D TV channel.

According to Sony CEO Howard Stinger, the laptop, with a 3-D button and active-shutter glasses, will formally debut in the spring. The prototypes use a frame-sequential technology that alternates between left- and right-eye views, with blank screens between them to keep them separate enough for the mind to create good-quality three dimensions. The video is displayed at 240 frames per second to create 60 fps video.

Sony is moving forward quickly on 3-D across its product line, in addition to TVs. It also announced at IFA that existing Blu-ray HD DVD players and the PlayStation 3 game console will be updated with firmware so they can play 3-D. Stringer demonstrated a variety of 3-D titles, including Major League Baseball, Mortal Kombat, Virtual Tennis 4, Killzone 3, and others.

The company has also announced a 3-D video projector and said its 3-D TV channel will focus on natural history, children's programs, science and movies. New 3-D feature films in the works from Sony include The Green Hornet, Resident Evil Afterlife, and new sequels in the Spider-Man and Men in Black franchises.

The presence of 3-D display technology on a laptop raises the possibility of third-party development of 3-D applications. Shim noted that this "chicken and egg problem," where developers will be reluctant to develop for a nonexistent or small installed base, might be resolved by "seeding" 3-D-based software. Sony has begun to do this with games, and Shim suggested other companies that are similarly interested in advancing this platform might also begin such development.

Toshiba to launch Android-Based Folio 100 Tablet PC

The rapidly growing category of Tablet PCs will soon have a new family member. Toshiba has announced that its Folio 100, a 10.1-inch, Android 2.2-based tablet computer, will be on sale in Europe by the end of October.

The tablet could capture as much as 15 to 20 percent of that market in Europe by the end of next year, says Gianluca Dianese, Toshiba's head of marketing for digital products in that region. He made the prediction at the IFA 2010 consumer electronics show now taking place in Berlin, Germany.

Wi-Fi, 3G, Bluetooth
The Folio, expected to sell for about $500, will come with Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity, Bluetooth and 16GB of storage. Toshiba will also release a model that plays 3-D video, which is beginning to emerge on portable computing devices.

Sony has already showed prototypes of VAIO laptops with 3-D.

The Folio can boot up in 30 seconds, runs on a Nvidia Tegra 2 CPU, and features a 1.3-megapixel camera, a display resolution of 1024x600, and battery life up to 7 hours. Ports include mini-HDMI, USB and a SD/MMC card reader. As with other new Android devices, it will support Flash 10.1, a competitive advantage against Apple's iPad. Apple is not allowing Flash to run on the iPad, preferring instead the emerging, standards-based HTML5.

The iPad, whose popularity has jump-started the tablet category, is beginning to acquire rivals, although no major competitor has yet emerged. A variety of companies, including Hewlett-Packard, Research In Motion and Google, are expected to release tablets in the next few months. Dell, ASUS and Samsung have already done so.

Apple's iPad success has been largely driven by its ecosystem of a large library of third-party applications that run on the tablet, in addition to the vast number of music and other entertainment offerings in its iTunes Store. Toshiba is similarly preparing its own ecosystem with music, online radio channels, and applications available through the Toshiba Marketplace, and it has said it is planning to offer streaming movies and a digital book service.

Laptop Recall
But even as Toshiba takes one step forward into tablets, it's being forced to take a step backward in laptops.

The computer maker announced it is recalling 41,000 laptops because of possible overheating problems that could present a burn hazard. The recall involves the Toshiba Satellite T123, Satellite T135D, and Satellite Pro T130 models, and the overheating reportedly occurs at the point where the AC adapter plugs into the computer. The recall is based on 129 reports of overheating laptops.

Toshiba has suggested that owners of those models should download a BIOS update from the company's web site, enabling a scan to determine if the laptop is overheating. If it is, information about a free repair is also available on the web site.

China asks for ID to buy Mobile Phone Number

China wants people who buy new cell phone numbers to register their personal details, joining many European and Asian countries in curbing the anonymous use of mobile technology.

Most countries that have such rules say they prevent the use of unregistered phones in terror attacks or drug crimes. In China, authorities say they have their sights on rampant junk messages - but some believe the government will use the new tool for monitoring its citizens.

The regulation was “the latest campaign by the government to curb the global scourge of spam, pornographic messages and fraud on cellular phones”. The rules that started Wednesday apply to everyone, including foreigners on short visits.

Similar rules have been implemented in several Asian, European and Latin American countries, often after phones were used to detonate bombs, organize terrorist attacks or conduct criminal activities. Federal legislation has been introduced in the United States, where prepaid phones have long been used by drug dealers. In many places, however, the rules are easily skirted with fake IDs or false names.

But human rights advocates say China might be looking for a way to track people who spontaneously join protests. Users could previously buy low-cost mobile phone SIM cards anonymously with cash at convenience stores and newspaper stands and use them right away.

China censors Internet content it deems politically sensitive and blocks many websites, including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Following ethnic riots in far western China's Xinjiang region, international phone service and the Internet in the region were suspended for months.

The new regulation probably won't impact Chinese dissidents, many of whom already have their phones closely monitored, but it could help police track down ordinary people who take part in protests, Wang said. China has seen a growing number of protests sparked by labor disagreements, anger over pollution or other issues.

The ID requirement is also raising new privacy concerns and will likely upset some customers unwilling to give personal information to vendors and telecom operators for fear it will be resold, said Duncan Clark, managing director of BDA China Ltd, a technology market research firm.

China has more than 800 million mobile phone numbers already in use. According to a report by The Global Times, ‘about 320 million of mobile phone numbers were purchased without real-name registration. They will have to be reregistered by 2013 or could be suspended’.

China Unicom, one of the country's three major state-owned phone carriers, issued a notice on its website on Aug. 20 saying that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology had informed them that real-name registration would be required for all new telephone number purchases starting Sept. 1.

China Mobile, the world's biggest phone carrier by subscribers - was also complying with the directive.

Samsung Galaxy Tab to compete with Apple iPad

Samsung Electronics has unveiled a new tablet PC named Galaxy Tab as the latest device meant to rival Apple Inc.'s popular iPad.

The device is mean to offer users "a new galaxy of possibilities" with features such as mobile video conferencing and a video chat function.

The thin tablet device weighs 13.4 ounces (380 grams) and has a 7-inch (18-centimeter) touch screen. The Tablet PC comes with Google Inc.'s Android 2.2 ‘Froyo’ operating system and Adobe's Flash Player.

Amazingly, this powerful tablet is also a phone - although it's a huge one. In its press release, Samsung said "the Samsung Galaxy Tab turns out to be a perfect speakerphone on the desk, or a mobile phone on the move via Bluetooth headset."

The Galaxy Tab has the full complement of Google's Android apps, including access to the 70,000-plus apps in the Android Market. Samsung has added some of its own apps as well. Its Media Hub, which we saw briefly in action on a Samsung Epic 4G phone last month, sells TV episodes and movies for download. The "Readers Hub" appears to be Samsung's own e-book store and e-reader app.

The tablet runs Froyo on a 1-Ghz Samsung Hummingbird processor, and the LCD screen is 1024-by-600 resolution. Since this is Froyo, the Web browser has full Adobe Flash 10.1 support.
To connect to the Internet, the Tab uses 3G HSPA 7.2 (AT&T's technology) as well as Wi-Fi 802.11n. The frequency bands on the model introduced make it incompatible with U.S. carriers in general, though presumably a U.S.-centric model will fix this.

There's a 3-megapixel camera on the back and a 1.3-megapixel camera on the front, specifically for making video calls. The tablet has either 16 or 32 G-bytes of internal memory, with a MicroSD card slot supporting up to 32GB more. The tablet weighs 13 ounces, and according to Samsung, the 4000 mAh battery will last for 7 hours of video playback.

Although Android 2.2 is the latest version, rumor mongers have been looking forward to Google's unannounced Android 3.0, also known as "Gingerbread."

With 512MB of RAM and a 1-Ghz processor, the Galaxy Tab looks well-positioned for a potential upgrade.

The Galaxy Tab will come to Europe this month and to the US in coming months. The price of the device will depend on telecommunications operators through which it will be available.

Taleo Corp to buy Learn.com

Human resources software maker Taleo Corp has agreed to buy software company Learn.com Inc. for $125 million in cash.

Under the terms of the deal, Taleo agreed to offer up to $2 million of interim financing in connection with the acquisition, to be drawn down by Learn.com. Any amount outstanding when the transaction closes will be deducted from the purchase price.

The deal is expected to close at the end of the year.

Taleo said the acquisition will strengthen its position in the learning management systems market.

The products from Learn.com are used by more than 500 companies worldwide. Both companies have been strategic partners since September 2009.

Wipro to enter Defence Sector

The government is understood to have approved a proposal from Bangalore-based Wipro Ltd to enter the defence sector. The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) had given its nod to Wipro for designing, developing and manufacturing defence-related software and had further referred the matter for the Finance Minister''s approval.

The case assumes importance as even the FIPB was not clear whether approval from them is required for companies engaged in software activities to enter the defence sector. Accordingly, the FIPB had directed the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to expeditiously conclude their deliberations in this regard.

Moreover, the major issue related to the proposal was whether IT companies who want to get into defence-related activities will be subjected to the cap of 26 per cent on foreign direct investment, as is the norm in the sector. Wipro, which already has foreign institutional investment of 9.8 per cent, had been advised by the MoD to take FIPB permission before applying for a licence.

Under the current FDI norms, software companies with 100 per cent foreign equity can set up shop in India through the automatic route and can offer software services in defence. However, a separate rule says FDI in the defence sector is only permissible up to 26 per cent.

The DIPP had communicated in a FIPB meeting on July 30 that deliberations between it and the MoD for finalising the classifications of defence-related items has not yet concluded. However, the Department of Economic Affairs and MoD have supported the proposal.

It was also advised that since the proposal includes design, development and manufacture of systems and these are licencable items, as such approval is necessary even though the deliberations on software have not yet concluded. The board accordingly has recommended the proposal for approval, subject to the above conditions.