 | ||||||||||||||
From January 2012, AirAsia X and its technology partner, Optiontown, have introduced an innovative new service, called ‘Empty Seat Option (ESo)’, available on Optiontown.com. AirAsia X is the first airline in Asia Pacific to offer its guests travelling in Economy, an option which provides a chance to get all three seats in a row for a nominal fee. Empty Seat Option (ESo) is AirAsia X’s second successful ancillary offering introduced in partnership with Optiontown after the success of its Upgrade Travel Option (UTo) service, launched in 2011. The UTo provides AirAsia X’s guests the opportunity to upgrade to AirAsia X’s Premium Flatbed seats. The UTo has helped to significantly increase AirAsia X's premium class load factor (by over 22%) and upgrade yield (by over 60%). Options are limited by flight to ensure a reasonable probability of successful upgrades. Each option is dynamically priced. AirAsia X CEO, Azran Osman-Rani said, “AirAsia X has revolutionized air travel in many ways and we are constantly on the lookout for current innovative trend to ensure that our guests’ comfort are looked after when onboard our flights. “We offer them the option to purchase only what is required depending on individual needs rather than bundling the cost to our fare offerings. This way, guests are able to enjoy continuous low fares from the airline. Feedback from passengers have been resoundingly positive as this service provides a clear comfort value for our passengers, and we’re delighted to expand our product offering to include ESo now, and other flexibility options in the near future.” He adds, “AirAsia X remains focused on maintaining its global leadership position in the low cost, long-haul segment. The airline is constantly looking for ways to boost customer satisfaction and enhance their flying experience with us. I believe that the Empty Seat Option (ESo) will be a great addition to our family of ancillary products which will further increase our ancillary revenue stream. We estimate that we could earn up to US$1 million in 2012,” concluded Azran. Optiontown Founder & CEO, Sachin Goel stated, “Our team is excited to bring this innovation to the guest of AirAsia X, which is sharing our philosophy of pioneering dynamic travel options. Our patented core technology ‘OptiMYzer TM’ allows us to creatively bring more utility to the guest of our airline partner AirAsia X’. The technology has still more options in store that we plan to launch in the near future.” To add on the Empty Seat Option (ESo) to your booking, guests are invited to
AirAsia X is one of the 10 airlines collaborating with Optiontown, an innovative airline service provider headquartered in Massachusetts, USA with branch offices in India and Europe. |
Wednesday, 15 February 2012
AirAsia X, first Airline in Asia to Introduce Innovative Empty Seat Option
Apple Asks Outside Group to Inspect Factories
Lee/Bloomberg NewsA production line in Foxconn City in Shenzhen, China.
Responding to a growing outcry over conditions at its overseas factories, Apple said Monday that an outside organization had begun to audit working conditions at the plants where the bulk of iPhones, iPads and other Apple products are built, and that the group would make its finding public.
For years, Apple has resisted calls for independent scrutiny of the suppliers that make its electronics. But for the first time it has begun publicly divulging information that it once considered secret, after criticism that included coordinated protests last week at Apple stores around the world and investigative news reports about punishing conditions inside some factories.
Last month, Apple released the names of 156 of its suppliers. Two weeks later, Apple’s chief executive sent an e-mail to the company’s 65,000 employees defending Apple’s manufacturing record while also pledging to go “deeper into the supply chain.” And now, the company has asked an outside group — a nonprofit financed partly by participating companies like Apple — to publicly identify specific factories where abuses are discovered.
Corporate analysts say Apple’s shifts could incite widespread changes throughout the electronics industry, since a lot of companies use the same suppliers. They also said it seemed calculated to forestall the kind of public relations problems over labor issues that in previous decades afflicted companies like
But it is unclear if the efforts by Apple, whose $469 billion market value is the largest of any company in the world, will be enough to quiet its critics, some of whom had urged Apple to work with Chinese monitoring organizations with direct knowledge of its suppliers in
Though some labor groups applauded Monday’s announcement, others said that the outside auditor Apple chose, the Fair Labor Association, which is based in
“F.L.A. is part of a corporate social responsibility industry that’s totally compromised,” said Judy Gearhart, executive director of the International Labor Rights Forum, an advocacy group for workers. “The auditing has been proven to be weak, and real solutions need a lot more than auditing. It takes empowering workers.”
Apple, in a statement, said that the Fair Labor Association was an independent organization that had been given “unrestricted access” to the company’s suppliers. The first inspections, Apple said, were conducted on Monday at a factory in
Apple has said that if the companies manufacturing its products do not measure up to its labor and human rights standards, it will stop working with them.
“We have a very credible, independent monitoring system,” said Jorge Perez-Lopez, executive director of the Fair Labor Association. “Yes, Nike is on our board. So are other companies. But so are universities. And our reports are written by staff, without consultation or influence.”
Since 2007, Apple has released yearly audit reports of its own detailing labor violations and unsafe conditions at its suppliers. More than half of the facilities audited by Apple every year had violated at least one aspect of the company’s supplier code of conduct, and in some instances violated the law.
Auditors have found instances of excessive overtime, underage workers, improperly disposed hazardous waste and falsified records, according to the company’s reports. Two years ago, 137 workers at an Apple supplier in eastern China were injured after they were ordered to use a poisonous chemical to clean
Working conditions at Apple’s suppliers were the subject of articles published last month by
Because Apple’s public disclosures of problems do not identify the suppliers by name, it is difficult to determine where specific abuses happened. It is also tough to determine if conditions improved after Apple demanded changes, as the company says. The company has disclosed little about its manufacturing process over all, at least partly because it does not want to tip off competitors.
For instance, Chinese advocacy groups — which are often considered reliable, independent monitors — have published multiple reports saying that Foxconn employees regularly work more than 12 hours a day, seven days a week, a violation of both Chinese law and Apple’s code of conduct. Apple has audited Foxconn City multiple times and Foxconn, in a statement sent to The Times, said it had never been cited by Apple for overworked employees.
If the Fair Labor Association conducts wide-ranging audits and publishes data on specific facilities, it could transform the attention brought to the worst performers, and in the example of Foxconn City, help determine whether Foxconn, or the advocacy groups, have been telling the truth.
“The problem with the F.L.A. is that it lives by rules set up by the companies itself,” said Mr. Lezhnev of the Enough Project. “Real transparency will transform the electronics industry. But if it’s just a whitewash, I’m not sure how much will change.”
Apple, in its statement, said the Fair Labor Association’s findings and recommendations from its first inspections would most likely be posted online in early March on the group’s Web site,
At Apple’s request, the group will also conduct audits of Apple’s other main assembly factories, including Foxconn’s plant in
While other companies have been criticized for conditions at their operations overseas, Apple has received particular attention because it is the biggest — its market value is more than the combined value of
Apple said Monday that its suppliers had pledged to give the auditors unrestricted access to their operations during the inspections. Apple said the organization would “interview thousands of employees about working and living conditions including health and safety, compensation, working hours and communication with management.” It will also inspect manufacturing areas, worker dormitories and other facilities, the company said.
“We believe that workers everywhere have the right to a safe and fair work environment, which is why we’ve asked the F.L.A. to independently assess the performance of our largest suppliers,”
In January, Apple announced it would be the first technology company to join the Fair Labor Association. The organization was founded in 1999, and evolved out a task force created by President
When completed, Apple said, the association’s inspections will have covered factories where more than 90 percent of Apple’s products are assembled.
(http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/13/apple-announces-independent-factory-inspections/?ref=technology.)
Google Deal for Motorola Mobility Gets Clearance
John Guillemin/Bloomberg News
Inspecting a Motorola phone in a Warsaw store. Google says it will license Motorola's patents on fair and reasonable terms.
The deal, worth $12.5 billion, still needs a few more regional approvals but has cleared the biggest hurdles. It would bring Google 19,000 new employees, the lower margins of a manufacturing enterprise and the challenge of extending its very successful cellphone software business.
Google’s Android operating system is in more than four out of 10 new smartphones, but the dominant single company in the industry remains Apple and its iPhone. Google is likely to use Motorola to show other Android makers how it thinks phones should be built — by, for instance, more tightly integrating such Google-centric features as Google Wallet.
Approval of the deal had been widely expected. The only discordant note: Europe warned that Google should play fair in markets for smartphones and tablet computers. Google shares rose $6.29 Monday to close at $612.20.
The Justice Department separately announced that it was closing three investigations at the same time: Google’s purchase of Motorola; the purchase by Apple, Microsoft and Research in Motion of certain patents from the bankrupt Nortel Networks; and Apple’s purchase of certain Novell patents.
The purchases are “unlikely to substantially lessen competition,” the Justice Department said in a statement.
Barclays Capital, in a report on Google released on Monday, said that Motorola’s mobile devices business was probably losing market share, but that its extensive patent portfolio would allow Google to better protect Android. It also will give Google access to the living room through Motorola’s set-top box business. Google is already working on a home entertainment device.
The deal comes at a time of heightened scrutiny by regulators over ownership of intellectual property governing computers and mobile communications.
Joaquín Almunia, the European Union competition commissioner, indicated in a statement that he would be watching the sector. The decision “does not mean that the merger clearance blesses all actions by Motorola in the past or all future action by Google,” the statement said. He added that any action on “the question whether Motorola’s or Google’s conduct is compliant with E.U. antitrust law” would be taken separately.
The clearance in Europe will come as a relief for Google, which is still trying to fend off a separate investigation by the commission into whether the company has abused a dominant position in online search and advertising.
Mr. Almunia said that he cleared the deal partly because Google’s business model had been to share its Android mobile operating system with other device makers to gain the widest user base, making it less likely that the company would restrict the use of Android solely to Motorola, which is a relatively minor player in Europe.
But Mr. Almunia expressed strong concerns about the way powerful technology companies had participated in setting the standards for the proper functioning of mobile devices like smartphones.
Owners of such patents could “hold up competitors or even an entire industry to the detriment of consumers and innovation,” he said. “I can assure you that the commission will take further action if warranted to ensure the use of standard essential patents by all players in the sector.”
Phone makers including Apple, Motorola and Samsung — a South Korean company that relies heavily on Android for many of its products — are pursuing legal battles worldwide over the levels and fairness of fees that they impose on each other for using patented technologies.
The commission is already investigating Samsung for the way it used standard essential patents and for the way it sought injunctions against its competitors in national courts. “That review is ongoing and is being dealt with as a priority,” said Mr. Almunia, referring to the case against Samsung.
In one of the most recent cases, Apple filed a lawsuit in California last week claiming that the Galaxy Nexus, a Samsung smartphone, infringes on patents underlying the features customers expect from Apple products, like how the phone is unlocked and how it searches for information by voice command.
Last week, Google wrote to standard-setting organizations around the world pledging to license Motorola patents on fair and reasonable terms if the deal succeeded. Google promised to keep a cap on the fees it charges for licensing its technology at a top rate of 2.25 percent of the net selling price for each phone and sought to outline the conditions under which it would sue companies for patent infringement.
Google asked for permission to complete the deal in November, and the merger review lasted a month longer than expected because the commission asked Google for additional evidence in the case. But Google managed to fend off the much lengthier, in-depth review.
A plus from Google
IS THERE room for one more social media platform? If one were to ask Google with reference to their fledgling social network Google+, which was launched in June 2011, the technology giant's first response would be "we're not a social platform."
"The one thing to understand about Google+ is that it's a not a social destination the way other platforms are. It is a social layer that reaches across all of Google's products," said Ryan Hayward, Google+ product-marketing manager at Google Asia Pacific.
Google CEO Larry Page echoed the same message, stating that Google+ is about much more than the individual features themselves.
"It's also about building a meaningful relationship with users so that we can dramatically improve the services we offer," he said.
New figures revealed by the company during a recent earnings call showed Google+ had passed 90 million users globally as of January this year, demonstrating that the platform's attraction remains strong.
The number is a major bump up from the last reported figure of 40 million users in Q3 of last year. In addition, 60% of that number sign in daily while 80% sign in weekly.
When pitted against Facebook's 845 million active monthly users and Twitter's 100 million active users, it is still the new kid on the block but the rate of adoption remains impressive.
Google does not share user figures on a country-by-country basis, however Hayward said that across the Asia Pacific region, the network has experienced "strong growth."
But with individuals having to juggle their time (and content) between multiple platforms and accounts, where does or can Google+ fit in?
People power
The engine of any social network is the people who populate and use it, with many on Google+ currently experimenting with what the service can offer.
"What we're seeing from users is that many are using it as a content discovery mechanism and community-building tool," said Hayward.
The interview with Tokyo-based Hayward was conducted via Google+ Hangouts, one of the platform's more unique features.
The group video chat feature allows anyone on the Web to potentially join a "Hangout" if they happen to possess its unique URL.
Hayward shared some recent usage cases for the feature, which has garnered much popularity with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and charitable endeavours.
For example, following Japan's tsunami disaster last year, popular musician Ryuichi Sakamoto hosted a Hangout with fans before going on stage to perform in a fund-raising charity concert.
In Thailand after the floods, Google+ Hangouts were used by a number of NGOs to help "put a face on the tragedy" and attract donations for disaster relief.
Many photographers have also migrated to the network, with Hayward pointing to the case of Trey Ratcliff, a well-known photo blogger who already had a big presence on Facebook. Ratcliff currently has 860,000 Google+ followers, up from 480,000 followers in December 2011.
The attraction for photographers, according to Hayward, is the wide range of photo-friendly tools such as a full-fledged photo editor and the unique experience the network offers for engaging in discussions and building communities.
Digital culture commentator Niki Cheong has also found Google+ conducive for discussions. "I find that Google+ is very discussion friendly so I follow a number of experts in my area of interest and follow their discussions more than anything," he said.
But for some Malaysians already plugged into the network, the role Google+ plays appears to be a secondary one.
Deborah Lee, deputy projects editor for a local magazine who joined the network in mid-2011, said she uses it mainly to post her views on fashion, beauty, lifestyle-related news and social awareness issues.
"Google+ is secondary as I primarily use Facebook and Twitter to air my views," said the 27-year-old.
Lee particularly likes the concept of Circles, which allows grouping people into different categories at one go.
"It makes it easier to control who sees your posts. It saves time and hassles as you don't have to manually select people one by one, unlike Facebook. With Twitter, it's either 'block' or 'allow' so it's very rigid," she said.
Joe Lee, better known online via his moniker klubbkiddkl, also sees Google+ serving a niche purpose as he mainly engages his followers on Twitter.
"Other social networking sites pale in comparison as a tool for reaching out. Facebook is merely a personal circle, while Google+ has become more of a platform for me to share viral videos with friends," explained the 36-year-old social media consultant and freelance journalist.
In the case of Cheong, Google+ is just another platform within the social media ecosystem that he functions within.
For him, Facebook is really about keeping in touch with friends, Twitter is for connecting with people he might not know and Google+ is about discussions.
"I compartmentalise my social media use. That's probably not the way these companies imagined the sites will be used, but I guess users can construct how they use it and that's how I use my networks," said Cheong.
Brands Plus
When Google+ first launched, Google asked brands and publishers not to create pages for their own sites promising that an official solution would soon be made available.
Last November, Google+ Business Pages – a feature similar to Facebook Pages for brands – was officially launched and there are now over one million brand Pages on the network.
Much of the buzz over the service has been focused on the possibilities afforded to brands for reaching out and engaging its consumers.
Teoh Jui Hong, managing director of a local advertising and public relations agency noted that Google+ currently enjoys a romanticised idea of being a better channel but is not quite ready for the prime time.
"The real action is still with Facebook and to a certain extent Twitter. In almost all our existing campaigns, Facebook enjoys much higher participation and engagement from consumers. Statistics also show a large percentage of visitors to websites and e-commerce sites originate from Facebook," said Teoh.
He added that nice features like public video chats via the Hangouts feature is overshadowed by deficiencies such as the inability to assign multiple administrators to the Page. Such limitations make it difficult for any social media agency team to collaborate on a brand page.
Digital communications consultant David Lian offered a more positive take, noting that Google+ will be a great play for any business because of the way it integrates with everything Google has.
"I've just partnered with a friend to open a small side business selling boardgames. We could add our physical location on Google Maps, and create a Google+ page for the business though we've yet to populate it. Google links all these bits of information together and suddenly, your small business has a presence online," said Lian.
However, he admitted that the drawback right now is that Google+ simply doesn't have the critical mass that Facebook has already achieved.
"Ultimately, you want to be where people can find you. I've no doubt that if Google puts its muscle behind this, they can pull off something great," Lian added.
Win or lose?
Work is still being done on Google+, with continual improvements being made to the service.
Hayward noted that since its launch, over 200 new features, from minor tweaks to new functions, have been introduced.
However the jury is still out on whether Google+ will be a resounding success.
According to Kelvin Lim, digital strategist for a public relations firm, Google+ is on paper, a remarkable game changer.
"It should have revolutionised tailored messaging through Circles and induce massive shifts in search through +1 integration, but that didn't happen. The issue with Google+ isn't functional or mechanical - it's emotional," said Lim.
He added that coupled with the fact that Facebook and Twitter offers much greater results for brands and businesses, it's going to be challenging for Google to attract its competitors' critical mass over when what they're using right now works.
Cheong notes that search has always been Google's strength, so it makes sense that it would capitalise on that within its social strategy as well.
"I think Social Search has a great future and if it works out, Plus will prove to be a dominant force. If Google can refine how Social Search works, I would probably end up using it more just to have a better search experience," he said.
It remains a numbers game with many watching Google+ and its growth rates as the main indicator of viability.
The people behind it would rather not speculate as shown by CEO Page's response to a question about growth prediction.
"Oh my goodness. I won't try to predict that but we're very excited about the growth we've had, and we're certainly seeing a tremendous number of people being added every day."
For those already participating in the network, the waiting game continues as illustrated by Lian: "I think Google+ is a great tool. I only wish more of my friends would use it."
(http://techcentral.my/news/story.aspx?file=/2012/2/14/it_news/20120214115735&sec=it_news)
"The one thing to understand about Google+ is that it's a not a social destination the way other platforms are. It is a social layer that reaches across all of Google's products," said Ryan Hayward, Google+ product-marketing manager at Google Asia Pacific.
Google CEO Larry Page echoed the same message, stating that Google+ is about much more than the individual features themselves.
"It's also about building a meaningful relationship with users so that we can dramatically improve the services we offer," he said.
New figures revealed by the company during a recent earnings call showed Google+ had passed 90 million users globally as of January this year, demonstrating that the platform's attraction remains strong.
The number is a major bump up from the last reported figure of 40 million users in Q3 of last year. In addition, 60% of that number sign in daily while 80% sign in weekly.
When pitted against Facebook's 845 million active monthly users and Twitter's 100 million active users, it is still the new kid on the block but the rate of adoption remains impressive.
Google does not share user figures on a country-by-country basis, however Hayward said that across the Asia Pacific region, the network has experienced "strong growth."
But with individuals having to juggle their time (and content) between multiple platforms and accounts, where does or can Google+ fit in?
People power
The engine of any social network is the people who populate and use it, with many on Google+ currently experimenting with what the service can offer.
"What we're seeing from users is that many are using it as a content discovery mechanism and community-building tool," said Hayward.
The interview with Tokyo-based Hayward was conducted via Google+ Hangouts, one of the platform's more unique features.
The group video chat feature allows anyone on the Web to potentially join a "Hangout" if they happen to possess its unique URL.
Hayward shared some recent usage cases for the feature, which has garnered much popularity with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and charitable endeavours.
For example, following Japan's tsunami disaster last year, popular musician Ryuichi Sakamoto hosted a Hangout with fans before going on stage to perform in a fund-raising charity concert.
In Thailand after the floods, Google+ Hangouts were used by a number of NGOs to help "put a face on the tragedy" and attract donations for disaster relief.
Many photographers have also migrated to the network, with Hayward pointing to the case of Trey Ratcliff, a well-known photo blogger who already had a big presence on Facebook. Ratcliff currently has 860,000 Google+ followers, up from 480,000 followers in December 2011.
The attraction for photographers, according to Hayward, is the wide range of photo-friendly tools such as a full-fledged photo editor and the unique experience the network offers for engaging in discussions and building communities.
Digital culture commentator Niki Cheong has also found Google+ conducive for discussions. "I find that Google+ is very discussion friendly so I follow a number of experts in my area of interest and follow their discussions more than anything," he said.
But for some Malaysians already plugged into the network, the role Google+ plays appears to be a secondary one.
Deborah Lee, deputy projects editor for a local magazine who joined the network in mid-2011, said she uses it mainly to post her views on fashion, beauty, lifestyle-related news and social awareness issues.
"Google+ is secondary as I primarily use Facebook and Twitter to air my views," said the 27-year-old.
Lee particularly likes the concept of Circles, which allows grouping people into different categories at one go.
"It makes it easier to control who sees your posts. It saves time and hassles as you don't have to manually select people one by one, unlike Facebook. With Twitter, it's either 'block' or 'allow' so it's very rigid," she said.
Joe Lee, better known online via his moniker klubbkiddkl, also sees Google+ serving a niche purpose as he mainly engages his followers on Twitter.
"Other social networking sites pale in comparison as a tool for reaching out. Facebook is merely a personal circle, while Google+ has become more of a platform for me to share viral videos with friends," explained the 36-year-old social media consultant and freelance journalist.
In the case of Cheong, Google+ is just another platform within the social media ecosystem that he functions within.
For him, Facebook is really about keeping in touch with friends, Twitter is for connecting with people he might not know and Google+ is about discussions.
"I compartmentalise my social media use. That's probably not the way these companies imagined the sites will be used, but I guess users can construct how they use it and that's how I use my networks," said Cheong.
Brands Plus
When Google+ first launched, Google asked brands and publishers not to create pages for their own sites promising that an official solution would soon be made available.
Last November, Google+ Business Pages – a feature similar to Facebook Pages for brands – was officially launched and there are now over one million brand Pages on the network.
Much of the buzz over the service has been focused on the possibilities afforded to brands for reaching out and engaging its consumers.
Teoh Jui Hong, managing director of a local advertising and public relations agency noted that Google+ currently enjoys a romanticised idea of being a better channel but is not quite ready for the prime time.
"The real action is still with Facebook and to a certain extent Twitter. In almost all our existing campaigns, Facebook enjoys much higher participation and engagement from consumers. Statistics also show a large percentage of visitors to websites and e-commerce sites originate from Facebook," said Teoh.
He added that nice features like public video chats via the Hangouts feature is overshadowed by deficiencies such as the inability to assign multiple administrators to the Page. Such limitations make it difficult for any social media agency team to collaborate on a brand page.
Digital communications consultant David Lian offered a more positive take, noting that Google+ will be a great play for any business because of the way it integrates with everything Google has.
"I've just partnered with a friend to open a small side business selling boardgames. We could add our physical location on Google Maps, and create a Google+ page for the business though we've yet to populate it. Google links all these bits of information together and suddenly, your small business has a presence online," said Lian.
However, he admitted that the drawback right now is that Google+ simply doesn't have the critical mass that Facebook has already achieved.
"Ultimately, you want to be where people can find you. I've no doubt that if Google puts its muscle behind this, they can pull off something great," Lian added.
Win or lose?
Work is still being done on Google+, with continual improvements being made to the service.
Hayward noted that since its launch, over 200 new features, from minor tweaks to new functions, have been introduced.
However the jury is still out on whether Google+ will be a resounding success.
According to Kelvin Lim, digital strategist for a public relations firm, Google+ is on paper, a remarkable game changer.
"It should have revolutionised tailored messaging through Circles and induce massive shifts in search through +1 integration, but that didn't happen. The issue with Google+ isn't functional or mechanical - it's emotional," said Lim.
He added that coupled with the fact that Facebook and Twitter offers much greater results for brands and businesses, it's going to be challenging for Google to attract its competitors' critical mass over when what they're using right now works.
Cheong notes that search has always been Google's strength, so it makes sense that it would capitalise on that within its social strategy as well.
"I think Social Search has a great future and if it works out, Plus will prove to be a dominant force. If Google can refine how Social Search works, I would probably end up using it more just to have a better search experience," he said.
It remains a numbers game with many watching Google+ and its growth rates as the main indicator of viability.
The people behind it would rather not speculate as shown by CEO Page's response to a question about growth prediction.
"Oh my goodness. I won't try to predict that but we're very excited about the growth we've had, and we're certainly seeing a tremendous number of people being added every day."
For those already participating in the network, the waiting game continues as illustrated by Lian: "I think Google+ is a great tool. I only wish more of my friends would use it."
(http://techcentral.my/news/story.aspx?file=/2012/2/14/it_news/20120214115735&sec=it_news)
Apple asked about iPhone privacy by U.S. legislators
In a letter addressed to Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook, Representatives Henry Waxman of California and G.K. Butterfield of North Carolina, both Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, asked Apple to clarify its developer guidelines and the measures taken by the company to screen apps that are sold on its App Store.
The letter comes after Path, a San Francisco startup that makes a Facebook-like social networking app, attracted widespread criticism last week after a Singaporean developer discovered that Path's iPhone app had been quietly uploading his contacts' names and phone numbers onto Path's servers.
In the following days, other technology bloggers discovered that iPhone apps like Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and Foodspotting similarly uploads user data - without permission, in some cases.
The Path incident "raises questions about whether Apple's iOS app developer policies and practices may fall short when it comes to protecting the information of iPhone users and their contacts," the letter said.
The legislators' request for information casts the spotlight squarely onto Apple for the first time since an independent blogger, Dustin Curtis, wrote in a widely distributed post last week that "there's a quiet understanding among many iOS app developers that it is acceptable to send a user's entire address book, without their permission to remote servers and then store it for future reference."
Curtis blamed Apple, writing that he could not "think of a rational reason for why Apple has not placed any protections on Address Book in iOS."
In their letter to Apple, Waxman and Butterfield, referenced Curtis' blog post, adding: "There could be some truth to these claims."
The legislators requested Apple to submit its response by February 29.
Apple could not be immediately reached for comment.
(http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/2/16/business/20120216090609&sec=business)
The letter comes after Path, a San Francisco startup that makes a Facebook-like social networking app, attracted widespread criticism last week after a Singaporean developer discovered that Path's iPhone app had been quietly uploading his contacts' names and phone numbers onto Path's servers.
In the following days, other technology bloggers discovered that iPhone apps like Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and Foodspotting similarly uploads user data - without permission, in some cases.
The Path incident "raises questions about whether Apple's iOS app developer policies and practices may fall short when it comes to protecting the information of iPhone users and their contacts," the letter said.
The legislators' request for information casts the spotlight squarely onto Apple for the first time since an independent blogger, Dustin Curtis, wrote in a widely distributed post last week that "there's a quiet understanding among many iOS app developers that it is acceptable to send a user's entire address book, without their permission to remote servers and then store it for future reference."
Curtis blamed Apple, writing that he could not "think of a rational reason for why Apple has not placed any protections on Address Book in iOS."
In their letter to Apple, Waxman and Butterfield, referenced Curtis' blog post, adding: "There could be some truth to these claims."
The legislators requested Apple to submit its response by February 29.
Apple could not be immediately reached for comment.
(http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/2/16/business/20120216090609&sec=business)
Bursa steps up measures to safeguard data and operations
The exchange told StarBiz yesterday that during the recent distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack, it deployed contingency technical measures to ensure that data integrity remained intact and was not compromised.
“We have also conducted a comprehensive review of the incident and alerted the relevant authorities for further action,” an official of the Exchange said through an e-mail reply.
The official said Bursa Malaysia was cognisant of the critical role that technology played in its business operations and the Exchange was also working closely with local and foreign security-system experts to safeguard its operations and services.
On Monday, Bursa Malaysia Bhd's website became the target of DDoS attack resulting in users having only intermittent access to it.
In a statement, it said contingency measures were activated to provide continued access to the website.
“As a result of the contingency measures, access by international users may still be temporarily affected. Users in Malaysia are not expected to experience any disruption,” Bursa said.
Bursa Malaysia's other systems were not affected during the incident and trading in its securities, derivatives and Islamic markets continue to operate normally.
An information technology (IT) expert told StarBiz that DDoS happened when a volume of compromised systems attacked a single target, resulting in denial of service for users of the targeted system.
“The constant incoming messages to the target system will force it to shut down denying service to legitimate users,” the expert said.
A recent international IT report said that firewalls or intrusion prevention systems (IPS) alone could not stop DDoS attacks despite being designed to provide network security.
Often the firewall was the weakest link and to stop DDoS attacks, dedicated hardware solutions were needed, not IPS and firewall technologies, it said.
(http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/2/16/business/10742631&sec=business)
“We have also conducted a comprehensive review of the incident and alerted the relevant authorities for further action,” an official of the Exchange said through an e-mail reply.
The official said Bursa Malaysia was cognisant of the critical role that technology played in its business operations and the Exchange was also working closely with local and foreign security-system experts to safeguard its operations and services.
On Monday, Bursa Malaysia Bhd's website became the target of DDoS attack resulting in users having only intermittent access to it.
In a statement, it said contingency measures were activated to provide continued access to the website.
“As a result of the contingency measures, access by international users may still be temporarily affected. Users in Malaysia are not expected to experience any disruption,” Bursa said.
Bursa Malaysia's other systems were not affected during the incident and trading in its securities, derivatives and Islamic markets continue to operate normally.
An information technology (IT) expert told StarBiz that DDoS happened when a volume of compromised systems attacked a single target, resulting in denial of service for users of the targeted system.
“The constant incoming messages to the target system will force it to shut down denying service to legitimate users,” the expert said.
A recent international IT report said that firewalls or intrusion prevention systems (IPS) alone could not stop DDoS attacks despite being designed to provide network security.
Often the firewall was the weakest link and to stop DDoS attacks, dedicated hardware solutions were needed, not IPS and firewall technologies, it said.
(http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/2/16/business/10742631&sec=business)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)