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Source: http://www.myantiwar.org/view/259423.html
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Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Google's Greater China president steps down
BEIJING |
BEIJING (Reuters) - Google Inc said on Monday that its vice-president and Greater China president, Liu Yun, has stepped down to pursue other opportunities.
His replacement will be Scott Beaumont, who currently runs the company's partnerships business in Europe.
Google's share of the search engine market in China has been slipping, spurred by its decision to no longer censor its searches on the mainland and move its servers to Hong Kong in March 2010, just months after Liu took over.
Google held 8 percent of market in terms of page views in June 2011, coming second to Baidu with 81 percent, according to Chinese data firm CNZZ. Its share has fallen 6 percentage points over two years according to last month's data, dropping to fifth place. New entrant Qihoo 360 already holds 15 percent of market share.
"Once they made the decision to move their servers out of mainland China their prospects here dimmed considerably," said Mark Natkin, managing director of Marbridge Consulting, a China technology research firm.
Google's Android operating system has also proven difficult to monetize, despite its success in terms of take-up in China.
For the three months ending in April this year 69 percent of all smartphones sales were on the Android system. Phones using Apple's iOS, Android's closest competitor, made up 25 percent of sales in the same period, according to data from Kantar, a market research group.
The ways the company usually monetizes Android, like its app store, often get stripped out of the software in China when it is remade for the local market, said Natkin.
The prevalence of Android in China drew the ire of its political system in a March report by the state-controlled think tank China Academy of Telecommunications Research, which operates under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
The report said that Google had too much control over China's smartphone sector, which had become dependent on Android, and had discriminated against certain local firms.
The paper suggested that the government would throw its full support behind a viable domestic challenger to Google.
"Google's biggest challenge remains how to penetrate China," said Elinor Leung, Hong Kong-based head of Asia telecom and internet research at CLSA.
"Their servers have been moved to Hong Kong and their Android operating system has been localized," she said, adding that Liu's departure and the arrival of Beaumont would likely have little impact.
(Reporting by Paul Carsten in Beijing; Editing by Louise Heavens)
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Tuesday, July 9, 2013
How bin Laden hid from satellite surveillance
Osama bin Laden "trusted in Allah for his protection" but made sure to wear a cowboy hat on his walks around his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, "to avoid detection from above." That's according to the blockbuster final report of a Pakistani commission that looked into the circumstances surrounding the May 2011 raid in which U.S. commandos killed the leader of al-Qaida. The report was obtained and published by Al-Jazeera English.
The so-called Abbottabad Commission comprised Pakistan's most senior supreme court judge, a retired inspector general of police, a retired army lieutenant general, and the director general of the Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad. Its task was to investigate how bin Laden managed to live quietly in that garrison town ("a kilometer in a straight line from the Pakistan Military Academy," the report notes) and how U.S. special operations forces were able to conduct the covert raid without interference from Pakistan government forces. Key question: Was Pakistan's government guilty of incompetence or complicity in each case?
It's a fascinating read, capturing the would-need-two-upgrades-to-be-merely-tense relations between the U.S. and Pakistan?a country U.S. officials call crucial to the war on terrorism but which needs to do more to crack down on Islamist extremists.
The independent commission's assessment of Pakistan's government is brutal. Among its findings:
--"The whole episode of the US assassination mission of May 2, 2011 and the Pakistan government's response before, during and after appears in large part to be a story of complacency, ignorance, negligence, incompetence, irresponsibility and possibly worse at various levels inside and outside the government," the report says starting on page 333.
--Dismantling the operations of both the CIA and Islamist extremist networks on Pakistani soil must be an "urgent national priority" (page 331).
--Civilian casualties from American drone strikes must be judged "deliberate and criminal" (page 328).
--The CIA stopped notifying Pakistan's government of high-value extremist targets on its territory in 2005 (page 325).
--It calls the bin Laden raid "illegal" and a symptom of America's "contemptuous disregard for Pakistan's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity in the arrogant certainty of its unmatched military might" (page 305).
--But a more effective Pakistan government could have spared its people their "avoidable humiliation" (page 305).
--How did Pakistan's intelligence services miss the presence of the world's most wanted fugitive? "It was probably more a case of negligence, inefficiency and incompetence rather than complicity" (page 299).
Repeated entries note speculation that Pakistan abetted the raid with at least a wink-and-nod acceptance, but the commission found no evidence for that claim. On page 292, the report notes that Pakistan's air defense radars, which might have picked up the Navy SEAL team helicopters, were in "rest" mode because it was "not economical" to have them on constantly.
But among the most interesting nuggets in the report are the descriptions, based on interviews with bin Laden relatives living with him at the compound, of his life in hiding.
Bin Laden was "not fond of possessions" and moved into the house with just three summer outfits and three winter outfits. He also had a black jacket and two sweaters, the report said. Why didn't bin Laden have tougher protection? He "trusted in Allah for his protection" and had just two bodyguards.
Still, "when OBL moved about the Compound he wore a cowboy hat to avoid detection from above," the report said on page 41. When he felt unwell, he relied on "traditional Arab medicine." He "did not discuss political matters with his wives." But Bin Laden "personally saw to the religious education of his grandchildren and supervised their play time, which included cultivating vegetable plots with simple prizes for best performances."
The witnesses said that the Americans made off with a hard disc that belonged to bin Laden?but also with what the report calls 20 gold ?biscuits? and two gold lockets with emeralds (page 40).
?They also took a purse that contained the will of Osama bin Laden,? the report says.
One of bin Laden's wives ?had previously read the will but did not wish to divulge the details. She said it was not political and pertained only to personal and family related matters. Other reports suggested that the will said his children should not seek the leadership of Al-Qaida.?
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/news/bin-laden-wore-cowboy-hat-avoid-detection-pakistan-181706704.html
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Both sides eye Clinton as she seeks right balance
WASHINGTON (AP) ? Hillary Rodham Clinton is trying to strike the right balance between staying out of the daily political maelstrom and setting herself up for a possible second presidential run. But her fans and foes are making that difficult.
Nearly six months after departing the State Department, Clinton finds herself in the middle of an early effort by both parties to prepare for her return to politics even as she keeps to a schedule of highly paid private speeches, work on her book and her family's global foundation.
Clinton has not said whether she'll seek the White House in 2016 but grassroots activists are already at work on a super political action committee called Ready for Hillary, which has rallied local supporters, started a fundraising campaign and rolled out prominent endorsements.
Republicans, meanwhile, vow to dissect her work during the Obama administration ? including last year's deadly assault on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi ? and use the former first lady as a fundraising tool.
The efforts to define Clinton, who carries the scars of being seen as an inevitable president during her 2008 campaign against Barack Obama, underscore her tricky balancing act.
If she acts too political, the strong approval ratings built up from her globe-trotting, above-the-fray role as secretary of state could suffer. If she allows the presidential talk to become too loud, she might get stuck with the inevitable nominee tag, making her vulnerable to a liberal upstart in a Democratic primary.
Yet if she avoids the limelight too much, she might create an opening for another Democrat to emerge or allow the steady criticism from Republicans for her tenure at State to sully her image.
Republicans are in the early stages of an effort to chip away at her record at the State Department. American Crossroads, the GOP group tied to Republican strategist Karl Rove, released a web video in May that suggested Clinton was less than truthful in the Benghazi case, an episode they noted happened "all under Hillary Clinton's watch." An independent review last year blamed the State Department for inadequate security but largely absolved Clinton of wrongdoing.
Separately, American Rising, a Republican super political action committee led by Matt Rhoades, who served as Republican Mitt Romney's campaign manager, created the Stop Hillary PAC and has been raising money off a potential Clinton campaign. One email request, from Ted Harvey, a Colorado state senator and co-founder of the group, warned that "massive forces are aligning to begin a coronation of 'President Hillary.'"
Republicans say they would be remiss to give Clinton the time to quietly build a campaign behind-the-scenes without scrutinizing her record.
"You have to play by the rules of the game. That's what was done to Mitt Romney and other candidates," said Danny Diaz, a former adviser to Romney's presidential campaign who is not involved with either group. "To operate under different sets of rules would be foolhardy."
Ready for Hillary, meanwhile, has no official ties to Clinton. But the group is encouraging her to run and laying the groundwork for a future campaign. Veterans of the Clinton White House like Craig T. Smith and Harold Ickes are advising the group, which is building a network of supporters online and holding local rallies outside Clinton speeches.
Ickes and former Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Calif., organized three finance briefings for donors and potential donors in New York in late June and the group will release its first fundraising report later this month, providing an early glimpse of its resources.
Some donors have privately expressed concern with the focus on Clinton so early, even while other Democrats like Vice President Joe Biden and Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley are viewed as potential candidates. They said it could backfire and create an aura of inevitability for Clinton that hurt her last time. Smith said they were trying to address just the opposite.
"If it was inevitable there would be no need for us to do it at all," Smith said.
Yet some Democrats aren't sold on the proposition. While Smith said he would have received a "red light" if the Clintons didn't approve of the super PAC's role ? he said he hasn't heard anything negative ? their effort is just getting off the ground and viewed with hesitation by some donors.
"I'd be surprised if many national donors want to spend the cash on a new grassroots organizing effort geared toward 2016 when we just raised $1 billion to create the best ground campaign in history," said Wade Randlett, a major Obama donor based in California's Silicon Valley. He said the Obama campaign offshoot, Organizing for Action, has been able to keep party activists engaged.
Clinton's most ardent supporters, including her husband, caution that voters should not read too much into her activities. The former president said in May his wife was "having a little fun being a private citizen for the first time in 20 years" and said the constant speculation was "the worst expenditure of our time."
Still, Hillary Clinton has spent time making her positions known on issues dear to the Democratic base. Via her much-buzzed about Twitter handle, she issued joint statements with her husband on the Supreme Court's striking down of a key provision in the Voting Rights Act and its rulings in two cases pertaining to gay marriage.
While Republicans see Clinton as a major threat in 2016, GOP officials report there is little appetite among top party donors to commit resources to anti-Hillary efforts right now.
"There are more immediate targets," said Charlie Spies, who led fundraising efforts for a pro-Romney super PAC last year. "The most important thing Republicans can be focused on right now is keeping control of the House of Representatives in 2014. Once that is accomplished we can turn our sights to taking over the White House in 2016."
___
Associated Press writer Steve Peoples in Boston contributed to this report.
___
Follow Ken Thomas on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AP_Ken_Thomas
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/both-sides-eye-clinton-she-seeks-balance-073931621.html
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Sunday, July 7, 2013
?When Is a #Military Coup Not a Military Coup??
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Source: http://www.facebook.com/Truthdig/posts/10151440017556367
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Galaxy S4 users love their phone the most according to new study
If you own the Samsung Galaxy S4 or iPhone 5 and have talked about it on social networks, some new studies have used that type of data to award the GS4 a top rating. A research and analyst ground called We Are Social is talking up the Samsung smartphone, while also claiming the iPhone 5 is most hated among its users. Pretty interesting report so read on below.
Research firm We Are Social uses social media, blogs, news, and other reports from around the interwebs to come up with their numbers, so this is obviously no where near official. Or even accurate to say the least. Using forum complaints or praise for a study isn?t too accurate, especially when more people take to forums when they have problems, than when they don?t.
However, the study goes on to mention that in general Samsung Galaxy S 4 owners are the most satisfied, were more excited about the launch, and overall just enjoy and love their phone more than other manufacturers as of late. Adding in numbers from Apple and the iPhone 5, Nokia, and even Blackberry. Yes, they are using random comments and complaints on the internet for their study.
Their study found that of all registered users talking about the Galaxy S4, only 11% were complaints or negative. Compare that to the iPhone 5 that they awarded ?most hated handset? with nearly 20% being complaints and negative comments. That was higher than Blackberry, but then again, comparing the numbers Blackberry doesn?t have enough sales to even have users complaining.
They do go on to mention the iPhone has the highest brand loyalty, which isn?t anything new, but their study at least backs it up. Then when it came to raw numbers in terms of discussion about a device around the web, it was no competition. The iPhone 5 had 1.7 million while the Galaxy S 4 was only around the 140,000 mark. Even Blackberry beat Samsung with 300,000.
The numbers aren?t anything near conclusive, but it?s interesting to see just what types of numbers and outcome they gather all based on social media, blogs, and forums.
VIA: DailyMail ; Phandroid
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Friday, July 5, 2013
Chevron to expand in Houston, creating 1,752 jobs
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Chevron Corp. said Wednesday it will invest millions of dollars to expand its Houston facilities, creating 1,752 new jobs and building a new 50-story downtown office tower in the world's energy capital.
California-based Chevron's investment is due in part to $12 million it will be receiving from the Texas Enterprise Fund, according to Gov. Rick Perry's office. The fund is a pot of money meant to attract outside firms and businesses to the state.
"Employers looking to expand or relocate their businesses continue to choose Texas' strong job creation climate, low taxes, smart regulations, fair courts and skilled workforce," Perry said in a statement.
Chevron's new investment will include a 1.7 million-square-foot tower that will house professional, technical and administrative workers to accommodate the oil company's growth in Houston to support its global operations.
The new building will join two others in downtown Houston that Chevron already occupies. The company said all three buildings will create an urban campus with indoor and outdoor common areas, enhanced dining facilities, a fitness center, training and conference facilities, and additional parking.
Chevron currently has about 9,000 employees and contractors in Houston, where nine of its businesses are headquartered.
"The Lone Star State and its largest city play a vital and growing role in Chevron's global business," said Bereket Haregot, president of Chevron's Business and Real Estate Services group.
Houston Mayor Annise Parker said the city is excited by Chevron's new investment.
"The company's expansion, supported by the Texas Enterprise Fund grant, will broaden its local presence even more, boosting the local economy with hundreds of new jobs while also fostering synergy and collaboration with their existing business units and other Houston businesses," Parker said.
The Texas Enterprise Fund, overseen by Perry's office, was created in 2003 by the Legislature and has been used to persuade various firms to expand in Texas. Projects financed by the fund have to be approved by the governor, lieutenant governor and the Texas House speaker.
The governor said the fund has now invested more than $498 million and helped close the deal on projects generating more than 69,000 new jobs and $20.8-plus billion in capital investment statewide.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/chevron-expand-houston-creating-1-200948607.html
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