Silicon Valley jobs growth last year

A report just released says the Silicon Valley region in the US added new jobs in 2005 for the first time in four years, providing evidence that an economic resurgence is under way in the region.

According to a 16 January report in The New York Times, while the number of new jobs - 2,000 - was modest, the data suggested that the "jobless" economic recovery of the last two years in Silicon Valley may be evolving into one that creates jobs as well as revenue.

The report, issued by Joint Venture Silicon Valley, a nonprofit organisation, found that Silicon Valley companies employed 1.15 million people in 2005, a 0.2 percent gain over the previous year.

The NYT reports that the employment figure is still substantially lower than the number of people employed in the region in 2000, at the height of the dot-com bubble, but the report authors said comparing the two periods was unrealistic.

During the dot-com era, Silicon Valley gained 350,000 new jobs, only to lose 200,000 of them in the early 2000's.

The newspaper says that the report, which is issued annually, said most of the new jobs were high-end positions.  The report said that much of the growth was in consumer electronics and software whereas, by contrast, job growth in Silicon Valley during earlier periods was largely driven by business technology sales.

{mospagebreaktitle=Nokia launches new cameraphone}Nokia launches new cameraphone

The world's top handset maker Nokia has just launched a new mid-range folding cameraphone model, the Nokia 6125.

Reuters reports in The New York Times (16 January) that the phone -- equipped with a 1.3 megapixel camera and digital music player -- is expected to start shipping during the second quarter of 2006 at an estimated retail price of 230 euros (US$277.4), excluding taxes and subsidies.

{mospagebreaktitle=Cisco Systems to target consumer market: report}Cisco Systems to target consumer market: report

Cisco Systems plans to expand its share of the consumer electronics market by selling phones, radios and home theatre equipment, the Financial Times reported on Monday.

According to a Reuters report in The New York Times (16 January) the communications equipment maker believes it can take a slice of a new market for devices that link to the internet, the newspaper said.

Cisco, which makes much of its revenue from selling the devices that direct internet data, is expanding its reach into several newer businesses as it seeks to grow its stock price and reinvigorate its revenue growth, according to the report in the NYT.

{mospagebreaktitle=Intel readies for new chip: report}Intel readies for new chip: report

In an 'exclusive' report (16 January) The Register claims it has learned that Intel is preparing to launch a 2.33GHz Core Duo chip, the T2700.

According to The Register, the chip giant's product pipeline also includes faster Core Solo chips, speedier low-voltage Core Duos and the introduction of an ultra-low voltage Core Duo, the 1.06GHz U2500.

Intel's roadmap also calls for the introduction of Celeron M 4xx chips - single-core value parts derived from the 65nm Core Solo, reports the publication.

{mospagebreaktitle=HP readying compact Wi-Fi PDA phone?}HP readying compact Wi-Fi PDA phone?

HP may be preparing to launch an own-brand, updated version of O2's XDA Atom compact wireless PDA phone, according to a report (16 January) in The Register.

The Register says that according to Chinese-language newspaper the Commercial Times, Taiwanese contract manufacturer Quanta, which is building the device for HP, will begin volume shipments of the product some time in H1 2006.

The report suggests HP's version of the Atom will sport Windows Mobile 5.0 and incorporate a quad-band GSM/GPRS radio with support for the EDGE higher-speed data-transmission specification, says The Register.

CT also claimed HP and Quanta were discussing the development of a 3G device. No other details of the 2.5G version were provided, but the Atom is based on a 416MHz Intel XScale PXA272 processor backed with 128MB of ROM and 64MB of RAM, according to the newspaper's report.

{mospagebreaktitle=Prosecutors raid Jap. internet company}Prosecutors raid Jap. internet company

In Japan, prosecutors have raided Japanese internet company Livedoor Co., whose outspoken chief executive had grown into a star in the country for trying to buy media conglomerates and running in nationwide elections.

The Associated Press reports in The New York Times (16 January) that about 20 officials walked into Livedoor headquarters in Tokyo Monday evening. NHK TV, Fuji TV and TBS TV reported the company was being investigated on suspicion of violating securities laws.

Prior to the raid, Livedoor denied reports about any wrongdoing or an investigation.

The AP report says that Takafumi Horie, Livedoor president and chief executive, is is a big celebrity in Japan, often appearing on TV shows.

He was heralded as a hero by some for his startup success and for challenging Japan's stodgy business elite, while being criticised in more established circles for his brash and defiant ways, including favoring T-shirts over suits and ties.

The report says that Horie has made a fortune buying up various companies and has written books on how to make money in the internet business. He shot to fame with the Japanese public in 2004 when he tried but failed to buy an ailing professional baseball team and he also made an unsuccessful hostile takeover bid for Fuji Television Network.

{mospagebreaktitle=Sharing broadband to increase speed}Sharing broadband to increase speed

In the US., two West Coast start-up companies - Mushroom Networks and WiBoost - have built prototypes of simple wireless systems that make it possible for groups of neighbors to share their D.S.L. or cable internet connections.

The New York Times reports (16 January) that both companies said that sharing high-speed lines might enable users in small neighborhood clusters to download files and web pages up to 10 times faster.

According to the newspaper, the two companies, which developed their technologies separately, are taking slightly different approaches. But in both cases, neighbors would be able to connect relatively standard wireless routers that would permit their computers to receive data in parallel from multiple D.S.L. or cable network connections. The idea is similar to adding lanes to a freeway to improve traffic flow.

WiBoost, which is also the name of the company's technology system, now requires an antenna mounted outside the home. The company is exploring ways to license its technology to manufacturers and hopes to make WiBoost devices available for US$200 to US$300. In flat areas with minimal obstructions, the system might be able to link homes separated by several miles, with do-it-yourself installation.

The NYT says that Mushroom Networks is conducting trials using a device called an access point aggregator that is similar to a conventional home Wi-Fi router. It is intended to be used to connect homes or businesses that are closer together.

{mospagebreaktitle=Bangladesh halts 'corrupting' night mobile calls}Bangladesh halts 'corrupting' night mobile calls

In Bangladesh, the country's phone companies have been told by regulators to stop free late-night mobile phone calls, arguing that they corrupt its youth -- making them speak vulgarly, hitting studies and promoting chit-chat between boyfriends and girlfriends.

Reuters reports in The New York Times (16 January) that in the mainly Muslim and deeply conservative country, where dating is discouraged, parents complained to the telecoms regulator, the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC), that the free night calls were changing their children's behavior.

``The commission has taken the decision following a flurry of complaints by parents against such free late-night facilities,'' a commission official said on Monday.

The move has not gone down well with the young, reports Reuters.

The Reuters repoprt says that two of Bangladesh's five mobile phone firms -- GrameenPhone, a unit of Norway's Telenor, and CityCell, a venture between SingTel and Bangladesh Telecom -- offer the free calls between midnight and 6 a.m. to attract the active youth market.

As in many developing nations, mobile phone services are taking off rapidly, far outstripping landlines. Bangladesh, with a population of 140 million, has 9 million mobile phone users -- a figure expected to double to 18 million this year.

{mospagebreaktitle=ITunes tracking upsets users: report}ITunes tracking upsets users: report

A new version of Apple Computer's iTunes software that tracks the music individuals listen to has struck a sour note among fans, according to a report in Silicon Valley's The Mercury news.

The Mercury News says that included in the software update is ``MiniStore,'' which makes music download recommendations whenever people click on songs stored on their own computers, even those not purchased through iTunes.

According to the publication, critics say the new software tracks a person's listening behavior with a unique identification number, and does so without notifying consumers.

The monitoring program can be turned off through an icon at the bottom left of the iTunes screen.

The Mercury reports that Apple, in a statement, said it ``does not save or store any information used to create recommendations for the MiniStore.''

{mospagebreaktitle=UK gov calls for online gambling summit}UK gov calls for online gambling summit

The British government is calling for an international summit to discuss the benefits and problems of online gambling.

The Register reports (16 January) that the UK government is one of the few to have taken an interest in collecting tax from online gambling sites - last year's Gambling Act is one of the few to cover "remote gambling".

Tessa Jowell, culture minister, told the FT: "This is a global problem and requires a global solution, which is why this summit is important."

The Register says that a spokeswoman for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport confirmed the proposal and that Australia, South Africa and New Zealand have expressed an interest.

What is unclear, says The Register, is whether or not the US will send representatives. The US remains the world's largest market for online gambling despite such betting being officially illegal