A Microsoft executive said that countries need to develop new trade rules to govern the movement of electronic data across borders as more software services are provided over the internet. Currently, different countries have conflicting laws regarding how long data must be stored or erased which makes it difficult for companies to locate data centers. The Obama administration is examining existing trade rules regarding information and communication technology to identify potential barriers.

2. Breaking News / Infotech
Software firm grooms RP as
cloud computing hub
By Anna Valmero
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 21:21:00 10/22/2009
Filed Under: Technology (general), Software, Internet
MANILA, Philippines - A US-based software firm specializing in “cloud
computing” intends to double its local operations by adding 300 new
seats to its Manila office over the next two years, an official said.
The expansion is part of Netsuite’s strategy to groom the Philippines as
its “largest hub” for cloud computing services worldwide.
The country will have almost 50 percent of the company's total
workforce when it adds 300 new staff to its current total of 907,
according to Netsuite chief executive Zach Nelson.
Cloud computing refers to using software applications accessible over the
Internet (or cloud). Search firm Google has evolved into a cloud
computing firm since its services like email and document processing can
also be purchased and installed as packaged products.
Nelson said the Philippines tops all of NetSuite's other global sites in
terms of driving growth for the 11-year-old company although it has only
started operations in the country in 2007 with less than 50 employees.
He added doing business in the country is beneficial for the company
because of the country's reliable telecommunication infrastructure and
supply of skilled workers, particularly certified public accountants.

3. “Since we started in 2007, growth has been phenomenal, even beyond
our expectations. This expansion proves how the Philippines play a vital
role for our global strategy,” he said.
To date, NetSuite's operations outside its North American headquarters
account for 81 percent of the company's revenue for the first half of this
year.
The company earned $152.5 million in revenues, with 40 percent year-
on-year growth last year, while gaining 1.3 million unique logins last
quarter for its product website.
Nelson said the Manila office will include product development and
quality assurance capabilities in addition to technical support and back
office services.
NetSuite developed cloud computing software specifically for the
Philippines that offers a platform for companies to process their financial
reports and taxes with the Department of Finance and Bureau of Internal
Revenue, said Nelson.
Nelson said expansion locally is being done in anticipation of the further
growth of cloud computing.
“Cloud computing is the disruptive technology for any business operating
in this century. If you don't incorporate the Internet to harness the cloud
for your business, you don't have much of a business. All kinds and sizes
of business will need to harness the power of the cloud to manage
operations and interact with customers in real-time,” he said.

5. Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Direct TV Discounts
Direct TV is an example of a satellite-broadcasting provider. The satellite dishes
that come with their service are the receivers that transmit for service to the
satellites Direct TV has in orbit over the earth. Although it was initially hard to get
started, Dish Network has grown to include customers all over the United States.
Although there was a time when cable TV providers had more to offer, Direct TV
has grown to include features and options that are now competing or outdoing cable
TV features and services.
Direct TV grew from a little known company with one dish to offer several dishes
and over two hundred channels. They have developed several programming
packages that can meet any monthly budget, many times, at cheaper rates than cable
TV providers can offer them. The clear image and sound quality of their service has
managed to impress almost everyone. They now boast of a customer base of up to
50 million consumers. Their programming content has grown to include children’s
shows, music and sports channels, channels that offer 24/7 movies, and drama and
lifetime shows.
Direct TV does not just offer programming packages. They offer programming
packages that include ethnic, music and sports channels that cable TV providers do
not offer. For the services and products that cable TV does have, Direct TV has
developed their own.
They have several dishes and products that can be upgraded, with offers of free
equipment or free installation on certain deals or packages. They automatically
include Parental Controls to protect the young minds in the house from adult
content and they offer a great movie selection along with local and cable channels.
There is always something on to watch for everyone, no matter the time day or
night, or the age.
Currently, they also offer goods and services like HDTV, the higher-resolution
formatting that delivers the picture and sound with better quality and clarity. To

6. take digital clarity to a new level, they also offer HDTV 1080p formatting, a
resolution that was designed to mimic theater imaging and sound quality. Critics
have stated the HDTV 1080p formatting as being comparable to Blue Ray. Direct
TV also offers Pay Per View channels with the DVR, or the Digital Video Recorder
that allows the viewer to watch live Pay Per View events like fights and music
concerts with the ability to fast forward, rewind or pause them for convenience. The
DVR is also useful as storage, to record shows on one channel while watching
shows on another channel. The customer has the luxury of watching their shows on
their time, without having to make time or change the schedule to do it. They do not
have to miss what they want to watch while someone else takes a turn, the recorded
shows are always there when they are ready to see them.
Direct TV has as much to offer as any cable TV package on the market today,
without the additional cost that seems to come with the expensive cable TV
providers. Often times, people prefer Direct TV to cable TV because of the
competitive services and products and the more than competitive pricing.

7. Monday, October 19, 2009
Time Warner Cable Packages
Time Warner Cable is a proven provider for exceptional products and services for
digital cable, high-speed online services and digital phone. They have been in
business for nearly fifty years, with proven customer service and professional
installers to meet the needs of their customers. To better serve the needs of their
customers, or individuals that just want more information, Time Warner Cable has
built a web page that provides valuable, timesaving links to helpful information,
relevant to customers or interested surfers.
Time Warner Cable did this to give people an additional resource for information
on products, services and other useful links, such as their bill payment link and link
to find Payment Locations. This is helpful for the busy family with hectic
schedules, especially if a family subscribes to one of Time Warner Cable’s bundles.
Instead of having to pay three monthly providers, the bundles allow three monthly
services to be paid for at once, in one bill. When done online, at the Time Warner
Cable MyServices, this only saves more valuable time that can be better spent
somewhere else. Or, if new to the area, customers have the ability to find Payment
Centers, to pay in person, if they prefer.
For the customers on a non-traditional work schedule, that find it hard to get to a
phone or a webpage during regular Monday through Friday, eight to five hours, this
website is the perfect resource, due to its availability and in-depth information
found there. This page has the Time Warner Cable products and services featured,
with links to information on their site. You can click on the Learn link to get a
better understanding of the features and options they have for you, or you can go to
the Shop link to order the services you have reached a decision about.
This web page has the ability for live chat, 24/7, for those that need online support
in finding the correct information or placing an order. Or, an interested individual
can opt to call or email them. FAQs concerning frequently asked questions for the
services they provide are also listed. The answers to these questions and other
information pertaining to customer service are provided on this page. The customer

8. support service is detailed and thorough, with in individual sections for Account
and Billing, Digital Cable, High-Speed Online services and Digital Phone. There
are even sections for Time Warner Cable Policies and information on Cable Theft.
The Time Warner Cable website has much to offer the individual looking for
service or the family that already has service through Time Warner Cable. With the
valuable resources Time Warner Cable has prepared online, any questions or
concerns can be answered, and upgrades to service, or address changes can be
made. All of this is possible to gain access to from the comfort of an individual’s
home. So, whether a person currently has service through Time Warner Cable, or a
person is just looking into subscribing to cable or other services through them, their
home page is a valuable tool that should not be overlooked.

9. Saturday, October 17, 2009
Charter Cable Bundle Deals
Charter Cable offers more than just cable TV services. They also offer high-speed
internet and digital phones services that cover the most basic needs of the average
family. In addition, Charter Cable also offers other family-friendly services that are
not mentioned much.
They offer their homepage for free use to Charter Cable subscribers. This home
page can be personalized and used to find links to interesting news articles and
videos on a variety of topics. These topics include News, Sports, Movies, and
Games, among other services. For quick links, they include Web searches,
Yellowbook and ebay. These links are designed to give busy families all the
information they need on various subjects of interest on one webpage. This page
can save time normally reserved for surfing, and allows family members that share
computers the time needed to have an individual turn.
Especially designed to help families with growing children, Charter carries a
Learning Pack that includes contributions from Nick Jr, AWARD Funways, Clever
Island, DK Learning, HOOPAH, Encyclopedia Britannica and Boston Test Prep,
which helps teens prepare for the SATs. This is a one-stop link for children in the
home that need help with homework, or the teens that need help preparing for
tests. This is a service that is specialized to help the education of the youth in the
home.
They also have a Variety Pack, which does include educational games and the
Encyclopedia Britannica, but that goes beyond education with Shockwave
Unlimited, which gives access to over 500 games and puzzles for family
entertainment. It also includes a link to American Greetings.com, where the family
can choose a pre-made card or create one. The package also has links to the
Weather Channel, the NHL and the MLB.com. These packages add convenience to
the daily lives and sometimes-hectic schedules of busy families. They are intended

10. to be a central source for necessary links that provide timesaving information to
help the family grow.
The page itself is formatted to be user-friendly, with easy to find links. It has an
online easy to read TV Guide. It also has a three-day forecast that can be set by zip
code to get the local weather. There is a link to listen to Charter Radio while
surfing and a Market Watch section that allows the user access to information on
the stock market.
With all of these extra features, Charter Cable has proven itself as more than just a
cable TV provider. Charter Cable is the one-stop source to meet the demands of a
family’s budget for cable TV, internet and phone services, while adding options to
help meet the individual educational and entertainment needs of the whole
family.
This page is an important resource for the family, adding value to any internet
service or bundled monthly package. It is a help to any family on a budget, with a
busy schedule. Charter Cable has built a page for the family that utilizes the
internet for surfing, or for homework assignments on current affairs and other
school related projects. Charter Cable built this page to give back to its customers.

11. Thursday, October 15, 2009
Direct TV Promotional Offers
Direct TV offers quality products and services that enhance any home
entertainment package. However, they went the extra step and offered a web
page as a source of benefits for the Direct TV subscriber.
The Direct TV website offers the current deals and promotions being run, previews
and sneak peeks to coming shows or movies. It also offers new information on
Direct TV news, so the subscriber can get the latest news and updates. They have
links that include an online TV Guide, under their What’s on TV link, along with
other links to Packages, Premiums, HD, Sports, International programming, and
Equipment. These links are complete with information on that particular subject
and can answer many questions. They can also serve to help sign up for service,
upgrade on existing service or to look for product and service promotions.
For the customers that are interested in looking a little deeper, Direct TV also
offers excellent customer service options that can be utilized online, instead of
waiting to contact someone during business hours. Direct TV has posted their The
DIRECTV Customer Promise, for anyone to read it. There are links to Direct TV
FAQs, with their Answer Center, or a customer can take advantage of the direct
links to customer service emails, for English or Spanish speaking customers.
Customers can also visit the DIRECTV Community, a forum, to talk with other
Direct TV customers in the case of any technical questions. Moreover, if that is still
not enough, Direct TV also has a toll-free number to get in touch with them. There
is also a customer service number for the hearing impaired.
For other topics concerning customer service, there is additional information.
Direct TV made it easy to find and easy to read. There is an online tutorial that
gives information n all the services that are available through their web site. Or,
the customer is free to peruse links on their own. This site has information on
promotions that are only available to Direct TV customers, rebate redemption, and

12. a place to enter a change of address, if moving. If the customer is environmentally
conscious, Direct TV obliges with a place to sign up for paperless billing.
Direct TV offers many options for entertainment in the home and they created a
place to go to for help to utilize those options. They wanted their customers to get
the best use out of their services for the best experience possible. Old and new
customers, alike, have a place to go to for convenient bill pay options and other
customer service needs, or just to find out what is on their favorite channel. They
can find programming options for upgrades or find out what the newest movie
release is. Interested surfers that are looking for other home entertainment
options have the chance to see the latest promotions and newest features, in
advance, to make informed decisions on what would be the best provider for their
family and budget.
This web site is a useful tool and resource to all that want to take advantage of it.

13. Instant Expert: Robots
Today, over one million household robots,
and a further 1.1 million industrial robots,
are operating worldwide. Find out what
they're doing in our beginner's guide to
robotics

14. Six ways to build robots that do humans no harm
Can we teach robots right from wrong? In this special
feature, two experts give New Scientist their tips on how
to make smart technologies safe
New data technology trade
rules needed: Microsoft
Wed Oct 14, 2009 6:47pm EDT
By Doug Palmer
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Countries need to forge new trade rules governing the
movement of electronic data across borders as the world becomes increasingly
connected, a Microsoft official said on Wednesday.
As more and more software services are provided over the Internet, "people will be
calling on computers located around the world," said Brad Smith, senior vice
president and general counsel for the U.S. software giant.
"We have a patchwork of laws around the world that is increasingly creating a very
confusing almost quagmire for information providers," Smith said at the Global
Services Summit -- a meeting that brought together banking, telecommunications,
shipping and other service industry professionals.
One country may insist that e-mails be kept for a year for security purposes while
another requires they be erased after six months to protect privacy, he said.

15. "If that's the case, it's very difficult to locate a data center in one country and
provide that service to consumers in another country," Smith said.
Technology will continue to change and "the trade rules will need to change in
order for these benefits to continue to flow around the planet," Smith said.
Former U.S. Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky, in a speech to the same
group on Tuesday, suggested the creation of a new Internet trade agreement to
foster the delivery of software services across borders.
Smith did not endorse that approach, saying a variety of mechanisms mechanisms
may be appropriate.
Peter Cowhey, a senior counsel in the U.S. Trade Representative's office, told the
service group the Obama administration was taking a comprehensive at trade rules
governing information communication technology.
There are a number of "barriers at the border" that potentially could be addressed
through the World Trade Organization or bilateral forums, Cowhey said.
Those include a conflict between globally coordinated standards for information
communication technology and national standards some countries have pursued, he
said.
It also is important that legitimate efforts to boost cybersecurity are done in a way
that maximizes global efficiency and commerce, Cowhey said.
Consumer choice and data privacy issues, as well as the procedures that
governments follow when they restrict access to global information services are
other areas that might be ripe for international rule making, he said.

16. Put your software to the test
Is your Microsoft software genuine?
Software piracy has become quite prevalent in recent
years, leading countless users to become its unwitting
victims. Common sources of counterfeit products include
unscrupulous resellers, and auction buys—all of which
take advantage of Microsoft customers. To address this
problem, Microsoft created the Windows Genuine
Advantage program in July 2005, enabling users to know
whether their copy of Microsoft is truly genuine or not.
Find out now.
You can verify if your copy of Windows is genuine
through the Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications
service. The WGA Notifications service alerts users who
use a non-genuine software copy. This can be installed
through Automatic Updates.

17. Users can also validate their copy of Windows by
downloading from the Microsoft Download Center. Every
download request will prompt the users to validate their
copy of Windows.
Here's an easy guide to the validation process:
• Users are required to validate Windows when they
visit the Microsoft Download Center, Windows
Update, or Microsoft Update sites.
• An ActiveX control must be downloaded to check if
the Windows software is authentic. If the user is
successful in validating Windows, a special license
file will be stored in the PC for future verification.
• Common counterfeiting methods are then checked
electronically in the system. Users are required to
manually enter information in most cases.
• Users can resume their download after successful
validation.
The Windows Genuine Advantage validation process is
quick and simple. Validation is confidential and will not
extract personal information from the user's system. Learn
if you have a genuine copy of Windows here:
http://www.microsoft.com/genuine/
The Basics of Microsoft Product Activation
Microsoft Product Activation is a software-based process

18. that activates legitimate licenses for Microsoft software.
This is a process implemented by Microsoft to prevent a
type of piracy called "casual copying" or "softlifting." This
kind of piracy is done by people who share Microsoft
software to others and installs the software in more than
one computer. This violates Microsoft software license
terms, which only entitles one computer to be installed
with the software.
How it works
You may also activate the product by calling a
representative from the regional Microsoft Product
Activation Center. The only thing you need to activate a
product is an Installation ID, which is created by the
software itself. Activating a product over the Internet only
takes less than a minute since the product will do the work
itself. You may also activate the product through the
telephone, which lets you speak with a representative from
the regional Microsoft Product Activation Center.
Microsoft products do not immediately require activation,
so you could enjoy using the software after installation
and activate it later.
Some important reminders
Always buy from a reputable seller
Don't just buy anywhere; buy from a reputable seller. This

19. reduces the risk of obtaining a counterfeit copy. You can
locate a reputable seller by consulting consumer
publications such as technology or computer magazines.
You can also obtain Microsoft software by digital
download purchase, which is discussed in detail in the
Value of Genuine page.
Check Certification of Authenticity
A Certificate of Authenticity (COA) is a label on the
Microsoft product that helps you identify genuine
software. Always check for the label to avoid being a
victim of counterfeiting. If there's no COA label on the
packaging, it means that the product is not properly
licensed.
Confirm if EULA is included
EULA or End-User License Agreement is a term of
agreement that permits you to use the software and grants
you additional rights. It also details the restrictions on the
use of the software and the limited warranty provided.
This should be in the Microsoft product you bought.
Accept only high quality packaging and documentation
A good indication of genuine Microsoft software is its
high quality packaging and documentation. Also note that
Microsoft does not print the product key on the software
packaging. If you receive a product with the product key
printed outside, it is not genuine.

20. 100 years of Big
Content fearing
technology— in its own
words
For the last hundred years,
rightsholders have fretted about
everything from the player piano
to the VCR to digital TV to
Napster. Here are those
objections, in Big Content's own
words.
By Nate Anderson | Last updated
October 11, 2009 10:00 PM CT
It's almost a truism in the tech
world that copyright owners
reflexively oppose new
inventions that do (or might)
disrupt existing business models.
But how many techies actually
know what rightsholders have said and written for the last hundred years on the subject?
The anxious rhetoric around new technology is really quite shocking in its vehemence, from
claims that the player piano will destroy musical taste and the "national throat" to concerns that
the VCR is like the "Boston strangler" to claims that only Hollywood's premier content could

21. make the DTV transition a success. Most of it turned out to be absurd hyperbole, but it's
interesting to see just how consistent the words and the fears remain across more than a century of
innovation and a host of very different devices.
So here they are, in their own words—the copyright holders who demanded restrictions on player
pianos, photocopiers, VCRs, home taping, DAT, MP3 players, Napster, the DVR, digital radio,
and digital TV.