EU seeks cooperation on research infrastructures to boost growth, innovation

A common framework for developing research infrastructure will boost scientific advances and economic competitiveness in Europe, said EU officials at a high-level conference here Wednesday.

The International Conference on Research Infrastructures (ICRI 2012), currently underway in Copenhagen, is discussing ways to strengthen public and private sector investments into large-scale research projects, so as to secure future growth and science innovation in the 27-member EU.

"In a scenario where finance ministers might decide their overall budget should be cut, I do not want to see the money for research and innovation squeezed or reduced, because that is the policy area that will help us exit from the current economic crisis," European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science Maire Geoghegan-Quinn told journalists at the conference.

Research infrastructure is a collective term for instruments such as large-scale telescopes, microscopes, libraries, and biological banks, which benefit researchers across scientific disciplines.

As such infrastructure is often complex and too expensive for individual EU members to build, a common European platform is more cost effective, the European Commission says.

Such infrastructure enables high-quality research which aids economic growth through establishment of spin-off companies and commercial products, it adds.

"We need to transfer the research we do so well in Europe, all the way to the marketplace. And we need the support systems in between that allow that to happen," Geoghegan-Quinn said.

However, EU countries would need to identify their research strengths and prioritize what investments they need to make, so as to benefit from EU cooperation on research infrastructures, she added.

ICRI 2012 will also provide concrete input to Horizon 2020, an 80-billion-euro (around 105 billion U.S. dollars) program that runs from 2014 to 2020, and aims to strengthen top-level European research.

Earlier Wednesday, Geoghegan-Quinn and Danish Minister for Research and Innovation Morten Ostergaard officially opened the Danish National Biobank at the National Serum Institute, praising it as the kind of collaborative research infrastructure the EU needs.

The biobank, which is a public-private initiative, will link information from some 15 million bio-samples with person data from Danish national registries, and provide anonymous data to researchers worldwide, in fields such as genetics and epidemiology.

As not all EU countries are able to invest equally in research, the European Commission has proposed member states can use common EU structural funds to help develop research infrastructure. This could especially benefit those EU countries currently struggling with deep budget deficits and sovereign debt problems.

"If they can use some of the EU funds to better their research infrastructure, it will encourage these governments to invest more in research and universities by themselves," said Ostergaard.

ICRI 2012, which will end Friday, has attracted some 600 expert delegates, making it one of the biggest events during Denmark's ongoing EU Presidency, which runs from January to June 2012.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet

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Technology trading floor opened in Ho Chi Minh City

Nhan Dan – A technology trading exchange floor opened yesterday in Ho Chi Minh City to increase trade activities, according to the city’s Department of Science and Technology.

The trading floor aims to supply science and technology information, as well as linking buyers and sellers through consulting and evaluation services.

The floor will act as a bridge to help researchers and businesses advertise the newest technology. It is also considered a step towards creating and promoting the development of the technology market in HCMC in particular and Vietnam as a whole.

A technological transfer contract and memorandum of understanding on technical co-operation and development were also signed on the occasion.

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Australia helps protect vulnerable communities

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Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr announced on March 27 that Australia will support a partnership between Australian and Vietnamese climate scientists to better understand and cope with the impact of climate change.

The announcement was made at the opening of the new Australian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City.

Minister Carr, who is currently on a three-day official visit to Vietnam, said Australia will contribute US$2.03 million to the partnership build on the existing agreement between Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), and enhance the capacity of scientists from Vietnam’s Ministry for Natural Resources and Environment and the Hanoi University of Science.

“The fundamental goal of the aid programme is overcoming poverty and addressing climate change which is critical to protecting and improving the lives of those who depend on the natural environment for their income, food and water,” Carr said.

“Vietnam is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, particularly the Mekong Delta where rising sea levels, salt water intrusion and flooding are already impacting vulnerable coastal communities,” he added.

The partnership will assist Vietnam in analysing, understanding and undertaking future climate change projections, with Vietnamese PhD students helping to analyse data and climate modelling at CSIRO in Australia.

On March 28, the Australian Foreign Minister is scheduled to meet with Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh, Minister of Planning and Investment Bui Quang Vinh, President Truong Tan Sang and Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

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Extinct rhino wins editorial cartoon competition

Extinct rhino wins editorial cartoon competition A cartoon symbolising the extinction of the rhino won top prize at the third The Thao & Van Hoa (Sports and Culture) newspaper's press caricature competition, which, this year, focused on the environment.

Ha Noi-based Tran Hai Nam was granted the Bamboo Dragon Cup for his Mieng Ghep Nguoc (Upside-down Piece) at the award ceremony on March 28.

The rhino cartoon was made in many parts, with the piece representing the rhino's head placed upside down. It was designed to remind people of the fact that the rhino is now extinct in Vietnam .

"The pieces are arranged in the wrong way, similar to the way people behave with the environment," said Nam .

"The competition is an interesting playing field for artists, especially for amateur painters who love cartoon like me," he said.

The competition received support from the Danish Embassy through its Cultural Development and Exchange Fund.

Danish Ambassador to Vietnam John Nielsen stressed at the launch of the competition that "cartoons are a humorous way to create interest and raise awareness about critical issues such as the environment".

"The fact that the environment was chosen as this year's theme is very relevant. Vietnam is facing a number of critical environmental issues due to rapid economic development and the effects of climate change," he said.

Vietnam is among the countries suffering the most from pollution and environmental damages, making it very important to focus on the problem.

Launched last November, the organising board received nearly 500 entries from amateur and professional painters throughout the country.

The artworks will be sold to raise money for the Vietnam News Agency's Agent Orange Pain Fund.-VNA

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Commodore Amiga Mini PC revealed: Core i7, 16GB of RAM and a Blu-ray drive

SMS Audio SYNC by 50 wireless headphones review

Ah, celebrity-endorsed headphones -- whether it's Beats by Dre or Soul by Ludacris, you've always gotta wonder whether their actual sound-reproduction chops will match up with the steep price tags and fashion-focused designs.

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8 tips for ditching your cell phone contract early

Dialed In #216: All about ETFS (early termination fees)

We talk a lot about early termination fees, or ETFs, here at CNET because we have a love/hate relationship with signing a 2-year service agreement (or 3-years if you're in countries like Canada.) On the one hand, who doesn't love being able to own a $500 or $600 smartphone for $200, $50, or even a penny? You just can't swing that in the unlocked phone market.

On the other hand, few people enjoy being tied to a carrier, and to their carrier's phone selection, over the course of two years or longer. What if you change your mind about the service quality, what if your dream phone just came out on another carrier--what if? Once you sign your name on the dotted line, there's little you can do to avoid an up-to-$350 fee to jump ship.

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Carrier's insuranceETFs may seem evil when you're trying to break free of a contract (remember, though, you signed it,) but for carriers, they're a practical business measure for recouping costs. After all, carriers are the ones buying phones from Apple, Samsung, HTC, Motorola, and so on, which they then sell to you at cut rate along with your full-price service. Charging you an ETF helps recover carriers' upfront phone costs should you want or need to break the contract before your time is up.

With that in mind, here are some facts and tips you should tuck away for a rainy day.

(Credit:CNET/CBS Interactive)

0. ETFs deflateYour ETF may cost somewhere near $350 when you just buy the phone, but carriers like AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile will reduce your ETF a little each month, usually by $10 per billing cycle.

1. Keep an eye on that grace periodIf you're new to a carrier and just bought a new phone you're unsure of, you'll usually have at least 14 days (or up to a month) to return it without penalty. The same applies to purchases from big box stores like BestBuy. So if you're having second thoughts about that phone; don't wait to act.

2. A silver bullet you don't wantThere is one iron-clad way to get out of a contract without paying for your ETF: expire. I really, really don't recommend it (or faking your own death.)

3. Report itCarriers clearly want to offer you a great network experience, so you'll stick with their service rather than bail. If your service degrades over the course of your contract (or "materially changes,") then you might be eligible for recourse like a signal booster or bill credit, or in extreme situations, a pronounced service drop-off might warrant releasing you from your obligations.

This snippet from Verizon's contract pretty much sums it up for all the post-paid carriers:If you're a Postpay customer and a change to your Plan or this agreement has a material adverse effect on you, you can cancel the line of Service that has been affected within 60 days of receiving the notice with no Early Termination Fee if we fail to negate the change after you notify us of your objection to it.

In some cases, you may need to reach out in writing.

4. Freeze itIf you're more concerned about pausing service rather than abandoning it, you can temporarily freeze your account. Each of the Big Four carriers participates in seasonal suspension, usually without billing (your ETF won't budge) or with billing (you'll pay every month not to use your phone, but you'll work off your ETF cap). It's more ideal for long vacations (Verizon's offer tops out at 180 days) and it usually extends to people who have paid their bills in full.

For instance, Sprint charges $8.99 per month for up to six consecutive months, and AT&T charges $10 per month to suspend the account, and T-Mobile will hold your phone number and rate plan for six months without penalty.

5. Swap your serviceOne of the theoretically simplest, cheapest, and most clever ways to avoid breaking your contract is to pass it off to somebody else. You'll have to go through some paperwork and phone calls with customer service, but if you can find someone to pay out your contract for you, you can avoid the fee and still be free.

Carriers won't charge you to swap the deed, called a transfer of responsibility, but finding a replacement can be tricky. There's always Craigslist or eBay, but a surer solution is to go through a service like CelltradeUSA. You can think of the Web site and others like it as a brokerage for buying up and selling contracts. The business will collect a $20 fee to move ahead with any swaps, but they will walk you through the legal steps. "Sellers" often offer the phone and accessories at cut rate, or as part of the deal.

I have not personally tried any services like CelltradeUSA or any others, but I did spend some time looking into the business a while ago, and found positive writeups. (Disclosure: The Celltrade service is powered by CNET cell phone reviews.)

6. When all else fails, escalateI want to idle on hold for a customer service representative as much as the next person, but I'd rather invest a half hour of my day to settle an issue or clear up confusion than suffer in silence. In my experience, asking to speak to a supervisor can open new doors or supply critical additional information. Being a squeaky wheel--but a polite one--often pays off.

Carriers often respond speedily to Twitter complaints.

(Credit:Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET)

7. Take it to TwitterIn addition, carriers have become extremely responsive to Twitter and Facebook queries, and often have a customer care account in addition to their regular online persona. For carriers, social media offers a chance to interact with--and with luck, assuage--disgruntled subscribers on a more personal level.

8. Arbitration, your last resortConsulting a lawyer is another angle I wouldn't encourage outside of rare, extreme situations. About a year ago, the Supreme Court decided that carriers could shield themselves from class action suits (full pdf) by offering arbitration instead. When you sign a contract, you waive the right to levy a class action suit. Yet, if you do think that you're unlawfully being charged, you could approach a lawyer to sue in small claims on your own, or approach the carrier to arbitrate a case. The carrier generally shoulders arbitration costs.

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Latest renewable energy technology exhibited

Scientists and businesses involved in renewable energy are flocking to an international exhibition to learn about advanced technology in renewable energy production from around the world.

Co-organised by the Ministry of Science and Technology's National Technology and Science Information Department and Messe Munchen, the second international exhibition on renewable energy will run until Friday at the Ha Noi International Exhibition Centre, 91 Tran Hung Dao Street.

The event has attracted the participation of energy companies from 11 countries and territories including Germany, the US, Spain, Switzerland and France. Companies are taking the opportunity to introduce their renewable energy solutions, such as solar power, wind energy, hydroelectric power, bio-energy, geothermal power and energy transmission, at 30 individual booths.

The science and technology department will host workshops today and tomorrow on selecting suitable technology and negotiating technology transfer. A German representative will introduce information about German experiences and technology in producing renewable energy, saving energy, applying German wind technology in Viet Nam, the solar energy market and generating energy from rubbish.

One of the exhibition's highlights will be a seminar on the latest renewable energy development and application of renewable energy in Viet Nam to be held on Friday for scientists and researchers.

VNS

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Seminar promotes agricultural development

The Vietnam Development Information Centre (VDIC) on March 21 hosted a video-conferencing seminar on the green revolution and agriculture productivity enhancement.

Experts from of six countries – Vietnam, Japan, the Republic of Korea (RoK), Indonesia, the Philippines and India debated modernising technological equipment used in agriculture, designing policies relating to the environment, the study of new rice varieties that can resist effects of climate change, as well as the shortage of farmland.

Delegates agreed that in recent years the major challenge for scientists was to ensure food security while preserving natural resources. In this context, the development of environmentally friendly cultivation technology and high-yield rice varieties adaptable to climate change is of great importance.

The seminar studied the experience of Professor Kim Je-Kyu from the RoK, who introduced his research on rice varieties that can grow well in adverse climate situations such as floods.

An Indonesian delegate said the green revolution has encouraged scientists to become closer to farmers and stand by farmers in following the creative direction in agricultural production, through sharing experience and information.

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Transport vehicles are the culprit that cause air pollution in urban areas

VietNamNet Bridge – The air quality of Vietnam's urban centers has been degrading with the pollution reaching alarming levels in some areas, many areas of environmental pollution problems have been at an alarming rate. In major cities, road motor vehicles are the main culprit causing air pollution problems.

Nguyen Hoang Duc, a senior official of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MONRE) said on Dai Doan Ket newspaper that the air pollution in urban areas caused by the transport vehicles accounts for 70-80 percent. Meanwhile, other emission sources include the industrial production, mining activities, construction, emissions from other sectors and human activities just account for a smaller proportion of the total emission that pollutes the air.

Therefore, the traffic pollution has been found as the one of the biggest reasons behind the air in urban centers.

Duc said that while Vietnam has the regulations on the punishment levels on the water pollution and solid waste, it still does not have a perfect legal framework to control the air quality. Meanwhile, the urbanization process has been speeding up in big cities in Vietnam, especially in Hanoi, Da Nang and HCM City.

MONRE has reported that in Hanoi, the air pollution has exceeded the allowed level with the dust concentration higher by 1-2 times than the allowed level. Especially, at construction sites, the air pollution is higher by 5-6 times.

“Currently, the indexes of NO2, SO2 and Benzene in the air are still within the standards. However, the worrying problem is that the pollution emissions have been increasing,” Duc warned.

Mare Cagnard from UBIFRANCE also said at a recent workshop in Hanoi on the air pollution control--that the 4 million private transport vehicles are the main culprit that causes the traffic jam and the serious air pollution in the city.

Experts believe that the transport pollution problem needs to be settled with comprehensive measures, from the urban development programming to the encouragement of public transport vehicles, and of the transport means which do not cause pollution.

Bernard Favre, a senior executive of ARIA Technologies, also said that it is necessary to consider the development of public transport means as the most important measure to ease the traffic congestion and pollution, while applying the measures to ease the private transport vehicles and collect environment fee.

Pham Thi Quynh Nhu, Secretary General of the Clean Air Network in Vietnam under the Clean Air Initiative Asia (CAI-Asia) said that it is necessary to expand the network of pollution measurement stations.

However, Nhu said that in order to have accurate assessment about the air situation, scientists need reliable input materials. Meanwhile, it is not easy to access the database on the issue. In many cases, the agencies which have database about the air pollution do not want to share information.

Thoi bao Kinh te Saigon has quoted some official statistics sources as saying that after 25 years of doi moi (renovation), Vietnam now has 760 urban areas with the urbanization rate at over 31 percent. Under the overall development of the national urban centers by 2015, Vietnam would have 870 urban areas of different classes, an increase of 100 areas.

Regarding the plan to encourage public transport means to help ease the traffic jam, Yoshio Wada, a senior Japanese official on urban development, said that this is simply one of the suggested measures. In order to settle the problem to the every root, it is necessary to share the urban functions of Hanoi with other cities.

C. V

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VN worries about future supplies of water, food

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US, VN agree on cutting emissions

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Synology outs DS412+, DS112 NAS drives, feeds the data hungry

Commodore Amiga Mini PC revealed: Core i7, 16GB of RAM and a Blu-ray drive

Yeah, an optical drive. You know, for folks who still appreciate the passing fads of life.

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Bowing to fans, BioWare mulls new Mass Effect 3 ending

Fans have been up in arms about the ending of the new BioWare game, Mass Effect 3. Today, the publisher responded and said it would consider new finishes.

(Credit:BioWare)

Sometimes, it pays to protest.

In the aftermath of fans of the BioWare game Mass Effect 3 nearly rioting over their displeasure about the game's conclusion, the publisher appears to be willing to consider new endings.

According to CNET sister site GameSpot, fans were unhappy with the game's ending, and its initial downloadable content, known as From Ashes.

"Members of the Mass Effect community even formed a charity petition called the Retake Mass Effect Chipin fund, collecting PayPal donations for the Child's Play charity as a way of encouraging BioWare to make alternate Mass Effect 3 endings," GameSpot wrote. "The fund has [now] amassed over $75,000."

Related storiesBioWare considering changing Mass Effect 3 endingMass Effect 3 face bug ruins gamers' weekend

In a statement, BioWare co-founder Ray Muzyka addressed players' concerns. "We're working hard to maintain the right balance between the artistic integrity of the original story while addressing the fan feedback we've received. This is in addition to our existing plan to continue providing new Mass Effect content and new full games, so rest assured that your journey in the Mass Effect universe can, and will, continue."

Muzyka suggested that BioWare will release new "content initiatives" that will "help answer [fans'] questions" sometime in April. But first, he asked the game's community to continue playing, and providing feedback. "I'd ask that you help us...by supporting what I truly believe is the best game BioWare has yet crafted. I urge you to do your own research: play the game, finish it, and tell us what you think. Tell your friends if you feel it's a good game as a whole. Trust that we are doing our damnedest, as always, to address your feedback."

Fans push for new Mass Effect 3 ending

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Endangered turtle released into sea

Endangered turtle released into sea

A Cretta Caretta turtle - Zing.vn PhotoHA NOI – A rare Cretta Caretta turtle was yesterday released into the estuary in southern Bac Lieu Province by the Department of Capture Fisheries and Resources Protection in Bac Lieu and local authority staff.

The rare turtle is listed in Viet Nam's Red Book of endangered species and named in the CITES Multilateral Treaty.

The turtle can weigh up to more 130 kilos when fully grown.

The turtle is native to nearby Bach Long Vi and Cat Ba islands off the coast of Hai Phong.

Municipal police officers and officials from Bac Lieu's Agricultural and Rural Development Department discovered the turtle was being kept by Huynh Trung Truc, 54.

Truc said he bought the turtle last week for VND1 million (US$48) from a local fisherman.

The turtle suffered damage to its pelvic area when caught. – VNS

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US, Vietnam agree to cut gas emissions

US, Vietnam agree to cut gas emissions - 3/22/2012 - VietnamNet EnglishLoading..... Thursday, 22 March 2012, 11:35:33 AM
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US, Vietnam agree to cut gas emissions Photo: VOV
VietNamNet Bridge – The governments of theUS and Vietnam signed a memorandum of understanding(MoU) on a Low Emission Development Strategy in Hanoi on March 21.

Under the MoU, Vietnameseand US experts will work together to develop a national greenhouse gasinventory system, identify sources of emissions for analysis to encourageenergy efficiency and production of renewable energy while optimizingagricultural forest production.

Minister of NaturalResources and Environment Nguyen Minh Quang said the MoU is an importantofficial starting point marking the cooperation in environmental protection,especially climate change issues which are now a rising global concern.

He added that with the newstrategy, the two countries will join international efforts to respond toclimate change.

The US Secretary of State for Economic Growth,Energy and Environment, Robert Hormats, expressed his concern about the impactof climate change in Vietnam,especially in the Mekong Delta region, and challenges in energy developmentfacing the country.

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With CS6, Photoshop takes a step toward Videoshop

Photoshop CS6 provides video-editing features, including the ability to apply tone and color changes from Photoshop's photo-editing tools. (Click to enlarge.)

(Credit:screenshot by Stephen Shankland/CNET)

Don't beat yourself up if you didn't know that some modest video editing abilities are tucked into the premium version of Photoshop CS5.

But expect a lot more starting today, when Adobe Systems releases an open beta version of Photoshop CS6 code-named Superstition.

The new version brings video from the higher-priced Extended version of Photoshop to the standard version, and it adds editing features such as the ability to apply Photoshop tone and color adjustments. And instead of relying on Apple's QuickTime, the new tool draws from Adobe technology elsewhere in the Creative Suite, such as the Adobe Media Encoder to handle a broad range of video formats for the full-fledged video tool, Premiere Pro.

For a detailed look at how well it works, look at CNET's hands-on look at Photoshop CS6 from my colleague Lori Grunin. And the software--a beta version of Photoshop CS6 Extended, is downloadable from Adobe Labs or Download.com.

The Photoshop video move reflects the spread of video technology to customers who might not have shot video before.

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Point-and-shoot digital cameras have been able to shoot video for years, but it's still a relative novelty among SLRs, the camera of choice for photo enthusiasts and pros. And mobile phones are doing better, with 1080p shooting now a common high-end feature.

Despite the trend, though, many people were just letting their videos languish, Adobe concluded after conducting some research, said Zorana Gee, a Photoshop product manager.

"It's become much more important in the last couple years, especially with new cameras and with all the photographers now starting to shoot video. Many devices now originally focused on taking still images now take videos, and often very good quality video," Gee said. However, she said, "Research showed people aren't doing anything with their videos. They just can't find the time, they might not want to learn a new app, they might not be a Premiere customer, or they don't consider themselves [Premiere] Elements user."

Thus, Adobe decided to put video in front of customers, mirroring what it's done with Lightroom 4.

Lightroom 4 has only basic editing abilities, though: customers can trim videos and apply editing presets. In contrast, Photoshop can be used to composite multiple videos, adding basic transition effects like a gradual crossfade from one clip to another or a fade to black at the end.

And it integrates with other Photoshop features.

"We have all of Photoshop capabilities available. Want black and white? Create a black-and-white adjustment layer. Lens correction? Pop into the lens correction [module]. If I want to add a type layer, I can," Gee said.

The new Photoshop includes a wide range of other new features, many of them previewed on YouTube. Among them:

? More sophisticated tools to fill in patches left when imagery is moved or erased.

? Blur effects to restrict focus only to a spot or spots, or to apply a tilt-shift lens effects.

? Better automatic photo corrections that compares a shot to a database of thousands of images to try to predict the intended outcome.

? A new dark user interface by default.

? Better vector editing abilities such as dashed lines.

? A big boost from the graphics chip for many tasks using technology called the Mercury Graphics Engine that's closely related to the GPU-based Mercury Playback Engine that debuted in Premiere Pro CS5.

"We're wrapping our whole GPU [graphics processing unit] pipeline over the Mercury Playback Engine," Gee said. For graphics chores, Adobe uses the OpenGL standard as the interface for hardware acceleration.

For some computing tasks that run on the GPU, the CS5 graphics engine uses Nvidia's CUDA technology. That technology choice limited the engine to Nvidia cards--and indeed to high-end cards unless you hacked around a little. But Photoshop CS6 uses OpenCL, a related technology that works with AMD and Intel graphics, too. Windows driver support isn't the best, but Adobe believes GPU acceleration in general is much better.

"We're much more flexible and broad in terms of the cards we support," Gee said. At least 256MB of video RAM is needed, and some features don't work on Windows XP.

Technologies that use GPU acceleration include the blur technology, puppet warp, transformations, and a refurbished cropping tool.

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Five things the next-gen MacBook Air needs to compete with ultrabooks

(Credit:Apple)

A new generation of slim, lightweight laptops has taken the PC world by storm. These ultrabooks (to use Intel's trademarked marketing term) are exactly what many laptop shoppers have been longing for, a PC version of Apple's MacBook Air that runs Windows.

But despite very strong showings from HP, Dell, Lenovo, and others, there still is not an ultrabook on the market right now that really beats the MacBook Air in a head-to-head shootout. That's not because of price, processing power, or features -- the Air is more expensive, has about the same CPU horsepower, and lacks many of the ports and connections found on the best ultrabooks. But it still wins on overall experience, thanks to an excellent keyboard and touch pad, the tight unibody construction, extra-long battery life, and sleep, resume, and instant-on features that actually work.

That said, the current MacBook Air dates from July 2011, and the newest ultrabooks have several important features that Apple's slim laptop lacks. Systems such as the HP Folio 13 and Toshiba Z835 have taken the best parts of the MacBook Air and added the kind of mainstream features we've come to expect in any 13-inch laptop (although some of the ultrabooks we've seen skimp on these features as well).

In order to stay competitive, the next version of the MacBook Air, whenever it is released, should include one or more of these recommended upgrades, so it can stay competitive with the growing wave of ultrabooks, some of which are good enough that Apple really should be looking over its shoulder.

HDMIThis request sounds like a broken record, but there are good reasons we keep coming back to it. Nearly every ultrabook includes this universal audio/video connector, while Apple sticks with Mini DisplayPort. Sure, you can get an adapter, but that's not nearly as convenient as plugging right into a big-screen TV or external monitor with a stock cable that you're likely to find sitting around any office.

(Credit:Apple)

Lower priceA couple of the earliest ultrabooks toyed with $1,099 or $1,199 prices, but most are well under that, at $899 or $999. The entry-level 13-inch MacBook Air, with the same 128GB capacity SSD and Intel Core i5 CPU that you'll find in the $899 HP Folio 13, costs $1,299. Even Dell's MacBook Air-alike, the XPS 13, is only $999. That's not to say the Air is still not a better overall user experience, but with these price differences, it's getting harder to make the pro-Apple argument.

Ethernet jackAnother feature that current MacBook Air users can get with an external adapter, but it's so important that it seems like the kind of thing that should be built in (and on many, but not all, ultrabooks, it is). Everyone I know with a MacBook Air or other Ethernet-free laptop has run into a situation where the available Wi-Fi has been too slow, or just completely nonfunctional (perhaps at the offices of a major technology Web site...) and had to reach for a Cat5 cable. If you don't have a jack or the adapter dongle, you're out of luck.

(Credit:Philip Wong/CNET Asia)

USB 3.0Yes, Apple has its own high-speed data port with Thunderbolt, but that technology has, frankly, never really caught on. To be fair, most of the USB devices you're likely to use are USB 2.0, but every single ultrabook to date, and most other recent laptops, all have at least one USB 3.0 port, and by later in 2012, even budget laptops will likely have at least two.

(Credit:Josh Miller/CNET)

Related storiesPowerful, big-screen ultrabooks may presage new MacBooksNew rumor adds to 15-inch MacBook Air chatterHow to track Apple store refurbsWill skinny MacBooks get beefy graphics? Timbuk2 Crater case: A little air for your Air

Screen resolution and aspect ratioDid you know that the 11-inch MacBook Air is the only Apple laptop with a 16:9 aspect ratio? The 13-inch Air and all MacBook Pro models are still 16:10. The relative merits of each can be debated endlessly, but 16:9 is definitely the consumer standard, matches perfectly with your HDTV and HD video content, and allows for a smaller chassis. In the case of the 13-inch MacBook Air, it would likely mean a 1,600x900-pixel native screen resolution, rather than the current 1,440x900-pixel display, although both are preferable to the 1,366x768 in the majority of current ultrabooks (the Asus Zenbook's screen is 1,600x900 pixels).

Has the increased competition made these must-have features for the next MacBook Air? Or would a simple CPU upgrade be more than enough to steal some of the spotlight back from the current generation of ultrabooks? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

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Laptop buyers: Should you wait for Windows 8?
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US, Vietnam agree on cutting emissions

The governments of the United States and Vietnam on March 21 signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation on low emission development in Hanoi.

The signing was held with the participation of the US Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and Environment Robert Hormats and the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Nguyen Minh Quang.

Under the MoU, Vietnamese and US experts will join hands in developing a national greenhouse gas inventory system, identifying sources of emissions for analysis to encourage energy efficiency and production of renewable energy while optimising agricultural and forest production.

Minister Quang said the MoU is an important official starting point marking the cooperation in environmental protection, especially climate change issues which are now a rising global concern.

Hormats expressed concern about the impact of climate change in Vietnam , especially in the Mekong Delta Region and challenges in energy development facing the country.

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More LEDs in new iPad can mean less battery life

The new iPad's Retina display (R) compared to the iPad 2.

(Credit:Apple)

By doubling the number of LEDs in the new iPad, Apple cut somewhat into battery life--particularly when used at full brightness--something you won't find on Apple's tech spec page.

Though the new iPad's battery is 1.7 times larger than the iPad 2's, all of those extra LEDs still take a toll on battery life at full brightness--as Raymond Soneira, president of DisplayMate Technologies, told CNET in a phone interview yesterday.

"The [power consumption of the] LEDs is 2.5X compared to the iPad 2, and the battery is 1.7X [larger]...so what happens is that if you run your new iPad at full brightness, the battery run time is less because you only put in 70 percent more battery but you're using 150 percent more power," Soneira said. (See chart below.)

The new iPad at maximum brightness has about 20 percent less battery life than that of the iPad 2. At middle brightness battery life is pretty much the same. Note that in DisplayMate Technologies' testing the iPad is in airplane mode with no running applications.

(Credit:DisplayMate Technologies)

While full brightness battery life went south, lower settings are pretty much the same. "So, at full brightness the new iPad lasts 20 percent less than the iPad 2. But in the middle range, the new iPad runs essentially at the same running time as the iPad 2. And, in fact, that's the way Apple delivers it and that's probably the typical setting," he said.

More specifically, that's the brightness slider set at 36 percent, Soneira said today in a follow-up interview. He described this as more or less as the default setting on the iPad.

Still, there are plenty of people--just check out the Apple Support Community forums--who insist on using the iPad at full brightness.

Related storiesNew iPad's battery life (nearly) the same as the old iPad'sLED backlight a likely culprit in iPad heat issue, says expert

It all comes down to LEDs. The number of backlight LEDs has roughly doubled from 36 to an estimated 72 to 82, according to Soneira. "Since the display normally consumes about 50 to 60 percent of the total tablet power, the new iPad needs at least a 50 percent larger battery," he said in report, echoing what he told CNET above.

Soniera's analysis meshes more less with a test CNET's Eric Franklin conducted on the iPad over the weekend. He evaluated the battery life by continually running a movie file on the iPad until its battery dies. The new iPad drained in 12.8 hours, faster than the iPad 2's drainage rate of 14.2 hours. But Franklin points out that 12.8 hours of battery life "is still the second-highest result we've seen on a tablet using a single battery."

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Here's who should buy the new iPad
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Apps Rush: King's Cross Streetstories, Ferrari, SeatGuru, Gabby Tabs, Commuter, Harper's Bazaar and more

What's new on the app stores on Wednesday 21 March 2012

A selection of 13 apps for you today:

King's Cross Streetstories

DISCLAIMER KLAXON: This app has been produced by the Guardian. It's an audio-guide app for the King's Cross area of London, offering stories from artists, musicians, historians, architects and residents, with music and sounds weaving in and out of the narratives as you walk around the district. Not in King's Cross? There's an off-location mode to hear the stories anyway. There are iPhone and Android versions with 10 stories, and an additional "Extra" iPhone app with 70 stories.
Android / iPhone

Ferrari Formula 1 2011 Season Review

Shouldn't this have come out a few months ago, given that the new F1 season is about to start? Anyway, this is a book-app reliving the 2011 campaign, packed with photos, audio and videos.
iPhone / iPad

SeatGuru by TripAdvisor

Travel site TripAdvisor's latest iPhone app is all about checking where you're going to be sitting on plane flights, whether they have power sockets, how near they are to the loos and other information, to help you choose a better seat if required.
iPhone

Gabby Tabs - AAC for Kids

This is the latest app designed for children with communication difficulties, including autism. It offers on-screen buttons in three customisable categories based around things to talk about, with the ability to record your own voice and import your own pictures.
Android

PES 2012

Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer franchise has appeared on Windows Phone with its latest version, tying into Microsoft's Xbox Live community, and boasting an official UEFA club competitions licence.
Windows Phone

Commuter

There are good live-data transport apps for separate services in the UK, but Commuter aims to bring them all together: rail, London tube and Docklands Light Railway. Live service updates, preferred routes and departure boards are all included.
iPhone

Harper's Bazaar

Magazine publisher Hearst has a new iPad edition for its Harper's Bazaar publication, including one-year subscriptions for $19.99. Note, this is the US edition of the magazine: a UK app is already available separately.
iPad

PingMe

Communications app PingMe is now available on Windows Phone, joining the existing iOS, Android and BlackBerry versions. It includes text and video messaging and voice notes, as well as group chat and location-based friend-finding.
Windows Phone

Romplr Remix

Music remix app Romplr has made the leap to Windows Phone, offering a bunch of popular songs to mix and match, with an almost game-like interface. Some "mixkits" are free to download in-app.
Windows Phone

Quote Unquote

Quote Unquote is a nifty iOS game that blends crossword-style clues and famous quotations, getting players to fill in the blanks. It's free with 24 puzzles, with more packs to download for 69p a pop.
iPhone / iPad

GT Racing Motor Academy HD

Gameloft has ported its Gran Turismo-inspired racing game to BlackBerry PlayBook offering more than 100 cars to drive around 14 tracks.
BlackBerry PlayBook

Eyes On My Kids

The title sounds worrying, but the app isn't. It's a digital organiser to manage appointments (e.g. after-school clubs), contacts, wishlists and other minutae of parenting life, while also pulling in photos for a record of their childhood days. Whether that will port to whatever tablet you're using in 10 or 20 years' time is another question.
iPad

Mobile Poker Club

You'll need to look outside the app stores for this real-money poker game, which has just been updated with versions for iPhone and Android smartphones. It's fully online-multiplayer, with a choice of limit, no-limit and pot-limit Texas Hold'em.
Android / iPhone

• Apps
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Stuart Dredge

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Inspectors “forget” domestic software copyright

VietNamNet Bridge – The slow development of the software industry in Vietnam in recent years has been partially attributed to the high percentage of copyright infringement (83 percent). Meanwhile, inspectors only focus on foreign software, while neglecting domestic products.

Vietnamese competent agencies have been making great efforts to combat the software piracy, improve the legal framework to protect software copyrights. The efforts have helped Vietnam escape from the list of the 10 countries with the highest percentages of copyright piracy. The country’s piracy percentage dropped from 85 percent in 2007-2009 to 83 percent in 2010-2012.

In 2011, the inspectors discovered 10 computer sales agents of HP, Dell, Lenovo, Asus and Acer as installing pirated software products. It was estimated that the value of the seized software products was one billion dong.

However, the problem is that relevant agencies have focused only on the use of foreign software, while they have not paid an appropriate attention to domestic products. This is, according to the Ministry of Information and Communication, one of the biggest reasons that hinder the development of the Vietnamese software industry.

Vietnamese software products have been used by many businesses, institutions and individuals without paying fees. In many cases, software products were “unlocked” right after they hit the market and then sold to buyers at surprisingly low prices.

Tran Van Hue, Director of Nhat Nghe IT firm, also said that the copyright infringement has reduced the opportunities and revenue of businesses, thus making them discouraged. Meanwhile, users have to face high risks when using illegal software.

They might think that using the software allows them to save the initial investment. However, they should be warned that in the long term, the use would cause big losses to them, including the loss of the privacy, the high finance risks when they become the aiming points of technological crimes.

A useless legal document?

In an effort to keep a tighter control over the intellectual property use, the Ministry of Information and Communication on December 26, 2011, send the Dispatch No. 3932 to the Software and IT Services association, IT Association and IT firms, requesting the associations and firms to report the list of software products and the number of intellectual property right registrations prior to January 31, 2012.

The list of the software products would serve relevant ministries to take inspections and find infringement cases.

Secretary General of Association of Software and IT Services (VINASA), Pham Tan Cong, said that the move shows the strong determination of the ministries to stop the copyright piracy to protect the intellectual property. However, Cong commented that the document seemed to be “abundant.”

The Vietnam Copyright Agency put under the management of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is now taking responsibility for the issue. All the software products that got the copyright certificates from the agency must be kept at the agency’s database. Therefore, competent agencies just need to work together to obtain the list of the licensed software products.

Do Truong Giang from the Information Technology Department of the Ministry of Information and Communication explained that the ministry needs updated information to know what products are still in use and what products have not been used.

However, the explanation has not satisfied IT firms. The representative of an IT firm said that there are thousands of products, and if all of them need to be reported, the list would have the length equal to a novel.

A survey conducted by IDC showed that in 2010, three out of every five software products used were illegal ones.

Source: Kinh te & Do thi

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Seven startup sins to avoid

Twitter and Square founder Jack Dorsey is a man who knows what causes most startups to fail.

(Credit:James Martin/CNET)

I've seen thousands of startups fail, but they almost always fail for the same reasons. Most entrepreneurs fall into the same traps over and over again, despite how easy they are to avoid.

At the London Web Summit earlier this week, I told an audience of European entrepreneurs the seven mistakes I believe most often destroy promising startups.

These are my seven startup sins. Avoid these common mistakes at all costs:

1. Losing focus: If you're like the typical entrepreneur, you probably have hundreds of new ideas for your startup. But you must resist the urge to build lots of features, rather than focusing on the few that will actually take your product forward.

Giving users many choices and features may seem like a good idea, but it just confuses them until they abandon a product in frustration. Simplicity and focus are the keys to building a great company. Google became a $100 billion-plus company with a text box and not much else. Square became a leader in mobile payments by not trying to do too many things at once.

Happy 3rd Birthday @Square! I'm so proud of all we've accomplished, & all we decided not to do. instagr.am/p/G4ioytAQ9x/

— Jack Dorsey (@jack) February 11, 2012

Don't start building every idea that comes into your head. Make everything as simple and streamlined as possible, and don't build everything the customer wants -- you will simply end up with a bloated product nobody will use.

2. Ignoring cashflow: In the early days of a startup, cashflow is far more crucial than revenue or profit. Your job as an entrepreneur is to find ways to extend your company's runway for as long as possible.

It doesn't mean you have to be a penny-pincher, but make sure that every purchase you make will deliver greater benefits than its cost. My company buys the fastest MacBook Pros possible for our engineers because the increased productivity more than makes up for the upfront costs of the computer.

3. Obsessing over competition: Many startups worry too much what Google or another startup may be building. If you obsess over what they're building, you're going to start building products based on your fears. There will always be competition, but the best companies focus on user experience instead of focusing on the competition.

4. Failing slowly: Your first product is most likely going to fail. Whether it takes you weeks, months, or years before you realize your product is a dud is entirely up to your flexibility.

Find out quickly whether your idea will succeed or fail -- research, build, test, and iterate as quickly as you can. Don't be discouraged by setbacks, but if you can see the writing on the wall, don't ignore it -- figure out why your product isn't gaining traction and fix it. Tools like Google Analytics, RJMetrics, and Optimizely are great for gathering the information you need to make decisions quickly.

5. Ignoring company culture: It's easy, especially in the early days, to make company culture a lower priority. But much like plaster, once a company culture is set, it becomes very tough to reshape.

"Zappos sells shoes and apparel online, but what distinguished us from our competitors was that we'd put our company culture above all else," Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh famously said after the company was sold to Amazon. Zappos used that strong culture to successfully recruit employees and customers.

The most important job of a founder is company culture and recruitment. Most successful founders stop coding as their companies scale, but their example sets the tone for the work ethic, priorities, and morals of the companies they created.

(Credit:James Martin/CNET)

Mark Zuckerberg understands the importance of company culture better than almost anybody. He famously takes engineers Facebook is trying to recruit on a walk in the woods of Palo Alto to build a relationship and explain the company's vision.

You should have a strong idea of what kind of company culture you want to build long before you hire your first employee.

6. Being complacent: No company is immune to catastrophic failure -- just ask Yahoo, Digg, MySpace, RIM, and Friendster. Don't confuse traction for victory, because that is what leads to a startup becoming complacent and getting blindsided by an upstart competitor.

7. Not building: You can worry about competitors and fundraising until you pass out, but there's no bigger sin than not building. Ideas are easy to come by -- it's execution that separates successful companies from thousands of could-have-beens.

At some point, you just have to build and see how it goes. That's the beauty of entrepreneurship -- it's democratic. The people, rather than investors or competitors, will ultimately decide your startup's fate.

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Dangers in angel investing
Twenty thousand reasons to go to SXSW
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Google Wallet said to be seeking more mobile carriers

Google Wallet

(Credit:CNET/Marguerite Reardon)

Will Google Wallet survive? That's a question that's been looming during the first six months of the the digital wallet program, which has been plagued with issues such as security concerns, minimal consumer use, and few carrier and retail partners willing to support the new technology.

Despite the setbacks, the Web giant isn't planning to close up shop quite yet. Rather, it's looking at different ways to improve its product, including possibly courting AT&T and Verizon mobile carriers and exploring revenue sharing with them, according to Bloomberg.

Google Wallet enthusiastically launched last September and was introduced as an easy way for shoppers to purchase in-store items with a tap or swipe of their mobile phone. Using NFC (near-field communications) technology, Google Wallet initially partnered with Citibank, MasterCard, and Sprint.

However, only two Sprint phones are capable of supporting Google Wallet and rival technology companies such as Isis--which is being backed by Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile--are gearing up for their own "wallets." If Google were to partner with Verizon and AT&T, it would mean greater ad revenue for the company, which Bloomberg reports it might be willing to share with those carriers.

"We are continuing our commercial discussions with Google on this issue," Verizon spokesperson Brenda Raney said to Bloomberg in an e-mail.

Related storiesGoogle brings Brazil's Amazon forest to Street ViewComScore: Google still top site, Pinterest continues to soarGoogle hands over $5 credit to Wallet customers, report saysGoogle remains optimistic that its product will take off. It has enlisted new partnerships with retailers like the Pinkberry frozen-yogurt chain, Macy's department stores, Subway food chains, and American Eagle Outfitters clothing line.

"We're enthusiastic about the progress we're making with Google Wallet. Including Monday's announcement of our newest national retail partner Pinkberry," Google spokesman Nate Tyler wrote in an e-mail to CNET today. "We continue to work hard to develop Google Wallet and build the partner ecosystem to make it possible for everyone to pay with their phones and get great deals while shopping."

According to Bloomberg, Sprint will introduce roughly 12 new phones in the coming year that should be able to run Google Wallet.

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Google hands over $5 credit to Wallet customers, report says
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No more Photoshopping models without disclosure -- in Israel

Under the new law, top Israeli model Adi Neumann, above, is banned at her current weight from appearing in local advertisements.

(Credit:Screenshot by Elizabeth Armstrong Moore/CNET)

A law passed late Monday in Israel is not only banning underweight models from appearing in local advertising, it's also requiring publications to disclose when models -- male or female -- have been digitally edited to appear thinner than they are.

"We want to break the illusion that the model we see is real," Liad Gil-Har, the assistant to the law sponsor, told the Associated Press.

Supporters of the law, which appears to be the first of its kind anywhere, say they hope it will help reduce the rate of eating disorders, which in many developed countries (including Israel and the U.S.) is estimated to be severe in 2 to 3 percent of teenage girls.

The first part of the law is clear: at every photo shoot that may be used on the Israeli market, models must produce a medical report that is no more than three months old stating that the model is not malnourished according to World Health Organization standards, which sets being underweight at a body mass index below 18.5. (This means a woman who is 5 feet 8 inches must weigh more than 120 pounds.)

The law is hazier, though, on how it will deal with altering models to look thinner. In some cases the edit may be obvious (the famous chopping off of a Ralph Lauren model's hips comes to mind), but who will decide if a slight reshaping of cheekbones or shadowing of the eyes counts?

Critics of the law argue that it should focus on a model's health instead of weight, so that naturally skinny models are not banned from work. Also, the actual effect of the law on girls in Israel may be limited, given that there are only a few hundred professional Israeli models.

The law was championed by Adi Barkan, a top Israel model agent who reports that during 30 years working in the industry he has watched women become sicker as they try to maintain lower and lower ideal weights. "They look like dead girls," he told the AP.

It's worth noting that Adi Neumann, a top Israeli model, won't be allowed to appear in Israeli publications at her current BMI of 18.3. She says she eats well and exercises, and argues that instead of a strict weight requirement the law should instead enforce healthy behaviors.

Of course with every new law there are new ways to skirt it; in this case, a model could very well eat a huge meal before weighing in at the doc's and then throw it up immediately after getting a certificate of approval. Unfortunate, yes, but if two pounds is the difference between a paycheck and no check, such a scenario may not be far-fetched.

Related Links:
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Imuler/Revir Trojan for OS X resurfaces

Last fall, a new Trojan malware scam called Revir and Imuler was uncovered, attempting to coerce Mac users into installing the malware on their systems, and then sending personal information to remote servers.

The scam initially used a Trojan dropper program called OS X/Revir.A that when run would download PDFs containing offensive political rhetoric in foreign languages, and then install a backdoor agent called OS X/Imuler.A. This in turn would try to connect to remote servers and send information about your system to the servers.

The malware did not work very well and appeared to be in the testing phase, but it did have the potential to do damage.

When the ZIP file containing the malware is opened, among benign image files is the malware application (red square), which is disguised to look like the rest of the images.

(Credit:ESET)

Recently, ESET reported that a new variant of the Imuler malware has been found, which instead of using a two-part attack, is now being disguised in ZIP files that contain erotic pictures. When opened, the ZIP archive will show a number of files, many of which are basic image files that will do no harm to your system, but mixed among them is an application file disguised as one of the images.

If you open the malware program itself, it will connect to remote servers directly and download a program called CurlUpload, which packages screenshots and other information into a compressed file that it then uploads. This action is performed every time the malware is opened.

This new variant of the malware is identified as OSX/Imuler.C and is currently being added to the definitions files for various anti-malware utilities. Both ESET and F-secure have released definitions updates that identify the malware, but other antivirus developers are expected to soon follow suit.

While some past malware such as the MacDefender scam appeared when visiting legitimate Web sites, the nature of the Imuler malware makes it harder to distribute as a legitimate program. Currently, its use of erotica to coerce people targets those who use peer-to-peer file sharing or who visit pornographic Web sites. And even if it were to change and use non-erotic images or other content, in its current form it would still need to use underground or peer-to-peer means to spread.

Apple's XProtect definitions have recently been updated to identify this new threat.

(Credit:Screenshot by Topher Kessler/CNET)

Because of the nature of this threat, avoiding it is relatively easy and only involves avoiding files of which you do not know the source, especially if they are packaged in ZIP files and are erotic or otherwise provocative in nature. If you are unsure of where a file came from, one method for looking this information up is to get information on it in the Finder and going to the "More Info" field, where in some cases you may find an origin URL.

In addition to keeping a keen eye on files you download, OS X contains some technologies that help identify these threats. In current builds of OS X including Snow Leopard and Lion, Apple includes its XProtect option for scanning freshly downloaded files. Last Saturday, Apple issued an update to XProtect that includes definitions for the new Revir malware threat, so should you inadvertently download it the system should warn you that the file could potentially do harm to your system.

XProtect is one barrier that is built into OS X, but in upcoming versions of OS X, the inadvertent launch of any malware program will be much harder to do with Apple's GateKeeper technology. This feature uses Apple's developer ID program to only allow legitimate applications to run without explicit user consent, and thereby give you warning when unsigned code (such as that in malware programs) are run.

Questions? Comments? Have a fix? Post them below or e-mail us!Be sure to check us out on Twitter and the CNET Mac forums.

Related Links:
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Anonymous OS: Worth the risk?
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