Chinese sue Apple over pirated e-books

As reported by Chinese financial magazine Caixin, a group of nine Chinese authors (amongst whom are popular 29-year-old blogger and social critic Han Han  and author Li Chengpeng) has sued Apple before the Beijing's No. 2 Intermediate People's Court for 11.9 million yuan (approx. $1.9 million), in compensation for allegedly providing 37copyright-infringing books for download through its online store.
The consortium of writers acts under the mantle of the China Written Works Copyright Society (CWWCS), a lobby group which has engaged in similar disputes also with Baidu and Google (see this Blog here) over their online products.
According to CWWCS's spookesman, "the download number of one best-selling book is much as one million, which creates about one billion dollars in losses for each writer." 
Controversy between Chinese authors and Apple over alleged sale of copyright-infringing material is not a novelty. In August 2011, Zhu Jintai, the author of a popular paranormal fiction novel, joined several publishing agencies and media organisations in a lawsuit against Apple, due to its App Store's alleged infringement of IPRs. This, as reported by the Global Times, was the first time that an individual Chinese author took action against the US corporation. Eventually, Apple removed his novel from its online store, but the lawsuit is still pending.
Then, in September 2011, six writers sued Apple over copyright infringement of 23 books, seeking 6.5 million yuan (approx. $1 million) in compensation.  
As the number of Chinese Internet users is constantly increasing (it reached 485 million in June 2011), so is the number of people who download e-books (more than 121 million in 2010). Along with such a flourishing market, economic harm posed by piracy cannot be underestimated. 
Zhang Hongbo, CWWCS's deputy director general, suggests Chinese authorities become involved in helping domestic copyright owners protect their rights overseas. "US authorities always press on China over IPR protection, and now it's time for Chinese authorities to up the pressure on them" he said.

E911 For Enterprise VoIP

The move from switched circuit to packet switched telephony has created some unintended consequences. One of these is emergency calling to 911. We take the 911 system for granted. When disaster strikes, just punch in those three little numbers and help will be on the way. Well, that’s the way it’s supposed to work.

Now consider this. There’s a fire in the maintenance closet down the hall and it’s getting out of control. You pick up your handset and dial 911. You reach the emergency operator and report the fire, then run out of the building and across the street. An hour later, the facility has burned to the ground and no fire trucks have shown up. How could this happen?

The fire trucks did show up within 5 minutes of your call. Unfortunately, they went to your main office in Phoenix. You just called from the satellite office in Indianapolis. Oops! Something is not set up properly on your VoIP phone system.

Such a problem would never arise on an analog landline phone. Why? Because the phone wire is in the ground at it always goes the same place. That’s why they call it a landline. VoIP, however, is a network service. As long as a SIP phone can connect to the network, it can make a call. It makes no difference where that connection takes place. Networks that encompass multiple locations need special consideration when they are converged for voice and data. The same technology that makes it easy to move phones around also makes it easy to lose track of just where they are plugged-in. This is especially true if any of your phones connect via the Internet.

XO Communications, a leader in enterprise VoIP deployments, has an instructional video called “9 Ways to Ensure E911 VoIP Service for Enterprise VoIP Deployments.” Have a look now and see if there is something needing your attention...



Make no mistake about it. VoIP technologies, including Hosted PBX and Unified Communications, offer enormous benefits in cost reduction and employee productivity improvement. Like all new technology, the more cutting edge the solution, the trickier it is to get it right. You want to be working with a top-tier service provider who understands the legal requirements for issues such as E911 and has processes in-place to ensure that your system is set up accurately.

If you are considering an upgrade to your business phone system, get recommendations, options and pricing on competing telephony solutions. Be sure you understand how they ensure accurate E911 call routing.

Fire Laser Beams from Your Eyes

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have been working on making a human cell behave like a laser. And although people could eventually get light beans from their eyes to act as flashlights, the current intent is to create a living laser that could be used to activate cancer-treating drugs.

Stem Cell Stocks

On Sunday evening, 60 Minutes broadcast an extensive report on stem cell scams. It reported on companies around the world that make outrageous claims with regards to the treatment and cures that stem cells can provide. Numerous people who have incurable diseases are desperately looking for cures, and are being taking advantage of by charlatans purporting to solve all their medical issues.

However, stem cells are being used currently for medical treatments. Look at bone marrow transplants that are used to treat leukemia utilizing adult stem cells. Scientists are actively looking at stem cells to treat diseases such as cancer, Parkinson's disease, and spinal cord injuries.

There are actually many publicly traded companies involved in stem cell research. WallStreetNewsNetwork.com has turned up over 20 stem cell stocks, half of which are currently profitable.

Integra Lifesciences Holdings (IART) is a New Jersey based company that develops, manufactures, and sells medical devices, implants, biomaterials, and instruments to the stem cell, surgery, and soft tissue repair markets. The stock trades at 17 times current earnings, and 7.5 times forward earnings. However, earnings for the latest quarter were down 31.8%.

Alexion Pharmaceuticals (ALXN) is a Connecticut based company with an $13.7 billion market capitalization that is involved in the development of biologic therapeutic products for the treatment of hematologic and cardiovascular disorders, auto-immune diseases, and cancer. The company licenses porcine embryonic stem cells for transgenic animals. The stock has a price to earnings ratio of 92 and a forward PE of 45. Earnings for the latest quarter were up an amazing 135.2% on a 44% rise in revenues.

Cellgene (CELG) is a $29.8 billion market cap company involved in the discovery and production of therapies designed to treat cancer and immune-inflammatory-related diseases. One of the company's main products is Thalomid, which is used for the treatment of erythema nodosum leprosum, a complication of leprosy. They also received a patent on placental stem cell recovery. The stock sports a PE ratio of 28 and a forward PE of 15. Quarterly earnings were up 32.7% on a 37% revenue increase.

For a free list of over twenty stem cell stocks which you can download, sort, and update, go to WallStreetNewsNetwork.com.

Disclosure: Author did not own any of the above at the time the article was written.

By Stockerblog.com

FA Cup Third Round - Man United beat Man City 3-2

After a 3-0 lead at the end of first-half, it turned out to be a nail-biting second half at the FA Cup match between Manchester United and Manchester City last night our time. Man Utd won 3-2. (Phew!)

Source: Man Utd website

Manchester United is drawn to play Liverpool in the Fourth Round.

Closer to home, it is a super start for Datuk Lee Chong Wei as he downs Olympic champion Lin Dan in a thrilling three-setter 12-21, 21-18, 21-14, in the US$1.2mil Korea Open Sunday.

Datuk Lee Chong Wei(L) and Lin Dan
Source: thestar

The Worst Piece of Reporting in an Otherwise Decent Article

Romney Is the Main Target in a Caustic G.O.P. Debate.  (The New York Times, 1/8/2012)

Mr. Perry reserved perhaps his toughest commentary for President Obama.

[snip]

“We have a president who’s a socialist,” he said. “I don’t think our founding fathers wanted America to be a socialist country.”

Toughest commentary?

How about....

Ridiculous...

Inane...

Preposterous...

RIP.  Status of Perry's campaign

.

Love the comment, "How can somebody as obsessed with self grooming as this guy be anti gay?"

Sodomy II: Anwar not guilty

Looks like I'm a little late in wrapping up the post. At time of writing, this came through on The Star's running commentary:

9.25am: High Court acquits and discharges Anwar of sodomy charge.

High Court judge Justice Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah acquits and discharges Anwar of sodomy charge

Let me share what I had put together anyway.

Today, Jan 9, is a high-profile day. It is the day of verdict of Opposition leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's Sodomy II trial. Datuk Seri was alleged to have sodomised his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, then 23, three years ago.

The public is able to read a running live commentary on The Star. Here is the link to the running commentary but some pictures and comments in the meantime.

Jalan Duta Court Complex in Kuala Lumpur. -KAMARUL ARIFFIN/The Star - 9 January, 2012

Traffic entering the Jalan Duta court

A rally participant at the jalan Duta Court Complex

Tian Chua, PKR VP, tells the crowd that Anwar is expected to arrive at 8.30am


Crowd gathers at court complex

A man dressed as Justice Bao arrives at the Jalan Duta court complex

8.30am: Anwar has arrived at the court complex. The crowd breaks out into frenzied cheering and chants of "Reformasi".

Anwar, dressed in a blue long-sleeved shirt and black slacks, is in the courtroom. His wife Wan Azizah is dressed in a floral baju kurung. Anwar goes around shaking hands with lawyers.



Commotion at the main gate as people get worked up. Police have closed the gate and opened a small door on the gate to let Anwar through.

Reporters allowed into courtroom, which is packed.

S'gor MB Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim also arrives with aides, heads upstairs to court room.

According to a police source, the crowd has swelled to about 10,000. About 100 policemen deployed at the gate.

For more, go to the link.

Related articles:
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has indicated that he would take a trip to India after the court verdict today.
We want Anwar as PM, says DAP again


Source: The Star