ACTA – A new SOPA…or Worse?

Whereas the world celebrates the withdrawal of SOPA and PIPA for an unlimited period of time, there has appeared a brand new hazzard on the way, which can possibly have much more negative consequences, than the former one – ACTA.

ACTA (full title:The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement) may be easily considered a potentially dangerous document, which, in fact, presupposes attacks on human rights, even though it has been initially created in a seemingly democratic country (the US).

Naturally, as “the road to hell is always paved with good deeds”, the declared purpose of ACTA is more, than noble. Namely, the authors of the mentioned document plan to stop the spread of illegal and pirate content around the world.

Undoubtedly, the aim of ACTA is by all means positive, but the offered methods to achieve this aim are scarier, than one can imagine. In particular, the Customs officers have received the right to check one’s digital storing devices (including laptops, mobile phones, music players, or flash drives) for illegal or pirate content, with a further right to detain the device and forbid the person from visiting the country.

In this respect, it doesn’t matter, if you store password-protected info, you’ll be asked to unlock all your files, and otherwise your visit in the country will be forbidden either. Is it a bad dream? Unfortunately, it’s not.

The thing is that 22 countries, including EU members, the USA, Australia, Canada, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, Marocco, Mexico and Switzeland have already declared their desire to ratify ACTA, and if they do, the human right for confidentiality of personal data will vanish forever.

I have been truly taken aback, having read about the document for the first time, mainly because there’s yet no social reaction against the violations it makes legal. On the other hand, the answer, here, is obvious – there’s no media coverage of the news that the document is almost in action for now.

Of course, having started surfing the Web, I managed to find ACTA official site and the relative Wikipedia page, but I wonder if I would ever find out about its existence, if I hadn’t happened to encounter some brief facts about it a few days before.

In a whole, what is absolutely irritating with all these SOPA, and, now, ACTA documents, is that the authorities don’t see the line between a desire to fight Internet piracy and the brutal violation of all basic human rughts.

The thing is that, it has become pretty clear already, that any respectful site can’t but implement strict house rules to maintain its reputation. Much because of that, even the large file storage services, like 4shared or even MediaFire have already established the detailed and harsh Terms of Use, which all sites’ visitors are obliged to follow.

So why all the fuss, dear officers? I’m sure that such documents as ACTA won’t only help stop the distribution of piracy content, but will also make the whole society furious. Do you need it, after all?

Stay cool. And attentive

Andy

MediaEverywhere by Polar Mobile – One More Win for HTML5

To start with, recollect in memory what you might have heard about Polar Mobile before.

Got it? If it’s nothing, then you’re a either a newbie in IT, or..Well, here I’m done with options, for Polar Mobile has already become an unbelievably famous player on the application development field recently.

With its numerous media clients being also more, than simply popular, like CBS Interactive and GQ, just to name a few, Polar Mobile has left many of its former rivals far behind, due to its incredible cross-platform app building solutions.

For now, the company is ready to open the new era in expanding its business – there has already been announced the upcoming appearance of specifically created content distribution engine - HTML5-based MediaEverywhere.

In this respect, Polar Mobile has got impressive expectations for MediaEverywhere, as the new product will definitely increase its client networking opportunities to a considerable extent. At the same time, there’s one more win to observe – one more win for HTML5, and one more proof that this very technology owns the future.

It’s not that somebody has had any more doubts about the cloudless perspectives of HTML5, on the contrary, the latest IT trends reveal that soon there’s be no company in the industry not using the language. Moreover, a large number of brands in versatile fields, including media portals or large cloud storages (namely, 4shared), for instance, are known to have been using HMTL5 already, so the technology is likely to rule the world pretty soon.

Anyway, MediaEverywhere is promised to be presented in public in the 1Q, 2012, and I’ll make sure to test the fresh service as soon as it’s available

So, let’s get ready to be impressed, guys.


Stay cool
Andy

Samsung Becomes the New Asian Tiger

The history of competition between Samsung and Apple is full of versatile disputes, arguments and lawsuits, many of which are still being in court.

Despite the fact, that the plagiarism issues have become almost the indispensible part of what the experts are talking about, when Samsung products are being mentioned in the talk, the company somehow continues its winning streak. And this can be easily proven, at least as far as Asian countries are concerned.

The latest news reveals surprisingly large popularity of new Galaxy smartphones by Samsung, especially in South Korea, where, as the surveys show, where you will definitely meet 1 Samsung Galaxy II S owner among 10 citizens. Shocking? Actually, rather predictable.

The thing is that Samsung, in fact, has all to become as famous as its biggest rival in Asia. The company’s smartphones are likewise functional and carefully designed as iPhones (ok, may be a little too much similar, but who cares) and, at the same time, pretty cheaper, than the latter. Moreover, you’d never find essential differences either in the look or between the features of Samsung and Apple tablets as well, with the former, again, being cheaper. Both enterprises turn out to be compatible with hundreds of useful applications, though here Samsung has got one advantage, when opted for including some useful apps, like 4shared Mobile as the default ones.

Futhermore, what Samsung posseses now, a so to say, secret weapon in the war is its Samsung Galaxy Note.It’s neither an ordinary smartphone, nor a tablet. It’s the middle, which somehow the company has managed to create Before Apple. Moreover, the device is really cutting-edge in its multifunctionality and style. Classy, elegant, and boy, even if you never really need it, you want to buy it, more than anything, as long as you take it in the hands.

All things considered, for what it takes, Samsung has, obviously, Already become the new Asian Tiger, and being so heavily-armed, perhaps, will soon increase its popularity all over the world as well.

Have you already ordered from Takeaway?

We’re mobile, we’re always on the move, and we demand convenience from every good and service we’re using. We do.

Undoubtedly, we’re keen on using a variety of apps for our smartphones and tablets, from photo editors to music players, like 4shared Music, etc., living our lives at a cruising speed.

And yet…and yet we’ve already turned out so busy with our routine that we tend to order, rather than purchase live most of the time. It may sound a bit controversial, but despite the fact that everything and everyone in the modern world is moving really fast, we mostly prefer to order, than to go and buy.

If to relate such an ambiguous tendency (I certainly wouldn’t dare decide, whether it’s good, or bad))) to an IT industry, it’s quite natural that the number of apps, aimed at helping people order is gradually increasing every single day.

Of course, the quantity doesn’t always presuppose the quality, but it’s true, that a number of order-oriented applications have managed to win the considerable popularity even in terms of constantly insensifying applications. Namely, I’m talking about Takeaway.com, having got 9 thousand restaurant-partners at a moment, which has recently acquired more, than 10million Euro from investors. Too much, as you would say?

I’d admit it’s absolutely predictable. With the service’s fame being spread more and more, and people’s desire to eat being eternal by all means; Takeaway.com has good chances to become the best of the best in its sphere, if the received money is used properly.

For now, it’s almost impossible to foresee, how the functionality and the diversity of options in the service are going to be developed, but hopefully, the app founders will never have a regretting thought that they once decided to launch it.

Getting back to our strange desire to order, I guess it won’t change in the nearest future, at least, and not because of the fact, as someone may suggest, we are to lazy to get out, but rather because we’ve got much more essential things to do. This is even inspiring))


Stay cool

Andy