Corruption in INDONESIA :: Not to Investigate Alleged Corruption Commission Procurement Al-Quran

London

Spokesman Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Johan Budi SP said he did not know anything about the alleged corruption in the procurement of Al-Quran Religious Affairs Ministry. According to Johan, he only learned about it from news reporting.

 
Johan explains the suspected cases are still in the collection of materials and details. "Indeed there is, but there has been no investigation. That was around 2010-2011. The numbers I do not know," Johan said by telephone in Jakarta, Thursday (21/6).

Earlier, the House of Representatives on Wednesday (20/6), Chairman of the KPK Abraham Samad said the case had been made ​​his case. So that in time will not be long before there will be a named as a suspect in the case.

 
In fact, Abraham believed the case could have been rolled and can hit anyone. About the project, Abraham claimed to forget the magnitude. "Probably in the tens of billions," he said.

Case came to light when the Attorney KPK Pack Ronny throws the case in a seminar at the University of Al-Azhar Indonesia in Jakarta. Pack said there were allegations of corruption against the Ministry of Religious Affairs in the procurement of Al-Quran.

Din: Al-Quran Procurement Corruption is Pathetic!

Comment.

This event is not only sad, but embarrassing, which has been stripped of their faces that do not fair in this country.

News

Chairman of the Muhammadiyah Central Executive Din Syamsudin judge, cases of alleged corruption in procurement projects Koran Ministry of Religious Affairs is very sad. It is a shame because it also involves the Muslim holy book.
"I read it snapped (allegations of corrupt procurement of the Qur'an). Thus, the need to verify whether the correct way. But, hopefully it's not true," said Din Syamsudin, after closing Tanwir Muhammadiyah, 2012, in Jakarta, Sunday (24 / 6/2012).Statement of Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) some time ago, said Din, concerning an alleged corruption case could be re-procurement of the Koran put the Ministry of Religious Affairs as the most corrupt ministry.

"Do not let happen again to the Ministry of Religious Affairs 'champions' as the most corrupt ministry. It's embarrassing, and it's not in my opinion, but according to the ICW or the Institute for Transparency Indonesia said this, Kemenag be 'the most corrupt ministry'," said Din.Din said the alleged corruption in the procurement of the Koran Ministry of Religious Affairs of a body of its own irony for Indonesia at this time.

"If the Ministry of Religious Affairs of corruption like this, how will if you want to do the development of religious life," he said.

Besides the matter of alleged corruption, Din also highlighted the problems of the hajj, which according to Din, the people of Indonesia and DPR impressed "silent".

"Especially concerning Hajj funds. This we all seemed quiet, the House was quiet. I got the information that needs to be explored and verified, that the pilgrim fund that has been how many trillions of dollars it's not clear right for prospective pilgrims, especially for those who wait five to 10 years. In fact, some of the funds that he made the pilgrimage sukuk. Well, this is not true, "he said.

Therefore, it called on the Ministry of Religious Affairs in order to transparently manage the fund because the fund pilgrims is a mandate that people do not get corrupted or perverted."I hope not to endure a 'champion' in this case the Ministry of Religious Affairs to be the most corrupt ministry," said Din.

Corruption in INDONESIA :: Carefully KPK Alleged Corruption Problem Procurement

JAKARTA 

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) will be cautious in investigating alleged corruption in the procurement process in the Ministry of Religious Koran. It is important, because Al Quran by KPK is worth something sacred.

"Al-Quran is a miracle, so be careful," said Vice Chairman of the Commission, Widjojanto told reporters in the office of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, Jakarta, Thursday (06/21/2012).

Therefore, continued Bambang did not want to say much about the alleged corruption cases such as the procurement of the Qur'an occurred and who was responsible.

 
He simply explained that the Commission at this time was steeped in the process of investigating allegations of corruption that is happening in the Ministry of Religious Affairs. "Has anybody checked. But I can not discuss the details," said Bambang.

As is known, the agency said was investigating alleged corruption in the procurement of the Koran Ministry of Religious Affairs. Anti-corruption agency said it already has the evidence in the corruption.

"I forgot how much loss the country. But we have strong evidence," said Chairman of the KPK office Abraham Samad on Wednesday (06/20/2012).

However, Abraham did not specify, in how corruption occurs. He said the corruption that occurred when Nazaruddin Umar (Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs at present) still serves as one of the Director-General at the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

Corruption in INDONESIA :: Examination of Alleged Corruption Project Officer Al Quran

New York

Eradication Commission will examine the officials at the Ministry of Religious Affairs in the investigation of corruption indications Quran procurement project. "Who are the officials who will be examined, I have not got the information from the investigative team," KPK spokesman Johan Budi SP. Sunday, June 24, 2012.

Johan said any official of the Ministry of Religious Affairs will be checked when the investigator takes testimony. But the identity of the officials could not be ascertained since the investigation began only this week. "New Commission plans next week to request information the parties."
Commission to raise the status of a project investigating the procurement of the Koran and the information gathering phase material to the investigation stage since last week. Johan says that confirmed yet know the detail indications of corruption in the procurement of the holy book.

Deputy Minister of Religious Nazaruddin Umar on Friday denied any corruption in procurement projects Mushaf Al-Quran. He believes the project through an auction mechanism. "There was never a direct appointment," he said.

He said Al-Quran Mushaf procurement needs to reach two million copies each year. The Ministry of Religion was never able to meet that need. "Our printing capabilities of the Religious Affairs Ministry about 60-70 thousand Al Quran," he said.

In 2009, the Ministry of Religious Affairs held a 42 600 Al Quran with a budget of Rp 1.125 billion. A year later 45 000 copies were printed with funds of Rp 1.2 billion. In 2011, the Ministry of Religious scored twice. First, as many as 67 600 copies with a ceiling of funds from the State Budget of Rp 2.163 billion. In the middle of the road, turns its budget to $ 5.6 billion for procurement programs such as the addition of Al-Quran Mushaf small size, translation, Juz Amma, commentary, and Surat Yasin.

Second, re-entered Kemenag Manuscripts 603 000 copies through the state budget changes. Finally, the total procurement budget Koran last year was Rp 22.8 billion. Nazaruddin hope KPK track procurement corruption that Mushaf Al-Quran. He was willing to KPK.

Corruption in INDONESIA :: MUI: Painful Once, the Al-Quran was corrupted.

Jakarta

Indonesia Ulema Council Chairman Amidhan admitted surprise at the news about the alleged corruption of Al-Quran procurement. "Cook it corrupted the Quran. It's very painful and shocking. This holy book, really was corrupted," said Amidhan Sunday, June 24, 2012.

Amidhan explained that the Koran is the holy remains, although there are allegations of corruption in procurement, as the rundown is a low mental corruption. He also hoped the case could be investigated thoroughly. "Because it concerns the holy book, should be investigated and taken care of completely. So as not to happen again," he said.

Amidhan admitted only heard of the alleged corruption of this provision of the Koran after KPK leaders and disclosed to the news. But he believes KPK already have strong evidence that dared to make a statement to the media.

KPK chairman Abraham Samad, last Wednesday, confirmed that the agency was investigating allegations of corrupt procurement of Al-Quran. Even the status of cases that get into the investigation. KPK has been doing his one-time case.

Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs said the project procurement Nazaruddin Umar Al-Quran is not through direct appointment. "Always through the tender process. There was never any direct appointment," he said last Friday.

Nazaruddin invited the Commission traced the alleged corruption in the procurement of Al-Quran ministry. He is also willing to cooperate if asked to provide information that the commission antirasuah alleged corruption affairs.

KPK spokesman Johan Budi SP, said the Commission will begin calling witnesses related to the project which took place in 2010. Commission to raise the status of the investigation of materials and the information gathering stage to the stage of the investigation since last week. »This week the Commission plans to ask for information a number of parties," says Johan.

They will be questioned, said Johan, was the official at the Ministry of Religious Affairs. But the identity of the officials could not be ascertained due to the examination stage of the investigation to begin.

Web : Mozy Web Service

Backing up all your computer files is like flossing: it's a chore, but you know you should do it, or you risk losing something forever—not your teeth, of course, but your digital photos, music, financial records or that rough draft of your first novel. 

Mozy can keep all of that stuff safe and encrypted on its own servers. It will store 2 gigabytes worth of your files for free (enough to cover, say, a couple thousand pictures, depending on the image resolution), or an unlimited amount for $4.95 per month. 

You download and install the Mozy program and it does all the work; you tell it precisely what you want to protect. The first backup can take hours, but after that, Mozy will continue to work behind the scenes to backup new files. 

(Fortunately, this little backup engine is trained to take a break when you are using your computer, to avoid slowing everything down.) Mozy also lets you view your backed up files from any PC, and let you restore files as needed.

Techno :: Apparently This Matters: $1,300 HDMI cables

It was Wednesday morning when I noticed a popular post on reddit that shared an unbelievable photo of a $1,300 HDMI cable. Yes. One HDMI cable. Thirteen hundred dollars. Naturally, I ordered three on my corporate AmEX and expensed them as "miscellaneous."

(Also recently expensed as miscellaneous: NFL Sunday Ticket, Pop Tarts and a pony keg of Schlitz. I think HR is on the ninth floor. I'll just head up there now.)

At first, I thought it had to be a simple labeling mistake at whatever store the picture was taken. But it was real. A company called AudioQuest sells Diamond brand HDMI cables that cost more than my actual TV. And I fully support it. I mean, somebody must be buying them.

Granted, I'm not sure how Diamond HDMI cables satisfy a rich man's narcissism, but surely these work better than, say, driving around in my Saturn.

Or as all the sexy ladies in Atlanta call it ... my Saturn.

I first entered the dirty world of HDMI cables a couple years ago when I finally purchased a new TV. Although, to be slightly more accurate, I finally purchased Netflix streaming, and then I had to buy a new TV.

First month of Netflix streaming: $1,200.

You see, since 2006, I had been enjoying an old, 65-inch Toshiba that a friend gave me. It was old in that he was more than happy to give it away. And it was large in that it was an actual hippopotamus that somehow aired Seinfeld reruns.

Fast forward to November 2010 when, suddenly, my life wasn't complete without Netflix streaming. But there was one little problem: My hippopotamus didn't have the correct hardware in the back to properly connect my laptop. Clearly this meant it was time for a new TV. I can be rather impulsive.

(I wonder how my Facebook stock is doing.)

Next thing I know there's a 55-inch LED LCD in my shopping cart and a kid with pimples trying to tell me why I absolutely, positively needed $40 Monster-brand HDMI cables. I admit, his case was compelling. Apparently, if I didn't get the good cables, my new TV would grow up to be a serial killer.

So I bought the stupid cables and boasted about my big purchase to a colleague at work the next day.

"Dude, this TV is great -- Netflix is actually built in! And I got these amazing HDMI cables that really bring out the high-def. They only cost like 40 bucks each."

To which he replied, "Shouldn't you be wearing pants?"

He later advised me to buy cheap, $3 cables online, and so far the HD still seems to be coming in perfectly. I can pick out individual hairs in Wolf Blitzer's beard.

Which brings us back to Diamond cables. The company's website says:

"Diamond HDMI incorporates AudioQuest's highest-performance, lowest-distortion Perfect-Surface Silver conductors. Silver is known for its high conductivity and its 'colorless' sonic presentation."

I have no idea what this means, but it seems to suggest that, if I were to buy the Diamond cable, Wolf's beard actually would jump out of the TV and make me an omelet.

I could be wrong. I don't generally get things. And reading through any HDMI discussion online will only further the confusion. Some people say quality cables matter. Some people say they don't. In the end, it's all ones and zeroes to me.

If you look for an expert opinion from Consumer Reports, however, you'll find they say "we've long been advocates of not paying for pricey cables, which often do little more than pad the pockets of the manufacturers that make them and the retailers that sell them."

The only reasons to buy anything but low-end cables, they say, is if you plan to unplug and replug the cables all the time or if the cable is longer than 30 feet. Otherwise, "any high-speed cable should suffice," the group says, "and don't let a package or retail associate tell you otherwise."

Still, you've got to hand it to them. AudioQuest cares about performance, and they seem to specialize in super-high-end everything. I actually found a $6,900 AC power cable on Amazon. AudioQuest calls it the NRG WEL Signature Series.

I call it "miscellaneous."

Techno :: Microsoft hopes to enhance games, TV with Xbox SmartGlass

What if your video-game console, TV, tablet and smartphone all worked together to enhance gaming, movies and TV shows for you?

That's what Microsoft envisions with Xbox SmartGlass, a system introduced Monday at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles.

The system is the most visible iteration yet of the future Microsoft hopes to build around Windows 8, its new operating system that promises to run seamlessly on PCs, tablets and smartphones.

SmartGlass is an app for Windows 8, which is currently available in a preliminary beta version. But the system will also work with mobile devices running Apple's iOS and Google's Android operating systems.

 

 

"Xbox is on a mission to make the entertainment that you love even more amazing," Don Mattrick, president of interactive entertainment for Microsoft, said at a media event kicking off E3, the world's largest gathering for the video-game industry.

"With Xbox SmartGlass, we are lighting up entertainment across your phone, tablet, PC and TV in a completely new way. If you love to play games, watch TV and movies, surf the Web or listen to music, there has never been a better time to be on Xbox."

Among its features demoed at the event: using a tablet to call plays on "Madden 2012" and viewing maps of the fantasy land of Westeros on a tablet or smartphone while watching "Game of Thrones" on HBO.

The technology also was used to pause a movie on a Windows tablet and then send it to an Xbox to continue watching -- and as a way to use a smartphone as a remote control.

Industry veteran Adam Sessler, a former G4TV host, thinks SmartGlass could be a savvy move for Microsoft.

"They read the reality of the landscape and realized they can't compete in the tablet market. This allows them to get their stamp on every device with no risk," he told CNN. "It shows a maturity at Microsoft about how people are handling their games and entertainment. I don't think [SmartGlass] works right now for gaming, but I have a few ideas on how it might work for the future."

As gaming shifts, developers scramble to adapt

SmartGlass was the highlight of a list of features emphasizing that Microsoft wants the Xbox, and its Xbox LIVE network, to be far more than just a way to play games.

Saying Web browsers on other networks are "painfully slow," Mattrick announced that an integrated version of Internet Explorer will be coming to the Xbox this fall. And he announced Xbox Music, a service that will bring millions of songs to the console and devices running Windows 8.

But, this being E3, the big excitement at the convention was about the games.

Microsoft began the event with a part-gameplay, part live-action movie trailer for "Halo 4," the latest in the beloved shooter series that has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide. The game is due in November.

That game and other previewed titles like "Splinter Cell: Blacklist" and "Madden 2013" will use the Kinect system's voice controls to let players speak, instead of fiddling with buttons, to give certain commands.

Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana was brought out to play some "Madden," calling plays and audibles in real time as he guided the San Francisco 49ers offense.

Other celebrity highlights included Usher demonstrating dance moves he helped craft for "Dance Central 3" and "South Park" creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker talking up "South Park: The Stick of Truth," a video game due to be released in March.

In the game, the player is a new kid in town trying to join the foursome of Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny. The results, of course, are ridiculous.

"The only thing that really interested us was if we could make a game where it felt like you were in an episode of 'South Park,' " Stone said.

Former TV host Sessler said he was impressed with the "really strong" lineup of Xbox games previewed Monday.

"They [Microsoft] were showing that they aren't changing their brand. When the next-gen console comes out, the early adapters are going to be the hardcore gamers," he said. "Those titles spoke directly to them."

Microsoft's presentation was the first from the three major video-game console makers. Nintendo and Sony will have similar events at E3, which runs through Thursday.

Life Style Adat Istiadat :: Lakukan Sunat pada Putrinya, Ulama Prancis Dihukum

Seorang ulama Prancis dihukum dua tahun dan istrinya 18 bulan setelah diketahui menyunatkan keempat anak perempuan mereka. Kasus ini telah mengejutkan Prancis dan dicap oleh seorang menteri perempuan sebagai ''kejahatan berat'' dan ''penghinaan tak tertahankan untuk martabat perempuan''.

Keempat korban, kini berusia antara 11 dan 20 tahun, berada di pengadilan untuk mendengarkan tuntutan. Mereka menangis histeris setelah vonis dibacakan dan kedua orang tua mereka diangkut ke penjara.

Pasangan suami-istri ini sebelumnya diketahui mendatangi dokter dan meminta dokter memotong sebagian kecil dari alat kelamin anak mereka. Mereka dituduh ''terlibat dalam kekerasan mutilasi oleh orang tua terhadap anak-anak di bawah usia 15 tahun'', sebuah kejahatan dengan konsekuensi hukuman maksimum 20 tahun penjara di Prancis.

Pasangan itu berasal dari Guinea, tempat yang menurut sebuah studi tahun 2007, 96 persen dari anak perempuan di sana memiliki alat kelamin yang dimutilasi atas nama agama.

Nathalie Bouvier-Longeville, seorang pengacara yang mewakili dua anak termuda mereka, mengatakan kepada pengadilan bahwa anak-anaknya membela orang tua mereka. "Mereka mencintai orang tuanya dan menganggap mereka bukan monster," katanya.

Sang ayah, yang dikatakan telah sedikit cacat akibat stroke, berkata kepada hakim, "Hal yang paling penting bagi saya adalah kesejahteraan keluarga saya. Saya minta maaf atas apa yang terjadi."

Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, Menteri Hak-hak Perempuan dalam pemerintahan baru François Hollande, berjanji akan menindak tegas praktek ilegal ini. Dia bersumpah untuk melacak apa yang disebutnya ''algojo'' yang telah melakukan operasi kelamin rahasia terhadap 50 ribu perempuan muda muslim di Prancis. "Sunat adalah praktek menyiksa dan berbahaya dengan efek serius pada kesehatan, kesuburan, dan kesejahteraan fisik serta psikologis dari gadis-gadis sangat muda yang menjadi korbannya," katanya.

Techno :: (3) The Top 10 tech trends for 2012

6. Voice control

Here's another trend that's got a moderate chance of taking off in 2012: Voice control.

The novelty of Siri on the iPhone 4S -- which allows you to send texts, create reminders, search the Web and much more using just your voice -- may be the start of a new trend in voice controlled devices.

Surely voice control has been around for years? Yes, but it wasn't very accurate.

Siri and its ilk define a new era in which we talk, and our devices understand -- often on the first attempt. Other device makers will likely follow suit. What's more, Apple may use voice control to replace the TV remote.

7. Spatial gestures

Other input methods are gaining traction too: Microsoft's Kinect, for instance, has given rise to interfaces that use spatial gestures. Just like in "Minority Report," your devices can be controlled simply by waving your hands in the air.

Thanks to the many innovators who have hacked Kinect to work with other platforms, we may see more devices using this input method next year.

8. Second-screen experiences

"Second-screen experiences" is a buzz-phase among TV and movie execs these days. It refers to apps (mainly on the iPad) that listen to the audio output of your TV and display content related to the show or movie you're watching. The chances are that you already use your tablet computer or phone while watching TV, so there's ample opportunity to make the viewing experience a more interactive one.

Disney already has second-screen apps for movies such as "The Lion King" and "Bambi," while multiple TV networks have similar offerings: We can expect many, many more to be released in 2012.

9. Flexible screens

Personally, I just can't wait for flexible screens: These awesome new bendable interfaces will let you zoom in, zoom out and scroll around a page simply by twisting your phone or tablet.

Nokia and Samsung have both hinted they may release phones with bendable displays in 2012. The really exciting stuff, however -- like paper-thin devices that roll up to fit in your pocket -- is still years away.

10. HTML5

Can I squeeze in one more trend? It's HTML5 -- the fifth iteration of the HTML standard -- and it lets developers create richer, more interactive applications than ever.

Why does this matter? As developers tire of building applications for every operating system out there -- from Android to iOS to Windows Phone and beyond -- HTML5 offers the opportunity to build an app once and have it work everywhere.

The rise of HTML5 is bound to be accelerated by a recent revelation: Adobe is killing off Flash for mobile devices, meaning one of the primary methods of serving videos and rich applications on mobile phones is about to disappear. HTML5 will fill that gap. For us as consumers, that means richer applications and experiences on all our devices.

In short, 2012 is all about new ways to interact with our devices through touch and voice control, new lightweight ways to share content, a revolution in mobile payments and a plethora of rich Web applications -- not to mention the hundreds of new innovations that we've yet to dream up. I can't wait.

Flora and Fauna :: Di Sragen Ada Kijang Bertaring

Karena berjenis herbivora atau pemakan dedaunan, hewan kijang umumnya tidak memiliki taring. Bentuk tanduknya pun kokoh dan panjang. Namun, kijang liar yang ditemukan warga di Dukuh Ngamban, Desa Gawan, Kecamatan Tanon, Sragen, Jawa Tengah, memiliki taring layaknya binatang buas. Tanduknya pun unik, sebagian terselimuti oleh kulitnya.

Kijang unik ini ditangkap setelah memakan tanaman palawija milik warga. Setelah berita tertangkapnya kijang ini merebak di penjuru desa, banyak warga datang untuk melihat satwa unik ini.

Science :: Basic House fits in your pocket

Designed by Martin Azua, Basic House is a foldable, inflatable, and reversible quasi-tent that provides instant shelter. The material is a metallicized polyester that, once unfolded, self inflates with body heat or from the heat of the sun. On the inside, the material reflects body heat to protect from cold. When reversed, the material reflects solar heat to provide a cool interior.

The Basic House can be used in any situations where temporary shelter is needed. The concept is especially relevant in light of the increased need for immediate shelter after emergencies. Martin Azua is a Barcelona based designer whose designs explore using a minimal amount of material and rely on natural processes or forms of energy to complete the work. The Basic House prototype has been part of collections at MoMA and Vitra Design Museum.

Selebriti :: Selena Gomez Berpose Dewasa di Elle

Selena Gomez sudah dewasa sekarang, dia bahkan tidak segan-segan lagi tampil seksi!

Aktris sekaligus penyanyi itu menunjukan sisi dewasanya dalam pemotretan untuk majalah Elle edisi Juli.

Dalam sampul majalah itu, Selena berpose dengan atasan korset dan dan bibir merah terang. Dalam foto yang lain, Selena (19) berpose menggoda dengan bra merah terang yang menunjukan belahan dadanya.

Selena menuturkan kepada Elle kalau dia terobsesi dengan Jennifer Lopez setelah dia melihat film 'Selena' pada usia lima tahun. "Aku membuat korset dari pakaian renang yang kucat jadi hitam," kenang Selena saat dia meniru gaya Jennifer di film tersebut. "Aku menaruh lem dan glitter di seluruh bajunya dan aku tidak ingin melepasnya."

Kini, aktris 'Monte Carlo' itu sedang memfokuskan diri ke karir filmnya. "Aku mendapat tawaran film remaja, dan aku sudah melakukannya," ujar Selena. "Aku belum membintangi film beranggaran ratusan juta dolar seperti 'Transformers,' tapi bukan itu yang ingin kulakukan."

Saat Selena harus membuktikan kepada dunia kalau dia aktris berbakat, dia juga menikmati hubungan asmara dengan idola remaja Justin Bieber (18) -- yang sangat memanjakannya dengan perlakuan romantis, seperti menonton 'Titanic' di arena Staples Center, Los Angeles, yang disewa khusus untuk mereka berdua.

"Jika aku menceritakan sesuatu kepadamu, dia itu sangat romantis," ujar Selena. "Aku hanya bilang di mobil -- yang aku bilang hanya ingin menonton 'Titanic' lagi, dan kemudian..."

Techno :: IBM worries iPhone's Siri has loose lips

If you work for IBM, you can bring your iPhone to work, but forget about using the phone's voice-activated digital assistant. Siri isn't welcome on Big Blue's networks.

 

The reason? Siri ships everything you say to her to a big data center in Maiden, North Carolina. And the story of what really happens to all of your Siri-launched searches, e-mail messages and inappropriate jokes is a bit of a black box.

IBM CIO Jeanette Horan told MIT's Technology Review this week that her company has banned Siri outright because, according to the magazine, "The company worries that the spoken queries might be stored somewhere."

Apple's new 'spaceship' campus: What will the neighbors say?

It turns out that Horan is right to worry. In fact, Apple's iPhone Software License Agreement spells this out: "When you use Siri or Dictation, the things you say will be recorded and sent to Apple in order to convert what you say into text," Apple says. Siri collects a bunch of other information -- names of people from your address book and other unspecified user data, all to help Siri do a better job.

How long does Apple store all of this stuff, and who gets a look at it? Well, the company doesn't actually say. Again, from the user agreement: "By using Siri or Dictation, you agree and consent to Apple's and its subsidiaries' and agents' transmission, collection, maintenance, processing, and use of this information, including your voice input and User Data, to provide and improve Siri, Dictation, and other Apple products and services."

Apple and Samsung begin settlement talks

Because some of the data that Siri collects can be very personal, the American Civil Liberties Union put out a warning about Siri just a couple of months ago.

Privacy was always a big concern for Siri's developers, says Edward Wrenbeck, the lead developer of the original Siri iPhone app, which was eventually acquired by Apple. And for corporate users, there are even more potential pitfalls. "Just having it known that you're at a certain customer's location might be in violation of a non-disclosure agreement," he says.

Apple designer 'winces' over some past product choices

But he agrees that many of the issues raised by Apple's Siri data handling are similar to those that other internet companies face. "I really don't think it's something to worry about," he says. "People are already doing things on these mobile devices. Maybe Siri makes their life a little bit easier, but it's not exactly opening up a new avenue that wasn't there before."

But other companies have been pressured by privacy groups over the way they store customer data. Google, for example, has come under fire in the past for the way it handles a massive database of user search data. But IBM doesn't ban Google. Neither Apple nor IBM could be reached for comment Tuesday, but there are a couple of important differences between Siri and Google that may have IBM worried: For one, Siri can be used to write e-mails or text messages. So, in theory, Apple could be storing confidential IBM messages.

Former Apple employee explains 'upside-down' logo

Another difference: After being dogged by privacy advocates, Google now anonymizes search results -- making them difficult, if not impossible, to trace back to an individual user -- after nine months.

Maybe if Apple agreed to do something like that, Siri would be welcome over in Armonk, New York.

Techno :: (2) The Top 10 tech trends for 2012

3. NFC and mobile payments

Next year is likely to be the year when mobile payments blossom. While we've seen a great deal of innovation in mobile payments technology this year -- including the success of Square's iPhone dongle, allowing anyone to accept credit card payments -- 2012 is the year of NFC.

What's that, you ask? Near Field Communication essentially lets you replace your credit cards with your phone: Wave an NFC-enabled phone near the credit card reader in a store (or taxi cab), and the money is deducted from your account.

By 2013, 1 in 5 cellphones are expected to be NFC-equipped. Early contenders include Google Wallet, Visa Wallet, Serve (by American Express) and ISIS.

4. Beyond the iPad

If touch computing is the future, then the iPad is surely king. And yet the iPad came up against serious competition in the latter part of 2011: As I wrote previously, I expect the new Amazon Kindle Fire to outsell the iPad in 2012. Why? Simply put, the iPad costs $499 while the Fire costs $199.

Amazon's advantages don't stop at the price point, however: The company owns an entire content store of movies, e-books, TV shows and other media. With tablet devices, the hardware is somewhat important but the content available for the device is absolutely critical: With plenty of media available for the Fire right away, it's an appealing proposition.

Why does one device constitute an entire trend? Well, as a true competitor to the iPad emerges, content producers, distributors and even app developers may have an entirely new platform on which to push their wares. (And yes, the Kindle Fire does indeed run Google's Android operating system, but Amazon's version is so unlike other Android tablets that neither users nor app developers will perceive it as "yet another Android device" -- it's a whole new platform.)

5. TV Everywhere

So you thought you'd be able to watch all your favorite shows online and get rid of your cable subscription for good? Not so fast!

The cable companies have a cunning plan: They'll let you watch live TV, plus on-demand movies and TV shows, on your connected devices if you keep your cable subscription. Dish Network, Time Warner and Comcast are among those offering the service.

TV Everywhere has been buzzed about since 2010, of course, and could be a dud -- but the rise of tablet devices would seem to create increased demand for a "TV in your hands."

Selebriti :: Justin Bieber dan Selena Gomez Tidak Bertunangan

Tenang para Beliebers, Justin Bieber dan Selena Gomez tidak bertunangan!

Justin membantah kabar pertunangannya dengan Selena, ujar manajer Justin, Scooter Braun, kepada Us Weekly.

Chicago Sun-Times pada Jumat pagi memposting kabar kalau Justin (18) dan Selena (19) terlihat berbelanja cincin tunangan. Koran itu juga melaporkan kalau orang-orang dekat mereka yakin pertunangan akan diadakan sebentar lagi.

Scooter menuturkan kalau klaim itu "kebohongan besar" dan tim Justin "tertawa" mendengar spekulasi tersebut.

Ekonomi :: Om Liem Teladan Bagi Para Pengusaha Indonesia

Pendiri PT Indofood CBP Sukses Makmur Tbk (Indofood) dan PT Bank Central Asia Tbk (BCA) Sudono Salim atau yang akrab disapa Om Liem meninggal dunia. Di mata para pengusaha Indonesia, Om Liem dikenal sebagai sosok teladan.

"Jelas beliau teladan bagi kami para pengusaha dan tentu saja menjadi contoh," ujar Ketua Asosiasi Pengusaha Indonesia (Apindo) Sofyan Wanandi kepada detikcom, Minggu (10/6/2012).

Om Liem, lanjut Sofyan, selalu memberikan pandangan-pandangannya mengenai kondisi perekonomian nasional kepada sesama kawan pengusaha. Dia tidak pelit dalam memberikan masukan.

"Beliau cukup banyak memberikan pandangan-pandangannya. Banyak sekali kami belajar dari dia," ujar Sofyan.

Sudono meninggal di Raffles Hospital Singapura pada Minggu (10/6) sekitar 15.00 WIB. Pria bernama lahir Liem Sioe Liong ini lahir di Tiongkok, 10 September 1915. Anthony Salim yang merupakan anak dari Sudono beserta menantunya Franciscus Welirang kini meneruskan seluruh usaha yang dirintisnya.

Techno :: (1) The Top 10 tech trends for 2012

From the continuing rise of tablet devices to the daily-deals craze and the return of the Internet IPO, 2011 has been a transformative year for technology.

The pace of change has become blisteringly fast, with traditional industries -- bookstores, video-rental chains, newspapers -- crumbling more quickly than we could have imagined.

Predicting what will happen in 2012, therefore, is a shot in the dark: A year is virtually a lifetime in the digital era. And yet we can at least make a guess at what will happen in the early part of next year simply by looking at the trends that are shaping the latter half of this year.

Here's my best estimate of some of the innovation we'll see in 2012:

1. Touch computing

New input methods will be the dominant trend of 2012. Tablet computers such as the iPad might seem like a nice alternative to desktop and laptop computers, but I believe they're more than that: They're replacements. Just as the command line (remember that?) gave way to graphical user interfaces, so the mouse will be superseded by touchscreens.

The signs are obvious: Windows 8 and Mac OS X Lion, the latest desktop operating systems, borrow heavy from their mobile counterparts. These new interfaces essentially impose a touchscreen-inspired interface over the traditional desktop environment.

Over time, this half-step will become a whole one, and mobile operating systems will dominate. The transition won't be complete by the end of 2012, but we'll be much further down the path, and using computer mice much less often.

2. Social gestures

In the social media realm, social gestures appear to be the leading trend of 2012. Launched by Facebook in September, this so-called "frictionless sharing" functionality removes the need to click a button to share media with your friends. Instead, everything you listen to, read or watch is automatically posted to your profile once you approve the relevant app.

If you've seen apps such as Spotify or Social Reader in your Facebook news feed, you're already aware of these features.

The trend makes sense for social networks: With 800 million people already on Facebook, its growth is bound to slow. But if sharing becomes automatic, the volume of content on Facebook will grow at an accelerated pace. There's a big problem, however: Users may be "creeped out" by all this automated sharing of their Web activity and grow suspicious of the apps using it.

General :: ‘Creationism’ Comes to WEF? Innovation Dominates the Discussion in Tianjin

At last week’s “Summer Davos,” the annual World Economic Forum meeting in China, talk about innovation was everywhere. 

Not surprisingly, the sense of the meeting was that waiting for governments to set consistent rules and incentives for a low-carbon economy is a fool’s game. At last year’s event, talk was thick and furious about COP15 in Copenhagen, where Yvo de Boer, then the UN’s chief climate negotiator, was the star of the show at the Summer Davos. Now, there is slim hope that a deal will emerge this year, next year, or anytime soon.  

This means companies have to get on with it, and at this “Annual Meeting of the New Champions,” featuring companies from emerging economies and high-tech start-ups, innovation is the name of the game. 

This was on display in the session I moderated about cities and sustainability, “Rethinking Urbanization.” In fact, Hindustan Construction Company CEO Ajit Gulabchand is starting from scratch by building a completely new town in the hills three hours from Mumbai. His aim with the town, Lavasa, is to create a livable, sustainable city for about 300,000 residents (a small town by comparison to the mega-cities). The website for Lavasa Future Cities outlines an ambitious vision, stating that “Lavasa is a replicable model of the future Asian cities by bringing world-class standards to Indian urban life.” 

What’s interesting is that this involves not only the built environment, but also a public-private governance model, with Cisco and Indian IT powerhouse Wipro also joining the project.

On its face, this smacks of privatized justice and administration, which raises all sorts of questions. But if it enables progress and makes wise use of natural resources, then there is some value in the model.

 So while we often think about innovation in terms of products, business process, or business models, here is a case of business innovation that is reshaping human habitats and governance, and it’s a great example of the experimentation that was on display at the Summer Davos. And as Hindustan makes clear, unless we find a way to create sustainable, healthy, and prosperous lives for the hundreds of millions of people moving to cities in the fast-growing economies of Asia, Africa, and Latin America, our collective progress will hit a major speed bump—or wall.

Techno :: Dealing with the classic Catalyst 6500 end-of-life

Network managers who have relied on the classic Cisco Catalyst 6500 platform in their data center and campus networks are approaching a crossroads: the Catalyst 6503, 6506 and 6509 platforms will reach end-of-life in November, which means Cisco will cease offering hardware support. Cisco will also stop selling the classic Catalyst 6513 in November, ending hardware support in August 2017.

Cisco offers a couple of migration options for customers facing classic Catalyst 6500 end-of-life. In the campus LAN, users can invest in the newer Catalyst 6500-E platform, which got a new lease on life with the release of the Supervisor Engine 2T. Meanwhile Cisco recommends that customers with the classic chassis in their data centers migrate to the Nexus line.

Catalyst 6500 end-of-life: Core migration is a headache

Catalyst customers are more concerned with a rip-and-replace at the core than in the wiring closet. Migration is somewhat simple in the wiring closet, while at the core it's much more radical.

“Replacing a core is not a trivial event. The hardware is cheap, but swapping out that hardware is an expensive proposition from an outage perspective, from a time perspective, and [in terms of] configuration validation,” said Forrest Schroth, network manager with staffing firm Randstad. “I would rather an upgrade at the core layer be a [result] of me needing functions that [the classic Catalyst 6500] doesn’t support rather than a vendor trying to push me new products.”

For many customers, the classic Catalyst is still sufficiently meeting their needs in the core.

“If you still have Catalyst 6500s around, they’ve been running in a fairly stable state for a while and most folks out there are going to continue running them as they stand. They understand that [the Catalyst 6500s] have limited functionality, but they are put in places in the network where [users] are not worried about a lot of forward evolution in terms of functionality,” said Eric Hanselman, research director with the 451 Group.

Even those that want to make change in the data center don't love the fact that Cisco is pushing them toward the Nexus line. In a newer data center, Schroth installed Catalyst 6500-Es in his core rather than migrating to the Nexus line.

“We were going back and forth because there are features we don’t need [in Nexus] and features we would lose going to Nexus,” Schroth said.

Can you avoid a Catalyst 6500 end-of-life?

As Cisco winds down the classic Catalyst 6500, network engineers can turn to after-market equipment specialists like Network Hardware Resale (NHR) that offer third-party support for the equipment. In fact, these companies see the Catalyst end-of-life as an opportunity.

Mike Lodato, senior vice president of sales and marketing at NHR, gives the example of one   healthcare organization with 385 classic Catalyst 6500s that was facing a $65 million migration bid from Cisco to the Catalyst 6500-E. The upgrade was driven by an upcoming rollout of voice over IP (VoIP) that would need the more robust Power-over-Ethernet capabilities of the Catalyst 6500-E. However, the VoIP rollout was a phased project with 85 sites in the first year, 120 in the second year and 92 in the third year. Rather than upgrade them all at once, the healthcare provider wanted a phased installation of the new switches, saving money by staggering the purchase, installation and support costs in time with the VoIP rollout. NHR was able to support that slow transition.

More on the Catalyst 6500
FastPacket: Catalyst 6500 Supervisor 2T may not be the answer
Catalyst 6500 versus Nexus 7000: Backplane capacity
Cisco adds 40 GbE and 100 GbE to Catalyst and Nexus lines

“We came in and said, 'instead of converting them all before you need them, how much does it save you to put those on third-party support?'” Lodato said. “'How much can you save in capital and depreciation expense by deploying them at the time of business need rather than the time of vendor mandate?'”

NHR is also working with Matrix Telecom Inc. to maintain 18 classic Catalyst 6500s in its service provider network, according to the company’s manager of IP network services, who asked not to be identified. He  plans to keep the switches for as long as NHR can keep getting him replacement parts.

“As technology grows and evolves, we will need to upgrade them. Right now, my network is really stable. We’re not looking to do any major upgrades,” he said.

Other companies have been reluctant to use third-party support for network infrastructure because it is difficult to change course and get back on a Cisco support contract, Hanselman said. But with the classic Catalyst 6500, this worry is irrelevant. “Something bordering on antique becomes less of a concern,” he added.

Will Cisco stick to the Catalyst 6500 end-of-life dates?

Cisco has tried to retire elements of the Catalyst 6500 line in the past but has encountered pushback from customers. Some wonder if customer protest will stop this upcoming end-of-life.

“There are so many backbone nodes out there,” Schroth said. “[Customers] did not allow them to outdate CatOS, and they have not allowed them to remove the 6500 series. I believe this is more of a threat than an end-of-life. There is going to be a customer revolt and that date is going to slide.”