Technology News

Google to add captions, Improving YouTube videos

Manila Bulletin - Monday, November 23

In the first major step toward making millions of videos on YouTube accessible to deaf and hearing-impaired people, Google unveiled new technologies on Thursday that will automatically bring text captions to many videos on the site.

The technology will also open YouTube videos to a wider foreign market and make them more searchable, which will make it easier for Google to profit from them.

While the technology can insert captions only on English-language speech, Google is giving users the choice of using its automatic translation system to read the captions in 51 languages.

That could broaden the appeal of YouTube videos to millions of other people who do not speak English but could use the captioning technology to read subtitles in their native language.

The speech recognition technology that Google uses to turn speech into text is not new; Google currently uses it to transcribe voice mail messages for users of its Google Voice service.

But Ken Harrenstien, a deaf engineer who helped develop the automatic captioning system, said the technology had never been applied on such a large scale.

"This is something that I have dreamt of for many years," Harrenstien said, speaking through an interpreter. More »

  • Facebook and more now available on Xbox 360!

    Manila Bulletin - Monday, November 23

    Are you a Facebook user and a Xbox 360 gamer? If you are, then this development is perfect for you.
    Microsoft announced that Xbox LIVE members around the world will have their Xbox 360 consoles transformed and plugged into the best value in home entertainment with access to Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, Last.fm and Zune video with instant on HD, all right in their living room.

  • Globe cites broadband opportunities at Frost & Sullivan Philippines Telecom International Summit

    Manila Bulletin - Monday, November 23

    Globe President and CEO Ernest L. Cu participated in Frost & Sullivan's The Philippines Telecom International Summit 2009 held recently at The Peninsula Manila Hotel.

  • Sony Ericsson U10i. It's so good. Aino

    Manila Bulletin - Monday, November 23

    The Sony Ericsson Aino (U10i) has a lot of new features and performs reasonably well.

  • News Corp, Microsoft hold talks on locking out Google

    Manila Bulletin - Monday, November 23

    LONDON, November 23, 2009 (AFP) - Microsoft has held talks with Rupert Murdoch's News Corp over a possible plan for the software giant to pay the media company to remove its news websites from Google, a report said Monday.

    The plan sets a scene for a battle between search engines for access to websites, and puts pressure on search juggernaut Google to start paying for content, the Financial Times said.

    "This is all about Microsoft hurting Google's margin," an unnamed source was quoted as saying.

    However the biggest beneficiary of the tussle could be the newspaper industry which has yet to construct a reliable online business model to replace declining newspaper circulation and print advertising revenues.

    Murdoch has prompted a fierce debate among media watchers with his accusation that Google is "stealing" from his vast newspaper empire and his threat to block the search engine from accessing its content.

    Murdoch has already announced plans to make readers pay to read his newspapers online.

  • Samsung unveils new state-of-the-art printers

    Samsung unveils new state-of-the-art printers

    Philstar.com - Monday, November 23

    SINGAPORE — Samsung Electronics introduced recently 13 new printers and printing solutions at the picturesque Marriott Hotel along the bustling Orchard Road in this city-state.

  • With its deal to buy Revolution Money, American Express is taking aim at the growing market for online and alternative payments, in a challenge to recognized leader PayPal, analysts say

    American Express takes aim at PayPal with Revolution

    AFP - Sunday, November 22

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - - With its deal to buy Revolution Money, American Express is taking aim at the growing market for online and alternative payments, in a challenge to recognized leader PayPal, analysts say.

  • Datacraft report reveals global contact centers focus on driving revenue, value

    Manila Bulletin - Sunday, November 22

    Companies turn to contact centers to drive more business value in tough economic times, according to the 2009 Datacraft/Dimension Data Global Contact Center Benchmarking Report.

    Datacraft's report has the highest level of participation over 11 years covered 554 contact centers located across 36 countries and five continents.

    Of these, 26 countries are from Asia and a handful of respondent firms are from the country -- Access Worldwide Philippines, Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), StarTek and Telus International Phils.

    Significantly, the number of contact centers which can sell to clients during an inbound call have gone up to 22 percent, according to the study.
    Yet, cost optimization remains a key concern.

  • CSS consolidates presence in RP

    Manila Bulletin - Sunday, November 22

    Cybernet-SlashSupport (CSS), a leading technology operations management organization, headquartered in San Jose, CA, is set to ramp up its existing support facility in Manila, Philippines.

  • APC names new GM

    Manila Bulletin - Sunday, November 22

    The local office of APC, the uninterrupted power supply (UPS) company, recently named a new country general manager who will now oversee ''green'' initiative intended to help the environment and victims of the recent floods.

    Frenchman Philippe Reveilhac, a 13-year veteran at APC's mother firm Schneider Electric, has formally taken over the reins left by his predecessor and compatriot Pascal Bodin, who has gone back to France after serving in his post for only about seven months.

    Reveilhac said the recession, which has affected most economies of the world, has led to a ''pause'' in opportunities for the company.

  • Globe supports 2009 Int'l Outsourcing Summit

    Manila Bulletin - Sunday, November 22

    Globe, a leading telecommunications company in the Philippines, supported the recently concluded 2009 International Outsourcing Summit organized by the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPA/P) together with the Department of Tourism.

    The conference, held last Oct. 19-21 at Sofitel Philippine Plaza, was attended by more than 200 stakeholders in the Business Process Outsourcing global industry.

  • SAP helps companies get close to customers with new business communications mgmt solutions

    Manila Bulletin - Sunday, November 22

    SAP is helping business organizations get near their customers with the use of SAP Business Communications Management (BCM) software.

    During the launch of the SAP BCM, Jennifer Ligones, country manager, SAP Philippines, reported, ''Our Philippine customers are developing Information Technology projects that are more meaningful, more relevant to their customers.''

    BCM is a flexible multi-channel, all IP-business communications platform that replaces existing contact center solutions and PBX systems and enables communications.

    The next generation business process requires the unification of business and communications, said Kay Kretschmer, director for business development, SAP BCM - Asia, Pacific and Japan.

    Speaking recently before a gathering of SAP customers, he explained how SAP Business Communications Management can help them integrate the people, processes and knowledge in their organizations across multiple geographies and organizations to serve their customers effectively.

    You can make the right people, knowledge, and technology available across all customer-facing processes - creating a key advantage over your competitors, he underscored.

    The SAP BCM software provides unified queing, prioritizing, and routing of all contacts - including contacts by telephone, e-mail, fax, voice mail, text messaging, and the Web.

    SAP BCM is easily integratable into other third party applications, Kretschmer, said.

  • Girl sits on ''Inspiration'' as prospective buyers inspect the cattle at an auction in 2009, in Wisconsin. Austrian cattle farmers no longer have to travel long distances to sell or buy cattle: it can all be done at the click of a mouse, on a new auction website.

    Austrian sets up online cattle auctions

    AFP - Sunday, November 22

    VIENNA (AFP) - - Austrian cattle farmers no longer have to travel long distances to sell or buy cattle: it can all be done at the click of a mouse, on a new auction website.

  • Barnes & Noble says Nook sold out before holidays

    Reuters - Saturday, November 21

    By Alexandria Sage

  • As snow falls, pedestrians walk towards a Barnes & Noble book store, in Arlington Heights, Illinois, seen here in 2006. US bookstore giant Barnes & Noble said Friday it had sold out of its new electronic book reader, the

    Barnes & Noble sells out of new e-reader

    AFP - Saturday, November 21

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - - US bookstore giant Barnes & Noble said Friday it had sold out of its new electronic book reader, the "Nook," and the next shipments would not be available until after the holidays.

  • Smart wins 3 of 11 awards in Mobile Asia Congress

    Manila Bulletin - Saturday, November 21

    Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) won three of 11 awards in this week's GSM Association's (GSMA) annual Mobile Asia Congress in Hong Kong, besting over 100 submissions from mobile phone operators all over the region.

    Smart Money's expanded mobile-based security feature for online purchases won under the Best Mobile Money Service category.

  • Samsung joins mobile OS battle

    Manila Bulletin - Saturday, November 21

    Samsung Electronics will unveil its new open mobile platform, Bada, next month.

    Samsung seems to be following a trend of OSs that is "open" yet proprietary.

  • Acer names new sales team

    Manila Bulletin - Saturday, November 21

    In line with the company's objective of broadening the reach of its sales network, Acer Philippines, Inc. announces the appointment of a new sales team that will reach out to the commercial sector and introduce its high-quality IT products like desktops and notebooks.

    Leading the Commercial Sales Team of Acer Philippines, Inc. will be its new Commercial Sales Manager, Sue Cashmere Ong.

  • Google launches RP biz stimulus plan

    Manila Bulletin - Saturday, November 21

    With the objective of giving small businesses a corner in cyberspace to hawk their merchandise, Internet giant Google unveiled recently what it calls its Philippine business stimulus package.

    The US-based tech firm tapped agencies from the government and private sector, particularly the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT), Go Negosyo, and STI, to launch the economic initiative.

    The Philippines is the third country in Southeast Asia to introduce the Google-led program after Singapore and Thailand.

  • Newspapers are displayed at a newsstand in October 2009 in San Francisco, California. US newspaper advertising revenue fell by nearly 28 percent in the third quarter, continuing a slide which has led to layoffs, bankruptcies and the closure of several dailies.

    US newspaper ad revenue down nearly 28 percent

    AFP - Saturday, November 21

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - - US newspaper advertising revenue fell by nearly 28 percent in the third quarter, continuing a slide which has led to layoffs, bankruptcies and the closure of several dailies.

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