Oregan releases hybrid media browser with digital terrestrial and over the top video capabilities

Oregan Networks, the leading developer of Internet TV receiver technologies, has launched a new hybrid version 4.2 of its software, which delivers Broadcast and Internet Protocol media functionalities in a single software stack. The company has implemented variants for the Latin American, European and Asian markets that have adopted the DVB-T or ISDB-T digital broadcast standards on their paths towards the digital switchover.

As part of its multi-regional hybrid solution for telecom and broadcast operators, Oregan has emphasised the specific requirements of the emerging Broadband and PayTV markets in Latin America, based on the trend for the ISDB-T standard, adopted by the majority of countries in the region, including Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Peru, to become the second most widely spread Digital TV standard.

The Latin American version of Oregan Media Browser provides a blueprint of essential building blocks for delivery of content over broadband and broadcast networks in the region, namely:

Adaptive bitrate internet streaming capability, allowing network operators to address bandwidth-constrained and peak usage network conditions; Broadcast receiver module, supporting ISDB-T International, also known as SBTVD, for either Free-To-Air (FTA) or Conditional Access System (CAS) protected broadcast video; TR-069 and TR-135 module, enabling bidirectional monitoring and control of the Set Top Box, providing essential QoS information related to the performance of the STB as well as monitoring WAN, LAN and Broadcast network status; Home media networking functions, enabling DLNA 1.5 based photo, music and video sharing; End-to-end server and client solution for Remote Upgrade and management of STBs in the field, featuring security and group management capabilities.

Digital Rights Managements (DRM) and Conditional Access System (CAS) implementations, facilitating studio-approved levels of content protection. Oregan's ISDB-T stack is designed to the SBTVD specifications, also known as ISDB-T International, and has been field proven with broadcasts across countries in Latin America, including Argentina, Chile, and Brazil where is has also successfully passed the certification by ANATEL (Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações), the Brazilian telecoms regulator.

Mark G Perry, Oregan's CEO said, "A recent wave of adoption that swept across Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Venezuela, Costa Rica and other countries preparing for the digital switchover, has clearly demonstrated the significance of ISDB-T, creating a homogenous and maturing market of scale that will facilitate economical price points for hybrid ISDB-T receivers. Oregan's hybrid STB software stack offers telecom operators and manufacturers a rapid entry to the market, to keep pace with the global trend for browser-based content and media delivery across broadcast and IP domains".

Ceragon sees annual losses...keeps up pressure on Aviat Networks

Shares of wireless equipment maker Ceragon Networks Ltd. edged higher Tuesday even as the company reported broadening losses. Ceragon Networks makes equipment used in high-capacity back-end networks that connect wireless towers to the Internet and other central telecommunications networks.

The company recorded $14.4 in charges from the acquisition of Norway's Nera Networks AS in a $48.5 million deal. "Overall Ceragon remains on track with the Nera integration, which should lead to significant benefits in 2012," said Jefferies & Co. analyst Peter Misek. "Also, our checks indicate that wireless backhaul remains one of the main bottlenecks for surging data traffic, and we believe Ceragon will be a key beneficiary."

The company reported a net loss of $17.4 million, or 48 cents per share, on $110.4 million in revenue for the three months ended June 30. That compares with net income of $2.6 million, or 7 cents per shares, on $60.9 million in revenue for the same period a year earlier.

Excluding special items, Ceragon Networks reported a loss of 4 cents per share for the latest quarter. Wall Street on average had expected Ceragon Networks to report a loss of 3 cents per share excluding items on $106.3 million in revenue for the period. Company shares rose 21 cents to $9.75 in midday trading Tuesday.

Revenues for the second quarter of 2011 reached $110.4 million, up 81% from $60.9 million for the second quarter of 2010, and up 10% from $100.3 million in the first quarter of 2011.

Net loss in accordance with US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) for the second quarter of 2011 was ($17.4) million or $(0.48) per basic share and diluted share, compared to net income of $2.6 million in the second quarter of 2010, or $0.07 per basic share and diluted share.

On a non-GAAP basis, net loss for the second quarter, excluding (a) $1.4 of equity-based compensation expenses, and (b)$14.4, million charges related to the Nera acquisition and integration plan, was ($1.6) million , or $(0.04) per basic share and diluted share. Non-GAAP net income for the second quarter of 2010 was $4.6 million, or $0.13 per basic and diluted share (please refer to the accompanying financial tables for reconciliation of GAAP financial information to non-GAAP).

Gross margin on a GAAP basis in the second quarter of 2011 was 21.4% of revenues. Gross margin on a non-GAAP basis was 31.9% of revenues. Operating loss on a GAAP basis in the second quarter of 2011 was ($16.2) million. On a non-GAAP basis operating loss was ($470,000).

The wireless backhaul business, although decades old, has found some new life in the past few years as cellular carrier companies are having to ramp up their data capacity rapidly to accommodate smartphones and iPads. At the same time, most carriers are planning to convert to HSPA and LTE and while carriers are upgrading their cell towers, they tend to upgrade their backhaul at the same time.

Maravedis, a market research company that has long focussed on the backhaul market reported in May,2011 that the microwave backhaul equipment market is expected to surpass US$ 12 billion by 2016. During 2010 they stated PtP microwave backhaul market reached US$ 4.74 billion.

They also estimated that “During the next 5 years the microwave market will continuously grow, mainly driven by the need for operators to deploy new base stations to provide good quality of experience over LTE networks.”

Aviat Networks has a small but significant share of in the wireless backhaul business. They have lost share to the likes of Ceragon and Dragonwave who focused on IP packet transmission while companies like Aviat were making the majority of their revenue from transmitting the legacy TDM circuits that have been typical in the telco industry.

However, the older line companies are gradually getting caught up as they produce more competitive and more IP oriented products. Aviat has lost market share during the past five years, but still is one of the larger shareholders in the industry. They have continued to invest in R&D, while restructuring the business and reducing expenses in other parts of the business.

According to VineSecurity.com, Aviat still has a relatively healthy balance sheet. "IF our optimistic assumptions for growth and profitability could be achieved, we believe the stock could justify price in the $7 range. This indicates that the stock price has already been discounted to reflect recent poor performance" said the report. At current prices near $4.20 the market is already being cautious about Aviat." We agree with the market and we plan to wait and see how the new management executes. If we see a couple of quarters of steady handed execution, we would consider buying at current prices".

Imation to Emphasize Data Security at 2011 Flash Memory Summit

Imation cryptography and information security expert Kevin Vlasich will share the company's insights on flash memory security at the sixth annual Flash Memory Summit on Aug. 8, in Santa Clara, Calif. In addition, Vlasich will also outline the best technology practices for highly secure flash design.

Conference goers will hear Vlasich present “Tradeoffs in Secure Flash Design,” during the pre-conference workshop on Aug. 8 from 1 to 4 p.m. Vlasich will discuss considerations for hardware and software design in secure flash memory devices, emphasizing considerations for data confidentiality, integrity and legal compliance while preserving portability and performance. Immediately following the workshop, Vlasich will serve as a panelist for a discussion, “Future of Flash Security,” from 4 to 5 p.m.

Imation, a global technology company dedicated to helping people and organizations store, protect and connect their digital world, provides a leading portfolio of products designed to secure “data at rest” on storage media and devices. Imation's Defender Collection™ is the industry's broadest portfolio of products to secure information stored on portable devices, including USB flash drives that feature 256-bit AES encryption, FIPS 140-2 Level 3 validation and TAA compliance, and options for strong password and biometric authentication.

Data security is an important strategic growth opportunity for Imation, which has recently acquired data security companies ENCRYPTX and MXI Security, adding to Imation's data security technologies and product portfolio.

Vlasich, a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), oversees information security technology for the Imation Defender Collection of secure portable storage devices and media. In addition to his expertise in cryptography, Vlasich is an experienced computer and network security specialist in firewall development, intrusion detection and prevention, virus scanning and strong authentication.

The Flash Memory Summit is a three-day event that brings together consumer electronics companies and those specializing in computers, communications, military/defense systems, industrial and process control, test equipment and instrumentation. Attendees will learn about the latest developments, tools and market trends in flash memory.

Aviat Appoints Michael Pangia as President/CEO…ships Radios to Wataniya Telecom Maldives

Aviat Networks, Inc. a leading provider of wireless transmission solutions announced that Michael Pangia, who was Aviat Networks' SVP and Chief Sales Officer, has been appointed President & CEO and a member of the Board of Directors. Former CEO Chuck Kissner will continue as Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Kissner became CEO on June 28, 2010 to lead a transformation of Aviat's business. Pangia has led the Sales and Services operations of the company since he joined inMarch 2009 and was part of the management team that led the restructuring and turnaround efforts over the past year.

During that time, the company has reduced costs, refocused its business, introduced new products, stabilized its top line, and streamlined operations.

"I'm delighted that the Board has expressed their confidence in me and the management team going forward," said Pangia.  "We made tremendous progress over the last year on many fronts, and believe we are now well-positioned to move Aviat to the next stage.  We now have a company with better operating leverage, a strong pipeline of new products, and an enthusiastic customer base.  I expect the transition to be a smooth one, and look forward to reporting our Q4 FY11 and full year results in August."

"The Aviat Networks team accomplished its goals over the past year," said Kissner.  "As expected, we essentially completed our fiscal 2011 restructuring program to reduce operating costs, continued to roll out innovative new products, and saw the resumption of strong demand for our products and services.  We now have a strong roadmap for the future."

Prior to joining Aviat Networks, Pangia held a number of executive positions at Nortel Networks in Sales, Operations, and Finance.  As President of the Asia Region, he had P&L responsibility for $1.8 billion in sales.

On May 5, 2011, the Company provided revenue guidance of $105 million to $120 million for the fourth quarter FY2011, based on backlog, business trends and operational changes, and some supply risks specific to Japan.  “Although we have not yet finalized and completed all reviews of the financial results for the fourth quarter, we now believe revenue for the fourth quarter FY2011 will be in the range of $115 million to $120 million.  In addition, we expect to report that the orders book-to-bill ratio was greater than 1 and that the company's cash balance increased from end of the previous quarter.  As the company is still assessing revenue as part of its year end close, this guidance is subject to change until fourth quarter and full year fiscal 2011 results are announced in August. Also, given the need to complete the year end audit, this is the only guidance we intend to provide at this time”.

In a related development, Aviat Networks has announced that it will supply its recently introduced Aviat WTM 6000 trunking microwave radios to Wataniya Telecom Maldives. Since 2008, Aviat Networks has served as the sole microwave backhaul provider for Wataniya Telecom Maldives as it moved from 2G to 3G. Now, WTM 6000 long-distance trunking radios will support its transition to Next Generation Networks and eventually to 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless, with up to 4Gbps aggregate IP-data throughput in the backhaul network.

Specifically, Aviat Networks will: Supply end-to-end turnkey products and services to deploy high-capacity WTM 6000 radios in Wataniya's backhaul to extend its existing backbone of Aviat Networks' TRuepoint 6500 radios. Radios will be used as the core elements to backhaul 2G, 3G and leased-line traffic from Wataniya customers.

They will also provide network design and logistics services to support the Wataniya backhaul network expansion. "Based on superior performance of its TRuepoint 6500 radios and superb execution of our 2008 network rollout, we've chosen Aviat Networks for the next phase of our network build," said Stephen Smith, chief operating officer of Wataniya Telecom Maldives. "We're impressed by WTM 6000's performance characteristics and our prior experience with Aviat Networks' technical competency in link engineering over difficult all-water terrain while still completing the project on time. We're confident that WTM 6000 supported by Aviat Networks professional services will enable a smooth evolution to Next Generation Network operation and then to 4G."

IDC see Private Sector in increased role in Government ICT-use Expansion across MEA

Governments across the Middle East and Africa (MEA) are increasingly looking to utilize public-private partnerships (PPPs) in order to gain efficiencies, mobilize additional resources, and extend services to their citizens, residents, and visitors, according to the latest observations from International Data Corporation (IDC), the premier global market intelligence and advisory firm for the information technology and telecommunications markets.

Such partnerships are proving popular not only in the traditional fields of mega-infrastructure projects such as roads and mass transit systems, but also as an alternate means of expanding and enhancing the delivery of services, modernizing education and healthcare systems, and increasing the availability and diffusion of ICT, without necessarily having to directly allocate capital expenditure to such initiatives. Supporting this claim of surging popularity, the World Bank's Private Participation in Infrastructure database indicates that, while the MEA region accounted for approximately 6% (or $47.84 billion) of global investment on PPP infrastructure projects between 1990–2000, that share grew to approximately 15% (or $126.50 billion) in the period between 2001 and 2008.

"Across the region, various PPP initiatives are being undertaken by private ICT players, with the support of the respective governments, to build infrastructure and deliver services across the judiciary, transportation, education, and healthcare sectors," says Mukesh Chulani, senior research analyst the Middle East, Africa, and Turkey at IDC Government Insights. "There are various highly innovative information and communication technologies embedded within PPP initiatives regionally, ranging from a traffic incident automation solution in South Africa to a national training program aimed at developing basic ICT skills among high school students in Turkey."

Coming from a backdrop where public capital was the sole source of funding for social amenities and infrastructure, and where governments designed, built, maintained, and operated various entities, there are now successful and innovative PPP examples within the MEA region that have had a demonstrable impact while shifting more risk to the private sector. Indeed, in some cases, technology solutions originating in the Middle East and Africa have proved so successful that they have subsequently been deployed to other projects across the globe.

In IDC Government Insights' report, 'Public-Private Partnerships: Examples of Successful Technology Collaboration in the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa', Mr. Chulani highlights the case of the 'SMS for Life' project in Tanzania, which is an ongoing collaboration to improve the management of anti-malarial medication inventory levels that is led by Novartis in conjunction with IBM, Vodafone, the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, and the Tanzanaian government's National Malaria Control Programme.

Launched in September 2009, the SMS for Life project was first implemented as a pilot in three rural districts in Tanzania, covering 129 health facilities and a total population of approximately 1.2 million people. Over a period of five months, the system effectively provided information on the inventory levels of anti-malarial treatments, leading to a more efficient supply chain and a 300% improvement in the availability of such medication, greatly reducing the number of deaths from malaria.

So successful was the pilot that the project is now being rolled out nationwide to cover 5,000 health facilities and a population of more than 40 million people, while Kenya and Ghana are set to implement trials of their own based on the same technology.

"Given the ease of deployment and wide-ranging applicability of the SMS for Life project, it would make sense to replicate such a PPP initiative elsewhere, extending its reach to improve the visibility of medication inventory levels for other disease areas as well," says Chulani. "However, despite the clear progress that is being made across the Middle East and Africa, the region's governments have yet fully to harness the true potential of PPPs. More work needs to be done to educate internal stakeholders, develop and administer effective policies, and assess the capabilities of existing public sector institutions in order to aid the implementation and management of successful PPPs."

Blackberry, Facebook, Twitter responsible for escalated UK Riots

Even though Facebook and Twitter, two of the leading social networking sites, are being blamed for the escalation of violence in the UK for the past four days, the most powerful and up-to-the-minute rallying appears to have taken place on a more covert social network: BlackBerry Messenger (BBM).

Using BlackBerry handsets – the smartphone of choice for the majority (37%) of British teens, according to last week's Ofcom study – BBM allows users to send one-to-many messages to their network of contacts, who are connected by "BBM PINs". For many teens armed with a BlackBerry, BBM has replaced text messaging because it is free, instant and more part of a much larger community than regular SMS.

And unlike Twitter or Facebook, many BBM messages are untraceable by the authorities (which is why, in large part, BBM is so favoured by Emirati teens to spread illicit gossip about officialdom). One BBM broadcast sent on Sunday, which has been shown to the Guardian by multiple sources, calls on "everyone from all sides of London" to vandalise shops on Oxford street.

Another sent shortly before the outbreak of violence in Enfield on Sunday afternoon reads: "Everyone in edmonton enfield wood green everywhere in north link up at enfield town station at 4 o clock sharp!".

Jenny Jones, the former deputy mayor of London, blamed an under-resourced force for missing the tweets and the status updates. "It's quite possible if they had more resources they could have picked up on this," she said.

As the rioting is showing no signs of letting-off and London riots entering their fifth day, it has reportedly prompted Tottenham MP David Lammy to call for the suspension of the BlackBerry Messenger service some rioters are using to organize their movements.

Explaining the appeal of the service for the rioters, blogger Jonathan Akwue wrote, "BBM, as it is known, is an instant messenger system that has become popular for three main reasons: it's fast (naturally), it's virtually free, and unlike Twitter or Facebook, it's private." Unlike Facebook and Twitter, which have received accolades for their roles in recent uprisings across the Middle East and North Africa, BBM, which allows users to share messages by exchanging PINs, is not a public forum. "The key point here is that although these messages are spreading virally, by being shared via BBM they have been less visible to the outside world, making them harder to track," Akwue noted.

The maker of the BlackBerry, Research in Motion, said on Monday that it would co-operate with a police investigation into claims that its popular BlackBerry Messenger service played a key role in organising the London riots. Scotland Yard vowed to track down and arrest protesters who posted "really inflammatory, inaccurate" messages on the service, and the social networking websites Twitter and Facebook.

Patrick Spence, the managing director regional marketing at Research In Motion (RIM), confirmed that the BlackBerry manufacturer had contacted police to assist with the investigation.

However, the statement prompted fears from some BlackBerry users that their private messages could be handed over to the police. "We feel for those impacted by the riots in London. We have engaged with the authorities to assist in any way we can," Spence said. He added that RIM complies with UK legislation on the interception of communication and co-operates fully with the Home Office.

RIM can be legally ordered to hand over details to police of users suspected of unlawful activity. However, the Canadian company would be likely to resist those demands and the content of users' inflammatory messages would be encrypted. The manufacturer has previously insisted that even it cannot unscramble users' messages when sent on the devices. RIM refused to comment further or answer a series of questions on the statement.

Although Twitter and Facebook have played a key role in past unrest in the capital, the Tottenham riots are thought to be the first in the UK so heavily orchestrated using BlackBerry Messenger. The "broadcasts" – which are sent instantly from one-to-many BBM users – have been reposted and amplified on Twitter and Facebook. Evidence of rioters planning where to hit next spread quickly on the networks as the police struggled to keep up.

However, Hackers have threatened  that BlackBerry employees “will regret it” if the company cooperated with authorities investigating the London riots. In an attack on the website of BlackBerry-maker Research in Motion, a group calling itself Team Poison wrote “Dear Rim; You Will _NOT_ assist the UK Police because if u do innocent members of the public who were at the wrong place at the wrong time and owned a blackberry will get charged for no reason at all”.

MTN, Orange axed in Cameroon…as MTN Celebrates 5millionth SIM

Cameroon's telecommunications regulator, the Agence de Regulation des Telecommunications (ART), has issued fines amounting to XAF 6.3 billion (USD 13.6 million) to six of the country's operators for violating laws that govern the sector.

According to a report by CamerPress, mobile operator Orange Cameroun was handed the largest fine, around XAF 4.14 billion, of which XAF 3.2 billion was for establishing long-distance transmission links without permission, while a further fine of XAF 940.4 million was imposed on the operator for unauthorized use of numbering resources.

The country's other mobile operator, MTN Cameroon, was penalized XAF 523.2 million for unauthorized use of numbering resources, while its internet subsidiary received a fine of XAF 250 million for unauthorized use of frequencies in the cities of Douala and Bafoussam. State-owned fixed line operator CamTel is required to pay XAF 887 million for unauthorized use of numbering resources, while ISP Ringo has been fined around XAF 421 million for using frequencies without permission in the cities of Yaounde, Douala, Limbe and Bafoussam.

Another ISP, Alink Telecom, was penalized XAF80 million also for using frequencies without permission for the provision of wireless internet services. ARTEL has levied these sanctions on the telephone and internet service providers in the country for violating the rules governing the sector.

The other two internet providers, RINGO and A-Link Telecom are amongst the list of companies found guilty of bad practices. The sanctions were announced after investigations carried out by the Regulatory Board between 2009 and 2010.

In a related development, MTN Cameroon has crossed the symbolic threshold of 5 million subscribers. It's a housewife Foumban, Ms. Njankouo born Nzie Aminatou is five-millionth subscriber. A promotional campaign to reward the five millionth subscriber was held to mark the event. The lucky winner received a Duplex house worth 50 million CFA francs offered by MTN. The ceremony of laying the foundation stone of this house was held Thursday, July 21, 2011 at Mbanga Japoma Douala, attended by the winner, the CEO of MTN, Philippe Vandebrouck and CEO of the SAD, the development company that will build the duplex.

With 5 million subscribers, the company consolidates its leading position in the Cameroonian market of mobile and emerging as an institution of national socio-economic life. The SIM making it the 5 millionth subscriber to MTN, was purchased from a Foot Soldier (brand ambassador MTN) passing through the neighborhood.

SIGNAL ALLIANCE wins 2011 Microsoft Country Partner of the Year award

Signal Alliance, one of Nigeria’s leading IT solution providers, has won the prestigious Microsoft Country Partner of the year award for Nigeria 2011 at the recently concluded World Partner Conference in Los Angeles. Signal Alliance was rewarded for providing outstanding solutions and services, as well as demonstrating excellent subsidiary engagement in Nigeria for Microsoft.

According to Jon Rodskill, corporate vice president, worldwide partner group, Microsoft Corporation "we are pleased to recognize Signal Alliance Nigeria as Microsoft country partner of the year. Signal Alliance demonstrates commitment to serving its customers and our strong partnership is core to our winning together".

The chief executive of Signal Alliance, Mr. Collins Onuegbu, while acknowledging the award, praised Microsoft Corporation for the initiative to reward hard work and encouraged healthy competition when it comes to IT solutions development.

He reiterated the vision of Signal Alliance and the resolve to achieve excellent service delivery. His words: "This award is a testimony to the hard-work and dedication of the Signal Alliance team and we are really happy that Microsoft Corporation given us due recognition. This award also throws up a challenge to keep and exceed our standards for next year to remain in the number one position."

He further stated that Signal Alliance prides itself with its vast years of experience and the thorough understanding of the IT business landscape and the combination of appropriate technology to meet the surging needs of its numerous IT based customers. According to him, "this award surely keeps us on our toes, to confront whatever challenges, and most especially bring to mind, our sole aspiration to stay at the top".

The Microsoft awards, which comes up during the yearly World Partner Conference, seeks to honour partners at country level, who have demonstrated business excellence in delivering Microsoft solutions to mutual customers over the past years.

The award recognizes Signal Alliance as succeeding in effective engagement with their local Microsoft office, while showcasing innovation, business impact, driving customer satisfaction and winning new customers.

Signal Alliance is one of the leading Systems Integrators in Nigeria and currently holds Gold competencies in Microsoft Solutions. In addition to this, they provide enterprise solutions in core ICT areas such as Unified Communications, Borderless Networks solutions and Network Monitoring, Service Management and Assurance, Enterprise Resource Planning and mobile applications.

Google goes on the offensive against Microsoft and co…condemns patent claims

Google senior VP and chief legal officer David Drummond has published an open letter criticizing the rush on patents in the mobile industry with all targeting Google’s Android platform. "Android is on fire," he writes. "More than 550,000 Android devices are activated every day, through a network of 39 manufacturers and 231 carriers. Android and other platforms are competing hard against each other, and that’s yielding cool new devices and amazing mobile apps for consumers. But Android’s success has yielded something else: a hostile, organized campaign against Android by Microsoft, Oracle, Apple and other companies, waged through bogus patents."

He was making a direct reference to the moves by major firms to "band together" to acquire patents held by struggling firms, citing a successful $4.5 billion bid by Microsoft, Apple and others in June to acquire 600 patents from Nortel.  The goal, according to him, was to "make sure Google didn't get them [the patents]," the letter alleges. Drummond also complains about things like Microsoft demanding that companies like Samsung pay licensing fees for Android phones. 

"Patents were meant to encourage innovation, but lately they are being used as a weapon to stop it," the VP continues. "A smartphone might involve as many as 250,000 (largely questionable) patent claims, and our competitors want to impose a 'tax' for these dubious patents that makes Android devices more expensive for consumers. They want to make it harder for manufacturers to sell Android devices. Instead of competing by building new features or devices, they are fighting through litigation.

"This anti-competitive strategy is also escalating the cost of patents way beyond what they’re really worth. Microsoft and Apple’s winning $4.5 billion for Nortel’s patent portfolio was nearly five times larger than the pre-auction estimate of $1 billion. Fortunately, the law frowns on the accumulation of dubious patents for anti-competitive means -- which means these deals are likely to draw regulatory scrutiny, and this patent bubble will pop."

Drummond says Google is "encouraged" that the Department of Justice forced a change in the terms of the Novell deal, and investigating whether Apple and Microsoft bought the Nortel patents for anti-competitive reasons. "We're also looking at other ways to reduce the anti-competitive threats against Android by strengthening our own patent portfolio. Unless we act, consumers could face rising costs for Android devices —- and fewer choices for their next phone," the letter concludes. Recently it was revealed that Google acquired 1,030 IBM patents in July.

Some time ago, Florian Mueller, an observer (and a host of other Android apologists) who has posted blogs about numerous Android patent disputes, has criticized Google for not rising to the defense of Android and its large, global group of independent developers. Mueller told said that Drummond's response "reflects profound concern on Google's part over the patent situation surrounding Android."

But Mueller added that he disagreed with Drummond over how organized the anti-Android campaign is. "As an observer of those disputes, I actually don't see any indications of an 'organized, hostile campaign' going on," Mueller said. He said the companies attacking Android are doing business as usual and that Microsoft had begun buying up patent licenses "years before Android" appeared. Mueller added that Oracle's patent disputes over Android stem from wanting to monetize Java and "show the world who controls that platform."

As of May, Mueller said he had counted more than 40 patent infringement lawsuits mostly over Android. Many companies such as Samsung are buying up pools of patent licenses related to smartphone software just to be able to grab a piece of ownership of the intellectual property included in devices such as smartphones, he added. Drummond noted that a smartphone is highly complex computer and radio technology that could generate as many as 250,000 patent claims by opponents, claims that he said would likely be "largely questionable."

The patent claims can lead to increased licensing fees that end up like a tax that makes Android device more expensive for consumers, Drummond said. He said Google is determined to fight patent claims, though he didn't say how. "We're determined to preserve Android as a competitive choice for consumers, by stopping those who are trying to strangle it," he wrote.

Google is also planning to strengthen its own patent portfolio presumably by buying licenses from collectives such as Intellectual Ventures. The company must act or consumers "could face rising costs for Android devices--and fewer choices for their next phone," Drummond said.

Atlantic Lottery to launch new GeoSweep game, target Facebook users

Atlantic Lottery Corporation will unveil a new online game called GeoSweep by year end, and officials are confident that a $2-million investment into a British company that developed the game will pay dividends for Atlantic Canada. "As GeoSweep grows, Atlantic Canada will profit," said ALC spokeswoman Sarah McBeath.

Last month, the provincial government gave the New Brunswick Lotteries and Gaming Corporation permission to participate in an investment by the Atlantic Lottery Corporation in Roboreus Limited, a UK-based gaming company, with the New Brunswick Lotteries and Gaming Corporation's share of the initial investment being up to $2 million.

McBeath said the investment is in the Roboreus company itself and also to acquire the rights to use the game in this country. The Moncton-based Atlantic Lottery Corporation's core business has been in conventional games such as lottery tickets and video lottery terminals in Atlantic Canada.

The corporation has offered online games since 2004, which allow Atlantic Canadian residents aged 19 or older to register online and play the lotteries available at retail locations as well as online games like iBingo. But ALC wants to expand into online games that are based here, to compete with online games based outside of Canada.

The GeoSweep game, now available in the UK, is rather like placing your bet on a roulette table and hoping your number comes up. But instead of numbers on the table, you are playing with squares on a Google Map. According to the British GeoSweep website, the game is fun and easy to play online.

To play the game, you can go online and choose a grid square based on Google Maps. The squares on the map are called Geos. If a square is red, someone else has already claimed it. If it is green, it is available. The idea is to choose a spot on the map that has significance to you, like your house. Once you find your square, you can click on it and add it to your "shopping basket." You then register online to reserve your Geos.

When you pay for your Geos, they turn blue on your screen. In Britain, each Geo costs one pound ($1.55 CDN) for 100 days of draws. You can pay by subscription or pay as you go. When you buy a subscription, your account is automatically debited and your Geos remain reserved, so you are automatically entered in the draws. If you give up your Geos, they become free for someone else to claim. If the spot you want is occupied, you can put your name on the waiting list.

There are two draws every day for 100,000 pounds. Once you have claimed your Geos, you can claim them as your own and check online to see if your Geo is one of the winners. The GeoSweep game sweeps the map and chooses a square at random as a winner. If the chosen Geo of the day is unoccupied, there is no winner.

There's a bit of education involved as well, as GeoSweep talks about the significance of the plots of land in announcing the winners. For example, yesterday's winner was Philbus with a Geo placed in Old Stratford, near the road built by the Romans to cross the river.

According to the post, "Old Stratford soon became a stop-off point for the Romans to get supplies of food and especially drinks, and they would often stop by the local wayside taverns to drink blood red wine from earthenware beakers. Nowadays, Philbus can go to his local pub, the Swan and celebrate his winnings with an anaemic but delicious local real ale." Atlantic Lottery officials said last month it had carefully assessed the project and are convinced it is a good investment.

The New Brunswick government and Atlantic Lottery Corp. are gambling on a $2-million investment in a U.K. company that will attract a younger generation of players.

The provincial government has approved a $2-million investment into GeoSweep, a company that operates a game where gamblers bet on Google Earth locations.

Paula Dyke, the director of public affairs at the Atlantic Lottery Corp. (ALC), said GeoSweep is a popular lottery game in the United Kingdom and the Crown corporation would like to see it become a hit in North America.

"For us, it's about getting in on the ground floor and looking at how that can benefit our own region, and 'It really is one of those lotteries that appeals to what we would call the Facebook generation" Dyke said. Dyke said ALC is investing in the company hoping for a share of the North American profits. 

The ALC official would not say whether New Brunswick is the only partner at ALC to invest in this company. The governments of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador are all partners in ALC.