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Sep 17, 2012
NATION - Thai PM, religious leaders to discuss peace
Thai PM, religious leaders to discuss peace: Thailand Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will meet religious leaders from different sects next week to discuss peace-building solutions for the Asean region and the restive South, the organiser of .....
NATION - Thai ministry 'studying' ombudsman's take on Thaksin passport issue
Thai ministry 'studying' ombudsman's take on Thaksin passport issue: The Thai Foreign Ministry is studying the Office of the Ombudsman's recommendation that former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's passport be revoked, and will handle the case in accordance with laws .....
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JKTP - Persistent terror threat increasing Indonesian public insecurity
Persistent terror threat increasing Indonesian public insecurity: A survey has found that the majority of Indonesians feel insecure because of growing religious violence and acts of terrorism. The survey, by the Indonesian Survey Circle (LSI) found that in the past .....
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The 2013 Indonesian state budget draft | East Asia Forum
The 2013 Indonesian state budget draft | East Asia Forum
Indonesia’s 2013 state budget was initially expected to help boost economic growth by stimulating domestic consumption, investment and foreign trade but a review of the draft budget suggests that it is highly unlikely that this will be the case.
Indonesia’s 2013 state budget was initially expected to help boost economic growth by stimulating domestic consumption, investment and foreign trade but a review of the draft budget suggests that it is highly unlikely that this will be the case.
Philippines: President Aquino Passes Cybercrime Law
Philippines: President Aquino Passes Cybercrime Law:
President Benigno Aquino III has signed the proposed Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 into law, four months after approval at the Philippine Congress. The law aims to be “an act defining cybercrime, providing for prevention, investigation and imposition of penalties therefore and for other purposes.”
Filed by Senator Edgardo J. Angara, who chairs the Senate Committee on Science and Technology, the law will “enable the State to adopt sufficient powers to effectively prevent and combat all forms of misuse, abuse and illegal access by facilitating their detection, investigation, arrest and prosecution at both the domestic and international levels, and by providing arrangements for fast and reliable international cooperation.”
Some groups, however, have objected that the provisions may be overly-broad and may “criminalize ordinary electronic activities of Internet users,” and even “legislate morality,” although the law’s proponents have highlighted the need for government to be up-to-date when it comes to fighting crime in an increasingly digital world.
In a statement, Angara said that “cybercrime does not have any place in the Philippines.” He stressed the need for institutional reforms that will address the fast-paced changes in technology, which government agencies have to catch up with. “We need to give our law enforcement agencies not just the authority but also the capacity to tackle this new problem. And we need to do so fast as cybercrimes grow more sophisticated and complex along with the evolution of technology.”
The law has provisions for the following:
President Benigno Aquino III has signed the proposed Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 into law, four months after approval at the Philippine Congress. The law aims to be “an act defining cybercrime, providing for prevention, investigation and imposition of penalties therefore and for other purposes.”
Filed by Senator Edgardo J. Angara, who chairs the Senate Committee on Science and Technology, the law will “enable the State to adopt sufficient powers to effectively prevent and combat all forms of misuse, abuse and illegal access by facilitating their detection, investigation, arrest and prosecution at both the domestic and international levels, and by providing arrangements for fast and reliable international cooperation.”
Some groups, however, have objected that the provisions may be overly-broad and may “criminalize ordinary electronic activities of Internet users,” and even “legislate morality,” although the law’s proponents have highlighted the need for government to be up-to-date when it comes to fighting crime in an increasingly digital world.
In a statement, Angara said that “cybercrime does not have any place in the Philippines.” He stressed the need for institutional reforms that will address the fast-paced changes in technology, which government agencies have to catch up with. “We need to give our law enforcement agencies not just the authority but also the capacity to tackle this new problem. And we need to do so fast as cybercrimes grow more sophisticated and complex along with the evolution of technology.”
The law has provisions for the following:
- Offenses against the confidentiality, integrity and availability of computer data and systems (illegal access, illegal interception, data interference, system interference, and misuse of devices)
- Computer-related offenses (computer forgery, computer-related fraud, and computer-related identity theft)
- Content-related offenses (cybersex, unsolicited commercial communications)
Malaysia and Singapore Update 2012 videos
Malaysia and Singapore Update 2012 videos:
The Malaysia and Singapore Update 2012 saw the gathering of a distinguished group of analysts to discuss the dynamic political and economic landscape in Malaysia and Singapore.
The following two videos are the recordings of the inaugural Malaysia-Singapore Update at The Australian National University.
The Malaysia Update is available at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFnGRQj9iPQ&feature=plcp
The Singapore Update is available at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CTEl-Zhv38&feature=plcp
A reminder that the podcast can be heard at: http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/news/podcasts/cap
The Malaysia and Singapore Update 2012 saw the gathering of a distinguished group of analysts to discuss the dynamic political and economic landscape in Malaysia and Singapore.
The following two videos are the recordings of the inaugural Malaysia-Singapore Update at The Australian National University.
The Malaysia Update is available at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFnGRQj9iPQ&feature=plcp
The Singapore Update is available at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CTEl-Zhv38&feature=plcp
A reminder that the podcast can be heard at: http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/news/podcasts/cap
Transparency International ready to support fight against corruption in Timor-Leste
Transparency International ready to support fight against corruption in Timor-Leste:
Transparency International (TI) is ready to provide the Government of Timor-Leste namely staff of the Commission on Anti-Corruption (CAC) with technical assistance to mitigate countrywide corruption.
Transparency International (TI) is ready to provide the Government of Timor-Leste namely staff of the Commission on Anti-Corruption (CAC) with technical assistance to mitigate countrywide corruption.
Timor Leste experience to showcase strategies in peacebuilding in Asia
Timor Leste experience to showcase strategies in peacebuilding in Asia
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—Peacebuilders from 18 countries in Asia will once again share experiences and renew their commitment to Peace Writ Large in the region and in the world during the fourth Action Asia Peacebuilders’ Forum in Dili, Timor Leste, this week.
At least 60 peacebuilders from Asia will gather Sept. 19- 21 to learn from “uniquely Asian strategies and approaches in the field of conflict transformation and peacebuilding which are being practiced in the different countries in Asia,” said Charlito “Kaloy” Z. Manlupig, founder and president of the Balay Mindanaw Foundation Inc., mother organization of the Balay Mindanao Group of nongovernment organizations.
TIME - Safety First: How Should Colleges Respond to Bomb Threats? | U.S. | TIME.com
Safety First: How Should Colleges Respond to Bomb Threats? | U.S. | TIME.com
The bomb threats at the University of Texas at Austin and North Dakota State University in Fargo on Friday that canceled classes and forced campus evacuations turned out to be nothing more than hoaxes. By early afternoon, no explosive devices were found and both schools had reopened their campuses. But whether the bomb threats were legitimate — the UT caller claimed to be linked to al-Qaeda — didn’t matter. In a post–Virginia Tech world, colleges have learned the hard way that safe is always better than sorry.
Read more: http://nation.time.com/2012/09/15/put-to-the-test-colleges-grapple-with-bomb-threats/#ixzz26ksXcSK2
The bomb threats at the University of Texas at Austin and North Dakota State University in Fargo on Friday that canceled classes and forced campus evacuations turned out to be nothing more than hoaxes. By early afternoon, no explosive devices were found and both schools had reopened their campuses. But whether the bomb threats were legitimate — the UT caller claimed to be linked to al-Qaeda — didn’t matter. In a post–Virginia Tech world, colleges have learned the hard way that safe is always better than sorry.
Read more: http://nation.time.com/2012/09/15/put-to-the-test-colleges-grapple-with-bomb-threats/#ixzz26ksXcSK2
TIME - Breaking Amish: One Ex-Follower’s True Story of Moving to the Big Apple | Entertainment | TIME.com
Breaking Amish: One Ex-Follower’s True Story of Moving to the Big Apple | Entertainment | TIME.com
In light of TLC's new show an ex-Amish explains what it's really like to leave the religious community
Read more: http://entertainment.time.com/2012/09/09/breaking-amish-one-ex-followers-true-story-of-moving-to-the-big-apple/#ixzz26kWkq6sa
In light of TLC's new show an ex-Amish explains what it's really like to leave the religious community
Read more: http://entertainment.time.com/2012/09/09/breaking-amish-one-ex-followers-true-story-of-moving-to-the-big-apple/#ixzz26kWkq6sa
Google blocks controversial movie trailer in Indonesia - Computerworld
Google blocks controversial movie trailer in Indonesia - Computerworld:
 Tech in Asia | Google blocks controversial movie trailer in Indonesia Computerworld The company received a valid request from the Indonesian authorities asking that the trailer be taken down, which casts the Prophet Muhammad in a deeply unflattering light. Google will remove content from YouTube if it receives a court order or a valid ... Google blocks controversial YouTube movie in IndonesiaExaminer.com Google blocks access to anti-Islam film in Indonesia and 3 other nationsGant Daily Indonesian Government Blocks Anti-Islam Film on YouTubeTech in Asia ABS CBN News -Herald Sun all 168 news articles » |
JKTP - Gubernatorial candidates go online for campaigns
Gubernatorial candidates go online for campaigns: Realizing the power of social media among Jakartans, both campaign teams of Fauzi Bowo and Joko “Jokowi” Widodo have gone beyond Twitter and Facebook in their campaign strategies ahead of the ...
JKTP - RI workers mostly SD graduates
RI workers mostly SD graduates: The Manpower and Transmigration Ministry said that more than 50 percent of workers in the country are elementary school (SD) graduates.Dita Indah Sari, adviser to Manpower and Transmigration Ministry ...
JKTP - An uphill battle to end discriminatory laws
An uphill battle to end discriminatory laws: The number of discriminatory bylaws are constantly on the rise despite efforts to repeal them, according to the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan).“Removing ...
JKTP - Surveys show Jokowi taking the lead ahead of runoff
Surveys show Jokowi taking the lead ahead of runoff: Surakarta Mayor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo stands a greater chance of winning the gubernatorial election runoff over incumbent Governor Fauzi Bowo, according to recent surveys by various pollsters.The ...
JKTP - Four FPI members arrested during anti-Islam movie protest
Four FPI members arrested during anti-Islam movie protest: A police officer scuffles with Muslim men during a protest against American-made film Innocence of Muslims that ridicules Islam and depicts the Prophet Muhammad as a fraud, a womanizer and a madman, ...
LATITUDES - Do’s and Don’ts in Singapore
Do’s and Don’ts in Singapore:
By: Cher Tan
A Singapore upbringing, by: Emma KweeSingapore is one of the most popular and vibrant destinations in Asia with its renowned clean and beautiful garden city and unique cultural diffusion of Chinese, Malay, Indian and European immigrants. Singapore is a very clean, safe and efficient city due to the strictly enforced laws. But diverse racial groups in Singapore have retained its own cultural and religious identity including Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Taoism, which can cause confusion and sometimes conflicts, for example, gift giving etiquette varies depending on the ethnic background of the individual. So bearing in mind the following Singapore travel tips, dos and don’ts will help you enjoy the diverse and rich culture of Singapore and be a part of its enriching experience.
Smoking in public buses, taxis, lifts, theatres, cinemas, government offices and air-conditioned restaurants and shopping centres is against the law. First offenders may be fined up to a maximum of S$1,000. While it is an offence to smoke in air-conditioned eating places, smoking is not prohibited in air-conditioned pubs, discos, karaoke bars and nightspots.
Singapore’s clean and green image is the result of more than two decades of public education campaigns and strict laws against littering. Littering of any kind is subject to up to an S$1,000 fine for first offenders, and, for repeat offenders, up to S$2,000 coupled with a stint of corrective work order cleaning a public place. As an extension of the law against littering, the import, sale and possession of chewing gum is prohibited. Spitting is also punishable by law in Singapore.
Multicultural Singapore, By: Robert. S. Digby
Singapore also carries a mandatory death penalty for drug-trafficking and harsh penalties for possession and use within the country.
It is common courtesy to ask permission to take pictures of people, mosques or temples. When entering a Singaporean’s house, temple or mosque, remember to take off your shoes. Do not eat or offer anything with your left hand when with Muslims and don’t use your left hand when shaking hands with a Muslim.
With regards to gift-fiving, do not give clocks, handkerchiefs or flowers to people of Chinese descent as they are associated with death and funerals. For people of Malay descent, do not give alcohol, or anything made of pigskin, as most (if not all) Malays in Singapore are Muslim. Do not give alcohol or leather products to people of Indian descent. Do not accept a gift immediately; refuse a gift 2 to 3 times before accepting to show that you are not greedy.
By: Cher Tan
A Singapore upbringing, by: Emma Kwee
Smoking in public buses, taxis, lifts, theatres, cinemas, government offices and air-conditioned restaurants and shopping centres is against the law. First offenders may be fined up to a maximum of S$1,000. While it is an offence to smoke in air-conditioned eating places, smoking is not prohibited in air-conditioned pubs, discos, karaoke bars and nightspots.
Singapore’s clean and green image is the result of more than two decades of public education campaigns and strict laws against littering. Littering of any kind is subject to up to an S$1,000 fine for first offenders, and, for repeat offenders, up to S$2,000 coupled with a stint of corrective work order cleaning a public place. As an extension of the law against littering, the import, sale and possession of chewing gum is prohibited. Spitting is also punishable by law in Singapore.
Multicultural Singapore, By: Robert. S. Digby
Singapore also carries a mandatory death penalty for drug-trafficking and harsh penalties for possession and use within the country.
It is common courtesy to ask permission to take pictures of people, mosques or temples. When entering a Singaporean’s house, temple or mosque, remember to take off your shoes. Do not eat or offer anything with your left hand when with Muslims and don’t use your left hand when shaking hands with a Muslim.
With regards to gift-fiving, do not give clocks, handkerchiefs or flowers to people of Chinese descent as they are associated with death and funerals. For people of Malay descent, do not give alcohol, or anything made of pigskin, as most (if not all) Malays in Singapore are Muslim. Do not give alcohol or leather products to people of Indian descent. Do not accept a gift immediately; refuse a gift 2 to 3 times before accepting to show that you are not greedy.
NEXTWEB - Smartphone sales up 78% in Southeast Asia, account for just 25% of total: Report
Smartphone sales up 78% in Southeast Asia, account for just 25% of total: Report: 
Smartphones may be the norm for consumers in the West, but that is very much not the case for the rest of the world, although shipment volumes and sales continue to grow strongly in emerging markets, such as Southeast Asia. Sales of smartphones in the region rose 78 percent year-on-year, according to new figures from GfK, but feature phones continued to dominate, accounting for 75 percent of the 118 million devices sold.
GfK’s data focuses on seven key markets — Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines — which together, between July 2011 and June 2012, sold a cumulative $13.7 billion worth of phones.
As is to be expected, though feature phones dominate sales across the region, smartphones are where the money is and they accounted for 61 percent of the overall value of the industry.
The rates of growth vary quite significantly across Southeast Asia. GfK’s Gerald Tan explains that smartphone adoption rate is “escalating at a rapid pace”, and that ranges from 42 to 326 percent annual increases from country to country.
Indonesia was recently reported to have experienced a significant change — as Android-based devices overtook BlackBerry phone shipments for the first time — and GfK notes that the country is “not surprisingly” Southeast Asia’s largest single market for smartphones: having sold 4.5 million devices.
However, while Indonesian smartphones sales rocketed by 56 percent over the last twelve months, feature phones accounted for 78 percent of all mobile sales in the country in the period. That’s primarily due to affordability but a lack of consumer awareness and a perceived ’need’ for sophisticated phones may also be influences.
Smartphone sales grew the most in the Philippines (up 326 percent year-on-year) as the country’s share of Southeast Asia’s total sales rose to 24 percent, from 9 percent in 2011.
As for future growth potential, smartphone sales penetration remains very low in a number of markets — including Thailand (19 percent) and Vietnam (11 percent) — demonstrating that there are still many yet to move on from basic devices.
Already affordable devices — $100-200 — are the most popular types of smartphone but Tan is optimistic that a focus on sub-$100 handsets could have a huge impact on region.
“Priced below U$100, device[s] will be within the reach of an even larger pool of consumers,” he says. “This move is likely to significantly expedite the demand surge for smartphones in the region’s yet to be converted feature phone user population which we expect to see continued robust growth for at least the next two years.”
GfK has not provided data based on device or operating system but, given past reports, Android is likely the dominant operating system, while Samsung and local brands typically see their budget devices sell well in the region. As for Apple, the iPhone remains a niche given its high cost, the lack of carrier subsidies and, indeed, the low percentage of post-paid users in Southeast Asia.
Further reading:
Image via Shutterstock
Smartphones may be the norm for consumers in the West, but that is very much not the case for the rest of the world, although shipment volumes and sales continue to grow strongly in emerging markets, such as Southeast Asia. Sales of smartphones in the region rose 78 percent year-on-year, according to new figures from GfK, but feature phones continued to dominate, accounting for 75 percent of the 118 million devices sold.
GfK’s data focuses on seven key markets — Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines — which together, between July 2011 and June 2012, sold a cumulative $13.7 billion worth of phones.
As is to be expected, though feature phones dominate sales across the region, smartphones are where the money is and they accounted for 61 percent of the overall value of the industry.
The rates of growth vary quite significantly across Southeast Asia. GfK’s Gerald Tan explains that smartphone adoption rate is “escalating at a rapid pace”, and that ranges from 42 to 326 percent annual increases from country to country.
Indonesia was recently reported to have experienced a significant change — as Android-based devices overtook BlackBerry phone shipments for the first time — and GfK notes that the country is “not surprisingly” Southeast Asia’s largest single market for smartphones: having sold 4.5 million devices.
However, while Indonesian smartphones sales rocketed by 56 percent over the last twelve months, feature phones accounted for 78 percent of all mobile sales in the country in the period. That’s primarily due to affordability but a lack of consumer awareness and a perceived ’need’ for sophisticated phones may also be influences.
Smartphone sales grew the most in the Philippines (up 326 percent year-on-year) as the country’s share of Southeast Asia’s total sales rose to 24 percent, from 9 percent in 2011.
As for future growth potential, smartphone sales penetration remains very low in a number of markets — including Thailand (19 percent) and Vietnam (11 percent) — demonstrating that there are still many yet to move on from basic devices.
Already affordable devices — $100-200 — are the most popular types of smartphone but Tan is optimistic that a focus on sub-$100 handsets could have a huge impact on region.
“Priced below U$100, device[s] will be within the reach of an even larger pool of consumers,” he says. “This move is likely to significantly expedite the demand surge for smartphones in the region’s yet to be converted feature phone user population which we expect to see continued robust growth for at least the next two years.”
GfK has not provided data based on device or operating system but, given past reports, Android is likely the dominant operating system, while Samsung and local brands typically see their budget devices sell well in the region. As for Apple, the iPhone remains a niche given its high cost, the lack of carrier subsidies and, indeed, the low percentage of post-paid users in Southeast Asia.
Further reading:
Image via Shutterstock
NEXTWEB - Photography app Avatr* makes self-portraits social, updating your Twitter avatar instantly
Photography app Avatr* makes self-portraits social, updating your Twitter avatar instantly: 
What’s the most important part of social networks? According to Noiselab‘s co-founder and Mexican digital pioneer, Hector Mijangos, the answer is simple: You.
This led his music holding to develop Avatr*, a social photography app that focuses on auto-portraits, and seems to have what it take to go viral. Since its soft launch on the iPhone last month, it has already been downloaded over 100,000 times, its team told us when we met in Mexico City last week.
To get started with Avatr*, all you have to do is to take a picture of yourself. While it may look vain on other platforms, one of Avatr*’s advantages is that it takes the embarrassment out of it, since its whole purpose is to share self-portraits.
“One of the funny things about Avatr* is to see how our users are increasingly liberated. Many of them got started with a picture of their eye or another detail, but they are now taking full-blown pictures of themselves.”
You can make basic edits and add filters to your original picture thanks to Avatr*’s integration with Aviary’s API. Once your image is ready, you can then share it with your online friends via Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr. They will also view it within the app itself, where they will be able to like it and post comments.
It’s important to note that one of Avatr*’s main purposes is to help you meet new people – its motto is “smile – share – like – meet – smile.” It doesn’t mean that it is a dating app, though the team doesn’t hide that it could be an interesting way to find love interests and hookups. Yet, very few inappropriate pictures have been posted so far, as most users seem to be betting on their looks and personalities to get noticed.
“We are very impressed to see how some people managed to become attractive and somewhat famous by using the app. You get to see them in a different light,” Noiselab’s Hilda Arjona says.
As Mijangos points out, the app also makes it easy to filter annoying people. “If someone sends me direct messages via the app and I realize I’m not interested anymore, I can stop the conversation very easily, because they won’t have my number or be my friends on Facebook – all they know is my username.”
At the moment, 60% of Avatr*’s users are female, and the team is already noting differences in the way each gender uses the app. “Men tend to rate more often, while women post more pictures,” Mijangos says. “That’s one of the things we learned over the last few weeks – and we keep on learning. For instance, most pictures are posted in the morning, when users dress up before leaving their homes.”
“We also see trends come up – at one point, we were seeing a lot of mouth pictures, then eye pictures started to be the rage. It’s great to see our community take life.”
Other clever tricks include the app’s ability to always display your most liked picture as your current Avatr*. Overall, Avatr* is very well executed, with a simple and intuitive UI that makes the most of the iPhone’s navigation, and a handy tutorial to fall back on at any time if needed. In addition, the team is also working on an Android version – which its users have been asking for.
While Avatr* is Noiselab Apps’ first creation, its parent company isn’t a newcomer. As a matter of fact, it has built a strong following in Mexico’s music scene as an electronic and indie label, which has also been known for helping artists to develop their online presence early on. ”We were big users of MySpace,” Mijangos says.
This is where Mijangos’ background in fashion design comes into play, as brands could be interested in using Avatr* as a promotion tool. For instance, a fashion label could organize a competition in which participants have to take a picture of themselves wearing a specific piece of clothing, Sosa explains.
The team’s connections have already helped bring an interesting crowd to Avatr* – and a global one:
➤ Avatr*, via the App Store
Image credit: Jared Tarbell
What’s the most important part of social networks? According to Noiselab‘s co-founder and Mexican digital pioneer, Hector Mijangos, the answer is simple: You.
This led his music holding to develop Avatr*, a social photography app that focuses on auto-portraits, and seems to have what it take to go viral. Since its soft launch on the iPhone last month, it has already been downloaded over 100,000 times, its team told us when we met in Mexico City last week.
To get started with Avatr*, all you have to do is to take a picture of yourself. While it may look vain on other platforms, one of Avatr*’s advantages is that it takes the embarrassment out of it, since its whole purpose is to share self-portraits.
“One of the funny things about Avatr* is to see how our users are increasingly liberated. Many of them got started with a picture of their eye or another detail, but they are now taking full-blown pictures of themselves.”
You can make basic edits and add filters to your original picture thanks to Avatr*’s integration with Aviary’s API. Once your image is ready, you can then share it with your online friends via Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr. They will also view it within the app itself, where they will be able to like it and post comments.
It’s important to note that one of Avatr*’s main purposes is to help you meet new people – its motto is “smile – share – like – meet – smile.” It doesn’t mean that it is a dating app, though the team doesn’t hide that it could be an interesting way to find love interests and hookups. Yet, very few inappropriate pictures have been posted so far, as most users seem to be betting on their looks and personalities to get noticed.
“We are very impressed to see how some people managed to become attractive and somewhat famous by using the app. You get to see them in a different light,” Noiselab’s Hilda Arjona says.
As Mijangos points out, the app also makes it easy to filter annoying people. “If someone sends me direct messages via the app and I realize I’m not interested anymore, I can stop the conversation very easily, because they won’t have my number or be my friends on Facebook – all they know is my username.”
At the moment, 60% of Avatr*’s users are female, and the team is already noting differences in the way each gender uses the app. “Men tend to rate more often, while women post more pictures,” Mijangos says. “That’s one of the things we learned over the last few weeks – and we keep on learning. For instance, most pictures are posted in the morning, when users dress up before leaving their homes.”
“We also see trends come up – at one point, we were seeing a lot of mouth pictures, then eye pictures started to be the rage. It’s great to see our community take life.”
Update your Twitter and Facebook avatars
Interestingly, you can also update your Twitter and Facebook avatars via the app and use your most ‘liked’ Avatr* as your profile picture on both platforms without going through their cumbersome process. Avatr*s core developer Huri Sosa is particularly proud of this seamless integration: “It took a bit of work, but we figured it out,” he says.Other clever tricks include the app’s ability to always display your most liked picture as your current Avatr*. Overall, Avatr* is very well executed, with a simple and intuitive UI that makes the most of the iPhone’s navigation, and a handy tutorial to fall back on at any time if needed. In addition, the team is also working on an Android version – which its users have been asking for.
While Avatr* is Noiselab Apps’ first creation, its parent company isn’t a newcomer. As a matter of fact, it has built a strong following in Mexico’s music scene as an electronic and indie label, which has also been known for helping artists to develop their online presence early on. ”We were big users of MySpace,” Mijangos says.
Interesting crowd
Even though Avatr* isn’t exactly a music app, Noiselab’s background has inspired some of its features and shaped its looks. For instance, the team spent time developing original ringtones, and plans to offer more custom options in the near future. While these ringtones and the app itself will remain free, Avatr*’s team has other monetization plans. This is where Mijangos’ background in fashion design comes into play, as brands could be interested in using Avatr* as a promotion tool. For instance, a fashion label could organize a competition in which participants have to take a picture of themselves wearing a specific piece of clothing, Sosa explains.The team’s connections have already helped bring an interesting crowd to Avatr* – and a global one:
“Our users are very diverse, despite the fact that we only grew by word of mouth. The US are the second largest country for us, followed by Canada, and Chile is the top South American country in our ranking,” Sosa says.This is an encouraging sign for Avatr* and Noiselab, but also for the Mexican startup community as a whole. After all, why couldn’t Mexico create products that have a global appeal?
➤ Avatr*, via the App Store
Image credit: Jared Tarbell
NEXTWEB - As predicted, Google+ passes 400M registered users, now has 100M monthly active users
As predicted, Google+ passes 400M registered users, now has 100M monthly active users: 
As part of Google’s announcement to acquire Snapseed’s creator Nik software, Vic Gundotra, the Senior Vice President of Engineering for Google, just announced a new milestone for Google+: 400 million registered users and 100 million monthly active users. He of course revealed the new statistic on Google+:
Yet the real story here isn’t the 400 million number, but the 100 million one. Google+’s main competitor Facebook doesn’t even bother talking about registered users because it know the number is meaningless. The social networking giant only talks about monthly active users, of which it has 955 million as of June 30. Both Facebook and Google are talking about combined desktop and mobile users.
In fact, I’ve openly criticized Google for previously only sharing figures regarding registered users. The PR move resulted in many skewed comparisons between the two social networks. Now that we have comparable numbers though (assuming Google and Facebook have similar ways of describing a monthly active user), it’s now safe to say that Google+ is about one tenth the size of Facebook.
Image credit: stock.xchng
As part of Google’s announcement to acquire Snapseed’s creator Nik software, Vic Gundotra, the Senior Vice President of Engineering for Google, just announced a new milestone for Google+: 400 million registered users and 100 million monthly active users. He of course revealed the new statistic on Google+:
This week we also hit an important milestone–over 400,000,000 people have upgraded to Google+. It was only a year ago that we opened public sign-up, and we couldn’t have imagined that so many people would join in just 12 months. While Google+ is all about creating a better experience across Google, it’s also a destination. And here too, I’m happy to report that we have just crossed 100,000,000 monthly active users on Google+ (plus.google.com and mobile app).It’s worth noting that Google+’s “unofficial statistician” Paul Allen predicted this milestone in January. In a posting titled “How Google+ Will Reach 400 Million Users In 2012″ on Google+, of course, he explained how Android, Chrome, YouTube, as well as Google+ APIs and developers will help push the social network to the milestone before the end of the year.
Yet the real story here isn’t the 400 million number, but the 100 million one. Google+’s main competitor Facebook doesn’t even bother talking about registered users because it know the number is meaningless. The social networking giant only talks about monthly active users, of which it has 955 million as of June 30. Both Facebook and Google are talking about combined desktop and mobile users.
In fact, I’ve openly criticized Google for previously only sharing figures regarding registered users. The PR move resulted in many skewed comparisons between the two social networks. Now that we have comparable numbers though (assuming Google and Facebook have similar ways of describing a monthly active user), it’s now safe to say that Google+ is about one tenth the size of Facebook.
Image credit: stock.xchng
PEW - Daily Number: 79% - Most Egyptians Have an Unfavorable View of the U.S.
Daily Number: 79% - Most Egyptians Have an Unfavorable View of the U.S.: About eight-in-ten Egyptians have an unfavorable view of the United States
IRIN - Analysis: Aid access challenges for Indonesia's Papua region
Analysis: Aid access challenges for Indonesia's Papua region:
 | JAKARTA, 17 September 2012 (IRIN) - Aid agencies in Indonesia's Papua region say their work is coming under increased government scrutiny due to Jakarta's concern over a secessionist movement on the island. |
HRW Report - Bangladesh: Discriminatory Family Laws Fuel Female Poverty
Bangladesh: Discriminatory Family Laws Fuel Female Poverty:
(New York) – Bangladesh’s discriminatory personal laws on marriage, separation, and divorce trap many women and girls in abusive marriages or drive them into poverty when marriages fall apart, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today.
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Links to full-text of report.
Bangladesh’s discriminatory personal laws on marriage, separation, and divorce trap many women and girls in abusive marriages or drive them into poverty when marriages fall apart. In many cases these laws contribute to homelessness, hunger, and ill-health for divorced or separated women and their children. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the World Food Programme (WFP) have recorded significantly higher levels of food insecurity and poverty among female-headed Bangladeshi households.
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Links to full-text of report.
Philippine U.S. Consulate Faces Trafficking Heat | Womens eNews
Philippine U.S. Consulate Faces Trafficking Heat | Womens eNews
A Filipina trafficked by a Kuwaiti diplomat spoke out last week about her abuse. A New York advocacy group that helped her win a settlement is staging a Sept. 21 demonstration to prod her country's U.S. consulate to help victims like her.
A Filipina trafficked by a Kuwaiti diplomat spoke out last week about her abuse. A New York advocacy group that helped her win a settlement is staging a Sept. 21 demonstration to prod her country's U.S. consulate to help victims like her.
The New Great Wall Of China - TIME
The New Great Wall Of China - TIME
The Great Wall is now a fraying ribbon of decaying ruins, but the spirit behind it remains a determining factor in Chinese policymaking.
Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2124406,00.html#ixzz26k6vFhgU
The Great Wall is now a fraying ribbon of decaying ruins, but the spirit behind it remains a determining factor in Chinese policymaking.
Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2124406,00.html#ixzz26k6vFhgU
The New Great Wall Of China - TIME
The New Great Wall Of China - TIME
The Great Wall is now a fraying ribbon of decaying ruins, but the spirit behind it remains a determining factor in Chinese policymaking.
Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2124406,00.html#ixzz26k6vFhgU
The Great Wall is now a fraying ribbon of decaying ruins, but the spirit behind it remains a determining factor in Chinese policymaking.
Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2124406,00.html#ixzz26k6vFhgU
One Nation Under Sanctions - TIME
One Nation Under Sanctions - TIME
On Tehran's western outskirts is Iran's first and only wholesale supermarket--a kind of Persian Walmart-Costco hybrid. Women push giant carts around on gleaming white floors, past rows of the latest Apple computers and Sony flat-screen televisions--perhaps contraband, perhaps fakes. They sift through racks stuffed with designer clothes and stock up on everything from Norwegian salmon to Old Spice cologne. Except for the chadors, this could be any suburb in the U.S.
Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2124407,00.html#ixzz26k5ylW3O
On Tehran's western outskirts is Iran's first and only wholesale supermarket--a kind of Persian Walmart-Costco hybrid. Women push giant carts around on gleaming white floors, past rows of the latest Apple computers and Sony flat-screen televisions--perhaps contraband, perhaps fakes. They sift through racks stuffed with designer clothes and stock up on everything from Norwegian salmon to Old Spice cologne. Except for the chadors, this could be any suburb in the U.S.
Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2124407,00.html#ixzz26k5ylW3O
Agents of Outrage: Behind the Middle East’s Anti-American Violence | World | TIME.com
Agents of Outrage: Behind the Middle East’s Anti-American Violence | World | TIME.com
The deadly attacks on U.S. diplomatic outposts in Egypt and Libya raise the question, Did the Arab Spring make the Middle East more dangerous?
Read more: http://world.time.com/2012/09/13/the-agents-of-outrage/#ixzz26k5SwpEh
The deadly attacks on U.S. diplomatic outposts in Egypt and Libya raise the question, Did the Arab Spring make the Middle East more dangerous?
Read more: http://world.time.com/2012/09/13/the-agents-of-outrage/#ixzz26k5SwpEh
Pa.’s new voter ID law sends non-drivers on a bureaucratic journey
Pa.’s new voter ID law sends non-drivers on a bureaucratic journey:
Cheryl Ann Moore stepped into the state’s busiest driver’s licensing center, got a ticket with the number C809 on it and a clipboard with a pen attached by rubber band, and began her long wait Thursday to become a properly documented voter.
Read full article >>
Cheryl Ann Moore stepped into the state’s busiest driver’s licensing center, got a ticket with the number C809 on it and a clipboard with a pen attached by rubber band, and began her long wait Thursday to become a properly documented voter.
Read full article >>
World Bank Report - Maximizing Mobile
Information & Communications Technologies - IC4D 2012: Maximizing Mobile
Includes links to full-text. Free.
Includes links to full-text. Free.
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