<IT WORLD> Microsoft surfaces with
tablet By Martin J
Young
HUA HIN, Thailand - Software giant
Microsoft, which has rarely been involved directly
in hardware products, made a spectacular entrance
into the burgeoning tablet market this week. The
new device - dubbed "Surface" - has a built-in
kick-stand and a magnetic cover that doubles as a
touch keyboard, making it a unique contender among
a crowded choice for consumers.
Microsoft's self-engineered tablet boasts
some impressive technical specifications, many of
which better those sported by rival devices such
as Apple's market-dominating iPad. There will be
two versions of the unit, one using an ARM
microprocessor running Windows RT, a stripped down
version of the operating system, and a high-end
Intel based unit with Windows 8 Pro.
Weighing in at 0.68 kilograms, it is 9.3
millimeters thick and has a 10.6-inch screen,
larger than the iPads. Surface also trumps
iPad on storage, with
128Gb compared with 64Gb, all important to those
who want to keep music and video on their mobile
device.
The multi-purpose 3-millimeter
cover and keyboard means that it can be used as a
tablet or in desktop mode, making it the world's
thinnest laptop. A new manufacturing process
called VaporMG reduces weight and adds strength,
giving the unit a more robust feel whilst
remaining sleek and simple according to Microsoft.
Not mentioned at the company event was
battery life, pricing or launch date, though it is
expected that Surface will be priced competitively
against existing ARM tablets or Intel ultrabooks
and will go on sale towards the end of the year.
The minimalist Metro interface displays
relevant information in neat compartments, unlike
the landscape of icons and buttons found on other
mobile operating systems. Windows 8 Pro will
provide a full desktop operating system
environment, which is not the case with iOS or
Android, which are mobile operating systems.
The company is touting Surface as a device
for professionals who need a tablet to work and
play. Existing tablets are somewhat limited as
they do not multi-task properly and typing on a
touch screen is arduous to say the least, Surface
bridges the gap according to chief executive Steve
Ballmer, who introduced the device this week.
A tablet and ultrabook rolled into one is
definitely an innovative product that competes
with both Apple's iPad and MacBook Air at the same
time. The challenge for Microsoft will be to
ensure that all of the software and programs that
currently run on Windows 7 PCs will work on
Surface.
Internet Google's
bi-annual Transparency Report was released this
week with the statistics showing some alarming
trends in the data for government requests for
user information and content removal for the
period of July to December 2011. The search giant
received 6,321 requests to hand over its users'
private data to US government agencies; it
complied at least partially with 93% of those
requests, according to the report.
The US
alone showed a 37% jump in data requests over the
same period the previous year, India, Brazil, the
UK, and Germany made up the rest of the top five.
The company stated "It's alarming not only because
free expression is at risk, but because some of
these requests come from countries you might not
suspect - Western democracies not typically
associated with censorship."
Different
countries would usually request that Google remove
political content that people had posted using its
services. Brazil, the United States and Germany
top the list for court orders to remove content,
whereas India, South Korea, and the US comprise
the top three for other removal requests such as
executive or police orders. Also high up on the
content removal list for the period were
Argentina, Turkey, Italy, Spain, the UK and
France.
Google voluntarily releases this
information to the public. Other Internet
companies, such as Facebook, which also comply
with similar requests, do not publicize their
actions. Some countries notorious for web
censorship such as China, Iran, Syria and Thailand
take matters into their own hands with filters and
firewalls.
Social Facebook
extended its array of acquisitions this week with
the purchase of Israel-based facial recognition
startup Face.com. The company offers application
programming interfaces (APIs) for third-party
developers to incorporate its facial recognition
software into their applications.
Facebook
apps already created by Face.com allow users to
find and tag photos of themselves and their
friends to share on the social network. Shortly
before its recent lackluster initial public
offering of shares, Facebook revealed that it has
yet to monetize its mobile users as well as it
does the desktop ones. This new technology will be
put to that task.
Facebook is reportedly
developing location-based mobile advertising
technology that will allow companies to target
users with real-time data showing their
whereabouts. The Big Brother styled software would
follow users around and show them products close
enough to their location to possibly influence
their choice of purchase.
When combined
with the massive digital vault of personal data
that Facebook has amassed from its users it may
well become holy grail of advertising.
As
it is, ad spending is expected to grow 80% to
US$2.61 billion this year from 2011, according to
research firm EMarketer US mobile.
Martin J Young is an Asia Times
Online correspondent based in Thailand.
(Copyright 2012 Asia Times Online
(Holdings) Ltd. All rights reserved. Please
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