Mobile apps slowly creeping up on TV as the lazy person’s favorite pastime

Some day, we may refer to lazy and docile people as “app potatoes.” New data from Flurry Analytics shows that Americans are spending more time using mobile apps than ever before, and are now spending nearly as much time using them as they spend watching television. According to Flurry, U.S. consumers now spend 127 minutes per day using mobile apps, up from just 94 minutes per day one year ago. Television, by contrast, has remained constant as Americans spent an average of 168 minutes per day watching TV in both 2011 and 2012. Flurry doesn’t think that apps are just a fad either, as the firm writes that “we ultimately expect apps on tablets and smartphones to challenge broadcast television as the dominant channel for media consumption.”

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Internet governance talks in jeopardy as Arab states, Russia ally

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A landmark attempt to set global rules for overseeing the Internet threatened to fall apart on Friday as a rift pitting the United States and some Western countries against the rest of the world widened, participants in the talks said. A 12-day conference of the International Telecommunications Union, taking place in Dubai, is supposed to result in the adoption of a new international treaty governing trans-border communications. But in a critical session at the midpoint of the conference on Friday, delegates refused to adopt a U.S.-Canadian proposal to limit the treaty's scope to traditional communications carriers and exclude Internet companies such as Google, the ITU said on its website. Further complicating the negotiations was what a U.S. official at the talks called the "surprise" announcement of an accord among some Arab states, Russia and other countries to pursue treaty amendments that are expected to include Internet provisions unacceptable to the United States A still-secret draft of the coalition's proposals is to be introduced soon by the United Arab Emirates, the official said. "It doesn't look good," said a former U.S. intelligence official tracking the talks for private technology clients. The emergence of the new coalition, whose members are generally seeking greater Internet censorship and surveillance, is likely to harden battle lines separating those countries from the United States and some allies in Western Europe. The United States and others objected to the introduction of complex new material midway through the conference. "All of the indicators we have so far is it's something that could be a clear effort to extend the treaty to cover Net governance," said policy counsel Emma Llanso of the nonprofit Center for Democracy & Technology, which draws funding from Google and other U.S. Internet companies. "What we're seeing is governments putting forward their visions of the future of the Internet, and if we see a large group of governments form that sees an Internet a lot more locked down and controlled, that's a big concern." CONCERNS ABOUT GOVERNMENT CONTROLS The U.S. ambassador to the conference said in an earlier interview that his country would not sign any agreement that dramatically increased government controls over the Internet. That would potentially isolate America and its allies from much of the world, and technology leaders fear that the rest of the globe would agree on actions such as identifying political dissidents who use the Internet and perhaps trying to alter the Net's architecture to permit more control. The 147-year-old ITU, which is now under the auspices of the United Nations, historically has set technology standards and established payment customs for international phone calls. But under Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré, it has inched toward cyber-security and electronic content issues, arguing that Internet traffic goes over phone lines and is therefore within its purview. The ITU is considering other issues in its most extensive rewrite of the treaty in 15 years, including proposals that content providers shoulder the costs of transmission. But none is as controversial as the projected Internet controls. The Internet's infrastructure, while initially funded in part by the U.S. government, is now largely in private hands. It has been subject to little government control, although many nations have attempted to regulate Internet communications in various ways. ICANN, a self-governing nonprofit under contract to the U.S. Department of Commerce, is ultimately responsible for making sure that people trying to reach a given website actually get there, but most technology policies are developed by industry groups. At the ITU meeting, the American delegation had counted on support from at least Japan, Australia and other affluent democracies. But its effort to stave off wholesale changes has been hindered by complications in Western Europe, where some countries were supporting a change to the economic model that would have Google, Facebook and others pay for at least some of the costs of Internet transmission. Smaller groups at the ITU conference will work through the weekend, with the full body meeting again on Monday.

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How one startup is overhauling Android to make it enterprise-ready

The common misconception that Android isn’t secure enough for the business world or government employees is about to change. A Boston-based startup called Optio Labs has created a custom version of Google’s (GOOG) mobile operating system that can control what can and cannot be accessed depending on location, network or running apps. The technology can even allow a phone to display sensitive company data or block things like texting and camera usage based on room-specific security and access settings, Technology Review reported. This unique feature can utilize a Bluetooth beacon that, when in range, would send a cryptographic tether to a device. It would also be possible to use near field communications to view sensitive information, theoretically forcing workers to “bump” their bosses phone to get initial access. “You can dream up just about any rule, it can be your GPS location, or an indoor location detection: when you are in this specific room you can use these apps and connect to this data, but the moment you walk out we will delete the data, shut down the apps, prevent you from getting access to them,” said Jules White, co-founder of the company. The technology could prevent information from being lost or stolen and can increase productivity by stopping workers from texting and spending time on social networking sites while in the office. Optio Labs is said to have sold its custom Android software and accompanying policy-management system to undisclosed systems integrators and smartphone manufacturers. Android devices containing the software are expected to arrive on the market in late 2013.

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New Android apps worth downloading: Kickvox, Splice, Spellwood: Word Game Adventure

Kickvox is a visual search engine designed specifically for mobile devices. We’ve got a pair of quality games for your approval including Splice, a title that’s all about recombining cells to make new organisms, and Spellwood, a word game for people who are new to word games. Kickvox (Free) What’s it about? Kickvox is a search engine app designed for mobile devices that emphasizes visual search results, rather than lists of links. What’s cool? An emphasis on search results you can see makes Kickvox a little easier to use than your usual web search engine, especially on a mobile device while you’re out in the world. The app is also designed to provide answers, rather than just search results. You can type in questions as well as keywords. Kickvox also makes navigation through search results easier by letting you quickly click through them, rather than hitting a Back button to return to results, and keeps a history of everything you’ve searched so you can find it again later. Who’s it for? Users who handle their Android devices like information-seeking computers when they’re out in the world will definitely find a use for Kickvox. What’s it like? Google Search is another solid app for finding info on the go, as is Alfred. Splice ($2.99) What’s it about? Puzzler Splice has players recombining microbial cells to make specific structures and solve each of the game’s levels. What’s cool? Splice is something of a weird take on the puzzle genre, offering something new in its microbe-rearranging mechanics. You only have a limited number of moves, or “splices,” in each level to make the target structure, so you’ll have to work carefully and strategically to get through. Splice includes more than 75 puzzles, and each one has more than a single solution, so you can try to find the best ways through each one and challenge your friends to beat them as well. Who’s it for? Splice is for puzzle fans, especially those who are looking for something that’s a little different from the usual fare. What’s it like? Check out Osmos for another interesting puzzler with a bacterial feel. Spellwood: Word Game Adventure ($1.99) What’s it about? Word game Spellwood is like Scrabble, and has players dueling with one another to make the best words and rack up the highest scores. What’s cool? Spellwood includes both a single-player mode, in which players go on an adventure of on their own, and multiplayer modes that allow you to take on players from all over the world, or friends through Facebook Connect. The game is also a simplified version of crossword titles like Scrabble and Words With Friends, which makes it great for novice players. In keeping with the magical theme, players can change things like word score values and other aspects of the game using magic spells. Who’s it for? Spellwood is particularly good for novice word game players, and those who want to ease into the genre with something a little simpler.

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SEC wrestles with Internet age in Netflix case

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A regulatory probe of Netflix Inc over disclosures made on its chief executive's Facebook page could prove an important test of whether a rule designed to prevent leaks to analysts can translate to the social media age. The movie and TV streaming service revealed on Thursday that it may face action from the Securities and Exchange Commission if the agency determines the comments from CEO Reed Hastings violate a rule that requires information to be disclosed to investors at the same time. Hastings' Facebook page had more than 200,000 subscribers, including reporters and analysts, when he told them on July 3 that the company had hit 1 billion hours viewed in June. By comparison, cable financial news network CNBC had 175,000 viewers and Fox Business News had 59,000 viewers on December 6, according to the website TV by the Numbers, citing Nielsen data. But the case may not hinge on whether Hastings' Facebook page qualifies as a public dissemination. Instead, it may come down to two other issues. One, whether the information was material to investors. And two, if it was material, whether investors knew that Hastings' Facebook page was a venue to release important company news. As evidence of materiality, the SEC could point to statements Hastings made earlier in the year highlighting milestones, including hours streamed, as metrics investors should watch. But the company contends the July 3 comments were not material. It says that the company posted a blog entry a few weeks earlier that said the company was approaching that milestone. Also, Netflix General Counsel David Hyman testified before a U.S. House of Representatives committee on June 27, and said at the beginning of his testimony that Netflix "delivers close to a billion hours of streaming movies and TV shows to its consumers every month." Such prior disclosure could hurt any SEC case. "Whether what he said is materially different from what the company has already disseminated, that may be a real challenge for the commission to maintain that position in court," said former SEC lawyer Eugene Goldman who is now with McDermott Will & Emery. But movements of the company's stock price could bolster an SEC case if the agency can prove the stock jumped on the news. Netflix attributed the jump in its stock price to a positive analyst report released the night prior to Hastings' Facebook post. The stock closed at $67.85 on July 2, and opened one percent higher the next day at $68.49, on a positive report from Citigroup. The stock closed at $72.04 on July 3, a six percent jump that would be unusual from an analyst report alone. 'LIVING IN THE REAL WORLD' The second issue of whether Hastings' Facebook page was a known source of material company news goes to the heart of whether the SEC's rules - and its interpretation of them - are outdated. SEC adopted the rule at issue, Regulation Fair Disclosure, or Reg FD, in 2000 over concerns that companies were meeting with small groups of analysts or institutional investors and disclosing material information to them. The concern was that "shortly after these types of meetings, trading would take place on the basis of such information," Goldman said. "This seems a lot different from that." The new potential action raises questions about whether the rule was designed to address disclosures like the one made by Hastings. "There's a huge divide between CEOs living in the real world and the financial industry, which lives behind regulatory walls. Reg FD is built for the old way of communicating from behind these walls," said Howard Lindzon, a hedge fund manager and founder and CEO of StockTwits, a social network for traders and investors to share real-time ideas and information about stocks. Reg FD does not delve into the use of social media for disclosing information to investors. But the SEC issued guidance on the subject in August 2008. That guidance states that companies can use websites to disclose information as long as they are a "recognized channel of distribution." To determine that threshold, the SEC lists factors companies should weigh, including whether their site is "posted and accessible" and also whether "the company has made investors and the markets aware that it will post important information" on the website. Netflix may have hurt itself on this point, if the SEC is able to prove that the information was material. Hastings acknowledged in a blog posting on Thursday that the company does not "use Facebook and other social media to get material information to investors." The SEC is likely to home in on that comment as it continues its case against the company. But Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Motors who has posted company-related developments on his Twitter feed, said it is hard to believe that the SEC could consider a CEO's Facebook post to be a narrow release. He noted that reporters regularly follow companies' and executives' social media posts. "To consider a press release to be a more public venue than a Facebook or Twitter account where someone is followed by hundreds of thousands of people, including the press themselves, is simply untrue," Musk said in an email.

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Sekjen KAHMI dari Kalangan Politisi?

Munas Korps Alumni Himpunan Mahasiswa Islam (KAHMI) di Riau telah memilih 9 presidium untuk Majelis Nasional KAHMI periode 2012-2017. Mahfud MD terpilih sebagai ketua presidium karena meraih suara terbanyak. Lantas, siapakah yang akan menjadi Sekjen KAHMI? "Munas sudah memilih Mahfud sebagai Ketua Presidium KAHMI. Namun untuk urusan Sekjen, hal itu tidak dipilih oleh peserta Munas," kata Ketua Pelaksana Daerah, Johar Firdaus kepada detikcom, Minggu (2/12/2012). Menurut Johar, hasil Munas menyepakati bahwa posisi Sekjen akan ditentukan sendiri oleh 9 presidium terpilih, dan penentuan itu akan dilakukan melalui rapat internal para presidium. "Jadi untuk Sekjen bukan peserta Munas yang memilihnya. Melainkan 9 orang presidium yang akan menentukan posisi tersebut," kata Johar. Ketika disinggung siapa yang akan mengisi posisi Sekjen dari 9 presidium, Johar mengaku belum mengetahui. "Saya sendiri belum dapat bocoran. Tapi paling tidak, saat memiilih ketua umum presidium ada semangat bersama agar KAHMI tidak dipimpin seorang politikus. Nah, kalau melihat kacamata yang sama, ya mungkin bisa jadi Sekjen juga dari kalangan birokrasi, akademi dan tentunya bukan politisi," kata Johar. Berdasarkan Munas tersebut, terpilih 9 orang presidium yang menjadi anggota Majelis Nasional KAHMI. Berikut hasil pemilihan dalam Munas KAHMI ke-IX: 1. Mahfud MD (347 suara) 2. Viva Yoga Mauladi (334 suara) 3. Anas Urbaningrum (320 suara) 4. Muhammad Marwan (313 suara) 5. Anis Baswedan (308 suara) 6. Bambang Soesatyo (260 suara) 7. Dr Hj Reni Marlina (192 suara) 8. Ms Kaban (156 suara) 9. Taufiq Hidayat (153 suara) Dari 9 presidium terpilih tersebut, hanya tiga yang berlatar belakang akademisi dan birokrat, yaitu Mahfud MD (MK), Muhammad Marwan (Birokrat), dan Anis Baswedan (Akademisi). Sementara 6 presidium lainnya berlatar belakang politisi. Munas KAHMI ke-IX digelar sejak Jumat (30/11) hingga Minggu (2/12) dini hari di Kabupaten Kampar, Riau. Selain dihadiri 1.000 anggota KAHMI dari seluruh Indonesia, Munas ini juga dihadiri Jusuf Kalla.

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Polda Metro Jaya Turunkan Berat Badan Polisi Gendut

Polda Metro Jaya akan melakukan program penurunan berat badan bagi polisi bertubuh tambun di Jakarta. Progam ini akan dilakukan secara bertahap untuk seluruh Polsek dan Polres yang ada. "Kita lakukan secara bertahap, kita lihat juga kondisinya seperti apa. Apa di wilayahnya banyak kasus atau unjuk rasa ini jadi pertimbangan," kata Kabid Humas Polda Metro Jaya Kombes Rikwanto kepada detikcom, Minggu (2/12/2012). Rikwanto mengatakan, langkah ini merupakan permintaan Kapolda Metro Jaya Irjen Putut Eko Bayuseno yang ingin melihat anggotanya memiliki performa yang lebih baik. "Kapolda memang mencanangkan ini. Hal ini diambil agar di lapangan lebih simpatik dan salah satu wujudnya adalah dengan postur yang ideal," katanya. Rikwanto mengatakan, program penurunan berat badan ini dilakukan dengan cara lari dan senam seminggu dua kali. Selanjutnya penurunan berat badan polisi-polisi ini juga akan dicek. "Nanti ada yang mengecek penurunan berat badannya seperti apa," katanya. Rikwanto mengatakan, penurunan berat badan ini dilakukan agar pada petugas memiliki kinerja yang lebih baik. Selain itu petugas juga lebih lincah dan gampang jika digerakkan. "Kalau gedut bagaimana, jalan saja susah," katanya. Sebelumnya, 118 polisi gendut di wilayah Jakarta Timur harus menjalani program penurunan berat badan. Program menurunkan berat badan ini dilakukan dengan kegiatan senam di TMII. Para petugas yang memiliki kelebihan berat badan ini menjalani senam dan juga joging untuk menurunkan berat badannya. Polres Tangerang juga sudah melakukan langkah pengurusan anggotanya yang kegendutan. Polres Tangerang pernah menggelar 'razia' polisi bertubuh tambun. Polisi gendut dan berperut buncit diharuskan berolahraga 4 kali dalam seminggu.

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Warga Ukraina Ditahan Saat Ikut Rayakan HUT OPM

Aparat kepolisian dari Polres Manokwari menahan seorang warga negara Ukraina saat mengikuti peringatan HUT Organisasi Papua Merdeka (OPM), Sabtu (1/12) kemarin. Warga negara asing bernama Artem Shapirenko (36) tersebut ditahan karena visa yang sudah kedaluwarsa. "Yang bersangkutan overstay selama 4 bulan, menyalahgunakan visa. Selain itu Artem tidak melaporkan keberadaanya kepada Polri selama satu kali 24 jam," kata Kabid Humas Polda Papua, AKBP I Gede Sumerta, kepada detikcom, Minggu (2/12/2012). Gede menjelaskan, pria kelahiran 5 Februari 1976 itu datang ke Indonesia dengan visa kunjungan 60 hari, terhitung berakhir Mei 2012. Artem memasuki Indonesia melalui Bandar Udara Yos Sudarso, Dumai. "Keberadaan Artem dalam peringatan tersebut dalam rangka untuk meliput kegiatan ibadah namun yang bersangkutan tidak memiliki surat keterangan jurnalistik," lanjut Gede. Menurut Gede, Artem selama sebulan terakhir ini tinggal di rumah seorang penduduk bernama La Garuda, yang beralamat di Jalan Simponi Rindu Wirsi, Manokwari, Papua. Berdasarkan informasi yang diperoleh, Artem di Ukraina berprofesi sebagai petugas pemadam kebakaran. Artem kini diamankan di Polres Manokwari untuk dimintai keterangan.

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Jokowi Soal MRT: Jangan Didorong Cepat-cepat, Enak Jepangnya Nanti

Gubernur DKI Jakarta Jokowi menegaskan harus cermat sebelum memutuskan proyek Mass Rapid Transit (MRT). Namun dia ingin menegosiasikan masalah pinjaman dari Jepang itu. "Saya ingin menawarkan lagi pinjaman dari Jepang itu. Mentang-mentang minjami uang, maunya sendiri. Perencanaan dari sana, barang-barang dari sana, kontraktor dari sana, terus kita ngapain?" kata Jokowi. Hal itu disampaikan Jokowi saat memberikan sambutan di depan 1.000 ketua RT/RW, PKK di Istora Senayan, Jakarta, Minggu (2/12/2012). "Masyarakat harus tahu, itu yang akan direnegosiasi. Kemudian beban investasi, 42 persen pemerintah pusat, 52 persen pemerintah provinsi. Mestinya pusat yang harus gede dong, setuju nggak? Ya, Bapak-Ibu setuju, pemerintah pusat belum tentu setuju. Jadi jangan didorong cepet-cepetan, enak yang Jepang-nya nanti, enak pemerintah pusatnya nanti," tegas Jokowi yang mengenakan batik cokelat lengan panjang ini. Sebelumnya Jokowi masih pusing dengan perencanaan angkutan massal tersebut berharga triliunan rupiah itu. Namun dia berjanji, semua urusan masalah tersebut bisa selesai bulan Desember. "Tetap Bus Rapid Transit diselesaikan tahun depan. MRT dan Monorel akan segera kita putuskan tahun ini, bulan Desember ini dua-duanya," ujar Jokowi di Hotel Grand Sahid Jaya, Jl Jenderal Sudirman, Jakarta, Jumat (30/11/2012). Sebelumnya, Jokowi telah menggelar pertemuan dengan Dirut PT MRTJ. Namun yang membuat Jokowi gusar adalah harga tiketnya yang mahal, mencapai Rp 38 ribu. Tiket itu bisa turun hingga Rp 18 ribu-Rp 15 ribu bila disubsidi. Untuk itu Jokowi akan meminta bantuan pemerintah pusat melalui Menkeu agar bisa memberikan 70 persen subsidi tiket MRT. Namun ternyata Menkeu menolak usulan Jokowi ini.

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Dubes RI untuk AS Terima Penghargaan Global Innovation Award

Duta besar Indonesia untuk Amerika Serikat, Dino Patti Djalal, menerima penghargaan Global Innovation Award dari Universitas Emory, Georgia, Amerika Serikat. Dino menerima penghargaan ini karena dinilai berhasil memberikan gagasan-gagasan inovatif di berbagai bidang dan mengubah profil diplomasi negara emerging economy seperti Indonesia. "Sejumlah negara ataupun ekonomi berkembang di Asia telah mengalami kemajuan pesat dalam kurun waktu yang relatif singkat, yaitu 1 generasi, berkat tumbuhnya pola pikir dan rasa percaya diri dan berkembangnya inovasi," kata Dino, dalam pidatonya yang berjudul “The Rise of Emerging Power in the 21st Century” di malam penghargaan pada Jumat (30/11), seperti siaran pers dari Kedubes RI di AS yang diterima detikcom, Minggu (2/12/2012). Malam penganugerahan penghargaan dihadiri ratusan undangan yang memenuhi Goizueta Business School Hall, Universitas Emory seperti Rektor Universitas Emory, Dekan Goizueta Business School, Konsul Jenderal RI Houston, Atase Pendidikan RI untuk AS, pejabat pemerintah Atlanta, kalangan akademisi, diaspora Indonesia dan kalangan bisnis setempat. Global Learning Universitas Emory, Holli Semetko, dalam sambutannya menyampaikan, kesan-kesan positif atas berbagai prestasi yang telah diperoleh Indonesia dan Dubes Dino Patti Djalal. Global Innovation Award diserahkan oleh Director of the Global Perspectives Program, Goizueta Business School of Emory University, Professor Jeffrey Rosenweig. Mengawali acara penganugerahan Global Innovation Award tersebut, Dubes Dino Patti Djalal juga berkesempatan memberikan paparan singkat dan berdiskusi dengan puluhan mahasiswa MBA kampus tersebut selama satu jam, dan menjelaskan berbagai perkembangan dan kemajuan di Indonesia sejak era reformasi. Dino Patti Djalal merupakan satu-satunya diplomat yang pernah menerima penghargaan prestisius ini. Selain itu penerima penghargaan Global Innovation Award antara lain adalah Raja Media dan philantropis, Ted Turner; mantan CEO Perusahaan penerbangan Delta, Gerald Grinstein; CEO At&T Mobility, Ralph de la Vega; Charles H. Kellstadt dari Goizueta Business School, serta Profesor Marketing Jagdish Sheth.

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