By Janie Christine Octia
INQUIRER.net

SINGAPORE – Google Chrome is meant to provide users a choice, an executive said.

“The biggest challenge for us is that users don’t realize they have a choice when it comes to browsers. If there is a competition, this will help improve the available browsers in the market. Our goal is to provide more choice for users, less problems for developers and grow the over-all market” said Linus Upson, Director of Engineering, Google Inc, in a briefing here.

Google launched on Wednesday Google Chrome, an open source-based web browser that aims to compete head-on with Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and Mozilla’s Firefox.

Dean Hachamovitch, general manager of Internet Explorer at Microsoft Corp., in an e-mailed statement to INQUIRER.net, declared: “The browser landscape is highly competitive, but people will choose Internet Explorer 8 for the way it puts the services they want right at their fingertips, respects their personal choices about how they want to browse and, more than any other browsing technology, puts them in control of their personal data online.”
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Yup, it’s official. Google has unveiled its new browser as it officially joins the browser wars.

Remember the days when Mozilla launched Netscape and later Microsoft came into the picture with its Internet Explorer? Those were exciting times. Now, we have Google entering the fray.

Why is Google launching its own browser, dubbed Chrome?

“Because we believe we can add value for users and, at the same time, help drive innovation on the web,” writes Sundar Pichai, VP Product Management, and Linus Upson, Engineering Director at Google. Pichai continues:

All of us at Google spend much of our time working inside a browser. We search, chat, email and collaborate in a browser. And in our spare time, we shop, bank, read news and keep in touch with friends — all using a browser. Because we spend so much time online, we began seriously thinking about what kind of browser could exist if we started from scratch and built on the best elements out there. We realized that the web had evolved from mainly simple text pages to rich, interactive applications and that we needed to completely rethink the browser. What we really needed was not just a browser, but also a modern platform for web pages and applications, and that’s what we set out to build.

Just as Microsoft announced updates to its Internet Explorer, Google has come out with what it touts to be a “simple and streamlined” browser that can work on Windows — Microsoft’s domain. Currently, it is only available in the Windows operating system, with Mac and Linux versions following soon.

“This is just the beginning — Google Chrome is far from done. We’re releasing this beta for Windows to start the broader discussion and hear from you as quickly as possible. We’re hard at work building versions for Mac and Linux too, and will continue to make it even faster and more robust,” adds Pichai.

Google runs on Apple Safari web browser technology.

In a report by Agence France-Presse (AFP), it says that Chrome is “Google’s latest weapon in its bid to become the leader in all Internet areas.”

Microsoft won the major browser wars in the 1990s defeating Netscape Navigator.

“According to various estimates, Internet Explorer, which is the default browser on computers with Windows operating systems, is used by between 60 and 80 percent of Internet users around the world, with Mozilla Firefox a long way back in second place,” AFP reported.

Alex Villafania
INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — The website of Ticketworld suffered a temporary hiccup Wednesday morning due to “too many concurrent users.”

While this was not directly attributed to traffic coming from queries for the much-anticipated August 30 Eraserheads reunion concert, the ticket seller said it is getting ready to sell concert tickets for the Eraserheads Reunion concert within the day.

Ticketworld Systems Administrator Brenda Abela said there has been a huge volume of traffic in the past few days but she would not attribute it to online queries for the Eraserheads.

“It may be small factor. We’ve been busy selling tickets for other shows,” Abela said in an interview.

She added that they have already received around 600 Eraserheads concert ticket requests from individuals who also leave their telephone numbers.

She said the company will be calling them up one by one regarding the tickets’ availability.

Abela did not confirm prices of the tickets yet. But information culled from local mailing lists and Facebook indicate that the prices are P2,060 for VIP and P1,030 for back area.

Rumors of the cancellation of the Eraserheads Reunion concert circulated for the past days until former drummer Raimund Marasigan announced that it was pushing through after major changes in how tickets will be sold and who will sponsor it.

For the past days, fans have been ranting about the lack of details about the tickets following the changes. Originally, a cigarette company was reportedly behind the organization of the concert. But after lobbying from anti-smoking advocates and pressures from the Department of Health, modifications were made.

The concert would be held at the Fort Bonifacio open field in Global City in Taguig.

Ely Buendia, Raimund Marasigan, Marcus Adorno and Buddy Zabala formed the Eraserheads in the late 80s but gained prominence in the early 90s. They are considered as the most successful Filipino rock band of the 90s, encouraging many similar alternative rock bands.

By Alexander Villafania
INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Despite tightening budgets, Filipino buyers are becoming more selective when buying electronic appliances. They want both a mix of function and design rolled into their equipment and some are willing to pay some extra.

This was the principle behind Korean appliance maker LG’s rebranding strategy in the Philippines. The company launched its new set of “lifestyle appliances” aimed at choosy buyers.

LG Electronics Philippines Head of Brand Marketing Raymond Hernandez said the company has studied the Philippines market for electronics and noted a growing market of younger generation of users who want a balance of aesthetics and performance.

“These are the ‘premium seekers’. They are a new market that we’re expecting to generate more income from for the company,” Hernandez said.

Nevertheless, Hernandez said the company is still sticking to their bread and butter business, which is the mass market, commodity segment that is also cost conscious.

In the Philippines, the most popular gadgets for all market segments are LCD TVs, mobile phones, refrigerators and air conditioning units, he added.

“We’re not alienating the commodity segment because they are our biggest market. But we’re seeing a shift from commodity to the new premium seekers in terms of revenues and this will happen starting this year,” Hernandez said.

LG manufactures over a dozen product types from LCD TVs, home theater equipment, to vacuum cleaners, air conditioners, washing machines, microwaves, and refrigerators.

The Korean firm has a division that makes mobile phones.

By Agence France-Presse

BEIJING, China — Apple said Friday they were investigating why access to iTunes appeared to be blocked for users in China after a pro-Tibet album became a hit on the online music store.

The iTunes download site has been unavailable for many users within China in the past week, but Apple’s Beijing-based spokeswoman Huang Yuna said she did not know why music fans were unable to log on.

“We’ve noticed the problem. It’s true that users may fail to log in to iTunes store right now,” she told AFP.

“We are still investigating,” she said, but would not confirm if the company was in contact with Chinese authorities.

The restrictions come after “Songs for Tibet”, a pro-Tibet album featuring songs by artists such as Sting, was released on iTunes just before the Olympic Games started on August 8.
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