As developers for tablets and smartphones we like to keep abreast of the latest mobile technology developments . This is a daily digest of mobile development and related technology news gathered from the BBC, the New York Times, New Scientist and the Globe and Mail to name a few. We scour the web for articles concerning, iPhone, iPad and android development, iOS and android operating systems as well as general articles on advances in mobile technology. We hope you find this useful and that it helps to keep you up to date with the latest technology developments.
- Kickstarter Sets Off $7 Million Stampede for a Watch Not Yet Made
The Pebble, a watch that is being developed to work with the iPhone, has raised more than $7 million in financing on Kickstarter, a case that has signified the site’s coming of age.
- Memo From Mexico: In Mexico Presidential Race, a Bruising Battle Online
A law passed in 2007 that was intended to keep campaigning orderly and clean has been undercut by the unpredictable and uncontrollable Web.
- The Braiser, a Site for Coverage of Celebrity Chefs
The Braiser, a project by the television analyst and lawyer Dan Abrams, will arrive online in mid-May and cover chefs who have cultivated worldwide reputations.
- Granny army teaches in the cloud
UK-based pensioners educate Indian children via Skype
- Campaign to speed up 4G roll-out
Mobile firm Everything Everywhere has launched a campaign to pressure politicians to deliver the rollout of 4G services.
- 1958 Postcard Finally Reaches Destination — With Facebook’s Help
CHICAGO — A postcard mailed from Chicago in 1958 has finally reached its intended recipient, but not without a little help from Facebook. The 71-year-old…
- Steve Rosenbaum: Alarm Bells: "Open Web" In Danger, Says Brin, Berners-Lee
One thing is certain. Politicians throughout the democratic world are pushing for stronger censorship and surveillance by Internet companies to stop the theft of intellectual property.
- Susan Landau: Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself
The hidden fact is that CISPA completely avoids the issue of protecting critical infrastructure. The bill’s authors said the reason for CISPA not covering critical infrastructure was "that [was] outside of our jurisdiction."
- High pay ‘revolt’ web tool debuts
A new online tool is launched that lets individuals complain if they feel executive pay at companies is too high.
- The Digital (Gender) Divide: Women vs. Men Online
When it comes to the demographic discrepancies of social media usage, we tend to think primarily about age. Young people, we assume, are Facebook addicts;…
- The Daily Princetonian: #whatshouldwecallthisarticle
I don’t think Internet trends like this necessarily mean we’re getting stupider. I think, instead, they provide important societal lens, a vital opportunity to glimpse mass consciousness. If we approach from the right angle, even the Y U NO guy can teach us something.
- How One Facebook Billionaire Is Spending His Riches
SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook co-founder and former Mark Zuckerberg roommate Dustin Moskovitz is by many accounts the world’s youngest self-made billionaire. But the 27-year-old isn’t…
- The iEconomy: Apple’s Tax Strategy Aims at Low-Tax States and Nations
Apple serves as a window on how technology giants have taken advantage of tax codes written for an industrial age and ill suited to today’s digital economy.
- Lyric Hughes Hale: The New Law of the Sea and the Geopolitics of the Internet
Perhaps we have found a new metric by which to measure political power — the cables that link nations to other nations and regions, the networks which allow their citizens to communicate with each other, and the round trip time for data to travel. It is the new Law of the Sea.
- Dell says XPS 13 ultrabook exceeds sales expectations
Dell’s first ultrabook is off to a strong start, offering some hope for the new class of skinny laptops.
- Discovery Crashes Plane … On Puprose
Discovery Channel has crashed a plane in the Mexican desert for its new series "Curiosity." According to the network, a Boeing 727 passenger jet was…
- Forget Emoticons: Humoticons Are Here
Don’t
— smile! As part of its new ad campaign that rips into services like Facebook and Twitter with claims they undermine our humanity… - Get Sneaky: How To Hide From Face-Detection Technology
If you take Adam Harvey’s advice, here’s what you might wanna wear to a party this weekend: A funny hat, asymmetrical glasses, a tuft of hair that…
- How Apple Minimizes its Corporate Tax Burden
In the latest installment of its “iEconomy” series, The New York Times takes a look at how Apple minimizes its corporate tax burden, taking advantage of a number of legal maneuvers and loopholes around the world. Apple’s strategies are of course fully legal and used by many other corporations, but with a spotlight on Apple as it has rapidly risen to become the world’s most valuable publicly-traded company with record-setting profits, it has obviously attracted much attention about how it handles its money.
Apple, for instance, was among the first tech companies to designate overseas salespeople in high-tax countries in a manner that allowed them to sell on behalf of low-tax subsidiaries on other continents, sidestepping income taxes, according to former executives. Apple was a pioneer of an accounting technique known as the “Double Irish With a Dutch Sandwich,” which reduces taxes by routing profits through Irish subsidiaries and the Netherlands and then to the Caribbean. Today, that tactic is used by hundreds of other corporations — some of which directly imitated Apple’s methods, say accountants at those companies.
Among the tactics used by Apple:
- Setting up subsidiaries in low-tax locations such as Nevada, Ireland, Netherlands, Luxembourg, and the British Virgin Islands, routing as much revenue as possible through these locations. By routing much of its U.S. revenue through its Braeburn Capital subsidiary in tax-free Reno, Nevada, Apple is able to avoid California’s corporate tax rate of 8.84%, while also reducing its tax burden on money earned in other states.
- Apple’s iTunes S.à r.l. subsidiary in Luxembourg consists mainly of a mailbox and a few dozen employees, but records $1 billion per year in revenue as the entity responsible for all iTunes Store transactions throughout Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. With the iTunes Store offering strictly downloadable goods, Apple is able to take advantage of favorable tax treatment available in Luxembourg as part of the country’s efforts to attract businesses.
- Apple has substantial operations in Ireland, but the report notes that one of the main benefits of locating there is that Apple is able to internally transfer its patent royalty earnings to a subsidiary there, with the money being subjected to a 12.5% tax rate rather than the 35% tax rate found in the United States. More than one-third of Apple’s worldwide revenue is booked through its Irish subsidiaries.
- Apple records 70% of its revenue overseas, even though much of the product value would normally be considered to derive from their design, which occurs in the United States.
Overall, Apple paid $3.3 billion in corporate taxes in 2011 on earnings of $34.2 billion in profits, an effective tax rate of 9.8%, which is considered low by corporate standards. But with the company’s tactics relying on a complex and disjointed system of tax laws throughout the world, it is difficult for the United States to single-handedly require Apple to book more of its revenue in its home country, which currently has the highest corporate tax rates in the world when federal and average state rates are included.Apple has provided an official response to The New York Times, highlighting its role in job creation in the United States, the tax payments it does make, and its charitable giving. The company also notes that its business practices are in full compliance with all laws and accounting rules.
Back in late 2010, Apple 
Among the many anecdotes about Steve Jobs included in Ken Segall’s new book, 
It’s been about four months now since I visited CES. Yes, that banner is still on the site. I also noticed the number of posts since the event, no need for anyone else to point it out. One could compare the past few months with the title of a Jay-Z album. Nevertheless, I am getting…
