Yahoo and Microsoft Gang up Against Google

YaSoft or MicroHoo? Yahoo and Microsoft have reached agreement on a long-awaited web search partnership that will unite the two companies against market leader Google.

Under the no-cash deal, Yahoo will use Microsoft's new Bing search engine on its own sites, while Yahoo will act as the exclusive global sales force for the companies' premium search advertisers.

According to research firm ComScore, Google has a 65 per cent share of the lucrative search market. The combined forces of Yahoo and Microsoft will have a 30 per cent market share.

Yahoo, which last year turned down a $US47.5 billion takeover bid from Microsoft, said it stood to gain about $US500 million in annual operating income and $US200 million in capital expenditure savings through the agreement with the software giant.

Yahoo also estimated the deal would provide it with a $US275 million benefit to annual operating cash flow.

"This agreement comes with boatloads of value for Yahoo, our users, and the industry. And I believe it establishes the foundation for a new era of internet innovation and development," Yahoo chief executive Carol Bartz said in a statement.

The partnership, Microsoft said, "will improve the Web search experience for users and advertisers, and deliver sustained innovation to the industry."

Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer said the deal will enable Bing to better compete against Goggle, as well as attract more users and advertisers.

"Through this agreement with Yahoo, we will create more innovation in search, better value for advertisers, and real consumer choice in a market currently dominated by a single company," Ballmer said.

"This agreement gives us the scale and resources to create the future of search."

The agreement, which has a 10-year term, will be subject to review by US regulatory authorities, the companies said.

It is restricted to internet search and related advertising revenue, while the pair would retain full autonomy on other properties and products such as email, instant messaging and display advertising.

Calling the link-up a "significant opportunity," Yahoo chairman Roy Bostock said the company's board backed it with its "full and unanimous support."

"Microsoft is an industry innovator in search, and it is a great opportunity for us to focus our investments in other areas critical to our future," he said.

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Microsoft to open its 'Apple-style' Retail Stores later this year

Microsoft will follow the the path blazed by Apple and open its first two bricks and mortar retail stores in the US later this year.

The software maker said on Tuesday it signed leases at shopping centres in Mission Viejo, California and Scottsdale, Arizona.

The Shops at Mission Viejo is already home to an Apple store. The other location, Scottsdale Fashion Square, does not have a competing Apple shop.

Microsoft maker picked those areas because they're "hot markets", with the right demographics, said Kim Stocks, a corporate communications director at the company.

She said the stores will sell laptops in addition to Microsoft and third-party software, Zunes, and Xbox 360 games and consoles.

News of the store strategy was leaked earlier this week on the Gizmodo technology news site. Gizmodo obtained a detailed Powerpoint presentation showing a fit out bearing a striking resemblance to the Apple Store look.

"Essentially, Microsoft is taking the best elements from the Apple Store, Sony Style and other "flagship" stores," Gizmodo said.

The Microsoft stores will feature a "Guru Bar" where customers can ask for technical advice. Apple Stores feature a service area known as the Genius Bar.

Apple, however, is not the only source of inspiration. The leaked Powerpoint document also says that the Microsoft stores will be available to host birthday parties - a service which has a long association with that other chain that specialises in (Big) Macs.

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Apple Launches its Touch Tablet Device before Christmas

Apple is reportedly planning to launch a new tablet-sized device before Christmas in what is a new product category that will fall between its iPhone/iPod Touch and the entry level MacBook laptop.

The company is also working with four record labels on a plan to increase digital sales of albums, according to a report in the Financial Times newspaper.

The project with the record companies - EMI, Sony Music, Warner Music and Vivendi's Universal Music Group - aims to offer interactive features with music downloads.

"It's all about re-creating the heyday of the album when you would sit around with your friends looking at the artwork, while you listened to the music," one unnamed executive told the paper.

Dubbed project "Cocktail", the Financial Times said book publishers have also been in talks with the computer maker about offering their services on the new device, which could compete with Amazon's Kindle e-book reader.

The AppleInsider blog, which broke the story on Friday, said the device will be feature a 10-inch screen and be "3G-enabled".

However the Financial Times report states that device will "probably [come] without phone capability".

The AppleInsider report puts the launch date as a first quarter 2010, citing "people well-respected by AppleInsider for their striking accuracy in Apple's internal affairs".

Confirmation of the twin projects could come as early as September when Apple traditionally launches its new line-up of iPods for the pre-Christmas shopping seasons.

iPods with cameras?

There has also been speculation that the new generaion iPods - the Nanos and Touches - will retain their current shape but will both come with built-in cameras, similar to those found on iPhones.

The Cult of Mac blog has reported that Chinese companies which make iPod accessories have been showing off new designs and protoypes with space on the back for the new features.

The iPhone 3GS, which was launched last month, comes with a 3.2 megapixel camera.

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Verizon Launches RIM BlackBerry Storm November 21, $199.99 on Contract

The BlackBerry Storm (model 9530) from Research In Motion – the first touch screen BlackBerry smartphone with the world’s first “clickable” touch screen – will be available November 21 in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com for $199.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement.

The BlackBerry Storm is not only a stylish smartphone, it's also a workhorse for enterprise decision makers, helping them stay connected to the people and business information that matter most to them. With the BlackBerry Storm smartphone, business customers can connect globally in more than 200 countries for voice and more than 150 countries for data worldwide. In the U.S., Verizon Wireless customers will benefit from the nation's most reliable wireless voice network and the pervasiveness of Verizon Wireless' reliable high-speed 3G Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO) Revision A (Rev. A) network. Incorporating the world's first "clickable" touch screen, the BlackBerry Storm lets business customers conduct research on the Internet, access their intranet and edit Microsoft(R) Word, Excel(R) or PowerPoint(R) documents directly on their BlackBerry Storm while on-the-go.

Click to see its features and specifications:

BlackBerry Storm Features



BlackBerry Storm Specifications

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Engineering As A Career In Nigeria

The Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, COREN, is a body set-up by the Decrees 55/70 and 27/92 (now Acts 110). The Decrees empowered the Council to regulate and control the training and practice of engineering in Nigeria and to ensure and enforce the registration of all engineering personnel (i.e. Engineers, Engineering Technologists, Engineering Technicians, and Engineering Craftsmen) and consulting firms wishing to practice or engage in the practice of practice of engineering. [7]

COREN has been able to regulate that a person desiring to become a registered Engineering Personnel must, after obtaining the approved/accredited required academic qualification, must have four (4) years post-graduate experience which must be under the supervision of a senior registered Engineer. Council believes that the continuing effectiveness of an engineering personnel depends on his contact with a recognized professional society and therefore advises engineering personnel to belong to a recognized professional society. It must be emphasized that membership of a society does not by itself grant automatic right to registration. Council still needs to satisfy itself that the academic qualification is registrable for the category applied for.

APPROVED SCHEDULE OF ENTRY QUALIFICATIONS INTO ENGINEERING CADRES

S/N	ENGINEERS	TECHNOLOGISTS	TECHNICIANS	CRAFTSMEN
1.	B.Sc, B. Eng, B. Tech in Engineering	HND in Engineering from COREN accredited Polytechnics or Monotechnics.	ND in Engineering from accredited Polytechnics or Monotechnics.	WAEC Technical/NABTEB
2.	HND in an Engineering field + COREN accredited PGD in the same field, e.g. HND Civil Engineering + PGD Civil Engineering.	Degrees in Engineering from East Bloc translated as B.Sc in Engineering.	Full Technological Certificate (FTC) – Technician.	Trade Test I
3.	HND in an Engineering field + NSE Graduateship Exam in the same field, e.g. HND Electrical + NSE Grad in Electrical Engineering.	Diploma – Grad from Continental Europe.	Technicians Professional Examination for registered Craftsmen.	Craft Certificate from City & Guilds.
4.	B.Sc Physics with Electronics or B. Sc Computer Science + COREN accredited PGD in Electrical/Electronics Engineering or NSE Grad in Electrical/Electronics Engineering = B.Sc or B.Eng. or B.Tech. in Electrical/Electronics Engineering.	B. Tech in Engineering from some accredited American Universities as contained in ABET List.
5.	B. Sc Physics + COREN accredited PGD or NSE Grad in Metallurgical & Materials Engineering = B.Sc. or B.Eng. or B.Tech. in Met. &Mat.	Technologists Professional Examination for registered Technicians
6.	B. Sc Chemistry or Industrial Chemistry + COREN accredited PGD or NSE Grad in Chemical Engineering = B.Sc. or B.Eng. or B.Tech. in Chemical Engineering.
7.	HND in an Engineering field + COREN accredited Post HND in the same field.
8.	Diploma – Engineer from Continental Europe.
9.	Degrees in Engineering from the East Bloc translated as M. Sc.
10.	B.Sc (Building) + PGD (Civil) or NSE Grad in Civil.
11.	New B.Sc in some countries in Eastern Bloc as degree.
12.	H.N.D in a field + M.Sc in the same field.
Note: For further clarification on foreign qualifications, Consult ABET or FEANI

The decree specifies the abbreviation to be used by each cadre as follows: A Registered Engineer shall use the abbreviation “Engr” before his name. A Registered Engineering Technologists shall use the abbreviation “Engn. Tech” after his name. A Registered Engineering Technician shall use the abbreviation “Tech” after his name. A Registered Engineering Craftsman shall use his full title “Craftsman” with his trade in bracket under his name.

It is illegal:

1. For any firms or persons to engage in engineering practice unless they are:
Fully registered by COREN to practice in their appropriate cadre (except engineering personnel still undergoing practical training e.g. pupil engineers, etc, for the purpose of acquiring the requisite experience for registration). Financially up to date in the payment of their practicing fees.

2. For any person, government or company to: Engage a non-registered engineering person or consulting firm to execute or participate in doing engineering work in an engineering project (except engineering personnel still undergoing practical training e.g. pupil engineers, etc, for the purpose of acquiring the requisite experience for registration). Use non-engineering personnel to perform engineering functions. Assign non-engineering functions to engineers below managerial levels, particularly where the engineering functions are available. Engage expatriate engineering personnel to do engineering work when qualified Nigerian engineering personnel are unemployed and available to be engaged to do such work.

COREN has established a network of Inspectors headed in each of the many zones around the country by a Chief Inspector. The Inspectors are very senior, experienced registered engineers selected from branches of the Nigerian Society of Engineers in the various zones. These Inspectors, constituted into teams of four or more members, are empowered to visit industrial and construction sites as well as company offices and work locations to ensure that COREN regulations are being observed. Their indictment of any person or firm will lead to possible prosecution. Inspectors will ensure that:

· All those assigned engineering functions are engineering personnel and are duly registered by COREN.

· All registered engineering personnel have paid their practicing fees.

· Engineering personnel are not used for non-engineering jobs when they can appropriately be engaged in engineering function, and

· Consulting firms engaged by Industry or Government for engineering jobs are fully registered by COREN.

The Inspectors will also ascertain that engineering personnel not yet registered by COREN are not employed on or promoted to positions beyond the following levels:

· Unregistered engineers NOT TO BE APPOINTED OR PROMOTED BEYOND the level of Senior Manager or equivalent (Grade Level 10).

· Unregistered technologists in engineering NOT TO BE APPOINTED OR PROMOTED BEYOND the level of Principal Technologists (GL.10).

· Unregistered technician NOT TO BE PROMOTED OR APPOINTED BEYOND the level of FOREMAN or Equivalent (GL.06)

It is illegal for any tertiary institution to run engineering programmes at the University degree and Higher National Diploma Levels without full accreditation of COREN. Defaulting institutions shall be compelled to close down such programmes instantly. It is illegal and an offence punishable by fine or imprisonment as prescribed by Decree 55/70 to engage non- engineering personnel to do engineering work.

By law, engineering practice is defined to include any professional service or creative work requiring the application of special knowledge of mathematics, physics and engineering in form of consultation, invention, discovery, valuation, research and teaching in recognized engineering institution, planning, operation, maintenance, supervision of construction and installation involving investigating, advising, operating, evaluating, measuring, planning, designing, specifying, laying and directing, constructing, commissioning, inspecting or testing in connection with any public or private utilities, structures, buildings, machines, equipment, processes works or projects. The Federal civil Service commission, the States Civil Service commission, the local Government Service commissions, the Federal and State government parastatals and companies and industries within the organized private sectors shall in particular ensure compliance.

COREN over the years have been advocating for graduating engineering students of the nation's tertiary institutions to be exposed to a mandatory one year internship programme called Supervised Industrial Training Scheme in Engineering (SITSIE) before proceeding on the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme. This novel programme is still far from taking off.

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