Europe

• Wasting Away on the Algarve 9 hours ago Rick Steves: Blog Gone Europe
  
  
  

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  To commemorate the Smithsonian Presents Travels with Rick Steves magazine ' now on sale online, and at newsstands nationwide ' Rick is blogging about the 20 top destinations featured in that issue. One of those destinations is Salema, on Portugal's Algarve Coast.
  
  I can close my eyes and feel the salty ambience of Salema: The tall, fresh-squeezed orange juice of the loss-leader breakfasts where I put my feet up on the rusty railing, gaze out at the sea, and wonder what I'll do today.
  
  Actually, since I'm usually in Salema updating my guidebook, my options are all work-related: find a desolate beach farther north, on the windy side of Cape Sagres; venture up into the modern part of town to see how soft prices are for the modern hotel scene; drop by expat Brits in the next town, where those on humble retirement accounts live like kings with everything you could want in Portugal except a sea view.
  
  I do fantasize about just being here on vacation. Nursing a drink in a still-wet bathing suit. Going out with Sebastian to haul in the octopus pots. Hiking to the beach where you expose skin that's never seen the sun. Getting to the point where you can competently discuss the quality of the fish soup in each beachfront restaurant.
  
  I was going to say there are just a few places in Europe where I could savor a true vacation. But then, when I think about it, there are many. But for a beach break ' simply wasting away in a European Margaritaville ' it's fair to call Salema, on Portugal's Algarve, my favorite.
• Best Buy to use Clearwire network for Connect service 13 hours ago Digital Media Europe - digital media news from across Europe
  (Telecompaper) US retailer Best Buy has agreed to resell Clearwire's Wimax service as part of its recently launched Best Buy Connect mobile internet service. Best Buy will launch the service based on a wholesale deal with Clearwire in 2011. This is Clearwire's first wholesale agreement beyond those with its shareholders - Sprint, Bright House, Time Warner Cable and Comcast already sell the Wimax service under their own names. The Best Buy Connect service currently uses the Sprint mobile network. Best Buy said the deal will help it develop a 'one-stop shop' for mobile phones, accesories and services.
• India amends licences for network equipment security checks 14 hours ago Digital Media Europe - digital media news from across Europe
  (Telecompaper) The Indian government has issued changes to telecom operator licences requiring them to address security concenrs among their foreign network equipment suppliers. According to a report from the Economic Times, the government can impose penalties of up to 100 percent of the contract value if any spyware or malware is found in their imported equipment. International manufacturers who want to do business in India will have to deposit source codes and detailed designs of all products and services they sell in an escrow account in encrypted form. This can be accessed by security agencies and operators in case of an emergency. The new rules will be incorporated into the licence agreements of all telecommunication companies with immediate effect. The new norms published by the department of telecom were issued after security agencies and the home ministry raised concerns about imported equipment, especially those sourced from Chinese companies. They also equipment makers who maintain and manage mobile networks in India to employ only Indian engineers; they will have two years to comply with this. Vendors who maintain networks also will be subject to the country's data protection laws. This implies that they can be prosecuted in India if they are found to have leaked any information or for any security breach. The government has also asked all mobile operators to submit their organisational policy on security and security management of their networks within 30 days. Mobile operators will have to get security clearance from the home ministry and third-party audits on core equipment before they can be imported. DoT also said that it was working towards setting up the Telecom Security Council of India to help increase security assurance levels. The council would be jointly funded by the government and the telecommunication industry. The new rules will also allow the centre to lift the temporary ban on 26 companies, including Chinese OEMs such as Lenovo, Huawei Technologies, ZTE, Sunsea Telecom, UTStarcom, Tongyu Communications, Wuhan Fibrehome International, Shenzhen Grentech, Maipu Communications and Israel-based Comverse from supplying mobile gear in India. Telecommunications equipment can now be imported from these companies after audits by internationally certified network security firms.
• HTC poaches CTO, product chief from Sony Ericsson 18 hours ago Digital Media Europe - digital media news from across Europe
  (Telecompaper) Smartphone maker HTC has named Ron Louks as Chief Strategy Officer. In the new position, Ron Louks will be responsible for driving new strategic initiatives, technology incubation and will work closely with HTC's engineering and operation departments. Prior to joining HTC, Louks was the CTO at Sony Ericsson. Kouji Kodera has been appointed as chief product officer. As HTC's newly created chief product officer, Kouji Kodera will be responsible for HTC's global product portfolio planning and management. Kodera has a track record of building device portfolio strategies. Prior to joining HTC, he worked for Sony Ericsson as its head of products. Previously vice president of product development, David Chen has been promoted to chief engineering officer. Chen, who is one of HTC's first employees, will continue to drive HTC's product development and engineering. Under his leadership HTC has created many smartphones. HTC's chief innovation officer Horace Luke and HTC's chief marketing officer John Wang will work closely with Kodera and Chen to strengthen HTC's overall product offerings around the world. Previously VP of HTC North America, Jason Mackenzie has been promoted to president of HTC North America and Latin America. As president, Mackenzie will continue to drive HTC's strategy and market growth in North America and Latin America, where he has contributed to HTC's performance. As one of HTC's founding North American members in 2005, Mackenzie has led HTC's growth in North America. Previously vice president of HTC EMEA, Florian Seiche has been promoted to president of HTC EMEA. As the founder of HTC's EMEA operations in 2005, Seiche has grown HTC's business and brand in EMEA. HTC's senior executive VP Jason Juang has left the company to pursue other opportunities.
• DST hires banks for IPO in 2011 - report 20 hours ago Digital Media Europe - digital media news from across Europe
  (Telecompaper) Russian internet company Digital Sky Technologies has hired investment banks to organize an initial public offering in 2011, a person familiar with the plans told the Wall Street Journal. DST chose Goldman Sachs, which has a stake in the company, and two other investment banks for an IPO on a global stock exchange, most likely in London, the paper reports. In the offering, DST investors may sell stakes and the company may also issue new shares. The exact timing and the target market valuation are unknown. DST, which is valued at about USD 4 billion, owns Russian internet portal Mail.ru and is buying the ICQ instant-messaging system. DST's affiliated international investment vehicle, DST Global, has also invested in Facebook, gaming company Zynga and other internet firms. A spokesman for DST said that "an IPO was always in DST's strategic agenda" but that "no details or timetable of the possible transaction have been agreed upon."
• Zynga, Softbank form social games JV in Japan 20 hours ago Digital Media Europe - digital media news from across Europe
  (Telecompaper) Social gaming website Zynga and Japanese operator Softbank have formed a joint venture Zynga Japan that will develop and distribute social games across Japan. The new joint venture Zynga Japan, brings together companies in social games and consumer technology to offer new users the ability to play social games anytime and anywhere. In conjunction with this JV, Softbank has completed a USD 150 million investment in Zynga. The joint venture extends Zynga's reach to a wider global audience and marks the company's first foray into the internet and mobile market in Japan. Based in Tokyo, Zynga Japan will use Softbank's mobile and web technology to offer social games.
• France Telecom reports smaller revenue decline in Q2 22 hours ago Digital Media Europe - digital media news from across Europe
  (Telecompaper) France Telecom reported first-half revenues down 1.2 percent from a year earlier to EUR 22.14 billion. On a comparable basis, excluding foreign exchange effects and changes in consolidation, revenues were down 2.2 percent. This was led by a 7.5 percent drop in Poland and a 6.0 percent decline in Enterprise, while France was down 2.0 percent. The company blamed the drop in group revenues on regulatory effects, saying revenues were stable when excluding this. The group reported an improved revenue trend in the second quarter, up 0.3 percent compared with a decrease of 0.3 percent in the first quarter, after excluding regulatory measures. This improvement was evident across most of the company's operations, France Telecom said. Overall regulatory effects are expected to take around EUR 1 billion off revenues this year, but excluding this, France Telecom expects stable sales for 2010. The company finished June with 182.0 million customers, up by 3.8 percent or 6.7 million from a year earlier. EBITDA for the first six months was down 3.7 percent to EUR 7.75 billion, and fell 4.6 percent on a comparable basis. Excluding the impact of regulatory measures, EBITDA fell 2.3 percent in the second quarter, after falling 3.0 percent in the first quarter. The EBITDA margin was down 0.9 percent point from a year earlier to 35.0 percent in H1, which puts the company on track for its full-year target, France Telecom said. The company expects a maximum drop of 1 percent point in the EBITDA margin for the full year. Net profit came in at EUR 3.73 billion, up from EUR 2.56 billion a year earlier, boosted by a one-time gain of EUR 1.06 billion from the merger of its UK operations with T-Mobile UK. Capex fell 7.5 percent year-on-year to EUR 2.11 billion or 9.5 percent of revenues. Spending is expected to accelerate in H2, to reach 12 percent of revenues for the full year. France Telecom reiterated a target for around EUR 8 billion in organic cash flow this year, after EUR 2.74 billion in the first half. The company also pledged to pay a dividend of EUR 1.40 per share for 2010, 2011 and 2012. The interim dividend for this year is EUR 0.60 per share. The group is also planning a stock purchase plan for employees.
• Telefonica revenues accelerate in Q2, profits improve 22 hours ago Digital Media Europe - digital media news from across Europe
  (Telecompaper) Telefonica reported second-quarter revenues up 9.0 percent from a year earlier to EUR 15.12 billion, helped by a pick-up in organic growth, positive exchange rate effects and the takeover of Hansenet in Germany. The drop in revenues in its home market Spain slowed to 3.2 percent to EUR 4.69 billion, while Latin America accelerated to 16.0 percent growth to EUR 6.44 billion in revenues, and Telefonica O2 Europe grew 14.0 percent to EUR 3.79 billion. The operator added a net 4.7 million new customers in the quarter, for a total 277.8 million at the end of June, up 5.2 percent from a year earlier. Mobile net adds reached 3.5 million, of which 59 percent were postpaid, for a total base of 211.0 million, and the number of mobile broadband users was up 87 percent year-on-year to 17 million. OIBDA rose a slower 4.0 percent to EUR 5.79 1 billion, and the OIBDA margin dropped 1.8 percent points to 38.3 percent. Telefonica blamed the lower profitability on higher interconnection and network costs in Latin America, increased staff at Atento and increased commercial costs for smartphones across all operations. The company's net profit improved to EUR 2.12 billion or EUR 0.47 per share, from EUR 1.83 billion or EUR 0.40 per share a year ago. Capex for the first half of the year was up 54.7 percent to EUR 4.30 billion due to the spectrum acquisition in Germany, while operating cash flow fell 18.6 percent to EUR 6.61 billion. Telefonica reiterated its financial targets for this year through to 2012, including its dividends plans.
• MTS launches commercial LTE network in Uzbekistan 23 hours ago Digital Media Europe - digital media news from across Europe
  (Telecompaper) Mobile TeleSystems has commercially launched a network based on LTE technology in Uzbekistan. The network operates in the 2.5-2.7 GHz band and covers the downtown area of Tashkent. MTS plans to expand coverage significantly in future, using the 2.5-2.7 GHz frequencies in major cities and the 850 MHz band in smaller towns. MTS subscribers can now access data transfer rates of up to 100 Mbps using LTE-enabled modems. The equipment for the 4G network was provided by Huawei.
• Iinet to buy AAPT's retail business - report 1 day ago Digital Media Europe - digital media news from across Europe
  (Telecompaper) Australian ISP iiNet is thought to be the preferred buyer of AAPT's retail unit, after rival TPG Telecom failed to acquire the whole business. Iinet entered a trading halt on 29 June as it is preparing an announcement. Telecom New Zealand has been hoping to sell the whole Australian unit in a AUD 300 million-plus deal, but has decided to split the business in a wholesale and retail unit instead. Telecom could hold on to the wholesale unit for a possible sell off into the national broadband network, the Australian reports. Iinet did not comment.