Google Android Dethrones Nokia Symbian With Top Smartphone Platform

HELSINKI - Google's smartphone operating system Android has passed Nokia's Symbian and become the global smartphone market leader, market research company Canalys said Monday.

In the fourth quarter of 2010, 32.9 million phones running Android were shipped compared to 31 million handsets running Symbian, according to Canalys.

Based on shipment figures, Google's percentage of the smartphone market share leapt from 8.7 percent in 2009 to 32.5 percent, while Nokia's shrank from 44 percent to 30.6 percent.

"But Nokia did retain its position as the leading global smartphone vendor, with a share of 28 percent," the Canalys report added.

Nokia's smartphone market share has been undermined over the past two years by the stellar rise of Apple's iPhone, RIM's Blackberry and phones running Android such as those produced by Samsung and HTC.

According to Canalys, Apple's market share remained around the same, at 16 percent at the end of 2010, while RIM came in fourth place with 14.4 percent and Microsoft brought up the rear with 3.1 percent.

The smartphone market itself grew by nearly 89 percent in 2010, with 101.2 million handsets sold, said Canalys.

"2010 has been a fantastic year for the smart phone market... but vendors cannot afford to be complacent," said Canalys vice president and principal analyst Chris Jones.

"2011 is set to be a highly competitive year with vendors looking to use new technology, such as dual-core processors, NFC and 3D displays, to differentiate their products and maintain value," he added, referring to near field communication payment systems.

Source: Agence France-Presse

Hide/Seek: the silencing still prevails...

Two days ago, I viewed the exhibition “Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture” at the National Portrait Gallery.

The exhibition explores such questions as gender, sexual identity, and the AIDS epidemic. 105 works were selected by artists with varying perspectives; how same-sex love has been portrayed in art for the past 120 years or so, beginning with a photograph of Walt Whitman, to oils by Thomas Eakins and John Singer Sargent, works by Georgia O'Keffe, Marsden Hartley, to breeders like George Bellows and Andrew Wyeth, to Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol; and photographers such as Robert Mapplethorpe and Annie Leibovitz. It ended with "Felix" by A.A. Bronson.

Communicating same-sex attraction is nothing new in the history of art. Seventeenth-century Dutch genre painters used symbiosis in their works. Barely a hundred years before in Italy, Caravaggio painted titillating images of partially-clad, dewy, taut muscular young boys commissioned by the Pope that would stir a certain somethin' somethin' among even the most rigid heterosexual woman. Before that, artists used special codes when referring to same sex interests. Before Christ even, images of daily life and the relationship between men were graphically depicted on ancient Greek vase painting.

I fail to understand the outrage the media has created around this exhibition. It depicts life -- a life that has always been in plain sight; a life which has been a part of us.

One work was pulled from the exhibition. The Smithsonian removed a video by David Wojnarowicz (1954-1992) which was completed in 1987 and entitled "A Fire in My Belly". (The original 30 minute video was edited down to four minutes to make it more 'suitable' for the majority of museum visitors.) Still, pressure from certain Congressmen, the new Speaker of the House and the president of the Catholic League proved too much for the museum to withstand.

I cannot understand why.

I viewed this work which was available in Museum of Censored Art -- a makeshift cold trailer stretching across two parking spaces on the street in front of the museum. As I stood there watching the video, I felt all kinds of different emotions. Above all, I remained perplexed.

The video represents the artist’s anger; Wojnarowicz not only lost his friend, mentor and partner, but also faced death from AIDS. When the work was first included in the exhibition, the public got most upset over eleven seconds of four minute footage depicting ants crawling over the body of a small Mexican crucifix. Most of the people speaking out had never set foot in the exhibition to view the works and read the text panels in the manner in which they were designed to be viewed. Many critics, as I understand, were sent links from Youtube which took the work out of context and made it difficult to understand the message of both the artist and the curator.

Regardless of what religion anyone may or may not embrace, Jesus Christ was a figure in history who was betrayed into the hands of his enemies by one of his own apostles. A person whom he trusted. He was mocked, scourged, spit on, a crown of thorns was pressed into his skull, his hands and feet nailed to wooden posts and then sentenced to death by crucifixion, because he was seen as different, as an outsider.

Surely people -- homosexual or not, god-fearing or not -- have questioned the mercy of Jesus Christ when they have witnessed the death of a loved one or faced the prospect of their own. Haven’t we all asked why? Why her? Why him? Why me?

Does it really matter who we sleep with at night, to whom we pray, who we turn our backs on and who we welcome, inevitably our stories still end the same way: with death.

The image of the artist in the video piercing his lips with a needle and sewing them shut is powerful and shocking -- reason enough not to sensor the work but to lay it out so we can each make our own decisions about the silencing of one another as we continue to live our lives surrounded by hatred, fear and segregation.

above image: We Two Boys Together Clinging (1961) by David Hockney

How to Set Yourself Up for Promotion

Are you ready for a promotion? Well, now's a good time to think and act about how you can climb the corporate ladder.

But since promotion isn't automatic. You have to prove that you're a problem-solver who is ready to take on more responsibilities, and that you've worked hard to deserve that next step.

Here are a few areas to focus on that will help you get that reward that you been longing for the longest time:

1. Build relationships.

Just like most job opportunities occur through referrals, your next promotion is likely to be influenced by how well your colleagues perceive you and your work. In addition to your smarts, problem-solving abilities, and an accomplished track record, your relationships within the company will help pave your way to the next level.

2. Demonstrate your value to the company.

In as much detail a possible, keep a record of how your efforts have helped the company. Take note of all of your accomplishments as they happen and quantify them. Show how you saved your company $100,000 or reduced spending by a certain percentage, and record these accomplishments regularly. If not, you risk forgetting them. These notes will not only help you build a better case for a promotion, they'll also set you up for a solid transition to a new company when it comes time to take that route.

3. Ask for it.

Don't sit around waiting for your manager to offer you new opportunities. Your career progression isn't his top priority; it's only your top priority. Make an effort to ask for more responsibility and show your company that you're ready and interested to learn new skills. And when you ask for what you want, be prepared with to make a strong case for yourself by showing your value to the company and having co-workers who support you.

4. Keep score online.

Use online tools to stay in front of your boss, mentors, and colleagues who will help you move along your career path. Experts at LinkedIn suggest one way of doing this is to document the milestones in your career by requesting quality recommendations. If a client praises you for your work on a specific project, ask if they feel comfortable writing you a recommendation on LinkedIn. Not only does it look good on your profile, but your network will be notified of your recent recommendation, which reminds them what a great job you're doing.

Source: Lindsay Olson

10 Construction Workers Killed After Falling Off Eton Tower Makati

Ten construction workers were killed and one injured after falling off a building in Makati City Thursday, officials said.

Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin "Junjun" Binay, Jr. said the accident occurred at the Eton Tower located at the corner of Paseo de Roxas and Gallardo streets in Makati City.

"I talked to the foreman and he said there's a mesh supporting the scaffolding at doon naipon 'yung mga tao," he said in an interview on ANC.

A separate report from Makati police chief Senior Superintendent Froilan Bonifacio said the workers fell off the 32nd floor of the building after the platform they were using gave way.

"What we received is they were working outside the building at the 32nd floor and they fell to the 7th floor," he told radio dzMM.

In a statement, Eton spokesperson Erwin de Pedro said the workers fell from a suspended "gondola" - a basket-like platform used for installing glass windows. The workers are employees of ARLO Aluminum, a glass contractor/installer of the condominium project.

Based on witnesses' accounts, de Pedro said the workers rode the gondola instead of taking the stairs during their break time.

The platform can only carry 2 to 3 workers, but at least 10 took the gondola on their way to their lunch break, field reports said.

De Pedro said the cable holding the gondola could have snapped.

“Eton, its contractors and construction management consultant are cooperating with police authorities and the city engineer’s office as they investigate the cause of this accident. In the meantime, the company’s priority is to ensure that the victims’ families are informed and extended needed assistance by the contractor,” de Pedro said.

He said Eton places premium on safety. Due to the incident, however, it will review its contractors’ compliance with safety regulations.

Binay said he has ordered a stop to the construction until Eton Properties can ensure the safety of its construction workers.

de Pedro said: “Our hearts go out to the victims’ families. Eton Properties would like to assure the public that the company is doing all it can to ensure that Eton and its contractor extend all necessary assistance to the victims.” - With reports from Dexter Ganibe and Noel Alamar, radio dzMM

Time Space Warp....Gayundin!

Wallpaper Girls

Desktop Backgrounds

Stylish Blogger Award

Thank you pgt of Little Augury who gave me the honor of the Stylish Blogger Award. I disappeared a bit, then quietly reappeared and she graciously noticed. I humbly accept from a most talented, unique blogger. My gratitude to you.

Republic Day Greetings and Messages

Happy Republic Day

"Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high...

...Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, Let my Country awake."

----Rabindranath Tagore

"Cherish your Dreams for more united India on This Republic Day...."

"Happy Republic Day"

Vandemataram Video song - A R Rehman

The Constitution of India came into force, and India declared itself a Republic on January 26, 1950, a date thereafter celebrated annually as Republic Day in India. The 60th Republic Day of India will be celebrated all over the country tomorrow 26th January 2010. The chief guest for this year’s Republic Day celebration in India will be Lee Myung bak, the President of the Republic of Korea. Republic day parade is beginning from Raisina Hill near the Rashtrapati Bhavan, along the Rajpath, past India Gate and on to the historic Red Fort in the old quarter of the city. Different infantry, cavalry and mechanized regiments of the Indian Army, the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force march in formation, decked in all their finery and official decorations.
The President of India, who is also the Commander in Chief of the Indian Armed Forces, takes the salute. The Chief Guest of the parade is a Head of State of another nation. The parade also includes many traditional dance troupes, to symbolize the cultural heritage of India. It traditionally ends with a colourful flypast by Air Force jets in a tiranga formation. Similar parades are held in the capitals of all the states of India, where the Governors of the respective states take the salute.