Redefine News

It has been said before that cheap labor carries hidden costs. In some countries like USA, it would appear normal to have access to basic technology like owning a car, television set and basic communication gadgets like a modern mobile phone. However, as it appears normal in some of these countries, some people in the less fortunate countries lack even the basic of these technologies such as a mobile phone. Since most of the world bodies continue to use the basic technology to communicate with the world e.g. about health and safety, access to these ‘modern’ basic technology should be regarded as human right and every effort be taken to ensure that just like immunization, every human being has access to them.
It would be of little effort to produce vaccines that people never get to know about just because they cannot afford a television set. In order for individuals to increase their own development and creative potential in a human environment, it’s important for them to have access to technology. A change of replacing needs with rights is required. With this change, equal access and equal opportunities would have to be provided by the technologies in this modern world that measures everything from its practical effect. Equal access is required in these modern basic technologies in order to have sustainable human development and meet vital human rights.

Vital human rights with modern basic technology.

A complete scope of the vital human rights guarantees development of life at its broadest sense and a sustainable human development. Health, life, education and nutrition have been considered to be on top of the human rights list. For many years, United Nations (UN) has been concerned with the link of right to development to human rights and technologies. Of late, a link between development and the proclaimed human rights has been developing. UN has linked sustainable development to the positive effects of poverty reductions and has thus given priority of the human rights to a fair share of education, welfare, employment and health.

A study done in 1986 by United Nations University concluded that there is a closer link between science & technology, development and human rights. It was thus recommended to have science and technology urgently oriented to have an improvement of human rights especially in the developing countries. It was concluded that advances in science and technology does enable promotion of universal health care as well as provision of clean air and water. This is the solid basis required to transform basic social needs into vital human rights. The recognition would also give weight, universality as well as legitimacy of poor people around the world to these critical rights.

Science should place human beings at the center of the universe. Since technology is meant to serve the human beings, a set of rules needs to be established in order to have universal access to techniques essential for a good healthy life. Without discouraging research especially for products such as vaccine, there is need to have a Global Technological Facility that addresses vital human rights. People should have a right to simple yet adequate information through essential technologies. Education needs to be the center of concern in promoting technology towards human rights. It should be a permanent activity such that professionals with human sensitivity receive continued education.

Conclusion

A simple and a pure market approach will not lead to an automatic solution for people with basic-needs problems especially those with scarce resources. The poor also are so much in need of a healthy life that is in harmony with nature and their fellows. Reality has not turned to be pleasant for the poor after the centuries of modernity since transformations of the scientific and technological context has seen advances in liberty but delays in liberty. A dual strategy is thus required to deal with extreme poverty and modern competitiveness, a dual challenge for the ‘modern world’. Thus it can be ruled out that enabling access of the poor and semi illiterate to ‘modern’ technology is enhancing their human rights. With further redevelopment and common international agreements steered by UN commissions on human rights should have these legally recognized incorporated as human rights.

According to various analysts, the mobile internet would be hot trend for the current year. It is assumed that people will surf more via their mobile handsets or netbooks. To encash the opportunity, various mobile vendors are offering their services to their users. However, after the introduction of Google’s Nexus One ‘superphone’ and Apple’s iPad, the two biggies confront each other in the mobile internet sector.

In the past, the relationship between Apple and Google had been very pleasant, but now are likely to start acting more like rivals. Both companies are trying to become the primary provider of such services, creating a confrontation between the search giant and the iPhone maker.

Apple: Leader in mobile internet services

Since the launch of its Smartphone iPhone and multimedia player iPod Touch, Apple is the undisputed number one in portable internet services. These devices come with well researched hardware and software back up to exemplify Apple's approach.

And after the introduction of iPad in the market, Apple will seek to further solidify its leadership. With an initial price tag of $499, the tablet features LED-backlit 9.7” multi-touch display and supports Wi-Fi & 3G for connectivity. Further, the device will also support most iPhone apps. Users can access internet and watch HD videos on the iPad. Further, consumers can use it as computer, eReader or more than a Smartphone.

Google: Finding new horizons

Google, the search giant is earning 95% from its ads business. But, now the company is eying on various other fields like music service, operating system, Smartphone business and netbooks. In 2007, the company had released its open-source free operating system Android to target mobile surfers. With the mobile operating system, Google wants extra clicks on its ads by selling devices based on Android.

In January, Google had launched its own branded smartphone with Android 2.1 platform, along with the free auto-navigation. With the new device, the company is introducing its own hardware to market for the first time. As the search giant has no hardware experience, it took the help of HTC for the production of Nexus One. With its 1 GHz processor, the device even beats the iPhone on graphics.

The company is also planning to introduce the enterprise version of Nexus One, which will have a hardware keyboard. Further, the new Android based devices from the software giant would put pressure on other mobile manufacturers that use Android platform. Various analysts suggest that the Google phone will be a iPhone killer, but its weak sales in the first month of release deny the claims.

After disappointing Vista, Microsoft launches Windows 7, which is considered as its most important release for more than a decade. The release of Windows 7 is aimed to win back customers & also to strengthen its grip on the PC market.

The new OS has received good reviews & so Microsoft hopes that it will grab back the impetus in new technology from rivals Apple Inc and Google Inc.

"It's the first really significant release of Windows in a decade," analyst Brendan Barnicle of Pacific Crest Securities said Television. "Given the missteps around Vista, people really questioned Microsoft's relevancy in the technology space. So this is a critical first step for Microsoft regaining that credibility."

Windows 7 comes almost three years after the launch of Windows Vista, whose complexity frustrated many home users and turned off business customers. The new system is much faster; less cluttered and has new touch screen features.

The success of Windows -- which accounts for more than half of Microsoft's profit -- is crucial for Chief Executive Steve Ballmer to revive the company's image as the world's most important software firm.

"I have to say I'm chomping at the bit," Ballmer told an audience of Microsoft customers and partners in Toronto on Wednesday, adding that he is ready to make sales calls himself on Windows 7.

Sales won't immediately impact the bottom line of Microsoft, which is expected to post a lower quarterly profit on Friday.

India has now set to become a global leader in IT services as many software companies have moved towards Indian markets because of the weak US dollar which hurt economic recovery.

As the Chairman and CEO of business publisher Steve Forbes, 62, said “This year I think the US government has made a number of mistakes that has slowed the recovery. They've not reduced taxes ... in terms of the dollar; they have not stabilized the dollar. They've weakened the dollar which hurts business investments, hurts the flow of capital and small businesses” when he was asked that what he made of the US government's response to the worst global economic crisis since the Great Depression.