PayPal alleges that search giant hired two of its former executives to obtain trade secrets for mobile transactions project Google’s first payments from its new “electronic wallet” system may be to the online transaction company PayPal, which claims that the company and two of its executives stole trade secrets for the project. Unveiled on Thursday, the Google Wallet project uses a technology called Near Field Communications (NFC) to allow contactless transactions between consumers’ phones and merchants’ terminals. But PayPal has filed suit in California following the launch in New York, alleging that Google lured away PayPal executive Osama Bedier earlier this year to obtain trade secrets that are now being used in Google’s service. The suit also names Stephanie Tilenius. Both Bedier, now Google’s vice president of payments, and Tilenius were among those showing off the technology in New York. The wallet app itself will require a PIN, as will each transaction. The payment credentials will be encrypted and stored on a chip, called the secure element, inside the phone. The app itself will be free to users. Google emphasised that the wallet service would be open to all businesses and invited other banks, credit card issuers, payment networks, mobile carriers and merchants to work with it. If the phone was stolen, the credit cards inside could be remotely disabled. Consumers would have the same “zero liability” for unauthorised transactions made with their phone as they would with their plastic cards. The suit also alleges Bedier was interviewing for a job at Google while he was also negotiating for PayPal to handle sales in Google’s application market for phones running on its Android software. The suit said Bedier worked for nine years at PayPal, most recently serving as vice president of platform, mobile and new ventures. He joined Google on 24 January 2011. Tilenius was at eBay from 2001 to October 2009, and served as a consultant to the company until March 2010. The suit says Tilenius joined Google in February 2010 as vice president of e-commerce. Bedier is accused in the suit of having “misappropriated PayPal trade secrets by disclosing them within Google and to major retailers”. The suit accuses Tilenius of recruiting Bedier, thereby breaking a contractual agreement with eBay. It also claims Bedier attempted to recruit former colleagues still at PayPal. The suit claims that PayPal and Google had worked closely together for three years until this year on developing a commercial deal where PayPal would serve as a payment option for mobile app purchases on Google’s Android phones. It said Bedier was the senior PayPal executive leading negotiations with Google on Android during this period. “At the very point when the companies were negotiating and finalising the Android-PayPal deal, Bedier was interviewing for a job at Google – without informing PayPal of this conflicting position,” the suit claims. The suit was filed at Superior Court of the State of California. Google had no comment, saying it had not seen a copy of the lawsuit. Google eBay Internet Technology sector Smartphones Mobile phones Charles Arthur guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Glass and rocks hurled at anti-racism meeting in east London Far-right activists have attacked trade union meetings and anti-racist groups in the past month in what campaigners and politicians say is an escalating campaign of intimidation and violence. In the latest incident, a 20-strong group hurled concrete pillars, glass and rocks at a meeting on multiculturalism organised by Labour councillors in Barking, east London. “It was terrifying,” said Beverley, 48, an NHS worker who was hit by a rock, leaving her hand so badly damaged that she needed surgery and was on a drip in hospital for three days. “These people seem to think they can bully and intimidate people into staying away.” The attack last Thursday followed incidents in Liverpool, Brighton and east London involving people who claim to be supporters of the English Defence League (EDL), a far-right street movement . A spokesman for the group said the EDL was unaware of any of the incidents, adding that it did not condone violence. The attacks follow disastrous election performances by the British National party, leading analysts to warn that some of its supporters may be turning their backs on electoral politics to focus on more violent street confrontations. “The threat is that as far-right activists decide the electoral path is no longer possible … we will see more aggressive street-based groups linking up and a rise in racially and politically motivated violence,” said Nick Lowles from Searchlight. Anti-racist campaigners said the attack in Barking appeared to be well organised and targeted. The group “appeared out of nowhere” as people were gathering in the foyer and had lookouts stationed outside as the assault continued. “All of a sudden about 20 men and one woman came running across the car park screaming E-E-EDL,” said Beverley, who did not want to give her second name in case of reprisals. “We rushed to lock the glass door … but they didn’t break stride, they just ran at it and smashed into it. They were head-butting it, kicking it, throwing things at it.” The reinforced glass came away in chunks, which were hurled at the unionists and anti-racist campaigners trapped in the foyer. Beverley said: “They were crazed on the other side of this glass wall … They started ripping pieces of glass off and frisbeeing them at us through the holes and then they started hurling rocks at us.” George Barratt, a Labour councillor for Barking’s Mayesbrook ward, who was due to speak at the meeting on multiculturalism and racism, said: “It is extremely disturbing. We don’t want these thugs here and we won’t tolerate them attacking our meetings.” In the run-up to the local elections Hope not Hate campaigners, who were on their way to deliver anti BNP leaflets in Essex, were confronted by around 40 or 50 far-right activists who refused to let them off the train at Grays in east London. This month a radical bookshop in Liverpool was targeted by around 15 men claiming to be EDL supporters and last month in Brighton a meeting on multiculturalism was attacked by a group of 30 or 40. Weyman Bennett, from Unite Against Fascism, said: “These attacks are escalating in their frequency and in the level of violence. They are now targeting trade unionists and elected councillors as well as anti-racists – it is classic fascist tactics and cannot be ignored.” English Defence League The far right Race issues BNP Local elections 2011 Local politics London Trade unions Matthew Taylor guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Migration from eastern Europe on the rise again, with return to UK ‘driven by disappointment at home’ The conventional narrative of the last three years suggested that as soon as the clouds of financial doom descended over the UK, Poles were on the first flight home. Many believed the do widzenia (Polish for “see you later”) was a permanent goodbye. The Polish delis would quietly shut down, Boddingtons would return to the shelves where the cans of Lech once stood, and it would yet again be difficult to get a reliable plumber. But things have not quite panned out that way. The UK economy may still be in the doldrums, but according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), net migration to the UK from Poland is on the up again, and Poles are now the biggest group of foreign nationals in the UK. Some 545,000 Polish passport holders now live in the UK, compared with 75,000 in 2003, the year before Poland joined the EU. The ONS reports that net migration from Poland and other east European countries increased to 43,000 in the 12
Continue reading …
Iris Robinson has been cleared of wrongdoing over the awarding of a council business deal to her former teenage lover, Kirk McCambley The wife of the Northern Ireland first minister, Peter Robinson, has been cleared of wrongdoing over the awarding of a council business deal to her former teenage lover. The review followed revelations that Iris Robinson had arranged £50,000 in secret loans for 19-year-old Kirk McCambley so he could open a cafe on the banks of the River Lagan in Belfast. The cafe was leased from Castlereagh borough council where she was a Democratic Unionist Party representative. Robinson’s political career ended after the scandal broke last year. She left the council, gave up her seat in the Northern Ireland Assembly and stood down as MP for Strangford. But on Thursday evening councillors given a private briefing on the review said it cleared the council and its representatives, including Robinson, of wrongdoing. The DUP leader on the council, Jimmy Spratt, said: “This report brings this chapter in the history of Castlereagh Borough Council to a close.” He added: “There is no evidence of wrongdoing by officers of the council or either past or current councillors.” The disgraced former “First Lady” of Ulster politics left public life last year and moved to London for several months where she received counselling. She returned to the public sphere last week when she accompanied her husband, the leader of the DUP, at the dinner hosted for the Queen in Dublin by Irish president Mary McAleese. Spratt said: “Over the last 14 months, Iris, Peter and their family have been in our thoughts and prayers and we were delighted that Iris felt able to attend the banquet to mark Her Majesty The Queen’s visit to the Irish Republic last week. “We send her continued best wishes for a full recovery.” Ireland Iris Robinson David Batty guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Hillary Clinton has arrived in Pakistan on a surprise visit amid frayed relations with the US nuclear-armed ally after the death of Osama bin Laden US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has arrived in Islamabad in a surprise visit amid frayed relations with the US nuclear-armed ally after the death of Osama bin Laden. The discovery of the al-Qaida leader in a garrison town just 50 km (30 miles) away from the capital Islamabad raised fresh doubts about Pakistan being a reliable partner in the US-led war on Islamist militancy. The Pakistan government welcomed the death of the al-Qaida leader but has criticised the US secret mission in Abbottabad, where bin Laden lived for years, as a breach of its sovereignty. Many US lawmakers, skeptical that Pakistani officials did not know of bin Laden’s presence, want to cut US aid to Pakistan, which the White House views as vital to counter-terrorism and to hopes of stabilising neighbouring Afghanistan. In a sign of deepening distrust, Pakistan has told the United States to halve the number of military trainers stationed in the country. But just a day before coming to Pakistan, Clinton said working with Pakistan was a strategic necessity for the United States, even as she pressed Islamabad to act more decisively to counter-terrorism. She praised Pakistan as a “good partner” in global efforts to fight terrorism, though she acknowledged that the two countries have disagreed on how hard to fight al-Qaida, Afghan Taliban fighters and other militants. “We do have a set of expectations that we are looking for the Pakistani government to meet but I want to underscore, in conclusion, that it is not as though they have been on the sidelines,” she told a news conference in Paris on Thursday. “They have been actively engaged in their own bitter fight with these terrorist extremists.” Pakistan Hillary Clinton United States Osama bin Laden US politics guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Hillary Clinton has arrived in Pakistan on a surprise visit amid frayed relations with the US nuclear-armed ally after the death of Osama bin Laden US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has arrived in Islamabad in a surprise visit amid frayed relations with the US nuclear-armed ally after the death of Osama bin Laden. The discovery of the al-Qaida leader in a garrison town just 50 km (30 miles) away from the capital Islamabad raised fresh doubts about Pakistan being a reliable partner in the US-led war on Islamist militancy. The Pakistan government welcomed the death of the al-Qaida leader but has criticised the US secret mission in Abbottabad, where bin Laden lived for years, as a breach of its sovereignty. Many US lawmakers, skeptical that Pakistani officials did not know of bin Laden’s presence, want to cut US aid to Pakistan, which the White House views as vital to counter-terrorism and to hopes of stabilising neighbouring Afghanistan. In a sign of deepening distrust, Pakistan has told the United States to halve the number of military trainers stationed in the country. But just a day before coming to Pakistan, Clinton said working with Pakistan was a strategic necessity for the United States, even as she pressed Islamabad to act more decisively to counter-terrorism. She praised Pakistan as a “good partner” in global efforts to fight terrorism, though she acknowledged that the two countries have disagreed on how hard to fight al-Qaida, Afghan Taliban fighters and other militants. “We do have a set of expectations that we are looking for the Pakistani government to meet but I want to underscore, in conclusion, that it is not as though they have been on the sidelines,” she told a news conference in Paris on Thursday. “They have been actively engaged in their own bitter fight with these terrorist extremists.” Pakistan Hillary Clinton United States Osama bin Laden US politics guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …
Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, is regarded as the early Republican front-runner to challenge Barack Obama in the 2012 US presidential race Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney will formally announce his campaign for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination next week in New Hampshire, a Romney aide said on Thursday. Romney, who unsuccessfully sought the party’s nomination in 2008, is regarded as the early Republican front-runner to challenge President Barack Obama in the November 2012 election. The 64-year-old Romney tops many opinion polls against his possible Republican rivals, but he lags behind Obama, a Democrat, who is seeking a second term in office. Romney planned to launch his campaign at a midday barbecue in Stratham, New Hampshire on 2 June, according to the aide. The state holds an important early contest on the road to the Republican nomination next year. Romney criticised Obama’s handling of the economy during a visit to Chicago on Thursday. “I know we are only a couple blocks away from President Obama’s re-election headquarters,” Romney said. “The president is a fine fellow but he just doesn’t have the experience in the private sector to know what it takes to get America creating jobs again,” he said. Romney has promoted his business experience, but critics complain about his record as a corporate raider for a private equity firm in the 1980s. They also say his performance on employment was mixed at best as Massachusetts governor. Romney, the best financed of the confirmed candidates, raised more than $10 million in just one day last week. A key vulnerability for Romney could be the healthcare plan that he helped develop for Massachusetts. The state plan resembles Obama’s sweeping 2010 healthcare overhaul that was opposed by Republicans, who have vowed to repeal it. A Gallup poll released on Thursday showed Romney at 17% with former Alaska governor Sarah Palin close behind at at 15%. Palin this week ignited a storm of speculation about her 2012 plans. Michele Bachmann, a US congresswoman from Minnesota and favourite of the conservative Tea Party movement, also is considering entering the race. Many Republicans have been unhappy about the current crop of presidential contenders. Other Republican White House hopefuls include former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty and Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House of Representatives. Romney stepped in to rescue the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. He was tapped as president and CEO of the organising committee in 1999 after the Games were tarred by bribery allegations by top officials and were far behind revenue benchmarks. He brought in a new management team, cut budgets and boosted fund-raising. By most measures those Olympics were regarded as a success. United States Mitt Romney US politics US elections 2012 Republicans guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Title: Hey Mae Artist: Hey Mae It’s time for some hillbilly rock and roll. Here’s a 1958 release from my favorite cajun duo. What’s your favorite song with a name in the title?
Continue reading …PBS Host Smiley Invites His Radio Co-Host Cornel West to Further Explain How Obama’s a Black Puppet of Wall Street
May 26, 2011 No Comment
After radical Princeton professor Cornel West savagely attacked President Obama as a Wall Street mascot and puppet, it would hardly be surprising that PBS talk-show host Tavis Smiley would provide him a forum on Wednesday night to repeat his analysis – after all, Smiley and West host a public-radio show together. But it’s still amazing that he doesn’t see his insults as very insulting: SMILEY: Did he have to be called a Black mascot and a Black puppet? There are those who suggested that you were petty, for a man who talks as much about love as you do, that you were petty for using terminology like “mascot” and “puppet.” WEST: Well, one, I am the kind of Christian, I love mascots. I love puppets, too. He’s still a human being. He’s still brilliant. He’s still charismatic. He’s got a magnificent wife, he’s got precious children. He’s still a brother in that sense. So when you call somebody a mascot, that is a putdown in terms of the role that they choose to perform. That’s not an attack on his humanity. West also tried to explain the strange-sounding line about Obama growing up (deficiently) in a white culture: WEST: Well, you say his formation was culturally White. Yes. There is such a thing as being formed culturally White. Hall and Oates is blacker than Pat Boone. Average White Band is blacker than the Beach Boys. They all White, but one’s more Black than the other. Curtis Mayfield blacker than all of them in terms of style, in terms of form, in terms of soulfulness. So it’s not a putdown. They’re all human beings. I actually appreciate Pat Boone, but I know he’s not Curtis Mayfield. I know he’s not Hall and Oates. So it’s not a matter of excluding folk from humanity, but we’ve got to tell the truth though, brother, and I’m committed to telling the truth in relation to poor and working people, whether I’m trashed or not. SMILEY: The second quote I want to get to, “I think my dear brother Barack Obama has a certain fear of free Black men. It’s understandable; as a young brother who grows up in a White context, brilliant African father, he’s always had to fear being a White man with black skin. All he has known culturally is White. He is just as human as I am, but that is his cultural formation. You just spoke on that. Anything you want to add to it? WEST: There’s a line above it – he is as human and I am, and it can be overcome. We know brother Father Pfleger, our dear brother just got his church back, St. Sabina – SMILEY: In Chicago. WEST: – one of the great prophetic churches of our country. He grew up on the vanilla side of town. He had a White formation. But he is fundamentally committed to poor people. Fundamentally committed to working people. John Brown, even a better example on the White side of town, loving Black folk more than many Black folk loved themselves. He died for Black folk. So by saying “white formation,” that’s not a – that’s a description. That’s not a racist characterization, as it were. And let’s be very honest about it – to grow up on the vanilla side of town does mean that you have a certain fear of free Black men. In fact, in his own autobiography he says his grandparents had a fear of Black men. SMILEY: And his grandmama used the “N” word. WEST: Used the “N” word. I still love the White grandparents. They loved him, and that’s a beautiful thing. But we have to be honest in terms of historical formation. But you know what? What’s fascinating to me, though, Tavis, and this is where you see the pathology of the pundit class, if people could spend as much energy trashing me and demonizing me as focusing on mass incarceration and the prison industrial complex, tell the truth about the military industrial complex, half of the federal budget, tell the truth about Wall Street oligarchy and the greed still running amok this very minute tied to the glitz and the gluttony that goes with it. Tell the truth about the corporate media that is market-driven, that doesn’t want to allow progressive voices to tell the truth about the corporate state and the imperial wars connected between the two. That’s the sad thing.
Continue reading …The Lone Star State, a No-Fly Zone? Why Texas Dropped Its Anti-TSA ‘Groping’ Bill
May 26, 2011 No Comment
Although Texas is notorious for advocating for states’ rights — Gov. Rick Perry has openly suggested secession — state officials had to drop a bid to prevent TSA agents from conducting “invasive searches” after the federal government threatened to shut down all airports in Texas. Last week the Texas House of Representatives passed a bill
Continue reading …