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Google has made investments in wireless networks, is testing gigabit-to-the-home technology, and is selling 60,000 Android smartphones a day — yet has no plans to compete with network operators, CEO Eric Schmidt told attendees at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Tuesday. The company’s investment in WiMax network infrastructure, and its trials of FTTH (fiber-to-the-home) that can deliver a gigabit per second to each household, are not a sign that it wants to become a network operator itself. Instead, the company will focus on its search advertising and enterprise software businesses, he said, with most of the money continuing to come from advertising.
Chip designer Arm this week showed its first processor made using the advanced 28-nanometer manufacturing process, which should improve battery life and functionality in future smartphones. The mobile chip will be smaller than its predecessor, which could make it work faster and use less power, Arm said in a joint statement with GlobalFoundries, which will produce the chip. It will bring advanced features like interactive gaming and high-definition video to devices like smartphones and netbooks. The chip was shown at the 2010 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week. It will go into production in the second half of 2010 in the GlobalFoundries factory in Dresden, Germany.
A common Web programming error could give hackers a way to take over Google Buzz accounts, a security expert said Tuesday. The flaw is a “medium-sized problem” with the Buzz for Mobile Web site, said Robert Hansen, CEO of SecTheory, who first reported the issue. This type of Web programming error, called a cross-site scripting flaw, lets the attacker put his own scripting code into Web pages that belong to trusted Web sites such as Google.com. It is a fairly common flaw but one that can have major consequences when exploited on widely used Web sites.
U.S. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski on Tuesday laid out some details, including an ambitious “100 Squared” initiative, that will be part of the agency’s National Broadband Plan that it will send to Congress in March. The “100 Squared” plan aims to bring 100M bps (bits per second) Internet service to 100 million homes. Genachowski generally said that the broadband plan outlines a vision to be reached by 2020, but he did not specify that the 100 Squared plan should be achieved by then.
…And those are the top stories from the IDG Global IT News Update, brought to you by the IDG News Service. I’m Sumner Lemon in Singapore. Join us again later for more news from the world of technology.